Advice needed / Celebrity , Segway as MD
 

I have been cruising with Celebrity Cruise lines for 12 years now, the last 4 using a Segway as a mobility device. I had to get special approval from them to use it and store it in my accessible cabin the first year I used it.

This year I booked with them again and asked my agent to notify them that I would be coming aboard with the Segway. I was told that the policy had changed and that they would not allow it anymore, kinda leaves me in a lurch.

If anybody can shed light on this it would be appreciated.

Since this cruise leaves from the USA and ends in the USA do they not have to meet ADA standards?

In the good news I know of at least two other cruise lines that will not discriminate against the use of a Segway as a mobility device, they are Seabourn and Oceania.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

I wonder if you sharing the news that Seabourn and Oceania will get your future and repeat business other than Celebrity Cruise lines, with them will make them think twice. If they know your history of cruises, (I presume you have not caused any problems for them) and your repeat history, they have a financial interest in keeping you as a client.

I know that we want businesses to do the right thing for us, because it is the right thing. But reality is that many do it because the law requires it. In this case, however, since allowing you on with your segway does not cost them anything extra, and not allowing you will loose them money, that alone may be a better motivator to people in the business of making money.

Any business person knows that repeat business is far cheaper than new business, and any smart one knows that you want to keep your customers, as long as they do not cost you extra money.

Good luck. I hope you get to cruise where you wish.

I know there has been some controversy and ambiguity on this. At one point I read that you could embark or debark for use at stops but couldn't use it onboard! I _think_ they must let you use it, but it would be good to call the ADA Help line for a more definitive answer. I'm not sure just what agency this come under and that would make a difference.

On the one cruise I've taken there was never a time when I could not have used it safely--although the door way to our cabin was so narrow that it could have been tricky...

Good luck and please do pursue this with the DOJ!

Always amazes me
 

thank you both for your responses, and Lilly I will pursue this with the DOJ, if only to find out if cruise lines that board and disembark in the US are covered by the ADA.

So far I have had two responses from Celebrity, and like all comments you get on why people should discriminate against Segways, I am always amazed at the ignorance.

Comment one, they are not stable and therefore dangerous.

comment two, After checking this morning with our Accessibility Specialist, we were advised the policy was put in place by our Safety Officer after being advised by Segway that the mobility device was not recommended in a marine environment.

In general there is so little personal/private business experience or contact with the Segway that I would expect ignorance regarding it's stability and safe use in a crowded or close quartered environment. If the safety officer did in fact contact Segway regarding it's safe use on a cruise line and the Segway Rep said no we do not recommend using the Segway as a disability device in any environment then the cruise line did in fact make a genuine effort on which to base the policy change. Keep in mind I don't agree with or think it's the right decision. I also think Segway Inc. would say their product is not designed to be used in a marine environment nor endorse it's use as a mobility device. Perhaps it is Segway Inc. that needs to be educated first and foremost by it's customers that successfully/safely use the Segway as a mobility device.

If the manufacturer doesn't support the use........other businesses may choose not
to support the use.

RickB, I see your point, but I do not entirely agree.

First off, we have no idea if they contacted segway at all. To presume the company that said the were banned for being unstable was telling the whole truth about a call to Segway Inc, is naive at best.

Companies make up facts to support their decisions all the time. It is immaterial.

Also, why would Segway say such a thing? We can presume to reduce liability, but saying what was claimed does not sound right.

In truth, segways may not have been designed for the disabled nor for marine use, but it is immaterial.

The ADA does not say that only devices designed for the disabled are covered. As a matter of fact, it actually mentions the Segway as part of its description of EPAMDs and 'other devices'...

I think the ADA claim is best. But the financial pressure is a real world factor as well. Fear of both (and ADA discrimination lawsuit) may be the best path.

Any way, I would request the documentation for their claims and policy. The law is clear that they have to have proof of instability to justify their policy, and cannot just presume they are unstable.

I am not certain whether or not the ADA applies to cruise ships, merely because they dock occasionally in US ports. It's a question worth pursuing, but it's not clear to me it's a slam dunk. We start to veer from US law, to maritime and international law.

I don't mean that to discourage anyone from trying to pursue it!

Also, the fact that their competitors DO allow it should give them a bit of pause about the reasonableness of their position. It probably won't, but it should.

Bob has a good point about Maritime law. It is different. I would also look to see where the ship is registered. If it flies an American flag, it would be different than if registered in another country. (I presume)

I agree that the ADA claim is best. However, Segway states that a Segway PT has not been designed, tested, or approved as a medical device and goes on to say that you must be able to step on or off the Segway PT unassisted, which requires physical abilities similar to ascending and descending stairs without assistance, and without holding handrails.

The Segway is mentioned specifically as an approved EPAMD under the ADA Guidelines, but doesn't Segway, Inc.'s (the Manufacturer) statement give a Cruise Line Safety Officer pause regarding stability and safety in confined crowded quarters...........to justify the new policy? Again , I do not personally agree with the policy change.

Does anyone know if the aftermarket Segway Platform Mods from Ally, GennyMobility, CubeMobility, and AddSeat would also be restricted from some Cruise Lines and Disney Attractions. These modified Segway 'Wheelchairs' are definitely equipped with 2 or 4 point kickstands for added stability and safety.