Is this discrimination

[Selbourne]

7 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

No doubt he will be back soon. Meantime speculating on his situation seems futile and we should wait to see what he says in his next reply.

We are saying the same thing. Impossible to know who is at fault until that very specific question is answered!

[JollyMia]

To clarify, I did mention on first questionnaire my wish to take a wheelchair (same as 2 previous cruises) hired from mobility at sea, I did not book the chair for some days after returning questionnaire.I did not take any screenshots unfortunately.

[Megabear2]

27 minutes ago, JollyMia said:

To clarify, I did mention on first questionnaire my wish to take a wheelchair (same as 2 previous cruises) hired from mobility at sea, I did not book the chair for some days after returning questionnaire.I did not take any screenshots unfortunately.

Thank you. 

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, JollyMia said:

To clarify, I did mention on first questionnaire my wish to take a wheelchair (same as 2 previous cruises) hired from mobility at sea, I did not book the chair for some days after returning questionnaire.I did not take any screenshots unfortunately.

In which case I think you have very good reason to be extremely unhappy with P&O. Your experience highlights that the whole system needs urgent review. It seems completely unacceptable to me that P&O accepted a booking, you correctly completed the required declaration and they take 3 months to flag a problem. I guess that you now have the dilemma of either not taking the wheelchair and struggling during the cruise, or taking one and risk being denied boarding. 
 

Not that I’m advocating rule breaking, but Mobility at Sea will either allow people to collect rented wheelchairs just inside the terminal entrance (which means that you have to check-in with them) or they will deliver them to the cabin (which means that you don’t) 🤔

[Gettingwarmer]

12 hours ago, 9265359 said:

I'm unable to use stairs (emergency evacuation chair) For anyone who is a full /part time wheelchair or mobility scooter user this is a mandatory requirement."

 

Does mentioning you are using a wheelchair automatically put you on the evacuation chair list or do you have to specifically request it as a mandatory requirement. @Selbourne  can you advise. OP said they didn’t request one. 

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

Does mentioning you are using a wheelchair automatically put you on the evacuation chair list or do you have to specifically request it as a mandatory requirement. @Selbourne  can you advise. OP said they didn’t request one. 

You don’t request one. They are allocated by P&O. 

[Gettingwarmer]

3 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

You don’t request one. They are allocated by P&O. 

Thank you. Having never needed to fill in the form I am not sure how it works. I presume there is a question asking if you use a wheelchair and if you answer yes the allocate a place of evacuation chair. 

[Megabear2]

Just now, Selbourne said:

You don’t request one. They are allocated by P&O. 

As is one to one minimum assistance for all types of mobility aids such as a walking stick.  If booking direct with P&O they are very hot on stating a walking stick means you must request one to one assistance. I'm unsure what a travel agent does.  

 

The problem I have experienced is they talk a good story but your booking can be missing that information.  Therefore when completing the form it is advisable to do as instructed and download or print the information you provided on the form.  Once it is submitted you cannot access it again, your personaliser just shows the form as having been submitted on X, Y, Z date. 

 

This of course means that the OP has overwritten his form submitted in January with the one in April and unfortunately he has no longer any proof he did submit in January.

[Selbourne]

29 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

Thank you. Having never needed to fill in the form I am not sure how it works. I presume there is a question asking if you use a wheelchair and if you answer yes the allocate a place of evacuation chair. 

Now that’s an interesting question. I’ve just checked the On Board Needs form that I submitted for our Cunard cruise next week (I kept a copy just in case), which I think is the same as the P&O one, and this is the second question (which I hadn’t remembered answering for my wife);

 

What level of assistance do you require in case of emergency evacuation?*
✓ I require evacuation chair assistance and I am under 128 kg (282 lbs)

I require evacuation chair assistance and I am above 128 kg (282 lbs)

 

One would assume that if you don’t tick either box then you are self declaring that you don’t need an evacuation chair. However, they may determine from answers to subsequent questions that you do. It’s all very confusing!

[Gettingwarmer]

1 minute ago, Selbourne said:

Now that’s an interesting question. I’ve just checked the On Board Needs form that I submitted for our Cunard cruise next week (I kept a copy just in case), which I think is the same as the P&O one, and this is the second question (which I hadn’t remembered answering for my wife);

 

What level of assistance do you require in case of emergency evacuation?*
✓ I require evacuation chair assistance and I am under 128 kg (282 lbs)

I require evacuation chair assistance and I am above 128 kg (282 lbs)

 

One would assume that if you don’t tick either box then you are self declaring that you don’t need an evacuation chair. However, they may determine from answers to subsequent questions that you do. It’s all very confusing!

Thank you for your reply. P&O state it is mandatory that you have an evacuation chair if you are using a wheelchair which you did. The OP said in their original post that they did not request an evacuation chair. Maybe there lies the problem. 

[Megabear2]

17 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Now that’s an interesting question. I’ve just checked the On Board Needs form that I submitted for our Cunard cruise next week (I kept a copy just in case), which I think is the same as the P&O one, and this is the second question (which I hadn’t remembered answering for my wife);

 

What level of assistance do you require in case of emergency evacuation?*
✓ I require evacuation chair assistance and I am under 128 kg (282 lbs)

I require evacuation chair assistance and I am above 128 kg (282 lbs)

 

One would assume that if you don’t tick either box then you are self declaring that you don’t need an evacuation chair. However, they may determine from answers to subsequent questions that you do. It’s all very confusing!

