Head's up --Celebrity

Celebrity will not bump able-bodied passengers from any cabin if they booked after final payment. They refused to even look because apparently that is "their policy".

That after final payment opens up HC rooms, it's first come, first served. I thought I had found a line I'd like to stay loyal to, but I'm now uncertain.

Celebrity will not bump able-bodied passengers from any cabin if they booked after final payment. They refused to even look because apparently that is "their policy".

 

That after final payment opens up HC rooms, it's first come, first served. I thought I had found a line I'd like to stay loyal to, but I'm now uncertain.

FYI - HC Cabins being opened on a first come first served basis after final payment is pretty much standard practice with all cruise lines. That's why most who need HC cabins try to book months ( if not a year ) in advance. Booking after final payment always reduces the chances of getting an HC cabin.

It's not just Celebrity, but every cruise line. I've not yet found one that will bump passengers after final payment. That's why those of us who need accessible cabins know that we have to book early.

Royal Caribbean may not BUMP able bodied passengers but I know for a fact that they try their best to hold HA cabins even well after final payment is due.

My final payment was December 7th and I had noticed a price drop in a better cabin last week. I pretty much had accepted the fact that there would be no HA cabins left but thought it wouldnt hurt to call and ask anyway.

Sure enough, I was able to upgrade to an HA oceanview cabin at no additional cost.

The PVP called Special Needs and got the cabin released in a matter of minutes. She told me that while there are no guarantees, the Special Needs department does their best to hold some HA cabins as long as they possibly can even after final payment.

Maybe I was just lucky or maybe not but for that reason alone, I will stay loyal to Royal. :)

I have no problems with any cruise line releasing all cabins after the final payment date. While I will never be able to cruise on short notice I do realize that cruise lines must make a profit to stay in business and an empty cabin = loss of income. I make it my business to plan ahead and get the cabin I need. I will however call and see if there is an accessible cabin left when those fabulous low cost flash sales are announced. So far I haven't been on one.

Is there any cruise line that will bump AB passengers from HC cabins, even BEFORE final payment?

I know they all reserve the right to do this, but has anyone actually had the cruise line find them a HC cabin when they were all booked? How wold they even DO this?

Isn't the notion of AB's getting bumped just a myth?

I should clarify..I have absolutely NO problem with any of the HC cabins being opened up after final payment. I completely understand the goal of any hospitality industry is to have full seats and I respect that.

However, I was told by Celebrity on my last cruise, and again by an cruiseline travel agent when booking my last cruise, that with the new laws in place, most cruiselines had made the policy of asking pax and having them fill out a form that clarifies they are disabled.

I was told if HC cabins are booked, that someone at the special needs dept would call and bump at any time if the pax did not need a cabin.

I was really disappointed that on my next sailing, two agents have refused to even check. I have had little success getting any emails/phone calls returned in the special needs department. I have heard stories of AB getting bumped from HC cabins, but I have never spoken/chatted with someone to see exactly HOW they were able to get the cruiseline to even extend them the courtesy of doing so.

P&O cruise line insist that you fill in a medical form and unless you are full-time wheelchair user they will not let you reserve a HC stateroom, YET, when we were on a world cruise, the HC one next to mine ( I did have an HC one) was used by an able-bodied couple. Again, we are cruising with them in April and I have had to fill in another form with my details and the size and weight of my scooter and wheelchair. I did the same with Celebrity and RCCL, so how do able bodied people get away with it??:confused:

Are you sure they were AB? I mean, I can understand the rule of wheelchair only.

However, I am not wheelchair bound but often use a walker. I look perfectly normal, not handicapped in any way, but I'm severely disabled. I get comments from people all the time when I park, if I'm skipping lines, etc.

Being handicapped isn't always something you can see. :)

Hello cool cruiser.

No way did I mean to offend. Our daughter does not look disabled, but does have many problems, so I understand what you are saying. This couple looked absolutely fine and I saw them dancing with no problem, but as I said P&O say that you can only have a HC stateroom if you use a wheelchair full-time.

Best wishes :)

Hello cool cruiser.

 

No way did I mean to offend. Our daughter does not look disabled, but does have many problems, so I understand what you are saying. This couple looked absolutely fine and I saw them dancing with no problem, but as I said P&O say that you can only have a HC stateroom if you use a wheelchair full-time.

