ROYAL Princess - no Central Staircase a Royal Pain

[Putterdude]

Does not having stairs force traffic through revenue generating areas?

 

 

No, it is just another classic design flaw on the part of Princess....they just have real trouble getting it right.

[dmwnc1959]

I would never book a midship cabin on this ship.. We often zip between our cabin the activites on decks 5-7 (especially the International Cafe, Atrium, casino, customer relations, etc.., not to mention getting from our cabin to quickly meet up for a shore excursion off the ship.. Can you imagine having to walk all the way to the back/front of the ship... and then all the way BACK to the middle...?. each and every time?. Especially when getting back to the ship after a long day in port, and even worse when you arrive at the same time with a lot of other people after a shore excursion.... all you want to do is get back to your cabin.. There's no way we'd want to wait with the massive throngs of people at the elevator banks, and be dependant on them, just to go up a few decks.. There are no stairs above deck 7 though, so we'd have to traverse ths ship - each and every time.. Mindlessly crazy.. And needlessly inconvenient to the passengers.

 

- Rick

.

 

When I cruised Ruby Princess last year I weighed about 35 pounds more than I do now and was still recovering from a brutal car accident earlier that year that damaged my knees. I had a midship cabin on Aloha Deck just down from the midship elevators. During the seven days and nights I was aboard her I literally and completely forgot there was a stairwell back there, used the elevators exclusively to go up and down to all of those 'activities' around the piazza (International Cafe, Atrium, casino, customer relations, etc..) or up to the Lido deck for a meal or view the passing scenery, and never can I remember waiting more than 1 or 2 minutes at the most for an elevator. And I can't ever recall that it ever took 2 minutes. I also remember walking all the way aft dozens of times from my midship cabin to get to the only elevator that went up to Deck 19, and that little bit of walking was really never an issue. I also walked all the way back to my cabin quite a few times from the forward elevators after being up at the Trident Grill area or forward Sun Deck taking pictures. Again, the little bit of walking was never an issue, nor the fact that I had to wait one minute for a midship elevator. Same goes for when we were in port, when the ship tendered, on embarkation day, and the day I departed the ship to fly home.

 

I guess that when I'm on vacation I am a lot less rushed to get anywhere, and if I need to be somewhere at a certain time the punctuality that the Navy ingrained in me has me arriving in plenty of time so I'm not late for anything. And never once in the week I was aboard Ruby Princess was I ever inconvenienced by the fact that I took elevators all the time, or had to wait 60-90 seconds for an elevator.

[dmwnc1959]

We're only talking about decorating costs, nothing structural. How much would carpeting, wall covering and some artwork at every mid-landing cost in the scheme of things? Plus, they wouldn't have to pay for the doors blocking the stairways on every deck as the Royal has. Seems like it would be worth the improved PR and, more importantly, the convenience of mid-ship pax.

 

It may be more than just that, the aesthetic costs of 'covering up' and converting a stairwell designated for crew use (or emergencies) into a fully functioning passenger staircase. We don't know what else is behind the midship bulkheads and midship crew stair (ventilation ducts, potable water and waste pipes, machinery exhausts, electrical conduits) that would have to be relocated to provide a replacement stair access for the crew. And the crew stairs I've seen are physically designed and built different that those that passengers use. They look more like the industrial-style stairs than what we see in the passenger areas, and are more rudimentary functional as opposed to aesthetically functional. It may require gutting the midship column and stair structure and replacing everything.

[caribill]

I had a midship cabin on Aloha Deck just down from the midship elevators. During the seven days and nights I was aboard her I literally and completely forgot there was a stairwell back there, used the elevators exclusively to go up and down to all of those 'activities' around the piazza (International Cafe, Atrium, casino, customer relations, etc..) or up to the Lido deck for a meal or view the passing scenery, and never can I remember waiting more than 1 or 2 minutes at the most for an elevator. And I can't ever recall that it ever took 2 minutes.

 

Your good experience is in part because the stairs were there on the Ruby and were being used to some extent by other passengers.

 

"Live" reports from the earlier cruise on the Royal said wait times were long and the elevator often arrived packed. This was on a sailing that had far less than the lower bed capacity number of passengers. When the Royal is at capacity, I doubt passengers will have the same good experience you had on the Ruby.

