Carnival Valor with disabled

I just got off the Valor a few days ago. I went with my 68 year old disabled mom.

We got a staff member to help my mom at embarkation. We had to wait quite a while for a staff member but when we got one we were wheeled past all lines. I honestly felt very guilty passing the line by. Disembarkation was the same. We had to wait in the lobby a long time for a staff member but when we got one we were again wheeled past the line and they even had a seperate customs official for wheelchair guests. It was great. I got a outside handicapped room. The cabin was NOT any bigger than a regular carnival cabin. However, the door way of the cabin and bathroom were wider. The bathroom was nicely accessable for my mom. Had a nice seat in the shower. The entire room got wet when we took showers. Might as well not of had a shower curtain. But we just sopped it up with towels.

Mom had a hard time getting out on some decks because of the doors and ramps. The doors were very heavy and hard to open and if I hadnt been there to help she would not have been able to get over the ramps. They were almost impossible to get over. We disliked all the handicapped cabins being at the front of the ship. Out dining room as well as any other food was at the very back of the ship. It was not a quick trip for a bite to eat. Mom has a very difficult time at buffets because she cant hold her tray. We ate there a few times but Mom was never offered help by a crew member to carry her tray. But that is okay as I was there to help her.

The waiters at dinner were wonderful to my mom. Always teasing her if she had a parking permit for the dinning room and bending over backwards to help her to the table. Whoever assigns tables doesnt look to see if passangers are disabled because our table was up a few stairs. We managed due to the excellent help of the waiters.

Fellow younger passangers were another matter. I was ashammed of their behavior. Running and almost crawling over my mom to get into the elevator before her. We had to wait and wait for elevators because even tho we had been waiting before anyone else. They would get into elevators before her. I had to be very pushy for my mothers sake. What I would do is get my mom in a elevator and then I would use the stairs. It was difficult for me since I have muscular dystrophy and have difficulty climbing stairs but thought it was the right thing to do since my mom did take up extra room. On tours and tenders etc. no one ever gave up the close seats to the door for my mom. Even on buses where the front seats are reserved for handicapped they never gave up their seats. They just watched us struggle. Most of this behavior was with younger people. Older people were much, much better. We went to Belize, Roatan, GC and Costa Maya.

We had a wonderful cruise and Carnival was great. I dont mean to offend anyone but when you travel with a diabled you really see the selfish side of fellow passengers.

Thanks for your information. This was very similiar to my experience on the Conquest over Thanksgiving--but I was by myself--so the obstacles seemed larger.

I never had a crew member offer to help me either. I "saw" the chocolate buffet, but didn't get to experience it because the lines were too long for me to stand in and in my scooter, I wouldn't have been able to carry my plate--so I went back to my cabin and ordered chocolate cake from room service!

Fortunately, my table was on the first level and I didn't have to negotiate steps, which are difficult for me. I actually didn't have as difficult a time on elevators as usual. I think the fact that my Gogo is so compact helped a lot. If I had been in a larger scooter, I would have been stuck in my room much of the time as the halls were so crowded with carts. The HC rooms need to be centrally located (or at least by an elevator)--it makes it hard to get out and enjoy the ship!

I am surprised that you were not offered help in the buffet. My husband is almost always offered assistance, especially when he is alone. In fact, there have been times when i have returned with food for him to find he has already been brought some.

I am not surprised about any of your other comments though. Carnival's HC cabins on the newer ships are usually a little bigger than other cabins, but not by much. In fact I believe that is why they put them in the front of the ship as the shape of the ship is not conducive to "cookie cutter" cabins. Also access to the decks except for the pool deck has been difficult on every ship we have been on. Some are ramped better than others, but the doors are generally heavy and difficult for someone in a wheelchair by themselves.

I also agree about the elevator issue although we have found that the issue is usually not with the young passengers. In fact, they have been more likely to tell us to go. Its the older passengers that push ahead of us and sometimes will not step to the side of the elevator to let my husband in.