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Celebrity handicap room- can anyone book? are they nicer?


minidog

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Hi we are looking to book on Summit in April and there are few choices remaining on upper level Ocianview rooms...with that being said there are several handicapped rooms left and they look bigger. Want to know if anyone has booked one before and what their experience was. Is more space worth the lower sinks etc?

thank you!

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Just tried to book room 6004 on Summit and it is considered a handicapped room. THere are very limited rooms left in this category so my question is can anyone book this room and if so are they hard to be in due to the height of counters etc? The plus side is that it is a bigger room.

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:)

I see you asked this question twice. I haven't had one of the accessible rooms, but, I would never book one. I would feel like a heal the entire cruise knowing that my comfort came before someone who might actually need that room.

 

Amen.

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How could you in good conscience feel comfortable potentially taking away the opportunity to cruise from someone who actually requires an accessible stateroom just because it is slightly larger?

 

Many people cannot cruise at all unless they have an accessible stateroom. Why not just book one of the other rooms that is available since you don't need the accommodations?

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If an HC room is available to book online, that means that it's close enough to the sail date that they've opened it up to anyone who wants it. Celebrity has, in effect, taken the HC designation off the cabin for this cruise. You do not have to require an accessible cabin, nor should you feel guilty about taking it away from someone who needs it. Celebrity has estimated that the room will go unsold if they hold it for someone who needs it for accessibility. If you don't book the room, someone else will, and odds are that they won't have accessibility issues, either. It's also somewhat common for them to assign one to someone who has booked a GTY. If an able-bodied passenger is going to end up in the cabin, it may as well be you.

 

Yes, there's much more room. My understanding is that there are drawbacks, such as water from the shower sloshing out onto the floor due to the lack of a lip in the shower, but you should still be comfortable.

 

For the record, I would never think of booking an HC room if it would mean someone who needs it won't be able to book it, but when X makes them available for booking on the website, they're fair game. Personally, I would always hold the HC cabins until the last minute and then fill them with GTYs, but X will sometimes release them 4 to 6 weeks before sailing.

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Minidog - you have now started THREE threads asking the same question. :confused:

Handicapped or accessible rooms are exactly that!! For people who have a disability. Although disabled, I (and many others) find cruising a great holiday option JUST like able bodied people do.

Leave them for those of us who DONT have a choice of cabins please.

On our last cruise I had a choice of Oceanview or Oceanview or Oceanview all on Plaza!!! (the only Inside cabin was already booked) Oh I could have a Sky Suite but at treble the cost - it was way out of our budget or requirement.

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Many people cannot cruise at all unless they have an accessible stateroom. Why not just book one of the other rooms that is available since you don't need the accommodations?

 

The same argument could be used for two people not booking a FV, but it's done all the time, or at least those times when a FV goes unsold and X makes it available for (only) double occupancy. Those who require a HC cabin should have already been booked before the unsold HC cabins are released.

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I was moved to one after issues with my original room. They are way bigger than the average room. I'm not 100% sure about the sink height but I find them low anyway being 6'0" lol. The bathroom is very open with a roll in shower and there is a fold down seat in there too. The storage in the bathroom is open, not the cupboards in typical cabins. The closets are the same but I believe the safe and life jackets are stored lower down and the closet railings pull down. There was also an emergency call button near the bed. Depending on the location, you may have to have the curtains closed before it gets dark. I was in 6004 and I would have to close them because the lights affect the navigation of the ship...Overall I liked the layout of the room and having so much floor space and the big shower was nice but I didn't need all the accessible features.

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OP, I see from one of your other threads on this that you do not cruise until April. Since it's unlikely the HC cabins are available this far out, I must assume you intend to try to book one, even though they have not been released to the public and even though you do not need one. That is a different kettle of fish. Please do not attempt to book an accessible cabin while they're still so designated. You would be required to submit a form detailing your need for one, and you wouldn't be able to do so honestly.

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I'm disabled and cannot abide when an able bodied person books an accessible cabin "because they're bigger".

 

Minidog, do you realize how FEW accessible cabins are available on cruise ships? And do you realize how many disabled people are shut out of cruising because insensitive people book those cabins???? You know, maybe someday you or a member of your family will be disabled and you won't be able to cruise because some thoughtless persons booked them.

 

As to whether you can book them, well all I can tell you is if you do, you will have to fill out a form stating your needs, and you'll have to sign that form. So, if you have no moral problems doing that, no one can stop you.

 

Now, before anyone trashes me, I will tell you that we disabled never advocate keeping those cabins empty. What we say is, they should never be released into the general inventory until after final payments are made. After that, everyone have at it.

 

Minidog, why do you keep asking about these cabins? Do you only want them for the extra space? If that's the reason, and you're not disabled, might I suggest spending the extra money and paying for a bigger cabin and leaving the accessible cabin to someone who REALLY NEEDS it.

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Like I said in your other thread, ASKING THE SAME QUESTION, no, persons who are not disabled should ever book accessible cabins. The only time it should be done is if these cabins are still available AFTER final payments. Then, anyone should be able to book those cabins. Seeing you're looking to cruise in April, final payments aren't required yet. I don't care if an accessible cabin is the only one left in the category you want, pick another category, period!!!!!

