Royal Princess Central Stairwell

[runnerodb83]

I tried looking to see if this had already been discussed but didnt find anything other than 1 poster asking Rai Calouri..

 

It appears that the Royal Princess has no central staircase above deck 7, havent we gone down this route before with the Grand and it was determined that, although stairways don't make money, are pretty vital to the mobility of passengers, specifically during muster, embarkation, and emergencies. This seems to be a recipe for trouble given that:

• All passenger accomodations are above deck 7
  
• There are 3600+ passengers on the ship (1000 more than the Grand with its missing staircase)
  
• That means 1800 passengers will have to use the fore and aft stairwells in the event of an emergency
  
• Although all stairs are emergency stairwells, the average passenger wont know theres a central stairwell
  
• During normal operations, there are the same number of elevators as all Grand and Coral class ships, even though there are up to 1700 more passengers than Coral class and at least 500 more than modified grand class.
  

 

Am i the only one that thinks this might be a problem?

[sotong]

We were on the Grand last summer and its a pain! However there is a staff staircase behind a door that it used in emergencies an during the muster drill.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[runnerodb83]

We were on the Grand last summer and its a pain! However there is a staff staircase behind a door that it used in emergencies an during the muster drill.

 

Yes it is a pain, imagine it being a pain with an additional 1000 folks.

 

There's 3 types of people on most ships when it comes to vertical movement. Those who always take the elevator (as a choice or requirement), those who always take the stairs, and those who will take the elevator if its convenient and somewhat of a short wait, or they will take the stairs if the wait becomes too long. With additional pax, the elevator waits are going to be longer, meaning more of the group who will take the elevator if its a short wait will now be taking the stairs.

[Fairport]

We usually book a cabin near the rear stairway. When we were on the grand we had a mid cabin and always walked to the fore or aft stairs depending on our destination. We never found the stairs crowded and there was a crew only stairway amidships that could be used in an emergency. I notice that there is a blank area on the deck plans where the stairs would be for all decks 8 - 15. There may be stairs there, and we will most likely find out wen the first passengers start reporting back.

[skynight]

Don't know who approves the design of these ships? It will be difficult with 3600 passengers moving vertically on the Royal. They went down this road already with the Grand, and all future builds have a center staircase. I think that the Royal would have one, but for staff and emergency only. I don't know how they could evacuate passengers without it. I guess after the Royal sails we'll know. However, if there is one there they should have decorated it for passenger use and take some of the pressure off the lifts.

[OurTime2Cruise]

After looking at the deck plans for both the new Royal Princess and the Grand Princess I can see that there is no central stairway above Deck 7 on the Royal, but there is a stairway shown on the Grand gaoin all the way up to deck 14. For those of you that have been on the Grand recently is this not the case?

[runnerodb83]

After looking at the deck plans for both the new Royal Princess and the Grand Princess I can see that there is no central stairway above Deck 7 on the Royal, but there is a stairway shown on the Grand gaoin all the way up to deck 14. For those of you that have been on the Grand recently is this not the case?

 

see post 2 above. It shows on some deckplans, and not on others. While the stairway is physically there, its not accessible above deck 7. While subsequent grand class vessels changed this, it was pretty minor. There are 2 staff elevators on the stairway side of the central elevator bank area that would most certainly be contained within the staff stairwells on the grand.

[antsp]

Don't know who approves the design of these ships? It will be difficult with 3600 passengers moving vertically on the Royal. They went down this road already with the Grand, and all future builds have a center staircase. I think that the Royal would have one, but for staff and emergency only. I don't know how they could evacuate passengers without it. I guess after the Royal sails we'll know. However, if there is one there they should have decorated it for passenger use and take some of the pressure off the lifts.

 

The more i look at this new ship the more i wonder who appoved it. Yes i would sail her but i dont thinks its a better ship than any of the older ones. Wow factor on a ship goes away very quickly, spring break on the royal with all the kids at muts pool, wow. If they do pool games the kidsbwill have no pool, 2 pools for 3600 pax is a worry.

[pablo222]

It appears that the Royal Princess has no central staircase above deck 7, havent we gone down this route before with the Grand and it was determined that, although stairways don't make money, are pretty vital to the mobility of passengers, specifically during muster, embarkation, and emergencies.

 

So, is your point that Royal is unsafe in emergencies because of

the lack of stairwells, or something else?

 

On grand, they center stairwell ended at deck 7 for passengers, but

continued up for crew only.

 

There are quite a few 'crew only' stairwells and exits that would be

used in an emergency. Some of them are used during the muster

drill, as well.

[runnerodb83]

So, is your point that Royal is unsafe in emergencies because of

the lack of stairwells, or something else?

 

On grand, they center stairwell ended at deck 7 for passengers, but

continued up for crew only.

 

There are quite a few 'crew only' stairwells and exits that would be

used in an emergency. Some of them are used during the muster

drill, as well.

 

Right crew only stairwells, that most people wouldnt think of in a panic or when going to muster stations (God forbid...)

 

I guess my point is, didnt princess learn from the Grand? Whats the benefit of adding more passengers and reducing stairtowers while keeping the same number of elevators. Surely it cant cost that much more to add an aditional stair or two. personally, my wife and i dont actually know what the inside of a princess ship elevator looks like, we've always used the stairs, so 1 less stairwell is a pretty big annoyance.

[antsp]

So, is your point that Royal is unsafe in emergencies because of

the lack of stairwells, or something else?

 

On grand, they center stairwell ended at deck 7 for passengers, but

continued up for crew only.

 

There are quite a few 'crew only' stairwells and exits that would be

used in an emergency. Some of them are used during the muster

drill, as well.

