Waiting list for Accessible Cabins

Even though we are going on a cruise April 6th we are looking at future cruise possibilities. Most cruises, even more than a year out or more, indicate there are no accessible rooms available.

 

Do any cruise line have waiting lists for accessible rooms?

 

Rick

Even though we are going on a cruise April 6th we are looking at future cruise possibilities. Most cruises, even more than a year out or more, indicate there are no accessible rooms available.

 

Do any cruise line have waiting lists for accessible rooms?

 

Rick

 

Yes - you can request to be wait listed for a HC Cabin

However even if you are wait listed its still recommend that you get checking yourself as if a HC room becomes available you should than grab it.

Edited January 22, 2013 by xxoocruiser

Which cruise line are you looking at? Princess' new site requires one to 'tick' a box to bring up the accessible cabins. I missed it the first time I was having a look! When you get to choosing a cabin and there is a plan of the ship showing all the decks, just above the plan is the 'check / tick' box.;)

How are you searching for HC cabins? Cruise line site? TA site? Phone to cruise line?

 

I/We search only on the actual Cruise line site, although we use our TA to book it. The one thing I have notices on some sites is if a cabin will accomodate 3 or more persons, and you are stating 2 per cabin, the cabins for 3 or more will not show as available. I run searches for 2, 3 and 4. If one is available with say 3 person booking, the cruise line must "release" the cabin for booking of 2 people. Some sites only open cabins when speeking personally with an agent. I seem to remember that Carnival blocks all HC cabins, and you must call an agent to check on availability. One of the many reasons we do not sail Carnival.

With Princess I have had the experience where family HC cabins are held back until later in the sales program, however, if you speak with them directly you can get one.

Even though we are going on a cruise April 6th we are looking at future cruise possibilities. Most cruises, even more than a year out or more, indicate there are no accessible rooms available.

 

Do any cruise line have waiting lists for accessible rooms?

 

Rick

Rick, we are sailing on Carnival Triumph in May. When I was trying to find a HC cabin on Carnival's site, I found what I thought was a cabin that would work for us. (My boyfriend is a paraplegic. Paralyzed from the chest down. So this was a necessity, not just a preference.) The cabin, I was told by the Carnival rep was a wheelchair accessible cabin, with a balcony. After further review I discovered that what I had reserved was a Modified cabin,...meaning it had grab bars in the restrooms, and some other adjustments. But it was in no way a cabin suitable for a wheelchair. There was also a lip (or step down) to get out to the balcony, and the restroom had a step up into it. NOT GOOD! So I started over, and discovered that the type of cabin we required could not be booked on our own. We had to call Carnivals Special Services dept, and they advised the details of the Fully Wheelchair accessible cabins. We will be staying in Cabin 7288, which is a Grand Suite. Nice, sure. But a lot more money than we wanted to spend for a 5 day cruise. Here are the measurements:

Entry door -34 inch wide with a full turnaround of 60" X 60". Stateroom does not have a walk in closet. Entry door to balcony 34". Entry door to bathroom 36" wide with a full turnaround of 60"X 60". It has a roll in shower with a built in, fold down shower seat. Commode height of 19".

Hope this helps if you decide to book Carnival Triumph in the future. At least now we know we must call a special dept at Carnival to book fully wheelchair accessible cabins. They emailed a medical form to sign showing medical need. Best of luck..

We have found that HC cabins are do not show as such on Carnival's website. You have to call them to book one. Most of them are considered inside cabins, some with a view actually having windows out onto a deck. Most of them do not sleep 4 people, which is what we would need. For some reason they don't realize that disabled people might actually travel with their family.

New ADA rules a year or two ago forced all the lines to tighten up on HC cabin bookings. RCI has the same "check box" thing in the cabin selection process so unless specifically looking for that AB folks would not see them listed. With NCL we went direct to our TA and she was able to get one over a year out but had to ask us about wife's wheelchair width and other details. We later got a letter from NCL with door specs and turning radius info. I suspect the procedure going forward will be to use TA or call the line directly to check availability.

We always book early and have never had a problem booking an accessible cabin. Our private TA and also our Carnival PVP have always booked what we need.

