NewYearNewMe

Many thanks for this , our cruise planner was showing the package at £74 ish for our October cruise so we weren’t going to bother but this promotion is a good deal so we went ahead. Deluxe package for my partner and refreshment for me, no questions asked. Add us to the list who need to buy you a drink 😁 x 

We have found another provider - if it helps anyone, they are called Fausta transport and also offer some equipment hire. We are not travelling for a few weeks yet so I can’t vouch for them entirely ! 

https://www.facebook.com/AccessibleTransportationRome/reviews/

Hi all, 

does anyone know of a company that offers transfers in a wheelchair adapted vehicle, other than Rome and Italy ? We have been quoted over €1000 for a transfer and some equipment hire and it is simply unaffordable. Trying to figure out our options in terms of public transport ( saving €450) or bringing our own equipment and keeping the transfers ( very difficult as can’t handle much luggage easily but a saving of €700+ ). We’ve not been to Rome before so unsure how easy/accessible the trains are or if there are other providers we just haven’t come across. 

 

Thanks in advance for any help. 

Thanks all , now we just need to test negative and get on with getting on this ship… 😁

Can I ask another silly question - where it says testing to be done two days before for vaccinated guests, would they accept a sailing day test as being within this 2 day window , or must it be exactly on the day two days prior to boarding ? 
 

we fly on Friday to Denmark ( arrive Friday night ) but we don’t board until Sunday, and due to train disruptions we have no time in between taking the test and having to set off … so my thinking is that if the Friday  test is inconclusive , I could retest in Copenhagen , which would not be until one day before sailing or same day as sailing. 
 

risky I know, but would this be permitted if I can get a negative at any point within this two day window ? 
 

stressing me out this testing thing , and no I’m not normally known for my good luck …. 🙃

Hi Merion_Mom, 

that’s very kind, please share. We have a test booked in the Uk on Friday morning before we set off for the airport , but we are in Copenhagen for two days prior so it can’t hurt to know in case ours are inconclusive or something happens with getting results back in time. We don’t actually need the test result to fly, only to board the ship so we would have time in Copenhagen to get retested. 

It could well be. 

That’s interesting, we have a second cruise booked in October sailing from Italy, so I checked the wording on that one too , and it says 

Guests must have received the final dose of their original vaccine series ( or a single dose of Johnson and Johnson ) no more than 270 days ago or a booster dose. 
 

so a bit of a variation , but both mention the 270 days timeline. 
 

Oh good, I have been reading so much stuff I am starting to doubt my sanity. 
 

here, RCI, I have fixed it for you 😁

To be considered up to date, guests must have received all doses in their vaccine series , and if the final dose was longer than 270 days ago you will also need to have had the top-up booster before boarding. 
 

Hello, 

We sail from Copenhagen on Sunday on our first cruise in a few years - certainly the first since COVID ! We haven’t had to show our COVID passes yet, and when I was downloading them today I got a bit confused by the RCCL wording

the requirements state 

To be considered up to date, guests must have received all doses in their vaccine series and their booster if the second vaccine dose was administered over 270 days ago. 
 

We have both had both doses , plus a booster , but the booster was administered in nov 2021 , which is just about nine months ago. I’ve read it as two vaccines needed and if the last dose was longer than 9 months ago, then the booster too. Where as my husband read it as - all vaccines plus boosters must be within 270 days of travel. 
 

we’ve got all the boosters that were offered and there’s no others on the horizon so this must be enough ? Am I worrying for nothing ? 
 

Thanks in advance !
 

Just a quick update to say many thanks to hallasm - we have successfully booked our equipment rental with one of the providers you listed who has made our travels possible ! 

here is a list of the equipment they offer ( Google translate is your friend here if you are completely unskilled in the danish language as I am ) 

https://rehab-service-sjaelland.dk/udlejning-af-hjaelpemidler

Also worth knowing, that we arranged to spend two nights in Copenhagen before boarding the ship, and the provider is delivering this equipment to our hotel ready for our arrival and then collecting from the hotel and delivering to the ship on embarkation day( for a fee ) . We can also leave the equipment in our cabin on debarkation day and don’t have to worry about getting it off the ship. All in all , the golden package ,at a reasonable price , which means we can travel light and see some of the sights too before cruising. 
 

A second provider did quote , however https://danskplejeteknik.dk do not work weekends therefore could not accommodate us on this instance( we board on a Sunday but must fly in on the Saturday at the latest) 

Now I’ve got about 3 days left to figure out the rest of the itinerary… hehe 

Hi kokopelli-az , and thank you for your recommendation. I wouldn’t have thought to try an American company !