[dmwnc1959]

Your good experience is in part because the stairs were there on the Ruby and were being used to some extent by other passengers.

 

"Live" reports from the earlier cruise on the Royal said wait times were long and the elevator often arrived packed. This was on a sailing that had far less than the lower bed capacity number of passengers. When the Royal is at capacity, I doubt passengers will have the same good experience you had on the Ruby.

 

 

I'll let you know while I'm on her durng those two weeks if it is an issue for me or not. ;)

[pablo222]

Earth to Pablo

 

Where have you been for the last several months?

 

So do you personally know all the details of the regal design,

including up-to-the-minute design changes? Please share

with the casual correspondents here!

[antsp]

Can anyone come up for a reason in Princess favour as why you dont want passenger to use stairs

[GHDPeter]

Can anyone come up for a reason in Princess favour as why you dont want passenger to use stairs

 

Perhaps based on years of data the majority of passengers midships dont use stairs?

[Iamcruzin]

Can anyone come up for a reason in Princess favour as why you dont want passenger to use stairs

 

If you are trapped between 5 and 7 waiting for the lift something may catch your eye and you may spend more money.

[chamima]

Can anyone come up for a reason in Princess favour as why you dont want passenger to use stairs

 

 

I posted before that a large mall near us eliminated the center stairs in a remodel about 10 or so years ago!

(I hope I'm being clear, they originally had stairs and took them out.)

It makes it very inconvenient to go up or down in the center of the mall because the two elevators there are usually full of people with strollers. I don't understand but there has to be some kind of reason ...........

 

:confused: ..... :( ....... :confused:

[antsp]

Perhaps based on years of data the majority of passengers midships dont use stairs?

 

You really believe Princess have data on stair useage.

[kool kruiser]

Like many other confused experienced Princess cruisers, I only have one word to say...WHY?

Perhaps someone from the cruise line could enlighten us

[Iamcruzin]

I posted before that a large mall near us eliminated the center stairs in a remodel about 10 or so years ago!

(I hope I'm being clear, they originally had stairs and took them out.)

It makes it very inconvenient to go up or down in the center of the mall because the two elevators there are usually full of people with strollers. I don't understand but there has to be some kind of reason ...........

 

:confused: ..... :( ....... :confused:

 

Our mall did the same. What it forces me to do is go through one of the major Department stores an use their escalator. I am sure they are hoping that I buy something along the way.

[chamima]

I posted before that a large mall near us eliminated the center stairs in a remodel about 10 or so years ago!

(I hope I'm being clear, they originally had stairs and took them out.)

It makes it very inconvenient to go up or down in the center of the mall because the two elevators there are usually full of people with strollers. I don't understand but there has to be some kind of reason ...........

 

:confused: ..... :( ....... :confused:

 

Our mall did the same. What it forces me to do is go through one of the major Department stores an use their escalator. I am sure they are hoping that I buy something along the way.

 

Ours has the elevators in the center and at each of the four ends it has stairs and escalators outside of the major department stores so all it does is force me to wait for the elevator (there are only 2 floors so even if it's full the first time it's less than 5 minutes to wait) or walk to an end. Maybe the small stores in the wings wanted the stairs eliminated.

I still don't understand, though. :confused:

 

And, as everyone has said, on the ship, it's only passenger cabins you'll be walking past so it can't be because it's a revenue generator in this case.

[cmst220]

its only a problem if you let it be theres 2 fully functional stair wells at either end a good working lifts , a 5 minute walk from the 400,s cabins takes you to a set of stairs not a major problem folks

[sabookkeeper]

I agree with this in part. I don't think Princess will change anything on the Regal because of passenger complaints about the Royal. I believe they knew well that many passengers would be displeased about the lack of a promenade and a mid-ship stairway, and the smaller balconies. Economic reasons forced the decisions they made; only economic reasons will motivate a change.

 

But it's so important that people post negative impressions. I don't understand the "all positive" thing at all. I would much rather to on a cruise expecting the worst and then find that things really aren't that bad than to go expecting a perfection that doesn't exist.

 

Of course, I'm not one to cancel a cruise because of negative reviews, either. I have faith that I'll find something to like that will save the cruise experience for me. And then, based on first hand information, I can decide if I want to cruise again on that ship.

