carolv712

Were the forward elevators working? 4 out of the 6 were broken on the 1/23- 2/1 cruise  This was a major hassle

The only major problem on the ship for us that week was the lack of forward elevators.  To only have the 2 small elevator working and the 4 large elevator out of service was unacceptable.  We tried the Diamond lounge once, but using a mobility device made the room unavailable due to crowding.  We just go to the bar or dining room to get a drink

Kind of disappointed leaving for our cruise tomorrow and have heard nothing on our bid.. I bid the maximum $2000 for the 2 bedroom Grand suite.  I bid the first day the email came.   We are Diamond plus and traveling with our family and grandkids.  It would have been so nice to have the extra room to gather in the Suite.  I was  kind of hyped up about it and then the let down just before we leave

We have the superior ocean view cabin with the connecting ocean view cabin for the 7 of us.  The balcony was offered through the RoyalUp program the 2 bedroom Grand Suite.  I bid the maximum$2000 and being Diamond plus I am really hoping this will be accepted.  I bid the same day as offered.   Will this increase my odds of winning?  Also Someone told me I can't add the cabin with the grandkids and son to the 2 bed room suite. Anyone have any experience with this

Better quality food

As an owner of a service dog, it is illegal to charge more for a hotel. They are not allowed to treat us less favorably than a person without a service animal. Even apartments that are dog friendly are not allowed to charge an extra fee for a service animal.

I agree that I see people that say the dog is a service animal and it doesn't act like a service animal should. Please remember that a medical alert dog doesn't have to be a large dog. Since my dog smells for changes in my blood sugar, it is sometimes hard to stop her from sniffing other people. She has alerted on other people(neighbors) when she detects a high level or low level of blood sugar.

I do not bring her on a cruise do to her comfort on a boat and others reactions to her. I always have someone with me on a cruise to help me if I have an episode, and they are aware what to do. At home that is not always the case. I am unstable due to 6 major surgeries in the last 7 years. The pain management also effects my levels.

I have a Pride Sport scooter. That is my outside scooter. It has a suspension so the bumps in the sidewalk and roads aren't so bad on my back. It is great on the grass, at the fairs, zoos and amusement park. I love it. I also have a cruise, indoor scooter. I have a go go elite traveler. For Kohls, shopping malls and cruises it is much better. It fits into a standard cabin and has a much better turning radius. It does lack the power needed in the grass and is tough on the cobble stones, brick and sidewalk in a lot of the islands.

We will be on the Freedom in 2 weeks and have some questions not covered by the search function. Cabin 1 Gramma, daughter, daughter in law. Cabin 2 Grampa, Son and 1yr old and 3 yr old grandchildren. For $199 they list a package of all photos on a CD no physical pics, but with exceptions.

They don't cover group pics and Customer service said that if other people other than the people in the cabin are in the picture then it is excluded. The exception is children under 21. Are they really that strict? Most pictures will be some combination of the 5 adults with the 2 kids. If I pay for 2 packages can we be together or will they still have the restrictions.

If you schedule a session they are not covered. I don't understand the restrictions. Can anyone help? I need to know if I am wasting my money

I tried to post about problems for someone using a scooter on the Oasis in October. It disappeared or was never posted

Chops on the Oasis was $40 each and they added $18 Tip to the bill for a total of $98 for 2 people.

Then they requested an extra tip because the $18 does into a pool for all the dining staff. My New York wasn't that good. Better than the main dining room but it really was tasteless,

I won't pay that again

I always bring my own scooter. The airline flies it for free. The Go-Go Traveler without arms will fit through a standard door, if you take the arms off. It is very tight but doable. In 2 weeks I will have my first handicapped room so I can answer more after October 1st

I am bringing my mobility scooter to MCO and plan on using the RCI shuttle to the port. Has anyone had experience loading the scooter on the bus? Will I need a special shuttle? Will I need to break it down into pieces. Who should I talk to to figure this out?

Thanks

Agree!!

Sorry to butt in, but not all service are dogs are large. I do not dress my service dog up. but Susie is a diabetic alert dog and weighs 22 pounds. Do to recent surgeries and conditions by sugar has been unstable. She is a Carolina dog and I need her to alert me especially if I fall asleep. I may not wake up if my level is too low.

Please don't judge all small dogs, you might make yourself aware of diabetic, seizure and other service dogs. They all don't have to be labs or German Shepherds to do their jobs.

