Lifts

[silversurf]

We are booked on Ventura for Summer 2021. Have sailed on her before and have had to wait ages for a lift as I use a wheelchair. How on earth are PandO going to manage lifts with social distancing. I have visions on standing, waiting for an empty lift for hours on end.

[Harry Peterson]

A very good question, and I suppose the answer's going to vary from line to line.  Not a great deal of information about this, but there is this guidance from EU Healthy Gateways:

 

 

7.23. Other public spaces (indoor and outdoor)

 

Passengers should be advised to avoid the use of the elevators. It is recommended that the maximum capacity of elevators should be revised and reduced based on the physical distancing guidance. Moreover, it can be recommended that persons use face masks when using elevators as described in Annex 1. Hand rub alcohol-based solution should be placed at elevator entrances and crew should advise passengers to use upon entering and exiting the area. The elevators should be regularly cleaned and attention should be paid to frequently touched surfaces (buttons, knobs etc.).

 

To help ensure physical distancing, other precautions such as floor markings, placement of cones etc. may be implemented.

 

Other public spaces should be supplied with hand rub alcohol-based solution stations. Furniture should be arranged in such a way to help avoid overcrowding in shared spaces (4 persons/10 m2 ).

 

The use of business centres may be suspended or the operation changed to provide services to clients to avoid ‘self-service’. Alternatively, access to Wi-Fi, printing services or other business centre services may be completed remotely using mobile phone apps etc.

 

Public toilet use should be managed to try to avoid any overcrowding. Passengers should be advised to flush the toilets with the lid closed to help prevent possible transmission through aerosolised faeces.

 

https://www.healthygateways.eu/Portals/0/plcdocs/EU_HEALTHY_GATEWAYS_COVID-19_RESTARTING_CRUISES.pdf?ver=2020-07-08-131911-653

 

 

[terrierjohn]

On several lifts recently  I have seen notices advising that only 1 person, or members of the same household should use the lift. Maybe cruise lines will follow this policy, which will definitely slow down movement  around the ship.

 

[AndyMichelle]

You can have my space in the lift... 

You ain't getting me that close to strangers anytime soon.. 

Andy 

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

On several lifts recently  I have seen notices advising that only 1 person, or members of the same household should use the lift. Maybe cruise lines will follow this policy, which will definitely slow down movement  around the ship.

 

I’m sure it would if people actually follow the instructions/rule.

 

The cruise lines ought to figure out a way to charge people for the number of decks they move up/down on the lifts.  This will reduce unnecessary activity and provide additional income stream or a way for passengers to use up that pesky OBC.

[silversurf]

Thanks Andy. I’ll take you up on that if it actually sails.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, d9704011 said:

I’m sure it would if people actually follow the instructions/rule.

 

The cruise lines ought to figure out a way to charge people for the number of decks they move up/down on the lifts.  This will reduce unnecessary activity and provide additional income stream or a way for passengers to use up that pesky OBC.

Are you intending to charge wheelchair users for  the lifts as well?

[Harry Peterson]

4 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Are you intending to charge wheelchair users for  the lifts as well?

In many cases it’s only wheelchair users and others unable to use the stairs who should be in the lifts.

 

Understandable for able people to use lifts to travel several floors, but two or three? Or just one? 
 

Quite how you’d produce a workable system of priority escapes me though.  The charging model, with appropriate exemptions, might be a way though.

[kalos]

27 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

In many cases it’s only wheelchair users and others unable to use the stairs who should be in the lifts.

 

Understandable for able people to use lifts to travel several floors, but two or three? Or just one? 
 

Quite how you’d produce a workable system of priority escapes me though.  The charging model, with appropriate exemptions, might be a way though.

 

I think you may have something there Harry .I can just imagine the lift doors opening and stood there is a Clippie 

just like On The Buses . If you have a Disability Badge then you travel for free ,other than that ,50p per floor per person .

Other than that, maybe they could employ the children from the Kids Club to oversee who can and cannot travel in 

the lifts .  I think the latter would work best .

 

[July morning]

In theory it sounds good only wheelchair users and others unable to use the stairs.

 

For me personally I can use the stairs for going down OK but going up is a different story I struggle after two flights I look fit and am reasonably fit on the flat  but stairs and hills take a big effort.

People should not be judged by how they look  I am (quite) slim and do a lot of walking but after having DVT and embolisms on my lungs and leg can sometimes struggle.

[Josy1953]

1 minute ago, July morning said:

In theory it sounds good only wheelchair users and others unable to use the stairs.

 

For me personally I can use the stairs for going down OK but going up is a different story I struggle after two flights I look fit and am reasonably fit on the flat  but stairs and hills take a big effort.

People should not be judged by how they look  I am (quite) slim and do a lot of walking but after having DVT and embolisms on my lungs and leg can sometimes struggle.

