When to book an accessible cabin?

[fmlsprtsfn]

We plan on taking a cruise in October 2020. Should we wait to book while we are on another cruise in Sept 2019 (and risk losing options in accessible cabins) or book during the current sale online?

 

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[sailingmickey]

Depending on the type of cabin you want, as soon as possible.  On  January 4th, 2019, we wanted to book a Panama Canal cruise sailing in May of 2020. There were no balcony accessible cabins and only ocean view.

[Bloodgem]

As soon as possible. In the past we had ended up in an inside cabin as there were no other accessible cabins left even though we booked 15 months in advance.

[mets123]

Book  now. Accessible cabins are very difficult to get at the last minute. And if the ship is older, they are very very limited.

[Miki_moto]

Book now!  I booked a wheelchair accessible cabin as soon as booking began in early January, 2018.  My cruise is in late June.

[spookwife]

You need to book the day the date/itinerary becomes first available.  

[Buckimion]

I booked a 15 day to Hawaii at 23 months out and darn near missed everything but suites and interiors. OTH - I can often get a HA cabin to the Nassau and often to Cozumel (not on the same cruise.) a little more than two-three months out.

[lenquixote66]

I attempted to book one a year before but it was too late.I am on a wait list but I doubt that I will be able to get one.

[fmlsprtsfn]

Thank you all for your input.  We booked it last night based on your comments.

[cruise_mojo]

ASAP!

If you are travelling HA celeb royal princess etc.

 

if you're going carnival you may be alright....

 

you prolly missed the boat on royal though!

[cruise_mojo]

oops didn't read all the messages, glad you got your room

 

Royal seems to care about accessible rooms on all their ships, though the new ones seem to have plenty I guess the ratio is maybe similar to the older ships.

 

We have been hobbling along with a walker or now two or renting a scooter on longer trips for a couple years but bought a scooter last year and finally took it on BtB cruises in march and a weeklong cruise and trip to Universal in April and had a ball for my wifes retirement!     Looking forward, we had one cruise booked next march for our anniversary on Carnival with an accessible room but I couldn't find ANY royal cruise in that time frame of jan-feb or april-may next year that would work for us with accessible rooms and finally looking out next fall it was really sketchy too but I did find a 4 night to b2b with a carnival cruise for our Halloween deal next year where we got the last accessible room of the type we wanted and the single one we wanted on the elation ( only one of its tupe on that ship ) 

 

we got a big heavy duty scooter, kind of a Cadillac 

 

what crusie didja get booked? what type cabin? duration and all and the ship? 

[fmlsprtsfn]

cruise_mojo,

we decided on an inside cabin on an oct 2020 cruise on the symphony of the seas to san juan, labadee, coco cay and st thomas.  it looks like we have a great location by the vitality cafe and fitness center and also close to the elevators.  this is our first time in an accessible inside cabin.  we usually book the virtual balcony or oceanview.  

[cruise_mojo]

virtual balcony? is thajt the one with the tv view?   of the outside?    

 

we have made a habit in recent years of Halloween cruising so last week we killed two chickens with one rock, booked B2B on I think Mariner of the Seas for 4 days oct something like 25th ish with a day in between followed by 5 on Elation out of port Canaveral getting us our Halloween cruise and reaching Emerald status on Royal, we need just 3 days complete to hit emerald and that would get it on the Mariner with the 4 day intenerary. 

 

we were platinum on our cruise on Rhapsody and double pointed with a suite in april and have a nice balcony on Harmony leaving only the short on to advance a level - on carnival we are about 150 days and closing slowly in now on their diamond which will be at 200 or when we cross it and we've decided not to hurry now 

 

we flipped out Havana cruise in march to Pride for 7 and our 40th anniversary next march, no condfidence in cuba, either their port facility, tours, or just their BS politic already this spring there are cruises cancelled there due to their docks being damaged 

 

I think I have my wife finally talked into an inside balcony though! I think it would be neato to be albe to look over the main street area. Some ships have one single HC cabin with a balcony like that. 

