From: Jen Onsum
[address]
Minneapolis, MN 55428
To Whom It May Concern:
I recently went on my very first cruise and have a newfound interest in accessibility on ships and on shore excursions.
I cruised on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas and for the most part found it really accessible, more than I expected it to be. I just have a few comments about some things I noticed that could be altered.
I think my biggest "obstacle" was tables on the ship. Table height varied from place to place, but I usually had difficulty pulling my wheelchair up to tables because my knees would hit them. If my knees did not hit the table, my footrests would hit a pole preventing me from pulling close enough from the table. I believe there should be a minimum height of tables on cruise ships, around at least 30". I also believe there should be a design standard where there should not be poles/table legs on the ends of tables and when placed in the center of tables, there should be at least a 3 ft. radius.
Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas had lifts for wheelchairs to get to certain areas of the ship that had only stair access, such as the chapel and the part of the deck where you can watch the captain and his crew through windows. They also had a lift in Studio B to get to the main floor for activities and dances, but it looked like they placed a video camera and equipment on it so it could not be used. I believe there should be a guideline for no obstruction to any accessible pathways and lifts.
They also had a lift for disabled people to transfer into the two main pools on the ship, but not for their other "adults-only" pool or hot tubs. The two main pools were often times cluttered with children splashing around so it would not have been safe for me to go in them. I would love to also use the hot tubs and I know of others who would, too, if there was some kind of lift to transfer into them. I believe there should be lifts for all pools and at least some of the hot tubs.
I found it odd that there were no electrical outlets by the beds in our inside stateroom. I sometimes require the assistance of a breathing machine at night and I know others who require this assistance every night, but because there were no electrical outlets by the beds I would not have been able to use my breathing machine if I needed it. I believe there should be a guideline for locations of electrical outlets.
We had rented a shower/camode chair for showering and bathrooming. We had no problems with the shower, however because the toilet in the room did not stick very far out from the wall, the shower/camode chair would not go far enough over the toilet to be able to use the toilet with the shower/camode chair. If the toilet was out farther from the wall, like in most homes and hotels, there would not have been a problem. I believe there should be a guideline for the positioning of toilets in state rooms.
I also believe cruise lines should make all tender boats accessible for both manual and power wheelchairs, from both the ships and the docks. While the cruise we were on did not tender, there are other cruises I would love to go on but cannot because they tender.
I also think that water taxis and ferry boats should be made to be able to handle for both manual and power wheelchairs. I went on a ferry boat in a manual chair and they carried my chair down the steps, but I am much more comfortable and mobile in my power chair and would love to be able to take it on water taxis and ferry boats. As long as current water taxis and ferry boats could handle the weight of a 300-400lbs power chair, some kind of lift or ramp could be put in place for getting on and off the water taxis and ferry boats.
While this next one does not deal completely with accessibility, it is an issue that someone should address. People who are not disabled and who are not traveling with someone who is disabled, are able to book handicapped rooms just because they want the extra space. These people do not have a legitimate reason for booking a handicapped room and are getting away with it. Handicapped rooms on ships are limited and so they book fast. People do not have a legitimate reason for booking a handicapped room are taking them away from those who truly need them – they are making them inaccessible to people with disabilities. There should be some kind of guideline cruiselines should follow for booking handicapped rooms. I realize cruise lines want to fill-up all of their rooms, but they should only open up handicapped rooms to the public one, maybe two weeks before sail dates. That way people with disabilities can have the luxury of taking last-minute cruises and using last-minute cruise deals offered by travel agencies just like non-disabled people do. Last-minute cruising is virtually inaccessible to people with disabilities and I'm sure people who do not have a legitimate reason for booking a handicapped room are at least part of the reason. I also think cruise lines should require some kind of verification of disability to prove the person actually has a disability and requires a handicapped room.
I don't really understand why someone who is disabled would feel offended by being asked to provide such documentation, if it means they will be getting the services they need. Those who are truly disabled and who truly need a handicapped room should not be offended.
Thank you for your time!
Jen Onsum