Worth it to downgrade to a Sea Terrace for the balcony?

[Luminelle]

Currently booked on the Scarlet Lady in accessible XL Sea Terrace room 13330A. Just found out that it’s a balcony with metal panels instead of glass. I can’t stand for long periods of time but would like to be able to use my balcony so it seems the only option is to ‘downgrade’ our room.

 

If you’ve been in both an XL sea terrace and the regular sea terrace was there a discernable difference in size?

[cantgetin]

The accessible sea terrace is a very nice size with a bathroom that will easily allow a wheelchair to manipulate within that space.  We were in the accessible sea terrace due to my daughter's mobility problem and were very pleased with the cabin.  Sorry that I can't give you sq. ft., but it was sufficient for all her needs.   I've never stayed in an accessible XL, but the size difference between the two is not huge.  The XL is a little longer, but the same width and the bathroom orientation is a little different.

 

I guess I don't understand why the metal panels rather than plexiglass would prevent you from using your balcony; it would prevent you from seeing thru the panels. If you have questions about the accessible features in the Sea Terrace HA cabin, I'm happy to answer them.  The biggest downfall is hat there is no shelf under the sink in the bathroom.  This is to allow wheelchair access to the sink (can't pull the chair up to the bowl if there is a shelf in the way.  This means that there is NO storage space in the bathroom other than the little bit on the counter by the sink.  I'm definitely bringing a "shoe holder" that can be hung on the protruberance on the door so we have a place to put hairbrush, grooming aids, etc.  Also, there is no electrical outlet in the bathroom "for safety reasons."  Thus, any appliance that you plan to use in the bathroom such as a water pic, shaver, etc. will need to be rechargeable or run on batteries.  The cabin is also lacking the large drawer that is under the "L" in regular cabins as the bed does not do the L conversion.  

 

There is a roll in shower with a fold down shower seat. There is a shower curtain, not a door.  The drains worked well for us and we never had issues with "water all over the bathroom floor" as I read in one review.  

I would not consider it worth upgrading to an XL.  In fact, we have been able to book the same cabin we were in previously for 2 of our next 3 cruises.

Edited November 29, 2022 by cantgetin

[Luminelle]

1 hour ago, cantgetin said:

The accessible sea terrace is a very nice size with a bathroom that will easily allow a wheelchair to manipulate within that space.  We were in the accessible sea terrace due to my daughter's mobility problem and were very pleased with the cabin.  Sorry that I can't give you sq. ft., but it was sufficient for all her needs.   I've never stayed in an accessible XL, but the size difference between the two is not huge.  The XL is a little longer, but the same width and the bathroom orientation is a little different.

 

I guess I don't understand why the metal panels rather than plexiglass would prevent you from using your balcony; it would prevent you from seeing thru the panels. If you have questions about the accessible features in the Sea Terrace HA cabin, I'm happy to answer them.  The biggest downfall is hat there is no shelf under the sink in the bathroom.  This is to allow wheelchair access to the sink (can't pull the chair up to the bowl if there is a shelf in the way.  This means that there is NO storage space in the bathroom other than the little bit on the counter by the sink.  I'm definitely bringing a "shoe holder" that can be hung on the protruberance on the door so we have a place to put hairbrush, grooming aids, etc.  Also, there is no electrical outlet in the bathroom "for safety reasons."  Thus, any appliance that you plan to use in the bathroom such as a water pic, shaver, etc. will need to be rechargeable or run on batteries.  The cabin is also lacking the large drawer that is under the "L" in regular cabins as the bed does not do the L conversion.  

 

There is a roll in shower with a fold down shower seat. There is a shower curtain, not a door.  The drains worked well for us and we never had issues with "water all over the bathroom floor" as I read in one review.  

I would not consider it worth upgrading to an XL.  In fact, we have been able to book the same cabin we were in previously for 2 of our next 3 cruises.

Thanks for the info! We will probably ask to move to the sea terrace cabin.

To me using the balcony consists of looking out onto the water, port, etc so if I can’t see while sitting then I essentially can’t use the balcony. I definitely didn’t realize it was important to me until I saw what it looked like. That’s probably also because I didn’t know it was a thing but I’m glad to have the chance to sort it out before boarding!

[garycarla]

If you share a bit more about reasons/issues that require an accessible room, folks can give you more advice/information.  (otherwise they are guessing or assuming)

[cantgetin]

42 minutes ago, garycarla said:

If you share a bit more about reasons/issues that require an accessible room, folks can give you more advice/information.  (otherwise they are guessing or assuming)

That was sort of covered in the initial post--said he/she can't stand for long periods of time.  Later said wants to be able to see out of the balcony, but must sit to enjoy it.  

 

One more hint--the wheelchair access to the balcony can be wicked if you aren't careful.  There is a flap that lowers automatically to connect the cabin to the balcony ramp.  To extend the flap, the door must be FULLY opened.  If it is an inch short of full, the flap sticks up, presenting a tripping hazard.  The door is heavy (as are most ship balcony doors), and I once stopped short of fully opening it when my travel partner was sleeping......yeah, lesson learned.  If you are able, you can step over the flap, but you must remember to do so!

[garycarla]

20 hours ago, cantgetin said:

That was sort of covered in the initial post--said he/she can't stand for long periods of time.  Later said wants to be able to see out of the balcony, but must sit to enjoy it.  

.....

Sort of covered.  Not able to stand for a long time does not mean this person is in a wheel chair or needs any other "accessible cabin fixtures".

[FFMilesJunkie]

On 11/29/2022 at 5:37 PM, Luminelle said:

Currently booked on the Scarlet Lady in accessible XL Sea Terrace room 13330A. Just found out that it’s a balcony with metal panels instead of glass. I can’t stand for long periods of time but would like to be able to use my balcony so it seems the only option is to ‘downgrade’ our room.

 

If you’ve been in both an XL sea terrace and the regular sea terrace was there a discernable difference in size?

If you don't need a fully accessible cabin for a wheelchair, then maybe an Ambulatory Cabin would be a good choice.  They would be standard sized cabins with a plexiglass balcony but with some features that might be helpful for you. 

 

Ambulatory Cabin Features:

Cabin size and shape are identical to non-ADA types
Lower coat hooks, thermostat, desk mirror, switches
Grab bars around toilets
Shower seat and grab bar
Larger handles on fridge doors
Standard height bathroom sink (lower than typical cabins)
Lower towel holders

Edited December 1, 2022 by FFMilesJunkie

[Luminelle]

I ended up downgrading our category to the sea terrace. No issues other than then trying to charge me $450 but that was resolved after speaking to someone else. Note to just get my sailor loot fixed!

[cantgetin]

Glad you got it worked out!