Please do not book a handicap room unless you need it.

What more is there to say? yes the rooms are larger for a reason. Some people really do need them and find out they are booked by non disabled people.

You really do not want to be disabled it is not fun. You really do not get special perks and life is not easy.

Just be glad you do not need the cabin and leave it for someone who does.

On carnival if you show a need an abled person that booked that cabin will be moved unless they can prove a need.

We did book a handicapped cabin once but were never told it was a handicapped cabin. (I think that is unfair also)

Lots of people book handicapped cabins because getting a biger cabin IS a perk to them. But for a handicapped person that PERK is very much needed.

Booking a regular cabin when in a wheel chiar it is very hard to get around. For one the chair dont fit in the door...so people who "live" in the chair booking a regular cabin is not going to work.

I can't vouch for other lines but I understand that now on Celebrity no one can book a handicap room without showing proof that they are disabled. Hopefully all lines have the same policy.

Carnival and Royal do allow able people to book a handicapped cabin. Which the person is told they can be moved if someone shows need.

We just did that for an oceanview-- the person who booked it was moved to another oceanview cabin. (I hope they got another oceanview that was in a good area)

Anyone who has cruised recently knows that there are many people cruising who need a wheel chair or cane etc. to get around. Therefore, anyone who books a cabin specifically equipped for the handicapped can expect to have to give it up and be assigned to another cabin at a time when probably the BEST cabins have been taken. If you don't need one don't book one and shame on the TA who allows it if they know that the person is able bodied.

a biggie here about agents.. some want to make brownie points with new people--so they will seel the bigger cabin to someone with not explaining to them aboiut it being a handicapped cabin. This is how we learned about 6234 on the Miracle. An agent booked friends of ours into that cabin. (I dont kinow if at the time it was a handicapped cabin.) but we were never told until we sailed

The "Special Perks" remark was most people think the disabled get all kinds of perk but they don't. That's all. Do I deserve special perks, yes thanks, I would like a door wide enough to go through, I would like to be able to open a door with out it closing on me before I get through it, I would like to be able to get on an elevater without waiting 10 minutes while others rush in ahead of me. I'd like to be able to put the ramp to my van down so i can get out without someone parking next to me. I'd like to be able to get off at a port and not have to stay on the ship. I'd like to be able to take transportion and see the sights like everyone one else. I would like not to have to pay twice what everyone else pays for the little transportion i can find. Perks no I would just like to be able to take a vacation like everyone else and be able to enjoy it like everyone else.

I also am not directing this post to people who do not know they are booking a handicap room but those who DO know and do it anyway. Just like the people who use Grandma handicap plaque to get parking spaces.

Believe me you would not like to ride in someone who 'lives' (i like that term) a wheelchair shoes for one day.

Sarah's Mom, I can understand how frustrated you must get. OK you TAs out there, stop booking perfectly able bodied people into these cabins in order to get bookings and more clients. As for all the rest of us, if we are assigned a cabin and we see that it is designed for the handicapped, refuse it. And don't worry it will remain empty because there are plenty of people who will fill it legally due to their limited mobility.

I can't vouch for other lines but I understand that now on Celebrity no one can book a handicap room without showing proof that they are disabled. Hopefully all lines have the same policy.

I travel with a electric scooter and have a HC aft cabin on our Summit to Hawaii cruise next March. Our TA marked our records as such and when I contacted the special needs dept. the only thing they needed to know was if I would need help with checking in, etc. -- no proof required of my disability (MS) but I do travel with a letter from my neurologist regarding my condition, medication and need for scooter, etc.

My big concern is our cruise that we have soon on the Mercury, 12/12/05. We do not have a HC cabin and my scooter is going to be a real tight fit in the cabin. The special needs dept. also said if for some reason that the scooter would not fit, that our room steward would help find a location at night for me to store it so that it could be plugged in and charged. Hopefully there won't be any problems.

Sarah's Mom, you said it best: "I'd like to be able to get off at a port and not have to stay on the ship. I'd like to be able to take transportion and see the sights like everyone one else. I would like not to have to pay twice what everyone else pays for the little transportion i can find. Perks no I would just like to be able to take a vacation like everyone else and be able to enjoy it like everyone else."

