Doctor's Note/Special Accomodation

[zippyjet]

Couldn't think of a better title for this thread but here goes. I've taken five cruises all on Carnival and probably booking the Breeze out of Miami that sails September 12, 2015. This would be cruise 6. I've been very satisfied with Carnival with the exception of the lack of cabin air conditioning on many of my past sailings. I didn't think of it till now but, has anyone ever submitted a doctor's note to Carnival when booking for special accomodations? I need to have a cabin temperature colder than what most consider normal. A room temperature where 72 degrees is the absolute highest. Due to medications and CPAP therapy I need the colder conditions. Interestingy enough when on company business (work) I've been accomodated by my company. (having hotel room to myself). What I'm getting at is by submitting this note if I get a too hot cabin would this doctor note submitted well in advance of my sailing enable me to move to another cabin if necessary. I'm not looking for comp upgrades. I usually book inside cabin. I just need this need met and would be willing to downgrade if necessary as long as I had a cabin that was cool enough.

[Taters]

Have you contacted the special needs desk?

[D4]

I doubt that would help because their ships sail full. Even if someone at Carnival said that would be possible, I wouldn't be surprised if the onboard staff wouldn't be able to switch you to a different cabin..

 

I think it would be better to carefully select your cabin in advance by finding out what is above, below, and next to your cabin. For example, you wouldn't want to be located next to the guest laundry room. I would avoid the deck below the Lido deck because those cabins are often warmer than cabins on a floor that has cabins above and below it.

 

It's good that you want an inside cabin. In our experience, balcony cabins are often not cool as cool as outside cabins even if you keep the balcony door and curtains closed.

 

I would also avoid a connecting cabin.

 

You might be able to get a fan or bring one on with a doctors note. You'd need to check with Special Needs.

Edited July 11, 2015 by D4

[FloridaGram]

What have you done on your other 5 cruises? I would say this. Special needs may try to accommodate you, but I am not sure how they really can. They are shore based and do not know the particulars of a ship. I do not see how anyone could guarantee you an individual room could be that cool. That said, on 10 cruises I have only had one warmer room. The rooms are cool enough that I am able to sleep under the duvet they put on the beds so it must be pretty cool in the rooms. At home I do not sleep under one of a duvet unless it is freezing outside and I keep my bedroom from 65 to 68 degrees.

 

We have had to ask someone twice to adjust our a/c. Once it did no good and we were in the very front of the ship. The other time it got cooler. I think it would be best to get a cabin on the inside in the middle of the ship. A balcony has a wall of glass, and while I have not been to hot there I believe you would lose cold air with the sun shining in.

 

I hope you are able to take your cruise.

[SadieN]

Cold air is also dependent on your neighbors keeping their balcony/French doors closed and the drapes shut during the day.

 

Might need to reconsider sailing during warm seasons or itins.

[TXGalAJ]

I don't have any suggestions for you but agree that Carnival ships can have hot rooms! The last cruise I took it was so warm in my room that I slept on top of the covers the whole time. I'm taking a fan on my next cruise and that feels really ridiculous and will take up a ton of space but I can't think of any other way to be comfortable.

 

I've had one cabin on RCI that was slightly warmer than I would have liked but other than that I've always found cruise cabins to be like hotel, you can set the temperature to be whatever you want.

[momof3cruisers]

I think a dr's note could help to make sure you can bring a small fan onboard. (Along with a call to Special Needs prior to sailing.) Fans can lower the temp by about 10 degrees so that should help. I seriously doubt if they'll be able to move you. And there's no guarantee that the new cabin would be cooler.

Edited July 11, 2015 by momof3cruisers
Grammar

[SadieN]

I don't have any suggestions for you but agree that Carnival ships can have hot rooms! The last cruise I took it was so warm in my room that I slept on top of the covers the whole time. I'm taking a fan on my next cruise and that feels really ridiculous and will take up a ton of space but I can't think of any other way to be comfortable.

 

 

I've had one cabin on RCI that was slightly warmer than I would have liked but other than that I've always found cruise cabins to be like hotel, you can set the temperature to be whatever you want.

 

 

You can buy small fans. Look in the office supply/ desk section or the camping section of Walmart or Target. Plugged and battery models. I got a 4" USB desk fan on the Target clearance rack. It was a college/dorm accessory.

 

One Princess cruise I woke up middle of the night. It was very stuffy in the cabin. The a/c was shut off in our whole section. (I went into the hallway.) Unfortunately ship happens on any cruise line.

