When Did This Start?

I booked a sailing on Eclipse for this coming February. I booked an accessible cabin because of my mobility scooter and needing the roll in shower. I've booked HC cabins before, but now my TA just sent me forms from Celebrity asking me about my disability. When did they start doing this? It's the first time I've ever received this form, which they say I have to fill out and fax at least 30 days before sailing.

Actually i think this is a good think because maybe it will keep these handicapped accessible rooms available to those who really need it rather than to people without mobility problems who just like the larger rooms.

I agree with Mr. Luckytoo. I am aware of people who have booked HC staterooms because they liked having more "elbow room" and not because of any disability. This is just wrong! I hope that you don't feel picked on for X to ask you to complete their form. I'm sure it's an effort on their part to be sure those cabins go to the people who truly need them.

IMO, this has been done for a little while. Had to complete such forms for 2 different guests/clients in the past year.

An excellent process, imo...as others said, allows the cruise lines to more closely and better monitor the use of the staterooms for their intended purposes; as well, it gives the lines a specific profile for that particular guest, useful information for onboard personnel,specially the stateroom attendents.

Look at it as a better profiling of your particular situation, ultimately for your best interest.

Cheers

I wonder how this would look under the provisions of ADA and HIPPA? Anyone out there familiar with those two Federal Statutes?

I agree with Mr. Luckytoo. I have seen a fellow cruise have to leave his scooter outside the cabin because accessible room was not available. Why the line did not move someone from a accessible room I am not sure.

I agree that this is a good thing. I'm getting tired of hearing from my fellow disabled brothers and sisters who cannot cruise because a number of cabins were booked early on by able bodied passengers.

As far as the ADA is concerned, the cruise lines can "ask" about your disability, but they cannot require an answer. That's what Celebrity does by making that portion of the form optional.

But what I found interesting is that this is the first time I've gotten the form.

when I inquired about booking a handicapped room. I am recovering from major major spinesurgery and wasn't sure if I would be bringing a rollator with me or not. I also need the rails in the shower and toilet area. I discussed it with the X rep and decided even though my dr would certainly give me a note, I would not take the room from someone needing a scooter or wheelchair. So I booked a regular room ironically right next door to the HC cabin.

Last year on a cruise, I collapsed and needed to use a wheelchair, provided by the ship at no cost, for 2/3 of the cruise and we simply kept it outside each night per the room attendant. He even brought me a cane left by another passenger and helped us rearrange some furniture to have things to hold onto so I could get around. I know it's "hazardous" to have wheelchairs in the narrow hallway but we actually saw many throughout the hallways in all parts of the ship.

Since there are so few HC cabins, I don't have a problem with X making sure that the occupant of the cabin, really needs the HC cabin.:)

We were assigned an accessible suite from the GTY category in early September for our November cruise. I was concerned because neither of us is disabled, and I thought someone who may need the suite might be told by =X= that none was available. After I transferred the booking to a TA, I watched the section of the =X= site for booking our cruise, and when another suite in the same category appeared, I was able to make a switch.

I wonder how this would look under the provisions of ADA and HIPPA? Anyone out there familiar with those two Federal Statutes?

I don't think they would be issues. It's to ensure the cabins are available to those who truely need them.....:):):)

Bob

I wonder how this would look under the provisions of ADA and HIPPA? Anyone out there familiar with those two Federal Statutes?

Okay...I'm the in-house real estate lawyer for a major corporation and owner of hospitals and medical facilities...I guess I am as qualified to answer this as well as anyone.

The ADA deals, as it relates to facilities, with access for persons with handicaps...I am guessing that the handicap cabins WOULD comply as far as design...but, of course, it's questionable as to whether they need to comply (I'll get to that later)...Regardless, assuming that cruise ships need to comply, all the ADA requires is that doorways and hallways be wide enough, that proper braille signage is installed in appropriate areas such as elevators (I don't recall that this is the case)...that items mounted on walls are low enough to be reached by those in wheelchairs, that proper sizing exists in restrooms to enable a wheelchair to reach close enough to the "appliances" and that proper handrails are installed...and so on...Nothing to do with requiring people to "prove" the existence of the handicap...