I agree, there are many people with hidden disabilities.  We always try to walk up and down stairs but my husband who looks to be fit and healthy has a serious heart condition which means that he sometimes struggles to walk up stairs.  We once had a problem on Ventura when a crew member refused to allow him on the lift after the muster practice because disabled and older passengers were being given priority on the lifts, so we had to sit in the atrium until the lifts cleared.

[Harry Peterson]

4 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

I agree, there are many people with hidden disabilities.  We always try to walk up and down stairs but my husband who looks to be fit and healthy has a serious heart condition which means that he sometimes struggles to walk up stairs.  We once had a problem on Ventura when a crew member refused to allow him on the lift after the muster practice because disabled and older passengers were being given priority on the lifts, so we had to sit in the atrium until the lifts cleared.

Quite. And the only way any kind of ‘system’ could possibly work would be via medical exemptions, cruise passcards, and updated software.  All very expensive to arrange and administer.

 

But what are the alternatives?  A lot of people have absolutely no alternative to using lifts, and some way has to be found to give them access. If the number in each lift has to be restricted to a very small number of people, which it probably will, the queues could otherwise be half the length of the ship.

[AndyMichelle]

We have to remember many of us cruise because of disabilities and age. 

We would all be exempt from wearing masks and using the stairs.. 

Andy 

[Harry Peterson]

Just now, AndyMichelle said:

We have to remember many of us cruise because of disabilities and age. 

We would all be exempt from wearing masks and using the stairs.. 

Andy 

Good point Andy.  Not looking good for restarting cruising is it?
 

Unless the demographic changes and only the young, fit and well who’re happy to use the stairs cruise.

[d9704011]

2 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Are you intending to charge wheelchair users for  the lifts as well?

No, that wouldn’t be right.  I admit that my half-baked scheme has a few wrinkles that would have to be ironed out.

[Peanut006]

Can you imagine what it is going to be like when we all try to disembark at the end of a cruise when we all have bags and luggage as welll? I am a wheelchair user but I can see everyone struggling on the last morning waiting outside lifts for a long time

 

Michelle

[Britboys]

Could pose an interesting problem on Iona for pax with cabins on Deck 4 when they want to go to the Crows Nest or open spaces up on decks 17 & 18... 

[Dermotsgirl]

23 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Could pose an interesting problem on Iona for pax with cabins on Deck 4 when they want to go to the Crows Nest or open spaces up on decks 17 & 18... 

I don’t like lifts, and only go in them if absolutely necessary.

 

i normally have a cabin on a middle deck, so that I can walk to other decks with reasonable ease.  Sometimes, I break the climb by using two staircases, for example if I’ve been ashore I’ll use the atrium staircase and then ‘my’ staircase to go up to my cabin 

[purplesea]

My mother doesn't like lifts and will only go into one if I am with her. So allthough I a capable of walking up a flight or two she isn't.

[zap99]

52 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Could pose an interesting problem on Iona for pax with cabins on Deck 4 when they want to go to the Crows Nest or open spaces up on decks 17 & 18... 

Quite often there is not a queue. If so, why is it a crime to get in the lift? If anyone on deck 4 wants to go to deck17, why not?.

[Harry Peterson]

3 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Quite often there is not a queue. If so, why is it a crime to get in the lift? If anyone on deck 4 wants to go to deck17, why not?.

No crime at all. But this thread relates to a post-Covid situation in which lifts may be restricted to a very small number of passengers at one time, and have to be thoroughly cleaned frequently.

[zap99]

2 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

No crime at all. But this thread relates to a post-Covid situation in which lifts may be restricted to a very small number of passengers at one time, and have to be thoroughly cleaned frequently.

Sorry, I don't get your point. Is the problem numbers, or cleaning ?. If there is no queue should able bodied people walk up 12 decks so that nobody needs to clean the lift. If so should we eat standing up so that nobody needs to clean the seat when we leave?.

[Harry Peterson]

9 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Sorry, I don't get your point. Is the problem numbers, or cleaning ?. If there is no queue should able bodied people walk up 12 decks so that nobody needs to clean the lift. If so should we eat standing up so that nobody needs to clean the seat when we leave?.

Just the fact that with social distancing and other measures in place the capacity of the lifts will be very substantially reduced. Think how many people those lifts usually hold, then imagine a restriction to maybe four people, one at each corner.  Cleaning is just a further factor.

[moonstone01]

When cruises do re-start will it be with drastically reduced numbers of people on board. This would, in some small part admittedly, reduce the numbers waiting for the lifts. Or am I over simplifying things. My wife insists we use the stairs as often as possible to keep us fit as I enjoy the trifles far too much🤣

[terrierjohn]

35 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Sorry, I don't get your point. Is the problem numbers, or cleaning ?. If there is no queue should able bodied people walk up 12 decks so that nobody needs to clean the lift. If so should we eat standing up so that nobody needs to clean the seat when we leave?.

Zap, We are all just speculating about the possible situation if cruising resumes with current social distancing, and the impact this might have on lift availability. No one is denying anyone the right to use a lift especially when demand is low, but if there is a significant restriction on the numbers using a lift, then possibly some sort of priority system might be necessary.