Handicap Villa is only one room

[Indigo_Star]

our problem is that my mum is disabled and the size and layout of the bedrooms in the standard courtyard villa isnt suitable... looking at pictures of the courtyard villas, the main bedroom looks like you need to jump from the bottom to get into the bed as the space at each side looks tiny... and we dont want mum to be uncomfortable.

 

the bathroom also wouldnt be as accessible, but we would try to overcome these things if my TA can move us to another CV on the 16th floor.... however when he spoke to NCL, they said they only had availability on the 17th floor and we dont want to move up to 17 as we want direct access to the courtyard without waiting on lifts.

[sjbdtz]

our problem is that my mum is disabled and the size and layout of the bedrooms in the standard courtyard villa isnt suitable... looking at pictures of the courtyard villas, the main bedroom looks like you need to jump from the bottom to get into the bed as the space at each side looks tiny... and we dont want mum to be uncomfortable.

 

the bathroom also wouldnt be as accessible, but we would try to overcome these things if my TA can move us to another CV on the 16th floor.... however when he spoke to NCL, they said they only had availability on the 17th floor and we dont want to move up to 17 as we want direct access to the courtyard without waiting on lifts.

 

 

Okay, this is a new twist. You specifically booked an HC villa, but now you're not happy with it? Why?

 

The villa is designed with your mother's comfort in mind, although yours may be mildly compromised (absence of walls).

[time2cruise1]

our problem is that my mum is disabled and the size and layout of the bedrooms in the standard courtyard villa isnt suitable... looking at pictures of the courtyard villas, the main bedroom looks like you need to jump from the bottom to get into the bed as the space at each side looks tiny... and we dont want mum to be uncomfortable.

 

the bathroom also wouldnt be as accessible, but we would try to overcome these things if my TA can move us to another CV on the 16th floor.... however when he spoke to NCL, they said they only had availability on the 17th floor and we dont want to move up to 17 as we want direct access to the courtyard without waiting on lifts.

 

I got it. You really need an accessible cabin but just don't find this layout usable. When I was looking last night as always the 1st 15 open cabins showed up all on 17 but I did put in a couple on 16 and they were open. One for sure was 16012. You can go to NCL.com and put in cabin #s on 16. I bet you will find many and prove your TA mistaken.

You are right. You will never get a chair next to the queen bed.. There is room to walk. The bathroom will be an issue as well.

[ascatsob]

Okay, this is a new twist. You specifically booked an HC villa, but now you're not happy with it? Why?

 

The villa is designed with your mother's comfort in mind, although yours may be mildly compromised (absence of walls).

 

 

If you look back at the threads she is traveling with separated parents who need separate bedrooms. The HC villa does not have 2 bedrooms.

[ascatsob]

I got it. You really need an accessible cabin but just don't find this layout usable. When I was looking last night as always the 1st 15 open cabins showed up all on 17 but I did put in a couple on 16 and they were open. One for sure was 16012. You can go to NCL.com and put in cabin #s on 16. I bet you will find many and prove your TA mistaken.

 

You are right. You will never get a chair next to the queen bed.. There is room to walk. The bathroom will be an issue as well.

 

There is really not a lot of space on the side of the master bed to walk comfortably...more like a sideways shuffle.

[Indigo_Star]

If you look back at the threads she is traveling with separated parents who need separate bedrooms. The HC villa does not have 2 bedrooms.

 

Your right, sjbdtz, we did ask for an HC Villa and it is to suit my mothers needs... however as ascatsob says, my parents are separated, all be it on good terms, but the days of them sharing a bed and changing area are long gone so we booked this CV on the premise of having separate sleeping areas.

 

ascatsob, thats the image i get of the standard CV too... its a sort of shimmy up the side and fall in to bed affair.

 

And im not the only person in my party that isnt happy with the room, none of us are. I dont think it's fair that NCL can charge the same for this room when it is so obviously lacking in equipment and function compared to the standard CV's, I just feel that they are of the opinion that because your disabled you dont need to have all the little bits and bobs that everyone else gets, you should just be happy that it is accessible to u, even if it does look like a bit of an empty room... but we shall see what my TA and NCL come up with.

