Written by Catie Kovelman for Cruise Hive, December 3, 2024
Wheelchair User Shane Hryhorec was excited to take his followers along for his first-ever cruise onboard MSC Grandiosa – but things took a turn when he learned his cruise cabin was not the accessible accommodation he was expecting.
The Adelaide man was all smiles when he boarded the 6,334-guest ship in Marseille, France, for an 8-night sailing – but was so disappointed when he saw his stateroom that he considered disembarking in Barcelona, Spain, the following day.
The disability advocate and influencer – who shares his travels under the handle @wheelaroundtheworld on TikTok and Youtube and @wheelaroundtheworldwithshane on Instagram – documented the whole experience.
In his initial video, which was posted on November 24, 2024, a crew member showed Hryhorec to his cabin – where he was met with a slew of inaccessible features.
“Oh my god, this is not what I booked…it’s a disaster. It is not fine. It is absolutely not fine,” Hryhorec exclaims in the video.
In a follow up TikTok that has been viewed 10.2 million times in less than a week, Hryhorec gave a tour of his cabin – showing off the small bunk bed that was hard to maneuver around and a heavy door that was not conducive for a guest in a wheelchair.
The bathroom was the worst part – as there was both a step leading into the tiny room and another step into the tub – which was further blocked by a glass partition.
“It’s been a challenging start! The room I’ve been given is anything but accessible. From bunk beds to a bathroom with steps and a heavy door, it’s been a struggle to even get inside, let alone use the facilities,” he captioned the clip.
While Hryhorec did consider disembarking early, he ultimately decided to make the best of the situation after sleeping on his decision.
In a third TikTok, he showed how he used the public shower in the onboard gym to get by – which still wasn’t entirely accessible, with essentials like the soap dispenser placed out of reach.
What Went Wrong?
Mr. Hryhorec booked his sailing about three weeks prior to embarkation through a travel agent. In his viral videos, he states that he explained his needs and the travel agent assured him that his cabin would work for him. It’s not known which travel agent or agency he used.
Within 24 hours of booking, the Australian native filled out an assistance form explaining his disability and access needs – which was sent directly to the cruise line.
He alleges that it took more than a week of follow-up to confirm that the form had indeed been received, and was not made aware of any issues at the time.
“I didn’t hear back for a week, and I kept calling and calling and emailing and emailing. I had my colleague contact the cruise terminal and they confirmed that the forms had been received,” said Hryhorec.
There obviously was a miscommunication somewhere in the booking process – as Hryhorec did not end up with a suitable cabin.
However, a spokesperson from MSC Cruises told Daily Mail Australia that the frustrated guest was informed in advance that there were no accessible rooms available after they received the special request form – which contradicts Hryhorec’s videos.
“He was offered the choice of a full refund with no penalty or the opportunity to move his cruise to a later date,” the spokesman said. “Despite this, Mr. Hryhorec chose to proceed with his cruise.”
It’s unclear what communication actually took place between the cruise line and the passenger and where the misunderstanding may have happened. But regardless, the cruiser ended up onboard in an inaccessible cabin.
The Resolution
Unfortunately for Hryhorec, there was no quick resolution to his predicament until around the second day of the sailing – but this story does have a happy ending.
The guest services team onboard the Meraviglia Plus-class vessel was unable to move him to an accessible room immediately because there simply wasn’t one available.
Out of the 2,421 guest cabins onboard, only 60 were accessible – and they had all been booked by other passengers.
The best that the crew members could do was reach out to other passengers and ask if they would be willing to switch with Hryhorec, which one travel group was willing to do fairly soon into the voyage.
The cruiser was very relieved to get the call about his new room – which was much more in line with what he needed and originally expected.
He was perhaps most thrilled that he could use his own bathroom for the remaining six nights of the sailing instead of the public facilities onboard the 181,541-gross ton ship.
“Wow, the difference to be in a room that’s made for a person with a disability is out of this world. And it’s an accessible bathroom, which is great,” he said as part of a new cabin tour. “You have no idea how happy this makes me.”
But despite all the hassle to get to his new room, Hryhorec considered the experience to be a valuable learning experience to share with his followers – particularly regarding how cruise ships sell their cabins.
Notably, passengers do not have to be disabled to book an accessible cabin – which are sold on a first come, first serve basis.
The advocate mused that there should be some sort of policy in place to save those cabins for people with disabilities. But as this is currently not the case, the best thing a guest in this situation can do is to book as early as possible and select an accessible cabin at the time of booking.
Hryhorec also called for cruise lines to make more of their cabins accessible – especially as the cruising demographic stereotypically skews older and 5.5 million of his fellow Australians are disabled, which is a significant chunk of the population.
Catie is an award-winning journalist and researcher. By day, she helps market new movies and TV shows as a senior research manager. But by night, she loves writing cruise news. In addition to Cruise Hive, Catie has contributed to a variety of newspapers, magazines, and other online publications, such as The Plaid Horse, Unwritten, YourTango, Fangirl Nation Magazine, Chapman Magazine, the Orange County Register, and Voice of OC.