Just unknowingly booked Inside Wheelchair room on Century

[rftsr]

I just booked a March cruise online and was offered 2 inside rooms. One looked really big so I took it and have since found out it's for wheelchair access. We don't use wheelchairs and I'm concerned that the cruiseline won't honor the reservation. Of course, a disabled passenger should have it if needed but I'm not sure how to handle this. Best Price Cruises is the agent. Any ideas?

[Lois R]

I just booked a March cruise online and was offered 2 inside rooms. One looked really big so I took it and have since found out it's for wheelchair access. We don't use wheelchairs and I'm concerned that the cruiseline won't honor the reservation. Of course, a disabled passenger should have it if needed but I'm not sure how to handle this. Best Price Cruises is the agent. Any ideas?

 

Hi:)they will honor it...usually those cabins are held back

for a certain amount of time. Then they are released to the public.

(That is what I was told anyway).

You sail next month? I think they have released them by now.

Oops...the agency cannot be mentioned on here.

 

If you are concerned I would call them back....but the same thing

happened to me. I told X I would give it up if a physically

challenged person needed it.

Nobody did....first time that has happened to me. The cabin

is extra large.

[rftsr]

Hi:)they will honor it...usually those cabins are held back

for a certain amount of time. Then they are released to the public.

(That is what I was told anyway).

You sail next month? I think they have released them by now.

Oops...the agency cannot be mentioned on here.

 

If you are concerned I would call them back....but the same thing

happened to me. I told X I would give it up if a physically

challenged person needed it.

Nobody did....first time that has happened to me. The cabin

is extra large.

 

Whew...thanks for the info. Sorry about agent mention. Learning the ropes here. Well if no one really needs it the extra space will be a treat. Thanks so much for the insight. Cheers!

[BarbJ52]

Well, there's good news and bad news - but mostly good.

 

The good news is that Lois is absolutely right. Celebrity does hold the hc cabins back from the inventory so that they are available to those who need them. They do require that you fill out a form regarding your needs (not your condition, but needs) or send a doctor's not stating that you need the cabin. Those of us who need to book hc cabins try to book early so that we are certain to have a cabin that meets our needs.

 

As the cruise approaches, the cabins are released to the general public. Most of us who book hc cabins don't fault able-bodied pax who acquire the cabin once it has become available to the public. We also don't expect the ship to sail with empty cabins.

 

The bad news - if someone who needs accessible features is trying to book your cruise, you will probably never know about it. While you might tell X that you'd be happy to move if this should happen, it probably won't. Your cabin will show up as booked and there will be no indication of whether or not you are disabled. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you should change you booking. That cabin will be booked one way or another. It wouldn't be fiscally sound of X to to continue to leave it open.

 

So ...... enjoy your cruise .... and the extra space in the cabin. :)

[jasm8449]

My experience has been that if you need an HC cabin, you must provide documentation to the Special Needs department. So I would think that Celebrity would know if they have documentation for the booked HC cabins, so that they are able to place an eligible passenger into an HC cabin that is assigned to someone who doesn't actually require it. Is this no longer true?

[Texed]

The bad news - if someone who needs accessible features is trying to book your cruise, you will probably never know about it.

 

We had a late released HC on one cruise. We were contacted and asked if we would give it up for a needing individual. We did.

[cruisinfanatic]

We had a late released HC on one cruise. We were contacted and asked if we would give it up for a needing individual. We did.

That was good of you to do that. Did the cruiseline give you an upgrade for changing?

[BarbJ52]

We had a late released HC on one cruise. We were contacted and asked if we would give it up for a needing individual. We did.

 

It's good to know that this does happen sometimes. On the Disabled Cruise Travel forum there's a HUGE thread about able-bodied pax booking HC cabin. It's pretty eye-opening. In my opinion X and RC do a pretty good job of making sure that these cabins go to those who need them. While dh's needs are not extensive, they've done a great job of accommodating them.

[Texed]

That was good of you to do that. Did the cruiseline give you an upgrade for changing?

 

I wasn't trying to pat myself on the back, I just wanted everyone to know that they do try to get folks that need the special cabins into those cabins.

They didn't give us an upgrade, but did give us a few to choose from.

