Letter from doctor for handicapped cabin

[laginog]

Has anybody gotten a letter from their doctor for a handicapped cabin? We're waitlisted for one for our January cruise. I wear braces on my legs and have "balance" problems, especialy in the bath/shower. Our TA said for me to get a letter from my doctor and fax it to RCI and they may "open" a handicapped cabin. I just wondered if the letter should state something special or...if just him telling about my neuromuscular disease and mobility problems is OK.

[madforcruising]

Call or email the special needs department of RCCL. I´m sure that´s the best source of information for you.

To customize your accommodations to meet your specific needs, call (800) 722-5472 x34492 (voice/TDD), send an e-mail to specialneeds@rccl.com, or have your local travel agent or International Representative contact us.

[Firefighterhoop]

Well if they're full, they're full............

[Sea Island Lady]

If you have balance problems and do not use a wheelchair, a standard stateroom may work just as well for you. If you can stand up without the aide of a shower seat, the showers are small enough that you would not have to worry about falling out. In fact the bathrooms are small enough that you will always have something to hold onto, unless you get a stateroom with a tub (I don't recommend that as my father has balance problems and fell while trying to climb over the lip of the tub.) Same goes for the staterooms.

 

If you feel you do need a handicapped for other reasons than stated above, all you need to do is get the letter stating that you need a "handicapped" facility and send it to your TA.

[Travelgrrl]

When we needed an accessible stateroom, we needed to provide a letter from the DR. I don't think it matters much what it says, just so long as it's on letterhead and indicates you need it. (And if you have a wheelchair or other adaptive device - you WILL need the larger room.)

[RichardK]

Well if they're full, they're full............

 

He makes a good point. Cruiselines do not give away handicap cabins without some forethought as to who they are putting in them. To "open up" one at this point begs the question>>>What do they do with its present occupants??

[Travelgrrl]

I'll just tell you of one experience I had on the Grandeur:

 

We were in an accessible stateroom (which we needed to hold 2 huge wheelchairs) and the people in the next one did not appear to use adaptive devices at all. Instead, THREE times during the week they held large parties in their room - using the larger size room as a party room!

 

I called security on them the 2nd and 3rd time (each time at about 4:00 AM) - and the last time, I looked to see how many people streamed out of the inside room - at least 20!

 

So in that case, they could definitely have been bumped in favor of someone who really needed the room.

[sayhello]

My cruise leaves in 4 weeks, and last time I was checking out the RCCL site, I noticed several handicapped access cabins listed as available. I think it's possible RCI "holds onto" them until someone specifically requests them, then, at some point, eventually sells them to whomever. So you would need to ask to get one of the ones "on hold". Also, if someone was booked in one and didn't really need it, they could always get an upgrade to give it up...

 

sayhello

[kates024]

My friend is getting married on the Grandeur next October and her grandmother needs a handicap room. She called to book a balcony and RCCL said that they did not have any more handicap balcony rooms available and gave her a junior suite at the price of a balcony. I thought that was pretty nice!

 

Katie

[Ocean Boy]

He makes a good point. Cruiselines do not give away handicap cabins without some forethought as to who they are putting in them. To "open up" one at this point begs the question>>>What do they do with its present occupants??

I am not so sure about that. I think they may go ahead and book them and then if they need them they will move the party with the original reservation. I friend on mine was booked on Celebrity's Horizon. It turned out that their handicapped accessible cabin was needed for a handicapped person and my firends were offered an upgrade for agreeing to change cabins.

[RichardK]

I am not so sure about that. I think they may go ahead and book them and then if they need them they will move the party with the original reservation. I friend on mine was booked on Celebrity's Horizon. It turned out that their handicapped accessible cabin was needed for a handicapped person and my firends were offered an upgrade for agreeing to change cabins.

 

Well, if that's the case, then shame on everybody:

 

*Shame on RCL for giving away handicap cabins to everyone/anyone;

 

*Shame on the OP for not booking early enough, and looking to use a "Doctor's note"; and

 

*Shame on everyone who believes that the "squeaky wheel" will get serviced, and continues until such time as his/her needs are served!

 

*And shame on me for having to bring this up.

 

Just my (shame on me) humble opinion!!!!

[Ocean Boy]

Well, if that's the case, then shame on everybody:

 

*Shame on RCL for giving away handicap cabins to everyone/anyone;

 

*Shame on the OP for not booking early enough, and looking to use a "Doctor's note"; and

 

*Shame on everyone who believes that the "squeaky wheel" will get serviced, and continues until such time as his/her needs are served!

 

*And shame on me for having to bring this up.

 

Just my (shame on me) humble opinion!!!!

How, exactly, is a cruise line supposed to know if the cabins will be needed? Are they supposed to sail empty if they are not? They book the cabins and if needed they make arrangements to make them available. What is wrong with that? It certainly is not like a car in a handicapped space where when the space becomes needed you have no idea where the owner is so you can make him get his car out of there.

[Travelgrrl]

Shame on the OP for mentioning a Doctor's note, when that is required by Royal Caribbean to book a handicapped accessible room?

 

That makes no sense whatsoever! How meanspirited can you get? :mad:

[madforcruising]

I know that RCCL has a deadline until they hold the handicapped cabins for people who need them. After the deadline they are given to anybody. I know because on my last cruise I met people they had one, but didn´t needed it. They asked several times about it and RCCL always told them it´s OK we don´t need it for any handicapped people. BTW they booked last minute.

[ruttie]

we were on a cruise last year and had a problem with our cabin late the first noght so we were given an upgrade to a handicap cabin (I assune they never sold it and s it was available for us) we LOVED it!!! ot was HUGE!!!!lots of room for us and the 2 boys but... I will say it posed quite a problem with all the littel in case of emergency buttons that were around my little one would have pushed it in a second we had to be creative in hiding them...

