Why Do We Hesitate?

[rbrugler]

I am disabled and love to cruise. For the past four years I have needed accessible cabins as I am very unsteady on my feet, cannot handle the step into a regular washroom, need to sit down when I shower and I take a rollator and wheelchair with me, plus I rent a scooter. I can take a few steps without assistance. I share all of this because when I booked my first accessible cabin I was very reluctant to do so. I felt as though I should try to make do without one in case someone else needed it more than I. Well, believe me, I have changed my mind since then. I book early to make sure that I get an accessible cabin, and if none are available, I find a different cruise.

 

I am of the belief that the cruise lines should make more cabins accessible. Our generation is growing older and is reaching the point in life where we need these cabins. And, our money is still green. I also just read a post from a cruiser with Lupus. The impression I got from her post is that she feels guilty for needing the accessible cabin. Oh my. We need to work on our attitudes and be thankful that these features are available.

[xxoocruiser]

Personally I never hesitate to book an accessible given the need for one.

 

Though it would be nice if cruise lines built more accessible cabins but he cold hard truth is it's all about revenue. Accessible cabins require approximately 1.5 to 2x the space than the standard cabin in the same category. ADA law does not apply to the build out of a cruise ship unless that ship is registered to and sails under the USA Flag as that of NCL's Pride of America. Even at that there is a complex formula relative to non-accessible cabins vs. accessible cabins to determine the number of accessible cabins and the cruise lines would still be only required to meet the minimum at best.

[hn7609]

I also just read a post from a cruiser with Lupus. The impression I got from her post is that she feels guilty for needing the accessible cabin.

 

I didn't read the original post so its kind of tough to comment on. As someone who in in a wheelchair 24*7 there is no way that I can cruise in anything but a fully accessible cabin so the thought of feeling guilty has never occurred to me. As I normally cruise out of Charleston on the Fantasy it is frustrating to me that the Fantasy has only 4 accessible cabins, making it very hard for me to book one. I do have a problem with those who are are handicapped for the cruise only. Charleston offers free parking for those with handicapped plates and the abuse is unreal. Every single trip there when we are parked in the handicapped area I am amazed at the young families who pile out of the SUV's and skip on down to the terminal smiling because they borrowed Grandma's permit and saved themselves $105.00

 

There are some who should feel guilty about taking accessible cabins. I'll leave it at that..................

[Ians Grandma]

I didn't read the original post so its kind of tough to comment on. As someone who in in a wheelchair 24*7 there is no way that I can cruise in anything but a fully accessible cabin so the thought of feeling guilty has never occurred to me. As I normally cruise out of Charleston on the Fantasy it is frustrating to me that the Fantasy has only 4 accessible cabins, making it very hard for me to book one. I do have a problem with those who are are handicapped for the cruise only. Charleston offers free parking for those with handicapped plates and the abuse is unreal. Every single trip there when we are parked in the handicapped area I am amazed at the young families who pile out of the SUV's and skip on down to the terminal smiling because they borrowed Grandma's permit and saved themselves $105.00

 

There are some who should feel guilty about taking accessible cabins. I'll leave it at that..................

 

This has been our experience as well, but it does seem to be getting better.

[sherilyn70]

I think we hesitate because we are losing our independence and this is just another reminder. I didn't want to accept that I needed help with things I did just fine 2 years ago. It makes us feel week or like less of a person even though we know it's not true. It is a tough emotional obstacle to overcome if you've lived the majority of your life healthy and active.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Edited June 3, 2014 by sherilyn70

[searoses]

Safety,safety,safety,safety......the key word for deciding whether you do or don't require an accessible cabin....a lot of us have conditions that don't show......once I took the plunge I kicked myself for not doing it sooner.....

[mdvlprof]

One shouldn't feel guilty if one needs HC cabin. Not all disabilities are visible, or obvious.

DS, with his wheelchair, obviously needs HC cabin. Me, not so much. I look fine, but since my stroke, I have balance problems, at risk of falling, esp if ship starts rocking.

[grab007]

Personally I never hesitate to book an accessible given the need for one.

 

Though it would be nice if cruise lines built more accessible cabins but he cold hard truth is it's all about revenue. Accessible cabins require approximately 1.5 to 2x the space than the standard cabin in the same category. ADA law does not apply to the build out of a cruise ship unless that ship is registered to and sails under the USA Flag as that of NCL's Pride of America. Even at that there is a complex formula relative to non-accessible cabins vs. accessible cabins to determine the number of accessible cabins and the cruise lines would still be only required to meet the minimum at best.

