Disabled and not booked in a disabled cabin

[RevSmith]

On the newer Royal Caribbean ships (Radison class or newer), is there a lip between the balcony and the cabin or the bedroom and the bathroom. Please help because we want to know if we have to bring a ramp. We are staying in a Grand Suite on Freedom...but I assume that if there is no lip on Radison or Voyager class ships they wouldn't put a lip on Freedom class. My husband is wheel chair bound.

[Otterman34]

First, congrats on being booked in a Grand Suite. Very Nice.

Second, if you are not booked in a handicapped accesible cabin,

then the chances of it being easy to manuver a wheelchair in is

much less than average.

Third, call up Royal Caribbean, and ask for the "Access Coordinator"

that department can answer most, if not all, of your wheelchair

questions.

 

Have a great cruise

[RevSmith]

Thanks for the sugestion...I was hoping someone on line could help me...I already have seen the inside of a Grand Suite...and know that it is large enough for my hubby to get around, no problem there...but silly me I don't remember about the lips and was hoping someone would...If all else fails I will have to end up speaking with royal caribbean. Again thank you for your suggestion.

[DEL67]

We have never been in an suite. but there are several potential issues that you will need to check in addition to balcony access if your husband is wheelchair bound:

 

- Is the cabin door wide enough for his chair?

- Is there enough space by the side of a bed for wheelchair access?

- Is there a step up into the bathroom? If not, is that door wide enough

for his chair?

- Are there bars in the bathroom?

- Can you husband get close enough to the sink?

- Is there is a shower. If so can they provide a seat. If not. can your

husband use a tub?

 

When my husband was able to walk a few steps with a walker, we occaisionally took a non-handicapped cabin, but it was much more difficult.

 

I do not know about the Freedom class ships, but on the Radiance class the floor definitely slopes up under the carpet in the HC balcony cabins which I assume they do to avoid a threshold

[RevSmith]

My hubby can stand, but he can't walk...I have physically been in a Grand Suite as I have stated before. We have equipment for the bathroom which we are prepared to bring. The Junior suite that is for handicapped people on Royal Caribbean (although we are greatful) leaves a lot to be desired...we would like to be in a larger suite...this is the best that we could get at the time of booking...I was just wondering simply...does ANYONE know if there are ledges between the bathroom and living area or to get out to the balcony.

[montgomeryfamily]

We have stayed in a Grand Suite on a couple of classes of RCI ships, but not on the Voyager Class. But I don't think that even if you do find someone who has, it will necessarily help you as the Freedom is the brand new Ultra Voyager class, so it may not be made like the Voyager class. To be most certain, I agree that you should contact RCI Special Services and ask them this question. I'm sure they won't know the answer immediately, but they should be able to make appropriate inquiry and find out.

 

We have found that the doorways of the Grand Suite and the larger suites on most of the ships are large enough to get a wheelchair through and there are lots of turning room in the suite. But usually the balcony does have a lip/ledge and often, although not always in the newer ships, a llp/ledge going to the bathroom.

[RevSmith]

Thank you, now for my next question...aprox how high is the lip edge, because his chair can get over about two inches with no problem.

[CruisinMK]

There is a chair blocking view of the bathroom entrance so i can't tell if there is a lip, but maybe this picture will be useful otherwise.

This is grand suite on freedom, room 381 sq ft; balcony= 95 sq ft.

 

 

 

Here is room layout

 

I stayed in a non-handicap room with person who can only walk very short distances. We left wheelchair outside room folded up. He could handle the 6 or 8 inch step to bathroom, but the step over the lip of tub was unsafe without being watched/helped carefully. How about calling the cruiseline and see if they have a more appropriate handicap-friendly room available for you. Wide entrance, roll/walk in shower with seat, bars and layout for wheelchair. I recently got both HAL and NCL to move us. Freedom is a newer ship so probably has lots of handicap rooms.

[kyriecat]

I think you meant Radiance class since Radison is another cruiseline. If so, there is a step up of about 5 inches from the main room into the bathroom. There is also a lip of about 1" for the glass door then a step down of about 2-3 inches to get from the room to the balcony. This is from Brilliance which is a Radiance class ship. I think the glass door is wide enough to get a wheelchair through but I know there is absolutely no way to get a wheelchair through the bathroom door. It's only about 22" wide.

[RevSmith]

:) Thank you, I did mean Radiance class...but actually we will be traveling on the Freedom...in September...the more I hear the more I think I had better bring a ramp and portable bars for the bathroom...John could step over the tub and sit in a chair to take a shower...so that's no worry...but I was just wondering about the lips...as I posted before we already asked about the sizes of the doors and they are both over 28 inches which is the width of his motorized wheel chair. Thank you...any other comments would be appreciated.:D