ABOARD THE CARNIVAL HORIZON -- Carnival Cruise Line has
introduced an elevator system on the Carnival Horizon, one increasingly in use
in tall buildings worldwide.
Known as a destination-based elevator, the technology
eliminates the push buttons inside the cab of a traditional elevator. Floor
selection is relocated to a touch screen in the elevator waiting area, which
functions for all of the elevator cabs servicing that floor -- typically four
or six.
The touch screen passengers use to choose their deck. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
A guest chooses the floor and the system assigns an elevator
cab to the guest. The cab then takes the guest to that floor without
intermediate stops.
On the Carnival Horizon, the cabs are assigned letters -- T,
X, Y, Z and so on -- and the letter pops up as soon as the floor is selected.
"For people who have not experienced those elevators in
hotels, it takes a little bit to figure it out, but we've found it to be very
efficient and certainly popular," Carnival president Christine Duffy said.
"It's definitely a talking point," added John
Heald, Carnival's brand ambassador and senior cruise director. "It is fun
watching people get in -- even I still do it -- looking for the buttons."
The only buttons in the cab are for accelerated opening and
closing of the doors.
Duffy said the system was initially drawn up for the
Carnival Vista, the Horizon's predecessor that was delivered in 2016, but it wasn't
ready in time. The system is being built into the upcoming Carnival Panorama,
but Duffy said she didn't know if it would be retrofitted onto older Carnival
ships.
Video monitors explain the new elevator system. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
"At this point, it is so new for us on this ship, we
really want to be sure how it is working and what is the guest reaction,"
she said.
Kathy Mayor, Carnival's chief marketing officer, said the
use of destination-based elevators is growing in New York, with its abundance
of very tall buildings.
One advantage to the system is that it can be reprogrammed
on embarkation days, when some elevators are programmed to stop only at Deck 3
(where passengers embark) and Decks 5 and 10 (where lunch is served). When
staterooms are ready to be occupied, the elevator programming is normalized.
Hotel director Pierre Camilleri said the ship embarks about
1,800 guests an hour. He said guests are curious and cautious with the
elevators for about two days. "After that, it's just 'thank you,' and 'wow,'
all the way to the end of the cruise," he said.