DCL accessible staterooms?

[uncspin]

DH and I are already thinking about our vacation for next year. We are planning to take a short cruise with some friends early in the year, then to the Washington, DC area in the summer. DH saw a show about Disney Cruise Lines on the Travel Channel this morning while I was at the grocery store. He's interested in doing that in late 2010 or in 2011. Here's the kicker - DH uses an electric wheelchair and requires a roll-in shower with fixed seat. Anyone have any insight into the accessibility of the staterooms, common areas (pool lift?), etc.? Thanks!!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILITIES!

If you click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information. Post #13 concerns DCL andhas several links to reports about stateroom accessibility and general shipboard accessibility. Review of those threads should assist quite a bit.

Or, if you want an easier route, click on the link in my signature.

 

[uncspin]

Thanks! I have posted a few questions on here before and have skimmed the FAQ - guess I should have done that again. Silly me! Look forward to reading more.

 

[toocherie]

I booked a 7-day DCL cruise for my mom and I and got a stateroom with a wheel-in shower so they are available. You probably should book far in advance however to make sure you get one.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

There are a couple of accessible staterooms available, but not much. He WILL need one, all of the other staterooms have to narrow doors to be able to enter.

Each accessible stateroom will be fully wheelchair accessible with a roll in shower. There are pictures of some of them on here, on allears and other websites. You will need to fill out a medical form, have a doctor sign it and fax it back to DCL to be guaranteed such a stateroom.

There are 4 in category 11, 2 in cat. 8, 2 in cat 6, I believe 4 in cat 5, and 2 (not sure) in cat. 3. Because of the accessible set up, not all will fit 4 people like other staterooms in that category would. For instance, one of the cat 6. fits 4 people, whereas the other only fits 3. It would mean working with DCL to find out which fits your families needs.

No pool lifts.

All kinds of other info you might want, you can find in the Open Mouse, which also deals with DCL.

 

[DisneyCruiser83]

There are a number of accessible rooms onboard, but they do fill up fast. If you know when you want to go, you can book now and put down a small deposit, and pay the balance later. My husband and I usually book 12-13 months in advance. While DCL is GREAT about so many things regarding accessibility onboard (ramps, roll in showers, alternative entrances, ect.) the pool area is where they fall short. They do not have lifts, stairs or any reasonable way for someone with mobility difficulty to enjoy it. The hot tub has some stairs, so unless your husband can climb stairs, that is out too. The ship is great in all other ways though so you shouldn't have any trouble. Good luck!

 

[toodycat]

My MIL was in a wheelchair accessible room on deck 7 for our last cruise on the Disney Magic. The room was spacious and comfortable and it did have a roll in shower. The balcony was set up slightly differently from a standard balcony. While I am sure it is best to book a specific room as early as possible, my MIL was able to book fairly late (June for an August sailing.)

 

[WLodgeLizard]

We stayed in one of the inner staterooms in Feb this year. We actually had an accessbile room and a traditional room (because it was cheaper than 1 outer room). The accessible room was excellent. Lots of space, especially in the bathroom\shower.

Couple tips to pass along.
1. The hallways can be VERY difficult to pass, especially when they are cleaning the rooms. They are usually helpful and move their carts.
2. The elevators are TINY. We almost always had a let about 3 elevators go by before we got an elevator with enough room. Try to avoid the midship elevators as they seemed to be the worst.
3. The beach wheelchairs are great. They are first come, first served, but they seemed to be well stocked. There isn't a shady place to store your wheelchair. Bring a towel to cover your wheelchair after you transfer to a beach wheelchair.

WLL

 

[mechurchlady]

An elevator trick is to take the elevator in the opposite direction that the crowd is going. You get to point that the elevator goes where you want and you are first on board. DLR parking garage is notorious for being impossible to load if you are not on the top loaded floor. So now I just go the wrong way then turn around and go the right way.

Make sure you print out a copy of the deck plans. Mark the plan so that you can find your cabin ahead of time and note anything of interest. You can even laminate the deck plan. Like a big red X for elevators and a big blue X for restaurants.

 

[dclfun]

How many guests will be in your party? If there are four, then there are only TWO staterooms that will accommodate your party size and both of them are Cat 5 ( verandah's). There are also two Cat 5's and two Cat 6's ( verandahs) that sleep up to 3, two Cat 8's ( oceanview) that sleep only 2 guests, and four Cat 11's ( standard inside) that sleep up to 3. There are also four Cat 3's ( suites) that sleep up to 4. I agree with the hallways being narrow and difficult to maneuver, esp. on embarkation day and the last night when guests have their luggage in the hallway. This ship is fairly easy to get around, but there are some challenges- all in all though you should have a great time, and don't hesitate to ask crew members how to find w/c seating areas or to help with any challenges- the crew is fantastic and quite personable- always willing to help.---Kathy

 

[OrthoDad]

We had a FANTASTIC experience with the accessible rooms on DCL. There was plenty of room for my son's electric wheelchair, and the bathroom was easy to get in and out of. The room itself was VERY large, and very nice.

We loved Castaway Cay, and the beach wheelchairs let my son experience a beach for really the first time.

I agree with the hallways; each time, we would have to ask the CM's to move a cleaning cart to get by. And, plan on plenty of time to get around the boat: there aren't many elevators, they're small, and we would have to wait a good bit of time.

Have a great trip!

Wade

 

[uncspin]

It has been a few days since I have been able to check in and appreciate all the great feedback. I definitely see a DCL cruise in our future - probably a Land 'N Sea package. To those that mentioned the size of the staterooms - thanks. There's just the two of us, so I think we'll be ok. For those with no kids - is a Disney cruise good for just couples?