Dawn Mini-Suite guarantee question

[tango223]

We booked a mini-suite guarantee on the Dawn and we noticed that we were assigned a cabin. When we looked at the room itself....it was a cabin equipped for the handicapped. Will we be OK with that room? We aren't handicapped.

[shoreguy]

We booked a mini-suite guarantee on the Dawn and we noticed that we were assigned a cabin. When we looked at the room itself....it was a cabin equipped for the handicapped. Will we be OK with that room? We aren't handicapped.

 

You will be ok no bathtub - you may want to call and offer to give up the cabin just in case someone who needs it can have it. Once it is assigned to you it is out of inventory.

[tango223]

Thank you for your help. I will call to offer it up for sure in case someone needs it.

[jp2001]

I don't think you have to call them. They know you're not hadicapped (if you didn't say otherwise) and if someone who really need this room needs it, they will relocate you. If you stay in this room, you will have more room! :)

[shoreguy]

I don't think you have to call them. They know you're not hadicapped (if you didn't say otherwise) and if someone who really need this room needs it, they will relocate you. If you stay in this room, you will have more room! :)

 

 

Not necessarily the case - that room is now out of inventory - unless some escalates they will not move them. If a HC passenger or TA just checks for availability the the answer will be sorry.

 

jp2001 -Warning put on your flame proof suit

[Harleycat]

I don't think you have to call them. They know you're not hadicapped (if you didn't say otherwise) and if someone who really need this room needs it, they will relocate you. If you stay in this room, you will have more room! :)

 

JP..that's just the attitude that's make it so difficult for disabled people to travel. Able bodied people snatch up the handicapped cabins because they have more room and then there are none available for truly disabled people. I have a disability but luckily, at present, I don't need a handicapped cabin but I can tell you firsthand that if you need one and there are none available, it is truly a hardship. In the past, I've booked handicapped hotel rooms only to find none available when I've checked in. Without having the walk in shower, I had to have my husband help me in and out of the shower because I couldn't get my leg over the tub.

 

To the OP..this is not directed at you since you were assigned this cabin by NCL.

 

There was an interesting thread just recently on the disabled forum. An elderly woman in a wheelchair was promised a handicapped cabin only to discover that the one she was assigned to was a regular cabin. The woman was in tears because she could not get in and out of the cabin or shower. There were no other cabins available and NCL did nothing to check and see if, perhaps, someone had a handicapped cabin and would switch.

 

The way I would resolve this is to have the cruiselines charge more for these cabins and only reduce the fare when a doctor's letter, verifying the need for a handicapped cabin, is received. This would keep people from booking them because they have more room.

[TheManWithout]

interestingly, i was told by my TA just yesterday that the handicapped cabins are held strictly for passengers needing wheelchairs and would only be authorised via a doctor's note - my mother is travelling with us and although she is not wheelchair bound it would have made life much easier for her having the extra room in the bathroom. i am happy if it's kept free for someone wheelchair bound, but not if it's just doled out last minute to anyone with a guarantee.

 

NCL does seem to be a little disorganised in it's cabin allocation structure. still looking forward to our first cruise on the Dawn though.

[CarlNcl]

We booked a mini-suite guarantee on the Dawn and we noticed that we were assigned a cabin. When we looked at the room itself....it was a cabin equipped for the handicapped. Will we be OK with that room? We aren't handicapped.

 

The MiniSuite and AE-AC penthouses have the same bathroom. You can look at ShoreGuy's pictures from an HC that is an AE category room and he has shots of the HC bathroom.

http://community.webshots.com/album/451673067DYLfXM

 

Looking at the pictures I'm sure, given the choice, I would not take an HC room. I like the regular AF/AE bathroom a lot and the HC bathroom changes do not look appealing. You may get some extra SqFt but it is mainly open space to make it more accessible. The space will feel nice but some things are probably removed to open up more space, like maybe the couch or chairs or desk or ???.

[calmac]

I happened to be looking at Jewel Mediterranean cruises and noticed that, on one of the sailings, only a couple of BA cabins were available. When I looked at the deck plans I found that both were handicapped accessible cabins. If I hadn't looked at the deckplan I could easily have gone ahead and booked these.

 

I think NCL (and possibly the other cruise lines?) need to deal with the allocation of these cabins better. Perhaps not have them on "general" open inventory but only available when requested through Special Services and then with confirmation of "need". Obviously within a specific time frame (after final payment?) if they are not filled, NCL would wish to fill them - possible upsell cabins?

[tango223]

I will call and see what I can do. I booked it as a gurantee room. The bathroom does look funky. I'll be sure at minimum to say that we will offer it up should it be needed. In any case, we'll enjoy the cruise for sure.

[DebbieS732]

Tango -

We have the exact same situation - I booked this a week ago and got my cabin # and realized it is a HC room. The thing is - our cruise is fully sold out (it's in 3 weeks) and is not even showing up on the available cruises anymore. I am asuming/hoping that they hold the HC rooms until the cruise is almost totally booked or until a specific timeframe before the cruise date (say 30 days) and then release the HC rooms that are not booked. That makes sense to me because if the room is not booked and the cruise can fill it with an AB passenger - surely they would do that vs. sailing with empty cabins.