Rick, we are sailing on Carnival Triumph in May. When I was trying to find a HC cabin on Carnival's site, I found what I thought was a cabin that would work for us. (My boyfriend is a paraplegic. Paralyzed from the chest down. So this was a necessity, not just a preference.) The cabin, I was told by the Carnival rep was a wheelchair accessible cabin, with a balcony. After further review I discovered that what I had reserved was a Modified cabin,...meaning it had grab bars in the restrooms, and some other adjustments. But it was in no way a cabin suitable for a wheelchair. There was also a lip (or step down) to get out to the balcony, and the restroom had a step up into it. NOT GOOD! So I started over, and discovered that the type of cabin we required could not be booked on our own. We had to call Carnivals Special Services dept, and they advised the details of the Fully Wheelchair accessible cabins. We will be staying in Cabin 7288, which is a Grand Suite. Nice, sure. But a lot more money than we wanted to spend for a 5 day cruise. Here are the measurements:

Entry door -34 inch wide with a full turnaround of 60" X 60". Stateroom does not have a walk in closet. Entry door to balcony 34". Entry door to bathroom 36" wide with a full turnaround of 60"X 60". It has a roll in shower with a built in, fold down shower seat. Commode height of 19".

Hope this helps if you decide to book Carnival Triumph in the future. At least now we know we must call a special dept at Carnival to book fully wheelchair accessible cabins. They emailed a medical form to sign showing medical need. Best of luck..

 

 

Carnival never lists HCA cabins . They are only booked via special needs. However there is soo much fraud with any line that a really handicapped person cannot get the rooms they need. I was on a cruise last month and my mother in law is permanently bound to a wheelchair. I noticed that fully functional and walking people were in the HCA cabins.. The lines do not require any proof. Kind of a lame honor system .

Princess also has the check box before you can choose an accessible cabin online. I happened to be on the phone with our TA last weekend when he was speaking with Princess about an accessible cabin and I had to confirm verbally that we had needs that dictated the use of such a cabin and I was cautioned that their statement and my answer was being recorded.

Carnival never lists HCA cabins . They are only booked via special needs. However there is soo much fraud with any line that a really handicapped person cannot get the rooms they need. I was on a cruise last month and my mother in law is permanently bound to a wheelchair. I noticed that fully functional and walking people were in the HCA cabins.. The lines do not require any proof. Kind of a lame honor system .

 

Actually there is a USA Federal Law that went into effect back on January 1, 2012 in order to prevent fraud in the assignment of accessible cabins that applies to ships embarking (departing) from a USA port that the Cruise line :

 

1. Must inquire of the persons seeking to reserve such cabins whether the individual ( or an individual for the cabin is being reserved) has a mobility disability or a disability that requires the use of the accessible features that are provided in the cabin.
   
2. May require a written attestation from the individual that the accessible cabin is for a person who has a mobility disability or a disability that requires the use of the accessible features that are provided in the cabin
    
   

Agree that there are able body people that attempt to book accessible features just due to the extra space , however since this law went into effect for cruises departing from a USA port I have found that I'm able to get an accessible ( yes I qualify) more easily and don't have to book a year or two in advance. That's not too say that fraud still doesn't occur.

 

Accessible cabins are not just for those that use wheelchairs and or mobility scooters. Also just because a person is walking does not mean that that person does not have a disability. Additionally the cruise lines are allowed to release any unsold accessible cabins to the general public after the final payment period.

 

 

Though you accessed what appeared to be a "Fully Functional and walking person" in the accessible cabin what you weren't able to access was:

• if the person had a disability other than a mobility disability that would require the need for that cabin.
  
• if the cabin was booked when the cruise line released all unsold accessible cabins for sale to the general public after final payment and or was assigned by the cruise line as a guarantee booking after the final payment period had past.
  

If unsold HC cabins are released to the general public and the cruiseline then has a request for a HC cabin does the cruiseline request this cabin is released and move someone to another cabin (if available).

If unsold HC cabins are released to the general public and the cruiseline then has a request for a HC cabin does the cruiseline request this cabin is released and move someone to another cabin (if available).

 

It's my understanding that once all unsold accessible cabins are released for sale to the general public , the cruise line is not obligated to relocate the able body individuals that were assigned to that cabin after the final payment period nor are the able body individuals obligated to give up the cabin provide that the cabin was booked after the final payment period. However if a person that needs & qualifies for an accessible cabin books at the last minute some cruise lines will attempt to make this happen. Whether or not this will actually be attempted seem to be more dependent on the customer service representative one is speaking with at the time.

