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Handicapped Phonies


bonzo10803
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We just returned from the Dawn and having a 'actually disabled spouse' were seated in the special needs area for boarding no wheelchair required just medical O2 etc. . The number of people claiming to be disabled was outrageous. One party in particular was ranting and raving about a lack of a NCL supplied wheelchair for his wife which they did receive eventually. Guess what ? Every time we saw them she was walking just fine through the Atrium Buffet and the Casino. Guess who showed up at disembarkation day looking for a wheelchair again. Some kind of documentation should be required to obtain the 'handicap status'

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We just returned from the Dawn and having a 'actually disabled spouse' were seated in the special needs area for boarding no wheelchair required just medical O2 etc. . The number of people claiming to be disabled was outrageous. One party in particular was ranting and raving about a lack of a NCL supplied wheelchair for his wife which they did receive eventually. Guess what ? Every time we saw them she was walking just fine through the Atrium Buffet and the Casino. Guess who showed up at disembarkation day looking for a wheelchair again. Some kind of documentation should be required to obtain the 'handicap status'

 

This issue is rampant at the Florida theme parks as well. It always infuriated me to see a single person get pushed to the front of the line in a wheelchair followed by their 15 or 20 family members. I have also actually witnessed people swap out who is riding in the wheelchair, with the person coming out walking just fine.

Some people will abuse anything to take advantage.

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Just a note: If you ever see someone in a handicapped stateroom that is clearly not handicapped, do NOT jump to conclusions. We were on the Sun and had a guarantee interior. We ended up being assigned a handicapped room, which is quite a bit larger than the other rooms. I saw this online prior to our departure, and I even called NCL and told them I was not handicapped, and did not want to take that cabin from someone who truly needed it. I was assured that it was assigned to me BECAUSE no one needed it, so not to feel bad.

 

This is obviously a unique situation but just something to keep in mind before you jump to conclusions over whether or not someone "needs" accessible options available to them. Not everyone is intentionally trying to take advantage.

 

But the wheelchair example, I agree, there's no excuse for that.

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We just returned from the Dawn and having a 'actually disabled spouse' were seated in the special needs area for boarding no wheelchair required just medical O2 etc. . The number of people claiming to be disabled was outrageous. One party in particular was ranting and raving about a lack of a NCL supplied wheelchair for his wife which they did receive eventually. Guess what ? Every time we saw them she was walking just fine through the Atrium Buffet and the Casino. Guess who showed up at disembarkation day looking for a wheelchair again. Some kind of documentation should be required to obtain the 'handicap status'

 

I agree with you that some people "game" the system on land and at sea. However, you do not know what that particular lady's disability is. Perhaps she has Emphysema or a Heart condition that limits how far she can walk ?

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I agree with you that some people "game" the system on land and at sea. However, you do not know what that particular lady's disability is. Perhaps she has Emphysema or a Heart condition that limits how far she can walk ?

 

Precisely. My spouse has a bad heart and cannot tolerate the pushing, shoving, stairs or elevations of certain planks and requires a wheelchair. When on his own, he can walk just fine. Cover judging has to stop.

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There are many reasons people end up in handicapped rooms but do not appear handicapped - the GUARANTEE room, an upgraded room, only rooms left on the ship are just a few of the reasons. There are also those that require extra space in the bathroom only, and need the room for those purposes. There are also those who require assistance at times, but not all the time. I know people who need it only when walking long distances. There are others that are fine at times, and wake up some mornings unable to walk due to joint pains.

 

I see the issues at amusement parks, but the Mouse has reworked there policies and it is no longer as beneficial as it once was (when people offered their services online). My bigger concern is the growing number of people with these fake service animals or emotional support animals. With ZERO regulations in place and an army of people who are misinformed or misleading others, that is one thing that should be focused on before it gets any more out of control then it already has.

 

This is the note that those booking a handicapped room on NCL will receive. It does note that if a room is not required, that a guest

 

Dear Guest,

Thank you for choosing to cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line. We hope you are as excited about cruising with us, as we are to have you on board.

