Quick question HA Rooms

[justmestace]

I don't remember seeing this message, but that does not mean it wasn't there, I do tend to miss things and get confused a lot more lately, not sure if it is sue to aging or the MS. I just sent an email to my TA to see if I need a note from the neurologist to avoid issues. I don't need the wheelchair access, but it would be kind of nice to get in the shower without requiring assistance from another family member ...

I always bring a letter from my doctor, just in case, but no one has ever asked to see it in recent years.
Back when DCL handled the bookings for HA rooms differently, I faxed it in and they kept it on file....but I still took the original with me. Unless you watch me try to climb stairs or get into a bathtub, you wouldn't know that I was limited.

 

[stitchlovestink]

This brings up an interesting question.... if the ADA says you don't have to prove it, then why have a handicap parking placard or plate? And the signs say you could be fined if you don't have one.
Just an interesting contradiction.

Because there's a difference between the two...
Basically it is because a HC room is giving you EQUAL access to stay at that hotel or cruise on that ship...
The handicap placard gives BETTER THAN access. It allows you to park closer to the building. So because they are giving a Handicap placard holder something BETTER, they can require proof. They cannot require proof for EQUAL access nor the accommodations needed to make access EQUAL.
The HC rooms aren't better (well if the hotel or cruiseline makes them 'better' that is on them, not the customer) they are supposed to be equal to, but just providing the necessities need to make one's stay 'safe' and allow them to function just as any other guest would.
Does that make sense?

I always bring a letter from my doctor, just in case, but no one has ever asked to see it in recent years.
Back when DCL handled the bookings for HA rooms differently, I faxed it in and they kept it on file....but I still took the original with me. Unless you watch me try to climb stairs or get into a bathtub, you wouldn't know that I was limited.

You are not alone... that is why I have stated that people should not judge about use of the elevators on the ships!! I look perfectly healthy as well, well most of the time, but it KILLS me to do the stairs!! It hurts me like crazy to stand in one place (for the muster drill) for more than 2 or 3 minutes. Last muster drill we had we were on Deck 4 and by the time we got done (it was close to 30 min because people were late, didn't show, and then wouldn't shut up so that they could hear what was going on) I was in torturous agony. All I wanted to do was go back to my cabin and lay down.
I have an ECV but I guess my model is not very good for ship use because mine kept scratching the bottom and getting stuck when I tried to cross over certain thresholds. It got to be very frustrating!
So I understand exactly what you are saying....

 

[cris0809]

Unless you watch me try to climb stairs or get into a bathtub, you wouldn't know that I was limited.

You are not alone... that is why I have stated that people should not judge about use of the elevators on the ships!! I look perfectly healthy as well, well most of the time, but it KILLS me to do the stairs!! It hurts me like crazy to stand in one place (for the muster drill) for more than 2 or 3 minutes. Last muster drill we had we were on Deck 4 and by the time we got done (it was close to 30 min because people were late, didn't show, and then wouldn't shut up so that they could hear what was going on) I was in torturous agony. All I wanted to do was go back to my cabin and lay down.

Most of the time this is me. I have my own manual chair and I find that for embarkation, muster, debarkation and customs I do much better in it.

The bathtubs are the hardest thing about standard DCL rooms. For most passengers it's a huge benefit. It works against me. I cannot get in or out of one on my own and cannot shower alone.

 

[mdvlprof]

DS-23 is a guad in wheelchair, no questions about his need.

I, on the other hand, look like a perfectly healthy, middle-aged woman. But watch me try to take stairs.... I have to stop every three or four, and hold onto handrail for dear life. And walking requires mental effort. If I have serious discussion while walking, I literally forget how to walk.

But medical professionals told me, after my stroke, that I'd be in wheelchair or walker [with assistance], so having to use a cane for distances is ok..

 

[dpswift]

I don't remember seeing this message, but that does not mean it wasn't there, I do tend to miss things and get confused a lot more lately, not sure if it is sue to aging or the MS. I just sent an email to my TA to see if I need a note from the neurologist to avoid issues. I don't need the wheelchair access, but it would be kind of nice to get in the shower without requiring assistance from another family member ...

