Waitlisted for either a Junior Suite or an Accessible Balcony - What are my chances?

We booked 2 balcony rooms in Sept 2016, for the Explorer Transpacific on April 22 2018.

The issue is that I am not able to walk distances of much more than about 20 ft without difficultly, as such I now require a scooter for mobility.

When we booked, there were not any Junior suites or accessible balconies available. A Junior suite will work as they have a wider door and room to turn around a scooter inside. Our TA waitlisted us for a Junior Suite at that time. We are still waiting. Unfortunate you can only waitlist one room type. Last week we had our TA waitlist our daughter for an accessible balcony. This way which ever becomes available we can snag it and shuffle ourselves accordingly.

All the cruises (4) that I have been on thus far, I had not yet resigned myself to having to use a scooter, as a result I was not able to fully enjoy the cruise as I had to budget my walking to try to get through the day. If we are not able to get either a Junior Suite or an accessible balcony, unfortunately we will not be able to go.

What are my chances of getting the room type that I need????

It's a long time until your cruise. I would be proactive and check the availability daily. I have heard cabins show up and are nabbed before the cruise line can assign them to waitlist. Cabins typically become available just after final payment date, when people really have to make up their minds. EM

I doubt anyone can give you an estimate of how likely your upgrade is, simply because there are too many unknown factors. I hope you do get the upgrade but realize that you may not.

One alternative to consider is buying or renting a folding scooter. I bought a Triaxe Sport and while it is not as comfortable as my powerchair, it folds up (easily) smaller than a suitcase. Some models even fold themselves up, making them much easier to fit into a non-accessible room. I believe most of them are narrow enough to fit through a standard cabin door but if not, you can fold it up and wheel it through.

And congratulations on your common sense in deciding to use a scooter. I worry about the cruisers who are so determined to not admit that they need help that they miss activities they would enjoy. Personally, I use every aid I know of to make sure I get the most from my cruise!

I doubt anyone can give you an estimate of how likely your upgrade is, simply because there are too many unknown factors. I hope you do get the upgrade but realize that you may not.

 

One alternative to consider is buying or renting a folding scooter. I bought a Triaxe Sport and while it is not as comfortable as my powerchair, it folds up (easily) smaller than a suitcase. Some models even fold themselves up, making them much easier to fit into a non-accessible room. I believe most of them are narrow enough to fit through a standard cabin door but if not, you can fold it up and wheel it through.

 

And congratulations on your common sense in deciding to use a scooter. I worry about the cruisers who are so determined to not admit that they need help that they miss activities they would enjoy. Personally, I use every aid I know of to make sure I get the most from my cruise!

My sister has one of those fold up/in scooters. Her scooter is a Luggie. She's had it for a number of years and absolutely loves it. She does not use it all the time. Mostly when she travels or has to go somewhere that requires some walking (she's ok for short distances). It's only 18 inches wide and when completely collapsed and folded, it's about the size of a large carry-on suitcase. It weighs about 50 pounds and will easily fit into a regular cabin.

I have a TravelScoot and it folds up and fits into a large duffle bag. It had excellent range and has been excellent for museums and zoos. This summer will be my first cruise with it and I know it will make my cruise a much more enjoyable trip.

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