27” high beds on Edge not good for paraplegics, some seniors, etc

I have just found out that the beds on the Edge will be 27 inches high. Many of us who are full time wheelchair users and cannot stand prefer beds that are within the range of 21-23 inches in height (to the top of the mattress), as we transfer across to the mattress and back, sometimes using what is called a transfer board. But a height of 27” means someone must lift us bodily up 5 inches from our 22” wheelchair seat. And my 76 year old wife is not able to do that. So we may have to cancel our much anticipated Edge cruise.

There are such things as Hoyer lifts, but most of us do not use these.

Many hotels place lower height beds in their accessible rooms. That was the case on our recent cruise where we stayed at the Fairmont in Abu Dhabi, the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and the Four Seasons in Sydney. But not the Edge “hotel.” Celebrity beds were great on the M class ships and a bit higher, but still doable on the S class ships. But now Celebrity has reached new heights, unfortunately.

But I would think even some seniors and others would find this problematic. Just recently an able bodied friend of mine while putting on his socks slipped off the edge of his high bed, and hurt his tail bone.

OF course I realize many cruisers might prefer the higher height of the beds.

Any feedback or comments?

While bed heights in standard accommodations/suites may have a bed height of 27", my guess is that any room designated as being ADA compliant for wheelchair users will have a bed height suitable for self-transfer. As the ship is still under construction the final specs of ADA compliant accommodations may not yet be on file with Celebrity reservations. Many components and specific details of ADA accommodations differ from the "standard" info that reservations agents have in the computer system.

I would suggest reaching out to their guest access team to make sure your needs are being met. As the EDGE will homeport in the US her ADA rooms would be subject to US laws and standards for "reasonable accommodation" - a bed height suitable for self transfer, along with sill free entry to bath/shower, minimum turning radius, increased door width, roll under sink counters, grab bars, hearing and visual impairment aides, etc should all be available.

Thanks for your suggestion and it is a good one. But I don't think ADA covers bed heights, unfortunately. If anyone can prove me wrong I would be delighted.

Thanks for your suggestion and it is a good one. But I don't think ADA covers bed heights, unfortunately. If anyone can prove me wrong I would be delighted.

The sentence below is copied from the ADA Accessible Lodging page: https://adata.org/factsheet/accessible-lodging

• Ensure beds are of an accessible height (recommended bed height is between 20 to 23 inches from the floor to top of the mattress).
  

Thanks. That info is very welcome and much appreciated. Now if I can only get Celebrity to follow this part of the guidelines.

Thanks. That info is very welcome and much appreciated. Now if I can only get Celebrity to follow this part of the guidelines.

I would think by law they would have to or they are not ADA compliant.

I would think by law they would have to or they are not ADA compliant.

Do they have too since they are not registered in the US? Just curious.

Do they have too since they are not registered in the US? Just curious.

That's a good question?

even though the ships are not registered in the Us, Royal Caribbean International (parent company of Cebrity) is registered and headquarted in the US, therefore any vessels in their fleet operating from US ports must comply with US coast Guard, CDC and ADA regulations, along with many other international regulations and requirements.

All current Royal Caribbean, Azamara and Celebrity vessels (excepting the Galapagos fleet) have rooms that comply fully with US ADA requirements, so there is no reason to believe that the EDGE class will be any different.

I would hope Celebrity, a US corporation, would make the height of beds in accessible staterooms ADA compliant, regardless of the ships’ countries of registry.

I suspect you’re correct in thinking many people, senior or not, might be more comfortable with a bed height lower than 27”. Though our bed at home is higher, my DH and I would be perfectly satisfied with a bed height in the 21” to 23” range if Celebrity wished to use such beds throughout the ship.

Surely Celebrity can give you the information you need before you feel you must cancel your cruise on Edge. I hope you’ll receive good news on this front.

Thanks everyone for your very kind support. I phoned the Special Needs department today and I believe they were surprised at the height. The department serves both Celebrity and Royal Caribbean and they stated that the beds on both lines were all 21 inches in height (not just the accessible rooms). They promised to get back to me on this.

That’s great news. I hope you receive confirmation from them soon:)

Are you booked on one of the inaugural cruises?

Thanks everyone for your very kind support. I phoned the Special Needs department today and I believe they were surprised at the height. The department serves both Celebrity and Royal Caribbean and they stated that the beds on both lines were all 21 inches in height (not just the accessible rooms). They promised to get back to me on this.

You never stated where you got the original information about 27 inches. It will be good to settle this with an official statement.

That’s a good question and the answer is a bit involved. When I saw the visualization sketches of the cabins, the beds seemed very high. So to attempt to get my concerns through to the decision makers I wrote a letter to Celebrity’s president to Celebrity’s president, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo (I first had sent an email but knew it wouldn’t get through, and it didn’t). I sent the letter via Purolator and I soon had a phone call from the Business Concierge department {I think that was the department’s name], which is what I had hoped for. The very pleasant representative said she would look into this for me. My hopes were not high. I reasoned that such information at this stage would probably only be found in a desk drawer of one of the designers, or on one of thousands of order forms. So imagine my surprise when she found the information. In a subsequent phone call she mentioned that she had a contact travelling in Europe who found the information for her. And she was very patient with me when I asked further questions. Could the frame be taken out to lower the bed - no. Could the foundation mattress be removed - no, the bed is only one mattress thick. In a previous interaction a few years ago with the customer reps I had also found them to be extremely pleasant, patient and helpful. One other element that was very helpful when another individual took a subsequent phone call was that the notes of the discussion are attached to my reservation, so anyone on their staff can see what has happened in earlier conversations.

