Dawn Handicap Balcony 11116

[cruiser1955a]

We've just booked this room for a fall Bermuda Cruise for our elderly parents. I have seen many descriptions on this forum (i.e. spacious room, spacious bath, roll-in shower, plenty of grab-bars). But I can't find any pictures anywhere, or diagrams of the layout. My PCC looked thru her NCL picture database and could find nothing.

 

Does anyone have pictures or layout diagram of room 11116, or a similar handicap balcony room ?

 

PCC said there's 1 oversized slider to balcony. Old reviews in this forum describe 2 sets of normal size sliders (which makes more sense). does anyone know from recent experience ?

 

They won't need a wheelchair, but will need the benefits of the bathroom. Do we need to ask NCL to put more furniture in the room ? I've read in some reviews that they don't put chairs in the rooms, to allow for more wheelchair space.

 

Any photo's, diagrams, or descriptions of the layout would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks, in advance

[crusingalong]

They must have taken out the wall between Cabins 11114 & 11116 to make one big H cabin! I recognized the number 11116 as we were in 11116 on the NCL Star(which WAS identical layout to the Dawn) and now that I look at the Deck plans for the Dawn, this has changed! Loved the size so much that we have another Star cruise booked in 11112 but it's a regular cabin, not a minisuite. I don't know when they made this change but that would probably be the reason there is no floorplan or photo.

[cruiser1955a]

That is interesting that they may have created the HC cabins from combining 2 cabins, but why does NCL not show any layouts or photo's for their HC rooms?

 

Also, you said they may have combined 11114 & 11116 to make an HC cabin. I've noticed that there are no cabin numbers ending with the number 4 on the Dawn (have not checked other NCL ships). Does anyone know why there's no "4"s ??? Just curious.

[faymuiheng]

Could it be for the Asian traveller? I know in 3 of the condos that I've lived in, there was never a 13th floor.

 

 

I've noticed that there are no cabin numbers ending with the number 4 on the Dawn (have not checked other NCL ships). Does anyone know why there's no "4"s ??? Just curious.

[EileenN]

We have stayed in 11116 and loved it. There were two sliding doors on to the deck and the crew will bring additional furniture for the room and the balcony on request. The floor space is awesome. There is an awkward ramp to the balcony that you can request removed if it fits your need. Great room.

[mizdkc]

I think I found some for you.

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/562218277yNnHjl?start=24

 

They start on the third page. Click on them to enlarge.

[cruiser1955a]

EileenN & mizdkc

 

Thank you for your posts !

You gave us the perfect description & photo's

 

You should work for Norwegian

[Zukeeper4]

Not trying to start any popcorn thread responses here but:

 

The reason you don't see many photos of handicapped accessible staterooms is cause sometimes people who are able bodied have tried/successfully booked these cabins to get a larger room or bigger balcony when they truly have no reason to use these cabins.

 

There are very few cabins that are accessible and modified/equipped for those that require these features. For many, there is no cruise if they can not get one of these cabins.

 

I am a registered nurse.... I met a young man in a wheelchair requiring MUCH assistance to toilet/bathe/transfer into and out of bed etc. and his mother who were struggling in a regular balcony cabin. We all know regular cabins are small, the wheelchairs/scooters dont fit well into the cabin and certainly NOT into the bathroom. There are things like that little lip on the shower, the little step up to get out onto the balcony that make these parts of the cabin difficult if not impossible to get to. Add to that the need of the caregiver to lift and transfer the person ontot he toilet or into bed and it becomes nearly impossible to cruise without a HA cabin.

 

Anyway, that same cruise, while I attended a Meet and Greet and went on a cabin crawl, I got to see a "score of a cabin" one of the very able bodies cruisers had booked!!! It was a Handicapped Accessible cabin!!!! It was sad to know that when the handicapped person tried to book her cabin they told her no HA cabin was available when someone able bodied was in it.

 

I know they tell you that they will "bump" you out of a cabin if someone handicapped needs it, but the truth is that doesn't happen too often, and unfortunately sometimes people fib and tell the cruisline they require a modified cabin when they don't just to "score" the bigger cabin/balcony.

 

I occasionally travel with handicapped person, she feels she is not "handicapped enough" to take up one of those rooms because she is not in a wheelchair and can get by using a scooter and cane. We get by making a few requests.... asking for a shower chair in the cabin, asking for a ramp to go in and out of the balcony door and a few other modifications that our cabin steward is usually more than happy to get for us.

 

So, there aren't that many pictures posted of handicapped accessible cabins and I believe this is one reason why.

 

Jan

[Zukeeper4]

We have stayed in 11116 and loved it. There were two sliding doors on to the deck and the crew will bring additional furniture for the room and the balcony on request. The floor space is awesome. There is an awkward ramp to the balcony that you can request removed if it fits your need. Great room.

 

The "awkward ramp" is so that people who use a wheelchair or scooter or those that can not lift their leg/foot over that lip a safe way to get out to their balcony ...they can ACTUALLY get out there and enjoy their balcony while in their chair or on their scooter.

 

Perhaps if you find the ramp awkward and the need to place extra furniture in the space of the cabin, you could get by using an able bodied cabin with a few modifications? The cruise line has shower chairs and some other tools that can help make a traditional cabin a bit more comfortable for those requiring just a few adaptive devices.

 

My thought here is that this would allow those that really require the extra room and ramp an opportunity to secure one of these rare cabins and actually go on the cruise? Just a thought.

 

Jan

[EileenN]

When we were in 11116 my daughter was in a wheelchair and I with a walker. We had our own extra furniture. The ramp is rather steep to use. Also it helps to ask for an eggcrate cover on the bed or sofa bed for comfort.

[crusingalong]

I checked again and we were in 11616 Portside & 11116 is on the Starboard side but neither of these rooms on NCL Star are Handicapped. On the NCL Dawn they ARE Handicapped and BIG. That makes the cabin 11616 & 11116 on the Dawn like two rooms in one! I thought the two ships were Sister ships and that cabins were the same (at least they were the same before the Star's drydock). Save these for Handicapped, I agree, as there are not enough Handicapped Staterooms.