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We have been put in a handicapped room . . .


thymcruisers

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to book a larger cabin than you may need because someone else may come along later who would need that cabin and you took it?

 

I don't get the blame the passenger mentality.

 

I agree with the last poster. It is up to the person needing the handicapped room to book their cruise far enough in advance and to be flexible enough to be assured that this type of cabin is available. When there is such a physical requirement, they cannot behave as a passenger who can be comfortable in any of the ship's cabins.

 

Personal responsibility has to also come into play.

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"First come, first served" is another saying. If you need an HC room, it is "a little thing called personal responsibility" for you to book them far enough in advance when they are available. Your post seems pretty condescending and mean-sprited to me. JMO. Maybe you don't realize how it is coming across to others. Good luck and happy sailing to all.

 

I had intended to not comment any further in this thread as this is a very personal issue for me. I find your reply typical of the people I have met regarding abusing handicap priveledges. Very uncaring and mean in itself as you called the person you quoted. Ok if everyone feels first come first serve is the best policy..maybe this forum is not for me. I had hoped to find a good mix of ppl..but this takes the cake. Guess my age makes me too old as I don't belong to the "I take no responsibility other than get what I want, how I want, generation". Have a great cruise.

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I had intended to not comment any further in this thread as this is a very personal issue for me. I find your reply typical of the people I have met regarding abusing handicap priveledges. Very uncaring and mean in itself as you called the person you quoted. Ok if everyone feels first come first serve is the best policy..maybe this forum is not for me. I had hoped to find a good mix of ppl..but this takes the cake. Guess my age makes me too old as I don't belong to the "I take no responsibility other than get what I want, how I want, generation". Have a great cruise.

 

Sorry you feel that way. I don't think it's nice of you to make unflattering generalizations about people you don't even know!

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And my point was, if there's a particular cabin you want (HC, aft wraparound, hump, family suite, whatever), you need to book it in advance. Isn't that true?? I meant no offense. If the cruiseline has already assigned someone to the cabin you're trying to book, is that the fault of the other pax? I don't believe it is.

 

Happy cruising!

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Sorry you feel that way. I don't think it's nice of you to make unflattering generalizations about people you don't even know!

 

Um sweetie..it was very plain in your post..and your post was not nice at all for any adult..but then I am not surprised by ppl acting in unfeeling way towards handicapped ppl. I can't tell you the number of ppl who have ran into me, almost knocking me over with my cane, without so much as an excuse me. I think us handicap ppl should just give it up...they don't care as long as they get what they want, when they want. Have a nice healthy life everyone and hope you enjoy your trips.

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I agree! I am also handicapped and use a electric wheelchair, but can walk short distances so will be traveling with my cane and a walker. When I first booked the cruise I noticed that HC staterooms were much less money, but MSC only has 5 HC staterooms so I decided to go with a regular stateroom. I would have felt so bad if I would have left another QVC nut without a room. (82 days til the QVC cruise)

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I agree! I am also handicapped and use a electric wheelchair, but can walk short distances so will be traveling with my cane and a walker. When I first booked the cruise I noticed that HC staterooms were much less money, but MSC only has 5 HC staterooms so I decided to go with a regular stateroom. I would have felt so bad if I would have left another QVC nut without a room. (82 days til the QVC cruise)

 

We are bringing a manual wheelchair..meaning my husband will have to wheel me but he loves bieng in charge lol. My hands have neuropathy along with my feet so I can't move it myself without a great deal of pain. Not sure other than room if I will use my cane. On a swaying boat, may be dangerous for me as my balance is horrible and I walk like an alien I have seen in movie flicks :eek: . I have to lock my knees with each step to get them to work..weird looking but am happy I can atleast go short distances :D . I may just look like a lot of the evening crowd if I wait until ppl have had a good many drinks I may just blend in lol. Hope you have a great time on your cruise :D

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to all of you who understand that I DID NOT INTENTIONALLY BOOK A HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE ROOM! It was offered and we took it BUT I WAS TOLD MANY TIMES THAT WE WOULD BE MOVED IF IT WAS NEEDED.

NO PROBLEM . . . as long as we get a room on the ship - we're happy!

 

To "UMBARGER" - I am saddened that you feel it was necessary to make comments like "Thymcruisers, what if they do move you and you are not on the Lido deck. What then? I think you will raise a royal stink." AND

"What goes around comes around". You know nothing about me to make such rude assumptions . . . so let me fill you in. I teach High School Special Education and work daily with severly mentally challenged and physically handicapped young adults. I love my job and the students I teach. I would never knowingly take a handicapped accessible room if it meant someone couldn't be on the ship that is handicapped.

