Center Stairs on Royal

[caribill]

Interesting in this discussion is that no one has crabbed about the Grand which has had no center passenger stairs since it was built almost twenty years ago. Guess people adapted. [emoji12]

 

When the Grand came out, people did "crab", Princess listened, and every subsequent ship in the Grand and super-Grand class had center passenger stairs.

 

When the Royal came without the public center stairs, it is as Princess forget the lessons learned from the Grand.

[caribill]

Yep. Just off Regal (same design as Royal) and the elevator logic is very bad. First problem is that in the stair-less center bank, the six elevators are in three separate control groups: the main bank of four plus each scenic elevator is on its own. So people typically call all three so a lot of needless stopping. On the Grand Class ships, there were two control groups. The 4 regular elevators in one group and the 2 scenic elevators in the second group. There was logic for this, as the scenic elevators did not go down to deck 4 while the regular elevators did. On the Royal & Regal, since all six center elevators go to the same decks, there is no justification for more than one control group.

 

Second issue is logic that won't allow another to be called until the first (even if full) has departed. On the deck 4 (gangway) as people are boarding at the end of a port call, long lines can develop as not enough elevators go down there. Example: large group waiting, one elevator goes to 4 and quickly fills. Meanwhile, others are waiting but can't call another elevator (pressing the call button just keeps the doors open on the one already there). Watching the display, you can even see one come down to 5 and start back up because the control system thinks the demand on 4 was met by the one already there. But for the center elevators which have three control groups, it seems that a button could be pressed for the two groups that did not currently have an elevator at deck 4.

 

A solution is during these high demand periods on one floor, all the elevators should be on "recall" to that floor so they all keep coming down there (e.g. in the office building where I work, there's always an implied call to the ground floor so if one departs, another comes down to the ground floor - the call button on the ground floor does nothing since one is always being called whether the button is pushed or not).

 

see above in red

[PrincessLuver]

When the Grand came out, people did "crab", Princess listened, and every subsequent ship in the Grand and super-Grand class had center passenger stairs.

 

When the Royal came without the public center stairs, it is as Princess forget the lessons learned from the Grand.

 

No center stairs on Majestic either.....must be a reason for it.....:confused:

[TheRabbit]

It was a decision by Mickey Arison to save money.

 

There was another reason behind the stair problem many may not know. Princess was forced by a new regulation that took effect I believe after the design was done to place a secondary radio communication center at a prescribed location on the ship. I think it is Maritime law, not sure, but location is defined. Putting this on the other side of the elevators did not meet the law. Anyway, the prescribe location was exactly where the stairs went up on the Royal/Regal design. Hopefully someone knows more about this than I do and can correct me.

[chengkp75]

There was another reason behind the stair problem many may not know. Princess was forced by a new regulation that took effect I believe after the design was done to place a secondary radio communication center at a prescribed location on the ship. I think it is Maritime law, not sure, but location is defined. Putting this on the other side of the elevators did not meet the law. Anyway, the prescribe location was exactly where the stairs went up on the Royal/Regal design. Hopefully someone knows more about this than I do and can correct me.

 

I've never heard of, nor can I find evidence of, a requirement for a "secondary radio communication center" for passenger ships.

[Esprit]

I was on Royal Princess earlier this month and Captain Bob Oliver announced at the gathering for all Elite and Platinum members that the central staircase WILL be opened up for passengers when the ship is dry docked later this year.

[lstone19]

There was another reason behind the stair problem many may not know. Princess was forced by a new regulation that took effect I believe after the design was done to place a secondary radio communication center at a prescribed location on the ship. I think it is Maritime law, not sure, but location is defined. Putting this on the other side of the elevators did not meet the law. Anyway, the prescribe location was exactly where the stairs went up on the Royal/Regal design. Hopefully someone knows more about this than I do and can correct me.

 

 

 

Doesn't make any sense. The stairs are there; they're just not finished to passenger standards. They are used by passengers during the muster drill since they are the primary route down for almost everyone in the mid-section of the ship.

 

 

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[wheezedr]

Doesn't make any sense. The stairs are there; they're just not finished to passenger standards. They are used by passengers during the muster drill since they are the primary route down for almost everyone in the mid-section of the ship.

 

 

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They are also used by passengers at other times. Amazing how often on our Med cruise we would see passengers going in or out of them.

[lstone19]

They are also used by passengers at other times. Amazing how often on our Med cruise we would see passengers going in or out of them.

 

 

 

During the muster drill, passengers are directed to use them; at all other times, passengers are technically in a crew only area.

 

 

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[TheRabbit]

Doesn't make any sense. The stairs are there; they're just not finished to passenger standards. They are used by passengers during the muster drill since they are the primary route down for almost everyone in the mid-section of the ship.

 

 

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It was my understanding that they are offset some. In 2013, they did not have us use them for the muster call. So far the ship layout does not reflect the stairs going in. The note you come up with for before and after Jan 29th 2017 (I think that is what it says) does not show the stair change. The only change is for Club rooms that I could find.