 

Bravo to all of who are not afraid "to get out there!"

 

Hopefully the powers that be will take note of this thread. Every "disabled" person's needs are different. The cruise lines could take that into consideration when designing cabins. Not all of us need a wheelchair so a fully wheelchair accessible cabin might not be needed but a "semi-accessible" cabin with a wider door and easier bathroom. Or perhaps secure storage areas for scooters near steward stations so those users coulde get to them easier without the need to keep them in their rooms. Also they could add the devices for hearing impaired folks available in more cabins as well. I know there are a lot more ideas out there.

 

As long as more and more of us make our voices heard (and our vacation $ available) the cruise lines will take our needs into their design considerations.

[mexico8]

:)

Bravo to all of who are not afraid "to get out there!"

 

Hopefully the powers that be will take note of this thread. Every "disabled" person's needs are different. The cruise lines could take that into consideration when designing cabins. Not all of us need a wheelchair so a fully wheelchair accessible cabin might not be needed but a "semi-accessible" cabin with a wider door and easier bathroom. Or perhaps secure storage areas for scooters near steward stations so those users coulde get to them easier without the need to keep them in their rooms. Also they could add the devices for hearing impaired folks available in more cabins as well. I know there are a lot more ideas out there.

 

As long as more and more of us make our voices heard (and our vacation $ available) the cruise lines will take our needs into their design considerations.

Your suggestion for a secure storage area for scooters is a good one. I could use a regular cabin if there would be a place to park my scooter. I don't need the special bathroom or wider doors etc. Hopefully the cruise lines can start to listen to us scooter users and provide something like that. The accessible cabins would be available for people who really need them.

 

Wendy

Edited June 17, 2014 by mexico8

[JoyFrances]

A scooter storage area is brilliant!

 

Maritime Law requires that the hallways are kept clear in the event of an emergency. I have no problem with the law, however, it does make it difficult for those of us who use scooters because our scooters take over the smaller cabins not to mention we need the regular North American power outlet to charge our battery.

 

I too would use a regular cabin if there was an area to park and charge my scooter relatively close to my cabin.

 

Cruise Lines......please listen to these kind of suggestions. The aging population has the time and the dollars for the longer cruises but sometimes we look for the ships that can accommodate us and are not loyal to one line or another but search for the available cabins.

[xxoocruiser]

Hopefully the powers that be will take note of this thread. Every "disabled" person's needs are different. The cruise lines could take that into consideration when designing cabins.

 

In theory this sounds like a good solution but due to the vast varying needs of everyone's disability it's unrealistic to expect that a cruise line take all of them into consideration. Besides foreign flagged/registered cruise ships do not have to comply with even the minimum standards as required under ADA law. The only cruise ship that has to comply with ADA Law is NCL's Pride of America which sails under the USA flag and is registered to the USA and at that NCL only has to comply with the minimum standards set by ADA Law. Even hotel's in the USA are not required by ADA Law to take every disability into consideration when designing rooms.

 

Not all of us need a wheelchair so a fully wheelchair accessible cabin might not be needed but a "semi-accessible" cabin with a wider door and easier bathroom.

 

HAL and Carnival have Modified Accessible Cabins. Yes it would be nice if other cruise lines offered Modified Accessible Cabins.

 

Or perhaps secure storage areas for scooters near steward stations so those users could get to them easier without the need to keep them in their rooms.

 

Though this in theory sounds like a reasonable solution it's unlikely that this would ever be implemented. It's not that cruise lines won't allow this to happen but rather that due to Safety Regulations & Compliance Standards established by SOLAS which are required to be enforced by the local Guard Guard (i.e. for ships embarking from a USA Port USA Coast Guard) is the enforcing agency) it's unlikely cruise lines could ever implement such practice.

 

Really not trying to put down these ideas as I too am in the disabled population that could benefit from some of these suggestions. However the hard cold reality is that until both International Laws and Maritime Laws change requiring cruise lines to provide more accessible measures for the disabled traveler the powers-to-be aren't going to spend the revenue.

Edited June 17, 2014 by xxoocruiser

[grab007]

My ideas were only brainstorming ways to free up wheelchair accessible cabins. I'm sure there are many more.

 

Its always easier to come up with reasons for NOT doing something than reasons FOR doing something. My point was Money Talks! If enough of us make our voices heard, the cruise companies will find a way. Even though the ADA does not apply, there are more accessible cabins and public spaces than ever before. We just need to remind them that its only a good start!

