Wheelchair accessible cabin - What are the chances they will switch my cabin?!?!?

[hurley7]

I just realized that I am booked in an accessible cabin 9924 on the Norwegian Bliss. Has anyone ever been moved to another cabin because someone needed the accessible cabin? I certainly don't mind the idea of moving if someone needs it, except that this is our first AFT cabin and we are really looking forward to it.:o

[Two Wheels Only]

I just realized that I am booked in an accessible cabin 9924 on the Norwegian Bliss. Has anyone ever been moved to another cabin because someone needed the accessible cabin? I certainly don't mind the idea of moving if someone needs it, except that this is our first AFT cabin and we are really looking forward to it.:o

If someone needs it, it is very possible that you will be moved.

Have you tried to move into another B1 that isn't HC?

[hurley7]

If someone needs it, it is very possible that you will be moved.

Have you tried to move into another B1 that isn't HC?

 

 

Just called, the ship is sold out. Guess I will just have to hope that they don't move me!

Thanks for the information.

[pcakes122]

I hope you won't get moved, but it is a possibility. I am disabled and, although it wasn't my choice, I have been on two sailings where my booked cabin had issues and NCL moved me - and in doing so had to displace non-disabled folks in accessible cabins. Once was a plumbing related issue they had to fix, and the other was an issue with the automatic balcony door (wouldn't open or close and they couldn't fix it.) Both times were on Day 2 of the cruise. Although I didn't ask to be moved, I did send strawberries & wine to the folks who got moved (I'm not sure in either case where they wound up - maybe an upgrade?)

 

If you haven't stayed in an accessible cabin, just a heads-up that they are a bit different than a regular cabin. They are larger than a regular cabin, but to allow for more floor space to navigate a wheelchair, etc. they don't have much furniture. A regular aft balcony has a sofa-like couch/bed thingy for seating other than the bed - 9924 on Escape doesn't have that, so assuming the same for Bliss. (There is a single chair.) The accessible bathroom has NO shelves or storage at all, so I travel with one of those hanging storage cases to put on the door.

 

The aft views are amazing!

[SOPHIHEYY]

Im quite shocked they even let you book it, but since you said the ship is sold out, that makes sense. The odds of them moving you are slim, unless there is a problem with someone else's cabin, or someone gets injured pre-cruise and is now disabled and needs to switch, or something similar.

[Laszlo]

You would think NCL would have a check box or something to indicate you have a handicap or special need and really need that cabin while booking it

[NLH Arizona]

You would think NCL would have a check box or something to indicate you have a handicap or special need and really need that cabin while booking it

On the booking page under the number of passengers, it says this: If you have a mobility or other disability and need an accessible stateroom, please call us at 1-866-584-9756 to book your cruise reservation.

[Oceanwench]

I am very surprised Norwegian allowed you to book an accessible cabin this far out, since you are not handicapped.

 

There are only a handful of accessible cabins on each ship, compared to the number of standard cabins that able-bodied cruisers can book.

 

How did you book this? Through a TA?

Did you not look at the deck plans, which indicates it's a HC cabin?

[ray98]

They don't hold every ADA cabin open just waiting for a customer.

[mking8288]

Pax booking cabins for special needs tend to - usually - book them in advance & not last minute. It is possible that OP book her/his as a GTY to be assigned, and not seeing their sailing date, those "reserved" rooms for the accessible might've been past NCL's internal "cutoff" to hold them & released for general assignement ... just my guess, i.e. they are sailing soon, in the next 60 to 90 days, past cutoff for cancellation deadlines.

 

Or, it was just released & return to the "general" inventory for booking. There's probably language somewhere that - should special needs pax required to the accommodated in these stateroom, someone like OP who isn't SN would be reassigned.

 

We are sailing in less than 3 months on the mid-sized one, and just noticed that, i.e. 2 staterooms marked for "special needs" just showed up as available for anyone looking to book in that general category ... I won't get into ship & details (did a mock booking).

 

Odds are that upon arrival for pier check-in, agent should know if they need to make a switch and explain, etc. but it can happen during the cruise too. That happened to us many years ago, we got a call in the afternoon of day 2 to ask us if we would mind - which we cheerfully obliged and switch with the couple that "urgently needed it at the last minute due to whatever ..." With the exchange of staterooms & crew members helping, we ended up with an upgrade to a better location, midship & one deck higher ... No compensations, no OBC, no nothing ... but the satisfaction of knowing that we helped 2 unknown strangers while cruising & gave them "our" bigger stateroom.

 

We had booked that "old" cabin on a last minute GTY basis & was assigned to us; and, we knew & also called & spoke with NCL about it.

 

NCL, like other cruiselines, most certainly has within their contracts, reserved the rights to reassign ... in the fine prints. Nothing to be surprised or shocked about it ... aside from the facts, that this is a brand new ship, with passage on its Maiden inaugural season of sailing.

[Oceanwench]

I have no problem with the cruise lines setting a cut-off date, usually after final payment, and releasing the cabins back into the inventory.

 

But people with handicaps in need of an accessible cabin (my husband is one) should not have to book a year out just to go on a cruise.

I can't tell you how many times we had to book a cruise not when we wanted to go, but when an accessible cabin was available.

Ah, to be able-bodied and be free to book any cabin on a ship.

 

I've also had my TA call and ask if any accessible cabins were occupied by able-bodied people who could be moved to a another cabin.

She was told time and again that ALL pax in HC cabins needed the accessible staterooms, and the cruise line does not book able-bodied people in HC cabins.

[candigirl41]

I am assuming that the OP either booked a gty cabin or like others said it was released back into the inventory. My friend booked us on a cruise on the Bliss for October of this year. I had to call to get it switched to a HC cabin. I was so happy I was able to get it. Some other cruise lines will let anybody book a HC cabin, but they also have the disclaimer that they can move you if someone with a disability needs it.

 

Candi

[hurley7]

Thank you so much for the helpful comments. We have friends traveling with us and had planned on spending time together in our cabin. Good to know that there won't be a couch.

 

 

 

I hope you won't get moved, but it is a possibility. I am disabled and, although it wasn't my choice, I have been on two sailings where my booked cabin had issues and NCL moved me - and in doing so had to displace non-disabled folks in accessible cabins. Once was a plumbing related issue they had to fix, and the other was an issue with the automatic balcony door (wouldn't open or close and they couldn't fix it.) Both times were on Day 2 of the cruise. Although I didn't ask to be moved, I did send strawberries & wine to the folks who got moved (I'm not sure in either case where they wound up - maybe an upgrade?)

 

If you haven't stayed in an accessible cabin, just a heads-up that they are a bit different than a regular cabin. They are larger than a regular cabin, but to allow for more floor space to navigate a wheelchair, etc. they don't have much furniture. A regular aft balcony has a sofa-like couch/bed thingy for seating other than the bed - 9924 on Escape doesn't have that, so assuming the same for Bliss. (There is a single chair.) The accessible bathroom has NO shelves or storage at all, so I travel with one of those hanging storage cases to put on the door.

 

The aft views are amazing!

[hurley7]

I was on the phone with an NCL representative and were discussing other options, then he mentioned that an aft cabin had become available, so we booked it. At the time, I was so happy to get an Aft cabin that I didn't immediately notice that it was accessible.

 

I am very surprised Norwegian allowed you to book an accessible cabin this far out, since you are not handicapped.

 

There are only a handful of accessible cabins on each ship, compared to the number of standard cabins that able-bodied cruisers can book.

 

How did you book this? Through a TA?

Did you not look at the deck plans, which indicates it's a HC cabin?