Mobility Aid Clarification

[kevboy]

When reading P&O`s rules on taking mobility aids or disability aids on board there is much ambiguity. Can anyone clarify please?  I am not talking about Mobility scooters or non folding wheelchairs because your clearly need an accessible cabin to store these. When visiting ports. depending on amount of walking involved I might use a folding travel wheelchair or a walking stick and on occasions possibly an arm crutch. Are these allowed in standard cabins? Do P&O have to be notified before I can bring them? It seems that any mobility issues have to be notified but what constitutes a mobility issue? For example, is a limp a mobility issue? Is an inability to run classed as an issue? Any advice gratefully received.

[Ardennais]

For our Cunard cruise last month, my mother filled the questionnaire. She stated that she was talking a walking stick and foldable walker (in case of tiredness) but that she didn’t need assistance in an emergency. She was next door to us. 

[Selbourne]

You definitely need to declare any mobility equipment that you are taking. There is an online form for this (‘Onboard Needs Questionnaire’?). If you don’t do this and turn up at the port with items such as a foldable wheelchair there is a very real chance that you will be denied boarding. P&O (and Cunard) have started clamping down on this. 
 

As for health conditions, there are very specific questions to answer on the form. The main things that they are trying to establish is whether you would need assistance on board (in which case you must travel with an able bodied companion) and / or if you may need assistance in the event of an emergency. I’d suggest that you spell out your conditions on the form to avoid potential problems later. 
 

In your situation you shouldn’t need an accessible cabin, but will need to ensure that your cabin is large enough to store any aids that you are taking within it. It is not acceptable to leave mobility aids (or pushchairs for that matter) outside cabins, even when folded. Hope that helps.  
 

 

[molecrochip]

Any non-motorised/non electric aid is allowed in a standard cabin as long as you can move it into the cabin and it doesn’t hamper escape.

 

If you need such aid, report it for completeness.

 

Additionally, if you have a medical condition/issue which would need assistance in an emergency, or cause you difficultly or significant extra time reaching your muster station, then I would mention.

Edited February 16 by molecrochip

[Ardennais]

My mother found the cabin doors extremely heavy - something that she hadn’t noticed before. 

[molecrochip]

Just to be realistic for a second: nowadays there is a greater chance of denied boarding if you don’t fill in the form than if you do complete it.

[sandancer]

The online accessibility form ask you to provide the dimensions of your wheelchair to make sure it will go through the door. We found a standard balcony to be not really suitable for us as my hubbie has both a folding wheelchair and a Rollator which also folds. Our next cabin is a de luxe balcony - we can’t get an accessible cabin even though we have been waitlisted for months. We are beginning to realise that we have to book far in advance to get an adapted cabin. Do fill in the form, it’s easy and you won’t have to worry about being refused boarding. As others have said this is definitely happening now. 

[Selbourne]

Just now, sandancer said:

we can’t get an accessible cabin even though we have been waitlisted for months.

That’s interesting as we have always been told that there are no waitlists for accessible cabins. Maybe the exception is when you have already booked, but that’s not an option for us. We can’t book a standard cabin in the hope that an accessible one comes up. No accessible cabin = no cruise.

[sandancer]

To be fair this cruise was moved from another cruise some time ago and at the time of booking we didn’t need an accessible cabin. Unfortunately since then circumstances have changed hence our being waitlisted. 

[terrierjohn]

21 minutes ago, sandancer said:

To be fair this cruise was moved from another cruise some time ago and at the time of booking we didn’t need an accessible cabin. Unfortunately since then circumstances have changed hence our being waitlisted. 

If the wheelchair and rollator can be folded to go through a standard cabin door  then that is perfectly acceptable to P&O, especially if you can manage in a standard cabin/bathroom.

[Selbourne]

Just now, sandancer said:

To be fair this cruise was moved from another cruise some time ago and at the time of booking we didn’t need an accessible cabin. Unfortunately since then circumstances have changed hence our being waitlisted. 

Actually I’ve just remembered that back when my wife was a part time wheelchair user, but getting close to being full time, we had booked a standard cabin as we physically could use one (albeit with a struggle) and we didn’t want to deprive somebody with a greater level of disability from cruising. However, as the cruise drew near, my wife was getting more and more anxious about it, so I called P&O and a few weeks later they called to say we could move into an accessible cabin, so there obviously was some form of waitlist for people who were already booked on the cruise (as you are). 
 