 

Once again, I don't feel we did anything wrong - we didn't call the ship and specifically ask for a handicapped room ! I agree with all who have posted saying that this issue needs to be taken up with the cruise line - DON'T PUBLICLY CHASTISE ME!!!

 

Then why are you still booked in an accessable room five months from your cruise date, when there is strong evidence to the fact that you will not be moved???

When I am held hostage in my standard cabin because there isn't anywhere to move my w.c. and I have to rely on my cabinmate to help me move around because I,( literally cannot stand on my 'own two feet'), or have to crawl into the b.r. because my cabinmate is not there, I will have to take it up with the cruiselne because someone saw 'nothing wrong' in taking a cabin that was rightfully mine.

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Then why are you still booked in an accessable room five months from your cruise date, when there is strong evidence to the fact that you will not be moved???

When I am held hostage in my standard cabin because there isn't anywhere to move my w.c. and I have to rely on my cabinmate to help me move around because I,( literally cannot stand on my 'own two feet'), or have to crawl into the b.r. because my cabinmate is not there, I will have to take it up with the cruiselne because someone saw 'nothing wrong' in taking a cabin that was rightfully mine.

 

I don't think this person intentionally booked this room so that you "would have to crawl to the b.r." or knew that it was "rightfully" yours. They specifically stated that they were offered the room and that Carnival told them that they would be moved if need be. Everyone here is so quick to jump on the OP when in fact, this is Carnival's fault for giving false information (if indeed they don't move them if the HC is needed). Why is no one upset that Carnival is lying to the passengers. And why is no one upset that they don't keep track of the HC rooms. I think this is where the blame should lie. If it's that important to those of you who have trouble getting a HC room when you need it why don't you write Carnival and suggest them keep a better "inventory" on their rooms. Or suggest that they enforce rules that keep non-hc people from booking them until a certain amount of time out from the sail date. I don't know if they will listen, but I think it's a better choice than blasting people on a public forum. JMO.

 

Anyways, I hope everyone gets to enjoy their cruises and doesn't have a hard time finding the rooms that they need to accommadate them. But just keep in mind, we're all human beings and that unfortunately, we can only go by what people tell us sometimes and if we're informed wrong, then I would blame the informant.

 

Happy cruising!:D

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When we were booking friends on the Liberty-- who needed a handicapped cabin-- the person who was booked into the oceanview on the front was moved to a 6B on the side.

 

We had to show need= with a drs letter faxed over.

 

Carnival does move people out of handicapped cabins if there is no cause for them to have it.

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I had intended to not comment any further in this thread as this is a very personal issue for me. I find your reply typical of the people I have met regarding abusing handicap priveledges. Very uncaring and mean in itself as you called the person you quoted. Ok if everyone feels first come first serve is the best policy..maybe this forum is not for me. I had hoped to find a good mix of ppl..but this takes the cake. Guess my age makes me too old as I don't belong to the "I take no responsibility other than get what I want, how I want, generation". Have a great cruise.

 

Let's see. You just joined CruiseCritic this month, have about 20 post to your credit. There are over 218,000 registered on this site with about 20-30 of them posting on this thread. From that you've decided this forum is not for you?

 

Bill

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I guess I'll take people at their word that Carnival does not always relocate passengers who don't need the rooms in favor of those who do, but I have to ask: if Carnival is not consistently following its own stated policy on a matter of such importance, has anyone ever contacted Bob Dickinson's office about it? If so, what has been the reply? Since inconsistent application of the policy appears to be an ongoing problem, has there been follow up with his office?

 

Making the existing policy work (i.e., allow contingency bookings unless the cabin is needed) is hardly a significant logistical challenge. We can go on and on bitching about it to 1% of the cruising population on some internet board, and complain about low-level employees not knowing or applying policy, but taking responsible action on this seems to be a bit of a no-brainer.

 

I wrote Carnival a few weeks ago with some positive feedback and concerns, and received a prompt reply addressing my specific areas of concern. So it's hard to imagine how an issue as significant (and potentially litigious) as this hangs around unresolved if concerned passengers are actually taking responsibility for addressing it through the appropriate channels.

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..again to inquire about Cabin 9292 aboard the Valor sailing March 7th. Was told; sorry, that cabin is no longer available. So there is absolutely nothing morally wrong about disabled persons having to board the ship in a w.c. and hoping and waiting around on the off- hand chance some 'kind' soul will give up their cabin?

 

That's like going to the mall, finding a car in a H.C. parking space with the note on the windshied that says, "We are in the store shopping, but if you really need this parking space, come in the store and find us...after all the store let us park here."

