What about elevators?

[Reina del Mar]

14 hours ago, AF-1 said:

 I guess the the hand sanitizer is to make people comfortable when they push the elevator button.  I see hand washing stations all over the ship, when you enter the buffet, dining rooms, bars.  People like to make sure their hands are clean prior to touching anything.  That's it. 

Sadly not everyone likes sanitising their hands !!! Maybe there should be stations outside the buffet where the doors don’t open until passengers have sanitised !!!!! Also think of the number of people you have seen leaving restrooms on ships and elsewhere., without washing their hands....not necessarily Covid linked but good hygiene in general !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AF-1]

1 minute ago, Reina del Mar said:

Sadly not everyone likes sanitising their hands !!! Maybe there should be stations outside the buffet where the doors don’t open until passengers have sanitised !!!!! Also think of the number of people you have seen leaving restrooms on ships and elsewhere., without washing their hands....not necessarily Covid linked but good hygiene in general !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Don't know if they still do it but HAL has been doing a not self serve buffet for the first 2 or 3 days of the cruise for years.  Seems to work for them.

 

DON

On the last HAL cruise we were on (July 2018 Boston to Montreal) the not self serve buffet lasted the entire cruise. It was no big deal to have them serve you.

[coo359a2]

43 minutes ago, Reina del Mar said:

Sadly not everyone likes sanitising their hands !!! Maybe there should be stations outside the buffet where the doors don’t open until passengers have sanitised !!!!! Also think of the number of people you have seen leaving restrooms on ships and elsewhere., without washing their hands....not necessarily Covid linked but good hygiene in general !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

or the people who walk into the buffet and not wash or sanitize or the ones that tell the Princess employee they are just walking through but actually stop and pick up stuff from the buffet.  

[Esprit]

I thought this thread was about lifts😂

[CruiseMrB]

The problem with elevators is confined space and ventilation, not physical contact with surfaces.

 

Most elevators are passively ventilated by the process of moving through their column / shaft. The are literally holey, in that the cars are designed to have about 3 to 5% of their surface area be porous in order to both provide ventilation inside the car and to reduce air drag when the car is in motion. That means when the car is stopped, the car is NOT being ventilated at all (except for having the door open.)

 

In a cruise ship configuration, these cars will never build up enough speed or travel enough distance between floors and stops to properly change the air when travelling with mixed parties.

 

Elevators are small places that force close contact with unknown people who happen to be breathing. How inconsiderate of them. 😀

 

This is the reason that elevators are bad for COVID-19 spread. Forget the hand sanitizer when you enter the elevator car. Hold your breath instead.

 

EDIT: Could be a new use for the scuba gear you brought on board for diving the reefs. 😄

Edited May 8, 2021 by CruiseMrB

[CruiseMrB]

Got me thinking and researching.

 

1. Elevators are considered low(ish) risk.
2. Wear a mask.
3. Don't talk or sing - even in an elevator with only safe cohort. It sticks around for the next riders.
4. Having more people per elevator could be safer than having the elevator queue back up and having everyone mingling in the elevator lobby.
5. Different elevator queueing might be a thing in the future, but don't count on people actually doing it.

 

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-covid-elevators-dangerous-safer.html

 

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/stay-safe-covid-19-elevator/story?id=71176879

 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/otis-releases-elevator-airflow-study-findings-covid-19-exposure-on-elevator-ride-is-low-risk-with-simple-mitigation-301216381.html (This is manufacturer trash, but does have a couple of interesting things. Otis requires surgical masks for all riders and suggests a purification system that is neither readily available or proven to work at scale.)

 

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by CruiseMrB

[trbarton]

2 hours ago, Esprit said:

I thought this thread was about lifts😂

Yes this thread was about lifts/elevators but like many threads it goes off target. 
 

I’ve seen some photos of other ships that are cruising & there are spots on the elevator where people stand. I agree it’s going to be challenging as to how many people can be on one elevator especially after a show. When we’re only going up 1 or 2 decks perhaps some of us that are able will take the stairs. 
 

Tom😀

[Earthworm Jim]

The problem with making people who normally don't take the stairs take them is that then you have a stairway crowding problem instead, with everyone on the stairs having to stay 6 feet behind the group ahead. Climbing the stairs will go at the speed of the slowest person, since you won't be able to pass, and that will no doubt be very slow for some people who usually don't take the stairs.And they are recommending one side of those wide double stairwells near each elevator be for up and the other half for down. Going from deck to deck is going to be a difficult process at busy times, such as before meal times or after shows get out.

 

On the bright side, reduced capacity cruises should help alleviate this problem to some degree.

