Elevators: Why do we need to press 2 buttons (one for each bank)

[fstuff1]

I'm currently on the Breakaway.

We have to press a button for 1 bank of elevators and press the button for the other bank.

 

In commercial bldgs, pressing 1 button gets you both banks.

 

Anyone know why ncl did it this way?

 

[dbrown84]

You only have to do this when the banks don't both serve all the same floors.  You'll notice that one bank goes to deck 16 (or whatever the top deck is), while the other only goes to 15 (or one deck below the top)

[phillygwm]

3 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

You only have to do this when the banks don't both serve all the same floors.  You'll notice that one bank goes to deck 16 (or whatever the top deck is), while the other only goes to 15 (or one deck below the top)

Same on the Joy.  Of course, if you're going to decks that are common to both elevators, especially after one might have had a drink or two,  it's annoying.

[dbrown84]

Just now, dbrown84 said:

You only have to do this when the banks don't both serve all the same floors.  You'll notice that one bank goes to deck 16 (or whatever the top deck is), while the other only goes to 15 (or one deck below the top)

Of course, if you're going to a deck that is only served by one of the banks, you're wasting your time pushing both buttons.  You may end up getting on an elevator that won't take you where you want to go

[fstuff1]

1 hour ago, dbrown84 said:

You only have to do this when the banks don't both serve all the same floors.  You'll notice that one bank goes to deck 16 (or whatever the top deck is), while the other only goes to 15 (or one deck below the top)

Ah thx

[dbrown84]

Just now, phillygwm said:

Same on the Joy.  Of course, if you're going to decks that are common to both elevators, especially after one might have had a drink or two,  it's annoying.

Yes, it is.

[SeaShark]

You actually waste everyone's time pushing both banks...then one elevator takes you while the other has to stop for nothing at the annoyance of everyone onboard.

[SeaShark]

The real funny thing is that this has been discussed since 2014, as this 2016 thread shows: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2233911-breakaway-elevator-questions/

 

 

 

Given his propensity for the trivial, I'm surprised that the OP never noticed this until now.

 

I wonder if he realizes that the layout of the two forward banks is different from the layout of the two aft banks or if we'll be treated to another thread when he figures it out?

[deliver42]

Because that's the way it was built.

[pickle11]

1 hour ago, SeaShark said:

The real funny thing is that this has been discussed since 2014, as this 2016 thread shows: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2233911-breakaway-elevator-questions/

 

 

 

Given his propensity for the trivial, I'm surprised that the OP never noticed this until now.

 

I wonder if he realizes that the layout of the two forward banks is different from the layout of the two aft banks or if we'll be treated to another thread when he figures it out?

And it is fun to watch the confused people.

[don't-use-real-name]

Are the elevators in question MARKED with the floors that they service i.e. Even-Odd ?

 

At least one of the elevators in a bank of elevators should (must ?) be handicap

accessible for all the decks ?

 

With NCL there is always the quandary of having to go UP the DOWN elevators (staircase)

to access another hidden level.

The JEWEL and DAWN class of ships have their elevator quirks - the SUN also has a deck level

not elevator accessible (deck 6A Oslo) 

 

After being on board for a while one should be able to figure out this madness

[MaggieNY]

I didn't even notice this was a thing. We usually take the stairs and work off all of the lava cakes we eat on the cruise.

[BirdTravels]

This started with the Epic and carried through the entire Breakaway/Breakaway+ class of ship. It causes extreme inefficiencies since cars stop and no one gets on. 

 

This is fixed on the Prima-class ships with a single button for the high floor. The regular up/down buttons call the first car available. 

[PATRLR]

4 hours ago, SeaShark said:

You actually waste everyone's time pushing both banks...then one elevator takes you while the other has to stop for nothing at the annoyance of everyone onboard.

Yes, that is exactly the problem.  Very poor design - don't blame me for those phantom stops, I want to get the first available elevator so I'm pushing the button for both options.

[pickle11]

8 hours ago, MaggieNY said:

I didn't even notice this was a thing. We usually take the stairs and work off all of the lava cakes we eat on the cruise.

I wish I could use the stairs.  I have bad knees and have to use the elevator.  I remember when my body worked five years ago.  Now I use a cane.  Next it will be a walker and then finally a Mario cart. I will just wait for the next one.  Anybody on a cruise knows that all you do on a cruise is wait in line.

Next, we can discuss how many more people can get into a full elevator when it stops at the next floor.  There always seems to be room for three more people in a full elevator.   Or hold the door to finish a conversation.   Once again, I will wait for the next one.  What else can I do.....complain.

