We had arranged a cruise for my husband, myself, and our profoundly disabled son for the upcoming July, securing our bookings well in advance to ensure that an accessible cabin would be available for our son. Given that he requires constant care, we had also reserved spots for three of his eight caregivers to join us on the trip.
At the time of booking, I was unable to provide the names of the caregivers who would be accompanying us due to their varying schedules, and I was instructed to finalize these details by April when the final payment was due.
When I updated the booking with the caregivers’ names as instructed in April, I was informed that a fee of £75 per name change would be applied. Additionally, I was told that the $325 (£239) onboard credit originally included in the booking for each caregiver would not be transferred to the new names. Furthermore, I received notification that the wheelchair-accessible riverboat excursion we had booked could not be transferred to the new caregivers and thus would be canceled and refunded, with no option to rebook as the excursion was no longer available.
I have raised these issues with the cruise line but have not received a satisfactory resolution. This situation appears to be a clear case of discrimination due to my son’s disability, which is particularly frustrating.
RF, Berkshire
Our 26-year-old son, who developed cerebral palsy following a birth injury, was looking forward to this cruise which cost £16,000 and was meant to be an accessible vacation for him and the family.
The response from Royal Caribbean to our predicament was both shocking and unacceptable. They were fully aware of my son’s needs and the potential for changes in the caregiver lineup when we booked. Yet, they issued a blunt cancellation notice for the river trip without any justification or apology.
This oversight could very well be a violation of the Equality Act, which prohibits any form of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
After highlighting these issues, Royal Caribbean promptly addressed the situation. Within 20 hours, they reached out to confirm that the fees for the name changes would be waived, the onboard credits would be restored, and the river excursion would be rebooked for the caregivers.
Despite these actions, the company did not respond to further inquiries or offer an official statement on the matter.
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