The truth about the STAIRS

[Hlitner]

I have yet to be on a ship, any ship, where the stars are high usage. There are enough people who will use them that it helps take pressure off the elevator system. I applaud Princess for listening to their passenger feedback and correcting this design flaw on the Royal. I thought they had learned this very lesson from the construction of the Grand all those years ago, but guess not!

 

We spent 10 days on the Regal (another 10 coming up this month) and had a mid-ship balcony cabin. The missing center stairs was really a pain, since we had to walk all the way to the forward or aft stairs every time we wanted to go anywhere on the ship :(. As to elevators, we try to avoid them for 2 simple reasons: 1. the exercise using stairs is a good thing and 2; Elevators are tight closed spaces where a single ill passenger who is coughing or sneezing can easily infect everyone in the car. Since we started minimizing elevators on our cruises, are incidences of cabin cough or colds has dropped dramatically (we cruise over 100 days a year).

 

Hank

[Grego]

My god......then what are people going to complain about???

 

They will go back to complaining about the location of the TP holder in the bathroom, the Sun shining in and waking them up, too many activities happening at the same time and having to wash their hands.

[TorontoTL]

Glad to see that this is really happening. Hopefully Princess won't build another ship without the midship stairs finished for passengers.

 

 

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[sawtooth]

Forgive me if this is common knowledge, but does the Regal now have center passenger stairs?

If not, any near future plans to correct?

[TracieABD]

Forgive me if this is common knowledge, but does the Regal now have center passenger stairs?

If not, any near future plans to correct?

 

Not right now. And, yes, there are rumours that they are planning to refurbish the existing "crew only staircase" for use by passengers.

[Micahs Grandad]

Not right now. And, yes, there are rumours that they are planning to refurbish the existing "crew only staircase" for use by passengers.

 

Hope so as elevators have become real bottlenecks.

[Alabaster Cruiser]

NCL Epic has an escalator. Was nonfunctioning our entire cruise. Therefore it became a set of "stairs" also.

 

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[Cruiser411]

Forgive me if this is common knowledge, but does the Regal now have center passenger stairs?

If not, any near future plans to correct?

 

If they did it for Royal, then when Regal has her first drydock, they'll more than likely finish her center stairs too...

[antsp]

Just logged on to see the results, still no answers. It like waiting for the results of Clinton and Thump

[SeagoingMom]

You will not find cruise lines putting in escalators as the floor footprint on each deck is too large .

 

Firemans poles between levels for pax wishing to go down a level would be very space efficient !!!!

Of course, many ships (most, maybe?) have escalators for the crew bringing food up to dining rooms from galley, so I see no reason why they could not have them in passenger areas as well. I'm not saying they will have them, but they could.

 

I think they are unlikely because they could be a huge safety hazard for drunken pax, unsteady walkers, or for all pax in rough seas.

Edited October 8, 2016 by SeagoingMom

[yuccaman]

Is it REALLY that big of a deal? Not trolling. This is a genuine question. What's the big deal? Seems like a lot of attention placed on something trivial. I mean, people breathlessly awaiting (across several different threads) first post-drydock passenger reports on a stairway? Huh?

Edited October 8, 2016 by yuccaman

[helenb]

My god......then what are people going to complain about???

 

On the Royal? Balcony size. ;)

 

This mid-ship stairs issue is important to us. We never take the elevators on our cruises *ever*, with the possible exception of embarkation/disembarkation if we have heavy pieces of luggage with us. We hate waiting for elevators, we hate the slow pace of the elevators, and we like the exercise that comes with taking the stairs.

Edited October 8, 2016 by helenb

[floridalover5623]

On the Royal? Balcony size. ;)

 

This mid-ship stairs issue is important to us. We never take the elevators on our cruises *ever*, with the possible exception of embarkation/disembarkation if we have heavy pieces of luggage with us. We hate waiting for elevators, we hate the slow pace of the elevators, and we like the exercise that comes with taking the stairs.