 

Best wishes :)

My son, aged 36, looks "absolutely fine". He can walk unaided and even dance. But he has an above-knee amputation and needs a HC cabin for other reasons, such as rail, shower seat, no-step entry to shower, and room to use his crutches if he removes his prosthesis. Imagine how hard it would be to stand on just one leg in the shower, while trying to wash your hair, on a ship that can roll with the waves!

I know I'm not the first to say this, but it does bear repeating - sometimes, you just cannot tell who has a handicap just by looking at them.

Hello cool cruiser.

 

No way did I mean to offend. Our daughter does not look disabled, but does have many problems, so I understand what you are saying. This couple looked absolutely fine and I saw them dancing with no problem, but as I said P&O say that you can only have a HC stateroom if you use a wheelchair full-time.

 

Best wishes :)

Oh, you didn't offend! So difficult to convey emotion on the internet and I'm afraid I come off a bit dry at times. :)

I know I've mentioned it to some people and occasionally you find someone surprised to learn about rare diseases and how they look different. There's a whole website titled "But you don't look sick" that is a place for people to go to be able to get encouragement.

Hi, we are on the same cruise for Nov 2012....I had the same experience with Celebrity. We do not have a HC and I emailed them. They replied i need to look into this with my travel agent and not with them....I don't know about you but my regular cabin is not far from the HC and it will be an emotional challenge to have those passengers look at me struggling to get in my cabin and whatever else while they look on and enjoy their "roomy" experience. I totally agree about invisible diabilities but somehow hope that the occupants of the HC cabins close to me have a wheelchair or cane or walker so that I can focus on making the best of my accomodations and what it in essence a beautiful cruise/experience rather than stuggling with feeling of bitterness (personal work in progress)

We would not be able to cruise without an accessible cabin, so we plan around their availability. That said, we have really had very good luck finding availability on Celebrity, especially since they started using at least some screen to assign the cabin.

This week, we booked a November 2012 TA on the new S-Class ship, and my parents and we were able to get side-by-side accessible AquaClass cabins. (My Mom also needs HC). Perhaps things are looking up.

@nicoshtan, I think Celebrity meant your travel agent is the one who needs to lobby with X to check to see if a HC cabin can be freed up. It seems that once your reservation is with an agent, they are the only ones who can speak to X about your reservation. It's worth a try to ask your agent to work on this.

Is there any cruise line that will bump AB passengers from HC cabins, even BEFORE final payment?

 

Exactly my thoughts.

P&O cruise line insist that you fill in a medical form and unless you are full-time wheelchair user they will not let you reserve a HC stateroom, YET, when we were on a world cruise, the HC one next to mine ( I did have an HC one) was used by an able-bodied couple. Again, we are cruising with them in April and I have had to fill in another form with my details and the size and weight of my scooter and wheelchair. I did the same with Celebrity and RCCL, so how do able bodied people get away with it??:confused:

I want to know what is P&O definition of a full time wheelchair user!!!

My friend uses a walker at home and can with a lot of effort get up coach steps (harder now). We state she is a part time user, so we do not get prevented from disembarking at some ports (another P&O discrimination)

We also found that they have an excellent Tours and port leaflet for each cruise which they do not send out unless you are a full time wheelchair user, I had a long discussion with P&O and they said we could not have a leaflet unless we state that my friend is a full time user. But please be aware that although most info is very useful it can be inaccurate.

recently after an accessable shuttle bus was advertised this was withdrawn to use on a tour.

Celebrity will bump AB from accessible cabins.

We had booked b2b on the Mercury, Sydney – Auckland and Auckland – Honolulu. For medical reasons, I had to cancel the Sydney – Auckland leg and I stalled canceling the second leg hoping I could join my traveling companions in Auckland. The doctor released me approximately a week before the Auckland departure. At which time (approx. 3 weeks before the new leg), I booked the Honolulu – Ensenada leg; no accessible cabins available so we accepted a standard.

While we are out enjoying the day in Honolulu, instead of being moved to the cabin we had booked, we were moved to an accessible cabin and the AB couple received the cabin we had booked. The Hotel Manager on the Mercury made the change. The only problem was that the couple that got our cabin also got our chocolate covered strawberries. Of course, the ship made good and got strawberries to us eventually.

I do not know the time element the AB had booked the accessible cabin, only that our booking was a very short notice.

Betty

That is a very encouraging story! Thanks for sharing it.