They are really wonderful to those of us who need them

Is there a specific agency in Australia that certifies service dogs? There are only private agencies in the US

I see the problem from a different view point. I have a service dog and want to take her with me. We rescued her and within days she alerted me when my blood sugar fell at night. She started pawing and licking me until I woke up and realized that I was going seriously low.

It took me about six weeks before I put all the pieces together. I found out how to train her to be a diabetic alert dog. You squab 2 x2 gauze pads in your mouth at different blood sugar levels. Store them in ziplock bags and open them at different places in the house. When she found the bag with the low sugar she got a treat. I raised her alert level to 70 because I start to go unconscious at about 55-60.

I also hired a trainer to "service Dog" train her for behavior. After 5 major surgeries in 6 years my blood sugar is unstable due to changes in medications and problems with keeping medications down.

There is not one single agency that certifies service dogs. There are medical alert dog, seizure alert dogs, dog for PSTD, dogs to help blind and deaf people. Helper dogs that can open doors, carry things, and perform for many tasks. But not an agency that can certify all types of dogs.

The trainer I hired, worked intensively to train her to meet the requirements of a service dog. I worked to train her to perform some of the tasks that I need. Get my cane if I drop it, bring me my cell phone if I fall, alert my family if I need help. Wake me and bring me my bag of glucose if I need it.

I would love if I could find a legitimate agency to certify her, but there is none. Everyone is correct you can buy anything on Amazon.

I bring her with me when I go out. 90% of the time when I feel well enough to go out I don't need her. But the 10% I do she is a god send. At home alone she is a necessity. I have never brought her on a cruise or airplane because I am not alone, but would prefer she could come.

We never have a problem with her behavior, most of the time no one realizes she is under the table at a restaurant. She poops and pees on command and never has a accident. She doesn't bark or approach other dogs or people.

Is Susie legitimate? Is she a fraud/pet? I don't know but she is dedicated to me and I to her. Should I be allowed to take her on a trip? I am curious what people think

I was just on the Vision of the Seas with my scooter. I had a family outside room, no balcony. The scooter I own went through the door just fine. BUT I have a small Pride GO-GO ultra. The rentals are larger to accommodate all sizes of people.

A wheel chair would ruin the cruise for me. I am independent and don't want to ask someone to push me around. I would feel like I was a burden to my family and they would be restricted and have to stay with me.

I bought a used Go-go scooter for $300 and it is easy to travel with. I can ride directly to the gate and they gate check it for free. It breaks down into 5 pieces and the heaviest piece is under 40 pounds (the battery). The whole scooter is just over 100 and my daughter and husband just lift it up into the Escape without breaking it down.

I do have a larger 4 wheel with suspension for my outside use. That is about the size that the ship has for rentals.

I am scheduled for my 3rd knee replacement and radiation on the same knee in 5 years. The pain is extreme and the knee goes out. I recommend getting a travel scooter if possible. You can always sell it after you don't need it and recoup most of your money.

Without a handicapped room try to keep the width at 21 inches and a 3 wheeler is more maneuverable

I was also on that cruise and there were some really rude inconsiderate people on that cruise. I was using my scooter to get around and the theater was a real problem.

No one was monitoring who was using the handicapped section. One of the cruise staff did go out of her way "Mama/ Jayme" to find my daughter and me a location we could see the show.

People stood in the back and blocked our view. I felt the Windjammer was the worst. The 4 reserved handicapped tables had people playing cards and ignoring the small signs. Even moving the signs to other areas.

People were cutting ahead of me since a left a little space ahead of me in the buffet line.

I felt invisible and one rude female tell me that if I couldn't walk I should cruise and get in everyone's way

Getting there early was not the answer and the first poster was correct

This will be my 3rd knee replacement on the same knee in 5 years. The first Smith and Nephew was put in rotated. The pilot holes were improperly placed. The knee would not bend and crushed the nerves and tendons.

The 2nd was a Stryker knee and the "specialist" surgeon messed it up completely. He never connected the quadricep muscle and ruptured the tendon to the the patella. The knee has contracted and is 3-4 inches off the floor and has a 65 degree bend. It will not straighten.

The pain is awful in order to straighten it they have to take 1 or more inches off the femur and I get to wear those lovely ortho shoes with the big heel. Radiation then replacement again. Hope it works this time

It was the Vision of the Seas. Because of the entertainment in the Centrum they closed most of the doors to the cabins. It keeps the noise down.

