Queen's Grill Disabled Cabin

There are currently 5 or 6 wheelchairs and motorised scooters parked in the lobby at dinner outside the Queen's Grill each day. One person has to drive to their table and with a lengthy struggle transfer to the table seat. The scooter is then taken out to the lobby.

I believe there is only one disabled cabin for Queen's Grill passengers. Two weeks before sailing we were upgraded from a regular Princess Grill cabin to the disabled Queen's Grill cabin. We are not disabled. The disabled cabin has a wider door, low level fittings, large bedroom area because there is no walk-in wardrobe, the bathroom has a large shower area and there is no bath. There is also a ramp to get out of the patio door onto the balcony.

I know passengers get on and off the ship at different times so there is an availability issue with booking the disabled cabin. Also, I know disabled passengers can book regular cabins if they can get their wheelchairs/scooters through the main door from the corridor.

Notwithstanding all of the above might it be that disabled passengers would much prefer to book a regular cabin than a disabled cabin if they can get their means of carriage through the door? If this is so is there any restriction on the numbers that can be taken for safety at sea and all that conjures up?

It depends of the disability - difficulty in walking versus not being able to walk at all. And it's highly individual. I can only speculate that you got upgraded from P1 to Q7 due to a late cancellation in the Q7. Had there been a late booking for an HC cabin Cunard could not put you back into a P1. They would have to make room for the late Q7 by giving you a Q6 or better - if available.

Cunard lists all of the staterooms for full time, and for part time, wheelchair and scooter users here: Accessible Adapted Cabins I would hope that anybody who needs mobility assistance would assess what is available and decide what best fits their needs. (If I live long enough I'll join that "club".)

There was a long discussion here when Cunard adopted a policy where scooter users had to book an HC stateroom. The main problem with scooters is that the size increases with the weight of the user. Some travel models are very compact but the bariatric models approach the size of mini golf carts. Not something anybody wants in their stateroom overnight. (On my last voyage one passenger repeatedly tried to leave his scooter in the hall - despite there being a full time wheelchair user nearby. I personally "snitched" on him twice.)

Is it possible to get close enough to comfortably dine at one of the Grills tables while seated on a scooter? That explains the transfer process you mentioned.

I have travelled with a scooter user relative in the past. The doors to the regular cabins were wide enough for the scooter to go through with ease. She had the moderate size person scooter also. Not the small standard one or the Golf Cart. She kept stating she should leave it in the hallway but being a rule follower I made her park it in her cabin. The QG cabins are big enough for turn arounds inside so the use of a scooter is easy enough there. I always worry about the door frames and toes on strangers since she has a vision impairment and seems to like maximum speed. Not to mention the stairwells. Also her scooter had enough clearance to bump over the doorframe to the balcony even without a ramp. Probably not the case with the smaller scooters.

My wife has to use a manual, folding wheelchair to get around but can walk around the stateroom. As a result we were told the first time we booked when she first needed to use the wheelchair some years ago that under no circumstances would we be allowed an Accessible Adapted Cabin as they are reserved for passenger who have no mobility at all. We are quite happy with this as a regular cabin is quite suitable for our needs and when folded, the wheelchair takes up no room at all. However, I just cannot imagine how you can possibly get a scooter in a regular cabin therefore they are left parked outside in corridors, so fully understand and agree with Cunard's rule that scooter users must have an Accessible Adapted Cabin or larger type stateroom so that the scooter can be parked inside the stateroom.

For many years we would book a standard stateroom and take our travel mobility scooter, we never once dreamt of leaving it outside in the corridor. It could be driven through the doorframe with space eitherside and either parked or dismantled into 5 each pieces and could be stored under the dressing table area or under the bed. Now we have to book a disabled accessible cabin, thus taking away the valuable facilities a wheelchair bound guest may need. I agree that something had to be done to keep the "tanks" from being parked in the corridors but feel that Cunard should revert back to their list of acceptable travelscoots that are often smaller than some manual wheelchairs.

Wheelchair user here (although I use crutches for short distances and usually to get to the restaurant unless seas are rough or I'm especially exhausted). We always book QG.

The QG cabin doors are wider than normal and will take a full size wheelchair without folding or in my case, taking the wheels off. Ditto for a big ol' scooter. There's room enough inside to leave a chair or scooter up without it getting in the way and we've had everything from Q7 to Q1. Minor problem with Q1 in that my wife had to open both doors in order to get the chair in.

