ADA Cabin 311 on MS Andorinha
Has anyone sailed in a Cat 5 ADA cabin on the MS Andorinha? We are assigned cabin 311, which is presented as ADA. We do not need the ADA features, but it is the only Cat 5 available for our sailing. I wonder if the shower configuration is the same as other Cat 5 cabins on this ship or if it is configured in a different way because of the ADA designation. If anyone has sailed in or seen this or another ADA cabin on this ship, I would appreciate knowing if there is a difference in shower configuration.
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I was in cabin 308 last year. I believe all category 5 showers can be classified as "ADA" since they are walk-in showers. Perhaps cabin 311 has wider door openings? I don't know. You can always give Tauck a call.
Thank you, kfnknfzk. I watched the Scylla video tour and thought the moveable glass door looked wide enough, but perspective is tricky and there was no shot of the floor to check for elevation difference. You've reassured me...and I will follow your suggestion and contact Tauck.
You are quite welcome. The floors throughout the category 5 Andorinha cabins are flat. It is a very comfortable home-away-from-home room and the tour is fabulous. Enjoy. Please post a review if you can.
Elihill, interesting post as I'd never heard of any of the cabins on Tauck river cruise ships being ADA compliant. If you haven't seen it I found recently that Scylla's website has 360 degree panoramic photos of most areas of their ships and many of the cabins.
Here's the one for the Andorinha
https://scylla.ch/en/ships/ms-andorinha
If you look on the floor plan layout, there are small dots showing a panoramic photo location.
This is what they say about that cabin "Aditionally the ships also has a cabin designed to cater the needs of people with impairments. Electric doors, a flashlight-alarm system and an additional alarm button are installed to guarantee safety and comfort.
The only Cat 7 cabin they show is 310." (typos are their's) Since ADA is an America standard, I hope anyone reserving that cabin realizes it might not actually suit them.
Interesting that they made it cabin 311 - the furthest from the elevator.
Please come back to this thread and let the forum know what you find.
Have a great cruise.
Thank you Claudia Sails. I had read your reference to the Scylla site on a different thread and viewed the video. It was helpful in other ways, but did not show exactly what I wanted. My TA spoke with a Tauck rep who was able to access a photo which revealed a shower curtain replacing the usual glass surround and possibly a different fixture configuration. My husband and I have decided to take cabin 313, a Cat 4 which is much smaller, to be near our travelling companions. We are now waitlisted for a Cat 5 cabin in a standard configuration. I'm sure the trip will be wonderful either way. Thanks again for your help.
Yuck, I hate plastic shower curtains.
We had the equivalent of the Cat 4 on our last two cruises - the Seine and the Budapest to Amsterdam - both longer cruises than the Douro. That's the Cat 6. We loved that particular room configuration. Lots of space and light. We met a couple on the Seine cruise who had a suite so we toured each other's room. They liked our Cat 6 so much they took the one opposite it on the next cruise.
For us the biggest difference would be the sofa to sit on. My husband won't do breakfast room service so that would be wasted.
Normally I wouldn't want those last 2 cabins on the deck but since the Andorinha doesn't sail at night it should be quiet. I think you'll be very comfortable no matter how it turns out.
When is your cruise?
Elihill,
You will be fine in your room, but I do hope you will be fortunate to experience the larger room. The Andorinha is quite exquisite and much different from the other boats, all of which are equally nice. Happy travels.
We have cabin 311 for Our Oct 2023 trip.
It appears there is some confusion/miscommunication regarding the actual ADA-compliant cabin number. Tauck would not assign that room to you, BSP51, unless it was an oversight. Let us know what you find out after you call them.
kfnknfzk - We originally had a cat 3 cabin and were waitlisted for the cat 5. 311 became available and we took it. No need to call Tauck. Perfectly happy we were able to get the cat 5.
Yes, you should be thrilled about securing the larger cabin. I just thought that if it is true the shower has a curtain, you might not want that. Either way, enjoy!
Actually I had an idea. One of the few I will have this week 😁. I think the ADA before the suite # could designate AnDorhinA suite 311. Just a vessel designation that may be on all cabins on this boat. I’ve asked my TA to check and will advise when she finds out. Thanks
Bsp, read my first post here. Scylla website says there is a cabin catering to those with "impairments".
