Handicapped rooms

[kellanderson]

Do you have to be handicapped to book a handicapped room?

 

I have been randomly assigned to them 2x just wanted to check.

[Tinknock50]

Well, you can, but wouldn't you feel bad if a handicaped person could not cruise because you have his cabin?

 

Just keep doing guarantees and you may be assigned one again. You will know then that it wasn't needed and was given to you.

[RuthC]

Well, you should be, for the very reason mentioned.

But you didn't book a handicap cabin. You were assigned to one. That's HAL's choice---not yours.

When it's getting close to sailing, and no handicapped person has booked the cabin HAL has every right to fill it with somebody---anybody!---willing to pay.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I can't even imagine a handicapped room being assigned to someone who is not handicapped.

 

Every ship we have been on lately, there have been plenty of handicapped people and hopefully none of them had to be assigned to a regular room all because a non-handicapped person had the special cabin.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I can't even imagine a handicapped room being assigned to someone who is not handicapped.

 

Every ship we have been on lately, there have been plenty of handicapped people and hopefully none of them had to be assigned to a regular room all because a non-handicapped person had the special cabin.

[Tinknock50]

Well, you should be, for the very reason mentioned.

But you didn't book a handicap cabin. You were assigned to one. That's HAL's choice---not yours.

 

When it's getting close to sailing, and no handicapped person has booked the cabin HAL has every right to fill it with somebody---anybody!---willing to pay.

 

Ruth,

I thought the OP was considering booking one even though she is not handicap. Maybe I am misinterpeting her post.

 

Being assigned to a cabin by HAL (as happenned 2 times in the past for her) is an entirely different matter and would probably mean it wasn't needed by a handicap person.

 

No problem with HAL filling the ship completely handicapped or not.

[RuthC]

Sean, you may be right. I read it that the OP was questioning an assignment. It's entirely logical to read it "since I've been assigned in the past, might it be all right to just go ahead and book it in the first place".

Whichever way the OP meant it, the point has been made that the cabin is meant for handicapped people, and should not be taken out of inventory deliberately by someone who is ablebodied.

 

If it's left over when time comes to assign cabins to the guarantees, then I have no problem with letting it be filled with whichever name comes up.

[Tinknock50]

Agree completely Ruth....and this from someone who needs a handicap for his mom. I usually book as early as I can to get one. If I wait until almost sailing , then it is my fault I missed it.

[kellanderson]

Whoa, didn't expect that strong of a reaction.

I was just wondering why I kept ending up in one.

 

It appears that the nice angled rooms on HAL are all Handicapped unless you book a suite. Anyone know why this is?

 

And yes I do travel with someone in our group that is handicapped so I understand the need for the cabins....just don't know why I keep ending up in the handicapped rooms with my fiance when we are NOT handicapped.

[Tinknock50]

Sorry I mis-interpeted your post. Ruth got it right.:)

 

Many of the angled ones are handicap because they need more room for the wheelchairs.

[ronvoell]

I am in a wheelchair and always request a wheelchair room. These rooms have wider door, no lips between the entry door and the bathroom and a roll in shower. Each time I book, I get a form from HAL that I need to return that describes my needs. On several occasions I required a letter from my doctor.

 

I suppose someone could lie when requesting a wheelchair cabin and filling out a form. My hunch though is that if someone was assigned one of these room and was not handicapped that the cabin was "surplus" e.g. no wheelchair bound booker had requested one.

 

I prefer to think people are honest and would not lie on the form.

[wizard-of-roz]

If you keep getting a handicapped room and you don't need it, it's because of the way that you are booking and you're TA's requests.

However, let's all remember that handicapped people come in all shapes/sizes and handicaps.

If you were to see us coming out of a handicapped room, it wouldn't be clear as to why we had one. Except that my husband can't raise his legs above 2 inches and entering & exiting the bathroom, in most cabins, can be a huge challenge for him!

NO GLARES PLEASE! Sometimes, I feel as if I should explain his handicap when I get those looks!

It's a "just move on" kind of experience! ;)

Roz

[Oceanwench]

HC rooms are supposed to be reserved for the pax who need them -- those who have mobility problems. Generally those pax are in wheelchairs/scooters which require extra floor space in the main cabin and bathroom, so as to provide access to the disabled person.

 

However, there are people who have mobility issues and are not in a wheelchair, as a previous poster indicated. They need the rooms because there are no steps into the shower, etc.

 

HC cabins that are not booked go into the mix close to the sailing date, so often people with guarantees are assigned to them.

While a lot of people protest that these rooms should not be left empty -- I am sure they have visions of a half-empty ship setting sail -- the truth of the matter is that there are only a handful of HC cabins on each ship. On a Vista, which carries about 1,800 pax, there are just over 2 dozen HC cabins.

On the smaller ships, there can be less.

So don't imagine a HAL ship heading out on a cruise with lots of vacant cabins if all the HC cabins are not filled!

 

If the OP is assigned an HC cabin but does not require one, and she is booking more than 30 days out and doesn't have a guarantee, then there is something wrong.

HAL insists these cabins are not assigned to able-bodied pax.