Some people are selfish AND insensitive

[tea4ular]

My in-laws (members of CC) boarded a Celebrity ship this weekend. They've been excited and joined their roll call for their sailing, etc. During the roll call posts several (as in more than 3) posters were excited about their large staterooms and balconies. Fast forward to their meet and greet. At least 5 couples are bragging about how they got HC cabins just because they're larger!

 

This is upsetting on many levels, the main being that my H & I would have joined them on this cruise but couldn't secure a HC cabin...my husband (their son) is a quadriplegic and uses an electric wheelchair at all times.

 

You'll be "happy" to know that my in-laws made a comment that taking these cabins when not needed is unacceptable. I don't think they made any friends.

 

Ok, I'm done venting....for now!

[BarbJ52]

My in-laws (members of CC) boarded a Celebrity ship this weekend. They've been excited and joined their roll call for their sailing, etc. During the roll call posts several (as in more than 3) posters were excited about their large staterooms and balconies. Fast forward to their meet and greet. At least 5 couples are bragging about how they got HC cabins just because they're larger!

 

This is upsetting on many levels, the main being that my H & I would have joined them on this cruise but couldn't secure a HC cabin...my husband (their son) is a quadriplegic and uses an electric wheelchair at all times.

 

You'll be "happy" to know that my in-laws made a comment that taking these cabins when not needed is unacceptable. I don't think they made any friends.

 

Ok, I'm done venting....for now!

 

Interesting ..... especially since, when we sailed with Celebrity in Feb., we had to provide and doctor's note stating that we needed an accessible cabin. And, when we've booked HC cabins with them previously, we've had to fill out a form stating that we needed the cabin - just as we have had to do for our upcoming RCCL cruise.

[uppitycats]

While cruise lines are trying to do better and only book HC cabins to folks who really need them, their efforts are not consistent, and folks lie. I don't like to be quite that blunt, but folks lie. And unscrupulous travel agents, not wanting to lose a client, lie for them. Happens all the time.

[Moeve]

uppitycats: how close was the ship to sold out by the time you looked to book it. This may seem unfair to you but once the ship reaches a certain level of selling they do open up these rooms too because keeping them until late could mean the sail empty because in most cases people who need such rooms usually book early to secure them.

 

 

However you are correct that consistancy is a problem - same story with those family cabins by the way. As to the Dr. note well it is treading on very thin ice since in the US the lines are not really allowed to ask for such a note although RCCL expects ALL foreing bookers to deliever it at the time of booking - they will not even ask Miami to release one without it.

 

Still to "attack" fellow cruisers in such away isn't really nice either because often these passengers do not go out to book them but are assigned them in the form of a garantee after a certain date or once the ship has reached a certain level of sale. Chances are your parents "b***ed" at some one who was in no way at fault. Please also bear that in mind the next time too.

[patseacruiser]

I would have had my travel agent call Celebrity and speak to customer relations to see if the booked HC cabin were truly being used by HC and if someone could be moved. Sometimes the relationship your TA has with their BDM makes a big difference too.

[rangeley]

These cruiselines have to get it together. Sometimes we are asked to fill out a form and sometimes we are not. There is no consistency. As far as a doctors note, we have no problem getting one filled out, and think anyone booking a hp cabin should have to fill one out. According to the ADA, they cannot ask you what your disability is, but that doesn't mean they can't have a doctor confirm that you need the hp cabin. If you read these boards, you will see people talking about booking these cabins because they are bigger. We actually had friends who admitted to us they booked a hp room because the husband is tall! Many think they will book a hp cabin and get an upgrade if a hp person needs the room. That does NOT happen. They will not ask if you are hp and throw you out of the room. We have dealt with this many times, and written many letters.

[Moeve]

There are a whole lot of problems that a big outfit like a cruiseline just cannot get a handle on either because they are sooo big or because other things prevent a better control... If a HC cabin is cancelled and not canceled with the apropriate dept. In ends up in open inventory unless someone happens to catch it but with this department handling over 50 ships and invertory in some cases over 18 months that is one hell of a job. This would me 1 person needs to scan every single cruise of ervery single ship every day to see if one of those have been canceled incorrectly.