I think that in your case you are justified in getting an HA room. To be able to use the bathroom and shower alone. Also it would be easier for you to get to the concierge lounge than to the main decks.

Like a PP stated not all handicaps can be seen. With MS you can never really be sure how long progression will take. I would not skip this year and say we will go next year.

I think that you may be correct that the room was open for the general public. I tried to book a HA room to see what would happen and the statement popped up and you had to click on it.

 

[dpswift]

DS-23 is a guad in wheelchair, no questions about his need.

I, on the other hand, look like a perfectly healthy, middle-aged woman. But watch me try to take stairs.... I have to stop every three or four, and hold onto handrail for dear life. And walking requires mental effort. If I have serious discussion while walking, I literally forget how to walk.

But medical professionals told me, after my stroke, that I'd be in wheelchair or walker [with assistance], so having to use a cane for distances is ok..

Good for you. It must have taken a lot of determination to get that far.

 

[brianvdb]

This brings up an interesting question.... if the ADA says you don't have to prove it, then why have a handicap parking placard or plate? And the signs say you could be fined if you don't have one.
Just an interesting contradiction.

ADA (federal law) mandates that the parking spaces exist, how many need to be there, how large they are, how many are van-accessible, etc. State law regulates what is required (if anything) to park in said spaces.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

I went back and did see if you selected the need for an HA room that message popped up, I did not do that when I booked the room. The HA concierge room was available so I selected it without realizing it was an HA room, but I did not select that I wanted/needed an HA room. Maybe they opened the room to the general public and that is why it showed up when it hadn't before?

Julie

You would not have gotten the message because it was the last / only concierge cabin available.

Once all other cabins in a category are gone, DCL (and every other cruiseline) will release the HA cabin for general booking (so in theory it doesn't go empty).

The issue with this is categories where there are few rooms and they are a premium choice - like concierge on DCL or the Spa Oceanview on Carnival. They end up opening for general booking pretty quick because the room category is filled quickly.

It's one of the reasons why we plan so far ahead - people wonder why our vacations are booked a year or more ahead(even on other cruiselines) - it's to make certain that we have our choice of HA cabins.

If I were you, I would keep the cabin because a) it will make your life easier (due to the barrier free aspects of the cabin) and b) if you release it, it's doubtful that it will go to someone with a need for it, it'll be returned to general inventory (since it's the only available concierge cabin) and then next person will probably snap it up without a thought.

You can keep your eye on the website and should a non-accessible conceirge cabin come available, you could always ask to switch if you feel that your need isn't great enough to keep that cabin.

 

[Giant talking head]

We sail next week. I booked an Oceanview GTY Cat. 9A - we have been given Stateroom 6000 - which is HA. I'm not sure what I should think about this ?

 

[Tinknalli]

GTY fills empty rooms, HA or otherwise. When you choose GTY you give DCL the authority to pick the room for you and you have little choice in the matter. So, if you don't like the HA room you have no recourse. If someone came along who needed a HA room they can move you, so I would not worry about it from the standpoint of taking a room from someone who needs it.

 

[NCConch]

I'm sure you were truly directing this to the OP, who said she has MS, and therefore has a need for an HA room, right? Because, as I just noted above, there is only one HA stateroom among all of the concierge rooms....and it would be a shame to advocate for someone to grab it without the need for it, just because it's bigger.

Yeah, I was replying to the OP. My DS-13 is a full-time wheelchair user and I understand how the system works. If she requests a room through the normal channels and is assigned an HA room, so be it. There are plenty of HA rooms on the Disney ships.

 

[southerngirl528]

Interesting information about the HA rooms. Years ago, when I worked for the Mouse, I booked a lot of DCL, and if our guest had a special need, we would call the cruise line and they would block an HA room for them right then and there. I felt good knowing my guest's special needs were addressed. I assume if a guest booking a cruise now voices special needs, DCL would do the same? I sure hope so!