 

Thanks for watching the thread.

[sherilyn70]

HAL and Carnival have Modified Accessible Cabins. Yes it would be nice if other cruise lines offered Modified Accessible Cabins.

While the concept for HAL having modified accessible cabins was a nice thought... it really didn't help me much.

 

In the bathroom the grip bar for the toilet is behind it!

 

 

The seat in the shower is bolted to the wall and rather large. I found it inconvenient and bulky and suffered through quick showers while standing instead.

 

[xxoocruiser]

My ideas were only brainstorming ways to free up wheelchair accessible cabins. I'm sure there are many more.

 

Its always easier to come up with reasons for NOT doing something than reasons FOR doing something. My point was Money Talks! If enough of us make our voices heard, the cruise companies will find a way. Even though the ADA does not apply, there are more accessible cabins and public spaces than ever before. We just need to remind them that its only a good start!

 

Thanks for watching the thread.

 

 

Don't disagree that money talks and was not purposely trying to come up with reasons as to why it won't or can't be done. As stated I too fall into the group that can benefit from these suggested.

 

What I stated is the cold hard reality . Yes money speaks and it comes down to money. Unfortunately Cruise Lines don't have any problem booking cabins regardless of an aging population and due to the lack of accessible features. regardless that more accessible cabins being designed into new build outs.

In fact most ships sail at full capacity so the powers-to-be find it difficult to justify expanding accessible services and spending more revenue on such features when there are no laws that require them to do so Instead cruise lines prefer to do as little as possible as long as they are making a profit. Money only speaks when the cruise lines take a financial hit and if that financial hit can be proven to be a direct result of its lack of accessible features.

Edited June 17, 2014 by xxoocruiser

[sabookkeeper]

I didn't read the original post so its kind of tough to comment on. As someone who in in a wheelchair 24*7 there is no way that I can cruise in anything but a fully accessible cabin so the thought of feeling guilty has never occurred to me. As I normally cruise out of Charleston on the Fantasy it is frustrating to me that the Fantasy has only 4 accessible cabins, making it very hard for me to book one. I do have a problem with those who are are handicapped for the cruise only. Charleston offers free parking for those with handicapped plates and the abuse is unreal. Every single trip there when we are parked in the handicapped area I am amazed at the young families who pile out of the SUV's and skip on down to the terminal smiling because they borrowed Grandma's permit and saved themselves $105.00

 

There are some who should feel guilty about taking accessible cabins. I'll leave it at that..................

In your example, you are correct, however, we need to be careful not to judge people by sight. I have a handicap parking pass. If you saw me getting out of my van, I do not look handicapped, however, I cannot walk long distances and I cannot stand for very long. I use to walk into a mall and then get a wheelchair.

[sabookkeeper]

Bravo to all of who are not afraid "to get out there!"

 

Hopefully the powers that be will take note of this thread. Every "disabled" person's needs are different. The cruise lines could take that into consideration when designing cabins. Not all of us need a wheelchair so a fully wheelchair accessible cabin might not be needed but a "semi-accessible" cabin with a wider door and easier bathroom. Or perhaps secure storage areas for scooters near steward stations so those users coulde get to them easier without the need to keep them in their rooms. Also they could add the devices for hearing impaired folks available in more cabins as well. I know there are a lot more ideas out there.

 

As long as more and more of us make our voices heard (and our vacation $ available) the cruise lines will take our needs into their design considerations.

I agree with you. I actually do not need my scooter when I'm on board, because there are lots of places for me to sit and we always leave the cabin in plenty of time. I do not need an accessible cabin, however, I do need a shower seat so if they could make some of the showers larger that would be great. Fortunately my scooter folds up and so we just sit it on the couch in the cabin. Unfortunately we probably won't cruise on Princess any more because their cabins would not have anywhere to put the scooter (I don't want to pay the extra charge for a Junior Suite).

[mosiegirl]

I need the full or modified HC cabin each time I cruise. What I find frustrating is that each time I cruise, I have to fill out that requirement form and fax it back. This is cruise number 5 with Carnival. Can't they keep it on file somewhere? Very frustrating.

[terrierjohn]

We do need an accessible cabin for my DW, so having more cabins would be a big advantage, but for every 2 accessible cabins cruise lines lose 1 standard cabin, so more accessible cabins equals lower revenues.