 

If an able body person falsely certifies the need of having a mobility disability or other disability in order to book an accessible cabin prior to that final period and the cruise line and the cruise line suspects that it was falsely book, than the cruise line must investigate the potential misuse where there is good cause to believe that such cabins have been purchased fraudulently, and may take appropriate action against someone who has reserved or purchased such a cabin fraudulently. For example if a person who does not have a mobility or other disability reserves an accessible cabin after having certified to the need that person may be denied transportation by the cruise line.

Edited June 9, 2013 by xxoocruiser

I know that P+O, and maybe others, are now saying that passengers needing a mobility scooter will only be accommodated in an accessible cabin.

 

To my mind this is a retrograde step as it means that people who might otherwise manage in an 'ordinary' cabin will be forced to take an accessible one in order to use their scooter.

I know that P+O, and maybe others, are now saying that passengers needing a mobility scooter will only be accommodated in an accessible cabin.

 

To my mind this is a retrograde step as it means that people who might otherwise manage in an 'ordinary' cabin will be forced to take an accessible one in order to use their scooter.

 

At this point it's only P&O that I'm aware of with this regulation.

I have read that it is Cunard too :( We have fewer options available as I can only depart from Southampton UK.

Carnival never lists HCA cabins . They are only booked via special needs. However there is soo much fraud with any line that a really handicapped person cannot get the rooms they need. I was on a cruise last month and my mother in law is permanently bound to a wheelchair. I noticed that fully functional and walking people were in the HCA cabins.. The lines do not require any proof. Kind of a lame honor system .

 

Please do not assume that just because a person is walking they do not need or require an HC/accessible room. My husband was run over by a Ford Explorer 10 years ago. Broke his back in 4 places, tore up his knees and his shoulders. He can walk but he can not bend like most people or lift his knees high. When we were on our Sun cruise to Alaska, we paid extra for a mini-suite for the bigger bathroom. Turns out the sides of the tub were so high that I had to help my husband get in and out of the tub and stand there while he took a shower so he did not fall. Even paying more did not help, it only caused more issues. At home, we had the bathroom redone so he has a place to sit and shower and bars on the wall so he will not fall.

 

I came home and spoke with our PCC and he said, my husband does qualify for an HC room and I will be darn if anyone will tell me he does not deserve it.

 

Sorry if this comes off sounding mean but I get so upset when someone makes judgments without knowing the entire situation. If they made rooms with flat showers that were regular balcony or mini-suites, I would book one of them but the only way to get a shower that he can get into is book and HC or pay for a suite which we can not afford.

Personally I would like to see more cruiselines offer "modified" cabins. I realize that those cause a lot of debate because some people who need fully accessible cabins book them, not understanding that they are not designed for wheelchair users. However, there are many people out there (deladypilot's husband might be one) who are not confined to a mobility device but need some grab bars and a shower seat. A modified cabin would probably meet their needs.

 

My mom is confined to a wheelchair so a fully accessible cabin is necessary for her to cruise. Sometimes it's hard to find a cruise with appropriate cabins available without booking far in advance. I'm sure many times the cabins are taken by people who simply need some balance support. That isn't to say that they should not book accessible cabins because they do have a need for them. It would be nice if there were more choices.

 

Additionally, even though I am a fully able-bodied person, I have wished for grab bars in the showers, particularly when I'm trying to shave my legs and the ship is rocking. Some hotels have them in all the rooms - why not ships?

Personally I would like to see more cruiselines offer "modified" cabins. I realize that those cause a lot of debate because some people who need fully accessible cabins book them, not understanding that they are not designed for wheelchair users. However, there are many people out there (deladypilot's husband might be one) who are not confined to a mobility device but need some grab bars and a shower seat. A modified cabin would probably meet their needs.

 

My mom is confined to a wheelchair so a fully accessible cabin is necessary for her to cruise. Sometimes it's hard to find a cruise with appropriate cabins available without booking far in advance. I'm sure many times the cabins are taken by people who simply need some balance support. That isn't to say that they should not book accessible cabins because they do have a need for them. It would be nice if there were more choices.

 

Additionally, even though I am a fully able-bodied person, I have wished for grab bars in the showers, particularly when I'm trying to shave my legs and the ship is rocking. Some hotels have them in all the rooms - why not ships?