I have received a quote from Special Needs at Seas , which offers a patient lifter / hoist , if anyone else is searching, however the quote was sadly out of our budget so in the end we went with a local company direct ( who could well be who they contract with anyway ). 
 

Many thanks for your help, it was very reassuring to know there is someone out there proving this service so that we can consider holidaying a bit further afield than usual. 
 

Many thanks for this  Hallasm, I have emailed them with a request for information . Fingers crossed ! 

Hello, 

My husband and I are booked to sail from Copenhagen at the end of August 2022 on Voyager of the Seas. We usually travel from Southampton , where we hire a hoist for delivery to the cabin, but can’t seem to be able to find a service like this in Denmark. Has anyone hired one before in Copenhagen and might have the details of who offers this ? We sail very soon but would probably have to cancel without this piece of equipment as my husband can’t transfer out of his wheelchair without help. I have emailed the Accessible Copenhagen organisation to ask for some help too but everyone else I’ve contacted only offers scooters or wheelchairs so am now at a loss.

Any help greatly appreciated 

Thanks! 

Hello, 

My husband and I are booked to sail from Copenhagen at the end of August 2022 on Voyager of the Seas. We usually travel from Southampton , where we hire a hoist for delivery to the cabin, but can’t seem to be able to find a service like this in Denmark. Has anyone hired one before in Copenhagen and might have the details of who offers this ? We sail very soon but would probably have to cancel without this piece of equipment as my husband can’t transfer out of his wheelchair without help. I have emailed the Accessible Copenhagen organisation to ask for some help too but everyone else I’ve contacted only offers scooters or wheelchairs so am now at a loss.

Any help greatly appreciated 

Thanks! 

 

However, I just want to say that the advice you received saying to leave the booking was based on the best knowledge of RCI UK T&C's. I also stand by the fact you wouldn't have booked if you weren't happy with the original price; it's the same as any major purchase and not being able to get a refund of the difference if it ends up in a sale.

 

And I agree that yes, while it was at the top end of my budget, it was a price I was prepared to pay , though grugingly. It is more than I`ve paid before, for longer cruises, and not on my first choice of ship either. The addition of the packages just sweetens what what shaping up to be a pretty sour experience. If I`m stuck to booking with them over the phone and I can`t trust/believe what they`re seling me, then well - game over.

Hi everyone and thanks for taking the time to contribute to this thread !

I have been in touch with Crown and Anchor who have now done some complicated sounding manouvers and transfered my reservation to the new promotion ! This means I will not lose the deposit and gain the two Select Packages , worth around USD1000 .

The representative would not go into details , but it looks like the root of the willingless to price match might of been the fact Ive been told complete c**p on the phone ( price match !! accessible cabins costing more than the website quotes! making it sounds like it would be more exppensive to cancel and rebook, probably all lies !?) which obviously helped with the booking decision and therefore put it on shaky grounds when it comes to a debate.

I am surprised at how many people would let this go and accept paying a much higher price for what is basically the same product. Sure, I was sulking because we are paying more than others , but I was also fighting a corner for what I`ve been promised, which was best price for the product.

In short, all resolved in a satisfactory manner and really very impressed with C&A , with whom I`ve not had dealings with before. I resolve to make use of an American based TA to avoid this happening again in the future, and look forward to 2017 itineraries being released :D

I hope that explains it all. If I missed any questions I`ll try to revisit this if anyone needs more detail.

L x

I have taken the 'price drop' information off the forums and confirmed it with RCI over the phone when I booked last year. They keep recordings of these, right? However, we have never had to use this as our previous cruises have been well priced and offered enough perks. I guess I was never 100% happy with the asking price but I now feel completly riped off by the difference ( £300 less to book today, plus the value of two packages)

I guess my choices are being narrowed down to ...

1) Cancel and rebook for the 'free' package and be happy I`ve 'saved' something

- pro for this is the tried and tested RCI experience , familiar format and ports

- con for this is losing the £300 even if do save anything it does leave a bad taste

2) Cancel and go somewhere else ( theres a couple of P&O/Princess cruises we could switch to , both of them have availability and both of them are under £2K)

-lots pros - new ports, exciting descovering a new type of ship, massive saving

- cons could be too different from what we`re used to? but we are pretty easy going.