I just had a personal experience with an HA room. I booked a last minute cruise (about 3 weeks out) with my DVC points. There was very limited availability, and I was surprised they now offer DVC members a "guaranteed" booking. I was rather reluctant to do so, being accustomed to having a stateroom number given to me at time of booking. But since there were not a lot of choices remaining on the date we needed, I hesitantly booked a Gtd Cat 9A. (I've almost always done verandahs, but being only a 4 nt, and having a 3 & 5 y.o. with us, thought an Ocean view would be great)

Two days later I get an email saying they've assigned us a room. Yay! Right? Looked up said room, and lo and behold, it is an HA room. Did hours of research online to see reviews of the room. 2 portholes, large room. Great, right? Well, I wasn't so happy for several reasons. One, NO split bath. TWO, NO bath TUB. And I saw no evidence of a room divider of any kind (curtains to divide room space), which is pretty important when you have little ones that need naps, and go to sleep well before the grownups. And a tub makes it really easy to plunk those cuties into, let 'em play for a bit and clean them up.

The other thing that bothered me a lot, was recalling meeting a guy on the Hawaii cruise that REALLY, really needed an HA room. He had one of those huge wheelchairs that kind of recline. Motorized. And he was assigned a regular Inside stateroom on Deck 2. In chatting with him, there apparently were no HA rooms available. And after reading this thread, it now makes me wonder if there were any parties occupying an HA room that didn't really need it, so this poor dear could get it. I encouraged him to talk to Guest Services to see if they could do anything. For the first day or 2, I saw him still in the same room. After that, they must have been able to move him, because I didn't see him in our area of the ship after that.

The OP can really use an HA room, so I am happy they have it. How did my story end about my cruise in a week from now? I called and asked if it was possible to simply get me what I paid for, that I was not asking for more than I paid, but that the description of a 9A includes a split bath and a privacy divider. After some discussion and a call to DCL, (and I had spent a good deal of time on the DCL site trying to see what rooms were left in 9A), I said I would be willing to downgrade to a 9B (which I had seen available) on Deck 2 if they would just change me out of the HA room. They were kind enough to do so. My lesson learned? This girl does NOT like to gamble, and this will likely be the last time I ever book "guaranteed" status…...

 

[mom2thebest]

I have to say I am a bit shocked by this entire thread since we are booked in a HA room for our next cruise. We did not request it and weren't entirely sold on it since we don't have a "need" in our family. It was presented to us in the sales pitch as a great deal (due to the larger size) by the DCL rep when we did our on-board booking. We really debated whether it was right for us, especially with no bathtub or separate bathroom with small kids, but went ahead because we did like the extra room and large verandah. I hate the idea that we may be doing something that may be frowned upon or that we may be taking a room that a pax with needs could be denied when we don't really need it. I would hope DCL would contact us to make arrangements if that were the case.

 

[southerngirl528]

Mom2thebest, if I were you I would not feel badly. If not needed, enjoy the extra room. Had I kept the HA room, I would have called the cruise line directly to let them know if anyone really needed the room I would be willing to be reassigned. Not every HA room on every cruise is needed by a passenger with special needs, so they are open to anyone. :good vibes

The are lots of folks on these forums that are far more expert than myself, so I know I am looking forward to hearing more on this topic. But again, I don't think you should feel badly. And btw, on the Hawaii cruise I mentioned, I was not in an HA room, just ran into a gentleman that really needed one. It is entirely possible (and what he had told me as I recall) that every HA room was already booked by pax with special needs.

 

[EllieMaie]

We had the exact same thing happen for our cruise in May. It is a trip to celebrate our 10th anniversary, so I waited and waited and waited for a concierge room to open up for any 4 day cruise in May. One popped up with no mention of it being a HA room so I called Disney to transfer a deposit. Nothing was said on the phone about it being a HA room either. It wasn't until I looked up the room online that I found it was a HA room.

 

[justmestace]

I have to say I am a bit shocked by this entire thread since we are booked in a HA room for our next cruise. We did not request it and weren't entirely sold on it since we don't have a "need" in our family. It was presented to us in the sales pitch as a great deal (due to the larger size) by the DCL rep when we did our on-board booking. We really debated whether it was right for us, especially with no bathtub or separate bathroom with small kids, but went ahead because we did like the extra room and large verandah. I hate the idea that we may be doing something that may be frowned upon or that we may be taking a room that a pax with needs could be denied when we don't really need it. I would hope DCL would contact us to make arrangements if that were the case.

