Accessible cabins

[jlp20]

9 hours ago, silversurf1 said:

Here in the U.K. we have to fill in a disability form before we travel.

The reason ships only have a few accessible cabins is that, in an emergency, someone is assigned.......

 

Sorry, not even close to reason. If you look at deck plans, you'll see accessible cabins use about 50% more area. So that ship designed to have to have 1800 cabins now only has 1200. To make up the difference, that ticket price has to be increased 50%. 

[raindropsalways]

This problem will not ever go away until the Cruise Lines are allowed to request verification of being “disabled”. If the ADA would follow Europe's system (disabled required to provide their equivalent of our “parking placard” for many things) that would make it possible for the cruise lines to verify the person is disabled. Also, it would eliminate individual's concerns about private information or the need for a doctor's letter. Our placard just proves we are disabled, does not release any personal info or identify our disabilities. Ruth and I carried our placards everyplace we traveled. We very seldom had to show them, but there was a couple times. The form we fill out on the ship is to our advantage. It makes the ship aware of our needs in the case of an emergency.  Have you ever used a local mobility system in a town you were visiting?  Both Ruth and I made copies of our permits and sent them to Miami along with Miami's form in order to use Miami's services. 

 

Many individuals can certainly benefit from the use of a mobility scooter mainly due to age. Regardless, they are still able to function without. Whereas, the disabled do not have that option. The person who suggested booking early is doing the smart thing. We normally booked two years in advance. If you do your research, sometimes those newly released cruises offer very enticing prices. If a cruise is selling real fast, prices have a tendency to go up. Also, our TA would get us the lessor price if the price went down and we brought it to her attention before final payment.

 

There is also the case of a disabled individual booking multiple cruises two years in advance (over the same time) and then canceling the ones he/she decided against taking before final payment was due. In most cases, a cancelled cruise goes into general booking, thus it slips through as being a standard cabin. Got one of those once because I knew the cabin number.

 

Celebrity did switch cabins for us once. We added the b2b at last minute and had to take a standard cabin. The hotel manager was aware that there was able bodied in one accessible cabin and she just switched us. Only problem was the fact that the couple got our chocolate covered strawberries.

 

Because I had to travel with oxygen for many years, I travel with a letter from my doctor advising my basic needs and that I am competent. My letter is up-dated every year. I get mine through the VA, thus no charge. However, I am aware that many doctors do have a fee for letters. Regardless, I always fill out the cruise special needs form and submit it before I cruise.

 

The parking placard would be the easiest solution for all involved. Even if the individual does not drive, most get a placard so that it can be used in whose ever car they are riding in.

 

I disagree with previous post 50% logic. The ship building world has a way of getting square footage space without a major lose of cabins as long as you do not expect half of the cabins to be HC. Further more, not all “HC” cabins require the additional space. Only those for wheelchairs, mobile devices or lifts. Cabins were originally deigned for wheelchair turning space. Regardless, I do feel that the percentage of HC cabins should be increased. And the ships should be allowed to obtain verification of the need. Until the ADA allows the ships to demand proof, the problem cannot be eliminated. And if you go back the people that insist they should not have to share their private info with the cruise lines, they will fight having to give proof to the cruise lines. The Airlines were able to request proof of need for oxygen due to FAA rules. Even though I no longer have to carry the oxygen with me, I still carry the paper work along with a complete list of my prescriptions for my own protection.

[spookwife]

 

 I think the original poster 's complaint was more due to the fact that the cabin CATEGORY they wanted has only 8  HA  cabins.  not that the ship only as 8 HA cabins total.  

 

every category of cabin does have HA  versions.. but at a total percentage.   so if the default is  10%  of cabins are HA,  the ship   has fewer of some categories than others.   for instance, ten percent of suites( and I bet they just lump all  suites into one category..)  there may very well be only 8 cabins, but  ten percent of balcony cabins may yield  15 or 20 available HA ones.  and maybe only 10 inside/OV ones.  

 

and I have NEVER seen prices for a HA cabin  be more expensive for the exact same  category/deck as a regular one. their prices fluctuate just  like  any other cabin..supply and demand.  they are not starting out more expensive by any stretch.  