I`m annoyed with RCI but scared to move away from it somehow, too. I guess it`s all in the research. If I save enough by going somewhere else I could always save the difference towards repairing the damage?? LOL

Thanks for helping me decide!

L x

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Just to clarify you can`t book an acessible room online so I`d be dependant on the price they quote over the phone.

The only reason I`ve been looking is because friends of ours have booked recently. I know theoretically I was happy with the price at the time of booking , although it was at the top end of our budget and means less spending money. The way I see it, if I can reduce that, it`ll give us more moey to spend on board and in the casino etc and therefore adding to the experience.

Also, I would say once I booked it - it wasn`t over ! The implication was you are guaranteed best possible price when booking as they would price match if the price went a lot lower than what you paid. That, coupled with limited accessible cabin numbers swung it for us.

OH and I have a cruise booked on the Navigator our of Southampton in sept 2016. We have booked this as soon as the itineraries for 2016 became available as we need a wheelchair accessible cabin and we know they go fast.

At the time of booking(UK booking terms and cond) , our reservation cost a grand total of £2,615 out of which we have already paid the deposit of £300. This is a 13night cruise and the absolute maximum we can afford to spend on a two weeks holiday. There is no OBC attached to this or any special promotions , apart from free parking which we would not use anyway. We have been told that it can get price matched if the price drops significantly before final payment. Our balance is not due until July, so plenty of time.

Now, with the new promotion in the UK, the so called buy one get one half price , our cruise price has gone to a price of £2,325 and includes a Select drink package for each passanger ( worth what, £25 a day?)

While I do understand promotions are excluded from the price match thingy, I`m still in a difficult situation here , as this is just about on par with my balance now AND it includes the packages.

I have rang CS to see if anything can be done towards getting better value for ourselves out of this but they have been unhelpful.

The price they quoted with the new promotion for the same grade cabin is not the price advertised on the website ( £300 more) and then went on to say wheelchair accessible cabins , although in the same grade, cost most anyway, as more space is available. So if our cabin got cancelled and went back in the pot, it would come up at more than what the grade costs now,nulling the benefit of rebooking. Surely this is wrong and discriminatory? :confused:

I feel really dissapointed here as we have been RCI loyal up to now and have not had a need to try other cruise lines. There has been hiccups along the way but nothing that ruined the experience.

This booking has been made for the Navigator as we were priced out of our favourite, the IOS , for similar date on similar itinerary. So the points are dropping slowly for RCI.

Now, this is what I think the choices are

1) Cancel and lose £300 , if price still same rebook and gain the packages - oustanding balance would be same

2) Cancel lose £300 and book with either P&O or Princess both who have similar cruises on similar dates for a total cost lower than our balance

3) Wait until the promotion ends ( end of feb) and hope the price drops for the base rate and would get matched to similar amount , leaving us with money to buy a package anyway

4) Wait until 2017 itineraries are out and transfer cruise to one of them, so only losing £150 of the deposit ( nothing else available this year for us to transfer to)

I have problems with all the choices, mainly because of the money lost :mad:

but the fourth is my least favourite as I think , even though it inccurs less loss, it will get me into the same situation a year later. Confidence dead.

We are stuck to the second half of September due to work . Also need to cruise out of Southampton. We have not been on other cruise lines yet but we would not dismiss it if it was good value for money. As OH is a full time wheelchair user we are restricted to certain itineraries and ships that have available cabins, do not tender and are big enough to handle plenty of mobility guests ( lifts etc)

What am I missing? I have tried to provide all the facts. If this was your booking, what would you do?

L x

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me please, with regards to shore accessibility. My partner and I are going on a Mediterranean Cities Cruise with Royal Caribbean in July, on The Adventure of The Seas. I am a manual wheelchair user and my partner is blind. This is our second cruise as we visited the Mediterranean and Greek Isles last year. We got some really helpful advice from this site last year, so I'm hoping you can help us again!

 

Here is our itinerary: (We have visited Cannes before)

 

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND

MALAGA, SPAIN

CANNES, FRANCE

BARCELONA, SPAIN

PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN

VALENCIA, SPAIN

CARTAGENA, SPAIN

LISBON, PORTUGAL

VIGO, SPAIN

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND

 

My questions are really:

How accessible these ports are for wheelchairs?

How far away from the port the towns are?

Have any other wheelchair users tried the hop on hop off busses and what was their experience?

Are there any that you would recommend booking tours for, rather than touring on our own?