QE and QV only have one QG accessible suite and this has always been booked up way early by the time I start looking for the next cruise. This is invariably the case with any and every cruise line I check out - we less able folks generally end up paying top whack brochure price rather than getting the best deals. In any case, I would prefer to leave it for a full time wheelchair jockey who needs a roll-in shower, since I can make my way around by using the walls for support. If someone gets an upgrade to an accessible cabin I can only assume that this is due to a previous cancelled booking.

Personally, although I found (and still find on other lines) great big mobility scooters parked in the hall to be massively frustrating they are usually placed in corridor corners and I have much more trouble getting a wheelchair down a corridor past carelessly discarded room service trays and laundry carts left at narrow pinch points.

The comment by BlueRiband about scooter size increasing with user size is largely inaccurate. Although the really big folks obviously need something that can take their weight and girth safely, scooter size generally increases with how far you want to travel without a re-charge and whether you are happy to travel on the flat or actually want to go up the hill away from the harbour and into town. I've seen little old ladies that I could easily lift above my head riding around on the most gigantic electric behemoths because of this.

As for the access in QG issue, I always ask in advance for a table near the door for the odd occasion when I need to get the chair right up to the table. The Head Waiter or M d' will generally try to ensure that this is the case for anyone who has a mobility device but only if they know about it before everyone has a comfy seat and got to know the neighbours.

.

...The comment by BlueRiband about scooter size increasing with user size is largely inaccurate. Although the really big folks obviously need something that can take their weight and girth safely, scooter size generally increases with how far you want to travel without a re-charge and whether you are happy to travel on the flat or actually want to go up the hill away from the harbour and into town. I've seen little old ladies that I could easily lift above my head riding around on the most gigantic electric behemoths because of this...

I stand corrected as my statement was based on the offerings of cruise ship scooter rental companies. Booking one requires only entering one's weight, sailing details, and a credit card.

I've sailed in PG and observed pretty much what RGJ noted - scooter users drive to their table, transfer to a chair, then a waiter drives the scooter to the front lobby. Wheelchair users usually stay in their chair, presumably because then use if full time and have zero mobility out of it.

I have a foot drop difficulty and can not walk long distances and have always taken my travelscoot along since I dont want to get stuck not beingable to return to my room. My scooter has always fit in a standard room on every cruise line and I would never consider leaving it in the corridor. There fore, i was shocked when i went to book a trip on QM2 this year and was told in no uncertain terms that I had to take a handicapped room EVEN if I just brought my 2 canes!! I was quite upset as I dont need a handicapped bathroom and am limited as to very few room choices. Also this prevents a person who MUST use a wheelchair to have this room. There are inconsiderate folks who would leave a scooter in the hallway, but really, why the outrage,annoyance, and prejudice? Able body persons should be grateful that they can walk! People in scooters are not hurting you in any way, and have a right to cruise, if seeing them bothers you, get a life! so if they deliberatly leave the scoot outside, Cunard should have housekeeping open their door and put it in already! Have some compassion.:(

...There are inconsiderate folks who would leave a scooter in the hallway, but really, why the outrage, annoyance, and prejudice? Able body persons should be grateful that they can walk! ...

Disagree 100% with that statement.

So somebody leaves an unattended scooter in the hall and anybody who complains about it has a problem? It was not a problem for me as much as it was for the full time wheel chair user in the same hall. The scooter user knew damn well it's not supposed to be left out but tried to do so anyway while not giving a rat's rear end about any other mobility impaired person who needed to get buy that golf cart.

...so if they deliberatly leave the scoot outside, Cunard should have housekeeping open their door and put it in already! Have some compassion.

Don't know how Cunard handled this. All I know is that I went to the Purser's desk, made the complaint, and gave the offending stateroom number. Within 10 minutes it was no longer in the hallway. And you know what? I'm going to do the same thing again: report it and let Cunard handle it.