[hat776]

Your right, sjbdtz, we did ask for an HC Villa and it is to suit my mothers needs... however as ascatsob says, my parents are separated, all be it on good terms, but the days of them sharing a bed and changing area are long gone so we booked this CV on the premise of having separate sleeping areas.

 

ascatsob, thats the image i get of the standard CV too... its a sort of shimmy up the side and fall in to bed affair.

 

And im not the only person in my party that isnt happy with the room, none of us are. I dont think it's fair that NCL can charge the same for this room when it is so obviously lacking in equipment and function compared to the standard CV's, I just feel that they are of the opinion that because your disabled you dont need to have all the little bits and bobs that everyone else gets, you should just be happy that it is accessible to u, even if it does look like a bit of an empty room... but we shall see what my TA and NCL come up with.

 

I would have thought that an organization as huge as NCL would have got some representatives from various associations of the disabled (be it blind, wheel chair bound, deaf etc) and got their opinions and suggestions BEFORE marketing a cabin as an HC.

[sjbdtz]

I would have thought that an organization as huge as NCL would have got some representatives from various associations of the disabled (be it blind, wheel chair bound, deaf etc) and got their opinions and suggestions BEFORE marketing a cabin as an HC.

 

 

I'll bet that they did.

 

The problem isn't that the room isn't HC accessible. It's that making it accessible required changing other elements of it.

 

 

Similar to an HC hotel room with roll-in shower....means you get a curtain, fully tiled floors with drain in centre of bathroom, not just shower area, and you miss-out on the beautiful frameless glass

in other rooms.... if those were things which were important, then you'd miss them.

 

But those are not things for which opinions would be expressed by ADA representatives.

Edited September 8, 2010 by sjbdtz

[GigCrusier]

I'll bet that they did.

 

The problem isn't that the room isn't HC accessible. It's that making it accessible required changing other elements of it.

 

 

Similar to an HC hotel room with roll-in shower....means you get a curtain, fully tiled floors with drain in centre of bathroom, not just shower area, and you miss-out on the beautiful frameless glass

in other rooms.... if those were things which were important, then you'd miss them.

 

But those are not things for which opinions would be expressed by ADA representatives.

 

Double posting - Please excause this posting.

Edited September 8, 2010 by GigCrusier

[GigCrusier]

I'll bet that they did.

 

The problem isn't that the room isn't HC accessible. It's that making it accessible required changing other elements of it.

 

 

Similar to an HC hotel room with roll-in shower....means you get a curtain, fully tiled floors with drain in centre of bathroom, not just shower area, and you miss-out on the beautiful frameless glass

in other rooms.... if those were things which were important, then you'd miss them.

 

But those are not things for which opinions would be expressed by ADA representatives.

Sorry - did not mean to tag this comment.

[Host Star]

Please take note of the sticky posted today advising that on September 10 all Epic postings should be posted on the regular NCL boards.. we hope you have enjoyed the EPIC ONLY forum while the ship was being built and its inaugural voyages....

[time2cruise1]

I would have thought that an organization as huge as NCL would have got some representatives from various associations of the disabled (be it blind, wheel chair bound, deaf etc) and got their opinions and suggestions BEFORE marketing a cabin as an HC.

 

That is the problem that resulted in the design in question. Too be ADA compliant the whole cabin needs to be 100% accessible. They could not just make the main cabin area and master space accessible and leave the second bedroom as it is in the other villas.

The issue here is not the accessible design of the cabin but the fact that people selling it were not giving correct information to customers as to how this villa was in fact laid out.

[GigCrusier]

Did everone following this thread see that the EPIC thread is shutting down on Sept 10, 2010? We still will be able to read this, but going forward we need to continue on the NCL Main page.

 

Let's all keep this topic alive!

 

I think it has become very clear and also supported that NCL needs to find a way to better disclose the floor plan in the Handicap Villa.

 

Another good topic that was an unexpected concern is NCL policy and or lack there of a policy in renting a handicap suite to able body folks.

[GigCrusier]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1270226

 

Here is the link to continue this discussion on the NCL page here at Cruise Critic.

[dnl_in_Illinois]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1270226

 

Here is the link to continue this discussion on the NCL page here at Cruise Critic.