 

The there is the fact that there are people out there who do apply for these cabins with out really needing them - unfortunately the rules in place to protect the handicaped also excludes most backstops which would prevent the line asking about the diablities.

 

Once the cabins are out of the inventory that is it - just imagine you have rightfully booked one of these cabins and you regualrly got called to ask if YOU REALLY needed this cabin....... I bet you would get rather nasty tooo after the fourth or fifth time you were called tooo.

[AndyTheK]

Moeve:

 

... In ends up in open inventory unless someone happens to catch it but with this department handling over 50 ships and invertory in some cases over 18 months that is one hell of a job. This would me 1 person needs to scan every single cruise of ervery single ship every day to see if one of those have been canceled incorrectly. ...

 

This is a task that computers do extremely well!

 

BarbJ52 and Moeve:

 

 

Interesting ..... especially since, when we sailed with Celebrity in Feb., we had to provide and doctor's note stating that we needed an accessible cabin. And, when we've booked HC cabins with them previously, we've had to fill out a form stating that we needed the cabin - just as we have had to do for our upcoming RCCL cruise.

 

Interesting that you say that. We booked an HC on RCCL in October 2008 and were never asked, nor did we ever submit, any doctor's note or any other form stating DW's need for the cabin. I presume that our TA, who knows us well, did whatever had to be done.

[uppitycats]

uppitycats: how close was the ship to sold out by the time you looked to book it. This may seem unfair to you but once the ship reaches a certain level of selling they do open up these rooms too because keeping them until late could mean the sail empty because in most cases people who need such rooms usually book early to secure them.

I'm not the one who started this thread; I only responded to it. As you suggest, those of us who need these kinds of cabins do book way early -- I usually book at least 6 months in advance, and for my upcoming cruise it will be nine months from booking to the actual cruise.

Indeed, cruise lines do "open up" bookings near the sailing date. But the original poster said that the folks she was talking about were bragging about having BOOKED the cabin...not having been ASSIGNED the cabin. So it sounds to me like an intentional plan to get the larger HC cabin.

 

However you are correct that consistancy is a problem - same story with those family cabins by the way. As to the Dr. note well it is treading on very thin ice since in the US the lines are not really allowed to ask for such a note although RCCL expects ALL foreing bookers to deliever it at the time of booking - they will not even ask Miami to release one without it.

 

Actually, they CAN ask for a doctor's note. That's always misunderstood, even by folks with disabilities. What they CAN'T ask is "why are you disabled?", or "what is your illness that requires you to have an HC cabin?"

They CAN ask something like, "are you booking this cabin because you have a disability? We'll need verification from your doctor that you're in need of an accessible cabin.." and leave it at that. Which has happened to me for every cruise I've booked in the past 10 years.

Or if they want to be even more vague, the statement can go something like: "Oh, you need an accessible cabin? Please tell us specifically what you'll need us to do for you to make your cruise more pleasant. Do you need a shower? Do you need a shower chair? " ...etc.... Also questions I've been asked.

But the problems come when people lie, when TA's lie, when doctors lie for their patients..

and even more often, when the special needs department of the cruise line doesn't communicate with the booking agent (or vice-versa), or the person with a disability isn't always clear that they DO have a disability, that they DO need that cabin...and don't make sure their TA (or the cruise line) "flags" the cabin that they don't want any upgrades.

At least one person here who needs an HC cabin apparently didn't do that, and then discovered that she'd been "upgraded" to a non-HC cabin. By the time she discovered it, all the HC cabins had been booked.

Still to "attack" fellow cruisers in such away isn't really nice either because often these passengers do not go out to book them but are assigned them in the form of a garantee after a certain date or once the ship has reached a certain level of sale. Chances are your parents "b***ed" at some one who was in no way at fault. Please also bear that in mind the next time too.

 

Again, I didn't attack anyone. And it appears that the parents of the original poster didn't b*** at anyone without first seeing that they weren't disabled, and heard them bragging about having BOOKED an HC cabin for the space...not that they were ASSIGNED the cabin near the time of sailing. They talked about BOOKING the cabin "for the extra space".