 

I think the problem is sometime when waiting for a elevator you ged fed up and decide to take the stairs, if you are midship you will have no choice. Lets hope the deck plans are wrong

[antsp]

Just had a look at the deck plans again, the 2 of the midship elevators stop at deck 7 then stairs begin, this must be a mistake on the plans

[pablo222]

Right crew only stairwells, that most people wouldnt think of in a panic or when going to muster stations (God forbid...)

 

When there is a crew member standing there during the muster

drill holding the door to the crew only stairwell open, and directing

people to go that way -- that's probably your first clue. When

the doors are marked exit, that's probably your second clue.

 

You really need to stay calm and think during an emergency.

No matter how wonderful a center stairwell may be, if your

path to it is blocked by a fire, you need to find another way

out. That second way might well be a crew-only stairwell.

 

If you listen to the muster drill announcements, you know that

there are at least two exits from every passenger space.

 

But, if you think Royal is unsafe because it doesn't have enough stairwells

-- since you said it was a safety issue -- you should probably not sail

on the ship.

[runnerodb83]

When there is a crew member standing there during the muster

drill holding the door to the crew only stairwell open, and directing

people to go that way -- that's probably your first clue. When

the doors are marked exit, that's probably your second clue.

 

You really need to stay calm and think during an emergency.

No matter how wonderful a center stairwell may be, if your

path to it is blocked by a fire, you need to find another way

out. That second way might well be a crew-only stairwell.

 

If you listen to the muster drill announcements, you know that

there are at least two exits from every passenger space.

 

But, if you think Royal is unsafe because it doesn't have enough stairwells

-- since you said it was a safety issue -- you should probably not sail

on the ship.

 

 

I haven't said I think its unsafe, i just think its a poor design both in emergency situations (note, not "unsafe") as well as for day to day passenger circulation.

 

To me, the equation looks like this: more passengers + same number of elevators + all passenger cabins above deck 7 - 1 stairwell = bad news

 

I guess I'm just wondering what the benefit is of reducing 1 passenger stairwell. Why was this done on the grand and then corrected on later grand class ships (not just variants). Same thing from the S class to R class ships of HAL. Granted the R class ships gained 200 pax over the S class, in this situation the Royal/Regal gain 400 to 1000 pax over their grand class siblings but with less vertical circulation capacity.

[antsp]

Im sure the ship is safe and it obviously passes all safety regulations, if the plans are correct its a big big design error.

[pablo222]

I haven't said I think its unsafe, i just think its a poor design both in emergency situations (note, not "unsafe")

 

Actually, what you said what that the center staircase

was "pretty vital" in emergencies.

 

Again, if you think this 'pretty vital' component is missing, you probably

shouldn't board the ship.

 

Personally, I think there are enough naval architects, solas regulations,

and coast guard inspectors that the staircase capacity is reasonable.

 

And, if there were some way for princess to make a staircase an

extra-cost venue, there would be a lot more of them -- as that

seems to be the company goal for royal princess.

[donaldsc]

If you are worried about emergencies , I would say that yes you are the only one worried.

 

DON

[antsp]

Actually, what you said what that the center staircase

was "pretty vital" in emergencies.

 

Again, if you think this 'pretty vital' component is missing, you probably

shouldn't board the ship.

 

Personally, I think there are enough naval architects, solas regulations,

and coast guard inspectors that the staircase capacity is reasonable.

 

And, if there were some way for princess to make a staircase an

extra-cost venue, there would be a lot more of them -- as that

seems to be the company goal for royal princess.

 

Dont worry on the upcoming Regal you have to pay to use the Elevators

[littlesteelo]

To be honest I can't see an issue. Royal Caribbean design their ships with two stairwells/elevator areas and Oasis/Allure carry far more passengers than Royal. In the event of an emergency all the crew stairwells are opened up for passengers to use. You can see this in some of the footage from the Costa Concordia.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

I found the Grand to be a real pain with no central stairs,

 

you get so used to them on other ships,

 

I will just go up to my cabin, then again l will not,

 

and if the lifts are slow and full,

 

you have a long walk,

 

put it this way if it was not an issue they would have not added stairs to

 

every other ship built after the Grand up to the Royal.

 

yours Shogun

[Dietemann]

Hi All

 

I found the Grand to be a real pain with no central stairs,

 

you get so used to them on other ships,

 

I will just go up to my cabin, then again l will not,

 

and if the lifts are slow and full,

 

you have a long walk,

 

put it this way if it was not an issue they would have not added stairs to

 

every other ship built after the Grand up to the Royal.

 

yours Shogun

It only was a real pain on the Grand because the elevators always misbehaved, passed your floor while you waited, were broken, etc. It got so bad that people got on the elevator no matter where it was going just to be on it and eventually get to their floor. It was impossible to get an elevator on disembarkation to go down because they were all filled with people and their carry-ons riding up to go down. Granted, this was before the refit, but I have read comments that the elevator problems were not addressed at the last dry dock. So, yes, a central staircase would have been really appreciated on the Grand.

[antsp]

Its is true, reading reviews on a uk cuise review website, lots of complaints about no central stairway, how can such a design mistake be made

[runnerodb83]

Its is true, reading reviews on a uk cuise review website, lots of complaints about no central stairway, how can such a design mistake be made

 

A "design mistake" was made with the Grand, arent we supposed to learn from our mistakes? Now its just becoming a bad habit.

[antsp]

Maybe Princess will read cruise critic and get the Regal build correct.

[pablo222]

Maybe Princess will read cruise critic and get the Regal build correct.

 

Nah, they're going to follow your suggestion, and charge for elevators.

Some people will get an elevator sticker for their cruise card, and

then the correspondents here can debate the ethics of holding the

door for your friends when you have the sticker.