Claudia - You are probably correct. My TA will check. I’ll report back when I get something definitive. We will live with the the ADA cabin unless they need it for some other folks.
Will be interesting to hear your report. I wonder if other of their ships also have similar cabins and we just never knew.
Brilliant assessment, BSP51, but there was no ADA designation anywhere on the ship. At least not as I recall.
kfnknfzk - It may just be used on the reservation it not anywhere on the boat. However, I think Claudia is correct and this cabin may be set up for people that need so help. I’ll let you know.
If anyone has a reservation for an upcoming trip, please see how your cabin is described. If no “ADA” before the cabin description then Claudia is correct.
This thread has gotten my curiousity up --
According to the Scylla web site about the Andorinha -- "Aditionally the ships also has a cabin designed to cater the needs of people with impairments".
The quote is from this web page -- https://scylla.ch/en/ships/ms-andorinha
Birder49 - That is what Claudia mentioned and I’m leaning towards that scenario.
Well we do have an upcoming reservation and looking at the financial summary it only lists the cabin category, deck, sqft, cabin number, king/queen and no smoking.
Elihill may have just gotten the "ADA" terminology from her travel agent and/or Tauck.
I looked at Scylla's description of several other ships that Tauck uses and none mentions a cabin for those with impairments. Must be a new thing with them.
I have the ADA prefix on my 2023 cabin 311 reservation as well so I guess it does have disability features. I doubt it will affect our enjoyment in any way whatsoever.
Yes, BSP51. Just like Elihill originally reported.
The Andorinha has fold down shower seats in the lowest deck. It is a walk-in with glass doors. The Emerald did not have a shower seat in the lower level.
Yes, the seat is a nice feature and it appears all the showers on the Andorinha are equipped with one. Thanks, Patrice. I failed to mention this before.
So Tauck got back to my ta and she emailed me yesterday:
“Would you believe the reps and managers are stumped by the ADA designation and need to investigate and get back to me? There is a built in shower with seat but all cat 5 have them and from their recollection there had never been an ADA designation on their river cruises. All floor plans appear to be identical. They went so far as to say it might be a mistake. So they had promised to get back to me on something more definitive once they made their investigation.”
My guess is the cabin has some emergency lighting and an alarm that is not in other cat 5 cabins. A good summer mystery and will advise if solved.
Just updated from Tauck:
the cabin has a button to open the door, a wider cabin door a silent alarm in the bathroom & a flashing light in case of an alarm. I hope this helps.
Surprised they even have that accommodation for mobility impaired pax. IMHO no river cruise is suitable for anyone with mobility issues. Between the cobblestones, extensive walking, steep narrow gangways it’s really not a great environment.
Gourmet Gal - on our Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise, we had an elderly couple from Florida - she had fairly significant mobility issues. They didn’t do any touring, just enjoyed the ride. They were lovely and everyone enjoyed their company. I’m glad Tauck accommodates people like them.
Hopefully they enjoyed the trip.
We have that cabin on our 2023 trip. We have been told by Tauck the cabin has a wider door and some special lighting. Other than those features the cabin is identical to other cat 5’s. Only cat 5 available so we took it. Would gladly switch if someone else wanted this cabin.
Just finished the Lisbon to Madrid cruise while staying in cabin 311 on the Andorinha, 9/11/23.
We did not see any ADA special accommodations. The doors MAY have been wider, but not noticeably. There is a very low threshold to the shower to contain water. Only an inch or so.
The shower glass enclosure is composed with two inward swinging door (full width of the room).
The shower also has a cushioned seat which folds down from the wall beneath the shower controls.
As to lighting. Not a clue.
Note: all cat 5 cabins (the 300’s) require no steps from the room to the lobby or lounge.
There are about 5-6 steps up to the stern area where the self serve coffee/beverage machine is located.
There are two half flight of stairs down one deck to the restaurant, with the elevator as an option.
Note: cabin 311 is very quiet and the stern thrusters (used when docking) are barely noticeable. Docking is alway done during daylight hours.