[klauer]

I think that the vast majority of the time, AB cruisers get a HC cabin because that's what's available when they book or when cabins are assigned. They are really not out to "screw" HC cruisers out of the accomodations they need. There is an assumption that if a HC person needed the cabin, the AB person would be moved to a different cabin (I realize that this assumption is incorrect). While I wouldn't want a HC cabin because I don't like the bathroom layout, I realize that some people would feel happy about being "upgraded" to a cabin with more room.

 

I am reading this board because my husband is undergoing chemotherapy which has weakened him, and I want to find out some tips for when we travel next month. It does bother me a little when some of the posts come out as being rather angry or even paranoid.

I think that if we treat each other with respect, and concentrate on education rather than confrontation, most of us would feel happier and lessed stressed-out.

 

JMHO

[PennyAgain]

The idea of booking HC staterooms by AB's to get more space is strong circulated on other travel related WEB sites. Certainly not CC.

 

If we want to get something done about this we need to start with the cruise companies who let it happen.

 

Among the list of 'excuses' to get an HC stateroom are knee surgery (sometime in the life of the person, not necessarily recent), a person being a very large size and requiring a bigger shower, and just plain old age.

 

I'm not going to get on one side or the other about the shower issue for large passengers, but age.....really?

[Moeve]

sorry misread that you were just responding....

[Moeve]

The problem is they can ask but in the US passengers do not have to answer infact can even sue them for even asking that is why I said it was very ice and probably a grey legal area too. I would think the cruiselines in the US are simply scared of asking the wrong person the wrong question and then having some court awarding a horrendous sum of money.....

 

At AndyThek - they cannot even get the regular system to run worldwide without a glitch now you expect them to do something THIS difficult! :wink: Unfortunately it also happens because in some cases the same ships class ahve differnt cabin numbers.

[norcalal]

My daughter has CP, uses a wheelchair and requires a HC cabin. We were never asked for a MD note but simply asked to complete the Guests special needs form. There has been at least one person on these boards tha has bragged about "snagging" a HC cabin many months before final, simply for the extra space, (and she was cruising solo!!). We have been interested in certain cruises only to find that no HC cabins were available. Those in need do have to reserve many months out. Note that the attached forms say optional....

 

 

Guest Special Needs Form

GUEST VACATION SALESINBOUND

TEAM

Reservation ID: 4xxxxx0 (Group ID Not Applicable) Issue Date: 25 AUG 2009

Attn: MADELEINE Ship: RADIANCE OF THE SEAS Sailing Date: 11 JAN 2010

800xxxxxx2 Departure Date: 11 JAN 2010 Cruise Duration: 11 Nights

Axxxxx xxxxxR Itinerary: 11 NIGHT MEXICAN RIVIERA CRUISE

2125 Fxxx xxxx BLVD Stateroom: E3-7xxx Deluxe Ocean view Strm w/Bal

APT xx

xxxxxxxxxxx,CA-9xxxx

UNITED STATES

Guest��s Name: ______________________________________________

Please fill out the survey below and fax it to the Access Department at (954) 628-9622 at least 30 days prior to sailing (60 days

if you are requesting sign language interpreting services). This survey also applies to Cruisetours so we can better

accommodate your needs during your Cruisetour.

Disability (Optional)

Please indicate type of disability:

�� Difficulty Walking

�� Wheelchair/Scooter User

�� Low Vision

�� Blind

�� Hard of Hearing

�� Deaf

�� Other (please specify) _______________________________________________________

Mobility

Assistance

�� Wheelchair assistance at the pier

�� Cannot ascend/descend steps into a bus or motor coach

Note: Accessible transportation (with either a lift or ramp) will be provided if you are an Air/Sea or Cruisetour guest, or have

purchased cruise only transfers.

