Celebrity handicap room- can anyone book? are they nicer?

[Gonzo70]

Like some of you replied...other abled bodies get placed in those cabins all the time and others are asked to move if they have booked them and a disabled person needs one.

 

 

One person said that and they were incorrect; once the room is booked it is booked.

[rucruisn2]

I'm disabled and cannot abide when an able bodied person books an accessible cabin "because they're bigger".

 

Minidog, do you realize how FEW accessible cabins are available on cruise ships? And do you realize how many disabled people are shut out of cruising because insensitive people book those cabins???? You know, maybe someday you or a member of your family will be disabled and you won't be able to cruise because some thoughtless persons booked them.

 

As to whether you can book them, well all I can tell you is if you do, you will have to fill out a form stating your needs, and you'll have to sign that form. So, if you have no moral problems doing that, no one can stop you.

 

Now, before anyone trashes me, I will tell you that we disabled never advocate keeping those cabins empty. What we say is, they should never be released into the general inventory until after final payments are made. After that, everyone have at it.

 

Minidog, why do you keep asking about these cabins? Do you only want them for the extra space? If that's the reason, and you're not disabled, might I suggest spending the extra money and paying for a bigger cabin and leaving the accessible cabin to someone who REALLY NEEDS it.

 

I'd just like to add, "Ditto, Minidog, you make me sick"

[Philomath]

Just an update - I called Celebrity after reading these posts and told the Service representative that I did not want to take an accessible cabin away from a disabled person. Her response was that there are multiple other handicapped-accessible cabins still available upon request for our cruise which is why our cabin was put into general inventory. She followed up by saying "It's a great cabin! You don't want to switch, trust me!" She also confirmed that if they run out of accessible cabins and a passenger needs one, Celebrity would move us elsewhere, likely a lower category balcony room.

 

I sympathize very much with what the posters who need accessible cabins have said. In this situation, however, I don't think what we're doing is unethical. Our travel agent booked us the cabin and we've never pretended to be disabled to the agent or to the cruise line. We were never asked to fill out a form and made it clear that we are not disabled. Celebrity itself is encouraging us to stay in the cabin!

[2SeaWithMe]

There have been times I needed the room, and had not been able to get one because it's Celebrity policy to not move people. They CANNOT (legally) ask you if you need the room, that is the reason for the form. But if you don't fill out the form, or ignore it, there is nothing they can do.

[mylove]

We have always been asked to fill out the form for a HC cabin,which i think is a great thing.Although my husband is not in a wheelchair he is still in need of a HC cabin.After having 10 surgeries on one knee and five on the other the knees do not work very well any longer ,and the seat and bars in the bathroom are a life saver.

 

Kimberley

[kitty9]

Just an update - I called Celebrity after reading these posts and told the Service representative that I did not want to take an accessible cabin away from a disabled person. Her response was that there are multiple other handicapped-accessible cabins still available upon request for our cruise which is why our cabin was put into general inventory. She followed up by saying "It's a great cabin! You don't want to switch, trust me!" She also confirmed that if they run out of accessible cabins and a passenger needs one, Celebrity would move us elsewhere, likely a lower category balcony room.

 

I sympathize very much with what the posters who need accessible cabins have said. In this situation, however, I don't think what we're doing is unethical. Our travel agent booked us the cabin and we've never pretended to be disabled to the agent or to the cruise line. We were never asked to fill out a form and made it clear that we are not disabled. Celebrity itself is encouraging us to stay in the cabin!

 

It's a myth that if you book an accessible cabin and a disabled person needs it you'll be moved. Once a cabin is booked, it's out of inventory, plain and simple. There's no way to annotate a booking to say an able bodied person booked the cabin. OP, your travel agent booked you a cabin that a disabled person will not be able to book, ever. One thing you must realize, 90% of the time those phone agents at Celebrity don't have a clue about anything. So basically, you took one of the very few accessible cabins away from someone who might need it. I guess I'm wondering why, with ALL the hundreds of regular cabins available to able bodied persons, you just HAD to pick an accessible one? Kinda makes me wonder???? I think your TA is unethical for booking this cabin.

[kitty9]

To play devil's advocate. Why punish the cruise line for having extra HC cabins then people need? If they consistently can't sell HC cabins during cabin clearance periods will then reduce the number available overall?

 

If no one is portraying themselves falsely and are eligible to book the cabin and then want it, why not? If they don't become available to the general public until 6 weeks out, then it would be just as available to someone who needs that accomodation until that period. How last minute do people expect to be able to book?

 

Personally, I don't usually like those accommodation as the lower sinks, no shower lip, etc are not my favorites so I'll pass but why not if it doesn't bother you?

 

 

Maybe you didn't read all the posts? I've clearly said that once final payments are due, then release the HC cabins to anyone. But they should not be booked by just anyone beforehand.

 

As far as being able to book, if you're not disabled you probably don't realize this but, we disabled are usually forced to book wayyyyyy early because the HC cabins book early. Unlike you, we don't usually have the luxury of booking last minute and perhaps getting the great deals you might.

