Handicap Cabin on Fantasy Class

[INTERLINER13]

I was considering changing cabins on my upcoming cruise, but the few cabins left are for ADA compliant. It is an interior cabin on the Empress deck on the Elation. What is the major differences between a regular cabin and this one? Is it bigger, or are the doors just bigger? Has anyone else has an ADA room, who was not in a wheelchair?

[BadJelly]

I'm not in a wheelchair, but my husband is, so I'm going to answer. I'm wondering though why you asked for replies from people not in a wheelchair?

 

If I read your signature correctly you are sailing this month. If the cabins are available this late they are probably not required by people who will not be able to cruise without them so I won't go starting that whole other popcorn required mess :rolleyes:

 

The floor area is larger, not a lot and I'm not good at guesstimating size, but enough larger to enable a wheelchair to turn in a circle, but it is still reasonably tight, so you aren't getting a "dance floor". There is not enough extra space to enable a person not in a wheelchair to be doing anything else you can't do in a standard cabin. As for the bathroom - I personally detest handicap bathrooms, though this may be the case of the grass being greener on the other side of the fence - there are grab bars everywhere, watch your elbows if you aren't used to avoiding them; the sink is slightly lower with no shelves underneath; the drop down seat in the shower, even when not folded down, forces you closer to the wet yucky shower curtain and gives you something else to bruise your hips and thighs against; the floor floods very easily, there never seems to be enough of a drainage slope to get the water down the drains easily. The floor area is probably 1.5 to 2 times the area of a standard cabin bathroom, again just enough to turn a wheelchair.

 

The other potential downside is the location of most of the handicap cabins, which the answer is a deep and dark mystery known only to the designers - every one we have been in is right at the bow of the boat, very long "walks" to the stern areas or even mid-ship for those with mobility issues. I know I'd rather be either mid-ship or close to stairs/elevators.

 

I know I said I wouldn't start the popcorn mess, but be aware that there will always be a slim chance you will be bumped from the room if it is required by somebody who needs it. People say that this doesn't happen but I can tell you from personal experience that it does, on our last cruise we could initially only get an inside as all others were full, two weeks later we had one of the cabins that has the window (not classed as OV but I can't remember off the top of my head the classification of them), I can only guess that the original occupants were bumped back to an inside or upsold. You are probably safe this close to sailing date as those that need the rooms know you need to book them 8 -12 months in advance.

 

I just realised that we have also only stayed in cabins that sleep 3 so they do have the couch, I'm not sure if the ones for 2 have a couch or a chair so if that is important to you it might be something else to think about, somebody else will know the answer to this one and I guess it varies boat by boat.

[INTERLINER13]

Thank you for the reply I think I will leave my cabin as is. The only major difference was 1 deck up, it was considered forward but is only 2 rooms down from the atrium. I asked for people not in a wheelchair just to see there opinion on the cabins. I guess in or out it really does not make a difference, either could tell me the main differences.

Normally I would not take a handicap cabin, but I figured there were 2 next to each other and it sails in 2 weeks noone would take them who really needed them. Also I know the possibility of getting bumped, which to me is not such a bad thing. I like to gamble, it could be an upgrade.

[BadJelly]

That is not a bad location then, the ones we have had have been all the way forward, as in right at the end. Which apart from the distance it is supposedly not as smooth up there which also seems crazy to put people there with mobility issues. My husband did learn to put the brakes on the chair at night when he doesn't normally as it ended up rolling across the room by itself with the motion. :D

 

I hope it wasn't me that totally put you off, if CCL would do the right thing and hold the rooms and not release them until the last minute from Special Services this would never be a problem wondering if you were going to get bumped; but seriously the down sides to the bathroom far out weigh the up sides from my able bodied point of view. I'm surprised there are 2 left this close we have no luck booking anything within 6 - 8 months of sailing. I wonder if it does have to do with wether or not the ports are tender ports or not? If your itineary is mainly tender ports that might have something to do with it.

[INTERLINER13]

I am not a big fan of touching shower curtains or anything when I am in the shower. I was in the hospital for a month last year, and I had the same issues in that shower.(which is why im cruising so much this year) I kind of figured that would be a downfall, and it seems to be. I am in a good location, just 1 floor below. Plus it is probably not a good habit to get into taking those cabins.

 

Yes the location is not bad, if you are ever on the Elation and cruise inside rooms they are cabins E53 and E57. I believe all the Fantasy ships should have the same stepup, but could be wrong. Im not sure either why they would put handicap cabins that far forward.

 

Im not sure why the cabins are available. It is just stopping in Cozumel.:confused: