Hebe

I sometimes find that the we get a lot of questions about what it is like to travel with someone in a wheelchair. It appears that people have family or friends that are in a wheelchair. Sometimes these people think that traveling is not possible anymore. I will point them to this board for a true understanding of the plus and challenges.

I do understand not everyone with a challenge uses some type of mobility device, but I am still strong that sometimes these people do not need a wheelchair assessable room. A regular room (with a shower chair or raised toilet seat) may also work. I saw one person attack someone on our roll call who was in a wheelchair assessable room that he had wait-listed. He said he can get a wheelchair room because his wife did not have 20/20 vision. He then when on to brag about home many people he could fit in the bathroom on a previous cruise.

It also appears that we now also have people who are fluffy thinking that they should book the wheelchair assessable room because they want the larger showers.

I think the abuse of booking these cabins are increasing as some of the newer ships are finally putting some of the wheelchair assessable rooms in some very nice locations on the ships. For example the mid aft cabins on the Celebrity Millie ships and the RCL balcony rooms mid ship are some of the nicest rooms on the ship. We do get these rooms because our travel agents know when the cruises are going to open and he will books in the room before it is released. If we do not book then, these rooms will be gone during the first month. I must say normally, I never find another wheelchair in any of these rooms.

We just got back from a Celebrity TA and I must say people were very good with the elevator. In fact, we had people who got off just to let us get in. Sometimes people whould come up and then say -- let's walk -- it is only a few floors. It also could be the age of the passingers and we had less than 10 kids on the entire ship.

There are times the elevators are full -- like dinner time when everyone is trying to get to one spot but we just learn to ride the opposite way and then back up/down.

Now, to the scooter people. We also had an out of control scooter rider who would run you down. I wanted to stop her a few times and tell her slow down before she hurts people. The other complaint I had was scooter people who would go to the shows and park their scooter in the only spots where the manual wheelchairs could be parked. They park them there and then walk down to a seat. It would have taken only a few more steps to park it at the side and let the manual chairs have the space.

The ship we were on only had 6 wheelchair rooms and I must say -- we were the only room that had a wheelchair user in the room.

While we were in all docked ports, we did have one set of ramps which were really two sets of steps (about 8 to each flight). While I was concerned, four men did carry the wheelchair up both sets of steps.

Hi , just wondering if anyone knows whether cabins 8172 or 7208 on Millennium class ships, are next to the area where the cabin stewards keep their trolley/cart etc. If so is there any problems because of this. Will we had a linen cart stuck outside our door 24/7. We had 8185 on the Summit and had no problems, but I'm now thinking that the cart was outside a cabin further along the little corridor and might be outside either of these cabins.

Thanks for any info.

 

Happycruzer

On the M Ships, the storage area for the carts as well as sheets etc. is between rooms 7203, 8185, and 9201 and 7212, 8176 and 9164. The inside cabin is across from the rooms they mentioned. The cart is parked there during the morning change of sheets and the dinner time fresh up. While the cabin stewards are not on duty, it would be normally stored. So yes, you do get some more activity outside these rooms.

Earpiemon == I think the point is not that there are disabilities that are not visible. We realize that.

The point is that people are taking the wheelchair assessable cabins away from people who really need them.

On most cruise ships -- the wheelchair will not fit in a regular room door. Nor will it pass by the bed. Getting into the bathroom would be impossible and forget taking a shower. Wheelchair rooms provide extra room and equipment that allows people traveling in a wheelchair to function in the room.

Some people who are not stable on their feet take a handicap room because of the seat in the shower when all they would need is a regular room and request a shower seat from special services in advance. The can still walk through a regular door, pass along the bed, get into the bathroom.

We now have a smaller chair which will fit in most doors when we visit but if my husbands wants to get to the balcony to join in any fun. He must roll across the bed while I fold the chair and try to meet him on the other side. I assume you know how embarrassing that is when you are in a room of people.