Carnival Modified Cabins

[Travelitis]

Cruiseclues doesn't list them on cabin details, and an agent told me they are the same size as the regular cabins. Does anyone know if this is the case? (got to have space for the scooter)

[ndsumfun]

Cruiseclues doesn't list them on cabin details, and an agent told me they are the same size as the regular cabins. Does anyone know if this is the case? (got to have space for the scooter)

 

Only cruised Carnival once with DH whom is paraplegic. We were definitely SHOCKED to say the least at the size of our cabin! Their cabins are the same size as regular cabins. I believe the bathroom is bigger but I can't image someone in a scooter actually being able to turn around in it without coming all the way out & back in. We made due the week we were on the ship but we definitely prefer the spacious rooms on Royal better & from what I understand Princess also has "larger" hc cabins.

 

I will send pics if you would like to see.....couldn't get them to post here.....my e-mail is keller2@bellsouth.net

[Travelitis]

I'd like to see them - most definitely. My son's scooter isn't a Go-Go but is a pretty decent size. I can't have the scooter in his traffic path and risk him falling over it. My e-mail is potterharrymom at yahoo dot com. I'll also e-mail you. This could eliminate Carnival from our list.

[Luv4dacruise]

I would just like to let ya know, while we have never sailed on Carnival, we have tried to book before, but of course to no avail because we need a handicapped cabin. Well, from what i found out from talking to Carnival, their ships have both handicapped and handicapped modified cabins. The handicapped ones are like on all other cruise lines, they are purpose built for the handicapped. The modified ones are regular cabins that have been modified, same bathroom and everything, by modified, they have a larger doorway and a ramp up to the bathroom. Not suitable at all for someone with no use of there legs. They are more for people who still have use of their legs but just need a little assistance. There older ships have far more modified ones than regular ones, but the newer ones its about equal. Hope this is of some help. Happy Cruising :)

[ndsumfun]

I've been told the same about the "modified' cabins but I have not seen one.

 

We made sure to get a "regular" handicap cabin because I was afraid DH would have probs getting up the ramp to the bathroom without assistance.

[D&TTexasCruisers]

We just booked ours on Carnival Conquest and they gave us a handicapped cabin for my son they said it is 220sq ft and said that is bigger than most and when we looked on the deck plans it shows to be bigger. My son is able to crawl and he can walk somewhat with assistance but uses a wheelchair for long distances so as long as we have space for the chair in there we are ok. I dont know if this helps you or not but just my 2 cents.

[Travelitis]

We won't know in advance how well my son can move. His mobility varies because of severe arthritis, but to get around a ship, he'll definitely need his scooter. I am concerned about him literally tripping over that scooter for lack of space to park it. Maybe that agent was not very knowledgeable. I'll ask again.

[Cruiseboy06]

I was on Paradise about 3 weeks ago, and I was in a modified cabin, E69. This was my 2nd time on Paradise. Last time, I was in a fully accessible cabin, U243. Both of times, my wheelchair, TDX 3, fit prefectly fine, especially in E69. I can crawl so, there was no problem in my cabin E69..

[vw-fl]

My DH and I are booked on a cruise on Carnival's Fascination this fall and were told there is a difference between Carnival's modified and fully accessable cabins. For instance on Carnival's Fascination comparing room #'s E70 and E259 - although they are both 185 sq ft - the fully accessable cabin's bathroom is 5 X 5 resulting in a smaller cabin size whereas the modified cabin's bathroom is 4 X 5 (a wheelchair is not able to completely turn 360 in the bathroom) but the cabin is larger and they will provide a roll away bed for a third person in the room. Also there are areas that are not WC accessable on the Fascination.

 

The best place for accurate information is Carnival's special needs department - NOT their regular booking agents or TA's. We always check with the respective cruise line's special needs department for HC room specifications, availability and also get information on what areas of the ship are not WC accessable. Some ships have NO public WC accessable bathrooms. The special needs department can advise you if the ship is docked in town or anchored out. If anchored out we find out if the ship has a WC lift for tendering. If no lift then you may be stuck on the ship (we don't want cruise employees carrying him up and down steps in his chair).

 

My husband is confined to a wheelchair as he is not able to walk, stand, go up or down even the smallest steps, or crawl. We are one of those lucky ones who really need the larger entry door, the larger room, the larger bathroom door, no step ups into the room or bathroom, the roll in shower with no step ups or downs, hand held adjustable shower heads, elevated toilet seats, grab rails in the shower, grab rails by the commode, a pull down seat that is attached to the wall in the shower (or a shower chair with wheels and brakes), and a mini fridge for medicinal purposes. Some cruise lines will even elevate the bed so that you can transfer easier from wheelchair to bed. If it is a balcony room we make sure the balcony is ramped on the inside and outside for WC access. We take a folding manual wheelchair as well as the power wheelchair as WC lifts used for tendering will not accept power chairs. Also the manual WC will fit in the trunk of most cabs to get around in towns.

