Handicap Cabins on HAL Oosterdam

[lvellen]

My husband and I just returned from a 7-day Mexican Riviera Cruise on the HAL Oosterdam. I use a wheelchair and need a roll-in shower, so we booked Cabin 4089, which is a handicap accessible cabin. It was more like a closet than a cabin. The room was very tiny and was very hard to maneuver in a wheelchair. In order to use the bathroom, my husband would have to push the wheelchair into the shower and turn it around so that I could use the toilet or sink. I could not go past the bed to look out the window, as there were maybe 2 feet between the bed and the wall, and in order to get stuff out of the closet, we would have to move the only chair in the room and I would have to back up the wheelchair. So, unless you are ambulatory, this is not a good cabin.

[Splinter]

Did you have a roll-in shower? It sounds like you got one of the HAL "wheelchair modified" cabins rather than their fully accessible cabins.

[PennyAgain]

Sure does sound like you got a 'modified' cabin. They are OK for people with some mobility but obviously it was a bad deal for you.

 

With we could have a Sticky on this issue.

[lvellen]

We were never told that this was a modified handicap cabin. It did have a roll-in shower, which was basically half the bathroom, so in order to use the sink or the toilet, I had to be rolled into the shower and then have the chair turned. We did put a complaint in with Guest Relations and someone from GR did come to check out the cabin and agreed that it was not really wheelchair accessible, but never heard from them again.

 

I have been on other cruise lines where the handicap cabins were much larger than the regular cabins and I was able to manuever around by myself.

 

Maybe an AB will want the cabin thinking it will be much larger than a regular cabin. Won't they be in for surprise!!

[kyriecat]

The deck plans for Oosterdam show 4089 as a fully accessible cabin and not one of the modified ones. It sounds like HAL didn't label it correctly or (like MANY companies :rolleyes: ) didn't have someone who is in a wheelchair try to maneuver with the layout. On the deck plan, the cabin doesn't appear to be any bigger than the surrounding ones. Some of the other HC labelled cabins do look bigger. I've seen similar complaints about HAL's HC cabins (aside from the suites) being cramped. I've been hesitant to take my mom on a HAL ship because of it even though they have some great itineraries.

 

My mom and I ran into a similar problem on Royal Caribbean's Sovereign. We had booked an HC cabin thinking it would be larger like most of the others that we'd stayed in. This one was the same size as the regular cabins, but the bathroom was larger so the living space was smaller. There was barely any space to get around the bed and my mom couldn't get into the bathroom unless I moved a chair onto the bed or put it on the balcony at night. It was a short cruise so we made do.

 

We've stuck with RC's Radiance class vessels lately. The cabin layouts and public accessways are really well designed for wheelchair users. The itineraries could use some work, but you can't have everything.

[leoandhugh]

None of the HAL Vista ships have "modified" accessible cabins; they were all built with roll-in showers and no lips. However, we have traveled in accessible cabins (outside with balcony) on Oosterdam and Westerdam and found that the square footage is less than the same category cabin on Amsterdam or any of the Statendam class. I believe that the smaller cabins are generally the case on Vista class unless you are in a suite. We had one balconied accessible cabin on Westerdam where we had to ask to have a couple of chairs removed to provide enough turning room for a wheelchair or scooters. They do not compare favorably with similar cabins on RCL or Princess in terms of size.:(

[DWofHandicappedCruiser]

Our first cruise was on the Oosterdam. We were in a suite which was too large for the DH to comfortably get around. He walks a few steps with a cane or walker at home or in the bedroom. The suite was so large he didn't have anything to hold onto and almost fell a few times. There was plenty of room for his electric chair. I have not been in a HAL regular cabin as we moved to another cruise line geared for a more livelier and younger crowd but my advice would be to pay a little more and get a suite if you have a scooter or chair. Added plus, the aft H/C suites' balcony was HUGE!. I'll bet 20 people could have stood out there with lots of elbow room.

Suzie

[ILoveScotland]

A couple of years ago we were in 6049 on the Westerdam. The room was too small to maneuver DH's wheelchair, but the bathroom was fine with lots of space for him. Thankfully he could walk enough to get over to the balcony, but even then it was difficult.

[lvellen]

DWofHandicappedCruiser,

 

How "suite" of you for telling me to get a suite, which I would love, if you payed for it. To be honest, I could go on two cruises on a different line with large handicapped oceanview cabins for the price of a suite on the Oosterdam, and it would be just right.

[Ontariotrekker]

We travelled on the Oosterdam in cabin 6049 which is a handicapped cabin. We were upgraded to that.. we did not need it. See my review under 6049 in search. If you travel on her again ask for the cabin on deck six, first on the bow. We met the people who had that cabin and despite the support column in the middle of the cabin, there was lots of room.

[kyriecat]

A couple of years ago we were in 6049 on the Westerdam. The room was too small to maneuver DH's wheelchair, but the bathroom was fine with lots of space for him. Thankfully he could walk enough to get over to the balcony, but even then it was difficult.

 

We travelled on the Oosterdam in cabin 6049 which is a handicapped cabin. We were upgraded to that.. we did not need it. See my review under 6049 in search. If you travel on her again ask for the cabin on deck six, first on the bow. We met the people who had that cabin and despite the support column in the middle of the cabin, there was lots of room.

Aren't these basically the same cabin? Westerdam & Oosterdam being "sister" ships. Sounds like there is some disparity regarding what people view is acceptable for handicapped accommodations. One person thought the cabin had plenty of room but another thought it was too small to maneuver a wheelchair.