[RichardK]

I know that RCCL has a deadline until they hold the handicapped cabins for people who need them. After the deadline they are given to anybody. I know because on my last cruise I met people they had one, but didn´t needed it. They asked several times about it and RCCL always told them it´s OK we don´t need it for any handicapped people. BTW they booked last minute.

 

BINGO!!

 

If all the handicap cabins are full then either they are booked by people who need them; or, they've been released to others after the deadline, in which case one should have booked earlier to get one. So you got a note? Bid deal! What are they supposed to do with the people already booked in those cabins? Upgrade them? What if no other cabins are available, or just the most expensive types which they can sell at the Pier or raffle off?

 

And as Travelgrrl said if you need a Doctor's note to begin with to book one, and none are left, then as a previous poster said, "Well, if they're full, they're full...."

 

Excuse the pun, and no mean spirited comment meant, but people should not use a disability as a “crutch” to offset late or poor planning. Not saying that's the case here........

 

At the polls today, I saw two (2) healthy individuals park in handicap parking, put the sign on the rear view mirror and almost run into the polling booths..............after seeing that, yea, I guess I got an attitude today!!

[goodml]

Interesting story from our Carnival cruise last year. We were standing in line waiting to check in and started chatting with a fellow and his wife who were in front of us. He was in a motorized scooter. When we all got to the check in counter we were side by side. He did not have a handicapped cabin booked - didn't even realize there was such a thing. The lady at the desk asked if he'd mind having his cabin reassigned as they did have a handicapped cabin available that would allow his scooter to be pulled inside. He thought that was really great customer service at the time. We ran into him later and he said if he'd had any idea what a great cabin that was he 'would have given the girl a hundred bucks and a kiss on the lips!' for giving it to them.

 

I think if they have the cabins available they are really good about making sure that the people who need them get them. Hopefully it will work out for you.

[goodml]

At the polls today, I saw two (2) healthy individuals park in handicap parking, put the sign on the rear view mirror and almost run into the polling booths..............after seeing that, yea, I guess I got an attitude today!!

 

I can cop an attitude really fast too when I see that. A little common courtesy goes a long way. I wonder why it's so often missing any more.

[Travelgrrl]

What I think is great is that RCI has provided such cabins in all price levels: insides, outsides, and balconies. So you don't have to necessarily pay more, if you need one. But the rooms really are huge, twice the size of a regular room (at least in my experience of generally having insides and also having the accessible inside).

 

However, you really need that if you have a wheelchair or scooter. The halls are so narrow you are inconveniencing others if there's no where else to park.

 

BTW, I don't agree that the OP was being negligent in not having arranged for such earlier. Lots of people book cruises late, and they should still be able to access such amenities as accessible rooms, if they are still available. The TA told her to get a DR's note, not to work the system, but to prove the need.

[parothead]

we have booked handicapped cabins several times and always needed to provide a dr note.

[laginog]

Well....after doing some research on the handicapped cabins on the Splendour, I think I will be better off in a regular cabin. I don't need the extra cabin space as I don't use a wheelchair, but I do wear leg braces. My balance problems are especially troublesome in the bathroom and shower, so I thought the "aids" in there would be might be a big help. But...after reviewing some of the posts about the Splendour, it sounds like it would actually make it worse for me. Several posters mentioned that since the shower is a "roll in", water leaks all over the bathroom floor and makes it very slick. Since I have balance problems anyway, a slick floor is not a good idea! I have fallen on wet bathroom floors more than once already, so I think I'll take the chance and just be extra careful and find something else to "grab" onto, instead of doing the handicapped bathroom with the handicapped "aids". Thanks for everyone's help!!!

[sgttami]

Years ago my sister sailed on Celebrity and when she boarded she found that she had a handicapped cabin...never booked it that way as no one was handicapped. This was before the days of cruisestaterrom.com and the internet. Yes, it was bigger and they loved it but she could never figure out why they got it.

 

We have a friend who qualifies as handicapped according to his doctor.. Looks perfectly healthy but has had two hip and knee replacements and a bad heart and cannot walk long distance. Has a motor vehicle sticker and gets "looks" when he parks in the handicapped spaces..he's 45. He could probably get a note to reserve him in a handicapped cabin but would most likely have 20 people in there partying also.

 

Don't judge...just because someone doesn't look handicapped, doesn't mean they aren't...

[Ocean Boy]

The fact is that there are many types of "handicaps". Some are visible and some are not. Some require special parking and some don't. Some require special cabin accommodations and some don't. I think for the most part you just have to depend on people to do the right thing but there will always be those who take advantage of the system.

[ruttie]

At the polls today, I saw two (2) healthy individuals park in handicap parking, put the sign on the rear view mirror and almost run into the polling booths..............after seeing that, yea, I guess I got an attitude today!!

I have a good friend who has severe arthritis has had 3 hip replacements, 2 knee replacements an elbo replacement and is scheduled for her other elbo during the summer. She is beautiful, looks athletic, tan, etc and is only 32 years old yet she NEEDs the handicap parking to stay that way! she gets lots of dirty looks all the time and feels self conscious but the reason she stays so well and is not crippled up at her age is becuase she does try to limit her walking etc whenver paossible

People who park in handicap and do not need it irritate me also but I know that sometimes looks can be decieving and for those that do it and should not hopefully they will have a friend or child they know point out that the should not.

to teh original poster.. I think you are making the right decision She does not book handicap on cruises because the bathrooms are huge and ther is a lot of space and the smaller space for her is actually helpful rather than teh huge space that is made for wheelchair accesable rooms.