Accessible Cabin question

[IslandGirl3000]

Hello,

I just booked my a cruse on the Allure. I requested an outside ocean view cabin and the travel agent gave us #3178 which is an accessible cabin. When I asked him about this, he told us that it was the last cabin available in that category. He told us if they needed it for someone else, they would put us in another cabin the same or better.

 

My questions are, Do you think that there is a good chance we will be reassigned? Is there a good chance of an upgrade? At what point will we know if we are reassigned? When we board the ship?

 

Thanks.

[leaveitallbehind]

Hard to predict, but if a passenger requiring an accessible stateroom books on your ship and you are booked in the only remaining accessible stateroom, they will definitely move you. And they will move you to a similar category or better, depending on what is available at the time. It very well could result in an upgrade. The notification will come as soon as the passenger needing the stateroom places their reservation.

Edited January 8, 2014 by leaveitallbehind

[xxoocruiser]

Hello,

I just booked my a cruse on the Allure. I requested an outside ocean view cabin and the travel agent gave us #3178 which is an accessible cabin. When I asked him about this, he told us that it was the last cabin available in that category. He told us if they needed it for someone else, they would put us in another cabin the same or better.

 

My questions are, Do you think that there is a good chance we will be reassigned? Is there a good chance of an upgrade? At what point will we know if we are reassigned? When we board the ship?

 

Thanks.

 

Assume it's the 4/20/2014 Allure Cruise shown in your signature ? If so the final payment period has not past yet and also there are situations that come up last minute that do require the need to transfer able body passengers from an accessible cabin. So no one can really tell you for certain the odds of being bumped. Or can you count on getting upgraded if RCCL does bump you.

 

Because you have an accessible cabin when completing the on-line set sail pass there will be a special section that requires you to certify the need of the features of the contained in an accessible cabin. This is now a requirement due to a Federal Law that went into effect on 1/1/2012. The special box also states that It may be possible that you have legitimately booked an accessible stateroom (for example, all non-accessible staterooms were sold out and you were offered an accessible stateroom), in which case you do not need to check this box. If you falsely certify that you need the features of an accessible cabin in an attempt not to be bumped and the cruise line discovers this you could be bumped from the entire cruise. So please don't check the box in an attempt to secure the accessible cabin.

 

Generally after final payment other OV's will open up so chances are more likely you would get another OV if RCCL does have to bump you for someone that actually needs an accessible cabin.

Edited January 8, 2014 by xxoocruiser

[montgomeryfamily]

I'm sorry, but it is not true that there is some type of notification that occurs when a passenger who needs an accessible stateroom books and the existing accessible staterooms are being occupied by passengers who do not need the features of the accessible stateroom. Once booked, the accessible stateroom is out of the system and the passenger seeking to book an accessible stateroom is only told there are no accessible staterooms left.

 

I don't know how long it is before your cruise on the Allure, but if it is a number of months/weeks away--if close enough the cruise line will release the cabins to the general public. Typically this is within 30 days, but can be earlier or later depending on a number of factors, but not before final payment at the earliest.

 

In order to book an accessible cabin, the person or travel agent has to affirmatively confirm on a statement that one or more passengers booking the accessible cabin needs the accessible features. Apparently your travel agent did that, but it appears that was not actually true. This could result in your being moved but not necessarily an upgrade, as the statement actually says you can be moved or even denied boarding if you book this type of cabin and don't need it (again assuming it was not released to the general public for booking). Yes, the statement also is required to be checked when completing the set sail pass, but it also required UPON BOOKING.

 

We know all of this from many years of experience in booking wheelchair accessible staterooms as one of our family members cannot cruise unless in a wheelchair accessible stateroom. In fact, we have attempted for several weeks to book an Alaska cruise in August of this year, but there are no accessible balcony cabins left on the Rhapsody or the Radiance for the week which we need, which is a birthday week and the reason for the cruise. Special needs will not even check with the passengers booked in those staterooms yet because the Special Needs form which is also required to be submitted doesn't have to be submitted until closer to the cruise sailing date. Unfortunately by then the airfare will either be cost prohibitive or the flights unavailable.

Edited January 8, 2014 by montgomeryfamily

[leaveitallbehind]

I'm sorry, but it is not true that there is some type of notification that occurs when a passenger who needs an accessible stateroom books and the existing accessible staterooms are being occupied by passengers who do not need the features of the accessible stateroom. Once booked, the accessible stateroom is out of the system and the passenger seeking to book an accessible stateroom is only told there are no accessible staterooms left.

 

I stand corrected. I was - apparently mistakenly - told by someone that reassigning passengers booked in - but not requiring - accessible rooms was done in cases where non-accessible staterooms in a higher category were still available in order to accommodate the needs of those passengers requiring the accessible staterooms.