I would not cancel a cruise due to negative reviews because reviews are subjective. The size of the balconies, lack of stairways are not subjective - they are what they are.

[MauiLvrs]

The size of the balconies, lack of stairways are not subjective - they are what they are.

So ... they would be fact.

[

QUOTE=cmst220;38878358]... a 5 minute walk from the 400,s cabins takes you to a set of stairs not a major problem folks

Now that would depend a bit on which folks you talk about wouldn't it.

[caribill]

its only a problem if you let it be theres 2 fully functional stair wells at either end a good working lifts , a 5 minute walk from the 400,s cabins takes you to a set of stairs not a major problem folks

 

If I am in the 400s on deck 8 and want to go down to deck 7 or up from 7 to 8, something likely to happen multiple times a day, that extra time to walk back and forth adds up.

[Rick-cruiser]

When I cruised Ruby Princess last year I weighed about 35 pounds more than I do now and was still recovering from a brutal car accident earlier that year that damaged my knees. I had a midship cabin on Aloha Deck just down from the midship elevators. During the seven days and nights I was aboard her I literally and completely forgot there was a stairwell back there, used the elevators exclusively to go up and down to all of those 'activities' around the piazza (International Cafe, Atrium, casino, customer relations, etc..) or up to the Lido deck for a meal or view the passing scenery, and never can I remember waiting more than 1 or 2 minutes at the most for an elevator. And I can't ever recall that it ever took 2 minutes. I also remember walking all the way aft dozens of times from my midship cabin to get to the only elevator that went up to Deck 19, and that little bit of walking was really never an issue. I also walked all the way back to my cabin quite a few times from the forward elevators after being up at the Trident Grill area or forward Sun Deck taking pictures. Again, the little bit of walking was never an issue, nor the fact that I had to wait one minute for a midship elevator. Same goes for when we were in port, when the ship tendered, on embarkation day, and the day I departed the ship to fly home.

 

I guess that when I'm on vacation I am a lot less rushed to get anywhere, and if I need to be somewhere at a certain time the punctuality that the Navy ingrained in me has me arriving in plenty of time so I'm not late for anything. And never once in the week I was aboard Ruby Princess was I ever inconvenienced by the fact that I took elevators all the time, or had to wait 60-90 seconds for an elevator.

 

You don't seem to understand.

 

A) We're not talking 60-90 seconds.. On your Ruby cruise, there was much less passenger capacity aboard that ship, it's a smaller ship, and people weren't FORCED to use those mid-ship elevators just to go up/down 1- 2- or 3 decks.. These mid-ship elevators on the Royal will garner a LOT more usage, as passengers will not have the option of using the adjacent stairs to zip up/down.

 

B) On our 20 or so Princess cruises, whenever we did decide to chance using an elevator (say to go from deck 5 to deck 14), we'd often wait 2-5 minutes, dependent upon how many stops the elevator was making - which subsequently was dependent upon how many passengers were stopping at each of the decks - getting on and off - before the elevator finally reached our deck.. By that time, instead of it being just us waiting for the lift, a crowd of 8 or 10 or 12 had now gathered... each moving towards one of the elevator lifts hoping that theirs was the one to come first so that they'd be the first to get in.. It sometimes became very "dog-eat-dog", which is the LAST thing I want to encounter when i'm on vacation.. Then, when an elevator FINALLY DID arrive, it was often already 1/2 to 3/4 filled with people, allowing maybe 2-4 people to squeeze in... And I'm not even talking about coming back from a shore excursion at the same time with many other people... with mass gatherings/blockages at the elevators - just to simply get back to their cabins.

 

C) These mid-ship elevators will get even MORE usage because of the eliminated stairs... making passengers DEPENDENT on using them.. People will have no choice... unless they want to traverse the ship down to one end, and then BACK to the middle, if that's where they need to go... instead of, say, just zipping up one deck from 7 to 8 to get to their mid-ship cabin - which would have taken them 20 seconds instead.

 

D) There are already MANY REPORTS from people ACTUALLY having sailed, or currently sailing, on the ship who are reporting major problems and extremely long waits / frustrations with these elevators.. And that's with the ship NOT being filled to capacity.. You keep mentioning waiting 60-90 seconds for an elevator on the Ruby.... that is NOT the case from the reports already emanating from the Royal.

