Handicap suite question

[sailor moon]

We are looking at a cruise that has rooms available which are handicap sky suites on Infinity. Is there any downside to booking these cabins if I am not handicapped? They are the same price as a AQ room on the sailing I am looking at. They are also next to the elevator. Does that have a noise issue? Thx!

[dkjretired]

We are looking at a cruise that has rooms available which are handicap sky suites on Infinity. Is there any downside to booking these cabins if I am not handicapped? They are the same price as a AQ room on the sailing I am looking at. They are also next to the elevator. Does that have a noise issue? Thx!

 

One downside is that you could get bumped if someone books after you and needs the handicapped suite.

[phoenix_dream]

Whether you should (or are allowed to) book handicapped cabins depends on whether you need them, and how far out the sailing is. Until near sailing, handicapped cabins are reserved (and rightly so) for people who need them, and they are asked to provide proof of same. Near sailing, they may open up to anyone. One disadvantage is that they have roll in showers which tend to leak water all over the bathroom floor. The upside is that they generally are about 1/3 larger than comparable rooms that are not handicapped. As to noise, I do not think that will be an issue.

[Chunky2219]

I'm not sure, but I think Celebrity is one of the lines who say in the Ts and Cs that if you book an H/C cabin without having a valid reason, they reserve the right to hoik you out or even put you off the ship.

 

Such cabins have traditionally been coveted by those without a disability, simply because they have more real estate. They are always difficult to get for those who have a genuine need, which means booking up very early at pre-discount prices. Booking one of these now usually means filling in a special needs form, and in some countries there may be need for a doctor's signature.

 

If it is very close to sailing date and they are filling the last cabins then fair enough, go ahead. But if not please don't do it, pick a normal cabin instead.

 

 

.

[HelenREMfan]

I have walking difficulties - I don't use a chair as I am very reluctant to use one save for airports etc - I use crutches and have osteoarthritis. I didn't book a disability cabin as I would leave them for wheelchair users - but I did ask close to our sail date just in case there was one available but was told they were all booked. I would really hope that they were booked by genuinely disabled people and not someone wanting a little extra room!

[PennyB]

I booked in early August a cruise on the Solstice in December. The price for a Sky Suite (S2) was barely more than a standard veranda. When I looked at the documentation, I had an accessible suite. I asked my TA about it and she said that was what was available and if a person will needs needed the cabin I would be moved. That didn't didn't sit right with me so I have been watching Celebrity's website. Yesterday I found an regular S2 cabin and had her move us. I can understand filling those cabins a few months before sailing, but 4+ months out is too soon, IMHO.

[kyriecat]

PennyB - My mom is a full-time wheelchair user and it's impossible sometimes to find a cruise for her because of the limited number of accessible cabins. Thank you for being proactive and switching cabins. I know the cabin you moved from may get taken by someone without a disability, but I wanted to let you know that your thoughtfulness is appreciated.

 

For the OP:

 

Besides the obvious, you may be moved if you don't submit the appropriate paperwork for booking an accessible cabin, there are other downsides:

 

1. Unlike other sky suites, the cabin will have a shower only - no tub. The shower will be a roll-in type, which means it has no lip to catch the water. If the shower drain does not work well or the ship is rocking, the shower water may flood the rest of the bathroom and possibly run under the door into the cabin. (been there, done that. :o).

 

2. The sink and countertop in the bathroom are about 4" lower than normal. As a tall person, I find that annoying.

 

3. There is less storage space. The bathrooms will not have the under-sink storage (due to the lower sink/counter and need for wheelchair leg-area). Also, there is usually less closet space in the room to keep the floor area open.

 

4. Most accessible cabins have less furniture than their "regular" counterparts. If a standard cabin has a couch, the accessible cabin will normally only have a chair. This is to keep the floor space open for wheelchair access. The same goes for the balcony.

 

5. There is usually a ramp for the balcony that will block part of the cabin/balcony. It can also be a tripping hazard.

 

I know cruiselines cannot keep accessible cabins unsold so I have no issues with them opening them to the general public or assigning them as guarantees after final payment date.

[Going Coastal]

As someone who regularly uses Celebrity accessible cabins, I will point out one more thing that is an annoyance to some. All the ship's now have automatic doors. These allow plenty of time for a wheel chair to enter or exit but also enough time to interfere with the privacy of anyone in the cabin who might not be completely dressed.

[PennyB]

PennyB - My mom is a full-time wheelchair user and it's impossible sometimes to find a cruise for her because of the limited number of accessible cabins. Thank you for being proactive and switching cabins. I know the cabin you moved from may get taken by someone without a disability, but I wanted to let you know that your thoughtfulness is appreciated.

 

Thanks, Kyriecat ! Years ago my husband and I did a guarantee verandah on Holland America. Two weeks prior to the cruise we were assigned a handicap cabin. We figured it wasn't needed so that was that. Two days into the cruise we saw a gentleman and his wife in our hallway. He was using a walker. We stopped them and asked if they had a handicap cabin. They said when they booked 6 months prior (yes 6 months!!) there we no accessible cabins. He said it WAS noted on their reservation that they needed a accessible cabin (the poor gentleman had ALS) and we were assigned 2 weeks prior! The wife and I walked to Guest Relations and arranged a cabin swap. We packed and the cabin stewards moved our belongings. Done in no time at all. I enjoyed the cruise so much more after that !! :)

[odysee]

For one of our cruises in Aqua, 1-2 handicapped cabins stayed open.

After check-in, we went to Guest Relation and asked if we could swap as we also heard about the larger space. This was accepted with no problem and we got the free handicapped cabin which obviously was not needed.

Both my husband and I afterwards said that we were not going to do this anymore. The larger space was nice, but there were too many down sides as pointed out above, especially the bathroom with the water flooding and the sink area was a challenge and the slow door was very annoying.

 

By-the-way some people gripe about the "preferential" treatment given to handicapped. After having spent a couple weeks in a wheelchair due to an accident but o.k. again now, I can only say that whatever assistance and "benefits" does not even make up half of the difficulties and I am glad that society is trying to do a bit more for those that had some back luck in their lives.

[kyriecat]

Going Coastal - I had completely forgotten about those automatic doors. I didn't realize that all the X ships had them. I've only sailed with my mom on one ship with them so far. I'm a hater! They are great for my mom because the cabin doors are heavy and she has problems opening them and getting through by herself.

 

The auto-doors do not have deadbolts on them. I forgot to put the "Do Not Disturb" sign out once while getting ready for dinner. Our cabin steward chose that time to visit. She gave two quick knocks them immediately opened the door. I had to make a mad dash for the bathroom to prevent giving a topless show to those passing in the hall.:o:p Once the door starts opening, you cannot stop it.

 

On that same cruise we had a few problems with the door getting stuck open. I don't know how common that is. We almost missed one of our tours because the door wouldn't close and I wouldn't leave the cabin until maintenance showed up to fix it. It got stuck open another time when our steward straightened the cabin. Our steward didn't notice that the door was still open when she left. It was the last night and I had left my camera in the cabin. I went back to the cabin to get it and found the door stuck open and a man inside. We were still in the process of packing and had left several things out. He claimed that the door was open so he just came in to look around. I didn't notice anything missing, but the experience still freaked me out.

 

PennyB - great story! :)

[Going Coastal]

Never had one stick on open position. That would be awful! Like you, I never move away down the hall until they close.

 

The S class were built this way and the M class ship's got theirs when they were "soltiscized". Even the Azamara R ships have them now.