[Typer124]

Our experience starting with access to a handicapped accessible room (sorry it is so long, I was annoyed when I wrote this letter) 

February 21, 2019

 

 

Frank Del Rio, President and CEO

Andy Stuart

Vivian Ewart

Norwegian Cruise Lines

76665 Corporate Drive

Miami, Florida, 33126

 

 

Dear Customer Services Staff,

 

I have recently returned from a vacation cruising on the Norwegian Escape with my husband, our fifth cruise wit NCL. 

 

We had recently cruised with Celebrity Cruise Lines, Royal and Princess.  Because we are getting older and I had had a stroke in 2008 and I am now handicapped, we decided to try Norwegian Cruise Line's Freestyle.  We love not having to eat at predetermined times and it cuts down on the amount of clothing we had had to bring regarding formal nights etc.   it was a whole new way of cruising for us on Norwegian.

 

This cruise, February 3, 2019 to February 17, 2019 was kind of a last minute cruise for us, as we usually book way ahead of time due to limited handicapped accessible rooms availability.  We had reached out at this time to one of your cruise agents directly from NCL.  His name was James Bounma , personal cruise consultant, NCL, 954-514-4118, and he said that there were no handicapped accessible rooms available at this time.  (I have recently read the cruise boards and they say that many of the Accesible  rooms are actually booked  by people who don't need them or are given to them as a guaranteed room.).    James said the "correct" thing that every accessible room was booked to a handicapped person who actually needed a handicapped accessible room.  I needed to rent a scooter for this trip and was also told the the scooter would not fit into the other roons except for the more deluxe rooms with larger door spans, suites, etc.  we understood that all scooters must be kept in the room overnight.  

 

Well, amazingly enough James came up with a room that would work for us.  It was a Mini Suite, Deck 14, Room 14232 and if we took this room everything would work fine.  Obviously your agents have never seen the size of these rooms.  He gave us the dimensions of the door and if we got a smaller scooter to fit within these dimensions, it would definitely work.  He also told us that they woul put in a shower bench and a toilet riser.  When we boarded the ship a young man pushiest me onto the ship on  a wheelchair dropped me off just inside the door and said that this was as far as he could take me.  That was a shock as before on NCL I was taken to the buffet or one of the restaurants where I could sit down and then my husband could get my scooter.  I cannot walk long distances with a cane or walker (which luckily I had with me) so I had to make my way to the first place I could  sit dow, which was a slot machine to wait for my husband and my scooter.   The scooter would NOT fit into the room!  This ended up not being a huge problem as the room steward said someone could take it to a room and charge it overnight and we could call and get it in the morning.  This did work great, they usually came right away when we called.

 

However the biggest problem was the bathroom.  As we had not seen the room before, James had not warned us that the bathroom had a rather large step to get into the bathroom.  With my stroke affecting my legs, I had great difficulty getting into the bathroom.  I had to get one foot over the ledge of the step, grab a towel bar inside and then reach over and grab the toilet and pull myself in.  It wasn't an easy thing to do but it worked.  I, however, came into our room on Tuesday, February 5, and I ended up not being able to pull myself up and I slipped and  my leg fell down and hit the ledge and I fell to the floor of the bathroom.  I was in hottible pain and    thought I broke my leg.  As I am a large woman, my husband could not get me up and he had to call for help.  Two extremely pleasant and very strong men came and lifted me up and Omar Salgado came to see if I was okay..  I managed to walk to the bed, crying out in pain but I knew it wasn't broken, just badly bruised and the nerve endings exposed.  Some of the pain   From subsided enough so I went to bed.

 

Miraculously, in the morning Omar Salgado, Access Officer, called and said that he found a room being occupied by a couple who did not need an accessible room and they would be willing to switch with us.  By the way, this couple had not tried to book a handicapped room but was given one as a Guaranteed Room.  I did have horrendous bruises on my right leg but we made the switch of rooms and all was good. 