 

Also a good web site for disabled cruisers is www.access-able.com

 

Hope other WC cruisers find this info helpful

[gail811]

Don't know if these pictures will help or not. They are of cabin #8239 on the Spirit (so the same should apply on the Pride, Legend and Miracle) I do not know if it is an "accessible" or handicap; I took the pictures the day we left the Spirit because I was booking a handicap cabin on the Legend for my sister and wanted to see what the cabin would look like. I know the cabin is only for two people. There are a few more pictures here: http://travel.webshots.com/album/553480244WWgXRT

 

 

 

 

[amyerin]

Did you have a lot of noise from above in this room?

 

 

Don't know if these pictures will help or not. They are of cabin #8239 on the Spirit (so the same should apply on the Pride, Legend and Miracle) I do not know if it is an "accessible" or handicap; I took the pictures the day we left the Spirit because I was booking a handicap cabin on the Legend for my sister and wanted to see what the cabin would look like. I know the cabin is only for two people. There are a few more pictures here: http://travel.webshots.com/album/553480244WWgXRT

 

 

 

 

[leoandhugh]

from the description of your son's disability and the day to day changes in what he can manage, we would advise that, under no circumstances, should you book a modified accessible cabin. They are just regular sized with a modified bathroom and, as such have virtually no room to wheel around inside the cabin. If you can't get a proper accessible cabin, then I would advise scratching Carnival from your list of options. We travel with both scooter and foldup wheelchair and would not even consider Carnival unless it was a proper built(not modified) accessible cabin on one of their newer ships.:)

[gail811]

I did not stay in that cabin, just took pictures, but I imagine the only noise you would hear would be some foot traffic from above.

[dakwriter]

RE the original post, we, too, were told the HC cabins on Carnival are the same size as regular cabins. However, one look at a deck plan that shows the HC cabins will make you think otherwise. We cruise for the first time next week on Carnival Legend, which is a Spirit class ship. We were unable to get an HC cabin but were assigned a cabin next to one that is. (cruel, huh?) I will try to get a look inside that HC (that appears to be MUCH larger on the deck plan) and report back after my cruise.

[ndsumfun]

cool! I would definitely be interested in seeing what you thought.

 

Even the pictures posted are much smaller than what we are used to on Royal. There is no need for so much furniture crowding the room!

[LuckyBird]

I have taken two carnival cruises with a pride go-go scooter. The first was on the Ecstasy in a modified cabin. This cabin had a larger door, but there was a step up into the bathroom. The shower was a roll in with a pull down seat and there were plenty of grab bars. I have yet to figure out how you were supposed to use a roll in shower with a step up into the bathroom. The cabin was the same size as my parents regular cabin. There was room to get the scooter into the room but I could not turn it around to leave. I had to lift the front and turn it to get out of the room. Not great but workable for me. Last week I was on the conquest in a fully accessible cabin and it was great. The room was larger, the bathroom much larger with no step and a roll in shower with a seat. There was plenty of room to turn the scooter around and to exit the room with no problem, there was also plenty of room to walk around the room and not trip over the scooter. If you are traveling with a wheelchair or scooter I would try for a true handicapped cabin, the modified cabins would be better for those with mobility, or balance issues that need shower chairs, and grab bars. I hope this helps you. Sorry for the long post.:)

[dakwriter]

RE the original post, we, too, were told the HC cabins on Carnival are the same size as regular cabins. However, one look at a deck plan that shows the HC cabins will make you think otherwise. We cruise for the first time next week on Carnival Legend, which is a Spirit class ship. We were unable to get an HC cabin but were assigned a cabin next to one that is. (cruel, huh?) I will try to get a look inside that HC (that appears to be MUCH larger on the deck plan) and report back after my cruise.

Well, my DH & I just got back from our cruise on Carnival Legend and I have to say that LuckyBird's description of the fully accessible cabins is exactly right. Our cabin, which was next to one of these but not modified or fully accessible itself, was very cramped with my wheelchair. We were continually tripping over it, especially in the middle of the night since we never slept well during the cruise. The bathroom was especially problematic as I had requested a shower bench and it took up so much room in the tiny shower that I could barely move let alone wash myself completely. And then when my DH took a shower we had to remove the bench from the bathroom because otherwise it was impossible to use the sink. Altogether, the situation was so uncomfortable that when we got home I phoned Carnival's special needs department and asked if there was an accessible cabin available for our already booked & paid for November cruise. Unfortunately, the only HC cabins they have left for that cruise are in a much more expensive category that would double our cruise cost, so it is likely we'll have to make do once again with a regular cabin.

 

In the future, I will be requesting a fully accessible cabin as far in advance as possible and probably won't book another Carnival cruise without it. Our recent (first) cruise would have been so much easier if we'd had one. Shame on our travel agent for misleading us the way that she did. Because we found that we generally enjoyed cruising, we hope to book cruises several times a year for years for come. But we certainly won't be booking through her!

 

By the way, we never did see anyone come out of or go into the fully accessible cabin next to ours that didn't appear to be able-bodied. For whatever that's worth.

[Lowie]

i have an NCL accessible room booked for november on the Jewel. a regular inside room is about 170 square feet. the accessible room is 274 square feet. BIG difference. i will make sure to take and post pics of it when i get back.

