Royal Carribean charging more for Accessible

[hackwid]

Has anyone noticed that all the accessible cabins are now their own category? I am in a non-HC room because quite honestly I can not afford the HC on my sail.

I have a balcony room and when the rate dropped - I jumped on it to be able to secure the HC room which is available. But, I was told it was almost $400 more. Which I do not understand because I took this exact ship last year and was able to book the E1 category in a Handicapped room.

So on Royal Carribeans website it says that they do not charge any more for a HC room; however, they obviously are. Clearly the room did not move since last year. They just created it's own category. I am thinking that this is to keep AB people from booking?

However, kinda really stinks for those that actually need one because we are having to pay more.

 

Anyone else notice that?

[GRBlizz]

If you need an accessible cabin, how is it an option for you to choose not to have one?

[hackwid]

I need an accessible room for the shower, the grab bars, the shower seat and the raised toliet; however, I still have to be able to afford it. My scooter can be disassembled and fit thru the door and if necessary I can make a regular cabin work - although it is more dangerous for I could potentially fall easier. However for my safety from falling a HC room works best; but, everyone has their limit on prices and I can not pay an additional $400 for the same room that last year would have been the same price as what I am currently in.

I read these boards a lot and wondered if anyone else noticed that these new categories can actually cost more than what they were last season.

[vickila]

Yes, you are so right. When you click on an E2 which is where the h/c cabins are on the Voyager type ships -- balcony, it is one price lower than the new category for h/c cabins on Royal. Thus, when E2 becomes a category of savings -- the new type never goes down. A new game!? V.:)

[kassimer1]

we booked an inside HC room and it was actually cheaper than any other inside room. It was the same way on a few others i looked at. I guess it just depends what ship or sailing

[grandmamlw]

Has anyone noticed that all the accessible cabins are now their own category? I am in a non-HC room because quite honestly I can not afford the HC on my sail.

I have a balcony room and when the rate dropped - I jumped on it to be able to secure the HC room which is available. But, I was told it was almost $400 more. Which I do not understand because I took this exact ship last year and was able to book the E1 category in a Handicapped room.

So on Royal Carribeans website it says that they do not charge any more for a HC room; however, they obviously are. Clearly the room did not move since last year. They just created it's own category. I am thinking that this is to keep AB people from booking?

However, kinda really stinks for those that actually need one because we are having to pay more.

 

Anyone else notice that?

yes! I booked an HC inside back in Dec and it was the most expensive inside. But to me the additional 100 sq ft for and the necessary extras makes it worth it. I think. I would like a balcony but just can't justify the extra money. Still a bargain for a wonderful cruise.

[seeshore]

I noticed this also, that's why I decided to check this board to find any comments about the change. I don't know much about ADA laws, but shouldn't this be illegal?

[mdvlprof]

we booked an inside HC room and it was actually cheaper than any other inside room. It was the same way on a few others i looked at. I guess it just depends what ship or sailing

 

That's what we found ... it all depends.

[Gammiedoux]

I noticed this also, that's why I decided to check this board to find any comments about the change. I don't know much about ADA laws, but shouldn't this be illegal?

 

That is correct! ADA laws prevent the overcharging (discrimination) of HA rooms. Report them when you find them!!:mad: For this same reason, able bodied people are able to purchase them, unfortunately.

 

Please respect those of us who NEED a HA room. Personally, I use a wheelchair due to a muscle/nerve disease and get soooo angry when AB people book a HA room....it's just wrong.

However, when the cruiseline offers it to them, it is not the pax fault!

 

Ok, I've vented enough for the evening....have a great cruise everyone!

[SnowBird Cruzer]

I'll be cruising Feb 13 with MIL and FIL and they have an H/C Balcony room. My wife and I splurged on a Junior Suite.

MIL and FIL's room is just about as big as mine, and they aren't paying JS rates.

Since I did the booking, I didn't notice a difference in their price from other balcony rooms. Although, it was hard to tell because theirs was so much bigger than other balcony rooms.

 

Bottom line is we are satisfied.

[PennyAgain]

If cruise companies start selling and pricing HC rooms based on SIZE an awful lot of people are going to be forced to give up cruising.