[montgomeryfamily]

I agree with Kitty9 that once booked, the stateroom is taken out of inventory and not available to be booked by a disabled person. Even booking almost a year in advance, we were unable to sail on the Solstice for our birthday in August, but none of the accessible veranda or aqua class were available. When I asked them to check whether the all of the passengers in all of those cabins did indeed need the accessible features, the response was "they could not have booked the stateroom had they not been disabled and needed the stateroom--I could not get anyone from reservations or special needs to check. So NO, they do not even check--or at least they did not.

 

With the new federal regulations which took effect on Jan 1, I am hoping that Celebrity is going to take this more seriously and make certain these rooms are available to the disabled passengers who need them-- and there is some evidence to support that hope. On Celebrity's web page is posted the following:

 

"Please note we investigate and take action on potential misuse of

accessible staterooms where there is good cause to believe that such

staterooms have been booked fraudulently."

[Gonzo70]

[quote name=Philomath;32057327 She also confirmed that if they run out of accessible cabins and a passenger needs one' date=' Celebrity would move us elsewhere, likely a lower category balcony room.

 

[/quote]

 

I see you are new to Cruise Critic. Please listen to the longtime members here who are very knowledgeable about cruising and about Celebrity. Celebrity customer service telephone reps and telephone reservationists are notorious for providing inaccurate information. It is COMPLETELY UNTRUE that Celebrity moves able bodied people out of accessible staterooms if they are needed by someone. If it is past final payment time there is no harm taking an accessible stateroom that Celebrity has released for general booking; Celebrity does need the opportunity to see all staterooms in inventory. However if it is outside of final payment time you really ought to switch to a regular stateroom; while you made an honest mistake based on bad information you received from a misinformed travel agent and Celebrity telephone rep, now that you know the truth it would really be selfish to keep the stateroom (again this only applies if the cruise is outside of final payment time; no problem keeping the stateroom if the cruise is past final payment date).

[PartyAllDaTyme]

I'd just like to add, "Ditto, Minidog, you make me sick"

 

No call for that. Minidog has made clear that they do not intend to occupy an HC under false pretenses.

 

I guess I'm wondering why, with ALL the hundreds of regular cabins available to able bodied persons, you just HAD to pick an accessible one? Kinda makes me wonder???? I think your TA is unethical for booking this cabin.

 

Uhhh, because they're bigger? It's a little like getting a suite for the price of a standard balcony cabin. The standard cabins can get a little claustrophobic. Those who have ended up in an HC have mostly gushed about how nice they were and how lucky they were to get one. I once started a thread asking about how to go about "upgrading" (poor choice of words on my part) to an HC cabin once they're released-- I had my eye on an M-class aft C1 HC cabin that was right next to the one we were booked in.

 

I'll add my voice to those who say that, once an HC cabin is booked, they're not going to move someone if they don't need it. First of all, the only way you can find out if a cabin, such as 6004, is available is to call and ask if it is-- if X hasn't released it, it cannot be booked online. The procedure is supposed to be for the Celebrity rep to say the cabin is available, but only for someone who has legitimate use of it and completes the special needs form. If the form is not turned in 30 days before sailing, they lose the cabin. Unfortunately, anyone can say they qualify, and that will hold the cabin until 30 days before sailing. By that time, it may be too late for someone who needs it to book it, since X may have decided to release all unbooked HC cabins to the general public. While the person who first booked the cabin (without needing it) might not get it, it will have the effect of having denied the cabin to someone who does.

 

There are unscrupulous TA's who will say, "Sure, I can get you one of those bigger cabins if I can get your business," then send in the form themselves. Their clients are impressed with their TA's savvy and become repeat customers. By law, X cannot require further proof of disability and is unlikely to scrutinize a forged signature.

 

Adding to the confusion are woefully underinformed Celebrity reps who will spout off the top of their heads, "If someone with a disability needs the cabin, you'll be moved." Possibly they're referring to a situation with a GTY booking, where cabin assignments can be made early but can change at the last minute-- I don't believe a GTY cabin assignment takes that cabin out of the inventory, so if it gets booked, you get bumped. I could be wrong. In any case, as has been pointed out, the cabin won't show up in inventory as available, so how would a disabled person even be able to attempt to book it? Up to 30 days prior to sailing, the presumption would be that it's been booked by another disabled person who just hasn't turned their special needs form in yet.

 

A couple of questions-- has anyone, disabled or not, ever booked an HC cabin, failed to turn the form in, and been booted out of the cabin? If so, did you get reassigned another cabin? What was the process-- did they call you and ask what other cabin you'd like, or did you just find yourself with a different cabin assignment? I'd like to hear of any action ever taken against someone with whom they have "good cause to believe that such staterooms have been booked fraudulently," but I doubt anyone would ever 'fess up to trying to cheat and being caught. Who would they take action against? The customer, or the TA who falsified the special needs form?

[rucruisn2]

I beg to disagree with you, Party all the time, but Minidog started out the post inquiring about a disabled cabin being bigger and"nicer". Seemed to be looking for an upgrade within the same catagory. I am disabled, but fortunately I do not need to book an hc cabin. I know that there are many folks out there much worse of than myself that truly need these cabins in order to be able to cruise. Therefore, I think anyone who books these cabins looking for a "bigger and nicer" cabin" is not a nice person or one I would want to be friends with. Let them feel the pain I and others live with on a daily basis and then see if they want a nicer cabin for the same money.