Equipment

�� Bringing a manual wheelchair

�� Bringing a power wheelchair

�� Bringing a scooter �� please specify brand _______________

Equipment details

�� Folding or collapsible

Dimensions W: ____ L:____ H: ____

Combined weight LBS: ______

Battery Type �� Gel �� Dry �� Wet

Stateroom Accommodations (on the ship)

�� Accessible stateroom with roll-in shower

�� Raised toilet seat

�� Shower stool

�� Commode chair

Royal Caribbean International

1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, FL. 33132 USA

http://www.cruisingpower.com

1 of 3

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Guest Special Needs Form

GUEST VACATION SALESINBOUND

TEAM

Reservation ID: 4xxxxx0 (Group ID Not Applicable) Issue Date: 25 AUG 2009

Attn: MADELEINE Ship: RADIANCE OF THE SEAS Sailing Date: 11 JAN 2010

800xxxxxx2 Departure Date: 11 JAN 2010 Cruise Duration: 11 Nights

Axxxxx xxxxxR Itinerary: 11 NIGHT MEXICAN RIVIERA CRUISE

2125 Fxxx xxxx BLVD Stateroom: E3-7xxx Deluxe Ocean view Strm w/Bal

APT xx

xxxxxxxxxxx,CA-9xxxx

UNITED STATES

Guest��s Name: ______________________________________________

Hotel Room Accommodations (for pre/post-cruise hotel and Cruisetours)

�� Accessible hotel room with a roll-in shower

�� Accessible hotel room with tub

Note: Hotel room accommodations are based on availability

Visual / Blind

�� Shipboard Braille menus and daily activity planners

�� Shipboard Large Print menus and daily activity planners

Hard of Hearing / Deaf

�� Sign language interpreting services

�� TTY (teletypewriter) in stateroom (and hotel room1)

�� Visual-tactile alert system in stateroom for door knocking, telephone ringing, smoke detector and alarm clock

�� Assistive Listening Device in the main theater

Policies: Requests for sign language interpreting services should be made at time of booking, but no later than 60 days

prior to sailing. Please note requests are subject to availability of interpreters. Sign language interpreting services are

provided on cruises to and from the U.S. and Canada.

Service Animal

�� Bringing a service animal

Policies: Guests are responsible for obtaining all required permits for service animal to depart the ship in non-U.S. ports. A

copy of these permits should be faxed to the Access Department at (954) 628-9622 and a copy should be carried with you

onboard the ship. A 4 foot by 4 foot relief area with cypress mulch will be provided. Sod for cruises to/from the U.S. can be

provided if ordered in advance �� please specify this on this form.

Medication

�� Mini-refrigerator in your stateroom

�� Sharp��s Container for syringe disposal

1 TTYs in hotel room are available within the U.S. only.

Royal Caribbean International

1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, FL. 33132 USA

http://www.cruisingpower.com

2 of 3

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Guest Special Needs Form

GUEST VACATION SALESINBOUND

TEAM

Reservation ID: 4xxxxx0 (Group ID Not Applicable) Issue Date: 25 AUG 2009

Attn: MADELEINE Ship: RADIANCE OF THE SEAS Sailing Date: 11 JAN 2010

800xxxxxx2 Departure Date: 11 JAN 2010 Cruise Duration: 11 Nights

Axxxxx xxxxxR Itinerary: 11 NIGHT MEXICAN RIVIERA CRUISE

2125 Fxxx xxxx BLVD Stateroom: E3-7xxx Deluxe Ocean view Strm w/Bal

APT xx

xxxxxxxxxxx,CA-9xxxx

UNITED STATES

Guest��s Name: ______________________________________________

Oxygen

�� Bringing oxygen onboard

�� Oxygen delivered by an outside vendor

Vendor Name ________________________________

Vendor Phone Number _________________________

Vendor Fax Number ___________________________

Sleep Apnea

�� Bringing a CPAP or BIPAP machine (distilled water1 and extension cord will be provided)

Dialysis

�� Require Peritoneal Dialysis. Supplies delivered by an outside vendor.

Vendor Name _________________________________

Vendor Phone Number __________________________

Vendor Fax Number ____________________________

�� Require Hemo Dialysis. Please contact our Access Department.

Other Disability Related Needs including Allergies (food and non-food related)2

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Please contact our Access Department if you have any special meal requests or other disability related needs. Thank you and

we look forward to welcoming you onboard!

