Able bodied in disabled cabins

Does anyone know if a pax has been removed from a HC cabin?

I cannot see how this would work from a logistical point of view when the ship is full, which is on the vast majority of cruises. You move a pax from the HC cabin, presumably on the basis that they do not actually need it. What cabin do you relocate them into? Any other pax who definitely needs an HC cabin is not going to be travelling because at the time of booking there was no suitable cabin available.

Regards John

I realize this thread is a few weeks stale, but I don't want to start a new thread to make an on-time post. Besides, I haven't figured out how to start a new thread with the Android CC app.

 

I booked a cruise on Carnival Freedom today. I think it's an accessable cabin, the 4J with a forward facing window, but there was no indication that it was accessable until I had selected it.

 

In other words, the website offered me a 4J cabin selection by cabin number and I clicked continue. There was a note on the next page with the final cost that said something about the availability of the cabin I selected and I thought, "Oh, oh, what's this?" (Still nothing about it being an accessable cabin.)

 

Next page where I enter my CC payment information, there's a note about the cabin having wider doors and how high the shower threshold is. Now, I'm thinking this sounds like an accessable cabin. Below these notes is a check box that asks me to confirm that I'm willing to change cabins if a person who requires an accessable cabin requests one. The cabin will be the same or higher catagory.

 

So, did commit a mortal sin? There's still time for "redemption" as the cruise is still a few weeks outside final payment date. Or I could ask to change rooms. It's an Early Saver booking and it's the third week of a b2b, now b3b. I wanted a 4J, not an accessable cabin, so there's no evil intent here. I was not even aware that it was accessable until the payment page.

 

ANY comments?

I do not think you have done anything inappropriate in this matter. In my opinion if HC cabins are included on the website, as soon as one is selected it should be explicitly mentioned to you by a pop-up. This will give a potential passenger booking the cabin to think; "no that's not what I want" or proceed appropriately. I think some sort of evidence of your need should be required. In this respect the doctor's letter is one system and this letter should not be per cruise but enduring and be applied across all lines. Cruise lines could also help themselves if the on board doctor did a free assessment on your cruise. You could then got into the website as HC approved for future cruises.

In addition the problem of people only needing mobility scooters for use off the ship,mentioned by other posters could be sorted if the cruise lines held them in the hold and made them available to the passengers at ports. These people could book standard cabins in many cases freeing up HC cabins for those actually needing them.

Regards John

IMHO, the bigger problem is there are nowhere near enough accessible cabins! For example, on RCCL Anthem there are almost 2100 cabins and only 34 are accessible and I don't know if any of them hold more than 2 people.

I know the answer. There are HC cabins on RCI ships that hold 3 people. Downside you have to book roughly 15 months in advance just to get them. I know this because we are a family of 5 and we always try and book a HC cabin for 3. Most of the time we can book a 3 person cabin but not necessarily the category we what.

I do not think you have done anything inappropriate in this matter. In my opinion if HC cabins are included on the website, as soon as one is selected it should be explicitly mentioned to you by a pop-up. This will give a potential passenger booking the cabin to think; "no that's not what I want" or proceed appropriately. I think some sort of evidence of your need should be required.

 

Regards John

I find it interesting that on RCI UK website I cannot book a HC cabin, I cannot even check availability, I have to ring RCI or get my TA to ring RCI. However on RCI US website HC cabins can be booked. I don't know if this is the same with other lines.

Booking is all over the place....i recently booked carnival and the hc cabins were not on their site but readily found on other sites...so i did not have to call...surprised that there were only a couple of fully accessible cabins on a newer ship...

I don't know if any of them hold more than 2 people.

I remembered that RCI has a web page https://www.royalcaribbean.com/experience/accessible-cruising/accessible-staterooms that states Stateroom Capacity. I have stayed in Anthem of the Seas inside HC. RCI claim it's for 4 but we found 3 adults; a hoist and wheelchair was enough in cabin.

I wish there was something between a fully accessible cabin and a non-adapted one. I use walking aids all the time, sometimes a manual wheelchair (with OH pushing). I have just started hiring a scooter for use on-board so that I can be more independent and OH can go of and do his own thing without having to come back and take me to my next venue (the distances are too great for me to walk).

I need room for the scooter in the cabin and also electronic door opening, so that I can get myself and the chair/scooter in and out. If that were readily available, I wouldn't need to take an accessible room from someone who is a full-time wheelchair user :(:(

I would also benefit from a scooter/powerchair driving test! I rented one earlier this year but hadn't really taken enough notice of the dimensions. It was huge and I was not able to drive it through the cabin doorway (I got stuck several times and was utterly mortified). Nor was I able to manage in other tight spaces. It ended up parked in the cabin while I used the manual chair. For our forthcoming cruise, I have reserved a much smaller one and hope to be able to use it as planned. Maybe off ship too, if I am confident with it.