As a matter of interest what is the note where the * appears after the first line? Not having a wheelchair to declare I've never seen this part.

Edited May 14 by Megabear2

[Cloudyrain]

It forces you to tick one or the other and wont let you move on without selecting an answer.

 

It is set up so that you must have an evacuation chair allocated it you need a mobility aid (regardless of the type of need).

[Cloudyrain]

14 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

Thank you for your reply. P&O state it is mandatory that you have an evacuation chair if you are using a wheelchair which you did. The OP said in their original post that they did not request an evacuation chair. Maybe there lies the problem. 

This is correct: it used to be a case of "do you need an evacuation chair?" but now it's "you must have an evacuation chair".

[Selbourne]

5 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

As a matter of interest what is the note where the * appears after the first line? Not having a wheelchair to declare I've never seen this part.

Every single question across the entire form has an asterisk against it, yet there is no key to say what it means 🙄 I can only assume that it means that you must answer the question. 

[Cloudyrain]

It will not let you progress without answering questions with an asterisk.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

You don’t request one. They are allocated by P&O. 

But the question does ask if you would be able to use stairs with help, and then asks If you would need an evacuation chair. So I presume it's not automatic for wheelchair users to be assigned an evac chair.

[Gettingwarmer]

22 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

But the question does ask if you would be able to use stairs with help, and then asks If you would need an evacuation chair. So I presume it's not automatic for wheelchair users to be assigned an evac chair.

Confusing for wheelchair users if that is the case. If it is not “automatic” that you are assigned one but it is “mandatory” that you request one. 

Edited May 14 by Gettingwarmer

[Megabear2]

This issue is getting topical across the country.  Google feed this morning:

 

https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/people/i-felt-humiliated-po-cruise-deny-boarding-for-disabled-customer-from-flitwick-over-form-row-4627629

[Megabear2]

11 hours ago, Cloudyrain said:

It will not let you progress without answering questions with an asterisk.

Interesting.  The very first box in your screenshot about none of the statements but have medical needs is the one I use for my husband.  He owns a walking stick but only once has taken it on a ship, a staycation, when his pain was extreme.  There is nowhere on the form to really explain our position as it's mostly tickbox.  As a result I was instructed to do a follow up email to an address provided, one at P&O and one at Cunard but it seems to be one Carnival UK address. At the beginning of the new system they used to confirm by email, but since the start of the year zilch.  

 

I wonder if they are now innundated and the staff can't deal with the volume which is what may gave caused the OP's problem.

Edited May 15 by Megabear2

[majortom10]

One thing is for certain about P&O if there is an easy way or difficult (confusing) way of interpreting any new rules or guidance they always go for the difficult (confusing) way. Does make you wonder how competent senior managers who makes these decisions are.

[Adawn47]

Can I just clarify something?

Does all this rigmarole apply even if you occasionally need to use a walking stick?

Avril

[purplesea]

3 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Can I just clarify something?

Does all this rigmarole apply even if you occasionally need to use a walking stick?

Avril

Yes, I'm afraid to say it does. 

I have to fill in the form for my OH as he takes a stick, although he doesn't need to use it on the ship, but uses it sometimes when ashore.

[terrierjohn]

5 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Can I just clarify something?

Does all this rigmarole apply even if you occasionally need to use a walking stick?

Avril

I suspect your guess is as good as anyones, and probably far better than a P&O booking agent.

[zap99]

20 minutes ago, purplesea said:

Yes, I'm afraid to say it does. 

I have to fill in the form for my OH as he takes a stick, although he doesn't need to use it on the ship, but uses it sometimes when ashore.

I don't have a stake in this...but. On our last cruise a few folk were striding around on shore using hiking poles. Are they allowed without declaration ?.If not, why not.

Edited May 15 by zap99

[9265359]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

This issue is getting topical across the country.  Google feed this morning:

 

https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/people/i-felt-humiliated-po-cruise-deny-boarding-for-disabled-customer-from-flitwick-over-form-row-4627629

 

And there is the issue - do people actually read and follow instructions.

 

"He said: “P&O said they had sent me emails twice – but I’ve checked it online 30 times. I said I have done everything right.""

 

and the counter from P&O

 

“The on board needs questionnaire is on My P&O Cruises (our online portal) to be completed – it is not sent out by email. It is also very clear on the front page of My P&O Cruises that this is to be completed if needed.

 

“If Mr Ashton was booked in an accessible cabin, he or his agent will have been sent emails prompting him to login to My P&O Cruises to complete the questionnaire.

 

“We do advise on our website that wheelchairs/mobility scooters must be declared or they will be denied boarding. It is also within clause 21 of the booking conditions.”

 

However if P&O actually said this - 

 

He said: "They were willing to let me on board but without the wheelchair."

 

Then P&O are complete idiots, as someone not having a wheelchair that they normally use doesn't mean that they are suddenly able to climb stairs and not need assistance during evacuation!

 

 

Edited May 15 by 9265359