Handicap room layouts

[beemergal]

It looks like the only stateroom I like in an aft deluxe veranda suite is one with a handicap designation. Would someone enlighten me on what that means? Is it a roll in shower instead of tub? What other changes?

[CruisinManiac]

Do you need a HC cabin?

 

Yes, you will have a roll-in shower...a mess according to my brother and SIL who had an OV stateroom. Assignment was from HAL. They were not disabled. The sink was also shorter, with limited counter space.

[AZNative2000]

All the doors are also wider to accommodate a wheelchair. Why is that the only one you like? The corners are so much better. Oh, I should ask what ship you are looking at.

[uppitycats]

Do you need an HC cabin..or are you only booking it because you "like" it??

 

You'll have a roll-in shower, which may mean that unless you are quite careful, you'll get a lot of water on the floor and flowing into your cabin space. You'll get more handrails. You'll have a smaller sink, with fewer shelving or cabinets, as there will be room in there for someone in a wheelchair to move under the sink. There will be an emergency call chain or button somewhere in the bathroom.

[kitty9]

Unless you need the roll in shower, I don't recommend booking an accessible cabin. The bathrooms are really not set up for able bodied persons, there is hardly any counter space and the toilets are ADA height with grab bars around the whole commode. They are not comfortable toilets.

 

If you aren't disabled, it's really considered bad form to book an HC cabin just because you like it. If you're booking late, like after final payment is due, it's probably ok to book an HC cabin if you're not disabled.

[cb at sea]

If they have the HC cabin for anyone, feel free to book it....they won't release it until they're fairly sure no HC person needs it.

No tub...only a roll-in shower...grab bars and higher toilet.

[fitters]

If they have the HC cabin for anyone, feel free to book it....they won't release it until they're fairly sure no HC person needs it.

No tub...only a roll-in shower...grab bars and higher toilet.

 

And if they do need it closer to the cruise, they will contact you and tell you. You will be booked in the same category or higher. If you are HC and need an accessible room, there is paperwork that needs to be filed out and placed on file so that they verify who is in need and who isn't. IF there is no paperwork on file, HAL contacts the TA or the persons who booked to verify all this prior to moving.

[kitty9]

And if they do need it closer to the cruise, they will contact you and tell you. You will be booked in the same category or higher. If you are HC and need an accessible room, there is paperwork that needs to be filed out and placed on file so that they verify who is in need and who isn't. IF there is no paperwork on file, HAL contacts the TA or the persons who booked to verify all this prior to moving.

 

This is the biggest fallacy in the cruise industry. Once a cabin is booked, there is absolutely no way for anyone to know who's occupying that cabin, or if that person is disabled or not. So, if the OP books that HC cabin, and no one in her party is disabled, that cabin is out of inventory, period. No disabled person would be able to book that cabin. And, it's against the law to ask for proof of disability, so there's no paperwork to file. I've never, ever been asked to file paperwork on my disability when cruising on HAL.

[RuthC]

If they have the HC cabin for anyone, feel free to book it....they won't release it until they're fairly sure no HC person needs it.

This is absolutely not true.

 

OP, if no one in your cabin is disabled, and you now know that HAL has these cabins for those who need the special features, and, once it's out of inventory, a handicapped person may not be able to sail, please do the right thing and look at another cabin.

 

(sorry for the run-on sentence. I just can't figure out how to rephrase it. :o)

[IRL_Joanie]

It looks like the only stateroom I like in an aft deluxe veranda suite is one with a handicap designation. Would someone enlighten me on what that means? Is it a roll in shower instead of tub? What other changes?

 

 

What ship and deck?

 

Joanie

[IRL_Joanie]

Do you need an HC cabin..or are you only booking it because you "like" it??

 

You'll have a roll-in shower, which may mean that unless you are quite careful, you'll get a lot of water on the floor and flowing into your cabin space. (Joanie's Note: NOT TRUE!!!! The bathrooms do have sloping drains that prevent that from happening) You'll get more handrails. You'll have a smaller sink, with fewer shelving or cabinets, as there will be room in there for someone in a wheelchair to move under the sink. There will be an emergency call chain or button somewhere in the bathroom.

 

Joanie (see my note in Bolded Blue above)

 

Joanie

[CruisinManiac]

kitty9 - When we asked our TA about a HC cabin for my parents, our TA said that they would need paper work from their physician stating that they needed the HC room.

 

They are not comfortable toilets.

 

I have to disagree there. HC toilets are so much more comfortable than the regular toilets, if you are tall. We have them in all our home bathrooms.:rolleyes:

[ariawoman]

I've read in other forums that the HC accessible rooms don't have a sofa either or a coffee table. I'm not sure if that's true, since I've never been on a HAL ship (will rectify that in october!). Joanie might be able to clarify as I believe she's got a lot of working HAL knowledge :-)

 

Happy July 4th to all those in the US!

 

Jennifer

[IRL_Joanie]

I've read in other forums that the HC accessible rooms don't have a sofa either or a coffee table. I'm not sure if that's true, since I've never been on a HAL ship (will rectify that in october!). Joanie might be able to clarify as I believe she's got a lot of working HAL knowledge :-)

 

Happy July 4th to all those in the US!

 

Jennifer

 

On our only experience, to date, with a Handicapped stateroom, Oosterdam May 2008, we had VF 5054 (in the bend of the ship.) Our stateroom did not have a sifa, but did have a coffee table with 2 chairs http://joanjett2000.topcities.com/HAL/Oosterdam/013.jpg

 

I cannot remember which ships or staterooms right now, but have seen Handicapped staterooms on a few other HAL ships that had sofas and coffee tables both. Westerdam SC 6175 is a good example of this as it does have both a sofa and coffee table http://joanjett2000.topcities.com/HAL/Westerdam/6175_Essiesmom-3.jpg

 

I believe that it might depend upon the size of the stateroom as to whether or not there is a sofa in the HC staterooms. BUT ALL Staterooms do have coffee tables.

 

Joanie

[navybankerteacher]

I booked last minute on Zuiderdam in 2003, and was assigned a handicap cabin, outside, on main deck. There was roll-in shower, no sofa or coffee table. Cabin was fine - regular bed, but shower always sloshed water all over bathroom floor, and sink area was too small.

[Mary Ellen]

In the HA S that my DB needs, my SIL kept tripping over the ramp to the verandah (inside and on out on the verandah). Outside, the ramp took up a fair amount of space. Even if one doesn't have moral/ethical issues with booking a HA they don't need, that would keep us from intentionally booking one.

 

The reason someone needs a HA are varied and not always apparent. It is a fallacy that HAL will have an AB moved if someone actually needs the HA cabin.

[BAYA]

I sailed on Eurodam in Feb. 2009 in a HC accessible cabin with my mother, who needed the HA. We were asked to complete a special needs form and fax it back to them. I just booked a HA cabin on Nieuw Amsterdam, and again we were asked to fill in and return a special needs form. I have no problems doing it, since we really do need the HA for Mom.

 

We were not asked to provide a physician's letter as OP said they were asked to do.

[Oceanwench]

It looks like the only stateroom I like in an aft deluxe veranda suite is one with a handicap designation. Would someone enlighten me on what that means? Is it a roll in shower instead of tub? What other changes?

 

What it means is that the cabin was designed for a person with disabilities.

It means that you should find another cabin to book.

 

It would be nice if others on this forum did not trip over themselves providing information on these cabins to able-bodied folks.

 

Ruth - thanks always for being the voice of reason. And thanks to the others here, too, who fight the good fight!