[riclop]

Very hard to predict.

[cb at sea]

If the accessible cabins haven't been needed by a certain date/period of time before the cruise, they release them to the general public. You are unlikely to be moved. If you don't want that cabin, let them know, and you can book something you'd prefer.

[montgomeryfamily]

They are released to the general public if not booked by a certain time before sailing, and that time period seems to range from relatively close to sailing to after final payment. But I have never seen the accessible cabins released before final payment. It appears that the OP's travel agent has booked them into an accessible stateroom before final payment and likely before release to the general public. In that case, it is possible that the OP could be moved if Royal Caribbean followed their own policy/procedures which is to require the Special Needs Form confirming the requirement for the accessible stateroom features within 30 days of sailing and to bump those who have booked an accessible room who don't actually need an accessible room. (this is not supposed to apply to those who booked into the accessible rooms after those were released for general public booking, including guarantees). But I agree that it is unlikely the OP will be moved because Royal Caribbean doesn't seem to follow their own procedures when it comes to accessible cabins--it is just easier to tell the person looking for an accessible cabin that there are none available than to actually have to follow up with those who don't submit the required paperwork.

 

Leaveitallbehind, I understand that you had good intentions. I wished it really did work this way in real life. If Royal Caribbean had some decent software programmers, they could develop a software program that accounted for this in booking. But Royal Caribbean doesn't (I don't believe that any of the other cruise lines do either) And we all know the problems that Royal Caribbean has with their software programming anyway re Crown and Anchor, etc. :eek:

[readytolose]

Just want to say that if you do end up with this room you will like it! I booked a cruise with my sister a couple weeks before sail date and we were given an accessible room for our inside guarantee. The room was very spacious as far as insides go. It was my sisters first cruise so hopefully she doesn't expect that much room in an inside room in the future!

[xxoocruiser]

Chances are OP will not be moved. However if I were the OP I would continue checking RCCL's website regularly to see if a non-accessible cabin in the same category becomes available so a switch could be made to insure that a bump would not be possible. After all cabins come and go all the time particularly the closer it comes to the final payment date.

 

There is one caveat that the OP has not considered that is....... they have posted their cruise date and have announced to the entire CC RCCL community that they are able body persons booked in an accessible cabin which is not required. Therefore someone needing an accessible cabin on that particular cruise now has the information to go up the change of command with the Special Needs Dept in a good attempt to get that cabin released to them and the OP Bumped. This indeed is possibility even without knowing the cabin number when the information has been well published such as this . In fact being disabled myself and fully able to certify the need for an accessible cabin under the Federal Guidelines that become effective 1/1/2012 this is exactly what I would do if I were wanting to go on the 4/20/14 Allure cruise.

Edited January 8, 2014 by xxoocruiser

[Jason12]

Would you park your car in a disabled parking bay if it was the only space left..?

IMO accessible cabins should only be used for them who need them, more checks are needed by RCI....Rant over..

 

Jason

 

 

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[grab007]

Thanks Jason12 - a voice of reason. Tell the travel agent HC cabins are ONLY for people who need them!! My DH has MS and is in a WC. We have to book over a year in advance to get these cabins. Our choices of the good itineraries are solely based on the available HC cabins. Shame on the TA!

[ryano]

IMO accessible cabins should only be used for them who need them, more checks are needed by RCI....Rant over..

 

Jason

 

 

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As a wheelchair bound cruiser that requires an accessible cabin, I agree with you somewhat but only up to a certain point.

 

RCI should have every right (and they do) to release these cabins after the final payment date to the general public. Their goal is to have every cabin filled and the cabin should never go empty just because there wasnt a disabled cruiser to take it.

 

With that said, MOST of the time all these cabins are booked up months in advance and the only way they open up after final payment is because of cancellations.

 

The TA should NEVER assign able bodied passengers to these cabins BEFORE final payment though. That is just flat out wrong.

Edited January 8, 2014 by ryano

[sjb317]

What is this Special Needs form people have mentioned? We took my parents on a cruise in Jan, 2013, we booked it November, 2012 . I booked an accessible room for my parents as my mom uses a walker & needs the special bathroom. We were never told to fill out any forms or do anything to document her needs.

 

Sherri:)

[Jason12]

Our choices of the good itineraries are solely based on the available HC cabins. Shame on the TA!

 

Same here...

 

People don't realise that a lot of disabled can not make their decision to travel until the very last minute based on their health, so these cabins need to be held until embarkation day,

We have tried booking within a few weeks of a sailing but they never have a accessible cabin.