 

You honestly don't use the elevators to go to the Horizon from say deck 8 or when arriving back from a tour?

I give you credit- wish I had that much ambition at my age each day. ;)

[helenb]

You honestly don't use the elevators to go to the Horizon from say deck 8 or when arriving back from a tour?

I give you credit- wish I had that much ambition at my age each day. ;)

 

No, I honestly do not. To be fair, when coming back from a tour, I usually take a stop at our cabin to drop something off, so it's not all 8-10 flights at once. And sometimes, if I am coming up from the very bottom of the ship to the top, I will stop and take a 30 second rest about halfway up. But I don't take the elevator. I consider taking the elevator to be a failure on my part. I am healthy and have 2 working legs, so there shouldn't be a reason not to take the stairs.

 

That being said, if I lose my health as I get older and find myself physically unable to take the stairs, I will obviously have to adjust to taking the elevator. But I aim to make that day as far from now as possible!

[dns65]

You will not find cruise lines putting in escalators as the floor footprint on each deck is too large .

 

 

When I was on the Ryndam 15+ years ago, it had an escalator. Not sure if it still has it or if it was taken out on a refurb.

[BritinSoCal]

Is it REALLY that big of a deal? Not trolling. This is a genuine question. What's the big deal? Seems like a lot of attention placed on something trivial. I mean, people breathlessly awaiting (across several different threads) first post-drydock passenger reports on a stairway? Huh?

 

Given the dining options on Regal 'having' to walk to either end and walking up and down the fwd or aft stairs and then along to our midships cabin (on Emerald) was quite nice... OK, so Regal is "big" but it's hardly super-tanker size. And as SWMBO would say, "think of the pedi-steps."

[TracieABD]

I am with the others who find this to be important. I have not been on an elevator on a cruise ship in over a year and a half. And in the past only when I had my mom in her wheelie. Never in an elevator when I was by myself-- for many years. This helps to mitigate some of the damage created by Norman Love!:)

[Murphey]

You honestly don't use the elevators to go to the Horizon from say deck 8 or when arriving back from a tour?

I give you credit- wish I had that much ambition at my age each day. ;)

 

2 flights at a time and a rest....I'm the tortoise, but I get there!

[floridalover5623]

2 flights at a time and a rest....I'm the tortoise, but I get there!

 

I guess I could do that also but by the time I got to the Horizon from deck 8 I'd be to tired to eat. :p

[Murphey]

i guess i could do that also but by the time i got to the horizon from deck 8 i'd be to tired to eat. :p

 

lol!!!

[travel_nuts]

I think it's kinda funny that lots of people complain about no center stairs because they want to get the exercise but they don't want to walk to any of the stairs further away! Too much exercise, I guess.

[BritinSoCal]

You honestly don't use the elevators to go to the Horizon from say deck 8 or when arriving back from a tour?

I give you credit- wish I had that much ambition at my age each day. ;)

 

Have you seen the queues? To deck 8 the stairs - even fwd or aft - are much quicker!

[keithm]

After weeks of speculation, arguments and insults, tomorrow we will find out about the infamous midship stairs on the Royal. Place your bets, Place your bets..................................................................... no more bets please.

I kept looking for the plaque: "Designed by the firm of Howard, Fine & Howard".

[JAF1]

You honestly don't use the elevators to go to the Horizon from say deck 8 or when arriving back from a tour?

I give you credit- wish I had that much ambition at my age each day. ;)

 

We honestly don't use the elevators either not from when on deck 5 right up to the top decks. We are both retired and find for us it is just as fast to use the stairs as wait for the lifts and always disembark not weighing any more than at embarkation.

[helenb]

Glad to see we're not the only stair people! I agree, it's faster and helps keep the effects of cruise eating in check. It can be a bit tough, but it's a necessary part of life, being able to climb stairs. ;)