This letter is to clarify some of Norwegain Cruise Line’s policies regarding your Wheelchair Accessible Stateroom . Please read the following and make sure you meet all requirements.

 

Wheelchair Accessible Stateroom Policies:

• Wheelchairs must be able to navigate through the stateroom door measurements range from 34 in to 36 1⁄2 in (inches) wide.

• Wheelchairs must also be able to navigate The Bathroom door measurements range from 34 1⁄2 in to 36 1⁄2 (inches) wide.

• Motorized wheelchairs and scooters are welcome; however gel-cell batteries must power them. Due to safety regulations,

 

Norwegian Cruise Line cannot accept any wet cell or acid-battery powered wheelchairs.

• If you have booked a Wheelchair Accessible Stateroom and do not have a disability we may ask you to relocate to another stateroom in order to accommodate a guest with a disability.

 

If you have any questions or comments about these policies for Wheelchair Accessible Staterooms , please feel free to contact the

Accessibility Team at 866.584.9756 or email at accessdesk@ncl.com. Again, we're looking forward to having you on board and experiencing our exclusive Freestyle Cruising®, where you're free to... whatever.

 

Sincerely,

Norwegian Cruise Line Access Department

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Please be careful whom you accuse of being a "phony." I am 61 with no cartilage left in my knees. At times, I can walk some distances and at other times, I cannot. Sometimes I need a mobile cart in a store and other times, not. There are so many other invisible disabilities such as RA, fibromyalgia, lupus, and many others that affect a person. Perhaps the lady you encountered has one and is used to having to "fight" to prove herself,so has a chip on her shoulder. No excuse, but certainly understandable. Did she take anything away from your wife that she needed? If not, then I would think it is none of my business and move on. Attitudes like you display here create chips on shoulders of people with actual disabilities that are not always so readily apparent.

 

Sometimes we are doomed if we do and doomed if we don't. I have a handicap parking tag, but at times, if I am having a good day, I will park in a non handicapped spot that is close. I have been cursed at for this and told I should take the handicap spot and leave that one for non handicapped people to get close.

Edited by Qwenya
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As I stated in my original post a procedure should be in place to require some means of documenting the need for special assistance. My wife carries O2 for COPD issues and yes she doesn't need it at all times but must have her units with her at all times. We carry copies of the prescriptions for the O2 and her other medical devices for just that reason

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I have an extra Handicapped parking hangtag that I keep with my travel documents to openly display when I am accessing a service to avoid judgmental stares but I still get cursed out by busy bodies who think they can assess my medical condition better than I.

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As I stated in my original post a procedure should be in place to require some means of documenting the need for special assistance.

 

What's it to you? Why do you care so much about what other people are doing when it doesn't affect the level of service you receive?

 

I'm sure you'd probably get mad at my mom using the wheelchair service since she can get around shorter distances with her cane. However she wouldn't be able to get up the slope of the gang way or even through the airport without a mobility aid.

 

Disabled people have varying degrees of disability. Let me guess, you probably get mad if you see someone in a wheel chair or scooter stand up at the grocery store to get something too. Get over yourself, OP.

 

 

Sent from outerspace

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I have an extra Handicapped parking hangtag that I keep with my travel documents to openly display when I am accessing a service to avoid judgmental stares but I still get cursed out by busy bodies who think they can assess my medical condition better than I.

 

Exactly the point I am trying to make some checks and balances are needed to stop those who abuse the system

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Perhaps they couldn't handle walking/standing required for dealing with the gangway. I myself have a bad back. I can walk, but after a day of standing/etc I'm going to be pushing it. My last cruise, as I was walking to the outdoor muster station, almost hunched over, I was very quickly redirected inside. But looking at me, you'd never think I have issues.

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I completely agree on the abuse of using emotional support dog status on planes. I took pictures of an alleged emotional support dog on a flight that was not trained, plus sprawled out in the aisle way in the front of the plane. Passengers and crew had to step over the dog every time someone went to the bathroom. So my bag has to be completely under the seat but this Husky does not. If there was an emergency, it would have been an issue. And the poor woman who was sitting by the window would definitely have issues getting out. The airline gave me a 75 voucher???? I didn’t want a voucher, I was pointing it out so future flights could be more safe. As soon as we landed, the emotional support vest came off too.