This forthcoming cruise was booked 14 months ago, we tried several cruiselines before we found 1 accessible cabin left on a September med cruise from Southampton. Next year we have a TA + return, we secured this 12 months ago on the day bookings opened.

I need room for the scooter in the cabin and also electronic door opening, so that I can get myself and the chair/scooter in and out. If that were readily available, I wouldn't need to take an accessible room from someone who is a full-time wheelchair user :(:(

 

This forthcoming cruise was booked 14 months ago, we tried several cruiselines before we found 1 accessible cabin left on a September med cruise from Southampton. Next year we have a TA + return, we secured this 12 months ago on the day bookings opened.

Not sure if this will help but we borrow a door wedge from our cabin steward. My DS is in a manual wheelchair, borrowing a wedge means only 1 person has to go back to the cabin with him. Sorry if I have presumed the wrong reason for you needing an electronic opening door.

Enjoy your cruise:D

I would also benefit from a scooter/powerchair driving test! I rented one earlier this year but hadn't really taken enough notice of the dimensions. It was huge and I was not able to drive it through the cabin doorway (I got stuck several times and was utterly mortified). Nor was I able to manage in other tight spaces. It ended up parked in the cabin while I used the manual chair. For our forthcoming cruise, I have reserved a much smaller one and hope to be able to use it as planned. Maybe off ship too, if I am confident with it.

 

This forthcoming cruise was booked 14 months ago, we tried several cruiselines before we found 1 accessible cabin left on a September med cruise from Southampton. Next year we have a TA + return, we secured this 12 months ago on the day bookings opened.

This is so true! But, it may not be your diving as much as the hallways on some cruise ships are quite narrow. Also, I have noticed that in some places the walls seem to jut out. I have in the past (as mentioned above in this thread) booked a regular balcony cabin and I found it very difficult to make the turn into the room. But, it was either that or stay home.

It is so frustrating that you have to book so early to get an accessible cabin. I for one don't always know where I want to go 12-14 months out.

Not sure if this will help but we borrow a door wedge from our cabin steward. My DS is in a manual wheelchair, borrowing a wedge means only 1 person has to go back to the cabin with him. Sorry if I have presumed the wrong reason for you needing an electronic opening door.

 

Enjoy your cruise:D

I'll do you one better - we bought our own door wedge off of Amazon and now always travel with it. Few hotels have automatic door openers, let alone the cruise ships. Such a little thing has made our life so much easier - we store it in the little pouch on the back of my mother's wheelchair so it's always at hand when we need it.

I wished everyone and every public establishment took this more seriously. My husband is a full time wheelchair user and needs a lift to get into our car. In many places we go the disable spots are taken by people who don't need them but have a parking placard, leaving us to park in a spot without space to use the lift. I know some people have disabilities that aren't readily discernible but we often see people park in the disabled spots and then get out of their car and practically run into the store, park, whatever. Either that or they suddenly develop a limp when they see my struggling to get my husband out of the car. I have seen people park their scooter in a designated wheelchair spot on a cruise venue and then get out of their scooter to walk down the stairs and talk to to friends. If we want to reserve an accessible room for a cruise we need to book it over a year in advance, missing out on many good deals that are only available for cruises booked with less advance notice. My hairdresser (who is able bodied and does not require an accessible room for anyone in her family) recently bragged about getting an accessible hotel room because her travel agent told her it would be a larger room. It goes on and on and I would be more than happy to provide documentation to anyone if it would help stop the people who do things improperly.

In my opinion, the only way the problem will ever be resolved is to get the ADA to allow the cruise lines to demand doctor's proof that an individual requires the “accessible” (not HC) cabins. The cabins were originally designed for mobile devices (or large equipment), not hearing aids, white canes or any fictional problems. The standard cabins with applicable modifications or devices are great in many cases. I'm not suggesting one's medical history, only their current needs.

The problem was created because the disabled did not want anybody to know their personal business. To my knowledge, none of the cruise lines care what the problem is, they only want to know what the individual's needs are, thus a doctor's statement would be appropriate for everyone. We are all suppose to fill out a “special needs” form, so what is wrong with having a doctor verify it. I'm not suggesting medical history, only what a person's needs are.

