Width of cabin doors on Monarch of the Sea

[MszKitty]

Does anyone know what the width of a typical cabin door is on RCCL's Monarch of the Sea?

I have a group of 50 friends and family members going on cruise in Feb. My brother, a leg amputee, is in a motorized wheel chair.

He wants to join us, but there are no handicap rooms available.

His motorized wheel chair has a wheel span of 24 inches.

Does anyone know if that will fit thru a regular cabin door?

If the chair doesn't fit thru the door, once he's inside he could use crutches, but is it ok if he leaves the chair outside the door in the hallway?

 

Thanks for your help

[BaumD]

Suggest you contact special needs at RCCL.....

 

Our goal is to make all our guests as comfortable as possible, both on and off the ship. Our cruise ships were designed with spacious corridors to accommodate 180° turns for wheelchairs. Most decks are accessible through automatic doors, and all public rooms feature entrances with gradual inclines. We provide accessible staterooms ranging from 159 square feet to 298 square feet, offering a five-foot turning radius in sleeping areas, bathrooms and sitting areas for easy maneuverability.

 

For additional information, call (800) 722-5472 x34492 (voice/TDD), send an e-mail to specialneeds@rccl.com, or have your local travel agent or International Representative contact us.

 

Services Provided:

Early boarding.

Cruise transfers utilizing a specialized van with lift.

Boarding and departure assistance.

Scooter access.

Hydraulic lifts for one pool and one Jacuzzi on each ship in the fleet.

Accessible tender system (available fleet-wide in October 2003).

Accessible Blackjack tables in the casino.

Accessible Guest Relations Desk.

Deck plans that show accessible paths of travel.

[MszKitty]

BaumD...

 

Thanks so much for your quick reply. I should have KNOWN to check the website for that info. (I musta had a brain freeze for a moment or two:o ) I will contact RCCL first thing tomorrow.

[rjg41]

I don't believe I have every seen a cabin door narrower than 28" or 30". For a question like this I would call RCCL customer service and if they don't give you an answer that you are satisfied with, ask for a supervisor. Someone should be able to contact engineering and give you an exact answer.

 

A chair in the hall is likely not acceptable since it would pose a safety hazard especially for safe egress for other passengers in an emergency. You might work something out with the room steward for storage of the chair. Again CS should help you with this.

 

Once in the room, crutches will be a must especially for the bathroom. While I have not been on Monarch, I have not seen a bathroom without a lip of about 4". Also there will be no room to navigate in the chair in most of the room.

 

Have you considered also waitlisting for a handicap room? Right around the time of final payment there are often cabins that open up.

 

Good luck!

[MszKitty]

I don't believe I have every seen a cabin door narrower than 28" or 30". For a question like this I would call RCCL customer service and if they don't give you an answer that you are satisfied with, ask for a supervisor. Someone should be able to contact engineering and give you an exact answer.

 

A chair in the hall is likely not acceptable since it would pose a safety hazard especially for safe egress for other passengers in an emergency. You might work something out with the room steward for storage of the chair. Again CS should help you with this.

 

Once in the room, crutches will be a must especially for the bathroom. While I have not been on Monarch, I have not seen a bathroom without a lip of about 4". Also there will be no room to navigate in the chair in most of the room.

 

Have you considered also waitlisting for a handicap room? Right around the time of final payment there are often cabins that open up.

 

Good luck!

rjg41...

 

I kind of thought that would be a safety hazard, but I have seen several instances where people have left strollers outside their door. I thought it wasn't very safe, but then I thought...well, if the cruise line allowed it, then it must be ok. Anyway....

 

As far as the lip on the bathroom...I just assume that a handicap room would address this issue...maybe by having a small ramp from the cabin to the bathroom.

 

Regarding the waitlist. Because I didn't specify a handicap cabin when I booked my group (I booked this cruise in Aug, and my brother just told me he wants to go), I can't put him on the waiting list for a handicap cabin under our group rate. I would have to book him under a separate booking and get waitlisted for a handicap cabin. However, it doesn't sound too likely as I was told there are only THREE handicap rooms on the Monarch. That doesn't sound very reasonable to me. Anyway...I will be calling RCCL tomorrow.

 

Thanks for your advice.

[Merion_Mom]

On the Voyager this past August, several wheelchairs and scooters "lived" in our hall. Everyone managed to walk around them, and I certainly assumed that they were there because their users NEEDED them. No biggie for me to bend my path a bit, though I heard SOME curmudgeons grumbling. They should thank their lucky stars that THEY are not the ones who need those assists!

 

Carol

[MszKitty]

An update:

 

I spoke with RCI. As luck would have it, there was ONE handicap cabin available for my brother. I was able to add that cabin to my group booking, but at the price that its going for now, not the price that the other cabins went for when I made the first initial group booking. Now, my brother (who is on a limited income because of his disability) doesn't know if he can afford the extra $170 for the cabin. He basically has until the end of this week to figure that out.

 

And by the way...I was told the cabin doors on the Monarch are 23 inches wide...his wheelchair is 24 inches!

 

Thanks for everyone's advice. :)