I'm shocked and disappointed that the rep would push an HA room in such a way!
I don't blame you in the least, you're innocent....but now I have a better understanding of why I've not been able to get an HA room when I've needed one....even as early as a day or two after a cruise opened for booking, especially if the reps are pushing them to people by playing up the larger balconies and such.
Shame on them!

And no, DCL won't call you if someone like me needed your room. I've asked them before, when none were open. They told me I could book another room and just keep calling every day to see if an HA room opened up.

 

[twinmum]

we are a family of 4, and one of our children is a full-time wheelchair user. Without a HA cabin, we cannot cruise. We have tried to book ages ahead -and found there to be no HA cabins (with verandah - a preference, but surely we are permitted our preferences, if we can live with the extra cost?). We understand that DCL must follow the relevant laws.

Clearly, OP needs/will benefit from the features of the HA cabin, and we hope it is a wonderful cruise! We have tried for several years to book in time to have a HA concierge cabin and have not managed it.

For anyone else who does not truly need a HA cabin, please...please...do not book them. We have limited travel options as it is, and we are simply trying to enjoy family time in the ways we can.

 

[southerngirl528]

I think it is a crying shame when laws are put into place without considering all ramifications. Seems dreadful that folks who need an HA room can't get one because it was given to someone whose party doesn't have special needs.

As for my rez, we were only about 3 weeks out when I booked (I have never done a cruise this last minute!), and it's apparent by my frequent visits to DCL's website that our 2/16/14 cruise is going to be quite booked. So perhaps it's mostly when they get down to only a small number of rooms onboard that they give away the HA's??? I surely hope so…..

Having worked for Disney (not DCL though), I can advise this…..if you DO have special needs in your party, PLEASE ALWAYS ADVISE when making any kind of reservation. Disney will do its best to accommodate whenever possible.

And for those of us who prefer (for whatever reason) NOT to have an HA room, looks like we need to be very specific when booking to request a non-HA room…..

 

[Bareacuda]

My Dh is one that does need a HA room.
2010 he was diagonsed with Parkinson's, afew months before we did a WBTA. He really didnt have any problems. Now 4 years later, he has issues with balance and walking issues some of the time.
When we booked our WBTA for this year, all HA rooms were booked. I have to check everyday for an open room.
Last year we did a 7 day on the Fantasy, we were able to get a HA room! I was so relived, just for the roll in shower, for him... no climbing in and out of that tall tub !!! I had dreams of him falling and needing stitches ... anywhere.
IMO... most people with handicaps dont mind giving proof of their needs. It's those who abuse the issue of taking a HA room because they are bigger is the issue.
Ok... off my soap box.

 

[twinmum]

I think it is a crying shame when laws are put into place without considering all ramifications. Seems dreadful that folks who need an HA room can't get one because it was given to someone whose party doesn't have special needs.

As for my rez, we were only about 3 weeks out when I booked (I have never done a cruise this last minute!), and it's apparent by my frequent visits to DCL's website that our 2/16/14 cruise is going to be quite booked. So perhaps it's mostly when they get down to only a small number of rooms onboard that they give away the HA's??? I surely hope so…..

Having worked for Disney (not DCL though), I can advise this…..if you DO have special needs in your party, PLEASE ALWAYS ADVISE when making any kind of reservation. Disney will do its best to accommodate whenever possible.

And for those of us who prefer (for whatever reason) NOT to have an HA room, looks like we need to be very specific when booking to request a non-HA room…..

Totally agree! When it's close to sailaway date, I totally understand that DCL needs to fill the cabins. Booking last minute is something we gave up once we realized how difficult it is to travel with a loved one with mobility challenges.

We're looking forward to our upcoming Fantasy cruise...we will appreciate 100% that HA cabin, most especially as our son is still recovering from orthopedic surgery and is considerably less mobile than usual.