[cruise_mojo]

update for us, we have just been booking oct recently and some other cruises next year, we booked mariner for pre Halloween and elation for sailing on the 31st so a side to side maybe? we have a day in between cruises

 

for sure an  easier time booking that far out on carnival for some cruises but carnival does not have fully accessible cabins in the numbers like royal or ncl has!   they have "ambulatory or single side" accessible cabins that don't or may not have wider doors so you gotta be careful booking with Carnival if someone needs a wheelchair or has a walker or wide walker they can be hard to get thru the narrow door 

 

Royal and NCL both seem to have all their rooms with wider doorways and bathroom doors but definitely with royal these cabins book up way far out in advance. both inside and out 

 

 

[lenquixote66]

On 4/13/2019 at 7:33 PM, lenquixote66 said:

I attempted to book one a year before but it was too late.I am on a wait list but I doubt that I will be able to get one.

Update,I got it and I am cruising Saturday

[cruise_mojo]

woo woo! way to keep after it! 

 

lately we have booked two carnival cruises where just by  tinkering and looking hard at it, we saw that since my wife is retired and we could literally cruise at any time I might sit down one evening and just plod thru piles of listings checking prices and availablitly say on one ship at a port

 

or maybe on a couple three ships from cape c thinking b2b or swapping ships type b2b seeing if I can string together accessible cabins where we don't have to swap cabins on b2b OR can get a good deal if we swap ships

 

and twice what I ran into on the Ecstasy was single cruises where they only  have TWO regular balcony cabins ( actually a big larger ) which are on opposite sides aft of the ship which were unsold at the  same time but closing in on final payment time and being offered on the regular carnival site as an outside guarantee or an outside cabin accessible  which does not exist!! 

 

so being really super familiar with the ship helps,    on the first cruise I just popped in the booking thing and sure enough it assigned me the upgrade and said congratulations were giving you a free balcony upgrade!   we would have went back to back but the sailing before was 700 dollars higher and the sailing after was sold out!!! 

 

on the new booking the sailings before and after were sold out and the rate was a senior guarantee but I called in to the accessible dept and they assigned me the cabin anyway!!! woo woo! being platinum helps sometimes ?

 

in both cases we scored the rooms cheaper than if we'd used my wifes airline discount since her discount would have been based on the balcony rate in stead of the outside rates 

 

anyway the feb cruise  next year we have tacked on before a 5 day Disney trip now! 

 

and we'll end with a 4 day cruise, CARNIVAL GET READY FOR SOME DIRTY CLOTHES! 🥴

[Id rather be diving]

I booked a Panama Canal cruise for April 2021 back in April or May of 2019.  We had friends book their regular cabin in August of 2019...I looked to see if we could switch cabins and there were not any HC cabins available.  I’ve learned we just have to book when we see something and be able to cancel if things come up.

[cruise_mojo]

bingo nowadays! 

 

my wife has had certain types of cabins she'd prefer for years in general but as our mobilitly has declined in stages and the availability of cabins is limited it really puts a crimp on the old planning now

 

we got to where for a couple years we might take a normal outside or balcony on a five day and take a walker or depending on how I was feeling on two walkers 

 

but if we were on a 7 day we'd rent a scooter, to finally buying a scooter and the equipment to carry it,  to taking a few short cruises without it and longer ones with the scoooter and finally deciding that to fully enjoy the cruise just travel all the time with the scooter now

 

I am getting less mobile too and am taking a walker on all my cruises now too. In feb next year we have a big Disney trip planned where we'll take one scooter with us and rent one for the duration and stay at a Disney property for 5 days, then come back up to Jacksonville for a day. Then cruise on the Ecstasy taking the scooter and a walker.   The Disney buses each will carry two scooters at one time from the hotels to the parks.