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There is also the possibility that not ALL HC rooms are needed every cruise. I have heard figures from 5 cabins to 19 cabins per ship. Perhaps not every one of them is used on every cruise. I used to install school lockers and one of the last that I did had 1749 lockers. There were 17 chair accessible lockers, so that works out to 1 percent. I know for a fact that the school only had one student in a WC (she lived up the street from me) at that time and she refused to use one of those lockers. So they were all issued out to other students who loved them because they were twice as big as a regular locker. Perhaps if Carnival held back all the HC cabins until it was determined that they were not needed there would not need to be so might indignation and moral condemnation on these threads. Actually, the OP's question was answered in post 2-4 and the first shot was fired across the bow in post 8 and here we are embroiled in a moral controversy 88 posts later. Only on CC.

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Let's see. You just joined CruiseCritic this month, have about 20 post to your credit. There are over 218,000 registered on this site with about 20-30 of them posting on this thread. From that you've decided this forum is not for you?

 

Bill

 

Yes and it saddens me because I was beginning to really enjoy it but on an issue as important to me..it really hurts to see such callousness. As far as OP as some have defended..no she didn't ASK for the room but nor did she inquire were there not other rooms. My guess is person who was working with her just pulled up screen and picked what they thought they could sell to her before she hung up and they lost a commission. My guess is she now realizes carnival does not have ppl who follow their rules..like most companies tbh. Just some of the answers I have seen have just sickened me on the uncaring attitude..one that I face daily. Its hard enough to have your ego slammed back to feeling like unwanted society baggage, your physical ego slammed because you arent even half the person you were, if it weren't for having such a loving supportive family, I would be even more depressed than I am. Its my problem though but this thread/forum just reminds me how I am viewed in general by society. Guess all the "looks" I get when I go to the store (which isn't often I can tell you) isn't bad enough, healthy ppl taking up handicap parking then grinning at me like..go ahead do something about it. Guess I just don't need one more reminder I am at the bottom of societys chain. But thats my problem and I regret that obviously my posts have upset a lot of ppl. I should of just kept my mouth shut and slunk out like I usually do in real life. I hope they lock this thread or even delete it then everyone can go back to having fun. Sorry for the intrusion, I really am.

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Thym, I've never seen the HC rooms on Carnival but I know on princess they're quite larger. I know that the rooms come with everything that a standard room would come with. I certainly hope you have a great cruise. Have a drink for me :)

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Yes and it saddens me because I was beginning to really enjoy it but on an issue as important to me..it really hurts to see such callousness. As far as OP as some have defended..no she didn't ASK for the room but nor did she inquire were there not other rooms. My guess is person who was working with her just pulled up screen and picked what they thought they could sell to her before she hung up and they lost a commission. My guess is she now realizes carnival does not have ppl who follow their rules..like most companies tbh. Just some of the answers I have seen have just sickened me on the uncaring attitude..one that I face daily. Its hard enough to have your ego slammed back to feeling like unwanted society baggage, your physical ego slammed because you arent even half the person you were, if it weren't for having such a loving supportive family, I would be even more depressed than I am. Its my problem though but this thread/forum just reminds me how I am viewed in general by society. Guess all the "looks" I get when I go to the store (which isn't often I can tell you) isn't bad enough, healthy ppl taking up handicap parking then grinning at me like..go ahead do something about it. Guess I just don't need one more reminder I am at the bottom of societys chain. But thats my problem and I regret that obviously my posts have upset a lot of ppl. I should of just kept my mouth shut and slunk out like I usually do in real life. I hope they lock this thread or even delete it then everyone can go back to having fun. Sorry for the intrusion, I really am.

 

Don't let this thread get to you. Threads like this tend to get confrontational and personal. Sometimes it's best to just walk away (or roll away) from them and find a friendlier thread. I had a boss one time who told me that you meet a new ***hole everyday. On a public forum such as this you might multiply that by 5-10. Not everyone will agree with you all the time and you certainly won't agree with everyone else all the time. Have thick skin and don't let anyone bother you. Some people have no tact. Others don't even try and others will make their point and then return over and over to beat the dead horse which just serves to annoy most of the posters. But don't give up on the boards because of this one thread. Stick around and you'll come across even more controversial ones. Imagine the poor OP who asked a simple question, not knowing the contents of the can they were opening, and they are still picking worms out of parts where the sun don't generally shine. Bet they don't make that mistake again. :)

 

I used to have 2 guys that worked for me; one in a chair who could not walk or even stand, and one with only 1 leg who got around on a crutch. Both drove themselves to work everyday and both played on the local WC basketball league. One thing I learned real fast was not to try to help them do anything they were capable of themselves and not to feel sorry for them. They were great workers and since we did most of our work in schools, the administration would thank me for hiring them as they were upheld to the students as an inspiration that they could do anything they really wanted to do in life. I guess that is why I don't have a "give preferential treatment to the disabled" kind of mindset as the guys that I've associated with would get indignant if you did. Of course they probably wouldn't be caught dead on a cruise ship either.