[ndsumfun]

dak......i have to say that you would be amazed at the size of the cabins on Royal. We were so SHOCKED when we walked into the accessible cabin on Carnival. try it someday.....you won't be sorry!

[leoandhugh]

Unfortunately, for those of you who, because of proximity to Mobile and New Orleans, get stuck with the oldest of the Carnival fleet and those damn "modified" cabins. Hope is in the future; Carnival is beginning to phase those ships out of the fleet, starting with Celebration. Here on the west coast we have one of the newer Carnival ships, Carnival Pride. But, even so, with traveling with both scooter and wheelchair, we try to stick with the newer RCCL and HAL ships which we find much more accessible. It is only the older HAL ships like the Statendam class that have a few of the "modified" cabins, and we avoid those. Somewhat restricts our itineraries, but we always find one or two repositionings. Leaving October 5 on Serenade OTS(RCCL) for 15day RT Hawaii from our home port, San Diego. Fully accessible ship and cabin - even the door in to the cabin is hydraulic; push a button, it opens and stays open long enough to wheel in to the cabin. No lips into bath or on to balcony which has a teak decking:)

[netsurfer]

Is the cost of the inside modified and handicap cabins higher on the Fantasy class ships than the regular inside cabins of whatever category? Thanks in advance.

[uppitycats]

I use a wheelchair and was in a Carnival fully-accessible cabin on the Spirit, a few years ago. It was BIG, with plenty of room in the bathroom for my wheelchair, where I could turn completely around, and plenty of room in the cabin. The only "fault" was that I could not get access to the balcony - -there was a lip I couldn't navigate, and the door was impossibly heavy.

 

Our friends (non-disabled) stayed in a regular cabin next door -- same catagory -- and theirs was significantly smaller and more cramped.

 

I suspect you got one of those "adapted" cabins -- regular size, with some modifications -- rather than a fully accessible one! I know that if I intend to cruise, I have to book at least 8 months in advance to be sure that I get a handicap accessible cabin. There aren't many on the ships, and they go quickly. I think Carnival was trying to accommodate those folks who need some adaptations, but carnival doesn't seem to be able to distinguish between those who need the full-sized cabins and those who can make do with less space.

 

The other "beef" I have with CArnival is that many of their public restrooms were not accessible. I had to return to my cabin whenever I needed to use a bathroom. Not good.

[uppitycats]

Is the cost of the inside modified and handicap cabins higher on the Fantasy class ships than the regular inside cabins of whatever category? Thanks in advance.

 

No -- the cabin should not cost you more.

[blackrose602]

We've only recently begun to experiment with accessible cabins, due to a fairly new Carnival regulation that requires scooters to be kept in the stateroom (previously, we could store the scooter at the Purser's Desk or under the stairs new our stateroom). Dad has limited mobility, but is able to walk some. In any event, there are actually three types of accessible cabins.

 

Partially modified cabins are perfect for people like us. The doorway is wider to accommodate a wheelchair or scooter, and the room is laid out in such a way that storage is no problem. There is a small lip into the bathroom, which is fitted with grab bars, shower seat and so forth. These cabins are the same size as regular cabins of the corresponding category.

 

Fully modified cabins do not have any lips or other barriers. The bathroom is larger to accommodate a wheelchair, making the bedroom area a little smaller. These cabins are laid out in such a way that moving around in a wheelchair/scooter is possible, though a little tight. I would think they would be fine for those who use a chair but are able to comfortably transfer to bed, etc without assistance (and are good at maneuvering in tight spaces). These are the same size as regular cabins.

 

Purpose-built accessible cabins can be found on the newer ships (I want to say Destiny class and newer, but I may be wrong on that). They are bigger than regular cabins and are well laid out. We had one on the Glory (only accessible cabin style available when we booked 2 weeks out), and it was huge! Plenty of room to bring the scooter in and maneuver it around the room. I would choose this style if you/your traveling companion are unable to walk at all.

 

Again, I'm only going from personal experience and what I have seen and read. But there are definitely three distinct styles of accessible cabins, which serve three distinct types of need. I would recommend working directly with a Carnival PVP to determine exactly what is available on your particular sail date/ship. Ours has been fabulous!

 

The accessible cabins cost exactly the same amount as the corresponding non-accessible cabins. However, there are not accessible cabins of every category on every ship, and as they are limited in quantity, your options may be limited depending on when you book. You can get an inside, outside, balcony or suite, but you may have to go with, for example, a 4E inside rather than the cheaper 4A inside. However, all discounts and upgrades apply equally to accessible cabins. So in the previous example, if a past guest discount offers a 4E for the price of a 4A, you can then get that 4E accessible cabin at the 4A price.

[daveco58]

My Brother and I (he is in a wheelchair) travel on Carnival's Fantasy class ships, with the modified cabins, regularly. While I prefer, obviously, the purpose built accessible's, we don't have any real problem with the modifieds. It is a little tight wheeling the chair into the shower, but the room itself is plenty wide enough to turn the chair around in, and the chair isn't much in the way while he is in bed. As I said, I prefer the bigger staterooms, but I would not pass on a good deal, just because they only have the modified cabins available.