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Noordam Cabins!! Please Help!


swimdog

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Has anyone been on the Noordam and stayed in a Handicap cabin? My cousin is in a wheelchair and we are possibly booking cabin SS 8068. Any input on this ship or room would be greatly appreciated! Thanks:)

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I hope it's okay to do this -- I just copied this post for you because it has some good general information, but best of all, the suggestion to call HAL's ship services team and ask them specific questions (the poster said they even sent pictures of various cabins).

 

It's not specific to the Noordam, but I thought some of the issues raised would be good to ask about (i.e. ease of getting out onto the balcony) and bathroom layout.

 

In all, it sounds like HAL is a good line to choose.

 

Hope you have a great time!

 

Christy

 

August 18th, 2005, 01:54 PM

 

serendipity1499

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Join Date: Jan 2002

Location: Southwest Florida

Posts: 1,696

Handicapped Cabins

 

Have a lovely friend & DH who are asking about the layout of Inside & Outside cabins on HAL..Our friend is in a wheelchair and not able to walk...She can move into bed or a shower stool with help..They have been to many hotels with Handicapped rooms, that really are not well laid out for Handicapped people..Also, don't believe they would be interested in a Balcony or Suite..

 

The bath & shower have to be roll-in ones (no step)Our friend is able to move herself to a shower seat if they are stationary & strong..Or she could probaly bring one with her..The shower head & controls have to be within her reach & the shower head should be attached to a hose that can be moved around..

 

She and her DH would love to cruise, but are very concerned about the size of the cabins & the layout of the showers..Of course, they would like to look at a room before making a commitment, but I told them that it was not possible..

 

Looking for someone who is Handicapped & been on HAL give us some advice..

 

Thanks & Happy cruising everyone..

Last edited by serendipity1499 : August 18th, 2005 at 01:59 PM.

 

 

#2

August 18th, 2005, 02:18 PM

 

Oceanwench

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Join Date: Jul 2004

Location: Palm Beach County

Posts: 1,602

 

DH is in a wheelchair and is able to transfer into bed and onto a shower seat.

We have been very pleased with HAL's VA cabins.

 

The hand-held shower head and controls are well within reach, and the shower is a roll-in one. Very easy to transfer. The seat is sturdy. DH is no lightweight!

There are grab bars in the toilet area and the toilet is raised.

The bathroom was more than adequate in size for a person in a wheelchair to get in and maneuver.

The only thing that was a little difficult for DH was the sink -- it is not low enough. It was a stretch for him to use it.

 

The room was wonderful and very easy to maneuver in.

He did not like the balcony, although it was accessible. He had to really "gun it" to get his chair over the threshold, and then hope he stopped before he slammed into the rail! [There are no brakes on that thing!]

 

We also had an accessible SS room and did not find it as handicapped friendly. The bathroom layout was poor, as the shower was smaller than in the VA and included the toilet in the shower area. In other words, when you pulled the shower curtain shut, you and the toilet were on the same side!

 

HAL assured DH that they are taking steps to change this, and they said it would be a different configuration on the Noordam.

I know many HC rooms in hotels -- and the VA cabins on the Vista ships -- have roll-in showers but eliminate the bathtub. That would be fine with us if they had done that in the SS cabin.

 

We have never been in an inside HC room.

But we have found HAL to be wonderful in helping us with questions we have on the cabins we book.

If your friends call ship's services, they can ask to speak to the staff member who works with people with special needs.

That staff person can describe the rooms -- in fact, they have e-mailed us photos of the various rooms and bathrooms, so we could see if they would work for us.

Isn't that great service?

We're sailing on the Volendam next year, and since we'd only sailed on Vista ships, we had no idea what the HC cabins would look like. Now we do, thanks to a very helpful staff.

They really go out of their way to make sure your needs are met.

 

A tip: If your friends do decide to cruise with HAL and find their room is a little tight for space, they can request their cabin steward remove some furniture.

When we were in an SS on the Zuiderdam we had 4 pieces of furniture taken out, because the room was too cluttered for a person in a wheelchair!

[2 chairs, a coffee table and a hassock!]

 

We're sold on HAL as far as accessibility. It's the perfect vacation for us!

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