Port Everglades Escalator - Overboard Safety Precautions

[dweidensaul]

I dread disembarkation every time I cruise through PE Terminal 2 for the rude manner that the contracted staff treat people regarding the escalator.  While I appreciate safety being a primary concern, there is a limit for what needs to be addressed.  The port personnel (usually the same man) will only let people use the escalator if he/she have a "free hand", don't have his/her bags stacked on a roll-aboard (like most people in airports with a laptop bag), and hold on for dear life.  Passengers are even directed when when to step on the staircase.  People are treated like toddlers out of fear of a lawsuit?  Accidents can't be so frequent that it requires such rude behavior from the staff (many passengers return this tone in kind).  Additionally, it creates a bottle neck in the elevator due to the limited throughput.

 

I recognize many will say folks should just not carry so much off on their own, but each person has their own reasons for choosing different disembarkation methods.  We like to be in the first group off and can easily carry our own bags.  Regarless, there is no reason for such direct and rude delivery of an unreasonable policy.  

 

While I know the folks are not Princess employees, it reflects badly on the cruise line as the last impression from the cruise.  I'm curious who determines this "policy" or coaches the employees on customer engagement skills.

[1emerald1]

I agree with the safety precautions, especially having one hand free, however there is no need for rudeness.

[voljeep]

29 minutes ago, dweidensaul said:

I dread disembarkation every time I cruise through PE Terminal 2 for the rude manner that the contracted staff treat people regarding the escalator.  While I appreciate safety being a primary concern, there is a limit for what needs to be addressed.  The port personnel (usually the same man) will only let people use the escalator if he/she have a "free hand", don't have his/her bags stacked on a roll-aboard (like most people in airports with a laptop bag), and hold on for dear life.  Passengers are even directed when when to step on the staircase.  People are treated like toddlers out of fear of a lawsuit?  Accidents can't be so frequent that it requires such rude behavior from the staff (many passengers return this tone in kind).  Additionally, it creates a bottle neck in the elevator due to the limited throughput.

 

I recognize many will say folks should just not carry so much off on their own, but each person has their own reasons for choosing different disembarkation methods.  We like to be in the first group off and can easily carry our own bags.  Regarless, there is no reason for such direct and rude delivery of an unreasonable policy.  

 

While I know the folks are not Princess employees, it reflects badly on the cruise line as the last impression from the cruise.  I'm curious who determines this "policy" or coaches the employees on customer engagement skills.

maybe you should not be in such a hurry, mon ... take the elevator

[dweidensaul]

6 minutes ago, voljeep said:

maybe you should not be in such a hurry, mon ... take the elevator

Classic CC response.

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by dweidensaul

[dweidensaul]

15 minutes ago, 1emerald1 said:

I agree with the safety precautions, especially having one hand free, however there is no need for rudeness.

I'm all for safety, but we should all be able to manage this level of safety on our own without such a Draconian policy.

[OCruisers]

Having one hand free to hold on while going down is wise!  

[dweidensaul]

4 minutes ago, OCruisers said:

Having one hand free to hold on while going down is wise!  

Hard to argue it being "wise".

[idahospud]

Being that we sail out of PE several times a year I know exactly who you are talking about. While I agree his approach may be a bit rough around the edges, I have also been there when people have stood there trying to argue with him about thinking they should be the one not following the "rules". After thousands of passengers each day, with several arguing day after day, I probably would be forceful about how I was saying it, too.

 

I've also been behind folks with those multiple bags (and no free hand) at other ports where there isn't someone directing at the top of the escalator. I have seen people stumble with their bags, have seen bags falling onto the person on the escalator in front of them, and have had a near-miss in a pile up at the bottom of the escalator as people have struggled to get all the bags off the escalator.

 

I do know it's a pain, and I do know the elevator headache it causes - my husband is disabled and has to wait in that long elevator line with the luggage folks. But caution with the escalator does impact safety. 

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by idahospud

[4cats4me]

OP , I know what you Mean, and we’ve encountered the same thing while disembarking at Port Everglades, but some people have no common sense and will try to board the escalator with way too much luggage as happened on our last cruise out of there. 

Also, there was a thread on here a couple months back about somebody who was injured when the guy who was behind and above  him on the escalator lost control of his oversized luggage x 2 ( yes, somehow someone made it onto the escalator with two larger pieces) and one of the pieces of luggage injured the other passenger, and the passenger didn’t file a report but was upset over the handling of the situation.   

I am pretty sure the thread was here on the Princess board.   Anyway, maybe these accidents occur with more frequency than we know.  

 

[Noxequifans]

An issue here is that a good number of cruisers may not use an escalator in their daily activities back home. Better a bit rude and preventing accidents from happening.

[capriccio]

Anyone who reads the disembarkation letter from Princess for terminal 2 will see the warning that passengers must have one hand empty in order to hold on to the escalator.  I would consider this common sense; who wants an overburdened passenger behind you?  It also seems reasonable to me since there is an alternative - take the elevator as instructed in the letter and by the staff!  No pleading ignorance that you didn't know you might have to wait for the elevator.