[paulo33]

I would like to share a very recent experience on this exact issue. A few weeks ago (Jan 4?), we were booking 2 balcony cabins with our TA and he mentioned that 2 HC accessible cabins side by side were just released that day by Celebrity and highly recommended booking these due to the larger size, etc. This took place approx 10 weeks from our cruise date. We felt funny about this but he assured us that the cabins were released to the general public due to a number of HC cabins still being unsold and that if a disabled passenger needed our cabin(s) then we would be moved to a higher cat balcony cabin. So we said OK...

 

2-3 days later, our TA contacted us saying that due to a new law in effect Jan 1 - Celebrity will not allow able bodied passengers to book a HC accessible cabin until all other cabins were full. Our TA found us 2 other side by side cabins in a desirable location and all is well!

[judyfssw]

Interesting. And, I'm glad. So many times, I've seen threads from people who just found out that they were going to need to use a wheelchair or a scooter but were unable to change to an accessible room because none were available. Now, this will hopefully allow some last minute changes. Wonder what law?

[Philomath]

I looked into it and we did book our cabin after final payments are due, which I hadn't noticed before since we paid in full at the time of booking (about 6 weeks prior to cruise date). I guess this was why it was possible.

 

I am indeed new to Cruise Critic! I wasn't the OP but came across this thread because I am so excited for our upcoming trip. I really appreciate everyone's insight and thoughts, and I think raising awareness of accessibility issues is really important. I'm sorry so many of you have had trouble booking these cabins and hope it gets better with these (possibly new?) policies!

[BarbJ52]

The signature line is in the State Room Accommodation section. Have another look.

 

You are absolutely right! My mistake. For this particular cruise we were not requesting an accessible cabin so I guess I didn't notice.

I request an accessible stateroom because I have a mobility disability or other disability that requires the use of the

accessible features that are provided in the stateroom. Signature: ______________________________________

[xxoocruiser]

Thank you to everyone that responded and for those who didn't blast me for asking!!

 

The point of this thread is for people that don't know to ask those who do. My intentions where never to take a cabin away from a disabled person who needs one. My question was to help me understand that if there are limited #s of cabins left how dioes that process work. Like some of you replied...other abled bodies get placed in those cabins all the time and others are asked to move if they have booked them and a disabled person needs one.

 

I called the ship and they did state that you would need to fill out a form to be booked into the room stating your disability and that if an abled person where to take one of those cabins they would be asked to move if necessary.

 

If its past the final payment date for that specific cruise than the cruise line releases all onsold cabins for sale. However if it's before the final payment period anyone booking that cabin should honestly have a medical need and or disability that requires the features of that cabin. The cruise line will expect oyu to complete a form stating the need.

 

Don't understand why you would state in your original post that the HC cabins are nicer ? Do you really consider having a roll in shower, lowered vanity , emergency cords and lower clothes rods amenities that make an HC cabin nicer than the average cabin if you really don't require the use ?

 

Do you really consider having more space so a disabled person can safely move about the cabin using their mobility equipment, or bring along their oxygen equipment, or a hoyers lift etc. etc. makes this a nicer room than non-disabled cabins ? There's a specific reason for all these extra amenities as you might consider them to be. That is to allow those that are disabled and or have a medical need to continue to cruise and enjoy life.

 

There are so few HC cabins relative to able bodied cabins do you really need to book this ? Hope you never have a need to actually book an HC Cabin only to find out some able body person booked instead because they thought it was nicer and roomier.

 

Just for the record I am disabled and require an HC cabin to cruise.

[xxoocruiser]

Further more new Federal Regulations have been imposed under the Department of Tranportation ( commonly refered to as DOT) which requires that the cruise lines have to verify that Accessible (HC) Cabins cabins go to those that actually need them. In other words the person needs to have a medical and or a phyiscal need to book such cabin.

 

Though the new regulations were announced in 2011 , I beleive the cruise lines were granted until January 1, 2012 to completely comply to these new regulations . Because of this new law Cruise lines have also had to reclassify there HC cabins as demonstrated on RCCL's website when booking a cabin. Some of the key points to this new regulation are:

 

(g) To prevent fraud in the assignment of accessible cabins (e.g., attempts by individuals who do not have disabilities to reserve accessible cabins because they have greater space, you—

(1) Must inquire of persons seeking to reserve such cabins whether the individual (or an individual for whom 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 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.

[budster]

We booked our cruise several months ago. My DH just had to start using a mobility scooter. We are currently booked in a balcony cabin. When I inquired into getting a handicap balcony cabin I was told it would cost an additional $1000. Celebrity did send me a form to fill out and noted the account of his specific needs. We were told we have to keep his scooter in our cabin. There are two handicap balcony cabins available. I guess the bottom line is he can only have one if he is willing to pay another $1000. I am hoping the upgrade fairy will pay us a visit.:)