Since I have Minnesota HC plates, I am only familiar with Minnesota's requirements. Here it is specifically based on the distance a person can walk without fear of harm or dying. They do not require any info regarding the reason or my illness. I also happen to know that Minnesota is easier to pass than the VA standard. Thus I suspect there may be other variances out there. In my case, I am disabled under both standards and I do not care who knows or if they know I have serious lung issues.

What I am leading up to is that the disabled needs to petition the ADA to change the rules allowing applicable sources to demand verification of an individual's need. Not one's medical history, only and specifically, their needs. That would eliminate a lot of abuse and help many of us. As far as doctor's charging for a letter, suggest that they provide you with a statement as part of your annual physical. Mine is included and up-dated every year. The airlines use to ask for it on their form, but I never had a problem using my letter. One airlines even made a copy and I think they noted it in my records.

Sorry if I upset the apple cart, but we need to take responsibility for the nightmare we, the disabled, actually created by demanding privacy when privacy should not have been an issue. What we need is adequate space for our devices or the applicable devices as may be necessary.

Yes, currently, most of us have to book early to get an accessible cabin. Before they changed the final payment due date, many of us could get a price reduction when the price was dropped. With final due dates being out four months now, it is very unlikely we will be able to get those discounted rates.

Betty

I realize that the POTUS is quite busy but perhaps a letter to him would help ?

I can only book within 12 month as insurance companies in U.K. will only insure one year ahead, also my condition is slowly progressive so I don’t know how much I will have deteriorated more than a year ahead. I always check how much it will cost me as it goes up a few hundred pounds every year. So I mostly miss out on getting an accessible cabin and therefore can’t take a scooter.

Several people have suggested that more accessible cabins should be available but this is governed by the size of the ship and the crew available to help the handicapped in the event of an emergency.

I realize that the POTUS is quite busy but perhaps a letter to him would help ?

Do you really think the current POTUS cares about disabled people? He is too busy playing golf.

I can only book within 12 month as insurance companies in U.K. will only insure one year ahead, also my condition is slowly progressive so I don’t know how much I will have deteriorated more than a year ahead. I always check how much it will cost me as it goes up a few hundred pounds every year. So I mostly miss out on getting an accessible cabin and therefore can’t take a scooter.

Several people have suggested that more accessible cabins should be available but this is governed by the size of the ship and the crew available to help the handicapped in the event of an emergency.

I agree it seems it would be easy for the cruiselines to add more accessible rooms. For example on Harmony of the Seas less than 2% of the total rooms are accessible. It makes you wonder why they can't take some of the junior suites and convert them to accessible suites. Regular rooms of all levels could be made accessible and then released for able bodied persons if not booked by disabled persons. Or perhaps they could put in a scooter storage area so people that only need scooters and not wheelchairs would not need to take up the accessible rooms. My husband is a full time wheelchair user and cannot ambulate at all. He absolutely needs an accessible room for the bathroom amenities such as roll in shower, fold down shower chair, etc. As you stated an accessible room must be booked well in advance and this prevents people needing these rooms from getting any deals, specials, etc or booking less than a year and a half in advance.

I can only book within 12 month as insurance companies in U.K. will only insure one year ahead, also my condition is slowly progressive so I don’t know how much I will have deteriorated more than a year ahead. I always check how much it will cost me as it goes up a few hundred pounds every year. So I mostly miss out on getting an accessible cabin and therefore can’t take a scooter.

Several people have suggested that more accessible cabins should be available but this is governed by the size of the ship and the crew available to help the handicapped in the event of an emergency.

Since I live in the US, I am not familiar with U.K. insurance companies. Is it not possible to obtain insurance closer to final payment? For example, I recently booked NCL Jade for September 2019. I can add insurance any time up to the final payment date. The required deposit was $25 per person. Final payment is not due until May 2019. I can cancel anytime up until May without penalty. Even if the deposit was non-refundable, I would only be out $50 if I had to cancel.

Since I live in the US, I am not familiar with U.K. insurance companies. Is it not possible to obtain insurance closer to final payment? For example, I recently booked NCL Jade for September 2019. I can add insurance any time up to the final payment date. The required deposit was $25 per person. Final payment is not due until May 2019. I can cancel anytime up until May without penalty. Even if the deposit was non-refundable, I would only be out $50 if I had to cancel.

In the UK we can buy insurance at any time prior to the cruise. We can buy insurance up to 12 months in advance of the cruise. If we buy a cruise with out insurance and need to cancel the cruise we lose our deposits at the best.

Below is RCI cancellation policy for UK booking:

If I have to cancel my cruise, will I get a refund?