Also the windjammer tables were very close together and it was difficult to get between them and there was no place to park my scooter.

Going in for additional surgery so I might not be around for a while. This was my last trip for a long time

Just got back from a RCCL cruise with my GoGo Ultra Scooter. I wanted to let people know some issues I encountered.

The transitions from the Windjammer and Pool area are very high. You need to approach them on an angle in order to clear them. Otherwise you will get stuck.

The doors from the Centrum area to the cabins are kept closed now and you need to pull them open then backup to open the door. It is not easy.

The lifts for the pool/hot tub are only rated for 200 pounds. I am way under that but it felt very flimsy and made me uncomfortable.

Getting off at the ports, the staff wants to push you down. Since the seat back folds down. It only pushes the seat and you into the tiller. There are definitely angles too steep to drive over.

There are two handicapped tables on each side of the Windjammer that are reserved, look for them the 1st day and try to use them. It is extremely difficult to maneuver a scooter through the crowds.

Getting an elevator was not a problem and most people were polite and helpful. I did run into 2 rude people who felt that I should not have gone on a cruise if I needed a scooter. They felt I slowed things down and were in everyone's way.

If anyone has a question I'll try to answer it

I am shocked at the many people who "Assume" they know what a service dog looks like or does.

I have a 20 pound American Dingo or Carolina Dog as my service dog. For 0ver 35 years my husband had to wake me up at night to see if I was sleeping or unconscious. My blood sugar is not always stable at night.

"Susie", my dog was now wakes me up if my blood sugar falls too low. She doesn't bark but paws or nudges me until I wake up. The trainer taught she to train her by wiping a 2 x 2 gauze square in my mouth when I was at different sugar level. When she went to the low one she got a treat. She naturally sensed the change in my body by smell and it was extremely easy to train her.

I then hired a licensed dog trainer to learn the service dog part. She rarely barks and has been socialized with other dogs, children and adults. Waiters are surprised to see here when we leave and say they didn't realize she was even there.

I also have a mobility issue and she can bring me my phone when I fall and my cane if I ask her. She does go everywhere with me. Walmart, restaurants, the theater. She can open the doors with the handicapped switch. She is an important addition to our family

She was a rescue dog and in two years there were maybe 5-7 people she just didn't like. She growled , barked and would get between them and my scooter. I trust her that maybe that stranger should keep his distance. So I can't guarantee that it will never happen.

I let people pet her if they ask and I give her the ok. I think that the more people understand how a service dog performs their job, the more acceptable they become to the public. I see her as a great ambassador for service dogs and a teaching tool.

I have not flown with her yet, I am not sure how she would react to the unknown changes in air pressure. I considered taking her next week on our cruise, but I will leave her with my daughter instead. I am worried about how people will react and I would never leave her in a cabin without me. It isn't fair to her. I would take her to the dining room and I bet no one would know she was there. But I don't want to bother other people.

This thread makes me feel bad for people with service animals and "invisible" needs. Try not to make judgments based on how someone looks or the size of the animal. They truly can make life easier for those of us that need them.

By the way she is not certified by a particular agency.

Luca on the Mariner stinks. The only thing I asked was for tickets for our group to the Tuesday 2:30 Ice show. We asked Sunday and reminded him again Monday. He never called the Cruise Staff and requested the tickets. I had said if he was not able to get the tickets just let me know and I would stand in line to get them. He never bothered to get them or let me know he wasn't going to request them.

Why the heck does he promise something and then not follow thru? "Oh so Sorry" - that doesn't fix the problem. BOO HISS to Luca .... Many thanks to the Cruise Director Staff they know what Customer Service is.

They did not pick us up from the ship. If you are ok with not going in the water and sitting possibly in the sand instead of a chair then enjoy. Like I said previously the first time I went it was nice. The 2nd time not so much. Check how many boats are in port and make a decision based on that.

Yes

Royal gave me a total refund with no hassle they were really concerned and said they were elevating the concern to the Florida office. Others that also complained only got a partial refund I found out later. It was the managers attitude that upset me. I had been there previously and it was not the best but acceptable. This time it was awful.

We were on the Mariner of the Seas the week starting Decemember 18 so I beleive it would have been the 22nd of December. As I stated the RCCL Mariner passengers had to tender to the dock. We picked up the boat to the private Island there. The Carnival passengers were picked up and dropped off directly at their ship.