 

[MaggieNY]

2 hours ago, pickle11 said:

Next, we can discuss how many more people can get into a full elevator when it stops at the next floor.  There always seems to be room for three more people in a full elevator.   Or hold the door to finish a conversation.   Once again, I will wait for the next one.  What else can I do.....complain.

 

On our last cruise, I broke my ankle on day 7 and had to use a wheelchair for the 2nd week. It's amazing how many able-bodied people want to squeeze into the elevator, just to go up or down 1 deck. I feel for people like you who really need to use the elevator.

[fstuff1]

11 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

This started with the Epic and carried through the entire Breakaway/Breakaway+ class of ship. It causes extreme inefficiencies since cars stop and no one gets on. 

 

This is fixed on the Prima-class ships with a single button for the high floor. The regular up/down buttons call the first car available. 

 

aft elevators on prima were incredible slow in arriving, no matter time of day.

 

it got to the point where i (and others) would go up the fwd elevators.

thats where i learned that even though prima holds ~1000 less pax than breakaway, it's almost the same length as breakaway. (1100' vs 1000')

 

and if i'm in the aft section and need to go down, i would walk down than take prima's aft elevators no matter how many flights

 

Edited November 10, 2022 by fstuff1

[fstuff1]

2 hours ago, pickle11 said:

Next, we can discuss how many more people can get into a full elevator when it stops at the next floor.  

the sign in the elevator says it can hold 20+ people.

 

just form 4 rows of 5 people.

i might put markings on the floor for where people should stand then constantly ride that elevator during peak hrs (lunch/dinner) and see what happens. 😛

 

Edited November 10, 2022 by fstuff1

[fstuff1]

23 minutes ago, MaggieNY said:

On our last cruise, I broke my ankle on day 7 and had to use a wheelchair for the 2nd week. It's amazing how many able-bodied people want to squeeze into the elevator, just to go up or down 1 deck. I feel for people like you who really need to use the elevator.

i usually dont see able bodied people for just 1 flight up.

but i have seen able bodied people do 2 flights down. it's probably faster to walk down

[Turtles06]

31 minutes ago, MaggieNY said:

It's amazing how many able-bodied people want to squeeze into the elevator, just to go up or down 1 deck.

 

You cannot necessarily tell whether someone is "able-bodied" just by looking at them.  For example, they may have severe arthritis in their knees, which makes walking up and down stairs, even one flight, very painful.  Or they may have some heart or respiratory condition that you can't see.   

 

[pickle11]

42 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

the sign in the elevator says it can hold 20+ people.

 

just form 4 rows of 5 people.

i might put markings on the floor for where people should stand then constantly ride that elevator during peak hrs (lunch/dinner) and see what happens. 😛

 

Lifeboat drill 

[shof515]

i look "able bodied" and i  have  screws in my knees. i have good and bad days with taking the stairs. sometimes i can do i and sometimes i cant. Going down the stairs is not that bad for me, going up the  stairs is where i sometimes have the most problems. i have no problem taking the elevator up 1 or 2 floors if needed 

[trivimp]

I sometimes get the "Glare" from people who think I, appearing able-bodied, should be taking the stairs for my one-flight elevator trip.  I wish I could travel with my knee doctor who would stand next to me & explain to all of them about the bone-on-bone mess going on in there.  Silly fantasy, I know.  

[PTC DAWG]

Could be late, drink package in full effect..and someone doesn't want to fall on the stairs.  🙂

[The Traveling Man]

18 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

I'm currently on the Breakaway.

We have to press a button for 1 bank of elevators and press the button for the other bank.

 

In commercial bldgs, pressing 1 button gets you both banks.

 

Anyone know why ncl did it this way?

 

Pure speculation on my part, but I always have assumed that the reason they did it that way was because on the Epic, the first of NCL's big ships, the port and starboard elevators were quite some distance apart.  If you pressed the starboard button and a port elevator responded to your call, it's likely that by the time you could cross the lobby to the port bank of elevators it would have come and gone before you got to it.  On the Breakaway and B+ class ships, some of the elevators are divided fore and aft in the same bank of elevators.  You may find that the forward bank of eight cars have their controls wired so the first and second port side elevators and the first and second starboard elevators all respond to one set of buttons while the third and fourth cars in line on each side respond to a second set of buttons.  I suppose the reason may be that some of the cars go all the way to the top while others stop short, or perhaps because some can be dedicated to Haven service, but frankly it seems quite inconvenient to have to remember to press two sets of buttons to get the first possible car to stop at your floor.  Then there always are the NCL newbies who give you that dumbfounded look when they see you push the "other" up button after they already had pressed one.  They aren't aware that their call button is just for half of the elevators in that lobby, and that you really do need to press a button on both control panels to be sure to get the first possible car to stop.