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Question about Handicap Accessible Rooms


smkozlow
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Hi! We're planning a cruise on Disney Dream for Jan 2019 for my family (4 of us) and my in-laws. We'd like to get two adjoining deluxe family balcony rooms, but it looks like they all have those rounds tubs. Has anyone used those? My concern is that my 70-year-old mother in-law with severe scoliosis has a really hard time stepping up into a normal tub and I worry this will be even worse. Also, it doesn't look like there are hand rails within the tub itself which is very concerning on a moving ship since she isn't even very steady on dry land.

 

In looking around, it seems like my best option might be to get a handicap and deluxe family balcony room that adjoin. But I hate to use up one of the wheelchair accessible rooms on a ship in case someone with a wheelchair needs it. At the same time, I'm not really interested in having my mother in-law break a hip during our vacation while she tries to shower.

 

Any advice? Anyone know of other room options I could consider (that still have a balcony and adjoin)?

 

Thank you!

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One option might be for her to shower in the locker room for the spa and fitness center. These are walk in showers with small step up, but they do not have bars, etc.

 

On the DCL ships, the HA staterooms are all sort of "universal" HA (my term, what I mean is that they are all the same and try to serve all needs). If she needs to be able to walk into a shower (not step over a tub) and have grab bars, they may well be her best option. Some other lines have more specifications for their HA cabins. For instance, on Celebrity when you request an HA cabin, you get three different descriptions, asking specifically which one meets your needs. HA does not mean ONLY wheelchair accessible; there are many other needs that meet the criteria.

 

My daughter needs an HA cabin and we have indeed had to cancel cruises where we were waitlisted for one and none opened up. Bottom line, if she needs it, book it--first come, first served.

 

Also, do you mean adjoin or connect? Connecting cabins have an interior door between them. We've been in many of the HA cabins on DCL and none were connecting. Adjoin means that they are next to each other with no connecting door.

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Hi! We're planning a cruise on Disney Dream for Jan 2019 for my family (4 of us) and my in-laws. We'd like to get two adjoining deluxe family balcony rooms, but it looks like they all have those rounds tubs. Has anyone used those? My concern is that my 70-year-old mother in-law with severe scoliosis has a really hard time stepping up into a normal tub and I worry this will be even worse. Also, it doesn't look like there are hand rails within the tub itself which is very concerning on a moving ship since she isn't even very steady on dry land.

 

In looking around, it seems like my best option might be to get a handicap and deluxe family balcony room that adjoin. But I hate to use up one of the wheelchair accessible rooms on a ship in case someone with a wheelchair needs it. At the same time, I'm not really interested in having my mother in-law break a hip during our vacation while she tries to shower.

 

Any advice? Anyone know of other room options I could consider (that still have a balcony and adjoin)?

 

Thank you!

My husband has severe scoliosis and a auto-immune disease. He does not use a wheelchair but used an ECV to get on and off the ship. We always book an accessible cabin because he needs the accessible bathroom. He cannot step into a tub. If she needs an accessible bathroom and the cabins are available book one. Its for her needs. DH is very comfortable using the accessible shower. Going to the spa to use the shower for DH wont work because I would have to go with him to offer assistance. We are also afraid of him falling and breaking a hip. We just got off the Wonder on Sunday and had cabin 8094 and it did connect to a regular family cabin. I know you are going on another ship but this is a newly assigned HC cabin on the Wonder.

Michele.

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I've never been in 8094. Good to know that they are creating more HA cabins!

 

That brings up another thought--the Magic is in dry dock now. I'm not aware of any new cabin designations, but they don't tell me their plans in advance.:):-) I do know that they created more connecting cabins at the last dry dock, so some cabins that were not connecting when we were in them may have been made connecting. I do know that my two favorite HA balcony cabins don't connect to anything.

