Need an accessible stateroom but told that none are available?

[luvmy2kids]

let me look back at my notes and see if i could find it for you...

[Katya4]

FYI: Another Wheelchair accessable room on the Norwegian Dawn is 11116. It is the width of two mini suites, huge ergo-friendly bathroom with roll in shower with a fold down bench. One bed on one side and one bed on the other with two sliding glass doors onto the balcony. The only problem is the ramps to go out onto the balcony are two steep to go over. My friend was able to sit in front of the doors and enjoy the view (plexi glass pannels on the balcony) But unable with a motorized chair to go out onto it. He even thought for a manual wheel chair it might be too difficult to use.

[DEL67]

Mattyboy:

 

I am not sure whether is was Carvival reservations or their Special Needs desk that took care of finding us a HC cabin when none were available. However I suspect it was the Special Needs desk as requests foir HC cabins usually need to go through them. Just call the main number (1 800 Carnival) and ask for the Special Needs desk.

[cruisedolly]

My frustration is that Celebrity Cruise Lines has started charging and excessive amount extra for HC rooms. I think this is highly discriminatory and I am no longer traveling on them, and they are my favorite line. I hope some of the others of you will protest as well. The cruise industry is beginning to realize there are many of us out there and that we are really beginning to cruise. Now they think they have us, they can raise the rate. I don't think it is fare as we have so many additional expenses in the first place, compared with other travelers, and why should we be punished for being in need of different accomodations?

[Katya4]

:confused: My mom and I are going on a cruise in September....She has cancer and is failing. We have booked a handicap cabin....We are bringing a wheel chair because my mom can not stand or walk any distances longer than 50 yards without complete exhaustion. On previous cruises she had trouble getting in or out of the tub because of decreased mobility. She is worse now and I am certain that bathing and going to the bathroom would be very difficult for her now. I talked to NCL and described her condition and asked for a recomendation as to accomidations that best suit her. They advised me to book a handicap accessible room. It is a shame they don't have bathrooms that are easier to use for people like my mom. I was very concerned that she might not be able to go on this cruise because of the condition she would be in at that time. I am really trying to give her a good experience as this may be her last cruise or vacation anywhere. My mother spent her career as a recreation director in a rehab that had many spinal chord injury & wheelchair bound resisdents. She had her special license to transport them and often did. She raised us correctly and we never parked in handicap spots. She is concerned about booking this cabin and do not want to take a room away from someone who needs it. But it is important at this point in her illness that she is able to move around and use the bathroom. I am not certain how much more limitations she will have by the time we leave. In addition, I am traveling in a group of people, one of which is in a power chair and will be in one of the 3 other HA cabins. I am certainly sensitive to people's accessability problems. But I do need to ensure that my mother can bathe and move around. If you see us and she is walking not sitting in a chair...please be patient with us....not everyone who needs the accomidations looks the same.

[runnerandme]

CruiseDolly, I have never paid more for my H/C cabin. It has always been the same rate as the same catagory non accessible cabins..on Celebrity.

Connie

[Hebe]

CruiseDolly

 

I am also concerned why you think Celebrity is charging you more. We have never been charged any differently for a wheelchair room.

 

Are you sure that the price you are looking at has not gone up for the category since you priced it? Also could it be you are asking for a certain type or room (ie balcony) and the only ones they have are in a certain price level that is different from what you originally priced?

 

Deb

[Hebe]

Katy

 

Please do not feel bad -- you are bringing a wheelchair with you so it sounds like you are planning to move her around the room in it. Therefore, you need and should have a wheelchair assessable room.

 

No one here has ever planned to need these rooms but as we all know -- life is unpredictable. So we have all decided to make the best of the situation and enjoy the time we have by traveling.

 

I hope you and mother have a very special cruise together. I hope you can focus on the positive and it will become a time together that you both will always remember.

[daju22]

My frustration is that Celebrity Cruise Lines has started charging and excessive amount extra for HC rooms. I think this is highly discriminatory and I am no longer traveling on them, and they are my favorite line. I hope some of the others of you will protest as well. The cruise industry is beginning to realize there are many of us out there and that we are really beginning to cruise. Now they think they have us, they can raise the rate. I don't think it is fare as we have so many additional expenses in the first place, compared with other travelers, and why should we be punished for being in need of different accomodations?

 

Hello Cruisedolly,

We have cruised on Celebrity many times since my husband became disabled and have never pair extra for a handicapped cabin. We book our handicapped cabins as soon as new itineraries come out. The prices generally go higher as the saildate comes closer. We booked the Quest Nov. 2008 sailing last March, 2007. Give Celebrity another try or use a different travel agent.

Could you please explain what happened to you?

