** I'd like to swap out my Category 00T Handicap-Accessible Fantasy Stateroom **

[hawaiialoha]

Hello fellow DCL cruisers!

By way of introduction, I've sailed twice on the Dream (3-night & 5-night Bahama cruises) -- and I am about to enjoy a 7-night Western Caribbean sailing on the Fantasy this summer.

I was assigned a handicap-accessible stateroom, which I don't need or want. At the time I made my reservation, there were no stateroom reports online and there was conflicting information on deck maps -- which claimed were Fantasy ship maps, but seemed to just mirror the Dream layout.

Also, the DCL reservation specialist did not flag this as a HA room. Long story short, by the time I figured it out -- all comparable Category 00T rooms were already booked & sold out, so I couldn't change rooms.

I called DCL recently to see if their computer system had any current HA stateroom requests from those truly in need of a room like mine -- and asked if we could match up that request and work out a swap. The DCL rep said "that's a great idea" but their system wasn't capable of flagging & matching such requests. Very frustrating!

What boggles my mind is why DCL doesn't even try to save these handicap rooms for those who request them? When I made my reservation, I never asked for a HA room, and there were at least a couple of other similar staterooms still available. They also knew I had a young toddler in my family. Most toddlers like to take baths in a bathtub, not a HA shower stall.

I mostly feel bad to be occupying a handicap room, when I clearly don't need or want one. So, I'm trying to spread the word -- if anyone needs a Category 00T HA stateroom for the Fantasy (July 6-13 sailing) and has a non-HA stateroom you'd like to swap with us, please feel free to private message me. I'm sure if we coordinate together with DCL, the swap can happen!

It's so weird that to book a handicap-accessible Disney resort HOTEL room -- you need to provide medical documentation. But for a DCL stateroom, you don't?!

Hope this can work out for a fellow sailer!

Thanks much, -Rachel

 

[PyxiiDustt]

You do need to supply paperwork for the rooms. Perhaps they didn't have many people request it so they gave it to someone as a sort of upgrade. The HA rooms are quite large and I'm sure they assume a lot of people would appreciate the extra space.

 

[hawaiialoha]

You do need to supply paperwork for the rooms. Perhaps they didn't have many people request it so they gave it to someone as a sort of upgrade. The HA rooms are quite large and I'm sure they assume a lot of people would appreciate the extra space.

Hi PyxiiDustt,

When I called them back to make sure they knew I did not request a handicap room, they said they didn't need any paperwork. I think bottom line is they just want the money for the room, which isn't right...

 

[TDC Nala]

The ships AND the resorts often assign HA rooms if they are left empty. Can't tell you how many times I've been put in HA rooms at the Disney resorts, and of course that is without any documentation at all because I don't need the HA room. Never did occur to me to try and give the room back, or to consider it wrong that I was assigned such a room, but it's nice to be able to ask if someone needs it. I take it that you do not want the room because you want a room with a bathtub. But there is no need to feel bad about occupying it.

 

[DSquare]

Sadly I don't think any paperwork is needed anymore to reserve HA rooms. Our cruise 2 years ago we were required to fill out paperwork but our cruise coming up in this fall or TA said that no paperwork is needed.

 

[savannahcat]

We booked an HA room on the Dream last summer for my MIL because she uses a wheelchair. We kept expecting to be asked for some kind of documentation during the booking process, but we never were.

 

[gilsan]

You should try posting in your dismeet thread, you may have more luck there finding someone to swap. Good Luck!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2868675

 

[lanejudy]

OP - I think it is honorable of you to offer the H/A concierge room if anyone else who needs such accommodations would like it, but you aren't likely to find someone to "swap" - if a passenger truly needs those accommodations and cannot book such a room they simply will not book that cruise. It looks like there is only 1 00T H/A stateroom onboard. Could be there simply isn't much demand.

Unless the accommodations were considered extraordinary beyond a typical [in this case typical concierge] stateroom (or WDW resort room), a person cannot be required to prove a disability to receive what is considered "equivalent" accommmodations.

 

[Bear3412]

One room report fwiw; http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/cruise-new/roomreport.cfm?Room=11006

 

[Woodmnky]

I would definitely post this request in the meet up thread and you may find someone who, even if they don't need the HA, would appreciate the extra space.
If that doesn't work consider bringing an inflatable bathtub. We did this on our first cruise with DS because we were assigned a room without a tub and it worked wonderfully.

http://www.amazon.com/Disney-69116-...36&sr=8-3&keywords=inflatable+toddler+bathtub

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Hi PyxiiDustt,

When I called them back to make sure they knew I did not request a handicap room, they said they didn't need any paperwork. I think bottom line is they just want the money for the room, which isn't right...

Yes they want to sell the room. Not sure why that isn't right?

 

[tweis]

I guess I'm the minority on this because I think they should not assign accessible rooms until the last possible moment unless someone actually needs them. We were assigned room #5686 which is accessible, 51 days before our cruise. I tried unsuccessfully to switch rooms but we finally ended up paying to upgrade. While the larger room would have been nice, I would have felt terrible had someone actually "needed" that room and it not be available. Just my 2 cents.

 

[NCConch]

Sort of along these lines...

We have a 04B- Accessible Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Veranda booked for December (my son uses a wheelchair) and recently looked into moving up to at OOT accessible room and there was one. I sent a note to our TA and in the two or more weeks it took her to get back to me it got booked.

Dadgumit!

 

[hawaiialoha]

Thanks for your comments & suggestions! Particularly to those who forwarded me the thread where my fellow cruisemates are meeting to discuss my specific cruise.

Wanted to close the loop and say when I phoned the DCL concierge line today, there miraculously was a different 00T room available for me to switch to. So now, the handicap-accessible room I previously occupied is free and available. What a great surprise!

Also wanted to say I really enjoy this board. It's an amazing place to get fantastic information!