HIPAA deals with personal privacy regarding medical information...But it deals with a party OTHER than you disclosing your information to a third party...It was really enacted to prevent your medical provider, paid for by your employer, disclosing your information to your employer...Of course, it covers far more than that...

BUT, here it is the handicapped person themselves filling out a form disclosing information to an outside party--the cruise line. This falls outside HIPAA--when YOU give them the information, you are not violating your own confidentiality...you are consenting to the disclosure...

Now, you might ask the question of whether the cruise line can compel you to disclose it...The answer is probably not...but, then, they don't have to rent you that handicapped cabin either...

Overriding all of this is the fact that the cruise ships are NOT registered in the US...therefore, the argument can be made that the US lacks jurisdiction and the ADA and HIPAA don't apply altogether. There has long been a battle between various US jurisdictions and cruise lines over whether the US has or doesn't have jurisdiction over matters involving these foreign flagged ships...and I believe the cruise lines continually win these battles...otherwise, they would have to be paying the crew minimum wage and deducting taxes...

Here, though, it is not really a matter of any law...certainly not of US Federal statute...

The answer here is that the cruise line has the right to rent out or not rent out its cabins on any basis they choose...Here, they are doing entirely the right thing...

Think about those handicapped parking spaces everywhere...I believe in most, if not all, jurisdictions, they require you to display a handicapped placard or special plates in order to park there...That is the "proof" that you have a real handicap...What the cruise line is asking here is really the same thing...

Let's reserve those rooms for people with real handicaps (unfortunately, there are many of them)...not for people who just want a larger, roomier cabin at a low price...

If you really do not need the facilities for access and mobility reasons, leave them for someone who does...

I know this procedure was in place in February. Friends we traveled with had to complete the forms in order to book an accessible room.

Maybe in the end, the cruise line(s) realized that accessible cabins were being acquired by passengers who did not medically require those types of cabins, and finally are assuring that the booking meets the need.

Mary

It started sometime this year.

There's also a form for special diets, needing a fridge for insulin etc.

Before, you would just email the specific department; now you complete the form & fax it back.

I think it's good to have a paper trail.

Cruisingly Yours

I thought the rooms all have fridges. I don't take insulin but I do take a med that needs refrigeration. Will I need to specifically ask for one?

If the cruise lines deny you the right to reserve a handicapped cabin because you are not handicapped, how are they discriminating against handicapped persons?

Also, so long as they ask everyone who wants to reserve a handicapped cabin to prove they are handicapped, then again, how are they discriminating against disabled people? Same as being asked to display a handicapped sticker (as a previous poster noted) to park in a handicapped spot.

Steve,

There is a lot of truth in what you write. However, in one regard you are wrong. The cruise lines do not always (or generally) win the court cases. In fact, their strongest defense in past litigation has been that it would be impractical for them to be expected to conform to the handicap laws of every country in which they port. The courts have not entirely accepted that argument, and, if they schedule American ports, ADA can be (somewhat) enforced, but they have given cruise ships somewhat more latitude in enforcing ADA than, say, a hotel would be permitted. See, for example, Spector versus NCL, a Supreme Court decision which, in typical fashion, allowed additional latitude to cruise lines, but did not make clear how that latitude should be determined -- or, rather, every justice had his own version of how compliant a cruise line had to be.

Bill

I know that this form is not only used to reserve HC cabins, but also to be prepared for anyone with medical needs. Our friends who travel with us are diabetics and have been filling out this form for quite a while. There is always a sharps container waiting in their cabin. Another woman who uses a scooter but did not need a HC cabin also has filled out the form with the dimensions of her scooter.

I thought the rooms all have fridges. I don't take insulin but I do take a med that needs refrigeration. Will I need to specifically ask for one?

The fridge is more of a cooler, in other words, I wouldn't keep anything that truly needs to be cold in it... I think you can call the special request dept. for medical needs 1-866-592-7225