[Three Rings]

This is an odd coincidence. CruiseDolly's post was from exactly one year ago today. They may or may not see the most recent postings on this thread, so may or may not respond. :)

[Harleycat]

:confused: My mom and I are going on a cruise in September....She has cancer and is failing. We have booked a handicap cabin....We are bringing a wheel chair because my mom can not stand or walk any distances longer than 50 yards without complete exhaustion. On previous cruises she had trouble getting in or out of the tub because of decreased mobility. She is worse now and I am certain that bathing and going to the bathroom would be very difficult for her now. I talked to NCL and described her condition and asked for a recomendation as to accomidations that best suit her. They advised me to book a handicap accessible room. It is a shame they don't have bathrooms that are easier to use for people like my mom. I was very concerned that she might not be able to go on this cruise because of the condition she would be in at that time. I am really trying to give her a good experience as this may be her last cruise or vacation anywhere. My mother spent her career as a recreation director in a rehab that had many spinal chord injury & wheelchair bound resisdents. She had her special license to transport them and often did. She raised us correctly and we never parked in handicap spots. She is concerned about booking this cabin and do not want to take a room away from someone who needs it. But it is important at this point in her illness that she is able to move around and use the bathroom. I am not certain how much more limitations she will have by the time we leave. In addition, I am traveling in a group of people, one of which is in a power chair and will be in one of the 3 other HA cabins. I am certainly sensitive to people's accessability problems. But I do need to ensure that my mother can bathe and move around. If you see us and she is walking not sitting in a chair...please be patient with us....not everyone who needs the accomidations looks the same.

 

Your mother has a real need for that cabin and you should not think twice about booking it. She will definitely need the support in the bathroom.

 

I'm the opposite, I'm disabled but don't need an accessible cabin. There have been times in the past, when I'm post op, that I would have needed one and would not think twice about booking it.

[Meredith22]

Just today I phoned Carnival to request an HC cabin and was told there were none available. Yet I was also told by the Carnival rep that HC cabins are exactly the same as regular cabins except for the width of the entry door. This is what our TA told us, too. So what is the truth? Are Carnival HC cabins the same size and configuration as regular cabins or not? From what I've read on this thread and others, I'm getting the impression that HC's are better for those of us in wheelchairs. Otherwise, why not just increase the door width on all cabins and be done with it? In addition, when I look at the deck plans for Carnival (Carnival Legend, in this case) the HC cabins appear to be much larger than adjacent regular cabins. When I asked the Carnival rep about this apparent difference, however, she repeated the "fact" that the cabins are the same size.

 

Do any of you have any experience with Carnival HC versus regular cabins that you might share with me? I've never been on a cruise before so don't know what to believe.

Thanks for the help!

Meredith

[Umbarger]

Just today I phoned Carnival to request an HC cabin and was told there were none available. Yet I was also told by the Carnival rep that HC cabins are exactly the same as regular cabins except for the width of the entry door. This is what our TA told us, too. So what is the truth? Are Carnival HC cabins the same size and configuration as regular cabins or not? From what I've read on this thread and others, I'm getting the impression that HC's are better for those of us in wheelchairs. Otherwise, why not just increase the door width on all cabins and be done with it? In addition, when I look at the deck plans for Carnival (Carnival Legend, in this case) the HC cabins appear to be much larger than adjacent regular cabins. When I asked the Carnival rep about this apparent difference, however, she repeated the "fact" that the cabins are the same size.

 

Do any of you have any experience with Carnival HC versus regular cabins that you might share with me? I've never been on a cruise before so don't know what to believe.

Thanks for the help!

Meredith

 

Yes, Carnival HC cabins are the same size as regular cabins. The doorways are wider so a wheelchair can get thru the entry and the bathroom. Most of the furniture is taken out of the room so the HC cabins may appear roomier. No couch, coffee table etc. We were on the Carnival Valor.

 

We found the Carnival HC room tight but since it was only a week we managed. I have heard that alot of disabled cruisers don't cruise Carnival anymore because of the size of their cabins. They just find it too difficult. Also on the Valor all the HC cabins were at the very front of the ship and out of the way. It took quite a while to get anywhere.

 

Hope this info helps.

 

Linda

[cunnorl]

We recently were on the Carnival Glory in a suite. It is a modified cabin which they did explain to me before hand. However who it is modified for is anyones`s guess. My daughter is in a wheelchair full time. The toilet is real tight up against the tub.There was a tub not a seperate shower. We had asked for a shower bench prior to the cruise and did not receive one. When I asked about it I was told that they did not have any. Completed all the "paperwork" through the Special Needs Department and had been told it would be in the room on our arrival. We managed but we won`t do it again.

We are now looking at RCL for our next cruise.

[Hebe]

We have been on RCL Jewel and must say they have the best handicap room that we have found