Cruise Etiquette-Slamming Doors/Hallway Chat

[Mooder]

Yep!

 

Some elevators are VERY quick to close (guillotine like) when that button is pressed. Others, like the ones I find myself in frequently, seem to have dummy "Close Door" buttons - I press them, and wait ...

 

Tom

 

I have no idea whether this is true, but the rumor in my office building which is 40+ years old and has notoriously slow elevators, is that after a certain date, elevators could not be made with true "close door" buttons. Ours do work because they are old, but I am told that newer elevators just have the button to make the passenger feel they can do something, but that in fact safety regulations prohibit the real thing. I'd love to know if this rumor is true. :rolleyes:

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I have no idea whether this is true, but the rumor in my office building which is 40+ years old and has notoriously slow elevators, is that after a certain date, elevators could not be made with true "close door" buttons. Ours do work because they are old, but I am told that newer elevators just have the button to make the passenger feel they can do something, but that in fact safety regulations prohibit the real thing. I'd love to know if this rumor is true. :rolleyes:

 

One never knows! Is ignorance bliss? :D

 

Tom

[weltek]

As someone mentioned, a white noise machine would be great for you! I recently downloaded the Sleep Machine app (free!) and it's great. I'm a light sleeper, so it will be very helpful for us. I don't know about the iPhone, as I have an iPod Touch, but would assume if you have the phone in airplane mode, you could use any app that doesn't need to connect to the internet to use (Sleep Machine doesn't).

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

We utilize both of these every night - and take them to hotels and on cruises.

 

Marpac SleepMate (LINK)

 

 

Honeywell "super turbo" fan (we have the HT800 model) - LINK

 

They both help to mask sounds coming through thin cabin walls and doors!

 

Tom

[weloverunning]

You guys are great with your help. Now, if we could just stay out of the casino until 2:00 AM, maybe we wouldn't need to take naps. (NOT!!!)

[NengEuis]

rpbcouple, While we are traveling, I bring a portable iHome dock in play a white noise album on it with an iPod or my iPhone. White noise in that form is used here at home as well. It is the sole reason I have not murdered my new neighbor's dachshunds. :D

 

My favorite iPhone app is called AmbiScience. Awesome stuff. You can add different subliminal sounds into the noise for Powernap, Deep Sleep, Meditiation. So cool.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/3-in-1-bundle-pack-1!-ambiscience/id318738366?mt=8

 

Otherwise, there are tons of White Noise albums out there you can put on an iPod and dock it on some little speakers. We travel with a little iHome dock that is small and has great sound.

http://www.ihomeaudio.com/iH22LTC/

[davesgirl51]

A good reminder. Unfortunately the people that will understand this, will mostly be the people that would have been quiet in the first place. We've never had this issue on a cruise but lots of times in hotels.

 

Call me skeptic, but I think if people have not learned common curtesy by the time they reach adulthood, telling them isn't going to sink in then.

 

LOL skepticism is a jolly good thing - kind of like bringing an umbrella so it won't rain ;):)

[davesgirl51]

It's a valid complaint. A white noise machine (or a docked music player with white noise tracks) would solve all of your problems, though. They are small, convenient, and you will never hear hallway chatters or doors slamming. I bring it on every trip. I'm likely not going to change other people, but I can change how much their behavior affects me. :)

 

 

Hear hear ! We do as well - particularly when we book an inside. They re awesome.:D

[swedish weave]

And the opposite when I step back to let folks off the elevator and watch some idiot on the elevator push the close door button before we can get on.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I avoid that problem by standing aside and reaching around the door to block the sensor so the door won't close. I have even seen your "idiot" punching at the button while I am blocking the sensor with my hand!!

[RichNY]

How about stepping to the back of the elevator to make room for others.

 

BTW those door open and close buttons don't work...they are part of an emergency override system used mostly by firefighters..

 

I love to watch people push them and think they are really working......the door will close when its good and ready.

[luddite]

I think it's totally inappropriate to expect people to be considerate and polite.

[SilentHill]

I don't consider myself a heavy sleeper but I have never heard any noise outside my cabin, but then again I always stay AFT.

[STARFISH*4]

never really heard cabin doors slam or really noise outside in the hallways or people being loud at night.

 

more problems with people who dont know how to get on and off an elevator or kids playing with all the buttons and parents thinking its 'cute'!

 

another one lately seems to be when you are riding a scooter that you dont have to run us all down...believe it or not there are some that will let you go ahead or we will move to the side so you can pass-just give us a moment to get out of the way.

[Vyhanek]

This brings up a good point. I have to say in all my cruises on NCL I haven't ever really noticed the talking in the hallways.

 

On Carnival I noticed it very much. - and that was on a newer ship in a suite! Our neighbors would just stand outside their cabin and in a normal tone talk and I could hear it inside my cabin and it really was annoying. I was sure to get up early and stand outside their cabin and do the same thing the next day though.

 

On NCL, I think the doors must be better insulated. I've been on this board for probably 7 or 8 years and the hallway noise issue doesn't ever come up.

[che5904]

...another etiquette issue...

 

It would seem that a fair share of cruisers have never been taught how to properly enter an elevator (not that it's really limited to ships).

 

I can't tell you how many times we arrive at our floor only to have the doors open and people storm in, often going around the side of you as you try to get out.