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Hi! We're planning a cruise on Disney Dream for Jan 2019 for my family (4 of us) and my in-laws. We'd like to get two adjoining deluxe family balcony rooms, but it looks like they all have those rounds tubs. Has anyone used those? My concern is that my 70-year-old mother in-law with severe scoliosis has a really hard time stepping up into a normal tub and I worry this will be even worse. Also, it doesn't look like there are hand rails within the tub itself which is very concerning on a moving ship since she isn't even very steady on dry land.

 

In looking around, it seems like my best option might be to get a handicap and deluxe family balcony room that adjoin. But I hate to use up one of the wheelchair accessible rooms on a ship in case someone with a wheelchair needs it. At the same time, I'm not really interested in having my mother in-law break a hip during our vacation while she tries to shower.

 

Any advice? Anyone know of other room options I could consider (that still have a balcony and adjoin)?

 

Thank you!

 

While it's described as a "tub" it's not a full height one. I think it was only 12-15 inches high off the bathroom floor. There is a hand rail on the outside of the entry to the tub, and the shower head holder is also a rail.

 

hrx84g.jpg

 

Also, around the corner (in that picture to the right) there's a step that can be used for sitting on. You can see part of it in the lower part of this picture:

bbwgo.jpg

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For someone with balance or mobility issues, that 12-15 inches off the floor can be an insurmountable problem. Also, I'm not a bit sure that the rod that holds the shower head is sturdy enough to serve as a grab bar. And, forgive me, but a step that a healthy young adult can sit on may not be suitable for an elderly person with issues. I really appreciate the pictures; I can look at them and say "NO WAY" in regard to our situation.

 

OP, I don't know your MIL's needs as fully as you do, but I'd book an HA cabin--no step, excellent drain system to prevent water getting onto sink and toilet area floor, a built in shower chair, and plenty of grab bars. She'll also have the benefit of an emergency call button by the bed and in the bathroom.

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I have an invisible handicap so I always travel with medical documentation in case I am challenged for reserving a handicapped room. My spine is fused but I can walk. People have made snide remarks to me for using the handicap stall in public bathrooms. I stand tall but I am wobbly and have issues standing from a seated position. Without grab bars in the bathroom and other HC assist items I would not be able to travel. If your mother-in-law needs a HC room, please do reserve it for her. It is embarrassing to have to call someone to help you off a toilet. Believe me, I know from experience.

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I have an invisible handicap so I always travel with medical documentation in case I am challenged for reserving a handicapped room. My spine is fused but I can walk. People have made snide remarks to me for using the handicap stall in public bathrooms. I stand tall but I am wobbly and have issues standing from a seated position. Without grab bars in the bathroom and other HC assist items I would not be able to travel. If your mother-in-law needs a HC room, please do reserve it for her. It is embarrassing to have to call someone to help you off a toilet. Believe me, I know from experience.

My daughter also has an invisible handicap. Depending on her level of function on a given day, she may be walking unaided, with or without braces under clothing, using a rollator, or a wheelchair. But one thing that doesn't change is that her balance is not good--the walk in shower and grab bars are essential. And, as noted above, we always travel with her documentation; it is easy now that I can keep an electronic copy. And trust me, this IS real....yeah, like the time we arrived at WDW, bought park tickets, and within an hour (before getting to a park), she did something to her back and we spent the next 4 days in the room following the orders from her PT and wondering whether we should head to a hospital.

 

As for snide remarks or dirty looks--there is a reason that it is called "invisible." People who mouth off at situations they know nothing about are just showing their ignorance.

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My sister has had an invisable disability for 20 years and is on a permanent feeding tube pump. She gets harrased all the time at airports when her husband pushes her in a wheelchair. She had to fight hard to be eligible for a guest assistant pass until her husband said "what if your tube alarm goes off when you are waiting in a long line". The CM seemed embarrased and issued her the pass. She doesn't always use it and tends to take advantage of fast passes instead. I know this is a cruise board but this also explains invisable disability needs.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I sailed on the Dream 2 years ago just 3 weeks after hip replacement surgery and was very lucky after calling the cruise line to get a HA room that I could roll an ECV into and shower in with grip bars and no steps. The website did not show any available HA room online and I thought I was going to have to cancel, but the DCL agent found me a room in a balcony category ( a category which I had previously booked before realizing my surgery was going to be moved up). I think she said she called people who had booked HA rooms and asked if they really needed a HA room. It was a huge room with the largest balcony I've ever seen at the corner back of the ship. It did not have a tub, but did have a HA shower and bars at the toilet which I appreciated.