In addition, please book a handicapped cabin if you are handicapped!

My mother isn't handicapped, but my father although he can get about somewhat, has the license plate as his last bout of open heart surgery left him weak.

So, she booked a regular room on HAL, then, he had another surgery which this time left him so weak that he needs a wheel chair .Well,she tried to get her room changed to handicapped, but they were all taken.

For my mom, for whatever wierd vanity reason, she didn't want to be in a handicapped room. Call it vanity, denial, whatever, but I really think my pop should have been in that room.

Call it vanity, denial, whatever, but I really think my pop should have been in that room.

I have to agree but some older people wont take the handicapped room becauise there are worse off people then they are that may need it more.

There is currently NO cruiseline that holds HC cabins for handicapped only. and NO cruiseline will move someone in a cabin if they have booked it need or no need.

THIS IS A MYTH. the whole you will get moved if a handicapped person needs the cabin.

on most ships there are from 4 to about 28 HC cabins in all out of how many total cabins on a ship?

Of course no one should book one without needing it, and the cruiseline SHOULD hold them at least till right before sailing, but they do not.

recently the courts found that all ships doing business in the US must be ADA compliant so perhaps we will see them do a bit better but I doubt it very much.

There is currently NO cruiseline that holds HC cabins for handicapped only. and NO cruiseline will move someone in a cabin if they have booked it need or no need.

THIS IS A MYTH. the whole you will get moved if a handicapped person needs the cabin.

Im sorry but I disagree with you on that myth. We booked a cabin and was told that we could be moved if a person can show need.

I also booked a handicapped cabin for February that was already booked by someone...who was moved.. I am living proof that this is NOT a myth

This subject has been dealt with on many threads, but I'll weigh in again. I just returned from the Mex. Riv. on the Oosterdam. When my friend received our cabin info, she saw we were in 5001. Looking at the diagrams online, we eventually noticed the handicapped access logo. She then contacted her TA and asked about this and the need to change rooms...the TA recommended against it. Neither of us was comfortable with that response so she contacted HAL. HAL said not to change because they'd probably just then book another able bodied passenger into the cabin anyhow. She again notified Hal, a month or so before sailing, of our willingness to change cabins, again we were told...no....don't bother. So yes, we sailed as 2 able bodied people in a handicapped access cabin. (we actually spoke to the concierge once on board as well). This was NOT a cabin we requested, and we made every effort to move. I agree that people intentionally taking the cabin when they don't need it is wrong, but I really don't feel that people who are assigned to the cabin are at fault. Short of sleeping in the hallway, there wasn't much else we could've done.

Cath66, you and your friend did all you could to correct the cabin mistake. I wouldn't have worried about it once I got on board. I give you credit, you did everything you could. Hope you enjoyed the larger cabin. The people who knowingly book these rooms are the ones at fault. Don't blame yourself any more.

On the Spirit we booked a cabin with an on line agency (not carnival) - we had no idea it was a handicapped cabin - nothing in their site told us this. When we got our cruise documents our luggage tags read TBA - when I contacted the on line agency I was told they would check with Carnival and then told it was a handicapped cabin and if someone with a disability needed it, we would be moved.

We both work with people with disabilities. We would have never booked the cabin had we known it was handicapped accessible. As it turned out no one with a disability booked the cabin so we ended up with it.

I think all sites should state which cabins are accessible and then not allow anyone to book them unless they have a mobility issue. If no one books them, they could be used as an upgrade for a guarantee cabin.

There is currently NO cruiseline that holds HC cabins for handicapped only. and NO cruiseline will move someone in a cabin if they have booked it need or no need.

 

THIS IS A MYTH. the whole you will get moved if a handicapped person needs the cabin.

I too, disagree. We were booked into a HC room as it was the last in the 4A gty. We were told we would be moved if it was needed. We were hoping to be moved as it would be an upgrade:) I did come across a HC person's dughter the last day of the cruise. They were in a non HC room but, it was because they never thought to ask for one. I mentioned we were in one and she replied she never knew that had them.

