Why is Celebrity selling wheelchair accessible suites to people who don't need them?

[Sigyn]

There are six sky suites left on my upcoming Millennium sailing to Alaska. The cruise is in 74 days. Each of the sky suites are wheelchair accessible cabins. Yet, Celebrity is now selling these suites to guests who don't ask for accessible rooms. Why are they doing this? Is this standard as the sail date draws near?

I booked a suite guarantee yesterday and I'm fine with being placed in an accessible sky suite, particularly since I knew that was all that's left. But I'm surprised they're already selling them to guests without waiting longer to see if guests in wheelchairs need them. I know they're doing this because I did a mock booking and didn't click on the box saying I wanted a wheelchair accessible room and yet those six cabins were the ones that showed up and were allowing me to book them. Screenshots here: 

[prmssk]

If the only Sky Suites left are all accessible, I don't know why they wouldn't open them up to the general public.  As a business they want to sell those rooms.  Holding them back hoping for someone who needs one likely won't accomplish that.  it makes complete sense to me to hold them back as long as there are other options but once those other options are gone to release them.

[mom says]

Pretty sure that's SOP on all lines.Just how long to you think they should hold on before releasing them for sale? It's way past final payment.

[bEwAbG]

Anything goes past final payment.  They're not required to leave accessible rooms open in case someone who needs one decides to book a last minute cruise.

[Vagabond Knight]

I wish the cruise lines had staterooms that were somewhere in between full handicapped and regular cabins. Some older people and/or those with ankle, knee or hip issues would really benefit from having a higher toilet and bars to assist them getting up and down, but have no need for a full handicapped enabled cabin. Tall people would benefit as well since it's a lot harder to get up from a sitting position when your knees are higher than your bum, and if you have any of the other issues mentioned the  struggle is multiplied.  

[Northern Aurora]

Just to add to what others have posted I wonder how often folks who need wheelchair accessible staterooms (suites or other categories) wait to book.  Given the difficulties of travel for the mobility impaired I doubt there is a large surge in last minute demand for those cabins from folks who are actually mobility challenged.  My father had Parkinson's Disease and the last time he was able to travel to a family reunion it required quite a bit of planning.  

 

I also suspect this is standard operating procedure across the industry.

[sunonfire]

I was checking my Constellation cruise. I did not check accessible. I did check the military and police boxes. The accessible cabins showed up. I did not check the box the website was working very very slowly. It paged back and it was checked. This happened several times. My Captain number kept disappearing. I honk it is website issues. Try again. I did and then everything was correct.

[WonderMan3]

This is standard. It can also happen further out. I wound up in a handicapped accessible Sky Suite on Constellation when I booked a deal through Blue Chip Club and it was about 8 months out. I originally was put in a guarantee cabin but within a few days it confirmed into the accessible cabin. I believe Celebrity does reserve the right to move you to a comparable or higher level cabin that is not accessible if there is a passenger who needs it after you book.

[FlorenceItaly]

It seems to be pretty common on Suite guarantees.

[phoenix_dream]

Once it's past final payment I don't see anything wrong with what they're doing.

[neverlaysup]

We booked the last and only suite available for a TransPac for May of '20 (cruise cancelled) and it was accessible. I didn't want it but it was literally the only suite left for sale on the ship. As my luck has been, 4 lift and shifts later, we have a standard S1 for this Septembers TransPac cruise. I have never been in an accessible suite but I would imagine the room is the same size with a handicapped accessible bathroom. If that is the case, most people that book accessible cabins need the room for a scooter but can live with the standard bathroom layout. This is probably why the suites are the LAST to sell and the standard size cabins are the first ones sold out because they are double the size.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

How long should they hold them open if they are the only suites available? 90 days? 60 days? 30 days?  3 days? If they are not booked by final payment date they should be made available for booking.

[zitsky]

I just won a move up to an accessible suite.  I didn’t request it.  I didn’t even think I would get anything.  I bid the minimum.  I don’t want to think I took it from someone who needed it.

[mahdnc]

Reminds me of the time I was in a line of cars waiting to park at the public beach in Southern California back when I was in college. By the time my car entered the parking lot, the police directed me to park in the last open space which was a handicapped spot and then they closed the lot. 

[BettyCruiser]

I would guess the handicapped rooms were made available to all about the same time the family verandah rooms were made available for only 2.

[Chardonnay Char]

This might sound terrible but if I walk into a ladies room with 3 stalls -- two are normal and one is handicapped and both of the regular ones are occupied full --  I do NOT stand there and wait for someone who is handicapped to maybe need the stall.  I use it and move on.  

 

[Sigyn]

Okay, this makes sense. I was super confused! Thanks, everyone. 