 

As an engineer, I think I'm going to look into this deeper when I get home. As the other writer indicated and what I found to be true in April is finding info on why the communication center had to be there, whether it is actually there and what Princess is actually doing, other than someone including the captain actually said, is hard to find. (I find the fact a captain said it very compelling, but why no change on the ship layout? Maybe it's the big stair conspiracy? LOL) Just to much other sites pop up on the search. If someone finds the actual statement from Princess in writing, I would love to read it along with a few others I'm sure.

[chengkp75]

There is a potential problem with converting crew stairs to passenger stairs, and that is you are then removing the midship crew stairs, and how this will affect the crew's ability to service the guests.

[lstone19]

I'm curious if passengers didn't use the midship crew stairs for the mister drill, how did they get down. Elevators shouldn't be used nor could they move people fast enough.

 

 

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[floridalover5623]

They are also used by passengers at other times. Amazing how often on our Med cruise we would see passengers going in or out of them.

 

Yep. We shot down the stairs from Emerald deck to dinner lots of times. Waiting for the elevator was just to frustrating.

[dmwnc1959]

I'm curious if passengers didn't use the midship crew stairs for the mister drill, how did they get down. Elevators shouldn't be used nor could they move people fast enough.

 

Several previous posts have correctly stated that the center stairwell IS open for the Emergency Drill...you can see here the extent to which they are finished primarily for crew use:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=40839710&postcount=108

 

:D

[lstone19]

Several previous posts have correctly stated that the center stairwell IS open for the Emergency Drill...you can see here the extent to which they are finished primarily for crew use:

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=40839710&postcount=108

 

 

 

:D

 

 

 

Except that a previous poster said they weren't used on his cruise's muster drill. So my question.

 

They were used for the muster drill on my cruise on Regal in June. And from the experience, I can't see anyway you can have a proper muster drill without using them.

 

 

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[Colo Cruiser]

Except that a previous poster said they weren't used on his cruise's muster drill. So my question.

 

They were used for the muster drill on my cruise on Regal in June. And from the experience, I can't see anyway you can have a proper muster drill without using them.

 

 

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The central stairway doors were easy to miss on our cruises as the door on our deck and other decks were closed during muster but there were many passengers using the stairs.

[dmwnc1959]

Except that a previous poster said they weren't used on his cruise's muster drill. So my question.

 

I didn't read in this thread (if it was there I must have missed the post) that someone had mentioned that.

 

:confused:

[Tedferg]

Totally agree......could care less about the stairs and I am always surprised to see a lot of people taking elevators up or down one floor.....really....too lazy to take stairs.....;)

 

Explain your logic please.

 

A. There are no passenger stairs.

B. People complain about lack of stairs.

C. You complain about people using the elevator instead of stairs .

:confused:

[pthjudy]

Yep. We shot down the stairs from Emerald deck to dinner lots of times. Waiting for the elevator was just to frustrating.

I thought about doing that nearly every day on the Regal while waiting for the elevator. We were on 8 and wanted to go to 7. Bravo to your chutzpah.

[TheRabbit]

I'm curious if passengers didn't use the midship crew stairs for the mister drill, how did they get down. Elevators shouldn't be used nor could they move people fast enough.

 

 

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In July 2013 they had us go to the front or back stairs.

[capriccio]

In July 2013 they had us go to the front or back stairs.

 

Assuming your cabin emergency exit map had you going down the central staircase that really made no sense. Maybe Princess saw the error of their ways because we were in a mid-ship cabin on the Royal last October and they opened the central stairway for the drill.

[easyboy]

I'm curious if passengers didn't use the midship crew stairs for the mister drill, how did they get down. Elevators shouldn't be used nor could they move people fast enough.

Always on midship cabin, we use the crew stairs after the muster drill.

[floridalover5623]

It dependents on which cabin you're in as to which staircase you'll use. You can be mid ship & still not close enough to the mid staircase to be assigned to that one.

[TheRabbit]

Assuming your cabin emergency exit map had you going down the central staircase that really made no sense. Maybe Princess saw the error of their ways because we were in a mid-ship cabin on the Royal last October and they opened the central stairway for the drill.

 

I think you are right on them seeing the error of their ways. We were on the Royal's Maiden Grand Med and the crew was just getting accustomed to the new ship. I came across a few engineers from companies who developed the systems for the ship including the one from the air-conditioning. They all indicated things were changing as problems arose. FYI, I think they had us going down the middle stairs for an emergency on the door map, but did not open them up for the Muster.

 

I am like a few others here who indicated they just use the stairs. I have a rule that if it is within three floors I always use stairs. 99% of the time you beat the elevator anyways.

 

Still trying to find the regulations on just the basic communication center. I figured once I found that one, it would be easy to trace the second. Some of this is for security reasons and makes me wonder if it can be found on the web.

[JimmyVWine]

I think you are right on them seeing the error of their ways.

And yet, Majestic is being built without an open central staircase, same as Royal and Regal, if the current deck plan is to be believed. They've had several years to make the necessary alteration, and are apparently not doing so. While I have no personal knowledge on the matter, I find it difficult to believe the rumors that Royal will have the central staircase opened up for passenger use during a drydock if Majestic is being built to the prior specifications. If they were really going to retrofit Royal, wouldn't they build in a central staircase on Majestic from the get-go?