 

The way I look at HC accessible facilities (hotel rooms, restrooms, etc.) is that they should be made available to HC persons first but they are not there for the exclusive use of HC persons. Please, please, please don't flame me - my DH has MS and although he's not yet dealing with mobility issues at the moment - it's a very real possiblity in the future. I would never expect a hotel/cruise to hold a room open in the event that at a last minute a HC might decide to make a reservation. I would, however, expect them to hold those rooms open until all other non HC accessible rooms are booked.

 

Tango - let me know what they say if you do call them - I was thinking about calling NCL myself and telling them the same thing. I would happily give up my HC room to someone who needs it - even after the cruise starts. I just don't know if they can make a note of that.

[shoreguy]

Tango -

We have the exact same situation - I booked this a week ago and got my cabin # and realized it is a HC room. The thing is - our cruise is fully sold out (it's in 3 weeks) and is not even showing up on the available cruises anymore. I am asuming/hoping that they hold the HC rooms until the cruise is almost totally booked or until a specific timeframe before the cruise date (say 30 days) and then release the HC rooms that are not booked. That makes sense to me because if the room is not booked and the cruise can fill it with an AB passenger - surely they would do that vs. sailing with empty cabins.

 

.

 

That is how I ended up in an AE HC on the Jewel. Moved to it 2 weeks prior to sailing. Took some flames but I think at some point all cabins should be opened up. No one expects any cruiseline to sail with the HC cabins empty.

 

The real issue is AB passengers booking them months in advance and preventing those that need them from cruising.

 

I had no guilt moving to that cabin 15 days prior to the cruise when it openned up.

[jp2001]

JP..that's just the attitude that's make it so difficult for disabled people to travel..../QUOTE]

 

OK, I was not totally sure of what I said, maybe I should not have talked about this subject. You seem to think that I don't care about handicapped people, and it's not true. This person clearly stated that she didn't requested this specific cabin. If NCL gave her a cabin number being a cabin for handicapped, I really thought they knew she didn't NEED it and could take it back if someone NEEDING it showed up. I ASSUMED the cruiseline would be delicate enough to offer its handicapped rooms to handicapped people first.

 

Yes, I said there is more room in those cabins but if you read my post, I THOUGHT THEY WOULD MOVE THEM IF A HANDICAPPED PERSON NEEDED THE ROOM (it seems I was wrong thinking the cruiseline knew who were in the stateroom but I never said to book a handicapped stateroom if you don't need one).

 

Could I know what ''attitude that makes it so difficult for disable people to travel'' I displayed? The cruiseline has a bad attitude if they don't keep the special cabins until a few weeks of cruise date for people in need of them. It is not the poster fault, NOR MINE... I can hardly take to be flammed when I did nothing wrong.

[shoreguy]

... I can hardly take to be flammed when I did nothing wrong.

 

You can be flamed here for any reason valid or not :D :D

[jp2001]

I agree!

I think I'll start a new thread regarding this issue.

[beachchick]

I'm starting to think that NCL routinely assigns HC cabins for guarantees! We have a balcony guarantee for the fall and already have been assigned--and it's a HC cabin. Why, oh why, would they do this months in advance? It makes no sense. I'm seriously thinking about mentioning to our TA that many members of CC have discussed this problem at length. But please do not blame AB pax who are assigned these cabins by NCL--the pax didn't choose them, and probably wouldn't have chosen them. All we can do is say that we're happy to move if needed.

 

Now, technically DH and I do qualify, but I didn't tell the TA that we are disabled. We are disabled, and the safety features in the bath would be extremely helpful to both of us, but we don't (yet, hopefully never) have to deal with a wheelchair. Truly, although it would be helpful, we don't absolutely have to have it, but I'll be honest about this. If I say "please take it away," I'm really afraid they'll put us in a horrible location. This one is an okay location. I'm a horrid wretch because I've considered waiting and then saying we'll be happy to move to an AB cabin if they'll upgrade us to a mini-suite guarantee (we're in a balcony guarantee). Okay, I'm terrible...flame-proof suit on.

 

beachchick

[shoreguy]

beachchick

 

I like to think NCL did this to make it easy to provide a HC passenger your room. Sine you are booked GTY nothing is final until you board the ship. They can move you without ever telling you to free up the space.

 

The problem will they do that, your cabin is no longer in inventory and would require an escalation to discover the availability.

 

From what I have read all the cruise companies need to do a better job managing HC inventory.

[DebbieS732]

But please do not blame AB pax who are assigned these cabins by NCL--the pax didn't choose them, and probably wouldn't have chosen them. All we can do is say that we're happy to move if needed.

beachchick

 

I feel the need to reiterate this because I have seen several posts on this and another cruise board blasting seemingly AB passengers who were in HC rooms. I think it is totally unfair to make assumptions based on appearances. First - unless you are someone's personal physician you have no real way of knowing whether a seemingly AB is actually suffering from a condition that requires the use of HC accessible facilities. I have to remind myself of this every time I see a supposed AB person park in a HC space at a store. There are many 'invisible' conditions that could restrict someone's ability to walk long distances - i.e, congestive heart failure, any chronic lung condition, many heart conditions, MS, etc.