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There is also the possibility that not ALL HC rooms are needed every cruise. I have heard figures from 5 cabins to 19 cabins per ship. Perhaps not every one of them is used on every cruise. I used to install school lockers and one of the last that I did had 1749 lockers. There were 17 chair accessible lockers, so that works out to 1 percent. I know for a fact that the school only had one student in a WC (she lived up the street from me) at that time and she refused to use one of those lockers. So they were all issued out to other students who loved them because they were twice as big as a regular locker. Perhaps if Carnival held back all the HC cabins until it was determined that they were not needed there would not need to be so might indignation and moral condemnation on these threads. Actually, the OP's question was answered in post 2-4 and the first shot was fired across the bow in post 8 and here we are embroiled in a moral controversy 88 posts later. Only on CC.

 

You do have a point. If there are accessable cabins that are not booked within two to three weeks of the cruise date, why not offer them as upgrades??

 

I think the handicapped need a voice (88 posts..my goodness!), please be patient with us..you just may learn something!!

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Um sweetie..it was very plain in your post..and your post was not nice at all for any adult..but then I am not surprised by ppl acting in unfeeling way towards handicapped ppl. I can't tell you the number of ppl who have ran into me, almost knocking me over with my cane, without so much as an excuse me. I think us handicap ppl should just give it up...they don't care as long as they get what they want, when they want. Have a nice healthy life everyone and hope you enjoy your trips.

 

I don't know what's worse, the dripping sarcasm or the "oh, woe is me" tone to your post. "...just give it up," and ..."they don't care as long as they get what they want," just smack of so much self-pity, that it's very, very sad. The OP and most of the other posters who didn't totally agree with you and some others certainly aren't cruel and uncaring folks, they just DISAGREE with you, and that's their right. "First come, first served," "the early bird catches the worm" are apt quotes when it comes to booking the cabin you definitely want on a ship, whether it's a HC room, a center hump room, or that glorious aft cabin so desired. Book early and you will get what you want or need.

 

I think most of us know how lucky we are to be able-bodied, and, no, we don't know what it's like to be handicapped. We also don't need to have it repeated post after post to get your message.

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..again to inquire about Cabin 9292 aboard the Valor sailing March 7th. Was told; sorry, that cabin is no longer available. So there is absolutely nothing morally wrong about disabled persons having to board the ship in a w.c. and hoping and waiting around on the off- hand chance some 'kind' soul will give up their cabin?

 

That's like going to the mall, finding a car in a H.C. parking space with the note on the windshied that says, "We are in the store shopping, but if you really need this parking space, come in the store and find us...after all the store let us park here."

 

I am not handicapped, but I have a daughter who is. She has not let that stop her from attempting to do anything and everything, sometimes things that she thought were beyond her limits.

 

First, I have to ask this question. Why would anyone boarding in a wheelchair be "waiting around" for someone to give up a cabin? When I want a specific cabin, I book it well in advance to be sure that I get it. As someone else mentioned, no matter what type of cabin you need or want, your best course of action is to book well in advance. I realize this is not always possible so I'm speaking in generalities here.

 

Second, personal responsibility comes into play and it is two-fold. An able bodied person booking a cabin, if told it is handicapped accessible, has the option to take it or not. If it were me, I would ask for another cabin. On the other hand, you just don't know how many cabins of this type will actually be needed on any given cruise and Carnival, being in the business of making money, will want to fill their ships. It's a Catch 22. My personal feelings are this:

 

1. If you want a specific type of cabin, book early when at all possible.

2. If you are able bodied and offered a HC cabin, request something else if it is available.

3. Carnival should not knowingly allow those who don't need them to book HC cabins. However, back to the Catch 22, they are still going to book them to someone just to fill their ship.

 

In our state, you are required to have a HC tag or hanging placard in your window to park in a HC spot. I have been known to leave not so nice notes to those able bodied people who ignore this requirement. ;)

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I'm sorry crusin susin but you are incorrect and so is your TA.

 

I tried asking the cruise line if any one abled bodied was traveling in handicapped cabins. They refused to say. They said it was a matter of confidentiality. Another cruise line told me, of course they were booked by handicapped cabins they wouldnt have given it to them if they werent.

