Saga insist I book an adapted cabin

[twotravellersLondon]

3 hours ago, Fourwheelsonmywagon said:

This is the root of the problem. Why are only 20% of adapted cabins standard grade when 75% of unadapted cabins are standard? This is why I am nearly 4 times more likely to have to book a deluxe cabin than someone who is not a wheelchair user. Any policy which makes it four times more likely that someone with a protected characteristic will have to pay more than someone without that characteristic is fundamentally discriminatory. I already have to pay for two people to travel (I don't like it, but nearly all the cruise lines insist on that one so it's not worth fighting) so adding an extra 50% premium for a deluxe cabin is just a step too far - the per person price of the cruise I was trying to book was £4500, had I completed the booking I'd have been paying £13,500.

According to the sales person I spoke to, in order to get one of the standard adapted cabins I would have to register on a priority list at a cost of £90 and wait however many years it takes before I get to first or second on that list since those 2 standard adapted cabins are always booked before the brochure is on general release. 

FYI It's not only wheelchair users who need adapted cabins. My Mum needs a wet room with plenty of handrails on land, at sea a fall would be pretty much inevitable in an unadapted bathroom but she doesn't use a wheelchair or any other walking aid so Saga wouldn't allow her to book an adapted cabin despite the obvious risk, which just proves how barmy the policy is.

 

For us... life is far, far too short to get into a sweat of frustration and angst about what just one more holiday... if we were in the same situation and there were are other lines that fitted our personal requirements... it would be a "no-brainer" as they say.

 

[lincslady]

The only point worth making is that it does seem unfair that only 2 out of 10 adapted cabins are at the lower price level.  I can see that  Saga may well not want too many wheelchair users on board, if only that it can cause  extra work for staff if there is an emergency etc., but that should be the only reason for only having 10  cabins  suitable for wheelchair users.

[Fourwheelsonmywagon]

14 hours ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

For us... life is far, far too short to get into a sweat of frustration and angst about what just one more holiday... if we were in the same situation and there were are other lines that fitted our personal requirements... it would be a "no-brainer" as they say.

 

If everyone took that attitude wheelchair users would still have no access to buses, trains, planes, shops, hospitals ......

I am fortunate to have the time and knowledge to be able to challenge discriminatory policies such as this one and whilst I don't always challenge (if I did, I'd do nothing else!) I feel strongly enough about this particular issue to push on a bit further. From comments on other groups/sites, it's actually affecting quite a number of people, e.g. a lady who'd twisted her knee shortly before her cruise had to cancel because they wouldn't let her use a wheelchair onboard unless she upgraded her standard cabin to an adapted suite!

[twotravellersLondon]

16 minutes ago, Fourwheelsonmywagon said:

If everyone took that attitude wheelchair users would still have no access to buses, trains, planes, shops, hospitals ......

I am fortunate to have the time and knowledge to be able to challenge discriminatory policies such as this one and whilst I don't always challenge (if I did, I'd do nothing else!) I feel strongly enough about this particular issue to push on a bit further. From comments on other groups/sites, it's actually affecting quite a number of people, e.g. a lady who'd twisted her knee shortly before her cruise had to cancel because they wouldn't let her use a wheelchair onboard unless she upgraded her standard cabin to an adapted suite!

 

We could understand that if a cruise line hadn't made reasonable adjustments for someone registered as disabled and ensured that adapted cabins were available in the mix on board. But this seems to be about not wanting to accept an adapted cabin that's been offered.

 

We've used an adapted cabin on the Discovery and it was perfectly fine. The wet room was wonderful, their was lots of space the cabin and it was easy to get onto the balcony.... even the push-pads for opening the doors had been well-considered. It was designed to allow anyone in a wheelchair to travel in comfort and to just get on and enjoy their holiday.

 

We hope that you sort something out either with SAGA or one of the other companies that you've cruised with and that you will be able to look forward to a really enjoyable holiday.