 

Sorry for the long post, but many thanks in advance for your advice and recommendations.

 

Marie

Hi Marie,

I agree with others about Barcelona being the most accessible . We always do our own thing in ports as we are not into organized stuff and would rather get a feel for the place in our own time.

In Barcelona we got out of the cruise terminal and just around the corner there is a bus stop for the Blue Bus, which is not Royal Carribean`s shuttle but Barcelona`s own. It was around 3EUR per person and they will only take one wheelchair at a time. Nobody seemed to know about this as it was only us and cruise line staff on it so we had no problems getting on. We have walked(pushed) the lenght of Las Ramblas and stopped for bits of shopping and people watching. Can`t comment on the HOHO as we haven`t done this but we would like to in the future.

We haven`t been off the ship in Palma on our last cruise as it was the day after Barcelona and we were shattered ! Port in the middle of nowhere and so nothing in walking distance, or so we`ve been told.

In Lisbon we took Royal Carribean`s shuttle into town - it was going to two places , city center and Belem. Again, the buses they use are accessible but there`s only one space for a wheelchair. We had to wait quite a bit to get onto one as there were no accessible taxis so everyone was waiting for the shuttles. Once we got into town , the shopping area was fairly flat and plenty to do and see. Lots of nice bars and restaurants. However, Portugal is a pain with the paving they use ( like the ones seen here http://wheeltheworld.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/the-sidewalks-of-rio/ ) so please be careful pushing around as we found you can easily get trapped in between the gaps.

Vigo is lovely but very hilly - we have had a good tip from someone on the forums to go into the shopping mall near the cruise terminal and take the lift up and then exit - this way you can get onto the old town level without taking the steps. Once we got there we had a walk around and stopped at a nice local place for lunch, but I have found it hard going pushing my OH as it can be steep in places and hard going in the heat.

Hope this helps,

L x

I also book accessible cabins and I'm sorry I can't buy your logic. Upgrades are NOT an entitlement. They are rare in the AB world and near non-existent in ours.

 

If the cabin remains unsold after final payment I think the line is entitled to sell it - not give it away - for the price that the class of accommodations commands at the time. We all book early because of limited availability - if even with that limited "stock" it remains unsold - then sell it for what you can get.

 

BTW - I've never had an upgrade and don't even bother with such foolish notions since we are dealing with such a limited number of accessible cabins.

I`m sorry you don`t understand my logic - maybe it wasn`t clear enough. I certainly wouldn`t expect a free upgrade , I was merely saying that an able bodied person booking the cabin sure takes the opportunity of an upgrade(paid for or otherwise) away. I also understand that they are a business and filling cabins is priority, I really don`t have an issue with this.

But the basic should apply - if someone in a wheelchair needs the cabin, ABs should still be bumped , even after final payment. How many times, if at all, this happens - is anyone`s guess.

As RCI doesen`t advertise aywhere that xx number of cabins are occupied by ABs that could be moved, I for one don`t know how would you go about seeing if there is real availability for accessible cabins on any given sailing.

Sure , I expect to be able to book after final payment if there is availability,which in this case it was. We don`t know someone in a wheelchair didn`t look 5 minutes after OP and was left disappointed.

But hey, I`m pretty new to this game and I`m sure there`s lots I`m in need of learning :p

Maybe it`s just me but I still think it`s kinda wrong, even after final payment. It means those of us in a lower cabin grade will never be offered the upgrade AND we can never book last minute trips and get a bargain.

Why should we have to book months in advance so we don`t miss out when YOU have the choice of 1000s other cabins ? The expectancy that if someone in a wheelchair wanted that cabin they would of booked it months ago is what I take offense to.

Kids messing around would be my number 1.

As my OH is wheelchair bound after an accident, we depend on the lifts to get to places. Maybe as non-parents we have less patience than most, but kids pressing every button there is just for fun can really get annoying.

We now choose to cruise out of season to avoid the nuisance of unruly children , and eat later, show up early for shows etc to avoid the scrum that happens at peak times. Some people really are very inconsiderate , but like OH says - it`s not their fault he can`t get around.

Rant over :)

Thank you OP.

I was really looking forward to the 2015 itineraries but I find it all really unexciting. The addition of Morocco is welcome , I always wondered why no RCI ship went there.

Might have to give Anthem a miss and try the Adventure :confused: but on one of the two cruises that we could do in 2015 a balcony is nearly £600 more than an inside PER PERSON :eek: wow indeed.

L x