 

I think this would be a great idea. What we noticed is that in a regular balcony room. they showers are very tiny and that caused trouble on our Pride of American cruise, so we went to the mini-suite for the bigger bathroom with tub/shower combination but this last ship had the most wonderful soaker tub you could imagine, problem being the side of the tub was almost 1 1/2 feet tall. So If they made some that were modified as you stated, I think it would be perfect. Now to just get the cruise lines to understand that.

A question I have regarding accessible cabins, is why on NEW ships can't they make all standard cabins modified from the get go. I'm not disabled, but I do work with a large number of people with varying disabilities, and for most of them, they only require very simple modifications (grab bars and shower seats being big ones). Principles of Universal Design are a popular topic inside the offices of one of my larger clients.

 

I can understand people in wheelchairs and scooters needing more space, and that could be a problem on a ship where space is at a premium, but Praeto's Principle suggests something.

 

What are some simple modifications/features that could be added to an ordinary cabin (even retrofitted into an exisiting ship) that would allow 80% of people with disabilities to use that cabin as is? (The other 20% would need the fully accessible cabins).

 

Please understand I do have some ignorance on some of these matters, but I am learning. I'm actually in IT Support, and over the years have built up a bit of business in the non-profit sector through referrals, and people tend to refer others like them.

 

 

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What are some simple modifications/features that could be added to an ordinary cabin (even retrofitted into an exisiting ship) that would allow 80% of people with disabilities to use that cabin as is? (The other 20% would need the fully accessible cabins).

 

Good question, and I'm surprised there weren't any replies. Here's mine:

 

Grab bars, and ADA-height toilets, and almost-no-barrier showers with fold-down seats should be in all cabins. And wide doors into the cabin so you can bring your mobility device in if you want.

 

I would love to see a "parking lot" area in the hallway for scooters and power wheelchairs for those who don't need them IN the cabin. If there was an area with extra power outlets, and a way to secure mobility devices that would be perfect. I use a power wheelchair for distance, but could manage inside a regular sized cabin just fine otherwise (with the modifications in my 2nd paragraph).

I stayed in OS 7228 on my 9/1 sailing and the cabin was amazing. It had more than enough room for my scooter to circle around. The room was just HUGE and the bathroom was WONDERFUL. Our balcony was about 23 feet long.

I stayed in OS 7228 on my 9/1 sailing and the cabin was amazing. It had more than enough room for my scooter to circle around. The room was just HUGE and the bathroom was WONDERFUL. Our balcony was about 23 feet long.

 

we had that same cabin on the Liberty. it was a great cabin. the bathroom was awesome. Too bad carnival does not realize there are alot of hadicapped people that enjoy cruising.

Good question, and I'm surprised there weren't any replies. Here's mine:

 

Grab bars, and ADA-height toilets, and almost-no-barrier showers with fold-down seats should be in all cabins. And wide doors into the cabin so you can bring your mobility device in if you want.

 

I would love to see a "parking lot" area in the hallway for scooters and power wheelchairs for those who don't need them IN the cabin. If there was an area with extra power outlets, and a way to secure mobility devices that would be perfect. I use a power wheelchair for distance, but could manage inside a regular sized cabin just fine otherwise (with the modifications in my 2nd paragraph).

 

The cruise lines offer accessible cabins for those of us with mobility issues and other accommodations for other handicaps. For this we all should be thankful. Since these conveniences are in limited supply, the secret is to book early.

 

To modify, up-grade, or whatever to include what some of you perceive as minimal needs to all cabins would not only be an enormous expense, it would also entail additional maintenance. The result would be higher priced cruises for all of us and many would still complain because they did not have this or that in their cabin.

 

Parking lot? You are joking? Any particular deck or would you expect it on every deck? Would you prefer that the ship give up an inside or outside cabin? What about those of us that have better sense than to leave our scooters or power wheelchairs unprotected? Or would you expect the ship to provide security also?

 

No one else is responsible for my handicap. It is up to me to manage with what is offered. Yes, I do complain or bitch about certain things not being available, but I do not expect others to provide what I want.

 

Now, in regards to the subject of thread, I have found that the so called wait list is not really functional with most cruise lines (Unless there have been serious improvements in the past couple years.). If a booked accessible cabin is cancelled, that cabin may end up in general inventory. It is a flaw in some of the systems. The only suggestion I have, is for you to bug your TA or the cruise line. We did get a cabin from a cancelled booking, however I had an idea of the cabin number so I sent an email to our TA and it was available and we got it.

 

Betty

Edited October 5, 2013 by raindropsalways