Handicapped cabins

[nagster]

I need two cabins together and I like to be by the elevator. If we get bumped from them I wouldn't be near the children, should I risk it?

[ms-getaway]

never can tell..if it as important as being near your kids.. IMHO I would say NO.:) enjoy your trip

[firefly333]

How close to your cruise date is it?? If its fully handicapped you might have to submit papers showing your are in need of a HC cabin to even book it. The fully HC cabins are not always bookable. Leave them to HC folks if you dont need it.

[SunniLicious]

Don't risk it. It's just not worth it.

[nagster]

The cruise is may 9th, I am in FL so usually only book two weeks out.

 

ETA-These cabins are showing up as bookable on Carnival.com and another travel site. I don't know if they are fully accesible or what.

[firefly333]

If the cruise is only 2 weeks out, then you can book anything go for it. They wouldnt move you this close to the cruise imo. They open up all the cabins for booking. Worse comes to worse you have extra bars and stuff in the bathroom. We love them. My sister has balance issues, and they wouldnt let her book a HC cabin without all sorts of warnings because she isnt in a wheelchair.. but this close you probably are safe from being moved.

[serene56]

If the cruise is only 2 weeks out, then you can book anything go for it. They wouldnt move you this close to the cruise imo. They open up all the cabins for booking. Worse comes to worse you have extra bars and stuff in the bathroom. We love them. My sister has balance issues, and they wouldnt let her book a HC cabin without all sorts of warnings because she isnt in a wheelchair.. but this close you probably are safe from being moved.

 

I agree- this close to sailing your chances of being moved are VERY low.

If it was needed a handicapped person would know to book before 2 weeks before the cruise..

[NCTribeFan]

My PVP once booked us into HC modified cabins and I didn't even realize it until we boarded. I never would've booked them myself.

 

But, I did book one on Victory, just because of the location (one of the all-the-way forward "inside" cabins with a window that overlooks the not-very-secret outside decks, with twins that don't convert), but told my PVP to flag the res that I would happily give it up.

 

I don't know why the decks plans don't show the cabins as HC or HC modified. I imagine a lot of people would refrain from booking them if they knew which ones they were! Instead, you have to go to a separate page on the website, then select the ship, then look at the deck plans.

[firefly333]

I think they dont flag them, because lots of people would then book them on purpose (like you did). Id rather have them and if I could see which ones were modified easily, Id grab one and take my chances too.

 

Iv seen lots of posts in the past where people booked them on purpose because they have more space usually on some ships, certain ones. Yours has more space than a regular inside, but if they moved you to a OV, (they wouldnt move you down) you will have just as much space but might lose the location.

 

I do know people who book them on purpose, just because they like them.

[KimtheCruiser]

I don't understand this because every time we've tried to book an accessible cabin for my brother who is in a wheelchair, we've had to submit documentation from his MD. And our regular PVP can't even book them - she always has to connect us to Guest Services.

 

Not condemning anyone for choosing the HC cabin - just wondering why it is so easy for some to book it but more difficult for us when we need it.

 

We have been able to find ADA deck plans for some of the ships, which is very helpful for overall travel planning when you're dealing with a wheelchair (or two as we did this past February). Even our PVP did not have access to these - I sent it to her.

[mlzangel78]

we booked in feb for our cruise next week , and my TA put us in a HC cabin, and i didnt even know it.. until i looked at the deck plans.. niether one of us is HC and we werent able to switch...i guess its all luck of the draw with who asked for documentation at the cruiseline... sometimes you need it sometimes you dont..

[firefly333]

I don't understand this because every time we've tried to book an accessible cabin for my brother who is in a wheelchair, we've had to submit documentation from his MD. And our regular PVP can't even book them - she always has to connect us to Guest Services.

 

Not condemning anyone for choosing the HC cabin - just wondering why it is so easy for some to book it but more difficult for us when we need it.

 

We have been able to find ADA deck plans for some of the ships, which is very helpful for overall travel planning when you're dealing with a wheelchair (or two as we did this past February). Even our PVP did not have access to these - I sent it to her.

 

You need documentation to keep the cabin, so they dont say, if we need it we may move you (they usually dont so it does take it away from a HC pax). .. but if you dont have the proper documentation they will say we could move you.

 

We are getting closer to it, but hope not to need it yet, but those steps into the bathrooms on fantasy class are a accident waiting to happen for us, because she cant judge steps, falls backwards and has broken enough bones to prove it, but not in a wheelchair, we dont qualify.

[hazeleyez3]

Nagster, at this point you should be ok.

 

I just attended a tour on the Miracle (part of a small conference). We were told that close to booking Carnival will open all cabins for anyone to book.

 

 

If, after that time, that type room was a necessity then Carnival would contact passengers already booked in the handicapped cabins, and find out if they truly needed it...explain why, and offer them another cabin of the same category or better.

 

Handicapped people do have the same right to book a cruise on a whim. They (and Carnival) just have to take their chances that not all passengers are selfish.

[KimtheCruiser]

We were on the Fantasy in February - and the HC cabin was one of the best we've seen - the electric door was great! Problem is there are only a few of these - the rest are modified with the lip or step. In fact, DB and DM wanted an oceanview, but the inside was all that was available.

 

We've become accustomed to dealing with a lot of these issues - we have issues with hotel rooms quite a bit too - handicap-accessible means different things to different people! On DB's first cruise, our second, (not Carnival) we boarded to find that what they considered accessible was that it was near the end of the hallway - he could not even get into the bathroom at all. We had no choice, there, nothing available on the ship - so it was either get off the boat or make the best of it. The cabin steward brought a deck chair down for us, and DH and DBIL lifted DB into the chair in the shower.

 

Several years ago, DB had a home built to be handicap-accessible but had to have the contractor come back because he had put the thermostat control high up on the wall.

[nagster]

Hi, thanks for the info. I would never book one on purpose that's why I am asking:). I like to be by the elevators or stairs, just personal preference and there seems to be three in a row. We are about 17 days out but I still don't want to take away an accesible room but also I doubt that someone that needs one would book this close. I could be wrong though as I have been before.

 

ETA- they are all still showing as available right now.

[NCTribeFan]

No, actually, the cabin I had on Victory did not have more space. It was a very strange shape. I posted pics of it when we returned.

 

I wouldn't pick an HC cabin because of the size and shame on people who knowingly would. :(

 

I pick my cabins for the location. And as noted, I tell my PVP to be sure that my reservation is flagged that I am more than willing to move for someone who needs it.