Handicapped Suite-Pics and opinions please

[beachchick]

Luv4dacruise: I understand your position and sympathize. There may come a time when I will require a HC cabin. Until then (if ever), I wouldn't think of booking one. I did spend 6 weeks in a wheelchair and then 1 week another time. I realize that's nothing compared to permanent, but it did give me some insight into the difficulties.

 

However, your logic that there should be a cabin available for you because you "have" to book late to get a cheaper rate can be applied equally to everyone. If I "have" to book late to get a better rate, I am taking the chance that there won't be any cabins in the category I want (or even any at all because so many ships are selling out completely). So, it doesn't make sense to me that RCI should hold the HC cabins right up until the cruise date just in case someone wants to book one for a cheaper rate at the very last minute. They don't hold cabins for AB pax just in case they want (or "have") to book at the last minute.

 

I don't, however, believe that these cabins should be released into inventory until 21 days before the cruise date. That gives a HC cruiser plenty of time to decide and still allows RCI to fill any remaining cabins. I like the idea of not allowing TAs to hold any HC cabins, ever. If a TA has taken a block that includes HC cabins and those are the only HC cabins still available, then pax would be required to book through that particular TA. That seems unreasonable. I think RCI should keep all HC cabins and require direct booking or only allow TAs to book them at the actual time the TA's client is making the reservation.

 

beachchick

[Hebe]

Well I going to add my two cents to this discussion. We have been booked in a handicap room since day 1 for a cruise we are doing to South America. My husband is wheelchair bound and requires a HD room. At six months before sailing, the cruise line called my TA to ask if we would move to another room since they had a select client who wanted an aft cabin. The TA stated that this was a handicap cabin and asked if the person was a wheelchair user. When the cruiseline agent did not reply, it was evident that the people were AB. So let's here it for cruiselines trying to bump people who need the cabin for this loyal ;) cruisers. By the way, we are Elite cruisers with that line.

[JSR]

FYI- There are only 2 Handicap JS on the Jewel. There are no cabins in any cat. above JS. There are only 14 handicap cabins in total compared to hundreds of non-handicap cabins.

 

Unfortunatly RCL's system is flawed. If a handicap person books a room and then cancels the handicap room goes into general inventory and not back to the handicap inventory. If you were speaking to a rep that was not from the accessibility desk they will tell you what you want to hear unfortunatly.

 

If you would like to do the right thing then keep the room but notify the accessibily desk at RCL 1-800-722-5472 x34492 that you are not disabled and are more then willing to move if they need the room for someone in a wheelchair. Just because there are other accesible cabins available they may not be what the people need or are looking for.

 

Please consider that those of us who use wheelchairs for mobility have 14 cabins to chose from on the entire ship.

[JSR]

PS If you honestly notify the accessibility desk and post who you spoke with and when I would be happy to send you pictures of the cabin

[beachchick]

FYI- There are only 2 Handicap JS on the Jewel. There are no cabins in any cat. above JS. There are only 14 handicap cabins in total compared to hundreds of non-handicap cabins.

 

Unfortunatly RCL's system is flawed. If a handicap person books a room and then cancels the handicap room goes into general inventory and not back to the handicap inventory. If you were speaking to a rep that was not from the accessibility desk they will tell you what you want to hear unfortunatly.

 

If you would like to do the right thing then keep the room but notify the accessibily desk at RCL 1-800-722-5472 x34492 that you are not disabled and are more then willing to move if they need the room for someone in a wheelchair. Just because there are other accesible cabins available they may not be what the people need or are looking for.

 

Please consider that those of us who use wheelchairs for mobility have 14 cabins to chose from on the entire ship.

 

That is just not the right thing to do! If a HC pax cancels a HC cabin, the cabin should go directly back into HC inventory ONLY. At least IMO.

 

beachchick

[tarps14]

JSR, I read this entire post thinking "what's the big deal?" Then I read yours. You put the entire thing into perspective when you stated HC people only have 14 cabins to choose from on the entire ship. I can understand now that holding HC cabins until the last possible minute makes the only sense. When you're talking literally hundreds of other cabins, why would anyone even be allowed to book a HC cabin in the first place if they themselves are not HC? Thank you for making this AB person see things from a different perspective.