[dan722]

Celebrity doesn't ask for any doumentation to book an accessible cabin. I use a wheelchair and have never been asked for proof that I need an accessible cabin. I wouldn't worry about the fact that you booked one. you can't book them online, I'm told, so if you asked for a cabin that was accessible the agent would asked if you needed it.

 

EXAMPLE. you call celebrity and ask for cabin xxxx

 

celebrity will say politley say, that's an accessible cabin, is that something you need.

 

you say no.

 

celebrity says it's a accesible cabin, we hold those for pasengers who require them. if celebrity didn't say that I would assume it was released.

 

since you didn't lie and say you did if you didn't need it, and celebrity didn't ask it was likely released. I might be concerned that someone who does need it might do so late and you will end up who knows where.

but I think if the cabin was released that is unlikley.

the only way you could have a problem for booking this accessible cabin is if you did so knowing that it was accessible and you don't require an accessible cabin.

If you are really concerned I would just call them.

[cruisinfanatic]

I wasn't trying to pat myself on the back, I just wanted everyone to know that they do try to get folks that need the special cabins into those cabins.

 

They didn't give us an upgrade, but did give us a few to choose from.

I didn't mean that at all. Just wondered if they gave you an upgrade for moving.

[BarbJ52]

Celebrity doesn't ask for any doumentation to book an accessible cabin. I use a wheelchair and have never been asked for proof that I need an accessible cabin.

 

That may have been true in the past, but for our upcoming Solstice cruise we were asked to send a letter from our doctor stating that we needed the cabin - even though we had already cruised with X and RC in accessible cabins. When speaking with the Special Needs dept., I was told that they require confirmation from your doctor OR there is a form that must be filled out indicating your needs. They don't (and can't) ask the specifics of your condition but do require some type of confirmation, either from you or your doctor, that you need the cabin.

 

Those who book once the cabins have been released don't, of course, need to provide such documentation.

[Texed]

Just wondered if they gave you an upgrade for moving.

 

We were not upgraded, but they let us choose a nice room. :)

[Arwenmark]

My experience has been that if you need an HC cabin, you must provide documentation to the Special Needs department. So I would think that Celebrity would know if they have documentation for the booked HC cabins, so that they are able to place an eligible passenger into an HC cabin that is assigned to someone who doesn't actually require it. Is this no longer true?

 

It is no longer true, it was never totally true. The cruise ships cannot legally require any kind of proof, some send a questionaire for what additional features you may require, but if you don't send in anything, makes no difference. Beyond that Many lines let anyone book them without any questions at all. and also those that do hold them till someone at least requests on,[again without having to give a specific reason] and it is assigned. then if that person cancels that cabin goes right into general inventory.

The cruise line will never move someone out of an already booked HC cabin, for the reasons I stated above, they cannot call you and ask if you really need the cabin you have booked. The agents tell people that if someone needs it they will be moved all the time, maybe some of them actually believe it, wouldn't be the only time the agents are clueless, but it is not done, the only times I have seen it done was when the cruiseline screwed up, booked someon in a HC cabin then someone upgraded them without asking and the HC person had arrived for the cruise and no HC cabin, in two such cases I have seen people asked at check in, while the HC person sits by looking upset, if they would be willing to switch cabins.

Um, make that three times as I was once one of them. NCL had booked me a HC cabin almost a year in advance. when it came time to cruise I found I had been moved, and in this case moved down in category no less, there were 4 HC cabins on the entire ship. all were full, 3 with abled bodied people who were simply booked by NCL in those cabins, none of them would move because there were no more cabins other than the lower cat one I had been stuck in, to move them too. So I spent 15 days in a cabin totally inaccessible on a low deck and had no end of problems. But they did give me a bottle of champagne [i don't drink] and a nice basked of fruit!!!

 

Oh by the way I recently [about a month agon] booked two HC balcony cabins on Celebrity for a cruise March of 1020. and they do not require any DR LETTER. the only Dr. letter they ask for is if you are going to require on board ongoing medical care, say injections of some sort etc. and then they need info on that and you need to bring those supplies with you. Beyond that they have a four page form asking specifics about what you might need on board. basically one page is regarding mobility issues, one on blind issues, one of Deafness issues and one on other medical issues needing assistance. you can send back any or all that apply or none. These are for the medical staff and any on board accomodations you need that they need to know ahead of time only. They do not affect being able to book the cabin.