raised height potty question

I have begun to plan a cruise for my Mom and me. Mom (83) has bad knees. She can walk OK, but the motion of squatting to sit and standing back up again is very difficult and painful for her. She needs either a raised height potty or grab bars on both sides of the potty that she can push up on like parallel bars.

Does the need for a raised height potty allow us to ask for a handicap accessible cabin even though Mom does not use adaptive equipment like a wheelchair or walker?

Do the bathrooms in the nonhandicap cabins on most lines (Celebrity, Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean) have grab bars by the pottys?

Mom is new to cruising and I am new to looking at the ships through her eyes.

Thanks for your help.

Vicki

Royal does not have grab bars, but will provide a raised seat, if requested. If you sail Royal, their web page has an area describing accessibility. On that page is the on-line form to fill out for special needs. Barb

Given that the OP's mother basically needs a raised toilet and most mass market cruise lines will provide a toilet raiser complimentary, than the argument can be made Op's mother does not require the use of a fully accessible cabin.

Note that Carnival and Holland America have Modified Accessible cabins in addition to fully accessible cabins. The Modified Accessible cabins were designed for specifically people such as the OP's mother that do not require the need for a fully accessible cabin but do require some features provided in the Modified Accessible cabin's bathroom. Modified cabins have grab bars in the bathroom. Princess and Royal do not have Modified Accessible Cabins.

Standard cabins on all cruise lines do not have grab bars by the toilets.

Thanks for the information about seat raisers on request and modified accessible cabins on some lines. Of course I do not want to be in an accessible cabin if we don't need one. I just need to make sure that one way or another Mom has what she needs. Except for the knee problem Mom is in good health, so thinking of her as needing accomodation is new to me.

Thanks again.

Vicki

Thanks for the information about seat raisers on request and modified accessible cabins on some lines. Of course I do not want to be in an accessible cabin if we don't need one. I just need to make sure that one way or another Mom has what she needs. Except for the knee problem Mom is in good health, so thinking of her as needing accomodation is new to me.

 

Thanks again.

 

Vicki

Below is the contact information for the various cruise lines special needs departments that you may find helpful while doing your research.

• Carnival - email address specialneeds@carnival.com
  
• Holland America - Access & Compliance (800) 547-8493.
  
• Royal Caribbean - Access Department (866) 592-7225
  
• Princess - Access office (661)-284-4408
  
• NCL - Access Desk (866)-584-9756
  
• Celebrity - Access Department (866) 592-7225
  

Thank you very much xxoocruiser. You've gotten me off to a great start.

Vicki

Can mom go up one step?

Confirm that there is or is not a step up into the bathroom.

Also, many of HAL's cabins have a combo shower tub. Only a very few cabins have a shower separate. Some lower category cabins have a shower only. Suites have both a tub and shower.

Can mom go up one step?

Confirm that there is or is not a step up into the bathroom.

 

Also, many of HAL's cabins have a combo shower tub. Only a very few cabins have a shower separate. Some lower category cabins have a shower only. Suites have both a tub and shower.

Re: HAL ( Holland America ) Standard Suites and Standard Inside cabins will have a shower. All other standard cabins have a tub/shower combo.

Wow, thanks for mentioning the shower/tub combo. I don't think Mom could step into it. I'll have to ask lots of questions before I choose a cabin category, assuming we can find enough work-arounds to not book a handicapped cabin. I think of Mom as able and at our house she is. But we've got a walk in shower, toilet riser, and grab bars galore.

I realize her being able to walk, not in a wheelchair 24/7, makes us need much less accomodation than many others on the board.

Thanks again for your help.

Vicki

Can your Mom do the step up into the bathroom (and the step down getting out of the bathroom) that is in all non-accessible and modified accessible cabins? If she can't then she does qualify for a fully accessible cabin.

Thanks everyone. I have talked to my Mom about what she can and cannot do. Y'all have given me a much better idea of the range of accomodations available and the questions I need to ask before choosing a cabin. I was hoping to squeeze in a cruise late this summer, but it looks like it will more likely be Alaska in 2015.

Happy cruising to you all.

Vicki