Handicap cabins on Carnival

Hello - Can someone explain the deal with Carnival and its handicap cabins?? What is a modified cabin versus a "true" handicap. How can I spot them on a deck plan....We booked on a 14 night cruise, cabin 6286 on the Freedom being told it was a handicap - now I find out it is not what they call a TRUE handicap, appparently it has oversized door to bathroom and a large roll in shower - BUT that must mean the cabin is TINY - How can it be 185 sq ft, have a large handicap bath and have any cabin space left over?? :confused:

If anyone out there has some first hand knowledge of the cabins I would appreciate it if you could fill me in. Thank you very much,

Donna

PS - DH uses a wheelchair so we do qualify for a HC cabin..........

Hello - Can someone explain the deal with Carnival and its handicap cabins?? What is a modified cabin versus a "true" handicap. How can I spot them on a deck plan....We booked on a 14 night cruise, cabin 6286 on the Freedom being told it was a handicap - now I find out it is not what they call a TRUE handicap, appparently it has oversized door to bathroom and a large roll in shower - BUT that must mean the cabin is TINY - How can it be 185 sq ft, have a large handicap bath and have any cabin space left over?? :confused:

 

If anyone out there has some first hand knowledge of the cabins I would appreciate it if you could fill me in. Thank you very much,

Donna

 

PS - DH uses a wheelchair so we do qualify for a HC cabin..........

My mother has had a HC cabin several times (although I wouldn't call them truly HC). As you stated, it had an oversized doorway to the bath and a roll-in shower, grab bars, etc. Luckily, she can get by with a walker and cane, because if she had to use a wheelchair, she wouldn't have gotten around in those cabins. I have never seen a "truly HC" cabin on Carnival, although I have on Princess and they are HUGE.

I do not know the difference. In preparing for a cruise with my sister, who will require a handicap accessible cabin, I took pictures of one on the Spirit. I booked the same cabin, one deck down, on the Legend nest year.Here is a link to the pictures.

http://travel.webshots.com/album/553480244WWgXRT

This is how it looks as you walk in the cabin:

The bathroom:

Not sure if they differ on each class ship, but most likely they are similar.

Go here: http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/guests_special_requirements.aspx

then click the area for more information. You can get the accessible routes brochure for the ship you are looking at. Best of luck!

Unlike someother lines Carnival HC rooms are the same size, just with special accomadations. As far as spotting them on the deck plans as far as I can see they are not marked.

We found out when we boarded the Victory in July that we were in a handicap accessible room on the Panorama deck (an inside room). We are not handicapped and there was no where to change us to.

What I can tell you (and you ask a good question about the size) is that with the beds pushed together for a married couple wanting to share a bed there is no room to maneuver a wheelchair around the bed. When each bed was pushed away from the wall to join them in the middle, the vanity and the closet obstructed the access to either side of the bed. If the beds were pushed to one side or the other I still don't think there would have been room to maneuver the wheelchair. So it looks like you would be sleeping single in this type of cabin to have it accessible.

I also noticed that the closets do not have lowered hanging rods and while the shower is hand held, you are not able to hang it at a lower height so someone needs to get it down initially. I also don't remember if the sink was roll under (for some reason I don't think it is).

We had accessible cabins on both the Valor and Triumph. The Valor cabin wasn’t tiny, but the way it was laid out made it extremely difficult to get through the door and past the bed into the cabin in a wheelchair (or a scooter). The Triumph cabin was better, but that was accomplished by not including the sofa that non-accessible cabins had. Neither had the extra room that is really needed by a wheelchair user, as some of the other lines do.

My DB had a HC cabin on the Legend last week, it was inside 7101. When I saw it I was suprised at how big it was, 240sf. It had the large roll in door with a peep hole for wheel chairs. It had a doorbell with a light on the inside that flashed when the door bell rang and also when the phone rang. There were several emergency pull cords if you fell and could not get up. The bathroom had a roll in door and shower along with the em. cord. The lights could all be controlled from the bed and the safe was under the vanity. He loved all the extra room. Now he is not HC in any way and this was the cabin they gave him, even though there were plenty of people with walkers and wheelchairs, I found this odd.

WOW - you all are terrific !!! Thank you so much for the feedback on the HC cabins on Carinval. I think I better make some calls and see exactly what my options are. THANK YOU...............................

Donna

Gail811, thank you so much for the information! That was very helpful. :)

Texalana :)

My friend just booked one on the Voyager of the Seas for RCI and its HUGE. His wife is on a scooter so they too need the extra space.

I just saw it on the deck plans...wow.

My parents in law were in cabin 6354 on the Liberty last week. It was a handicapped room and my father in law is in a wheelchair. The bathroom was huge and easy accessible for someone in a wheelchair. But the sleeping area was tight. My father in law could not get his wheelchair next to the bed, on the side. It wouldn't fit. He had his leg amputated and he had to crawl from the front of the bed to the back. I felt bad for him. My inside cabin felt bigger than their handicapped room. Also, the cabin was right next to an elevator and they were kept awake at night from the "ding" and loud people.

My friend just booked one on the Voyager of the Seas for RCI and its HUGE. His wife is on a scooter so they too need the extra space.

 

I just saw it on the deck plans...wow.

Yes, the accessible cabins on RCI -- at least those that we've had -- are very large, with plenty of room. Sometimes it seems that they've made one cabin out of what used to be two.

Unlike someother lines Carnival HC rooms are the same size, just with special accomadations. As far as spotting them on the deck plans as far as I can see they are not marked.

Actually it depends on where your cabin is located. We are on Panarama deck, and our cabin is 225 sq ft. Not the standard 185 sq ft. I can let you know more next week after I see the room. I will photo shot it and post them.

You can tell it is a handicap room because they are YELLOW STRIPE. we are in 1001 on Glory in 6 days.

[ATTACH]57830[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]57831[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]57832[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]57833[/ATTACH]Try to avoid inside, and end rooms that are handicap. We were in stateroom 1001. 3 people, and the wheelchair. Had ample of room. Bathroom was bigger than expected, and very easily accessiable. Ample room to have wheelchair come in and get to the king size bed. If you have a scooter though, may want to keep the bed as two twin beds though. Our cabin had room for a 4th person in a pull down bunk.

Call Carnival, they will tell you which cabins are Handicapped and which cabins are Modified. We went through this trying to book on the Miracle out of NY. The newer ships, Destiny/Victory class and newer all have both types of cabins. The older ships only have the modified ones. Hope this is of some help....

....We booked on a 14 night cruise, cabin 6286 on the Freedom being told it was a handicap - now I find out it is not what they call a TRUE handicap, appparently it has oversized door to bathroom and a large roll in shower - BUT that must mean the cabin is TINY - How can it be 185 sq ft, have a large handicap bath and have any cabin space left over?? :confused: ........

To see all the decks go to this link - http://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/Carnival/freedom.php - and select a deck.