Upgraded to Fully Accessible Cabin-Carnival Elation

We had the coolest thing happen. I am a paraplegic in a power chair and booked a cruise directly with Carnival on the Elated for Dec. 17, 2016. I let the rep know all the details and chair size. Measured it on the phone. He said we would be fine in E70. After getting off the phone I started doing further research and became concerned. The website an rep said the door was 30 inches and my chair is 29. I took it upon myself to send a form into their special needs department.

Turns out the door width is 27 inches, so they upgraded me to a fully accessible Grand Suite U69 for FREE! I'm thankful that I checked and that they did the right thing.

I recommend that if you can't walk at all and need a fully accessible cabin that you check with the special needs department. No offense to anyone but there is a huge difference in needs for someone who can't walk at all and someone who can walk a little and stand up.

Thanks Carnival![emoji3]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I'm one of those people who can walk a little and I agree completely.

My husband requires a Accessible cabin because he uses a scooter. Today, for the second time, I got an upgrade message from Princess.

They wanted to upgrade us from an O/V obstructed to a Mini Suite/no balcony. Only problem is that the mini is not accessible.

I told them we could not go into an un-accessible, thanks anyway.

We have never gotten upgraded in over 38 cruises, (just with Princess) because the accessible cabins go very fast. My main complaint is that on Princess they DO NOT have any O/V un-obstructed accessible.

NCL Pearl didn't have any OV non-obstructed accessible, either, at least on the deck plans. I was wavering between the cheap inside cabin and the more expensive mini-suite/balcony when I saw we could bring the kids along, which settled it in favor of the larger, more expensive room. ;)

Unless you can walk some, a totally accessible cabin is a MUST! Glad you got what you needed!

I can walk some but an accessible cabin is still a must for me. I can't do steps and have to have room to keep my wheelchair near and usable (i.e., not folded up). Plus I couldn't step into a bathtub, I have a little trouble with just the shower lip at home. There are lots of situations where a person who can walk some still couldn't cruise in a standard cabin.

Unless you can walk some, a totally accessible cabin is a MUST! Glad you got what you needed!

My wife uses a power wheelchair and cannot enter the cabin unless there is an electric door opener. We must ask for a specific "fully accessible" cabin that has one. Only one in four "accessible" cabins meet this requirement. The other three rooms are not really accessible and it is misleading and confusing to say that they are. Carnival calls them "ambulatory accessible" which IMHO means nothing. After all, isn't every cabin ambulatory accessible. :confused: Accessible means one can access the premises - not just installing a couple of grab bars in the washroom. I think that door openers should be installed for all those rooms that are labelled "accessible" not just 25% of them.