[GRBlizz]

I've only studied Celebrity, but I know for sure that they charge the same price for accessible and standard rooms in the same class (ie, C3 vs. AC). The difference is, they may not discount all categories when they offer special promotions - so C3 might be on sale, but not AC

 

In the old days, when Accessible cabins were in the same category designation as the comparable Standard cabins, people on here used to complain that we couldn't take advantage of sales because all the Accessible cabins were already taken. So not much has changed.

 

Maybe this approach will ensure that the Accessible cabins aren't all scooped up on the first day of a price drop by people looking to score extra space, making it easier for those who need them in order to cruise to get one.

 

And, as I mentioned in another thread, the Accessible cabins are often the size of Suites - which, in a product that is sold based on cabin size, makes them an incredible deal.

[pinkdiamonddolly]

That is correct! ADA laws prevent the overcharging (discrimination) of HA rooms. Report them when you find them!!:mad: For this same reason, able bodied people are able to purchase them, unfortunately.

 

Please respect those of us who NEED a HA room. Personally, I use a wheelchair due to a muscle/nerve disease and get soooo angry when AB people book a HA room....it's just wrong.

However, when the cruiseline offers it to them, it is not the pax fault!

 

Ok, I've vented enough for the evening....have a great cruise everyone!

 

This is illegal, before I reported them I would call them and make them aware of what I was going to do, generally they suddenly become quite accommodating. Our first cruise we were in a HA room, I didn't even know it until we got on the ship, Carnival doesn't really show this so you have no way of knowing, your right it is wrong, and its misleading to the consumer also.

[pentex]

We are being charged a higher price for our accessible room on Crown Princess Transatlantic voyage this coming December. I'm not certain ADA laws come into play, unfortunately, with a ship whose route originates in Europe where USA laws do not apply. Princess is certainly doing it on this particular trip.

[vickila]

We were just on Explorer (RC) and spoke with cruise consultant -- for 2014 (possibly 2013) the categories are back to the original -- balcony HC is now back to an E2. I do think they were trying to prevent others from booking and just didn't realize how it does make a difference. As a D+ member, they do listen if you contact the right person. Vicki:)

[evilelf]

Has anyone noticed that all the accessible cabins are now their own category? I am in a non-HC room because quite honestly I can not afford the HC on my sail.

I have a balcony room and when the rate dropped - I jumped on it to be able to secure the HC room which is available. But, I was told it was almost $400 more. Which I do not understand because I took this exact ship last year and was able to book the E1 category in a Handicapped room.

So on Royal Carribeans website it says that they do not charge any more for a HC room; however, they obviously are. Clearly the room did not move since last year. They just created it's own category. I am thinking that this is to keep AB people from booking?

However, kinda really stinks for those that actually need one because we are having to pay more.

 

Anyone else notice that?

 

Please contact me regarding this. I have some info I don't really want to post here, but you will find helpful. evilelf444@yahoo.com

[xxoocruiser]

Just booked a cruise for 2013 on the Brillance. The HC cabin selected was an N catagory before the new federal regulation that went into effect on Janaury 1, 2012 which caused RCCL to change the catagory for accessible cabins.

 

The rate I am paying for the Inside Accessible cabin is exactly the same as what is published for all "N" standard Cabins.

[Moeve]

Actually I believe they are using a loop hole to make it legal. The day bookings open these cabins are always the same price as the cheapest cabin in the cat. However supply and demand is used so it can happen that regular cabins (if the sailing isn't selling as well) can be discounted while those AC cabins are not due to the often higher demand for those. It is probably a very fine line here but the cruise lines seem to be on the legal side here. Remember they can proof that they regularly change pricing according to supply and demand.

[tillydog]

On our last cruise we did (RCCI Rhapsody of the Seas), we just had a standard oceanview cabin, however, trying to turn my wheelchair in the corridor so we had it lined up with the doorway properly was hard. And using the bathroom was harder too, but we managed as it was only a 3 night cruise.

This time, we've booked an accessible balcony cabin (RCCI Voyager of the Seas) and we havent paid any extra cost to that of non-accessible cabins in the same catagory.

[teajak]

I was checking on line the E2 veranda cabins had a low price when I checked further to get a HA cabin the price was higher.I called RC and asked what was going on and was told the HA were a seperate category now and the price I saw was a special price for an E2 and did not apply to the HA. That is how they are getting around charging more for HA.Something smells.