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Hi! We're planning a cruise on Disney Dream for Jan 2019 for my family (4 of us) and my in-laws. We'd like to get two adjoining deluxe family balcony rooms, but it looks like they all have those rounds tubs. Has anyone used those? My concern is that my 70-year-old mother in-law with severe scoliosis has a really hard time stepping up into a normal tub and I worry this will be even worse. Also, it doesn't look like there are hand rails within the tub itself which is very concerning on a moving ship since she isn't even very steady on dry land.

 

In looking around, it seems like my best option might be to get a handicap and deluxe family balcony room that adjoin. But I hate to use up one of the wheelchair accessible rooms on a ship in case someone with a wheelchair needs it. At the same time, I'm not really interested in having my mother in-law break a hip during our vacation while she tries to shower.

 

Any advice? Anyone know of other room options I could consider (that still have a balcony and adjoin)?

 

Thank you!

 

 

absolutely go ahead and book the handicapped accessible (HA) room.

It is the only option if your mother in law is anything like my mother (and from your description, it seems she is).

 

the regular rooms - the tub/shower thing is fine for regular people.

But those with mobility/balance issues - it is dangerous and should not be attempted even not on a moving ship.

 

So don't think twice - go ahead and book the HA room.

 

by the way, in our case i didn't as we were in a concierge 1 bedroom that had a walk in shower - so we were ok.

But for the regular rooms, you need to go with an HA room to get a walk in shower.

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absolutely go ahead and book the handicapped accessible (HA) room.

It is the only option if your mother in law is anything like my mother (and from your description, it seems she is).

 

 

by the way, in our case i didn't as we were in a concierge 1 bedroom that had a walk in shower - so we were ok.

But for the regular rooms, you need to go with an HA room to get a walk in shower.

Exactly--while DCL made such a big deal about every cabin having a tub (and this is a great thing for families needing to bathe young children), the showers are difficult for very tall people and impossible for most mobility or balance impaired people. I'm not aware of any cabins other than HA and concierge suites that have a walk in shower.

 

This is in contrast to some other lines where most cabins have a shower and very few have a tub.

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Hi! We're planning a cruise on Disney Dream for Jan 2019 for my family (4 of us) and my in-laws. We'd like to get two adjoining deluxe family balcony rooms, but it looks like they all have those rounds tubs. Has anyone used those? My concern is that my 70-year-old mother in-law with severe scoliosis has a really hard time stepping up into a normal tub and I worry this will be even worse. Also, it doesn't look like there are hand rails within the tub itself which is very concerning on a moving ship since she isn't even very steady on dry land.

 

In looking around, it seems like my best option might be to get a handicap and deluxe family balcony room that adjoin. But I hate to use up one of the wheelchair accessible rooms on a ship in case someone with a wheelchair needs it. At the same time, I'm not really interested in having my mother in-law break a hip during our vacation while she tries to shower.

 

Any advice? Anyone know of other room options I could consider (that still have a balcony and adjoin)?

 

Thank you!

 

Just as a point of clarification... If you are wanting a door in between the cabins, you need to be asking your TA for "CONNECTING" cabins. "Adjoining" means they are next to each other but do NOT connect with that interior door.

 

It may seem like a minor point, but in the travel industry, those two terms (adjoining and connecting) are NOT interchangeable.

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Just as a point of clarification... If you are wanting a door in between the cabins, you need to be asking your TA for "CONNECTING" cabins. "Adjoining" means they are next to each other but do NOT connect with that interior door.

 

It may seem like a minor point, but in the travel industry, those two terms (adjoining and connecting) are NOT interchangeable.

Thanks for repeating post #2. It is important.

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