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We just returned from the Dawn and having a 'actually disabled spouse' were seated in the special needs area for boarding no wheelchair required just medical O2 etc. . The number of people claiming to be disabled was outrageous. One party in particular was ranting and raving about a lack of a NCL supplied wheelchair for his wife which they did receive eventually. Guess what ? Every time we saw them she was walking just fine through the Atrium Buffet and the Casino. Guess who showed up at disembarkation day looking for a wheelchair again. Some kind of documentation should be required to obtain the 'handicap status'

 

 

I hear you and agree to a point. Sometimes you don't understand the whole story. At the end of the day I'm glad I'm the person being able to walk / run and not the person in the wheelchair.

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I'm sorry but its threads like this that make my blood boil. Not all handicaps are noticeable and some of the most handicapped people in the world don't even use handicap parking. My #1 pet peeve on CC is threads like these. Someone sees a dog on a ship and suddenly is a medical expert and blogs here how they were offended a dog was on the ship. NCL like all businesses will allow certified dogs for handicap passengers.

The thing that is odd from this thread is that its coming from someone who claims they or their family member is handicapped. How strange.

My sister has MS and the number one annoyance to anyone with MS is the people that say "You look so good there is nothing wrong with you.'

The arrogance of anyone to be a medical expert to watch people on a cruise ship and be the handicap Czar of who is handicapped and who is not is outrageous.

Not all disabilities are visible to the naked eye. Just because someone is seen walking does not mean they don't have special needs or handicapped.

Grow up. Get a life and worry about yourself and "your handicap" before you cast judgment and attack others. Some people have multiple seizures during the day but look normal. Some people can walk short distances but then cant walk. Some people are legally blind but you don't know it. The OP only has a few posts so maybe they are trolling everyone with such a cruel post.

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Please don't judge everyone with a broad stroke. My 30 year old son has MS and was diagnosed at 15. I'm concerned about him boarding the ship because of the angle of the gangway. The stares we encounter are terrible because he "doesn't look" disabled. Every day with MS can be a different type of day and a wheelchair would make a big difference for those days.

Edited by roe821
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A couple of comments here folks. Just because someone does not LOOK like they need ADA accommodations does not mean they do not need them. I, for example, use assistance for embarkation/debarkation because those ramps (especially when being used by masses) are very difficult for me to walk. Once I am on the ship, I can usually navigate with fine by avoiding the most crowded places. If I didn'y use assistance for embarkation/debarkation that process alone would kick my butt so badly I'd be in a chair or not go anywhere once on board.

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This issue is rampant at the Florida theme parks as well. It always infuriated me to see a single person get pushed to the front of the line in a wheelchair followed by their 15 or 20 family members. I have also actually witnessed people swap out who is riding in the wheelchair, with the person coming out walking just fine.

Some people will abuse anything to take advantage.

 

Being in a wheelchair does not allow you to jump in line. But being in a wheel chair should not separate you from your friends and family. By the looks of your photo you are elderly or soon to be. Maybe someday you will need a wheelchair and you will remember this thread. I hope people are not as judgmental towards you as you seem to be when you see someone in a wheel chair and think they are scammers.

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Actual certified service dogs are invaluable. But one can tell the difference between an actual trained service dog and an emotional support dog in about 10 seconds from how the dog acts. One flight about a month ago a lady next to me had an emotional support kitten. But he or she was under the seat in a pet carrier, so It did not bother me. But when I have to step over a dog to get to the bathroom. enough is enough. I would think handicapped persons who truly benefit from service dogs would be the most vocal against this trend.

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Actual certified service dogs are invaluable. But one can tell the difference between an actual trained service dog and an emotional support dog in about 10 seconds from how the dog acts. One flight about a month ago a lady next to me had an emotional support kitten. But he or she was under the seat in a pet carrier, so It did not bother me. But when I have to step over a dog to get to the bathroom. enough is enough. I would think handicapped persons who truly benefit from service dogs would be the most vocal against this trend.