ACCESS DEPARTMENT

(866) 592-7225

Monday �� Friday 9 AM to 7 PM (Eastern Time)

Outside the U.S. (954) 628-9708

E-mail: special_needs@rccl.com

Fax: (954) 628-9622

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CRUISETOURS GUESTS �� Europe, Canada and all Exotic Cruisetours are not wheelchair accessible. Therefore, we will not be

able to accommodate guests that are full-time wheelchair users. If guests, who utilize a wheelchair, can climb several steps to get into the motor coaches and

can maneuver in a regular hotel room (as opposed to wheelchair accessible rooms), they may be accommodated. Parts of these Cruisetours may require

extended periods of walking over uneven surfaces and/or steep terrain, as well as extended periods of standing and steps. If you have questions regarding

Cruisetour accessibility in relation to your specific needs, please contact our Access Department.

1 Charges for distilled water may apply for Cruisetours outside the U.S.

2 We are unable to guarantee an allergy-free environment. However, we can make reasonable accommodation(s) for your allergies.

Royal Caribbean International

1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, FL. 33132 USA

http://www.cruisingpower.com

3 of 3

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

[tea4ular]

how close was the ship to sold out by the time you looked to book it. We attempted to book in March of this year for an Oct. sail date.

 

Still to "attack" fellow cruisers in such away isn't really nice either because often these passengers do not go out to book them but are assigned them in the form of a garantee after a certain date or once the ship has reached a certain level of sale. Chances are your parents "b***ed" at some one who was in no way at fault. Please also bear that in mind the next time too. The in-laws didn't "attack" or "b***h" anyone...they simply made a comment that they were unhappy to hear that folks are BOOKING (not being given) HC cabins without a real need.

 

I know for fact there are many people out there that utilize the HC parking spaces without a real need. I see them all the time (jumping out of their big-arse pickup truck and jogging to their destination, etc.). I know there are people out there that will scheme and scam their way to a bigger/better/front row...whatever...I just find it rude and insensitive to do so.

[Quampapetet]

Ugh, that is terrible that you couldn't join them on the cruise because of these rude ppl! If they wanted a larger cabin, they should have purchased a larger non-HC one or booked a month or two before the sail date.

 

I hope the ppl who booked those cabins felt bad that they kept you from going on the cruise!

[Quampapetet]

And cruise lines definitely need to stop handing out HC cabins to non-HC passengers! They should have it so only the special needs department can assign those cabins (just like when I need to book the bulkhead seat for airplane trips due to my service dog [the airlines that assign sets are legally required to give it to me if that's where I want to sit with my service dog, unless it is an exit row]).

 

And they need to ask what the accommodation need for the cabin is - they are legally allowed to ask what the need is (so they know how to help), just can't ask what the disability is. Just like they can legally ask me what tasks my service dog is trained to do, but can't ask what my disabilities are.

 

Too bad they can't warn ppl that if they book (NOT are assigned by the line) an HC cabin and are found to not be disabled upon embarkation that they will be kicked off the ship and no refunds will be given!! ;)

[Moeve]

Ok I have just had this discussion with X about the Constellation and those family cabins because apparently they are handled much the same way as the HC cabins in Miami.

 

I had a family of 4 who wanted to book one of those Family cabins the for the Xmas cruise the day bookings opened more than a year ago. We were told NO ABSOLUTELY NO WAY. This is the Xmas cruise lots of families so it must be at least 5 passengers to book it. Ok fair enough they then booked a regular balcony which is ok but those family cabins would have been better because of the space with two kids.

 

Just recently over 4 months prior to sailing a fellow CC from Norway comes on line to say how lucky she ist to get exactly THE cabin we wanted for 4 just for the 2 of them!!!! This is when I blew it!!! Just how can they tell a family of 4 they couldn't have it and then instead of offering it to this family first they go ahead and sell it to a couple even though the family was on the wait list for one of those cabins AND we are stillover 4 months to sailing. The explaination I got was simply the cruise was almost sold out so they had opened ALL catergories to final sale even though it was stillover 4 months to sailing. There was no explanation as to why the waitlist didn't work because obviously the family should have come before a double occupation.

 

There are holes in the booking system and I bet many HC cruisers are also falling into them to jsut because no one seems to be able to pin down exactly when, where and how these glitches happen.

[Arwenmark]

 

Too bad they can't warn ppl that if they book (NOT are assigned by the line) an HC cabin and are found to not be disabled upon embarkation that they will be kicked off the ship and no refunds will be given!! ;)

 

So you would have someone demonstrate their disability, before being allowed to board? some are not visible but may still require accomdation.