[CindyPie1004]

We live in very litigious society and would dare say if there were an accident, the port would be sued and either a settlement reached or a jury verdict for the plaintiff. 

 

Look at this way, at that moment in time, at least PE cares! Thank the person for looking out for you and enjoy the final hours of your vacation. 

[BNBR]

I have found many of the staff at the port rude as can be. I just ignore them.  Just like the rude and crazy young woman yelling at us for waiting outside of the exit doors after customs.  We were waiting for our grandparents, and the outside area was completely empty since it wad early self disembark. As in, completely nobody around and we were nowhere near blocking the door, we were off to the side. She kept going off and we just ignored her. Drove her nuts. It was funny.

 

I'd go down the escalator regardless and pretend he doesn't exist. What is he going to do? 

 

It was so ridiculous I even snapped pictures.  It's the loony tune in the blue shirt.  Just yelling and yelling that we were blocking the door, even though we were nowhere near the door and standing off to the side - and there was absolutely nobody around either.  They HATE it when you ignore them and the staff are way, way too comfortable with being nasty to people.  So just ignore them.  It's hilarious as they work themselves up.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2019 by BNBR

[RocketMan275]

21 hours ago, dweidensaul said:

I dread disembarkation every time I cruise through PE Terminal 2 for the rude manner that the contracted staff treat people regarding the escalator.  While I appreciate safety being a primary concern, there is a limit for what needs to be addressed.  The port personnel (usually the same man) will only let people use the escalator if he/she have a "free hand", don't have his/her bags stacked on a roll-aboard (like most people in airports with a laptop bag), and hold on for dear life. 

I've never been admonished for having a small (laptop sized) bag stacked on my roll-aboard.  Done it many times.  Note: I do carry a couple of bungie cords to secure the bag to the handles.

[kochleffel]

I've ridden dozens of escalators with a smaller bag riding on a roller bag, and I don't see that it's a problem as long as the smaller bag has a strap or sleeve to hold it in place. What is sometimes a problem is that a person who has never done it before may not know how to step onto an escalator while also rolling the bag onto it - there is a definite knack to synchronizing the roller bag's movement with one's own. Once in the Rome subway I saw a bag ride down the escalator on its  own (fortunately, not falling) with the frantic owner still at the top.

[foflocruiser]

the staff that works in the cruise terminals are NOT port staff.  The contracted staff is hired by the cruise line.  You should let Princess know. 

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, foflocruiser said:

the staff that works in the cruise terminals are NOT port staff.  The contracted staff is hired by the cruise line.  You should let Princess know. 

 

I am fairly certain that these folks are employed by the Port Agency Company for a cruise line.  If I am wrong, I really would appreciate being corrected!

[capriccio]

10 hours ago, foflocruiser said:

the staff that works in the cruise terminals are NOT port staff.  The contracted staff is hired by the cruise line.  You should let Princess know. 

 

5 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I am fairly certain that these folks are employed by the Port Agency Company for a cruise line.  If I am wrong, I really would appreciate being corrected!

 

Here is the info I found when preparing a reply to a post a couple of months ago.  This is a job advertisement for the contractor to Princess and Holland America at Port Everglades. 

 

On-line info from the contractor (Metro Cruise Services):

 

Are you currently working with cruise guests? Are you retired or looking for your first time job? Do you have a customer service background and want to try something new? Metro Cruise Services is seeking candidates to fill part-time openings at Port Everglades as well as Miami International Airport. Metro Cruise will begin providing turnaround services for Princess Cruises and Holland America Line in fall of 2018. The wage for pier and airport agents is $9.50/hour.

 

Pier agents assist guests at the beginning and end of their cruise and and meet guests from all over the world. Agents help guests board transportation to and from the airport, check-in for their cruise, and find their luggage when it's all over.

[BNBR]

10 hours ago, capriccio said:

 

 

Here is the info I found when preparing a reply to a post a couple of months ago.  This is a job advertisement for the contractor to Princess and Holland America at Port Everglades. 

 

On-line info from the contractor (Metro Cruise Services):

 

Are you currently working with cruise guests? Are you retired or looking for your first time job? Do you have a customer service background and want to try something new? Metro Cruise Services is seeking candidates to fill part-time openings at Port Everglades as well as Miami International Airport. Metro Cruise will begin providing turnaround services for Princess Cruises and Holland America Line in fall of 2018. The wage for pier and airport agents is $9.50/hour.

 

Pier agents assist guests at the beginning and end of their cruise and and meet guests from all over the world. Agents help guests board transportation to and from the airport, check-in for their cruise, and find their luggage when it's all over.

 

They are contracted by the cruise line.  Which actually means your complaint would go further than if just a cruise line employee.  These companies don't want to lose the contracts, so a complaint to your cruise line that makes it way back to the contractor is likely to be taken pretty seriously.

[foflocruiser]

There companies (Metro Cruises, Intercruises, etc.) are contracted by the cruise lines. 

There are a handful (2 to 3) of staff onsite that do work directly for the cruise line. 

The security companies (that work inside the terminal) are also contracted by the cruise line. 

 

 

[Cienfuegos]

In the current South Florida job market, $9.50 per hour isn't an exciting wage unless there are substantial tips involved.