To those of you that were booked into HC cabins by the cruiseline because it was near sailing and you had a guarantee or there were no other cabins available, I for one have NO PROBLEM with that at all. I hope you all enjoy the cabins. I think MOSTof us that do need them feel that way. If no one has booked it by close to the sail date too bad for them if they come after someone who booked a guarantee earlier and was simply assigned the cabin, and there is no reason an able bodied person should be told the ship is sold out too bad if all they had left was an HC cabin.

Our complaints are with those that book them for the space only and with the cruise lines themselves for first not having more of them, some older ships have 1-4 almost always inside. even the newest big ships have something like under 30 cabins and only a couple of ships have ANY suites that are HC. if you look at the total number of cabins and the aging population you see the problem is going to get worse not better.

anyway anyone getting one by no fault of their own, don't feel bad.

Because of a travel agent's inattention to details, we found that the only cabin meeting our requirement on a cruise would be an "accessible" cabin. She urged us to "grab it". We cancelled the cruise entirely. To have taken the cabin would have been unethical in our minds. Just our opinion.

I booked a guarantee and ended up with a handicapped room once. I assumed that since Carnival picked this room for me that all handicapped individuals had been accomodated.

Hopefully I didn't bump anyone out of their needed room.

we'd be glad to trade the space for far better mobility and the relief from hanging onto a grab bar whenever we want to get up

Last year on RCI Enchantment we had a handicap cabin booked because we were taking our 83 year old mother. she fell a week before our trip but insisted we go anyway while she was in rehab and therapy. We tried before leaving and upon checkin at the pier to have our cabin changed. We told them we were booked in a handicap cabin and would gladly change, ( but did want to at least stay same category, no down grades please) We told them if no handicap person is on waitlist, maybe a senior couple would like it, thinking they could use the grab bars in bathroom, etc. They didn't seem to care at the checkin desk, said no problem just keep the cabin. We did feel guilty having it if someone else on our ship could have used it more, but we tried to change. Also upon booking originally we had to provide letter from my moms Dr saying she needed handicap room because of medical neccessity. She is not in wheel chair but needed grab bars by toilet, shower, etc.

I too agree, and all the lines should require Dr's letter to book these cabins or if none are requested by handicap then go from there. people with disabilities or limited movement, seniors etc. These cabins are so limited and people who need them should get them 1st.

You had to provide a letter etc. when you booked it, as those of us who need them do, BUT and this is a big part of the problem. They tell the agent it is needed but they do NOT follow up on it and the agents or people who book them because they want a large cabin, simply never send in anything, once the cabin is booked that's it. And the system is set up so even those lines that keep the HC cabins in special services care to be released by them, if a HC person booked on and cancels it goes back into GENERAL stock. and of course not all lines keep them out anyway.

In spite of what everyone assumes, the cruise lines almost NEVER will move someone in an HC cabin if someone that needs it comes along, because the cruise line does not KNOW for sure whether the booked person has a legitimate need or not.

There are from 4 to 27 HC cabins on ships 4 being older ships 27 being the new mega ships, and only now are there any suites, usually one or two out of those 27. Anyone who has cruised, how many wheelchairs do you see on board per cruise? must be a lot there are lots of complaints about them. and those are just the very obvious people needing the cabins, there are less visible HC's that still require the cabin.

lilsis21 this post is not directed at you you tried to do the right thing.

Even with the Supreme court ruling coming down on the cruise lines, util they are held accountable, little will be done.

yes, we booked through a Travel agent and we needed a letter from my moms Dr stating she was disabled and required the Handicap cabin. It was no problem to get one, they had one available when we booked. but when my mom couldn't go on the cruise we right away called our TA to have him change our cabin. RCI said not to worry about it. Again when we checked in at the pier we asked if we should move, I almost wanted to look through the crowd and see if anyone needed it, if not a disabled person then a senior who suffered from mobility problems or simply needed the grab bars etc in the bathroom. We tried but were told to just use the cabin. Having a mother who is now in a walker and needs assistance with so many things. something as simple as taking a shower with grab bars for the elderly can be such a good thing. so we understand the needs of seniors also. Not to mention the disabled or handi- capable. Maybe there were no other cabins available to move us to and they didn't want to slow down check in to see who would switch with us etc.