 

Simple protocol and manners -- the slow decline of civilization! :rolleyes:

 

Oh well!

 

Tom

 

Tom as much as I agree with the decline of common courtesies in todays world this one I would have to argue isn't always a case of courtesy or manners but ignorance.

 

I was actually quite surprise to learn how many people did not know the protocol of entering and exiting an elevator simply because the only time they ever used one was as an adult in a hotel or in this case a ship.

 

The other issue again comes from lack of knowlegdge of elevators and terrified that if they wait to get on, the elevator doors may close on them getting in.

 

We can probably blame Hollywood for that misconception.

 

Although I was jammed in the doors of an elevator once in waiting to get on and them closing, they did open again but not until closing on me and hurting my shoulder. It was actually kind of scary. Needless to say I avoided that particular elevator after that.

 

A lot of these people do not have access to places where this protocol is used; elevators, subway trains etc. Even if you travel into larger cities, most box stores have in/out doors. Buses have enter at the front, exit at the rear.

[fergusonvt]

Neng: I have never heard of a white noise machine. I googled it just now to find out what you were talking about. I will definitely be looking to buy one in the next two weeks. Wow! Cruise Critics readers come through again!

 

 

They are the best! I started using one when sharing an apt. with a friend whose boyfriend would come to visit from Boston and wouldn't get here until midnight or later. My bedroom was right off the kitchen where they would sit and eat. Now I have a hard time sleeping without one.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

They are the best! I started using one when sharing an apt. with a friend whose boyfriend would come to visit from Boston and wouldn't get here until midnight or later. My bedroom was right off the kitchen where they would sit and eat. Now I have a hard time sleeping without one.

 

There is a certain dependence which develops!

 

Tom

[swedish weave]

Tom as much as I agree with the decline of common courtesies in todays world this one I would have to argue isn't always a case of courtesy or manners but ignorance.

 

I was actually quite surprise to learn how many people did not know the protocol of entering and exiting an elevator simply because the only time they ever used one was as an adult in a hotel or in this case a ship.

 

The other issue again comes from lack of knowlegdge of elevators and terrified that if they wait to get on, the elevator doors may close on them getting in.

 

We can probably blame Hollywood for that misconception.

 

Although I was jammed in the doors of an elevator once in waiting to get on and them closing, they did open again but not until closing on me and hurting my shoulder. It was actually kind of scary. Needless to say I avoided that particular elevator after that.

 

A lot of these people do not have access to places where this protocol is used; elevators, subway trains etc. Even if you travel into larger cities, most box stores have in/out doors. Buses have enter at the front, exit at the rear.

 

Most if not all elevetors have multiple sensors in the doors and if you move your arm up and down, you will activate one of them. This avoids the door closing on you.

[che5904]

Most if not all elevetors have multiple sensors in the doors and if you move your arm up and down, you will activate one of them. This avoids the door closing on you.

 

Yes I realize that, my point was some people don't know or trust that.

 

And this elevator that caught me between the doors obviously had defective sensors or something. And when it squished me, I certainly couldn't move my arms up or down to find another sensor since I was caught between them. I don't know to this day if my DH reached out to activate a sensor in a different spot or just when the retracting part of the door reached it's complete spot that they reopened. It was all very quick. In all my years of travelling elevators I had never had that happen to me, so probably the shock of it spooked me more than the fear.

 

BTW this was not on a ship but in a hotel and was a few years ago.

[snipesailor]

Hidden in here is some other good advice. If you want to sleep in never book a cabin in deck 4. 100s lined up outside your door on a tender day no matter how considerate will wake the dead.

 

Ugh! I really did book in the worst cabin on the ship. No wonder the price was dirt cheap. Oh well, you can't have it all if you're on a budget.

[slycruiser61]

Neng: I have never heard of a white noise machine. I googled it just now to find out what you were talking about. I will definitely be looking to buy one in the next two weeks. Wow! Cruise Critics readers come through again!

There is one called a sound spa that has 6 different "white noises" on it. Found it in the baby department in one store and also in the appliance aisle of a drug store, only about $20-$25. I'd list the brand, but don't know if that's allowed here. Brought mine on the cruise and it did help for the most part. It also runs on battery power so finding a plug is not a problem...it does come with a plug, but on some ships the outlets are few.

[groo]

Most if not all elevetors have multiple sensors in the doors and if you move your arm up and down, you will activate one of them. This avoids the door closing on you.

 

I don't trust them. Recently stuck my arm in one and almost didn't get it back. The door refused to open and had to pull hard to remove my arm. Sore for a couple of days after.

[cabincop]

I love my white noise machine I used to work midnites can't live without it

[jdvmd]

I don't trust them. Recently stuck my arm in one and almost didn't get it back. The door refused to open and had to pull hard to remove my arm. Sore for a couple of days after.

 

Exactly! This has happened to me before and to my son on a cruise ship. People later asked how he was because they had seen what happened.

[sdmike]

I've just spend the last 10 days in some pretty high end hotels, and this inconsiderate behavior isn't limited to cruise ships. I find that it's often co-workers heading back to their rooms after a night at the bar.

 

SEE YOU IN THE MORNING, TOM! --SLAM--

 

jackholes