How could I find out if wc cabin is booked by qualified user?

[localady]

I booked a guarantee once and was assigned a handicapped cabin. Neither DH nor I are handicapped. Try as we did with HAL to convince them that we wanted a non- hc cabin, they would not budge. Go figure!

Terri

 

Terri-

We had the same experience. We were upgraded into a handicapped suite. I did not care for that cabin at all.

Because of it being a handicapped cabin, it had a lot of unused space and we were stuck with a mini couch and horrible set up. Also, you had to be darned careful not to hit the emergency button when trying to find a light switch in the dark. ;)

I can't fathom why someone without a disability would want the cabin, because the set-up and lack of furniture made it inferior to the rest of the suites on the ship for a non-handicapped person.

[MR NW GUY]

Privacy laws would not allow HAL to give out personal information about a person booked in a specific cabin.

Would that be a Canadian law, US law, International law or Maritime Law?

[sapper1]

Would that be a Canadian law, US law, International law or Maritime Law?

 

Good question. Thank you for bringing it up. Maybe it's just HAL Corporation law. Maybe someone has the answer.

Regardless, HAL will not give out private information about their passengers.

[kazu]

Good question. Thank you for bringing it up. Maybe it's just HAL Corporation law. Maybe someone has the answer.

Regardless, HAL will not give out private information about their passengers.

 

I believe it is corporate policy - just as it is with many corporations. There is a commitment to privacy and confidentiality by most corporations to protect their clients. Not unusual at all:D

[trixiee]

We were given a handicapped cabin as a guarantee on the Oosterdam, 5002 at the front of the ship. I would happily have exchanged it for a regular cabin in the same category if someone had requested. If HAL doesn't verify handicapped status those cabins would be available to anyone and that doesn't seem fair to those who may require the hc cabin.

 

If you can't book a hc cabin but are taking the cruise anyway you might check at the front desk at check in. If somebody got one as a guarantee they may want to change cabins. I accidently pulled the cord in the bathroom (thinking it was the laundry cord) and got a phone call 911 response. The ramp to the verandah was a problem for us as we kept tripping over it and it took up too much space on the balcony.

 

There were a number of people on that cruise who could probably have used a HC cabin so I was really surprised to be so assigned.

We too, were assigned a HC cabin when we booked a GTY. However, once I got used to the ramp, it was all good! I really enjoyed the roominess of the cabin. I would NEVER purposely book this cabin though!

[MR NW GUY]

Good question. Thank you for bringing it up. Maybe it's just HAL Corporation law. Maybe someone has the answer.

Regardless, HAL will not give out private information about their passengers.

So now it may just be a HAL policy? Would you please share where HAL disclosed such a policy (oh, excause me.. you said "HAL Corporation Law" - I did not know HAL could create a Law).

 

Thank you so very much for your consideration.

[RuthC]

Would that be a Canadian law, US law, International law or Maritime Law?

Moral law, if nothing else. Never forget the power of taking the high road.

[comfortcove]

Ruth is so right. Would you want the cruise line or your hotel disclosing your personal information to satisfy other guests? Geez!

[startwin]

It's amazing the ignorance out there about privacy and confidentiality. Thankfully here in Canada it's not a policy, it's a law, as anyone in the corporate world would know. But as Ruth noted, you don't need a policy or a law to take the moral high road.

[trixiee]

Why must personal vendettas infiltrate EVERY thread on this board?

 

If you were truly taking the high road, you would keep your fingers off the keyboard. :mad:

[serendipity1499]

I booked a guarantee once and was assigned a handicapped cabin. Neither DH nor I are handicapped. Try as we did with HAL to convince them that we wanted a non- hc cabin, they would not budge. Go figure!

Terri

 

Terri-

We had the same experience. We were upgraded into a handicapped suite. I did not care for that cabin at all.

Because of it being a handicapped cabin, it had a lot of unused space and we were stuck with a mini couch and horrible set up. Also, you had to be darned careful not to hit the emergency button when trying to find a light switch in the dark. ;)

I can't fathom why someone without a disability would want the cabin, because the set-up and lack of furniture made it inferior to the rest of the suites on the ship for a non-handicapped person.

 

We do not pick our cabins, book handicapped rooms nor book guarantees, however HAL has given us handicapped rooms when we booked at the last minute too..

It has been my understanding that HAL will automatically assign Handicapped rooms when they assign the guarantees..

Betty

[Cruzin Terri]

We do not pick our cabins, book handicapped rooms nor book guarantees, however HAL has given us handicapped rooms when we booked at the last minute too..

It has been my understanding that HAL will automatically assign Handicapped rooms when they assign the guarantees..