Now that my wife simply cannot cruise without an accessible cabin, it has been a source of great frustration that if there are no accessible cabins available, which means that we cannot book, there is no facility to be waitlisted for one. We would book more short notice cruises if this facility existed. As it stands, if an accessible cabin comes up (due to a cancellation or whatever), P&O will move people who may even be able bodied into them (we have spoken to several people that this has happened to). Seems daft to shuffle the pack rather than get a new booking.

[sandancer]

The problem for us is that a standard cabin is a tight fit with 2 pieces of kit. It’s just manageable in a de luxe cabin although obviously not as comfortable as an accessible cabin. Like yourselves booking last minute is not now an option. 

[Ardennais]

Can I ask, do the main cabin doors of accessible cabins open automatically? As I said, my mother found the door extremely heavy this time around (standard balcony), so I was wondering how some of you cope with when using mobility aids. 

[Selbourne]

Just now, Ardennais said:

Can I ask, do the main cabin doors of accessible cabins open automatically? As I said, my mother found the door extremely heavy this time around (standard balcony), so I was wondering how some of you cope with when using mobility aids. 

Only on some ships. I can’t recall which do and which don’t but they open automatically on Aurora. The problem with the automatic cabin doors is that they stay open far too long. Not only does this become a bit of a privacy issue, but on Aurora, where the corridor outside our cabin is about 25 degrees, it allows a load of heat into the cabin that we’ve been trying our best to keep cool 🙄

[solentsam]

My wife is a part time (fold up) wheelchair user, being that she has difficulty in walking on her own. We often use standard cabins, but as the doors tend to close on their own we take a door wedge to keep the door open while I steady her to get into the cabin rather than tying to keep it open with my foot. much easier 😀

Edited February 17 by solentsam

[john watson]

On 2/16/2024 at 9:30 PM, Selbourne said:

 

Now that my wife simply cannot cruise without an accessible cabin, it has been a source of great frustration that if there are no accessible cabins available, which means that we cannot book, there is no facility to be waitlisted for one. We would book more short notice cruises if this facility existed. As it stands, if an accessible cabin comes up (due to a cancellation or whatever), P&O will move people who may even be able bodied into them (we have spoken to several people that this has happened to). Seems daft to shuffle the pack rather than get a new booking.

I read a post on here  the other day where someone had booked a minimum guarantee inside cabin but had been upgraded to ocean view.  When checking the details the upgrade was an adapted cabin which they did not need but they were happy with it.  

It seems to me cruise lines routine follow this practice but without bookings made on the basis of having an adapted cabin or not sailing they are stuck in a chicken and egg situation in respect of booking in the final few passengers which they effectively put anywhere.  We need a booking category where you book an adapted cabin where none remain and wait but if none come up you do not sail whereas if one comes up you get notified and sail.  Probably need a seven day period prior to sailing and a refundable deposit system.

 

Regards John

[terrierjohn]

On 2/26/2024 at 11:42 PM, john watson said:

I read a post on here  the other day where someone had booked a minimum guarantee inside cabin but had been upgraded to ocean view.  When checking the details the upgrade was an adapted cabin which they did not need but they were happy with it.  

It seems to me cruise lines routine follow this practice but without bookings made on the basis of having an adapted cabin or not sailing they are stuck in a chicken and egg situation in respect of booking in the final few passengers which they effectively put anywhere.  We need a booking category where you book an adapted cabin where none remain and wait but if none come up you do not sail whereas if one comes up you get notified and sail.  Probably need a seven day period prior to sailing and a refundable deposit system.

 

Regards John

I think the post was from a Caribbean fly cruise, probably there are likely to be fewer disabled passengers on a fly cruise, and when these cabins are not all booked it is quite likely they will given as "upgrades".

[daiB]

On 2/28/2024 at 3:12 PM, terrierjohn said:

I think the post was from a Caribbean fly cruise, probably there are likely to be fewer disabled passengers on a fly cruise, and when these cabins are not all booked it is quite likely they will given as "upgrades".

Correct John.

[purplesea]

My mother uses a folding wheelchair and we have had no issues booking a standard cabin. We had a standard cabins on Iona and Britannia and have a de-luxe cabin booked on Arvia.

 

We had booked assistance for my mother on Britannia last year, but on arrival at the port they had no knowledge of it, although on board they did have notification of her allergy. Both of which were sent to P&O at the same time and acknowledged.

 

On our most recent cruise (January) I declared a walking stick for my husband, but it was queried at the airport?

 

I now take a hard copy of the completed questionaire to prove my point.

Edited March 2 by purplesea