Sory to interject more info than you might want to read, but my handicapped daughter was going to cruise with us this summer and the Carnival PVP told me everything there was to know about handicapped cabins and what type of people were in them. Incidentally my DD has a folding travel wheelchair that fit nicely through the standard door in our Cat 12 penthouse suite. ;)

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That's like going to the mall, finding a car in a H.C. parking space with the note on the windshied that says, "We are in the store shopping, but if you really need this parking space, come in the store and find us...after all the store let us park here."

 

No, that's not true. At all. Someone (maybe you) used this laughable analogy in another thread on the subject. There is absolutely no reason Carnival can't simply move the person who doesn't need the cabin and book the person who does; it's not any kind of significant logistical challenge. To compare being put on hold for 5 minutes while a PVP confirms your vacation reservation to having to track down an anonymous person in the mall so you can get a parking space that you need at that very moment is ridiculous and insulting.

 

Clearly, if the policy's not being followed, then there needs to be follow-up with the appropriate parties. If you're given bad information by a low-level employee who doesn't know any better, and whom you KNOW is not following company policy, then why not take responsibility for yourself and follow up through the proper channels?

 

No one with any sense would take issue with the idea of able-bodied people being moved out of rooms reserved for people who need them, but there's a lot of patronizing self-indulgent nonsense going on here. "Handicapped people need a voice?" They do have them, you know.

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This is what I would like to point out, especially to those who have eloquently presented your views here regarding the rights and treatment of handicapped persons, and the related responsibilities of the able-bodied:

Your efforts to express your views on this forum may well change the perception and future actions of a few cruisers.

However, those same efforts, when directed to those who are in a position to set or influence the corporate policy of the various cruise lines, in this case Carnival, could be vastly more effective.

Of course, you can and should continue to post here if you so desire (and you obviously do not need my permission to do so). But to greaten your chances of effecting a real change in the policy, consider sharing your opinions in writing with Uncle Bob or his counterparts at other cruise lines.

Just my take after reading through this entire thread. Happy cruising, and peace, to all.

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You posted on a public forum. We are permitted on this forum to voice our opinions. You asked for the disadvantage/advantages to booking a handicapped cabin and information on these cabins. We have told you. I'm sorry you don't like some of your answers.

 

We are not trying to chastise you. We are trying to educate you, but you just don't get it. We have tried to prove to you that it is highly unlikely you will be moved from your handicapped cabin and you will affect a handicapped person wanting to cruise. Julie19, being disabled, called Carnival and asked for your cabin. Were you contacted? Were you moved? No! In fact, the Carnival rep said there was no way of knowing if the person booked in your cabin was handicapped. Doesn't this prove our point?

 

We have tried to prove to you that the information your PVP gave you was incorrect.

 

You are the one who said, “We wanted a Lido deck cabin” Why in the world would you book a cabin you may be moved from if you want to stay on the Lido deck? This makes no sense to me.

 

You have said, "we wanted a room on the LIDO deck" but later post, "as long as we get a room on the ship - we're happy!" So, which is it? If the latter is true switch your room. This way you will have no chance of not letting a handicapped person cruise.

 

You say, “I agree with all who have posted saying that this issue needs to be taken up with the cruise line” Does that make it the Cruise lines fault? Yes, partly. But, what about a little thing called personal responsibility. Isn't this something we all want to have. Something you want to instill in your disabled students or your own children.

 

I wish you no ill will. What goes around comes around, is just a saying. If you choose to take it personally that is your decision.

 

You said, "I am wondering if we will get moved to a better room - perhaps an outside room" I truly hope you get upgraded to your outside room and that you have a wonderful cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

I have spent the past 30 minutes reading through this thread in dismay.

 

I agree that any "Able bodied" person should decline a HC room (Unless there are no other rooms available). I don't want to see someone left out because there are no HC rooms available. However, there seems to be a couple of HC posters here who want to make things personal.

 

To Umbarger & Janet19: Your confrontational attitude makes me forget about your disability. You seem to seek out and harass anyone who doesn't agree with your Opinion. Nothing is fair in this world, and you don't have to be disabled to be treated unfairly.

 

You want to make it everyone elses responsibility to make sure you are treated fairly. What happened to personal responsibility? If you need an HC room, book far enough in advance that you can be assured you will get it.

 

It is not the fault of Carnival or anyone else if you wait too late to book your cruise. You are more aware than anyone else of what obsticles you have to cross to get what you want or need.

 

The OP wants a room on the Lido. They were booked this room by Carnival. Knowing what they know now, I hope they will call and book a different room. However, if they don't, that doesn't make them a bad person. They are taking responsibility to try to get what they want for their cruise. You should take responsibility to get what you want for a cruise.

 

JMHO...

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