Disabled Courtesy

[~Loreo~]

Hi Kyriecat,

 

I don't mind posting a review at all. Are you looking specifically for mobility accessibility or other features? I'd like to give the information that you need.

 

Perhaps we need a thread that deals specifically with accessibility review? I know I would find that useful.

 

Cheers.

[kyriecat]

Laurie,

 

I'm specifically looking for wheelchair accessiblility review. Specifically things that are good or bad. For example, we learned on Radiance that one of the doors into the Sea View Cafe had a bump that my mom could not maneuver herself. The theater didn't have any wheelchair reserved seating so my mom sat in the aisle. The wheelchair access restrooms on deck 6 didn't work most of the time. It was nearly impossible to get down the hallways due to the cleaning carts always being parked there. To get to the dining room on deck 4 from their cabin (4008), my parents had to take the forward elevator up to deck 5, cut through the photo gallery, then take the centrum elevators back down to deck 4.

 

On the positive side, the waiter always made sure that one of the chairs at our dining table was removed so my mom could wheel into place. The cruise director was lots of fun and took my mom "dancing" in the disco.

[CruisinOnWheels]

The reality we all have to live with is that the world is full of self centered, discourteous people.... having a handicap does not disqualify you!

 

While those of us who have had to live with a handicap for most our life, would like to think that others would be understanding of our limitations...reality is few are, and that most people are focused on their own needs, wants and desires.

 

That being said, persons with disabilities do NOT deserve to be overlooked or ignored just because of their handicap....each of us has the right to stand up for ourselves.

 

Stopping a person who is about to step in front of you, looking them in the eye and stating that you were in line in front of them...and you would appreciate if they waited a moment as you boarded the elevator! Should do the trick...

 

Often times once you point out to a person they are being rude or discourteous, especially if others are around...is enough to cause them to relent.

[LuLaLuvlee]

oh I agree. We can manage quite well in a reg room.

 

When my husband got ill last April aboard the Mille you shoulda seen the people clear away so we could get down to the hospital. They were great :) However, after that,when he was confined to the chair for the rest of the cruise, people would jam in elevators nearly seating themselves in his lap!

[urcnpam]

My DH and I just returned from the Carnival Pride. We had a great time and never had a problem with getting an elevator. The only problem that we had was with the Taj Mahal Lounge. There are only two cutout areas for wheelchairs on the floor of the lounge. On one evening, we entered the lounge and there was a mother with two small children sitting on the seats right next to the cutout for the wheelchair. I asked the woman if she would mind scooting over a bit so that I could sit next to my DH. She went ahead and moved to the row in front of us and we had a very pleasant visit. The very next night, we entered the Taj Mahal Lounge and again found about 5 people sitting on the row with plenty of room to scoot down. I kindly asked the woman sitting next to the wheelchair cutout if she would mind scooting over so that I could sit next to my DH and she flat out refused. She said that she would not scoot down. I was totally shocked. I didn’t even know how to respond. I mean, she is sitting next to the wheelchair cutout. Did she honestly think that a person in a wheelchair wasn’t going to sit there, and then that they wouldn’t have someone with them? Well, since I was just in total shock, all that I could get out was that we would just sit in the back of the Lounge where my husband would not be able to see the show. At the back of the Lounge we found a couple that we had befriended. The husband was also in a wheelchair. I told them good luck and they tried to sit there, and were also told no. My friends just sat across the aisle from the cutout, with his chair in the isle. I found a Carnival employee and told him what was going on. He told me to try the other wheelchair cutout before he intervened. The other wheelchair cutout had an older couple sitting there. I asked them if they would be able to scoot down a bit so that I could sit next to my DH, and they did. I later found out from our friends, that the woman finally told them that they would scoot down enough for one person to sit there.

[madhouseinc]

sscruising:

 

Unluckily we also often experienced rudeness from other passengers, especially with regard to elevators. And like you, we found it was usually not the young people who were rude. Senior citizens were sometimes the worst. Even when there was space for his wheelchair, they would stand in the middle of the elevator, refusing to move over so my husband could get n. In fact, once it was a young lady in her 20s who after watching us unable to get on several elevators, stood in front of the next one announcing that no one got on until my husband did.

 

However, this may partially be an east coast syndrome. On our last 2 cruises, both from Houston, we did not have any issues. In fact several times people offered to get off the elevator to make room for my husband.