 

Our cruise went on after this incident.  Our room was great, 5106, our room steward, Jerry, was wonderful, staff was wonderful and we had a great cruise.  Omar was very attentive to us and stopped to check how our room was and my condition.  He did stop us once in the hall to let us know where to go for special disembarkation.  My husband said to Omar that I would not be able to walk from the baggage area to our car and that we needed to have the wheelchair attendant take me to our car.  He said that they could not do that, it was a New York and Union Law that they could not leave the terminal.  As  I understand it, we paid $400 to park for 14 days at the terminal, isn't that still part of the terminal.  He assured us that he would be up in the room at the tine of disembarkation and "he would figure something out at that time". 

 

As always, all good things must come to an end and it was our last day of a wonderful cruise except for "my incident".   We were told by Omar to be up to our special room for disembarkation from 8-9:30.  We got up early and got to the room at 7:30 AM and there were about 400 people ahead of us.  We put our name on the list and went to seek out Omar for information.  Omar was nowhere to be found, one lady was there taking names and answering questions from 400 people.  We sat and waited and after 2 hours they called our name for a wheelchair.  As always I left my rental scooter on board and had a wheelchair take me off the ship.  The attendant took me right to Baggage and a rather nasty attendant screamed at him "Drop her off here, no further.  My husband tried to explain to her that I could NOT walk the distance to the Garage.  She again said that they were not to go to  the garage, drop me by my luggage.  He apologized and I understand it's his job.  So I stood by the luggage waiting for the remainder of it.  At that time I started to get very shaky due to my diabetes and the csame woman came back and told me I had to move because I was blocking an area she didn't want blocked.  I told her I was diabetic and about to faint and she might have me in the middle of the luggage an she would have to pick me up.  Another attendant came over and I told her the same thing.  My husband went to find someone in charge and FINALLY she said she would see what she could do.  We waited another 15 minutes and finally a man with a wheelchair came and got me and took me up to the car.  By that tint there were no porters available so my husband had to get 4 suitcases and manage  to get them to our car, but that was the very least of our troubles.  I did thank the lady immensely for getting us the wheelchair.  I told her I was writing this letter and copying James, Omar, Americans wither Disabilities and the CEO of NCL.   What she said was "Good, that's the only way things will change!"  

 

With a population of people who are living longer and still active and taking cruises on walkers, canes and scooters, I would think that the cruise industry would wise up and make most of the rooms to be modified for handicapped even if they use a removable adaptation for the bathroom step or fold-up apparatus to make the step into a ramp, etc.  I am not an engineer but I don't think it would be that hard to do.   I also feel you need more wheelchairs as I never saw more than 30.to take care of 400 people.

 

We did buy 4 Cruisenext deposits for future cruises on 2/16/19 because we  like NCL (the cruise, people, ship and itinerary and ports)  but we are seriously thinking about giving them up.  

 

As you know, taking a cruise is expensive, you make it a very pleasant experience when arriving and getting a wheelchair to take you a rather far distance to get you on the ship.  When they get you there they dump you off (don't even take you to your room or a waiting area for your scooter).  Then you spend tons of money on the ship and then when it comes to Disembarkation they dump you off in Baggage.  like a piece of garbage.  They don't need your money anymore, and then there is always the next passenger to pay the bills.

 

Thank you for letting me have my say, I do hope that I do at least get you thinking about YOUR HANDICAPPED PASSENGERS.                                                         

                                                            

 

cc:  Omar Salgado

       Andy Stuart

       Vivian Ewart

       James Bounma

       Americans With Disabilities Act , New York

       Cruise Critic Message Board

       

[lenquixote66]

8 hours ago, spookwife said:

 

 I think the original poster 's complaint was more due to the fact that the cabin CATEGORY they wanted has only 8  HA  cabins.  not that the ship only as 8 HA cabins total.  

 

every category of cabin does have HA  versions.. but at a total percentage.   so if the default is  10%  of cabins are HA,  the ship   has fewer of some categories than others.   for instance, ten percent of suites( and I bet they just lump all  suites into one category..)  there may very well be only 8 cabins, but  ten percent of balcony cabins may yield  15 or 20 available HA ones.  and maybe only 10 inside/OV ones.  