That’s great news. I hope you receive confirmation from them soon:)

 

Are you booked on one of the inaugural cruises?

No, we are on a Med cruise in August, so lots of time left.

As everyone knows all disabilities are different. I battle an auto immune disease that weakens my leg and arm muscles. In my case, I have difficulty getting up from a regular height bed. I have the special needs group add a second mattress to allow sufficient height to get up. I am sure beds will be of acceptable height

The sentence below is copied from the ADA Accessible Lodging page: https://adata.org/factsheet/accessible-lodging

 

• Ensure beds are of an accessible height (recommended bed height is between 20 to 23 inches from the floor to top of the mattress).
  

This however reads as a recommendation and not a requirement. Has Edge even released anything about bed height for Accessible rooms?

Good point. In government legislation there's a big difference between must and should. I had noticed this in the ADA legislation, but didn't bring it up earlier. In response to your second query, the bed height of Celebrity and Royal Caribbean ships have never been released, but in the view of the special needs department the beds in all cabins (not just the accessible cabins) are 21 inches in height, although I have personally found that the beds in the Solstice class are a bit higher and harder to transfer onto (I take off the top pad for my transfers).

A followup to my previous post. We usually sail on Celebrity, but on our recent 50th Anniversary sailed on Celebrity and then the Oasis. (sort of a back to back). I enquired with Royal Caribbean on the height of the Oasis beds and received a very nice handwritten diagram showing the bed height of 21 inches, and also the thickness of the mattress and the height of the space between the floor and the mattress. I was appreciative of their very excellent response.

Good point. In government legislation there's a big difference between must and should. I had noticed this in the ADA legislation, but didn't bring it up earlier. In response to your second query, the bed height of Celebrity and Royal Caribbean ships have never been released, but in the view of the special needs department the beds in all cabins (not just the accessible cabins) are 21 inches in height, although I have personally found that the beds in the Solstice class are a bit higher and harder to transfer onto (I take off the top pad for my transfers).

There is a HUGE difference between must and should! And in this particular area there has been little interest in deciding a reasonable height for beds from the hotel/ship industries. Personally, I wish they would first get rid of the add on padded mattress pads because they tend to bunch up and roll as I try to wiggle up the bed. And have one side of the bed that has a wall mounted lamp and possibly a wall mounted, flip down shelf instead of a heavy or bolted to the wall or floor night stand. Trying to transfer from wheelchair to bed with a night stand behind you just makes for a lot of work to boost yourself up the bed in the evening. The quick sand of a memory foam pillow top or, horrors, an actual all foam mattress is a disaster!

What amazes me still are the supposed "roll under" vanities in the bathrooms. We just got off a total of 19 days on the Celebrity Eclipse a month ago. The first 5 days were in a Concierge Class cabin that had the added "wood" covering under the sink so a person in a wheelchair smacks their knees into it well before they are close enough to brush their teeth or wash their face without a lot of effort and mess. We did what we always do and undo the petcock screws that hold it on and, yea, I am under the sink. When that cruise ended we moved to a Sky Suite for the next 14 days. Those accessible rooms have the above the counter basins rather than the insent basins and to hold the added weight the counter itself comes out further. So now it is not just trying to gargle and try to hit the inside of the sink like a tobacco chewing prize distance spitter but to even wash your hands requires leaning very far forward (if you are not a double above the knee amputtee) but then reaching up over the raised basin and then down to get your hands under the faucet.

All of the major cruise lines are based in Miami the home of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and a major rehabilitation unit. Have known of these companies ever thought to ask an occupation or physical therapist about these things? Believe me, there are gorgeous ways to design fully accessible bathrooms that most able bodied people would never suspect they were in one. Universal design is now a part of licensing for interior decorators in the US; why not ask the experts in this area?

All of the major cruise lines are based in Miami the home of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and a major rehabilitation unit. Have known of these companies ever thought to ask an occupation or physical therapist about these things? Believe me, there are gorgeous ways to design fully accessible bathrooms that most able bodied people would never suspect they were in one. Universal design is now a part of licensing for interior decorators in the US; why not ask the experts in this area?

Agree that X should consult a PT or OT and a designer who specializes in ADA design. However, I think they should also consult a panel of local customers who actually have differing special needs! As an example, Sonoma Fans pointed out that someone with weakness due to an autoimmune disease may have different needs compared to someone using a wheelchair for other reasons. Get the local customer panel, OT/PT and designer in the same room to brainstorm ideas and you’ll probably have better ADA rooms. One may hope:)

I just measured my bed height. 34 inches from the floor to the top of the mattress. I guess we like a bed with height. So the mattress on Celebrity will be low in comparison, but pretty much all cruise ship beds are. I think Disney had the highest beds so far, and they are a true queen. It's one mattress and does not separate. Very comfortable.