Edited July 11, 2015 by SadieN

[snowball's mom]

My daughter needs to have the cabin no warmer than 70 degrees. I have a letter from her neurologist stating the reason with me on every cruise. I contacted the special needs department for our last two cruises and had them provide a fan for our cabin. I also let them know of the temperature requirements. We have not had a problem recently with warm cabins, but I am prepared to invoke the 110% vacation guarantee if we do and they cannot fix it in the first 24 hours of the cruise.

[singbluesilver1]

I've taken a fan with me on all my cruises as I need the noise to sleep

 

They've never given me a problem

[Elaine5715]

I am sure one of the very knowledgeable ship experts can answer this explaining the mechanics of the ship but from the simplest point of view, have you ever seen a thermostat in a cabin? Have you noticed any independent /c units or heat source in the stateroom? And no, the cruise line would not be obliged toaccommodate.

[Illyria]

I am sure one of the very knowledgeable ship experts can answer this explaining the mechanics of the ship but from the simplest point of view, have you ever seen a thermostat in a cabin? Have you noticed any independent /c units or heat source in the stateroom? And no, the cruise line would not be obliged toaccommodate.

 

Uhh...I always had a thermostat in my cabin. Granted, not all Carnival ships have them (or at least they didn't use to), but that would be a pretty simple thing to check before booking, anyone on these boards who recently sailed would be able to confirm.

[Jana60]

Couldn't think of a better title for this thread but here goes. I've taken five cruises all on Carnival and probably booking the Breeze out of Miami that sails September 12, 2015. This would be cruise 6. I've been very satisfied with Carnival with the exception of the lack of cabin air conditioning on many of my past sailings. I didn't think of it till now but, has anyone ever submitted a doctor's note to Carnival when booking for special accomodations? I need to have a cabin temperature colder than what most consider normal. A room temperature where 72 degrees is the absolute highest. Due to medications and CPAP therapy I need the colder conditions. Interestingy enough when on company business (work) I've been accomodated by my company. (having hotel room to myself). What I'm getting at is by submitting this note if I get a too hot cabin would this doctor note submitted well in advance of my sailing enable me to move to another cabin if necessary. I'm not looking for comp upgrades. I usually book inside cabin. I just need this need met and would be willing to downgrade if necessary as long as I had a cabin that was cool enough.

 

Any person with breathing difficulties is going to feel better with a lot of air movement in a cooler temperature however most cruise ships cruise fully booked so they can't just move you to another room if you don't like the one you're in even if its too hot. What they can sometimes do is supply you with a fan to allow for increased air movement which will at least make it feel cooler even if it is not actually a lower temperature. You might also consider looking inside room as opposed to a room with a window as the outside rooms get heated up by the sunlight hitting the window. At night even the outside rooms can typically be quite cool.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

Forgive me for being rude but I am always amazed at how many passengers have a list of "demands" that they feel should be accommodated by the cruise line as part of their fare. Hundreds of cruise passengers sail everyweek with various medical issues from allergies, use of assistance devices, dietary restrictions, mobility restrictions, etc.

 

I think cruise lines like Carnival are wonderful in their attention to passenger requests and their desire to see people being comfortable. But, I think it is the passenger's ultimate responsibility to "only" travel if they are able to adjust to different scenerios that may occur on a ship.

 

For the OP I hope you find a very cool cabin but, like others have said, you should choose your room wisely. Interior cabin, mid ship, surrounded by other cabins (not service rooms, storage, mechanical spaces, stair wells, that may or maynot be climatized) on 3 sides and above and below. Stay away from lobby areas. Don't book anything on the outside, front or rear of the ship. Cold air falls so lower decks are more often cooler than upper decks (isn't that why we all freeze in the dining rooms).

 

Also, the bigger the ship the more passenger cabins and the more demand for cool air. Probably best to restrict your travels to smaller more intimate ships with few balcony rooms and exposure to direct sunlight (rooms that gobble up the available cool air). I would think the Dream class ships should be expressly avoided if you want guaranteed cold air because many passengers interrupt the cooling system by keeping their balcony doors open meaning the system works under less than optimum conditions.

 

Bring a battery operated fan, put your temperature adjuster on the coolest setting and don't touch it again. And remember you are choosing to cruise with a "condition" and a ship isn't prepared in all instances to adjust to the personal needs of each and everyone sailing.

