Cruises

Every now and again I hear a story that really ticks me off. Such is the case this morning when I heard of “Jane’s” horrible experience with a rental scooter on her cruise. Jane did everything right, yet she still got the shaft.

According to her account of things, Jane contracted with Scootaround to provide her a rental scooter on her cruise. But not just any rental scooter — Jane was very specific in her requirements. Since she had booked a standard cabin (thereby freeing up an accessible cabin for someone else who needed it) she needed a scooter that was narrower than 25-inches (the width of the standard cabin doorway). She specifically chose the Pride Revo scooter because it’s only 21.5 inches wide. This model also disassembles easily, so Jane figured that even if the cruise line was off on their doorway measurements (always a possibility) she could still take it apart and bring it inside her cabin.

So far, so good, right? Jane did everything by the book. Scootaround even sent her a manual for the Pride Revo. She was convinced all the details were taken care of. The trouble started when Jane boarded the ship and found a full-size Pride Legend waiting for her; a scooter that couldn’t fit through the door of her standard cabin.

Of course she contacted Scootaround, but apparently they had a very callous attitude about it all. According to Jane, Scootaround only considers the scooter size and model a “request” not something that they guarantee. Gee sounds like a hotel consolidator to me — the kind that will only let you “request” an accessible room, yet takes your money as soon as you hit the “book now” button.

In any case, Jane’s cruise was ruined, and Scootaround would not budge on any type of a refund. She’s disputing the charge now with her credit card company.

I find this whole incident particularly reprehensible because this is a company that deals exclusively with disabled travelers and they ought to know how important size and other specifications are to folks who need to use a scooter on a cruise. In this case it was the difference between fitting in the doorway or being stuck in the hall.

So, renters beware when you sign that scooter rental contract. If you need a specific model, make sure that it’s guaranteed in the contract. And for obvious reasons it’s best to avoid the company Jane did business with — after all anyone can rent a scooter, but Jane was paying a premium price for customer service. Something she obviously didn’t receive.

I just got some exciting news from Connie George — regarding our September 2007 Emerging Horizons Celebration Cruise on Royal Caribbean’s new Liberty of the Seas. Connie is the agency owner handling all the arrangements for the cruise; and as far as I’m concerned, pretty much the travel agent expert on accessible cruising.

In any case, Connie spent last week down in Florida meeting with the folks in Royal Caribbean’s access department, just to make sure there’s no detail left to chance when it comes to our cruise.

For example, one of her big concerns was about people who use scooters for distance, yet don’t need an accessible cabin. Ordinarily you can’t just park the scooter outside your cabin as it obstructs traffic and it’s a safety hazard; however (because of Connie) the folks at RCI will make special arrangements for safe scooter parking for our group.

And of course, accessible seating in the lounge is also an issue. Connie is on top of that too, and she’s working hard with the folks at RCI to make sure there will be adequate accessible seating for our whole group.

Connie also took her tape measure and inspected as many ships as she could while in Miami. Fortunately the Freedom of the Seas was in port while she was there. Although the Liberty of the Seas is still under construction, Connie now has all the measurements and access details about her sister ship, the Freedom of the Seas; so she knows everything there is to know about the new ship; from bed-height and accessible cabin numbers to the size and locations of the unisex accessible restrooms.

I’m thrilled at the attention Connie is giving to our group. And as always I’m very impressed with the RCI access department. We really made the right choice for this cruise.

IF you’d like to join us, or want to find out more about the Emerging Horizons Celebration Cruise, visit ehcruise.com. And don’t hesitate to contact Connie at connie@cgta.com if you have any questions. After last week, she’s really the expert on access on RCI’s Freedom Class ships.

And hey, if you are looking for that perfect Christmas gift for somebody special, Connie has EH Cruise gift certificates. They make great stocking stuffers! Nothing says ..I love you” quite like a seven-night Caribbean cruise!