DarwinMaya

1 hour ago, chemmo said:

Did you check at the Solarium Pool?

There was a "ducking chair" at the Solarium into one of the hot tubs but I don't recall one into the pool itself.  I could have missed it because, in March, I had just had a knee replacement and was able, with some effort, to get into the Solarium pool by going up about 6 steps and then down a few more into the pool because there were handrails on both sides of the steps.  Since then, I've also had a hip fracture and am not as good at steps.  Perhaps someone else knows about a chair into the Solarium pool?  

In honesty, for some of us who are a bit shy, getting into the "ducking chair" and needing so much assistance into and out the pool is somewhat embarrassing.  Would be so nice to have some self-accessible way into the pools for those who have mobility issues but who are not wheelchair bound.  The Constellation's clientele are mostly 65+ and many have walkers, rollators, scooters or canes.  We don't need to be put in a chair and dunked but would love some basic access to the pools. The 10 inch deep underwater shelves around the outdoor pools are a real detriment with no way to cross them because there are no handrails and the shelves are water-covered and slippery. 

I did post in both the 55+ and Disability forums because I felt the topic was relevant in both places.  Thanks for the link to the accessible pools post.  

It looks like most pools are not self-accessible for the mobility impaired due to steps and the 10 inch deep underwater ledge that runs along the whole periphery of many pools, for example the Constellation and Serenade of the Seas.  In March 2024 the handicapped "ducking chair" on Connie was not working and, if it did, it would dump the handicapped person into the pool that is all 6 feet deep and over one's head.  There also were steps up to the level of the ducking chair.   The pool configurations are a real issue for the mobility impaired.  The steps and the ledges may be to contain pool water in rough seas but so many of us wish the cruise lines would find a real solution to come up with better pool access for the handicapped. 

Was on Celebrity Constellation in March and the "ducking chair" was not working at the outdoor pool.  If it did, it would put the handicapped person in the pool that is all over 6 feet deep and over one's head.  Could not get into the outdoor pool because there's a 10 inch deep underwater ledge around the whole periphery of the pool with no handrails to walk across it for the mobility impaired.  Best to check with the cruise lline

We cruise out of Port of Tampa because it is driving distance from our home and it's difficult for us to navigate airports.  After both knee and hip surgeries, I now use a rollator and have a small portable one for use on cruises.  After several cruises, I know the little rollator works well for me onboard.  However, my biggest problem has been getting into and out the ship pools.  I love to swim and can do many of my required rehab exercises in the pool.  On the Celebrity Constellation and Serenade of the Seas the outdoor pools have broad shelves under the water all around the perimeter of the pools.  I can't walk across these shelves to access the water. There are no handrails across them.  There also are several steps up to the pools.  Last time on Connie the handicapped lift didn't work and, if it did, it dumped the handicapped person into the pool that's all 6 feet deep and over their heads.  The indoor pool on Constellation doesn't have the shelf but has about 6 steps to get up to the pool.  Bottom line:  Does anyone else with mobility issues have any suggestions for ships with better pool access for the mobility impaired?  I'm sure I'm not the only one with this issue.  I have sent questions and suggestions to Celebrity on the problem of accessing the pools for people with mobility issues but received no feedback from them. The Celebrity Constellation especially is full of senior citizens with walkers, scooters, rollators, and canes.   We, too, would like to access the pools, especially on sea days.

To correct and clarify my original post, Oceania has finally sent us the online affidavit we needed to complete to obtain a Cuba visa from them. Their $75 pp charge also includes the medical insurance Cuba requires, so this is a plus. They now also tell us they will give us our visas when we check onto the ship, not just before we leave on our Oceania tour.

Oceania gave us no instructions with the affidavit form as to which reason or category of visit we should check. There was a box one could check for Group People to People travel specifically with Oceania but this box was not pre-checked by Oceania and we were not required to, or even instructed to, check it. There was a box for Support for the Cuban People, so we both checked that. The affidavit form was a non-changeable .pdf that we could not fill out online, so we completed our forms by hand, scanned them, and emailed them off to Oceania yesterday afternoon.

We will be interested to see whether Oceania gets back to us asking for a correction, if they issue the visas with Support for the Cuban People we have checked, or issue the visas with Group People to People with Oceania. Unless they get back to us indicating a problem, I guess we won't really know until we check in for the cruise and receive our visas.

We sincerely appreciate knowing from others that Oceania should allow us to walk off the ship without a designated group and that Cuba should have no problem with our walking around Old Town on our own. Also, that the US won't care unless we visit one or more of the prohibited government-owned sites, which we will not.

Thanks to all. Hope this is helpful to someone else.

Thanks so much for all the info. It's extremely helpful and encouraging! I have one question: You mention changing Euros to CUCs on arrival in Havana. Are you US citizens or from Europe? If you travel on a European passport, the rules might differ? Thanks again.

We are booked on an Oceania cruise on Sirena that visits Havana for two nights in early June. We arrive at1:00 in the afternoon the first day there. We have booked an Oceania tour for the morning of the second day. Oceania is providing the Cuba visas at a cost of $75 per person.

We asked our Oceania phone rep when we would get the visas. We wanted them as we arrived in port so we could go out to explore the Old City on our own that first afternoon. The rep told us we would not get the visas until our group tour left, that we could not leave the ship except with our group due to new US sanctions.

I contacted Oceania's Special Services to ask about this and they sent the following response: (sorry this is long but I think it's important for travelers other than ourselves,too.)

"

Thank You for contacting the Special Services Department, Oceania Cruises will offer a variety of shore excursions in Cuba. Guests are not required to participate in these excursions to meet their group people-to-people travel requirements so long as they use another U.S. sponsoring organization to meet those requirements and are, otherwise, free to move about Cuba as long as their activities comply with the general license they are travelling under. Entry to some government buildings may be restricted; it's best to ask your guide about the building’s specific entry protocol before trying to enter on your own. What is a group people-to-people exchange? This general license authorizes persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to engage in certain educational exchanges in Cuba under the auspices of an organization that is a person subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sponsors such exchanges to promote people-to-people contact. Guests using this general license must ensure they maintain a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities intended to enhance contact with the Cuban people and that will result in meaningful interaction between the passenger and individuals in Cuba. What if I booked my voyage on or after June 16, 2017? Guests who booked their voyage on or after June 16, 2017 can travel to Cuba under the group people-to-people general license and participate in OFAC-compliant people-to-people exchanges through Oceania or a third party U.S. sponsoring organization accompanied by a U.S. individual of the sponsoring organization to ensure a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities intended to enhance contact with the Cuban people and that will result in meaningful interaction between the passenger and individuals in Cuba."

This is a lot of hooey. We know that group people to people criteria are not the only criteria with which one can get a visa. We are told by other reliable soruces that all we have to check on the application is "Support for the Cuban People" and we can come and go as we please. Anyone have advice or other input. We have told Oceania we are upset about this and are awaiting another reply.:mad: