While we didn't stay on the Star (we booked the Dream), the unobstructed oceanview stateroom was great for my wheelchair-user mother.
There were three complaints: There is a bit of a ramp going from the bedroom into the bathroom, which she found difficult to maneuver while the ship listed; the toilet is too low; the closet is difficult to access in a wheelchair, as it is set up for a mobile person.
The stateroom steward rearranged some of the furniture (a glass coffee table, couch and the bed) to her liking, and the room was wide enough for her to maneuver in her wheelchair. Once inside the bathroom area, there were plenty of grab bars, a wall-mounted seat in the shower, an adjustable showerhead, and a shallow shower floor lip. Now, the shallow lip made it difficult for me (the water would slosh over the sides as the ship listed), so I had to be careful not to slip while walking in the bathroom before the floors dried.
For a hearing-impaired person, the telephone ring as well as the volume are not loud enough. For a sight-impaired person, the glow-in-the-dark circle on the stateroom door is not big enough to see at night. Also, the stateroom stewards don't knock loud enough for a hearing-impaired person to tell that someone is there.
For embarkation/disembarkation, bell girls or bell boys always helped her. Plus, crew members were extremely helpful as she maneuvered her way throughout the ship.
The biggest complaint outside of NCL's control is the rude Americans. I'm telling you, you haven't seen rude until you are sitting in a wheelchair. The elevator is just long enough to get a wheelchair in it, and wide enough to fit about three more adequately sized people. Repeatedly, she had difficulty gaining access to elevators because mobile people jumped ahead of her while in line, or they insisted on cramming too many people onto the elevator while she was in it. She literally had people crawling over her to get ahead while in line at the Four Seasons or The Terraces, and while embarking/disembarking the ship.
Just got back on the 23rd from the Star. I was in cabin 8628, an obstructed view outside handicapped cabin for 4. The bed configuration is 2 lower beds, I upper berth in the wall, and a trundle bed beneath on of the lowers. We moved the 2 lowers together, and moved the trundle over under the upper, and still had enough space to walk between them. There is a pretty steep rise going into the bathroom, but once inside it is very well laid out, with grab bars everywhere. There is a roll in shower, and the toilet is at an appropriate height. The square footage was about 195, and there was not enough storage space for the 4 of us, but we made it work. If you have anyother questions, just ask.
handicap cabin NCL Star
Linear Mode