 

and I have NEVER seen prices for a HA cabin  be more expensive for the exact same  category/deck as a regular one. their prices fluctuate just  like  any other cabin..supply and demand.  they are not starting out more expensive by any stretch.  

The NCL rep stated the entire ship only had 8 cabins but we found out recently that they have 22.

[Bloodgem]

17 hours ago, Typer124 said:

As always, all good things must come to an end and it was our last day of a wonderful cruise except for "my incident".   We were told by Omar to be up to our special room for disembarkation from 8-9:30.  We got up early and got to the room at 7:30 AM and there were about 400 people ahead of us.  We put our name on the list and went to seek out Omar for information.  Omar was nowhere to be found, one lady was there taking names and answering questions from 400 people.  We sat and waited and after 2 hours they called our name for a wheelchair.  As always I left my rental scooter on board and had a wheelchair take me off the ship.  The attendant took me right to Baggage and a rather nasty attendant screamed at him "Drop her off here, no further.  My husband tried to explain to her that I could NOT walk the distance to the Garage.  She again said that they were not to go to  the garage, drop me by my luggage.  He apologized and I understand it's his job.  So I stood by the luggage waiting for the remainder of it.  At that time I started to get very shaky due to my diabetes and the csame woman came back and told me I had to move because I was blocking an area she didn't want blocked.  I told her I was diabetic and about to faint and she might have me in the middle of the luggage an she would have to pick me up.  Another attendant came over and I told her the same thing.  My husband went to find someone in charge and FINALLY she said she would see what she could do.  We waited another 15 minutes and finally a man with a wheelchair came and got me and took me up to the car.  By that tint there were no porters available so my husband had to get 4 suitcases and manage  to get them to our car, but that was the very least of our troubles.  I did thank the lady immensely for getting us the wheelchair.  I told her I was writing this letter and copying James, Omar, Americans wither Disabilities and the CEO of NCL.   What she said was "Good, that's the only way things will change!"  

 

 

 Is there a reason why Typer124  husband could not drive their car closer to the baggage claim? 

 

I have never sailed out of the States with a wheelchair so i'm after clarity and Typer124 does not report any problems getting from their car to the terminal on embarkation day. 

 

[toras]

On 4/1/2019 at 12:00 PM, Typer124 said:

James had not warned us that the bathroom had a rather large step to get into the bathroom.        

If not for this step, I think my mom might be OK with a regular cabin. She can shuffle along with a walker but we're not going to take the chance in case she trips or falls on this step. Wonder why it is always built with that in a regular cabin.                                                                                                                                                            

[Typer124]

The baggage is immediately when the get into the terminal and there is an extremely long walk through two very long buildings before you even get outside to have moved the car to pick me up.  There was no way I could walk that far even with a walker and three other Norwegian cruises we DID have a person from the ship wheel me up to the parking garage to the elevator and there I waited with the luggage while my husband got our car.

[Bloodgem]

7 hours ago, Typer124 said:

The baggage is immediately when the get into the terminal and there is an extremely long walk through two very long buildings before you even get outside to have moved the car to pick me up.  There was no way I could walk that far even with a walker and three other Norwegian cruises we DID have a person from the ship wheel me up to the parking garage to the elevator and there I waited with the luggage while my husband got our car.

Thank you for explaining.

[GUT2407]

Yippee just snagged an accessible cabin on Serenade if the Seas, gee it’s getting harder, to get one.

[Slugsta]

On 4/4/2019 at 2:45 AM, GUT2407 said:

Yippee just snagged an accessible cabin on Serenade if the Seas, gee it’s getting harder, to get one.

 

Great news! 🙂  what is your itinerary?

[GUT2407]

On 4/6/2019 at 11:13 PM, Slugsta said:

 

Great news! 🙂  what is your itinerary?