 

I have to agree with you! I have been in a chair for 3 years (am 59) and find that many seniors are rude - they look at me like I should not be in one, people my age try to ignore that I even exsist but almost all the younger people look me straight in the eye offer to help me and are jsut more friendly. Cruising in January on MSC and hope the staff is as nice as Carnival was. I will be using just a walker again - but Carnival spoke to me at the muster, took down my name and cabin number - think I was flagged as being handicapped but in a regular cabin

[~Loreo~]

Laurie,

 

I'm specifically looking for wheelchair accessiblility review. Specifically things that are good or bad. For example, we learned on Radiance that one of the doors into the Sea View Cafe had a bump that my mom could not maneuver herself. The theater didn't have any wheelchair reserved seating so my mom sat in the aisle. The wheelchair access restrooms on deck 6 didn't work most of the time. It was nearly impossible to get down the hallways due to the cleaning carts always being parked there. To get to the dining room on deck 4 from their cabin (4008), my parents had to take the forward elevator up to deck 5, cut through the photo gallery, then take the centrum elevators back down to deck 4.

 

On the positive side, the waiter always made sure that one of the chairs at our dining table was removed so my mom could wheel into place. The cruise director was lots of fun and took my mom "dancing" in the disco.

 

Hi Kyriecat,

I have to say that Explorer is extremely accessible:

- the hallways are very wide - laundry carts do not pose a problem

- accessible rooms are large with adequate turning radius and roll-in showers

- there are cut outs for wheelchairs in all public rooms - at the back in theatres

- all washrooms have door openers with sinks in the stalls

- all entryways have automatic doors

- there were no "bumps" that I was unable to maneuver over

- there is are pool and hottub lifts that I successfully used

 

There were only two places that I could not get to because of stairs

- the front of the ship - level 5 (a la "I'm King of the World")

- the ocean/atmospheric labs

 

I did not get off the ship at Labadee because the tender dock ends at the beach - not possible to take my chair on the beach. They offered accessible beach chairs, but it was too hot to stay on the beach all day. Instead we stayed on the ship and had the pool to ourselves.

 

The casino was difficult to maneuver through when people were sitting at the slots - which is most of the time. I managed to get through but it was an adventure.

 

If you have any questions, give me a shout.

[mtncouple]

My SIL shattered her foot in Aug. and will have 4 screws removed from her foot 3 days before we cruise away. She will be in a large boot and on crutches. She has a handicapped sign for her car during this time. Do they have early boarding for this type situation? My DH and I are travelling with her on the Monarch in Dec., she has her own room. We are first time cruisers. My DB has no desire to go so we are taking our SIL anyway! Would like to know ahead of time what to expect for her.

[yarlenna]

We just returned from RC Explorer on Sunday out of NJ-10 day cruise-with my MIL who was using a wheelchair & my SIL who was using a walker. While we thoroughly enjoyed the trip, I was appalled at the rudeness of many of the passengers toward my relatives. It was particularly bad at the elevators. We would be waiting at the elevator which sometimes took a while & just as an elevator became available, people behind us would push past us to beat us on the elevator.:eek: I usually spoke up & most of the time was able to get them on the elevator, but their behavior was deplorable. I also saw the same thing happen to other passengers using wheelchairs & other devices & cannot believe how rude people have become! We even encountered similar problems getting on & off tenders. People would literally nearly push my SIL & MIL aside just so they could get ahead of them to wait to get off. Now I would probably be more tolerant of this type of behavior if the offenders were young but they were for the most part all over 40. I think society as a whole has become so self-centered & I think classes in courtesy should be mandatory for everyone! Believe me I do not want to have anyone believe that everyone behaved in this manner-there were many, many polite & courteous passengers but it just seems that politeness has become a thing of the past. I am just disappointed at the lack of courtesy that seems to be growing. Has anyone else noticed this trend?

 

Sandi

Hi. Please realize that some people don't look disabled but they are. You cannot see my handicap unless you see me falling down or if you check my spelling. 3 strokes and 2 bouts of cancer and I still want to cruise without a chair. I was amazed that I had to wait before the folks in chiars. They are NOT going to fall down. Please don't think we are all rude. Just realize that lots of us are too proud to use a chair, but they are doing the best they can.

[kyriecat]

Yarlenna,

 

Hopefully I am misunderstanding your post. The way it reads to me is that you think you should be able to push wheelchair users out of the way for the elevators just because you also have a disability. Because a wheelchair user won't "fall down" if they have to wait for another elevator, they have less rights than you.

 

I cannot agree with that. Being too proud to acknowledge that you need assistance does not make rudeness acceptable. If your disability is so severe that you need to shove someone out of the way who was waiting longer than you for an elevator, then it's time to consider getting a cane, walker, wheelchair, scooter, etc to assist you.

[yarlenna]

Yarlenna,

 

Hopefully I am misunderstanding your post. The way it reads to me is that you think you should be able to push wheelchair users out of the way for the elevators just because you also have a disability. Because a wheelchair user won't "fall down" if they have to wait for another elevator, they have less rights than you.

 

I cannot agree with that. Being too proud to acknowledge that you need assistance does not make rudeness acceptable. If your disability is so severe that you need to shove someone out of the way who was waiting longer than you for an elevator, then it's time to consider getting a cane, walker, wheelchair, scooter, etc to assist you.

