Wheelchair? Cabin Door width?

[fortierv]

Does anyone know approximate cabin door width? My wife uses a companion or "transport wheelchair that is about 23 inches wide. It fits easily through a standard doorway but I can't remember how much narrower the cabin doors are. I don't want to request a HA room because she really doesn't need it. I just want to avoid her having to get in and out of the chair in the hall and having to fold it up to get it in the room.

Thanks for your response.

Van

 

[teddyreed]

Van-

Sorry I don't have the information you seek, but I did want to tell you how much I admire your choice not to take an HA room without a true need. There are relatively few of these rooms on the ships, and it is very difficult to reserve them at times. My twin brother has never walked and uses a wheelchair at all times (except when sleeping so it has been disheartening to hear that some people choose an HA room because they are spacious. You are a wise and thoughtful person, and I thank you for who you are.

 

[abitjaded]

I don't think folks get a HC room just because they request it. I think you need a physicians letter for DCL to give you one of the rooms. However, if the room is not filled, then DCL will release it to anyone.

We had a companion chair on two previous cruises, yes you can get it in the door (ours was a small size) but it was not easy, usually took someone to hold the door and someone to push. It took a lot of finagling for just one pusher to do it. Just about impossible to push it past the end of the bed in the room shapes that have the bed first (Cat 6 and 8). Not a problem in Cat 12 where the bed head is on the inside wall, as opposed to the side wall. Even collapsed there is not a good place to store it, other than one of the bath halves (tub? if no drippy bathing suits) or in the closet if you do not have any luggage on the floor, or on one side of the bed in the Cat 12 type. We once had a room (6526) that was the first outside next to the Cat 6 verandahs. There is a jog in the hall that has the cabin stewards stuff in it. Our guy let us keep the WC, collapsed, there, when we were in the room. Kind of a pain for the cabin CM, but better than a cabin with three or four persons AND the chair, which is a little crammed, no matter what the category. Two people and the chair, yes, but more than that you will be struggling.

Also pick a location closer to forward, or best, aft. The center elevators are always crammed full. Aft has a clearer shot to the restaurants. Deck 9 is a pain to negotiate from forward to Topsiders. Should you be forward, Deck 4 is a good choice to cross the ship. And, check with dining when you board to make sure you have tables forward and not buried in the back. Anyone stuck in a chair will not see the "entertainment" unless they can stand. The entry for the WC for Lumieres (Tritons) is off the hall, not the staired entry off the lobby.

Carla

 

[fortierv]

Carla,

Thanks for the info. We have been on two other Cruises so I'm aware of sizes etc. We have two cat 10's for 6 people. The kids usually stay in Grandma's room so we have enough space.

My wife doesn't use the chair full time so there is no need for HA room. Plus I'd rather not give up our adjacent cabins. Just a little backround, My wife had brain cancer seven years ago and where the tumor was effected her mobility. She has a foot drop and wears an AFO (ankle foot orthodic). On our two previous cruises she got around fine and we're used to her pace. I've told her many times here and slow is better than not here at all. Recently she's been a little weaker than normal due to some heightened seizure activity (biproduct of brain surgery) so I'm getting the chair to assist when needed.

Thanks again for you response,

Van

 

[kcashner]

Right, you cannot request a handicapped room without a doc's letter certifying the need for one. However, after a certain point, DCL may choose to place a guest without the need for one in a handicapped room. I think they wait till 2 weeks before the sailing.

 

[CM_Mom]

Just an FYI for anyone else reading this post, we stayed in a cat 11 "sidways" room 6015 on our cruise in May. We actually switched with my mom and aunt and put them in 6101 - a "normal" cat 11 because the sideways seemed much more spacious for three people.

fortierv, I know this won't apply to you but for others, when you enter these cabins the bath and closet are to one side and the couch is in the center with the bed to the right. There was an area against the wall between the bath and closet where DD left her HUGE duffel (think body bag) the whole trip since she wasn't using the stuff from that bag. (She was returning home with us at the completion of her contract so had ALL her stuff with her) That area would be a perfect place for a wheelchair storage.

Also since you come into the couch area you have more room to move rather than the normal cabins where you enter the room between the bath and couch.

We loved the layout and would request one of these cabins again except that DH wants a verandah.

 

[LibertyBelle]

I don't remember off the top of my head what the door width is but if you call DCL directly you can ask. I worked at the reservations center 2 years ago and the answer to this question was readily avalible to us on our computer. I remember them saying that the regular room doors were not wide enough for a standard wheelchair, but again I can't recall the exact number. Try giving them a call 1-800-951-3532 (or whatever number you have...they all connect to the same people, it just tracks whether you got the number online, newspaper, etc.).

 

[fortierv]

Thanks LibertyBelle,

Door width for cat 10 is 23". Looks like we'll be good with the smaller companion chair at 20.75".