 

Your post really demonstrates the ignorance you have with understanding handicapped people. A handicap dog would not be transported in a carrier under a seat. Maybe this is what you wanted to assume. Airlines allow small dogs and cats to fly with passengers all the time. They are not handicap animals if they are transported that way. A service dog will have proper tags and fly directly with the passenger.

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Your post really demonstrates the ignorance you have with understanding handicapped people. A handicap dog would not be transported in a carrier under a seat. Maybe this is what you wanted to assume. Airlines allow small dogs and cats to fly with passengers all the time. They are not handicap animals if they are transported that way. A service dog will have proper tags and fly directly with the passenger.

 

Sorry. I may have double posted. But the dog had on a vest that said “emotional support” animal. The kitten, you could be right. I sat right next to that lady, she asked if I was allergic I said no, and in conversation she said she needed to bring them for support. But she could have paid, they were in a collapsible crate and there was nothing on the crate that stated service animal. I had no concerns with that at all. The dog was “tagged” and was a safety issue where he was allowed to be.

 

I work with people who brag about getting a vest for their dog so that he can stay with them in non pet friendly hotels. Their rational is that he is too old to survive staying in a kennel when they travel.

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Being in a wheelchair does not allow you to jump in line. But being in a wheel chair should not separate you from your friends and family. By the looks of your photo you are elderly or soon to be. Maybe someday you will need a wheelchair and you will remember this thread. I hope people are not as judgmental towards you as you seem to be when you see someone in a wheel chair and think they are scammers.

 

I went with my parents to Universal when my Dad was in a chair. My Mom would push him up to the special area for handicap, but my family would wait in the regular line with everyone else. I have absolutely no issue at all with people that are disabled getting pre-board on aircraft, or first seats at theaters, or even front of the line at theme parks. BUT, I do take issue with their entourage of 15 or 20 people getting to go with them. Someone previously mentioned that it would not impact anyone’s customer service at all. BUT, if several hundred people pre-board an NCL cruise ship, what are my chances of getting Vibe tickets? Or, on an aircraft, overhead space?

The OP was only talking about the true scammers. I do a lot of business travel. I have seen people get pre-board for a flight when they ask for persons with disabilities or “those needing extra time in boarding”, but then witnessed the same people sprinting through the terminals at ATL to catch a connection. Those are the people that make my blood boil.

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I'm not sure what to say here. I haven't booked a cruise in a while because with my emphysema I know I can't walk up the ramp onto the ship. My wife tells me to get a wheelchair, but other than not being able to breath and only 61 years old, I don't "look" handicapped. Also, once I get up the ramp and on level ground I can walk (with oxygen). Anyway she convinced me to book one but this is exactly why I didn't want to. The same reason I try not to park in a handicap spot.

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I'm not sure what to say here. I haven't booked a cruise in a while because with my emphysema I know I can't walk up the ramp onto the ship. My wife tells me to get a wheelchair, but other than not being able to breath and only 61 years old, I don't "look" handicapped. Also, once I get up the ramp and on level ground I can walk (with oxygen). Anyway she convinced me to book one but this is exactly why I didn't want to. The same reason I try not to park in a handicap spot.

 

I feel your pain, but please do not let a few (or even a lot) of curmudgeons steal your joy in your cruise or to hesitate to ask for what you need. I have been there and tried to "ironwoman" my way through when in pain. Now I put on my teflon suit daily and let nothing stick.

 

Enjoy your cruise!!!

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I'm not sure what to say here. I haven't booked a cruise in a while because with my emphysema I know I can't walk up the ramp onto the ship. My wife tells me to get a wheelchair, but other than not being able to breath and only 61 years old, I don't "look" handicapped. Also, once I get up the ramp and on level ground I can walk (with oxygen). Anyway she convinced me to book one but this is exactly why I didn't want to. The same reason I try not to park in a handicap spot.

 

Don't let the Nosey Nillies stop you. Enjoy your life, the only thing they are doing by judging you is causing themselves stress.

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