 

 

 

[Fourwheelsonmywagon]

3 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

We could understand that if a cruise line hadn't made reasonable adjustments for someone registered as disabled and ensured that adapted cabins were available in the mix on board. But this seems to be about not wanting to accept an adapted cabin that's been offered.

 

We've used an adapted cabin on the Discovery and it was perfectly fine. The wet room was wonderful, their was lots of space the cabin and it was easy to get onto the balcony.... even the push-pads for opening the doors had been well-considered. It was designed to allow anyone in a wheelchair to travel in comfort and to just get on and enjoy their holiday.

 

We hope that you sort something out either with SAGA or one of the other companies that you've cruised with and that you will be able to look forward to a really enjoyable holiday.

 

 

 

It’s about not wanting to accept a cabin with facilities I don’t need in exchange for being charged 50 % extra.

I have no doubt that the adapted cabins are perfect for those that need them, I don’t. I already have to pay for a companion even though I have no care needs so the cruise I wanted to do, instead of costing £3500 plus a single supplement was quoted at £10,600. Do you think that’s reasonable?

[jsforum]

Having just spent a week in a standard single I'd say a wheelchair would be impractical

 

There is also a step up into the bathroom

 

Could you not persuade a companion to join you? It would be ok in a standard twin or double. 

 

Singles cost about 50% more so you might consider subsiding a friend in return for their help if need be 

[Fourwheelsonmywagon]

2 minutes ago, jsforum said:

Having just spent a week in a standard single I'd say a wheelchair would be impractical

 

There is also a step up into the bathroom

 

Could you not persuade a companion to join you? It would be ok in a standard twin or double. 

 

Singles cost about 50% more so you might consider subsiding a friend in return for their help if need be 

Saga insist I am accompanied, as do most cruise lines. Despite evidence that many disabled people live alone with no issues whatsoever there is a general assumption that all of them need a carer, a bit like the general assumption that despite living in a 2 storey unadapted house, because I sometimes use a wheelchair I can’t walk or climb stairs.

[mancunian]

We went on a five day cruise on SOD earlier this year as an experiment.  I normally use a rollator on board ships but on this occasion we decided to take my mobility scooter to see if I could cover more distance.  

 

We had to obviously book one of the adapted cabins and were looking for the standard cabin version.  I was under the impression that all the cabins were large and of the size of the deluxe cabin which was certainly the size we were given and it was ncertainly not 50% more.  Strange.   It was certainly large and comfortable though the downside was that to  give as much floor space as possible you lost the chairs.  In a cabin of the deluxe size this seemed a little over the top.  I do wonder if the insistence on one of these cabins is to prevent damage to the ship.  The wide automatic doors certainly were great and even with just a rollator or wheelchair it is easy to knock into a standard door.

 

bWe were well cared for, the only blip being we were told that staff members would collect me at the boat drill, only they did not.   Then when we went out later found apiece of paper on the door stating inspected but unoccupied.   Interesting.  We mentioned this later in the day at guest services who just shrugged their shoulders and said it did not matter and an instruction sheet would be given the next day.  It was not!

 

Incidentally I am back to my rollator.  My mobility scooter was not really a success.  Not easy to go ashore as excursions, shuttle buses and taxis do not work and ports you are not usually able to travel through.

 

 

 

 

 

[Windsurfboy]

Looking at the literature,  Saga adapted cabins are exactly the same size as unadapted cabins

 

Standard 215 sq ft

Deluxe 350 sq ft

Suite 462 sq ft

 

By comparison P&O are slightly smaller

 

Balcony 190 sq ft

Mini suite 270 sq ft

Suite 500 sq ft

 

Deluxe on Saga is a little more than 50% bigger than standard. I  don't know if Adapted bathrooms are bigger, hence rest of cabin smaller.

[silversurf]

We have alwas managed to get an adapted standard cabin by booking early.

I have never measured our cabin, but I believe they are wider than the standard.