Betty

 

I did not book at the last minute. I booked a SC guarantee on the Nieuw Amsterdam for a 24 day Mediterranean cruise more than a year in advance. They were only accepting guarantees for that category. We were assigned an SA handicapped. It was very uncomfortable for us and we were unable to change it. There was a lady two doors down from us in a wheelchair who could have used that room and was told no hc rooms were available when she booked. Go figure! And they wouldn't let us switch.

Terri

[sapper1]

So now it may just be a HAL policy? Would you please share where HAL disclosed such a policy (oh, excause me.. you said "HAL Corporation Law" - I did not know HAL could create a Law).

 

Thank you so very much for your consideration.

 

HAL law, rule, or policy---call it what you will Richard, but I suspect if I were to call HAL to see if you were really on our cruise, do you suppose they would tell me? I think not so what is your point? Would you really want them to give out such information?

[Typhoon1]

Privacy laws would not allow HAL to give out personal information about a person booked in a specific cabin.

 

My thoughts exactly.

[serendipity1499]

It's amazing the ignorance out there about privacy and confidentiality. Thankfully here in Canada it's not a policy, it's a law, as anyone in the corporate world would know. But as Ruth noted, you don't need a policy or a law to take the moral high road.

 

This amazes me too..Anyone who has been in a Supervisory/Management position in a large company knows these rules..

When we fired someone, many times a colleague from another carrier would call to ask why they were let go..I was not permitted to give the reason only because we could have been sued in a court of law..All I was permitted to say was it was a mutual agreement & give their term of employment dates..

I was once taken to court by a Part-time employee for "racial discrimination", as I had not recommended her to become a permanent employee.. She worked as a Part-timer for years.. Permanent employees were given 30 days paid sick leave per year but needed Dr.'s notes for anything more than two days.. Fortunately the Judge saw that she had called in sick 14 times for one & two day "illnesses" ;)in the previous months & the years before her record was no better..I had written several warning letters about her absenteeism, especially when we needed people who were dependable.. She never tried to correct her attendance record.. We finally fired her...The Judge who happed to be the same race, said to her"Young Lady if you worked for me, I would have fired you a long time ago, Case dismissed"

After that, if anyone from another carrier called me about that employee, I still was not permitted to give the reason for her being fired!:eek: Hopefully, my Colleagues read between the lines.

Betty

[serendipity1499]

I did not book at the last minute. I booked a SC guarantee on the Nieuw Amsterdam for a 24 day Mediterranean cruise more than a year in advance. They were only accepting guarantees for that category. We were assigned an SA handicapped. It was very uncomfortable for us and we were unable to change it. There was a lady two doors down from us in a wheelchair who could have used that room and was told no hc rooms were available when she booked. Go figure! And they wouldn't let us switch.

Terri

 

Not permitting you to switch was IMO outrageous! I would bet however, if you & that lady had asked to speak to the Hotel Mgr, there would have been a different decision.. I always tell people if you have a reasonable request ask to speak to a Supervisor or Mgr. Unless there is a legitimate reason for the refusal most times someone in an upper level position can over-ride decisions made by the rank & file.

Betty

[casamariposa]

I have a back problem that makes it difficult for me to climb into the high tubs on HAL. Therefore, I can't book an outside cabin. Instead, I book an inside cabin which has a shower stall. I don't consider myself handicapped enough to take an outside handicapped cabin with a shower stall away from someone who desperately needs it.

[Cruzin Terri]

Not permitting you to switch was IMO outrageous! I would bet however, if you & that lady had asked to speak to the Hotel Mgr, there would have been a different decision.. I always tell people if you have a reasonable request ask to speak to a Supervisor or Mgr. Unless there is a legitimate reason for the refusal most times someone in an upper level position can over-ride decisions made by the rank & file.

 

Betty

WE did

[Lvteks]

Time Out! DH had surgery on his leg today...long story, continuing saga etc. What I intended to ask had NOTHING yes in caps, about asking for personal information. What I wanted to know if it was assigned as an HC or just filling space. I have always understood that a person totally or mostly dependant on a WC, has the highest priority. It is nearly 3 am and I haven't the energy to explain anymore. CC has always been my go to site. First experience with "flaming" even tho I see how my ? may have appeared.

 

Blessings,

Gail

 

BTW I do have experience in Administrative nursing, and I do understand privacy as a serious issue.

[startwin]

Time Out! DH had surgery on his leg today...long story, continuing saga etc. What I intended to ask had NOTHING yes in caps, about asking for personal information. What I wanted to know if it was assigned as an HC or just filling space. I have always understood that a person totally or mostly dependant on a WC, has the highest priority. It is nearly 3 am and I haven't the energy to explain anymore. CC has always been my go to site. First experience with "flaming" even tho I see how my ? may have appeared.