If you or anybody travelling with you wishes to cancel either your/their holiday, you must contact us (if booking direct) or your travel agent and give notice in writing using registered mail or e-mail to ensure safe receipt of the cancellation letter. The holiday will only be cancelled on the date we receive the written notice of cancellation. Generally if you cancel you will have to pay the cancellation charges set out below:

5 days or less 100%

6 to 14 days 90%

15 - 28 days 75%

29 - 56 days 50%

57 days or more Deposit only (£150 per person)

Please be advised that the minimum cancellation charge will always be the loss of deposit. Please note: that any amendment or transfer fees will also be charged when a booking is cancelled. These fees are detailed in section 1.11 of our Booking Conditions. Please refer to section 1.11 when making a significant amendment, within 56 days of your departure date as your booking may be treated as a cancellation and cancellation charges will apply. Therefore a new booking will be created incorporating any new business rules or terms and conditions applicable. Please note: The date of departure means the date the arrangements you have booked with us commence.

Depending on the reason for cancellation, you may be able to reclaim these cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your insurance policy. Claims must be made directly to your insurance company. Where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number on which the price, number of free places and/or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will recalculate these items and re-invoice you at the applicable higher price.

Bloodgem - thanks for the clarification. I would not want to risk £300 in deposits. What would happen if you booked a cruise as soon as it opened up- could you then purchase insurance 12 months out from the sail date? And, would the insurance be less than the £150 per person already spent in deposits?

Bloodgem - thanks for the clarification. I would not want to risk £300 in deposits. What would happen if you booked a cruise as soon as it opened up- could you then purchase insurance 12 months out from the sail date? And, would the insurance be less than the £150 per person already spent in deposits?

We have to take the risk, yes we are willing to lose £450 (for 3 of us) . We book the cruise as soon as they are released. Then purchase the insurance as soon as we can, which is 12 months before the cruise. If we don't take the risk then we don't cruise. We need an accessible cabin, unlike Silversurf

I can only book within 12 month as insurance companies in U.K. will only insure one year ahead, also my condition is slowly progressive so I don’t know how much I will have deteriorated more than a year ahead. I always check how much it will cost me as it goes up a few hundred pounds every year. So I mostly miss out on getting an accessible cabin and therefore can’t take a scooter.

We are doing a 12 night cruise in September and have paid £70 for insurance. This is for 3 adults and includes my DS who has

stable medical issues. I think the most we have paid for insurance is £95, this was for a 14 night cruise.

With UK insurance we can pick the level of cover we want, we tend to pay for medium cover. Also unstable medical conditions can increase the price of the policy.

Two things would really help.

A place to store and charge your chair or scooter, I could go to my cabin, hop on the bed, Mrs Gut could or the chair and charge it.

Or

Wider doors on standard cabins, but that would cost $$$

I did a Transatlantic earlier this year on the Regal Princess. They were taking all the scooters from standard cabins and charging them someplace over night and would return them in the morning. Since I would need mine in case of an emergency, they provided me with a long extension cord and I parked it in the closet. I believe all Princess ships have the big closets outside the bathroom that most scooters will fit in. Regardless, those sharp 90° turns are a bit tight. Many of the newer ships have the wider doors.

Two things would really help.

 

 

Wider doors on standard cabins, but that would cost $$$

This "extra cost" would be minimal at time of building the ship. I think the problem cruise lines have is the possibility of excessive numbers of scooters on board being used daily e.g. what if 3,000 scooters were embarked. They need an holistic management policy of what should happen particularly where some people only want to use their scooter off the ship.

Regards John

On Holland America ships they would have to make the cabins wider as well if they widened the doorways. Normally the space between the closet and bathroom wall is the same as the door width. If you multiply that the length of the ship, you would end up with a lot less staterooms.

Of course this wouldn't apply to suites.

Part of the problem could be that the ships seem to be offering  either full ambulatory cabins or wheelchair accessible  ones...with nothing in between. My DH has PIGD  (postural instability gait disorder)  and  ..believes rightly so that the ship ADA cabins  should be only  for wheelchair cruisers. However,  he  absolutely needs a walk in shower and all the  appropriate  grab bars.  We love to cruise and each time we board I have my fingers crossed he will not fall trying to  step over the tub  lip or  anywhere else in the bathroom.   I am assuming some cruisers   book these special cabins  for safety reasons and would gladly opt for an "ambulatory assisted " cabin,

For us there  will come a time when asking for an ADA cabin will be necessary...or stop cruising..  I  too hate tubs on ships that sail rough seas and  cannot understand why they are the standard choice....especially on lines that attract older clientele.....a broken hip waiting to happen!