 

Jason

 

 

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Edited January 8, 2014 by Jason12

[IslandGirl3000]

Friends, We did not request an accessible cabin, being able bodied people. The travel agent booked the room for us and never even told us it was accessible. The only reason I found out it was accessible was because I looked the room up on the deck plans and it showed it as an accessible cabin. I asked the travel agent why he booked us in an accessible cabin and he told us it was the last ocean view available. This is only our second cruise and we don't really know how these things work, hence my question on this forum. I was told that we would be reassigned, not bumped. I will try to contact my travel agent to see if we can be put in another room. We don't really have the budget for a more expensive room or I would have requested one. Maybe I will have to change to another cruise altogether. Again, we are new at this. I would have never knowingly booked an accessible cabin, it never even occurred to me that this was possible.

[Jason12]

Friends, We did not request an accessible cabin, being able bodied people. The travel agent booked the room for us and never even told us it was accessible. The only reason I found out it was accessible was because I looked the room up on the deck plans and it showed it as an accessible cabin. I asked the travel agent why he booked us in an accessible cabin and he told us it was the last ocean view available. This is only our second cruise and we don't really know how these things work, hence my question on this forum. I was told that we would be reassigned, not bumped. I will try to contact my travel agent to see if we can be put in another room. We don't really have the budget for a more expensive room or I would have requested one. Maybe I will have to change to another cruise altogether. Again, we are new at this. I would have never knowingly booked an accessible cabin, it never even occurred to me that this was possible.

 

 

We know it's not you, we are not judging you... :)

 

Jason

 

 

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Edited January 8, 2014 by Jason12

[Jason12]

What is this Special Needs form people have mentioned? We took my parents on a cruise in Jan, 2013, we booked it November, 2012 . I booked an accessible room for my parents as my mom uses a walker & needs the special bathroom. We were never told to fill out any forms or do anything to document her needs.

 

 

 

Sherri:)

 

 

This is what I'm saying more simple checks by RCI, most disabled are registered or have some kind of evidence of their disability.

 

Jason

 

 

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[ryano]

Friends, We did not request an accessible cabin, being able bodied people. The travel agent booked the room for us and never even told us it was accessible. The only reason I found out it was accessible was because I looked the room up on the deck plans and it showed it as an accessible cabin. I asked the travel agent why he booked us in an accessible cabin and he told us it was the last ocean view available. This is only our second cruise and we don't really know how these things work, hence my question on this forum. I was told that we would be reassigned, not bumped. I will try to contact my travel agent to see if we can be put in another room. We don't really have the budget for a more expensive room or I would have requested one. Maybe I will have to change to another cruise altogether. Again, we are new at this. I would have never knowingly booked an accessible cabin, it never even occurred to me that this was possible.

 

We understand completely! Its not your fault at all. It IS however your Travel agents fault! They should know better.

[montgomeryfamily]

There is a Special Needs form which either the travel agent is supposed to send to you to fill out or you can access and fill out yourself from the website. The on-line form is interactive but does not contain as much information or space for special requests. We personally prefer the on-line form, as it contains the types of requests we need, but those who have more indepth needs or unique needs probably need to fill out the regular form. In fact, if it were not for this form, we would have never realized that the daily Compasses could be printed in large print and so now we request that each cruise as well. The form also contains a certification of need for the accessible features.

 

The form is supposed to be submitted as soon as possible after booking, but no later than 60 days before the sailing.

[xxoocruiser]

What is this Special Needs form people have mentioned? We took my parents on a cruise in Jan, 2013, we booked it November, 2012 . I booked an accessible room for my parents as my mom uses a walker & needs the special bathroom. We were never told to fill out any forms or do anything to document her needs.

 

Sherri:)

 

 

Here's the link to for the Special Needs Form : https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/guestSpecialNeeds.do

[Jason12]

No online here in the UK we have this form.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2014 by Jason12

[sjb317]

There is a Special Needs form which either the travel agent is supposed to send to you to fill out or you can access and fill out yourself from the website. The on-line form is interactive but does not contain as much information or space for special requests. We personally prefer the on-line form, as it contains the types of requests we need, but those who have more indepth needs or unique needs probably need to fill out the regular form. In fact, if it were not for this form, we would have never realized that the daily Compasses could be printed in large print and so now we request that each cruise as well. The form also contains a certification of need for the accessible features.

 

The form is supposed to be submitted as soon as possible after booking, but no later than 60 days before the sailing.

 

Thanks, we booked directly through Royal, I'm surprised no one ever said anything about needing any documentation.

 

Sherri:)

[katrina915]

Thanks, we booked directly through Royal, I'm surprised no one ever said anything about needing any documentation.

 

Sherri:)

 

This is what totally frustrates those of us that need to book so far in advance for an accessible cabin.

[katrina915]

Here's the link to for the Special Needs Form : https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/guestSpecialNeeds.do

 

How do you do a form on line if the person has to sign it?

 

My TA needed a new form signed for upcoming July cruise eventhough RCI has the paperwork for our Nov 13 cruise.