Circumnavigation of Australia and Part of NZ,(it’s actually b2b) tried to get one for 2020 no luck at all, got one 2021, Two days later Mrs G says ‘Should have got Port side,” tried to change, not one accessible balcony open for both legs

[Slugsta]

6 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Circumnavigation of Australia and Part of NZ,(it’s actually b2b) tried to get one for 2020 no luck at all, got one 2021, Two days later Mrs G says ‘Should have got Port side,” tried to change, not one accessible balcony open for both legs

 

That sounds lovely, I hope you have a great time - even if you will be on the 'wrong side' of the ship 🙂 

 

There are times when I wish I could tolerate flying so that I could get to more places - then I remind myself how very lucky I am in many ways, kick myself up the jacksie and stop moaning 😃

[GUT2407]

Just now, Slugsta said:

 

That sounds lovely, I hope you have a great time - even if you will be on the 'wrong side' of the ship 🙂 

 

There are times when I wish I could tolerate flying so that I could get to more places - then I remind myself how very lucky I am in many ways, kick myself up the jacksie and stop moaning 😃

My wife isn’t allowed fly so we have to stick local, the  main reason we tried to change sides was that we sail into NEWCASTLE, where we live, and Port would have given us nicer of the city approach.

 

RCCL mst be happy how sold it was after three days.

[DebbieMacG]

On 3/23/2019 at 4:47 PM, ginnynj said:

Hi All. Celebrity also allows you to check a need for an Accessible cabin. I have booked that way this year for DH. Some dates are not available but with a little flexibility, I am happy to say this has worked. Best wishes in locating a cabin for cruising.

In the UK you still have to call Celebrity, which is a pain as you can call about three cruises and none will have availability. We cannot see the .com website it redirects us.

[sweetieweetie]

I’ve been told that some cruise lines hold them back for disabled travelers but your travel agent has to call them directly, any idea which cruise lines these are because I’ll start loyally  booking on them.  (BTW - 1st time ever, got a last minute cruise deal on NCL breakaway with a handicap cabin).  And Holland America gave me a reduced rate on a handicap room as it was the last one they had left (booked that one a year in advanced).  

[Iriel]

14 hours ago, sweetieweetie said:

I’ve been told that some cruise lines hold them back for disabled travelers but your travel agent has to call them directly, any idea which cruise lines these are because I’ll start loyally  booking on them.  (BTW - 1st time ever, got a last minute cruise deal on NCL breakaway with a handicap cabin).  And Holland America gave me a reduced rate on a handicap room as it was the last one they had left (booked that one a year in advanced).  

 

Well, when I was looking for my Greek Isles cruise, I checked the RCI website and a message popped up saying that my travel agent had to call to book the accessible cabin. I don't know if that message appears every time. So I found myself a travel agent to see our options. Ultimately, RCI had the best itinerary for me, so we booked it. It was really fast and painless. We booked almost a year ahead.

 

But many, many years ago, I wanted to cruise to Brazil with Costa and I had to give up because all the accessible cabins were booked. They could only offer me a very expensive suite and we just couldn't afford it. And I'm talking about ALL the cruises for that summer. There were A LOT of cruises coming and going between Argentina and Brazil and none of them had an available cabin. I was really bummed for a long while.

[Bloodgem]

1 hour ago, Iriel said:

 

Well, when I was looking for my Greek Isles cruise, I checked the RCI website and a message popped up saying that my travel agent had to call to book the accessible cabin. I don't know if that message appears every time. So I found myself a travel agent to see our options.

I think it depends on which RCI website you use. RCI.com will show you the availability of accessible cabins but RCI.UK  will not. On the UK website if you tick 'I need an accessible cabin'   you get the message 'You will need to speak to our Personal Cruise Specialists to arrange booking accessible staterooms. Please call us' 

[Iriel]

9 hours ago, Bloodgem said:

I think it depends on which RCI website you use. RCI.com will show you the availability of accessible cabins but RCI.UK  will not. On the UK website if you tick 'I need an accessible cabin'   you get the message 'You will need to speak to our Personal Cruise Specialists to arrange booking accessible staterooms. Please call us' 

 

Oh, I know what's going on. When I use RCI.com, it shows me the "Call us" message, but when I use the Spanish (Argentina) website, then I can see the availability. It tracks your location, but I don't know why does it matter when you're seeing the exact same cruise.