 

Also as we all know if HC's are available when they start assigning guarantees AB's will be put in them.

 

TO Moeve, The reason the glitches in the system are not fixed and the causes are well known already, is that the cruiseline does not want to spend the money to overhaul the computer software to fix these glitches.

[Quampapetet]

So you would have someone demonstrate their disability, before being allowed to board? some are not visible but may still require accomdation.

 

No, LOL, it was a joke! Hence the winky smiley.

 

Also as we all know if HC's are available when they start assigning guarantees AB's will be put in them.

 

That's why I added the not-assigned part.

 

TO Moeve, The reason the glitches in the system are not fixed and the causes are well known already, is that the cruiseline does not want to spend the money to overhaul the computer software to fix these glitches.

 

'Course not. We all saw how they fought to try to be not under the ADA. :mad:

[Oceanwench]

I think that the vast majority of the time, AB cruisers get a HC cabin because that's what's available when they book or when cabins are assigned. They are really not out to "screw" HC cruisers out of the accomodations they need. There is an assumption that if a HC person needed the cabin, the AB person would be moved to a different cabin (I realize that this assumption is incorrect). While I wouldn't want a HC cabin because I don't like the bathroom layout, I realize that some people would feel happy about being "upgraded" to a cabin with more room.

 

I am reading this board because my husband is undergoing chemotherapy which has weakened him, and I want to find out some tips for when we travel next month. It does bother me a little when some of the posts come out as being rather angry or even paranoid.

I think that if we treat each other with respect, and concentrate on education rather than confrontation, most of us would feel happier and lessed stressed-out.

 

JMHO

 

You are wrong about the *vast majority* -- I can't tell you how many times I have read of AB people intentionally booking HC cabins.

Think about it: An AB person is booking a certain category. Let's call it a "VA." He looks at the deck plan. All the VAs are identical ... but wait ... there's one that is TWICE as big. Same price. But much bigger. And yeah, there is a HC symbol on the room, but heck, he'll move out if someone really needs it. Sure.

 

You say you are reading this board due to your husband's weakened condition to get some tips. So I am going to assume you have not been a part of the disabilities community. You don't have the experiences that many of us on this board have had.

 

My DH is in a power wheelchair. Has been ever since we started cruising. I can't tell you how many times we had to go with Plan C or Plan D or Plan E ... because the first two or three or four cruises we wanted to take, there were no HC cabins available. And we tend to book a year out -- maybe more! :eek:

 

One time we had our hearts set on a specific cruise, and the HC cabins were gone, so we found another week, another itinerary. Just out of curiosity I read the roll call of the week we had wanted to book, and sure enough there was a woman bragging on it about getting a really big HC cabin. And adding the "but if someone HC needs it, I'll move." I was outraged!

 

DH even called the cruise line to ask if that cabin were available -- no, he was told. He asked if it were occupied by a person with disabilities, and he was told "It must be, we'd never give to someone who wasn't in need of it."

So much for moving a person out ... yadda yadda yadda.

 

Naturally I went onto that roll call and posted some comments to the woman, who got very defensive.

 

As far as your comment on education vs. confrontation -- it's really pretty to think that it would work.

But having to fight for my husband's rights in so many venues has opened my eyes.

The disability community needs activists to get things accomplished.

 

I hope things go smoothly for your husband.

[Arwenmark]

I think that the vast majority of the time, AB cruisers get a HC cabin because that's what's available when they book or when cabins are assigned. They are really not out to "screw" HC cruisers out of the accomodations they need. There is an assumption that if a HC person needed the cabin, the AB person would be moved to a different cabin (I realize that this assumption is incorrect). While I wouldn't want a HC cabin because I don't like the bathroom layout, I realize that some people would feel happy about being "upgraded" to a cabin with more room.

 

I am reading this board because my husband is undergoing chemotherapy which has weakened him, and I want to find out some tips for when we travel next month. It does bother me a little when some of the posts come out as being rather angry or even paranoid.

I think that if we treat each other with respect, and concentrate on education rather than confrontation, most of us would feel happier and lessed stressed-out.