I am not a rude person. I cannot push anyone anyway. The only time I have ever "pushed" a wheelchair user was when THEY push me down. That is not rude - it is science. I hate to fall but if I am pushed, I cannot help it.

[letsgosomewhere]

Rude people in elevators are usually IMHO, people who never use elevators. They don't realize the ones inside must exit before anyone can get in- Simple as that seems. I've cruised in a wheelchair before, and don't remember any problems. But let's try and be on the positive side, people who walk fast, drive fast, cut in and out of traffic on the road or on foot, may be thinking....."I'm fast, so I'll hurry thru and get out of everyone's way." Does that sound too naive????

[madhouseinc]

Cruisin:

We discussed this earlier and the problem of enforcement came up. I suggested that the "disabled elevator" only be callable with the key card from an accessible room.

 

I will be using a walker and opted to leave the HC room for those in wheelchairs so that would not work for me. (MSC only has 5 HC rooms) Another problem I see is if it is just one elevator you might have to go the entire length of the ship to get to it when where you are going is just one flight up.

[Sashalanda]

We just returned yesterday from our first experience with carnivals fantasy out of New Orleans.

The staff were marvelous!! Very helpful to us anytime it was needed.

I can walk short distances so I didn't need the HC room so declined it. My wc folds so my DH could get it in our room. In the shower there is a bar, I think intended for bathcloth, that I used to steady myself in there. The bathroom however does have a step up. It was a little wobbly for me on that point but otherwise room was great.

There are ramps that definately could use some adjustment. The buffet area is one. The ramps leading in and out , if I had tried to man those myself I never would of made it. My DH is 6ft tall and fairly muscular for age 53 and he had difficulty. I looked closely and its the runner for the electric door..not sure how they can fix that though. tables were never a problem as staff quickly accomadated us however we needed. The theater I don't think had cutouts per se for wc but there was plenty of room in certain areas for wc by seats.

Coming out of NO we didn't come across any rude passengers. Everyone was very kind at elevators etc.

My wc is not big so fit past the cleaning carts easily. The staff always had them right up next to the railing though so that may be difference. Other ships may not push them right up against a wall. In the food areas other passengers were curteous. On debarkation though many ppl were cutting lines regardless of HC or able bodied lol. I was in wc and sitting though so really shouldn't receive extra attention since I wasn't standing with canes like some. They did though send us to front of customs line when we got there

There was about 20 ppl that decided even though they had checked their luggage for ship to take off..they were going to get off with us who had our luggage with us...we were first ones off. The went past carnival employees even though they told them they had to wait on the upper deck..said they were getting off no matter what. They made it the long trek to customs with their backpacks and carry on luggage...customs paraded them back..holding their passports and told them they would be last ones off ship for not following directions lol. Guess customs wanted to make examples of them..this info was passed thro the line after we saaw customs parade all 20 back up that long uphill walk so its info by word of mouth lol.

Anyhoo, carnival goes out of their way for their handicap passengers :)

[forecastle]

Rude people in elevators are usually IMHO, people who never use elevators. They don't realize the ones inside must exit before anyone can get in- Simple as that seems. I've cruised in a wheelchair before, and don't remember any problems. But let's try and be on the positive side, people who walk fast, drive fast, cut in and out of traffic on the road or on foot, may be thinking....."I'm fast, so I'll hurry thru and get out of everyone's way." Does that sound too naive????

I think you hit the nail on the head ref. people who have never used a elevator.

[Sashalanda]

On one particular evening, my DH was grinning as we got off an elevator. Being funny I said "what did one of those women pinch your butt or what lol ". He asked had I not been listening to their converstation. I said no as my thoughts were on getting to the show. He said they were discussing their diets, and they were thankful etc for the lower calorie offerings in the dining room. I looked at him funny cause was confused. He said "Baby they could eat a regular meal on that menu if they would take the stairs instead of riding an elevator for just one floor." then burst into more giggles. I then noticed just how many ppl took the elevator instead of stairs. Speaking of youngish obvious able bodied. Many waited up to 10-15 min for an elevator just to go down one floor or up a floor. Granted, I kept in mind they may have used the stairs already many times that day and was taking a break but since they were what is called "fluffy" , I kind of doubt it. But then years ago I use to order diet pepsi(before they had nutrasweet) with a hot fudge sundae just because I loved diet pepsi then lol. I got many strange looks over that one.

[Treven]

I just got off the Serenade, the end of October, and my experience was just the opposite. I was constantly amazed by the number of people who opened doors for me or held an elevator for me or allowed me on first, or would move someone aside if I was coming up from behind. Of course it could have been due, in part, to it being an Atlantis Events-chartered cruise.