Disabled/accesibility Coordinator on RCI ships?

[CruisinOnWheels]

I was told last week by RCI special needs department that they have a accessibility coordinator designated on every ship.

 

That we would meet this person at check in and be able to directly reach this person should we have a problem.

 

Does anyone know about this and can comment for us what sory of issues they can address. i.e. what actual authority they may have to deal with handicapped passengers problems?

[FrancescaH]

Interesting! I would love to know this myself as we are cruising in 6 weeks. I really want to take my almost 2 year old son to the beach at Labadee but with my balance issues I just can't walk on the sand and will need to have a beach wheelchair and last time we were there I was afraid to try and be disappointed.

[DEL67]

If RCCL has a disability coordinator on each ship, its something new. We took 6 RCCL cruises over a period of about 7 years (the last one was 11/05) and never saw one. Having one could be a great improvement though!

 

As for Labadee, they have beqach chairs, but only to get you to/from the dock to a sitting area. Once you are there, you are on your own.

[Valentine's Mom]

I agree with Del67 I have not heard of let alone been introduced to a disability coordinator. It might be something new but to do every ship doesn't seem likely. It would be nice though.

[redsoxfan56]

Just of the Explorer of the Seas and there WAS a Special Needs Ambassador. She was wonderful. 3rd Purser....delivered invitations to a special meeting on day 2 I think it was. Went over debarkation. She was available during the week for any questions that came up.

There was also the ability to use one of the ship's wheelchairs with a refundable deposit to your Seapass of $300. Deposit credited once chair returned. Not sure if that can be arranged ahead of time or is only on a what is available basis once on ship.

Great move in our opinion!!!

[Treven]

I just got off the Serenade a week & a half ago and I sure didn't see any such person. I spoke with and/or had a lot of different meals with other handicapped pax and none of them ever mentioned meeting someone like that.

[redsoxfan56]

We have since been told this is a trial program on about 5 or 6 Royal Caribbean ships. Hopefully it will be well received and expanded!

[paml]

RedSoxFan56- we just got off the Explorer also and the SNA was really just an office employee that answered the phones with a little experience, too young. She was nice enough and tried and did give us information about disembarking. We found that information and the real thing is two different things. We had a great cruise with no thanks to the RCCL special needs dept. Everything they said they would do for my handicapped son, they did not. They are more geared to the senior citizen that is not a full time wheelchair user than a wheelchair-bound person.

 

Paml

 

 

Royal Caribbean Explorer 11/06

NCL Majesty Western Caribbean 2/06

NCL Spirit Exotic Caribbean 4/05

Holland Zaandam Eastern Caribbean 1/04

Holland Zaandam Western Caribbean 4/03

Disney Magic Eastern Caribbean 6/02

[2ladies]

Had a wonderful cruise recently on the Radiance. However, we were left waiting an hour in the designated area for a wheelchair and then the 'person' in charge, who had been quite aggressive, slid away and I was informed she had gone off duty!! Just left us. I went down to the Front Desk and after a rather stormy conversation, a wheelchair miraculously emerged with a 'pusher'. I am quite happy to push it myself, but can't handle the steep gangway.

 

No-one mentioned a designated person in charge - can only hope that it wasn't the 'person' we had contact with!! She certainly wasn't a purser. That is a very good idea indeed.

 

We often take a 'down' elevator if its empty, even if we want to go up!!

 

My elderly mother can't stand in line anymore and people are very understanding when I tell them why she panicks!! Whilst waiting for a 'green man' to cross a street, the crowd built up behind her. The light changed to green, the crowd surged forward too quickly for her and they knocked her over and walked all over her. She was rescued by a doctor in the crowd and she called an ambulance. Of course, now Mum panicks if there is a line of people behind her.

 

Sometimes she has to use a wheelchair and since I also have Menieres Disease, it can all get a bit fraught!! So far, we have found passengers to be very nice and helpful.

 

As far as tendering is concerned, we have a very careful check to see if it is really safe - both for us and for the staff who have to assist us!! Sometimes we just return up the stairs!!

 

We accept that we can't do everything!! But we have an amazing time on cruises and really wouldn't expect a special elevator for the few handicapped on board, when there really aren't enough elevators in the first place at peak times!! A little frustrating at times, but nothing is perfect.