Edited July 11, 2015 by Sweet Dutch Girl

[love my grandkids]

Uhh...I always had a thermostat in my cabin. Granted, not all Carnival ships have them (or at least they didn't use to), but that would be a pretty simple thing to check before booking, anyone on these boards who recently sailed would be able to confirm.

 

Thermostat? We have never seen one on a ship.

 

All they have is a dial from cold to warm and not sure that even works very well.

[Elaine5715]

Uhh...I always had a thermostat in my cabin. Granted, not all Carnival ships have them (or at least they didn't use to), but that would be a pretty simple thing to check before booking, anyone on these boards who recently sailed would be able to confirm.

 

Next time, push it all the way to the red side, heat is not going to turn on. The air flow is just going to stop. Unlike hotel rooms,staterooms do not have independent response cooling and heating units.

[Elaine5715]

Forgive me for being rude but I am always amazed at how many passengers have a list of "demands" that they feel should be accommodated by the cruise line as part of their fare. Hundreds of cruise passengers sail everyweek with various medical issues from allergies, use of assistance devices, dietary restrictions, mobility restrictions, etc.

 

I think cruise lines like Carnival are wonderful in their attention to passenger requests and their desire to see people being comfortable. But, I think it is the passenger's ultimate responsibility to "only" travel if they are able to adjust to different scenerios that may occur on a ship.

 

For the OP I hope you find a very cool cabin but, like others have said, you should choose your room wisely. Interior cabin, mid ship, surrounded by other cabins (not service rooms, storage, mechanical spaces, stair wells, that may or maynot be climatized) on 3 sides and above and below. Stay away from lobby areas. Don't book anything on the outside, front or rear of the ship. Cold air falls so lower decks are more often cooler than upper decks (isn't that why we all freeze in the dining rooms).

 

Also, the bigger the ship the more passenger cabins and the more demand for cool air. Probably best to restrict your travels to smaller more intimate ships with few balcony rooms and exposure to direct sunlight (rooms that gobble up the available cool air). I would think the Dream class ships should be expressly avoided if you want guaranteed cold air because many passengers interrupt the cooling system by keeping their balcony doors open meaning the system works under less than optimum conditions.

 

Bring a battery operated fan, put your temperature adjuster on the coolest setting and don't touch it again. And remember you are choosing to cruise with a "condition" and a ship isn't prepared in all instances to adjust to the personal needs of each and everyone sailing.

 

Yes, especially looking at this request logically. The OP is leaving from Miami where the temperature will be close to 90, traveling further south where the temperature and humidity will increase. So, if if health issues like MS which is exacerbated by heat, are a factor, cruising out of Florida headed south is a poor choice since they would be unable to leave the ship.Cruising out of a northern port towards Alaska would be a better choice.

[winddawn]

Couldn't think of a better title for this thread but here goes. I've taken five cruises all on Carnival and probably booking the Breeze out of Miami that sails September 12, 2015. This would be cruise 6. I've been very satisfied with Carnival with the exception of the lack of cabin air conditioning on many of my past sailings. I didn't think of it till now but, has anyone ever submitted a doctor's note to Carnival when booking for special accomodations? I need to have a cabin temperature colder than what most consider normal. A room temperature where 72 degrees is the absolute highest. Due to medications and CPAP therapy I need the colder conditions. Interestingy enough when on company business (work) I've been accomodated by my company. (having hotel room to myself). What I'm getting at is by submitting this note if I get a too hot cabin would this doctor note submitted well in advance of my sailing enable me to move to another cabin if necessary. I'm not looking for comp upgrades. I usually book inside cabin. I just need this need met and would be willing to downgrade if necessary as long as I had a cabin that was cool enough.

It seems this issue with too-warm cabins is an unpredictable one on Carnival. I have not experienced the problem on other cruise lines, and I can remember when it was never an issue on Carnival in years gone by. The last time I cruised with friends on Carnival, they had a balcony cabin on Lido deck right next to mine, and my cabin was cool and theirs was not, and both cabins had the thermostat turned all the way down.

 

I'd say if it is that important to you that you consider another cruise line. I cruised on HAL this year and I could have hung meat in the cabin if I chose to turn the thermostat down. The thermostat actually worked! I am warm natured so this made me very happy. I've had cabins on Carnival where I could not sleep comfortably at night because it was just too hot in the cabin, and have had multiple experiences with being ignored when I called to ask for the temperature to be lowered. They just gave me lip service and then did nothing.

 

I agree with the others that changing cabins often is not possible due to ships sailing full. You can try calling Carnival's special needs department in advance of your cruise and see what they say.