[HS2BS]

From a handicapped cruiser who always books an accessible cabin well in advance, there is nothing wrong with Celebrity or any other line selling accessible cabins after final payment. Anyone in need of an accessible cabin knows to book almost a year out on most ships as they’re usually in high demand. Tomorrow(4/25/23) boarding the Summit in the one and only accessible aqua cabin while there are six accessible sky suites.
What should concern the original poster is the number of people who book an accessible cabin without need, but because of the larger size. At some time in the past you had to fill out a medical form prior to booking an accessible cabin, but that has been discontinued.

 

Hal

[Texed]

15 minutes ago, HS2BS said:

From a handicapped cruiser who always books an accessible cabin well in advance, there is nothing wrong with Celebrity or any other line selling accessible cabins after final payment.
What should concern the original poster is the number of people who book an accessible cabin without need,   Hal

 

Hal,

Thanks for posting a very reasonable and well written post.

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, HS2BS said:

From a handicapped cruiser who always books an accessible cabin well in advance, there is nothing wrong with Celebrity or any other line selling accessible cabins after final payment. Anyone in need of an accessible cabin knows to book almost a year out on most ships as they’re usually in high demand. Tomorrow(4/25/23) boarding the Summit in the one and only accessible aqua cabin while there are six accessible sky suites.
What should concern the original poster is the number of people who book an accessible cabin without need, but because of the larger size. At some time in the past you had to fill out a medical form prior to booking an accessible cabin, but that has been discontinued.

 

Hal

 

Have a nice cruise tomorrow.

[go.without.you]

I booked a cruise on Equinox that was after final payment was due. The only Aqua class cabin available was accessible and they told me if someone needed it they would move me. I did a move-up bid and was assigned an accessible Sky Suite. I loved that cabin, there was so much space! I was doing Julie Andrew spins in it. And the bathroom....oh it was lovely.

 

It also had a button to open the door and each night for dinner I would press the button and pose like a model when the door opened. The butler saw me and we laughed.

[Pickels]

15 hours ago, njsmom said:

There are six sky suites left on my upcoming Millennium sailing to Alaska. The cruise is in 74 days. Each of the sky suites are wheelchair accessible cabins. Yet, Celebrity is now selling these suites to guests who don't ask for accessible rooms. Why are they doing this? Is this standard as the sail date draws near?

I booked a suite guarantee yesterday and I'm fine with being placed in an accessible sky suite, particularly since I knew that was all that's left. But I'm surprised they're already selling them to guests without waiting longer to see if guests in wheelchairs need them. I know they're doing this because I did a mock booking and didn't click on the box saying I wanted a wheelchair accessible room and yet those six cabins were the ones that showed up and were allowing me to book them. Screenshots here: 

Basic cash flow---cruise lines don't make any money sailing with an empty cabin

[Loracpin2]

15 hours ago, Vagabond Knight said:

I wish the cruise lines had staterooms that were somewhere in between full handicapped and regular cabins. Some older people and/or those with ankle, knee or hip issues would really benefit from having a higher toilet and bars to assist them getting up and down, but have no need for a full handicapped enabled cabin. Tall people would benefit as well since it's a lot harder to get up from a sitting position when your knees are higher than your bum, and if you have any of the other issues mentioned the  struggle is multiplied.  

Completely agree!! We're sailing (different cruise line) with our Daughter & Family in June and it never dawned on me that not having a raised toilet is going to be an issue since my knee replacement 7 months ago.  

[WonderMan3]

15 hours ago, neverlaysup said:

We booked the last and only suite available for a TransPac for May of '20 (cruise cancelled) and it was accessible. I didn't want it but it was literally the only suite left for sale on the ship. As my luck has been, 4 lift and shifts later, we have a standard S1 for this Septembers TransPac cruise. I have never been in an accessible suite but I would imagine the room is the same size with a handicapped accessible bathroom. If that is the case, most people that book accessible cabins need the room for a scooter but can live with the standard bathroom layout. This is probably why the suites are the LAST to sell and the standard size cabins are the first ones sold out because they are double the size.

I can only speak to my experience on M class but my Sky Suite was a larger room which is why I was originally glad we got it. The bathroom was a bit larger too but it had one of those roll-in showers which was a total disaster; water goes everywhere on the bathroom floor. We had to literally build a little ring barrier of towels to keep the floor from flooding. Would never want one of those cabins again.

[neverlaysup]

9 minutes ago, WonderMan3 said:

I can only speak to my experience on M class but my Sky Suite was a larger room which is why I was originally glad we got it. The bathroom was a bit larger too but it had one of those roll-in showers which was a total disaster; water goes everywhere on the bathroom floor. We had to literally build a little ring barrier of towels to keep the floor from flooding. Would never want one of those cabins again.

My DW and her mother had an accessible cabin on Millie as well and reported the same shower disaster.