Plus size accessability.

[winddanceroz]

What lines/ships have the best facilities and accessability for extra large people? (ie cabin bathrooms, chairs in the restaurants, etc)for someone who is 3OO+ lbs?

[waterart]

hi. i am a big guy, and was on Princess last summer. Was never a problem. Ditto on Royal Caribbean. I am sure that here or there I would find some chairs that I would not attempt, but generally I have been quite comfortable.

[f-mattox]

I can only speak about two cruise lines. I can tell you the bathrooms in the standard oceanview cabins on Veendam (HAL) are as large as the bathrooms in the mini-suites on the larger Princess ships. The standard bathrooms on Princess are tiny. And I would say the chairs in the public areas are larger and more comfortable on HAL also. I'm a big guy (240) and I was never really uncofortable on any ship, but I would have to say HAL has the edge on roomieness and comfort.

By the way, welcome to cruise-chat, winddanceroz.

[LisaP]

Hi winddanceroz, and welcome to cruise-chat.com!

I agree with waterart and f-mattox. My husband is plus-sized, and does not recall any issues with any of the cabins/showers we have had on many lines over the years. If your dining room chair is not armless, your dining stewards will gladly bring you one that is. Other public areas tend to have couch-or bench-style seating. Celebrity and HAL stand out to me in this regard. The only area I could think of that might have been an issue were the deck chairs by the pool, but my husband told me he was comfortable in them. I myself, also being plus-sized, have been cautious about using one, as they appear to be flimsy plastic on first glance, but those concerns turned out to be unfounded.

One other piece of advice on cabins...I might avoid cabins that have a bathtub instead of a shower. Some of the tubs are high off the ground and not easy to get into. But, once you've narrowed down a few ships, let us know your choices so that we may help further.

[winddanceroz]

Thanks guys, these comments have been very helpful! We are looking at an Alaskan cruise and are leaning towards RCCL, or Carnival simply because they have had good reviews. I've read a lot of bad reviews about HAL so we have not been considering them, but the bathroom issue is a big one since we have read that many lines have very small bathrooms, so if anyone could enlighten us more about HAL in general as a line we would be glad to take another look!
Could a large person with a scooter cruise comfortably? I realize it would mean a special accessable room, but I would imagine that those rooms are still probably meant for smaller people in wheelchairs. We would like to invite a friend along who is large and uses a scooter for mobity, does anyone have experience with this?

[tekdiva]

Originally posted by LisaP:
But, once you've narrowed down a few ships, let us know your choices so that we may help further.

Well, although I didn't ask the question, I would like to know what the accommodations are like for larger persons on the Coral Princess if anyone knows. I will be travelling solo so I hope that I will not feel cramped since I will have my entire inside cabin to myself.

Good idea about the chairs in the dining room. Do any have booths. I find that booths are more confortable but only if you can move the table.

[fllady]

Originally posted by winddanceroz:
Thanks guys, these comments have been very helpful! We are looking at an Alaskan cruise and are leaning towards RCCL, or Carnival simply because they have had good reviews. I've read a lot of bad reviews about HAL so we have not been considering them, but the bathroom issue is a big one since we have read that many lines have very small bathrooms, so if anyone could enlighten us more about HAL in general as a line we would be glad to take another look!
Could a large person with a scooter cruise comfortably? I realize it would mean a special accessable room, but I would imagine that those rooms are still probably meant for smaller people in wheelchairs. We would like to invite a friend along who is large and uses a scooter for mobity, does anyone have experience with this?

HI, My husband is a large man and also disabled. He used his scooter for the first time last month on Jewel of the Seas. We had to get a handicapped room, first because of the large shower that will accomodate a wheel chair but also has a fold down seat, and we also had enough room to keep the scooter in the room. They won't allow scooters or wheel chairs left in the hallways. Hope this helped. Forgot to mention no extra charge for the handi capped room.

[Rum Punch]

Hi There,

I had some of the same concerns being a plus-size person as well.

I can speak for RCL that I never ran into any problems whatsoever, other than the bar stools in the casino and the sports bar as they're bolted into the floor so you cannot move them in or out. Not at the slots or tables, JUST the bar area. The seats in the Aurora Theater were large enough for me as well, which was surprising, but I had no problems and was able to enjoy the shows I attended.

We booked a Junior Suite which had the larger bathroom with tub. Now, this can be GOOD or BAD...I'm 37 and in good shape for being plus sized, BUT the tub is high off the ground, you kind of have to step in and then over the ledge. I had my hubby spot me to be on the safe side, both entering and exciting the shower/tub as it is quite a step down/up. Our friends were in an inside cabin (blech... ) and I would DEFINATELY not recommend that unless you want ALL your 'business' hanging out into your stateroom...I don't think a 150 lb person could take a shower in that bathroom!! Just being honest.

Now, my Mom is disabled and plus sized as well and she opts to go for one of the handicapped suites on the ship. They are not ALWAYS available but they have a larger bathroom, with wheelchair accessibility and a pull down bench to sit on. If you're not very mobile, this might be a better option for you (if available) and you'll get a bigger room for the same price.

The chairs in our Junior Suite and balcony were all very comfortable and no issues sitting on. Chairs in the formal dining room were fine as well. The chairs in the Windjammer had arms which were a little snug, but not horrible. They also have some tables with a bench on one side which is nice too. The chairs along the pool/windows were wooden on our ship and a little small, but not horrible.

The tender boats to port (which we only had one day in St. Thomas...) have VERY small seats but neither were jammed packed on our trips back and forth, and they are constantly running back and forth from the ship, so you don't feel guilty if you take up more than one seat (they are small...).

In summary, I would opt for a larger stateroom with tub OR if you're not very mobile, work with a travel agent to secure yourself a handicapped room. I never felt uncomfortable or judged or that there was no where to sit comfortably. The plane ride was the worst in my personal opinion....but, I don't think anyone likes the seats on planes, even if you're skinny

Have a wonderful time and have a wonderful Spring....

Kind Regards,
Rummie