Edited July 11, 2015 by winddawn

[jimbo5544]

We have seen the temperatures of rooms vary and over our cruises have come to the conclusion that a lot is where the cabin is positioned, relative to the air flow. The only way we have seen it really be controlled is to get a cabin that has multiple ducts as opposed to one. The down side is these are usually suites or aft wraps which cost more. Good luck.

[RuthlessBoss]

Yes, especially looking at this request logically. The OP is leaving from Miami where the temperature will be close to 90, traveling further south where the temperature and humidity will increase. So, if if health issues like MS which is exacerbated by heat, are a factor, cruising out of Florida headed south is a poor choice since they would be unable to leave the ship.Cruising out of a northern port towards Alaska would be a better choice.

 

I agree with the thought. The Caribbean is sweltering to say the least. Actually it's hot in mid Florida now and still will be in September, so further south will be hotter. I realize a cool cabin can be refreshing, but for off ship or even Lido activity, how does one handle it?

[kelkel2]

I would say it is something you need to talk to the special needs department about. But, whether they can accommodate you is not up to a doctors note.

Honestly, in the Caribbean, it's hot. Very hot. I have a feeling that people's rooms do not stay as cool as they like them to stay, because as the Caribbean sun beats down on the ship, the AC systems on the ship probably struggle with keeping the ship to the desired temp.

Just as on land, if you have a house with less energy efficient windows you house will not do as well holding it's temperature in the winter or summer and you will find your HVAC systems running all the time.

I doubt there's anything the people on the ship can do about this. It's part of being on a ship in a hot part of the country.

 

We have always traveled for in January, except for an exception of 1 time and we have never once had a problem with our cabin temp being too warm. But, the Caribbean is cooler in January. I'm thinking that is likely not a coincidence.

[bakersdozen12]

I agree with the thought. The Caribbean is sweltering to say the least. Actually it's hot in mid Florida now and still will be in September, so further south will be hotter. I realize a cool cabin can be refreshing, but for off ship or even Lido activity, how does one handle it?

 

 

I was thinking the exact same thing. Someone who has a legitimate health condition that doesn't allow for heat wouldn't be able to handle it outdoors either. It's not like a medical condition knows the difference between outdoors and indoors. I'm really confused about this.

[zippyjet]

I agree with the thought. The Caribbean is sweltering to say the least. Actually it's hot in mid Florida now and still will be in September, so further south will be hotter. I realize a cool cabin can be refreshing, but for off ship or even Lido activity, how does one handle it?

 

Ironically, on most of the ships I've cruised the common's areas are fine. In some areas you can hang meat. In September of 2013 I was on the Carnival Victory with a great inside cabin on the Ledo deck. It was warm. When I checked in there was actually a box fan present. Meander down the hall and the guest laundry made a meat locker seem like a tropical rainforest! So as mentioned it's location. And sometimes the corridors can be much colder than the cabins leading me to believe someone is being over zealous to save some money or be one of those environmentalists on a radical bender. Nothing wrong with conserving energy and other natural resources but everything in moderation.

[sammee]

I understand the OP's position as I have similar problems. Bring a fan or ask for one (use your note if you have to). If the rooms are warm and stagnant you'll feel it but like others said the moving air will help.

 

Lido deck isn't bad when you know your limitations and go inside to catch a chill if needed. I'm doing another oceanview in September on Pride. If I have a problem I'll probably have to plan future cruises in interiors. I hate waking up to a dark room, but I hate breathing/sleeping problems even more.

 

I had an interior on the Fantasy. Nearly froze my butt off, but I loved it.

[Budget Queen]

Frankly, sorry there is no way to have Carnival guarantee a certain temp on a cruise ship. Overall, inside cabins can be warmer. Especially with 2 people, as you get incidental heat from the two bodies, in the small rooms. A fan, isn't going to do anything to cool the room. Not sure why anyone would think, you could just move around the ship, because it isn't cold enough, it isn't likely to make much difference. A cruise isn't going to be a good idea, with severe intolerance to these range of conditions.

 

I too question the ability to tolerate some of these conditions elsewhere. an example, I was just at Penn Station- 4 people, claiming they needed "assistance" and preboarding. they somehow got into Penn St. unassisted, hauling their own bags etc. BUT- the deal is first choice of seats- with some of them, seen on my 5 hour trip, going up and down the cars, two went to the dining car- 4 cars ahead. Interesting they couldn't manage their bags from the waiting area, but had a great recovery with balance and ambulations walking multiple cars on a moving train. :)