 

Blessings,

Gail

 

BTW I do have experience in Administrative nursing, and I do understand privacy as a serious issue.

 

This thread is a perfect example of how things can get turned around and go off-kilter when we start responding to each other instead of the original question. It turned into a whole different discussion, and Apart from a couple of snide comments I don't think anyone meant to flame you. Hope your DH is feeling better soon.:)

[MR NW GUY]

Time Out! DH had surgery on his leg today...long story, continuing saga etc. What I intended to ask had NOTHING yes in caps, about asking for personal information. What I wanted to know if it was assigned as an HC or just filling space. I have always understood that a person totally or mostly dependant on a WC, has the highest priority. It is nearly 3 am and I haven't the energy to explain anymore. CC has always been my go to site. First experience with "flaming" even tho I see how my ? may have appeared.

 

Blessings,

Gail

 

BTW I do have experience in Administrative nursing, and I do understand privacy as a serious issue.

I hope hubby is going to be OK? I hope you do get a cabin that works for you. Unfortunately there will always be those who try to book a HC that don't need them and this is a sensitive topic. It also gets amusing (not you) when some of the posters here simply believe the false statements that they post.

 

Get some rest!

[Ians Grandma]

This thread is a perfect example of how things can get turned around and go off-kilter when we start responding to each other instead of the original question. It turned into a whole different discussion, and Apart from a couple of snide comments I don't think anyone meant to flame you. Hope your DH is feeling better soon.:)

Yes, Ms. Gail, I hope that your hubby is feeling better soon and that you find a cabin that works for both of you.

Accessible cabins, parking stalls, service animals, etc. are all things set up to help the disabled but are often misused. I must admit to being sensitive on that subject.

If it helps any, the form that you fill out asks about the assistive devices that your hubby would be using, dimensions, weight, etc. It also asks if you will be using a service animal and if someone is cruising with you that can provide the assistance needed. There is an area where you can describe any condition or illness that requires special assistance that wasn't covered.

As for able bodied being moved here is what happened for us- all of the accessible cabins were booked, Hal said that they were going to do a check and call back. They called back shortly after, said that someone was moved and we had a cabin. That is all that we were told, no personal information about anyone.

I don't know if that clarifies anything or helps in any way, but I wish you great cruise.

[Ians Grandma]

Yes, Ms. Gail, I hope that your hubby is feeling better soon and that you find a cabin that works for both of you.

Accessible cabins, parking stalls, service animals, etc. are all things set up to help the disabled but are often misused. I must admit to being sensitive on that subject.

If it helps any, the form that you fill out asks about the assistive devices that your hubby would be using, dimensions, weight, etc. It also asks if you will be using a service animal and if someone is cruising with you that can provide the assistance needed. There is an area where you can describe any condition or illness that requires special assistance that wasn't covered.

As for able bodied being moved here is what happened for us- all of the accessible cabins were booked, Hal said that they were going to do a check and call back. They called back shortly after, said that someone was moved and we had a cabin. That is all that we were told, no personal information about anyone.

I don't know if that clarifies anything or helps in any way, but I wish you great cruise.

Oh, I should add that I don't know if HAL moved them or if someone was gracious enough to give up their cabin to someone who needed it more. If it was that later and you read this "THANK YOU":)

[Cruzin Terri]

My posts were in no way intended to flame or go off topic, only to show that HAL has no regard in assigning the HC cabins. I would suggest you start by completing the special needs form. You can download it from the website or call and ask them to email one to you. Also let them know you need such a cabin and then try your best to get one.

I hope your husband recovers quickly and you end up not needing a HC cabin. All the best to you.

Terri

[Oceanwench]

HC cabins that are not booked are added to the inventory when HAL assigns guarantees.

While it is unusual for a HC cabin to be unassigned -- there are so few to begin with -- they will be assigned to able-bodied people with guarantees.

It makes sense - HAL wants to fill as many cabins as possible.

 

We always sail in HC cabins, DH is in a wheelchair, and we always have to ask to have furniture removed. We'd never had a sparsely furnished room, be it VA, SY or SA/SC.

 

We always fill out a form that lists special services DH needs and we include the dimensions and weight of his wheelchair.

 

It has always been my understanding that once a HC cabin is booked, it is out of the inventory, period. No calls to the passengers to see if they are "really" handicapped.

What might have happened, though, in some cases: Able-bodied people may have booked the HC cabin, then not turned in a form. HAL might have called those pax to see about the form and perhaps gently directed them to a more suitable cabin.