Thats fine, you have a right to complain about the scooter being left out in the corridor. I would complain myself because how would I even get past them on my scooter? the problem is that Cunards answer to that problem was to have any and all mobility challenged persons now required to take a handicapped accessible room whether they need it or not, thus limiting your selection of cabins, and if all are taken, cancel your trip! This however, still does not preclude the fact that offending individuals will continue to place their scooter outside.. Inconsiderate people in general, will continue their obnoxious behavior whether they have a scooter or not. It just seems that sometimes reading these boards, I get the impression that some folks have contempt for handicapped individuals ie, "I dont like looking at scooters in front of the Queens Grill". I myself am a psychologist and manage a surgical practice dealing with individuals with physical or emotional problems. I've made my point and will now limit my comments to my love for QM2!

The way I read the OP's original statement he was somewhat bewildered how he, an able bodied passenger, managed to be upgraded to a Q7 when there were clearly others who would benefited from it. I didn't read into it that scooters "bothered" him in any way but perhaps others saw it differently.

There was a long discussion on this board when Cunard first instituted their scooter policy to include even TravelScoot users to take an HC stateroom. I'm going to bet on the reasons. Whenever somebody was told to bring their scooter inside the answers where: 1) there's no room, 2) it blocks access to the bathroom, 3) the charging cored is a trip hazard to the bathroom, or 4) the user can't collapse it due to joint pain or limited motion. Thus the "one size fits all" policy despite one's past record of respecting the rules and managing in a "regular" stateroom.

The scooter in the hall offender was in a PG stateroom but not one of the HC ones. Having stayed in PG I'd consider one of these things to be quite intrusive and cannot imagine anything other than the collapsible one you mentioned working in a Britannia stateroom.

Blueriband your first paragraph is accurate and I can't believe some can read my piece differently. I have no objection to wheelchairs/motor scooters, but felt quite guilty that I had been upgraded into a disabled cabin when it seemed others might benefit from having it. In fact I hadn't expected to see any disabled carriages in QG because of the cabin I was in. This made me feel even more guilty and made me wonder if disabled passengers preferred regular cabins what the ultimate safety at sea consequences there might be if many had been taken by them and there was a major problem with the ship e.g. sinking.

Also, I was upgraded sometime before the sailing denying a handicapped late booker.

Blueriband your first paragraph is accurate and I can't believe some can read my piece differently. I have no objection to wheelchairs/motor scooters, but felt quite guilty that I had been upgraded into a disabled cabin when it seemed others might benefit from having it. In fact I hadn't expected to see any disabled carriages in QG because of the cabin I was in. This made me feel even more guilty and made me wonder if disabled passengers preferred regular cabins what the ultimate safety at sea consequences there might be if many had been taken by them and there was a major problem with the ship e.g. sinking.

 

Also, I was upgraded sometime before the sailing denying a handicapped late booker.

'We' were one of the wheelchair users you remarked upon and don't worry, I also read your opening post as a comment on your upgrade rather than a personal comment on disabled users of wheelchairs and scooters.

There were two scooters and two wheelchairs regularly 'parked' in the QG lobby during the last two world voyage segments. One scooter user managed to walk to the table and the other scooted there and the waiters parked it after the guest was seated.

'We' wouldn't dream of booking a disabled cabin even though 'we' need the chair to get around the ship, however small the distance and yes, on rocky days, the short distance to the actual dining table. 'We' book aids to help us in the shower [using the bath is beyond 'our' capabilities] and as long as 'we' can manage the small step up/down, 'we' will continue to book the accommodation we do and leave the disabled cabin to those who cannot cope in any other.

The fact you were accommodated in the disabled cabin must therefore mean the other disabled guests had the same thoughts as us.

Don't dwell on it. :)

RJC, don't sweat it. It's noble that you feel a little guilty about scoring an HC QG, which is more than folks at the other end of the spectrum - the bookers for more floor space, would do.

Rest assured that true HC cabin needs are much less likely to even look for a late booking and there's a good possibility that if anyone was interested in that cabin they would have been wait listed anyway. There would be nothing to stop Cunard bumping you back if a genuine need came along and a persistent TA was supporting their client.

So the only thing you need to concern yourself about is the occasional Skippy impression. i.e. "Tut, tut, tut" from people who see you entering or exiting the cabin, ignorant of the full story. I recommend either ignoring them or maybe feigning a limp. For some reason the left leg always looks more convincing so bear this in mind. I find that the 4 x 4 and BMW drivers who take blue badge parking spaces for a quick stroll to the cash dispenser almost always make the mistake of limping on their dominant right leg.

Seriously, enjoy yourself and many thanks for the thought.

.