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Now, before anyone trashes me, I will tell you that we disabled never advocate keeping those cabins empty. What we say is, they should never be released into the general inventory until after final payments are made. After that, everyone have at it.

 

I don't see why they can't keep HC cabins blocked until one week before the saildate, so last-minute disabled cruisers have a chance to book, if they want. If the cabin doesn't sell by then, fine, then release it, or let someone with a GTY get it. I was shocked when I was told that these could be available as far out as six weeks.

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Since when? I'm disabled, book accessible cabins when available, and never have had to fill out any form.

 

Here's a link to the form. When we booked an HC for my in-laws, I couldn't do it online because the cabin wasn't available, obviously. When I called, I was told the form needed to be completed and submitted at least 30 days before the sail date. I can't remember if they emailed it or faxed it. My assumption is if we fail to submit the form, the reservation will be cancelled. Do you have a TA doing your booking? Maybe they're completing the form for you.

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Here's a link to the form. When we booked an HC for my in-laws, I couldn't do it online because the cabin wasn't available, obviously. When I called, I was told the form needed to be completed and submitted at least 30 days before the sail date. I can't remember if they emailed it or faxed it. My assumption is if we fail to submit the form, the reservation will be cancelled. Do you have a TA doing your booking? Maybe they're completing the form for you.

 

First time I'm seeing this. I use a t.a. but I don't think he would forge my signature and he doesn't have p of a from me. I'll ask. But thanks for going to the trouble of digging up the form.

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Since when? I'm disabled, book accessible cabins when available, and never have had to fill out any form.

 

I certainly have. They sent it to me via email and asked questions pertaining to what I needed in the cabin, what devices I used and if I needed anything special.

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First time I'm seeing this. I use a t.a. but I don't think he would forge my signature and he doesn't have p of a from me. I'll ask. But thanks for going to the trouble of digging up the form.

 

We just emailed our Guest Special Needs Form http://media.celebritycruises.com/celebrity/content/en_US/pdf/CEL_Special_Needs_Form_July_2011.pdf a couple of days ago. There is no signature required - just 2 pages to fill out.

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Hi everyone -

 

When we booked for an upcoming Solstice cruise with our travel agent, he told us that very few cabins were left in the category we wanted (2B) but that there was a handicap cabin available. He said that since we are not disabled (and would never ever fill out a form saying we are), that it was fine to book that cabin but if ANY other passenger on the ship filled out the form, we could be moved by Celebrity into a nonaccessible stateroom in the same category. I am totally comfortable with the idea of having to move, at any point, if someone books this cruise in the next 2 months and needs the accessible features. I am not sure if this still would upset those of you who need the features. I do not by any means want to limit accessibility for those who need it!

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He said that since we are not disabled (and would never ever fill out a form saying we are), that it was fine to book that cabin but if ANY other passenger on the ship filled out the form, we could be moved by Celebrity into a nonaccessible stateroom in the same category.

 

 

 

That will never happen. I have never heard of someone being moved. Once that room is booked it's gone. A passenger is not going to fill out a form unless they book a handicapped cabin. TAs need to be educated on this.

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Thank you to everyone that responded and for those who didn't blast me for asking!!

 

The point of this thread is for people that don't know to ask those who do. My intentions where never to take a cabin away from a disabled person who needs one. My question was to help me understand that if there are limited #s of cabins left how dioes that process work. Like some of you replied...other abled bodies get placed in those cabins all the time and others are asked to move if they have booked them and a disabled person needs one.

 

I called the ship and they did state that you would need to fill out a form to be booked into the room stating your disability and that if an abled person where to take one of those cabins they would be asked to move if necessary.

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minidog .. considerate of you to ask about the HC cabins.

 

Yes, they are bigger, about 50% in an equivalent category. I ride a scooter because of a car accident years ago. That extra space allows me to c a r e f u l l y turn my scooter around in the room and park it off to the side so my able-bodied wife doesn't have to climb over it when moving around the cabin. Also, the doors are wider and have an automatic door opener, so I can get my scooter into the cabin, without having to hold the door open and drive in my scooter at the same time.:D The bathrooms have lots of grab rails so I don't end up on my keester on that cold tile floor. These cabins are also setup for those with hearing and vision impairments. In short, a HC cabin gives me the freedom to enjoy a cruise experience similar to yours .

 

I understand Celebrity wanting to sail with all cabins booked, so they allow able-bodied to book them (6 weeks out, I hear). That means if someone NEEDS a HC cabin, they must book early. No last-minute sales for us. I would assume that once the cabin is booked , by anyone, it shows as sold. I wonder if there is a notation "HC cabin booked by able-bodied, but will move if required by HC guest". Sorry, a little tongue-in-cheek there.

 

Whatever cabin you finally decide on, I hope you enjoy your cruise.

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To play devil's advocate. Why punish the cruise line for having extra HC cabins then people need? If they consistently can't sell HC cabins during cabin clearance periods will then reduce the number available overall?

 

If no one is portraying themselves falsely and are eligible to book the cabin and then want it, why not? If they don't become available to the general public until 6 weeks out, then it would be just as available to someone who needs that accomodation until that period. How last minute do people expect to be able to book?

 

Personally, I don't usually like those accommodation as the lower sinks, no shower lip, etc are not my favorites so I'll pass but why not if it doesn't bother you?

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