However I also accept that many people need a scooter but not a fully accessible cabin, so I am very much in favour of cruise lines providing overnight storage and charging areas, especially if this enables scooter users to book standard cabins rather than accessible ones.

[mdvlprof]

I need the full or modified HC cabin each time I cruise. What I find frustrating is that each time I cruise, I have to fill out that requirement form and fax it back. This is cruise number 5 with Carnival. Can't they keep it on file somewhere? Very frustrating.

 

Exactly. I've scanned form to PDF file, so I don't have to fill out the whole thing each time. :confused: Can't they do the same, at the least? You'd think their IT folks could add a few lines to put special needs info.

Edited June 21, 2014 by mdvlprof

[xxoocruiser]

I need the full or modified HC cabin each time I cruise. What I find frustrating is that each time I cruise, I have to fill out that requirement form and fax it back. This is cruise number 5 with Carnival. Can't they keep it on file somewhere? Very frustrating.

 

Exactly. I've scanned form to PDF file, so I don't have to fill out the whole thing each time. :confused: Can't they do the same, at the least? You'd think their IT folks could add a few lines to put special needs info.

 

 

According to the law that became effective 1/1/2012 for cruise ships embarking from USA Ports individuals only have to attest that they a mobility disability or disability that qualifies them for the features contained in an accessible cabin . The individual is NOT required to disclose that the disability is permanent or temporary nor can a cruise line ask that question as by doing so it would be violation of USA Federal Privacy Laws.

 

Though some may think it would be more convenient for the cruise lines to retain this information in a permanent record USA Federal Privacy Laws prohibit this from being done.

Edited June 21, 2014 by xxoocruiser

[Chunky2219]

Here's how I look at it.

 

I'm fortunate to be able to get around in a cabin with crutches or by using the walls and I can manage with a shower chair. I just need enough room for the wheelchair and all the other stuff I have to schlep around. So, rather than book up at full brochure prices for a HC cabin, I prefer to keep my powder dry, scan the discounts and plump for something much larger like a suite when the best deals pop up. I tell myself that I'm leaving a HC cabin free for someone with a definate need, the reality is that I'm playing the system and I refuse to pay full whack for an early booking.

 

However, my shoulders are wrecked and one of my knees isn't getting any better, so the days when I can be certain of handling the shower (or being able to throw a leg over the side of the tub) are running out. When the day comes I'll have no option and no hesitation in going the HC route. In fact, I'll probably err on the side of caution and start booking before it's a certainty.

 

No-one who is unsure about need should feel worried about booking HC. The fact that you are not certain is sign enough that it might be time to bite the bullet.

 

The only people who should feel any shame about being in an HC cabin are the small proportion who manage to do the zumba exercises in the morning then fit in a full evening of ballroom dancing.

 

Needing a HC cabin has a lot of the same drawbacks as being a solo traveller. They too end up with a poor deal and either have very limited cabins available or else pay twice the price. But it is what it is and I can't see any cruise line making it any fairer any time soon.

 

 

.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Chunky2219
typo

[psupa]

I think we hesitate because we are losing our independence and this is just another reminder. I didn't want to accept that I needed help with things I did just fine 2 years ago. It makes us feel week or like less of a person even though we know it's not true. It is a tough emotional obstacle to overcome if you've lived the majority of your life healthy and active.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

Well said and we are dealing with this issue right now. My DH is dealing with a mobility balance issue and had to have back surgery. We are now trying to adjust and accept that he cannot do the things you used to do.

[Going Coastal]

Two things have worked for us. We book as far ahead as possible, currently into 2016, and we book with cruise lines that have been the most accessible for my particular needs, not only in cabins but in public areas also.

 

Because all of us on this forum have particular and divergent issues, there are just as many solutions. I have been especially aware of this as I have moved from a wheelchair pushed by a family member to a scooter rental to rollators to a cane.

 

I have also learned that another reason there are limited accessible cabins is that in case of a real emergency, there will be no scooters on the lifeboats and it will take at least two crew members to get each incapacitated guest up or down the stairs to the lifeboat station and onboard. This one of the reasons that responsible lines keep track of the guests that might need that help.

 

Happy cruising to all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[sherilyn70]

Is book for 2016 if I thought I'd be alive. :) it is so hard to plan that far in advance when I don't know when my cancer is going to take the turn for the worst. Papers say 15% survival over 3 years and I'm half way there.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Going Coastal]

May you continue to thrive and cruise for many more years!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app