 

E) I am also a very punctual person and leave plenty of time to get to an event / activity / meeting.. But my time - especially on vacation - is very valuable to me and I don't want to needlessly spend time and time again waiting for elevators to arrive - which, when they finally do, arrive half-full with 15 people waiting to get on.. I would MUCH prefer to zip up and down the stairs, especially when it's just 2 or 3 decks.. Waiting for an elevator to take me from deck 7 to deck 8 is just ludicrous.... and having to walk all the way front or aft, and then back again, is also ludicrous.. It's annoying, inconvenient and, in my eyes, unnecessary.

 

F) You mention, twice, that "that little bit of walking was never an issue".. I can assure you that many people recognize that walking is good for them.. However, these same people probably want to choose where and when they want to do this walking....they perhaps wouldn't mind walking up/down the stairs to accomplish that same feat - and saving much of their valuable vacation time in the process.

 

G) I do not advocate being a cheerleader for any one given cruise line, and believe in bringing to the cruise line's attention any of their potential shortcomings/misfires - especially if it negatively affects many of their passengers to some degree.. Princess then has the opportunity to recognize and possibly rectify the problem, if they are able.. At least let them know about it....as a business owner I'm grateful when I get any feedback from my customers - good or bad.

 

- Rick

.

[Clutterlady]

I have been silent on the lack of central stairs on the Royal, but have to break my silence. First of all, even if you don't like the "lack of", it's not going to change. We are cruisers in our 60's, love taking the stairs when possible and yes occasionally get inpatient having to wait for an elevator, but so very happy to be alive and cruising! If you are so bothered by the "lack of" why oh why don't you cruise another ship or cruise line? I think Princess got the message that some are not pleased, but again, not going to change anything. When I cruise, for some reason, my aches and pains are gone, my stress is gone and I feel wonderful. I'll be damned if I would let the lack of a staircase stress me out!! Thank you for letting me vent...feel better already:)

[caribill]

I have been silent on the lack of central stairs on the Royal, but have to break my silence. First of all, even if you don't like the "lack of", it's not going to change. We are cruisers in our 60's, love taking the stairs when possible and yes occasionally get inpatient having to wait for an elevator, but so very happy to be alive and cruising! If you are so bothered by the "lack of" why oh why don't you cruise another ship or cruise line? I think Princess got the message that some are not pleased, but again, not going to change anything. When I cruise, for some reason, my aches and pains are gone, my stress is gone and I feel wonderful. I'll be damned if I would let the lack of a staircase stress me out!! Thank you for letting me vent...feel better already:)

Actually, the good news is that those who are here on Cruise Critic now are aware of the lack of a center passenger staircase, so they can happily experience the Royal by not booking a cabin near the center part of the ship. Probably will also save money since the centrally located cabins are priced higher.

 

They can now base their decision on whether to sail on the Royal based on other factors. So far the greatest praise has been for:

o a small ledge in the shower to allow easier shaving of legs

o enhanced TV system which allows easy access to the onboard account and also many no-cost on-demand movies

o a fantasic atrium

o full size loungers on the parts of the Promenade deck accessible to passengers

o a curtain in at least some minisuites to seperate the bed area from the non-bed area.

[toberman]

They can now base their decision on whether to sail on the Royal based on other factors. So far the greatest praise has been for:

o a small ledge in the shower to allow easier shaving of legs

o enhanced TV system which allows easy access to the onboard account and also many no-cost on-demand movies

o a fantasic atrium

o full size loungers on the parts of the Promenade deck accessible to passengers

o a curtain in at least some minisuites to seperate the bed area from the non-bed area.

 

WOW!!! I just havta get on this ship!! :D:D

[GHDPeter]

Can anyone tell me when Princess removed the centre stairs from the deck plans? Or was it never there to begin with?

[Pam in CA]

What fascinates me is that there hasn't been any outrage at the lack of outside cabins. That, to me, is much bigger a "flaw" than the other things people are writing about. The difference between the cheapest balcony and "best" inside is over $2,200 on the two cruises I've booked. Hard to justify spending that much more so I've booked an inside for the first time in years. I'll still have a great time because I'll be cruising with friends and making new ones.

[TorontoTL]

Can anyone tell me when Princess removed the centre stairs from the deck plans? Or was it never there to begin with?

 

They were never there from the beginning, I noticed that right away.