 

Will we be able to access the old posts on this thread? If not then the photos need to be copy/pasted to the new thread. Or maybe we do that either way?

[GigCrusier]

Will we be able to access the old posts on this thread? If not then the photos need to be copy/pasted to the new thread. Or maybe we do that either way?

Dave,

 

It would be great if you would post the pictures on the new thread.

 

THANKS!!!!

[sjbdtz]

Dave,

 

It would be great if you would post the pictures on the new thread.

 

THANKS!!!!

 

 

The threads aren't being deleted, it's just the board will be removed. The threads should be on the main board, shouldn't they?

[dnl_in_Illinois]

Photos of Epic Courtyard Villa Suite 16029 (aka as the handicap suite) are here:

 

http://www.dwkoester.com/dwkoester/handi.htm

[time2cruise1]

The threads aren't being deleted, it's just the board will be removed. The threads should be on the main board, shouldn't they?

 

As I understand it they wil not be moved but remain here but this board will be locked so new posts or threads.

[GigCrusier]

Summary of my thoughts regarding this thread.....

 

* This thread prvented me from booking a room with NCL that would have not worked for me.

* At least three different families who beleived NCL decieved them where enlightened with the truth of pictures on this thread.

* The handicap community needs a bigger voice with the travel indusrty.

* A clear policy regarding booking of handicap suites does not exist.

* Even the hard to convince NCL cheerleaders have agreed to some point that NCL has a situation that needs to be corrected.

* This web site is the probably the single best source for obtaining up to the minute accurate information regarding crusing.

* I continue to be amaazed that NCL todated has not acknowledged this problem and it continues to exist today.

 

I hope everyone conitunes to follow and share information regarding how NLC is marketing the Epic Villa Handicap Suite.

 

Safe travels everyone.....

[dnl_in_Illinois]

Summary of my thoughts regarding this thread.....

 

* This thread prvented me from booking a room with NCL that would have not worked for me.

* At least three different families who beleived NCL decieved them where enlightened with the truth of pictures on this thread.

* The handicap community needs a bigger voice with the travel indusrty.

* A clear policy regarding booking of handicap suites does not exist.

* Even the hard to convince NCL cheerleaders have agreed to some point that NCL has a situation that needs to be corrected.

* This web site is the probably the single best source for obtaining up to the minute accurate information regarding crusing.

* I continue to be amaazed that NCL todated has not acknowledged this problem and it continues to exist today.

 

I hope everyone conitunes to follow and share information regarding how NLC is marketing the Epic Villa Handicap Suite.

 

Safe travels everyone.....

 

Good summary. It would likely benefit others if it were also posted on the new thread. What think??

[garycarla]

Summary of my thoughts regarding this thread.....

* A clear policy regarding booking of handicap suites does not exist.

* Even the hard to convince NCL cheerleaders have agreed to some point that NCL has a situation that needs to be corrected.

.....

 

HC cabins in general are an issue, and really are a separate topic full of emotion, misinformation and varied opinions.

 

This particular suite on the Epic is an issue and I think just about every "cheerleader" agrees with that. I can not remember anybody that disagreed with you, once the facts came out.

 

If the intent is to alert people about this one cabin, your message will be lost if you continue to include all these other, valid, but separate issues.

Edited September 10, 2010 by garycarla

[time2cruise1]

Summary of my thoughts regarding this thread.....

 

* I continue to be amaazed that NCL todated has not acknowledged this problem and it continues to exist today.

 

I hope everyone conitunes to follow and share information regarding how NLC is marketing the Epic Villa Handicap Suite.

 

Safe travels everyone.....

 

Not sure that is totally the case. Clearly NCL is not going post here and respond to the complaints but it appears they have made one change to prevent those that don't look at the deckplan and realize in advance they have booked an accessible cabin when they don't need it.

You can no longer book this Villa online. I have tried 10 different dates and get the same message.

 

"Chosen stateroom is not in the selected category, please refer to the deckplan and select another stateroom."

[GigCrusier]

AWESOME! I will check it out tonight from home.

[GigCrusier]

Hey Everyone... If you are reading this... it appears we can continue to post here.

 

:-)