last minute DCL cruise sold out of low cost acc rms

[dj2]

not sure if i should post this here or on cruise line forum.

considering booking regular room and having DD park my scooter in the designated outside area. and hoping to find put that there are accessible shower facilities I can use, maybe in the gym area?

i think the doorways might be too narrow to pull the scooter in. and I can't lift leg over tub wall and need grab bars/seat in shower, but I would rather not pay a 200 premium for a nicer room since just need it for sleep/shower.

is this a crazy alternative/not worth the hassle? or does it male sense. talking about just a 3 day cruise, so not that long.

 

[lanejudy]

Are you looking at a special offer (IGT/OGT/VGT) or simply considering a category that doesn't have an accessible cabin available? There could be accessible staterooms available, however the thing about DCL's last minute *GT offers is that you don't get to select a stateroom or make any requests/changes -- I don't know if they would take that into consideration or not when assigning a stateroom.

You are correct that standard stateroom doorways are not wide enough for a typical ECV; some that do not have arm rests may fit. Even if it was wide enough, the room layout isn't exactly conducive to having a place to put the ECV once you are inside the room as it would be in the way of the closets and bathrooms. As for the alternate ("public") parking areas -- be aware it may not even be on your deck; I believe there are just 1 or 2 designated locations on each ship so your daughter may need to take it a considerable distance away to park it for you. Also be aware there is a slight step up into the standard stateroom bathrooms as well. I do not know if there is an accessible shower in the spa -- someone on the DCL Forum may know.

DCL cruises are crazy expensive. We typically plan ours at least a year in advance to get lower fares and we don't cruise during "peak" vacation times or holidays. Cruising during an "off-season" can help with pricing as well. I honestly don't know if I would be comfortable chancing a *GT offer if a member of my traveling party required accessible accommodations -- I'd rather pay more and know that we have what is needed. The classic ships (Magic and Wonder) have limited accessible staterooms and I believe they are only in a verandah category; the Dream and Fantasy have (relatively speaking) more inventory of accessible staterooms and in both oceanview and verandah categories.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[dj2]

when we searched for rooms without designating the need for an accessible room the price was lower, but when we realized that we needed to check off that we needed an accessible room, the lower category was no longer available and the next lower category had a higher price tag.

sadly we don't have date flexibility. the only dates that work are a three day trip on the Dream.

i didn't realize that there weren't ECV parking spaces on every deck. that could be time-consuming. I don't use the armrests on my scooter, not even sure where they are anymore, so I guess I should measure how wide it is at the wheel base and see if it would fit through the door of a standard room. i'm not really worried about it taking up space, mostly concerned about getting it through the door, now that parking outside could be trouble, and about bathroom safety. I wonder if they can bring in a bath chair? assuming the scooter fits through the doorway, a bath chair and my daughter's help lifting my legs over the tub wall might solve the problem.

i guess i'm just rambling with thoughts here. I have the phone number for special needs and i'll call them back when they open again tomorrow. thanks so much for your comments. I really appreciate it!!

 

[lanejudy]

It's quite possible there aren't any H/A staterooms available in a specific category if the cruise you want is coming up fairly soon. I believe H/A staterooms are in categories 4 and 5 (verandah); 8 and 9 (oceanview); and 11 (interior) -- so yes it can be a big fare jump between some of those categories. There are a few other staterooms on the Dream/Fantasy that were originally designed as H/A but for whatever reason do not have have that designation; such rooms may not have a tub or split bath, I'm not sure about the door ways.

I believe standard stateroom doors are about 25" wide (though the website states 23" so it may be the lower figure for clearance since the door opens inward), and accessible stateroom doors are 32" wide. Depending on ship, last I knew the "designated parking" areas are on deck 6 or deck 2.

According to the website, you can request a transfer bench or shower stool for any stateroom. I don't know what style they have available.

The Special Services Department at DCL is very helpful. You can contact by phone (407) 566-3602 or email SpecialServices@disneycruise.com and be sure to complete a Special Services Information Form if appropriate.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

when we searched for rooms without designating the need for an accessible room the price was lower, but when we realized that we needed to check off that we needed an accessible room, the lower category was no longer available and the next lower category had a higher price tag.

1) Alas, when room categories are sold out, they are gone.
2) Others just neat you to the accessible rooms in your price range.
3) Booking early is the only way to get around such an occurrence.
4) As mentioned, call Special Services and see what they might be able to do to accommodate your needs in a normal room.

 

[dj2]

thanks again everyone. I found some used 20" wide scooters (mine's 25") on craigslist selling for about the price of the room upgrade, so I think I might go that route. or i can rent a narrow one from home for a good price, too, much less than the room upcharge. I hear one can ask disney to remove the table, and we'll just be in the room for sleeping probably, so the room crowdedness shouldn't be too bad.

i'm going to confirm all this with special services tomorrow and then hopefully book the room! yay! my first cruise!

any tips for getting around the ship in an ECV? I hear the hallways are pretty narrow. Disney told me the other day that they have areas set aside at the shows and such.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

any tips for getting around the ship in an ECV?

I find turning the "speed knob" to full and tooting the horn works well.

 

[lanejudy]

... I hear one can ask disney to remove the table, and we'll just be in the room for sleeping probably, so the room crowdedness shouldn't be too bad. ...

I'm not sure what table you mean -- or possibly you are thinking of the WDW resorts where people sometimes request that the table and chairs be removed. DCL does have a storage ottoman by the sofa. However, if you are in a standard stateroom, I honestly don't know that even a narrow ECV will fit past the bed to that end of the room. Have you checked out pictures online (https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships/dream/staterooms-overview/)? Most staterooms are long and narrow; you enter into a sort of hall with the closets on one side and door(s) to the bathroom(s) on the other; straight ahead past that is the queen size bed with a fairly tight space to walk around the foot of the bed to the far side of the room where the sofa and ottoman and desk are located. Or are you planning an interior stateroom? Some of those do have an opposite layout, with the sofa area first before the queen bed. I'm not sure if you will be selecting a specific stateroom or booking a GTY where DCL assigns the room.

I saw on the DCL Forum that the spa showers do have at least 1 accessible shower with a fold down bench. Plan to arrive for shows a little early; I don't know that they have spots in the front for the ECV but someone will move it for you after you transfer. The main dining rooms can be tight, make sure your reservation is noted if you'll need to use your ECV so they assign you to a table easy to get to in each restaurant. Hallways in the stateroom areas are narrow, with housekeeping carts or other items sometimes blocking. As to getting around the ship, some of the doors to the outside decks can be very heavy; I've read reports from those with ECVs that it can be hard to manage the heavy door. Also in a couple of spots the lip can be a challenge to get over, again when going through doorways to outdoor decks. They do have a limited number of sand wheelchairs available to borrow at Castaway Cay.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[dj2]

Thank you so much for all that info! I really appreciate your talking the time to let me know.

I was looking at a layout of an inside room and the ottoman looked like a coffee table. I thought I could drive straight in with a 20" scooter and then back straight out.

But i have great news-- my DH just told me to book the accessible room and not to worry about the extra cost! I'm so used to trying to save money any way I can that it seems like splurging but he said we should pay for what i need and to do it!

This is getting so exciting!