[JF - retired RRT]

13 hours ago, Tucker in Texas said:

I am booked on a cruise in January.  I am waiting to see how they handle the elevators as I have to use them as "mobility challenged."  I can go one or two flights hanging on to the railings and going very slowly but that is it.  Having seen what has happened prior to the Covid (people pushing on and not get off even when the "buzzer" goes off indicating overload, pushing in front of scooters, etc.) I can't see how this will be handled.  If reports come back for long waits to get an elevator, people jumping the line, then I am going to have to reluctantly  cancel as much as I really, really, want a cruise!

Try what someone suggested the other day (here?)...go up the one or 2 decks then walk the hallway to the next set of stairs. Zig or zag back to the original stairs and repeat until you get to the deck you want.

[coo359a2]

1 hour ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Try what someone suggested the other day (here?)...go up the one or 2 decks then walk the hallway to the next set of stairs. Zig or zag back to the original stairs and repeat until you get to the deck you want.

That is what we do when going up more than 4 floors. We use the mid and aft stairs  as our cabin is always at that end. 

[DRS/NC]

This means elevator use for those of us who MUST use electric scooters or wheelchairs will continue to be very difficult.

[coo359a2]

13 minutes ago, DRS/NC said:

This means elevator use for those of us who MUST use electric scooters or wheelchairs will continue to be very difficult.

Will probably be  way harder as one scooter plus the DH/DW will max out the  social distancing for each elevator. Princess could set aside half of the elevators (either one or two) at each set of stairs for scooters or wheelchairs only.   Will be a lot of changes for all to adjust to once cruising  starts back 

[Redwing55]

I find it laughable how people are so concerned about riding an elevator.  Think about this.  How is Covid transmitted?... through the air.  BUT, and this is important... how long does one need to be exposed before it can be contacted... Our beloved, so conservative, CDC admits MORE than 15 minutes.  Knowing the CDC, I suspect it's much longer than that.  And, now think if you're vaccinated.  

 

What's the alternative... taking stairs right?  Now you tell me,  How hard will most of us breathe going up and down these stairs?  So what might those people following or in front of you be breathing or exhaling? This might answer the dilemma... take the lifts!  Frankly, this whole topic is a bit ridiculous.  If most of the ship is vaccinated, just being on it prevents a lower risk than most any other place you might be... other than ones own residence.  

 

Come on people, let's think rationally and don't let fear mongers stress you out.

Edited May 8, 2021 by Redwing55

[Redwing55]

I meant to say "results in a lower risk"  Not "prevents a lower risk."  To late for me to edit post above.😔

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, Earthworm Jim said:

having to stay 6 feet behind the group ahead

That restriction, certainly in the UK, is likely to be discarded in the near future. If everyone is vaccinated,  there is no need for social distancing. 

[PrincessLuver]

2 hours ago, Redwing55 said:

 

 

Come on people, let's think rationally and don't let fear mongers stress you out.

The only fear mongers I hear are the one's who are saying the CDC is the bogeyman........the Covid pandemic worldwide is not over by a long shot and if cruise lines cannot protect their passengers for Covid then they will suffer the same consequence again!!!!

[wowzz]

12 minutes ago, PrincessLuver said:

The only fear mongers I hear are the one's who are saying the CDC is the bogeyman........the Covid pandemic worldwide is not over by a long shot and if cruise lines cannot protect their passengers for Covid then they will suffer the same consequence again!!!!

Worldwide, yes, still a problem. For countries such as Israel and the UK, CV19 is under control,and cruising can resume. 

,   

[swifty]

Maybe on new ships or retrofitted to old ships,  Princess might consider escalators.

[HUNKY]

I imagine I will do like at home.  If there are other occupants already in the elevator I ask if it is okay if I join them.

 

I have not had one instance of someone saying please take the next elevator.

[caribill]

9 hours ago, Redwing55 said:

 

Come on people, let's think rationally and don't let fear mongers stress you out.

 

It does not matter how rationally we think. If the CDC says that an elevator can only have one family group on it or no more than four unrelated cruisers, that is the way it will have to be if a USA port is involved.

[donaldsc]

5 hours ago, swifty said:

Maybe on new ships or retrofitted to old ships,  Princess might consider escalators.

 

Escalators on a ship take too much deck space and are totally impractical.

 

DON

[Reina del Mar]

7 hours ago, swifty said:

Maybe on new ships or retrofitted to old ships,  Princess might consider escalators.

This was mentioned in Post 12 unthread !

[Earthworm Jim]

13 hours ago, wowzz said:

That restriction, certainly in the UK, is likely to be discarded in the near future. If everyone is vaccinated,  there is no need for social distancing. 

 

Fair enough. I am guilty of taking a U.S.-centric view in that comment and was referring to the recent CDC Conditional Sail Order guidance.

[Earthworm Jim]

3 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Escalators on a ship take too much deck space and are totally impractical.

 

DON

 

And they are an expensive long term solution to a (hopefully) short term problem.