 

JMHO

 

 

You obviously are new to this subject. But you are Naive in the extreme. Yes it would be lovely if everyone treated each other with respect. THEY DON'T. Many of us have been dealing with this many years or all our lives.

 

People regularly book HC cabins for the room they afford. They also lie many times to do it.

 

The cruiselines do LIP SERVICE to the idea of holding cabins for those who need them, and to the we will move people if they are in the cabin without needing it, THIS IS NOT TRUE

 

Once in a great while you will get someone who does their job and does check. But that is rare.

 

As for the people at the cruiseline that you call to book with, most have never seen a cruise ship let alone have a clue about handicapped issues or how accessible any ship is.

 

They can hardly get the fares correct most of the time. If you call five times you will get five answers.

 

I am sure you mean well and I hope your husbands condition improves and you don't have to learn the hard way how things really work.

[BarbJ52]

I think that the vast majority of the time, AB cruisers get a HC cabin because that's what's available when they book or when cabins are assigned. They are really not out to "screw" HC cruisers out of the accomodations they need. There is an assumption that if a HC person needed the cabin, the AB person would be moved to a different cabin (I realize that this assumption is incorrect). While I wouldn't want a HC cabin because I don't like the bathroom layout, I realize that some people would feel happy about being "upgraded" to a cabin with more room.

 

I am reading this board because my husband is undergoing chemotherapy which has weakened him, and I want to find out some tips for when we travel next month. It does bother me a little when some of the posts come out as being rather angry or even paranoid.

I think that if we treat each other with respect, and concentrate on education rather than confrontation, most of us would feel happier and lessed stressed-out.

 

JMHO

 

You aptly headed your post as : A different perspective. As you can see from the responses, those of us who don't have to deal with disabilities that affect each part of our everyday lives will never have the same perspective as those who have to fight the battle every day. I agree with you that the vast majority are NOT out to screw those who are disabled, but are generally unaware (or misled by TA's or sales agents). However, when that lack of awareness effects everything you do (including how you plan your vacation), I think it changes your view of the "vast majority". And then ....... you see those who are blatantly inconsiderate and selfish posting that they've scored a HC cabin. While those people may be a minority, their actions lead to the perception that everyone is out to screw the disabled. It's simply not true but when you are faced with that battle every day, that perception becomes your reality. So ... do some people sound "rather angry or even paranoid"? Maybe, but some of them have to deal with a different reality than those of us who only need to make accommodations for specific situations.

 

Oceanwench & Arwenmark, I agree that the disabled community needs activists otherwise things will never improve. But, let's not scare off those who are new to this forum. If I were klauer and recieved your responses, I'd probably never post to this forum again. She's looking for travel tips during what must be a very difficult time in her life and the 2 of you have a great deal of knowledge to share. OK, she may have picked the wrong thread ;) but give her a break. She's new to this.

 

Lighten up on the newbies. They need you.:)

[Oceanwench]

I don't think either of us - Arwenmark or myself - needs to be taken to task.

 

Our posts were informative and not at all harsh. [but then, your perception is your reality, correct?]

 

We can't be responsible for any perceived insult you or the poster may read into what we've written.

 

I've been on Cruise Critic for years and cannot tell you how many times I've joined in the battle against AB folks booking HC cabins. Some of the good people who post here on the board for disabled travel have alerted the disability community to threads on the subject, and many of us go to post in the hopes of enlightening people.

 

More often than not, the AB people pile on us, saying the ships will lose money by not letting ABs book the HC rooms ... or find some other reason to justify the position. It's amazing, the ignorance out there.

 

So it's not just the AB people bragging about booking HC cabins -- it's also other AB people who defend or even applaud what they're doing.

 

Clearly there is an issue with HC cabins ... has been for years.

 

A newbie should not make assumptions on a situation she has never experienced herself, but rather seek some enlightenment from those who live with disability issues day in and day out.

[PennyAgain]

A case in point is a thread on the 'Ask a cruise question' topic about taking a tandem bike on a cruise ship. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1071745

 

It didn't take long for someone to post 'Get an HC room to have enough space for the bike'.

 

I sure answered that one.

 

The general opinion of the AB folks is that booking an HC room for ones own wants is perfectly OK and should be commended.