 

A great example of this is my DH has MS and you would never, ever guess it from looking at him. Many people with MS experience symptoms that affect their mobility on a day to day basis. On day you may feel fine, next day have problems walking, next day fine again. I am sure there are a number of conditions that fall into this category.

 

Secondly - just because an AB person is in a HC room doesn't mean they requested that room. There is a chance that the cruiseline put them there because there were no other rooms available. It doesn't make economic sense to sail with empty cabins.

 

I think it is shameful that an AB pax would choose to occupy a HC room when there are other rooms available but I also think the reponsibilty to restrict access to these rooms resides with the Cruise lines. Reading through this and other cruise boards it is apparent that some cruise lines do a better job at this than others.

 

One last note - while reading about this subject it was interesting to note that while some HC passengers report that they have great difficulty securing HC rooms other HC passengers say that they cruise regularly and never have an issue getting a HC room - even at the last minute. It made me wonder if this is a function of the category stateroom being requested, the # of HC rooms a particular ship has or how specific cruise lines handle access to booking HC rooms.

 

Thanks for letting me vent

[Harleycat]

JP..that's just the attitude that's make it so difficult for disabled people to travel..../QUOTE]

 

OK, I was not totally sure of what I said, maybe I should not have talked about this subject. You seem to think that I don't care about handicapped people, and it's not true. This person clearly stated that she didn't requested this specific cabin. If NCL gave her a cabin number being a cabin for handicapped, I really thought they knew she didn't NEED it and could take it back if someone NEEDING it showed up. I ASSUMED the cruiseline would be delicate enough to offer its handicapped rooms to handicapped people first.

 

Yes, I said there is more room in those cabins but if you read my post, I THOUGHT THEY WOULD MOVE THEM IF A HANDICAPPED PERSON NEEDED THE ROOM (it seems I was wrong thinking the cruiseline knew who were in the stateroom but I never said to book a handicapped stateroom if you don't need one).

 

Could I know what ''attitude that makes it so difficult for disable people to travel'' I displayed? The cruiseline has a bad attitude if they don't keep the special cabins until a few weeks of cruise date for people in need of them. It is not the poster fault, NOR MINE... I can hardly take to be flammed when I did nothing wrong.

 

I apologize, I just get really fired up over this issue. I think it was the smiley face next to the line about the room being bigger that set me off. There are people out there that book handicapped cabins just for that reason. There are also people that book them and say that they will give them up if necessary but, in reality, once booked they are out of inventory. I didn't mean to infer that you didn't care about disabled people.

 

No one expects the cruise lines to keep these cabins empty if a handicapped person doesn't book them, just hold them to a certain point before they start assigning them. 2,3,4 weeks out is not a problem but there are times the cruise lines assign them, without proof of a disability, long before final payment.

 

To the person who mentioned "hidden disabilities", yes I totally agree, there are many people who disabilities are not outwardly visable. I am one of them. I have Osteonecrosis (bone death) and, after 6 surgeries, am doing pretty well. The only time you may notice it is after a long day or getting up out of a chair after sitting for a while. I do have a Handicapped parking permit because I must limit my walking to minimize further bone damage. I've endured cold stares and rude questions when I park in a Handicapped spot. I've also had to put up with the people who park in the spots because "I'm only running in the store for a minute". Well, that minute can seem like forever for someone who is disabled and can't park near the store.

 

OK..I'm off my soapbox now. Once again, JP, I apologize.

[jp2001]

It's OK, I think we both made it clear we are not bad people, we just go fired up about things we thought were not fair.

[beachchick]

About "invisible" disabilities, except for my cane and the fact that my DH walks with obvious discomfort and can't lift heavy things, you would probably not know that we are disabled. It's exactly right that many conditions, including auto-immune (such as MS), cause "good" days and "bad" days. To be honest, I hate it when on good days (good now being a relative term for us) people say, "oh, you don't look sick..." Hello? There's a reason people typically only see us on those days--we don't leave the house on lousy, bad, or horrible days. (Oops...guess I got on my soapbox too.)

 

I have no problem with NCL deciding to move us before the cruise. I almost expect it. OTOH, having the safety features in the bath would be very helpful because we both have fairly significant balance issues now. We've learned to cope with AB cabins, but boy, those grab bars in the shower look nice.

 

BTW, could someone give me a basic idea of exactly what is different in the HC balcony cabins themselves? Besides the emergency buttons, wider doors, more space, and roll-in shower, what's changed? Do they remove furniture? I really hope not as DH needs a comfy chair. Does the balcony have a lounge or two (that would be ideal for DH to get some pain relief and enjoy the cruise at the same time)?

 

Thanks for any help. Oh, we're on PoH, so I guess Jewel is the closest sister ship?

 

beachchick