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Reference Material For Disabled Cruise Travel


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Hi, I am able to walk some, but use a scooter for any distance at all. So, I really don't usually need a handicapped cabin.

 

I've cruised three times on Royal Caribbean, twice on Norwegian and once on Princess. On all of them the cabin doors were wide enough on a standard balcony cabin for my Go-Go Scooter to get into the cabin comfortably. All of them had excellent access to areas around the ship. I don't use the pool or the hot tubs, so I can't comment on their accessibility.

 

Norwegian standard balcony cabins are generally smaller than the other two lines I have cruised and the arrangement of furniture makes it impossible to turn the scooter around once inside the cabin. I'm very used to navigating with the scooter, so I would back into the room, but it made getting around in there very tight. The second time on a Norwegian ship (the Jewel) I did request a handicapped balcony cabin and it was much easier for us both to get around, including turning the scooter. I was able to park the scooter in the closet which provided easier access in the cabin itself.

 

On Royal Caribbean and Princess standard balcony cabins I had no trouble driving straight in and turning the scooter around. Also there was more room for my cabin mate to get around the scooter. At this point I would not request a HC cabin on either of those two lines.

 

I wish there was another catagory of cabin for "minimally" handicapped folks such as myself. It makes me uncomfortable to request a fully handicapped cabin when someone else may need it more than I do. For some of us just a little more space to turn around in and park the scooter or wheelchair would be sufficent.

 

I hope this is helpful and that it makes it easier for you to enjoy cruising as much as I do.

Iris

 

Those are my circumstances as well. Scooter for long walks, cane for short walks, 20 stair steps are my limit. I know I'm gonna get wicked stares from fellow passengers when I "walk" into some venue that I have taken my scooter to and parked in an out-of-the-way spot but I guess I'll survive.:)

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Those are my circumstances as well. Scooter for long walks, cane for short walks, 20 stair steps are my limit. I know I'm gonna get wicked stares from fellow passengers when I "walk" into some venue that I have taken my scooter to and parked in an out-of-the-way spot but I guess I'll survive.:)

 

Hi Belle836, we can't worry about what others think. We KNOW what we can and cannot do. It may even vary from day to day. I usually park my scooter in the dining room where they tell me to and then walk with my cane to the table. When I can't do that anymore, I'll sit on the scooter to eat. I suppose I could do 20 stair steps - if my very life depended on it - but it would not be easy or comfortable for me to do so. When you get a "wicked stare" just give them a big smile and keep going! I'm usually so happy to be cruising that I don't even notice those stares.:D

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  • 1 month later...

Are there any resources for the southern carribean islands such as Barbados, St Vicent, St kitts, Santo Domingo and Grand Turk. I am looking for wheelchair accessible tours and what might be accessible on these islands, or problems I might find when I go ashore.

Thanks...I could not find this information in the resources that were listed. We sail on the Grand Princess in Feb 2010

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Are there any resources for the southern carribean islands such as Barbados, St Vicent, St kitts, Santo Domingo and Grand Turk. I am looking for wheelchair accessible tours and what might be accessible on these islands, or problems I might find when I go ashore.

Thanks...I could not find this information in the resources that were listed. We sail on the Grand Princess in Feb 2010

 

i'm not an expert and haven't been to all those islands...BUT it is my experience that tours that SAY they are WC accessible are not necessarily so....i was on a couple with my mom that were "semi accessible.." and that was just the vehicle. one, in dominica was so bad we came back early.

 

another, the accessible van was broken (we found out literally 15 minutes before the tour) so we again had issues....

 

i would not trust the cruise line's info. in fact, i told the shore ex manager to TAKE the WC tour IN a WC and then he'd know for himself!

 

i would anticipate that you'll have difficulty in those places. that said, in grand turk, the pier area by margaritaville, with a few shops, was nice and flat.

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  • 1 month later...

I am a wheelchair user and recently cruised on Celebrity Equinox which I found very accessible and they have the lifts for gaining access to the Solarium pool and hot tub. I used it everyday and it was fantastic.

 

I did find the main dining room rather tight to get around but in fairness we only used the main dining room for the brunch so it is probably not too bad at normal meal times.

 

The Blu Restaurant was extremely comfortable and easy to get around, I used to stay in my wheelchair for breakfast (only because I am not so good of a morning) but would transfer to a dining chair putting my wheelchair back wedge cushion on the seat and I was comfortable for the whole meal.

 

I hope this will be of help to some of you.

Betty

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I forgot to say we were in Aqua Class and there was plenty of room to get around, especially if you can walk a little, we used to open the balcony door and and as it was ramped `I used to just role out onto the balcony sometimes staying in my chair or transferring to the chair provided, depending on how I was.

 

The bathroom was more than ample with a fixed head shower and also lower down a shower head that could be removed to make showering easier or for a carer to use. The drop down shower seat was of generous proportion so it was easy to take a shower. The only thing I didn't really like was the shower curtain but who could complain about that.

Betty

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  • 6 months later...
Does anybody know the bathroom configuration on the handicap balcony rooms on NCL Epic? The regular rooms have separate toilet, shower, sink. Thanks

 

The toilet and shower are in one room. The sink is separate, in the actual cabin but accessible. Do a search on the "Epic" forum for pics.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=609

 

Look at this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1224224

Edited by TrikeRider
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  • 10 months later...
Lots of fantastic information - I'm sure our customers will benefit a lot from these findings!

 

Thank you

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic:)

 

But you need to modify your signature so that it does not show your company web site. I found out the hard way that it is a big no no on CC and I'd hate to see you get knocked on the knuckles:(

 

We are not allowed to mention a Travel Agent/Agency or give their URL.

 

Joanie

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  • 9 months later...

I have followed the threads about the change in boarding policy for Princess and am a bit concerned as I travel with my trusty POC and have mobility issues (no chair or scooter needed at this point). We will be flying into SFO for our June Alaskan cruise and using Princess transfers to and from the ship. Will they have accommodations for those of us with special needs? Or will we be asked to wait on the queue for our "assigned time" by deck... heck, we don't even have a cabin yet (J guaranty). :confused:

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  • 2 years later...

We've been on countless cruises and have yet to be able to find an accessible one for someone who can't hear. I'm not Deaf (born deaf), but have lost 95% of my hearing due to measles. I read lips, wear hearing aids (which only give me environmental sounds but not speech) and have a great command of the English language. But I can't enjoy the shows or the talks. Does anyone have any recommendations based on your experience or knowledge? I'd REALLY love to enjoy the shows :)

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  • 3 months later...

I am having back problems lately and am concerned I should not be doing Viking's Rhine River cruise at the end of August. Will the excursions be too strenuous? Would appreciate any insight.

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I am having back problems lately and am concerned I should not be doing Viking's Rhine River cruise at the end of August. Will the excursions be too strenuous? Would appreciate any insight.

 

You should post this question in its own thread on the forum, not attached to this thread on disability resources.

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  • 2 months later...
We've been on countless cruises and have yet to be able to find an accessible one for someone who can't hear. I'm not Deaf (born deaf), but have lost 95% of my hearing due to measles. I read lips, wear hearing aids (which only give me environmental sounds but not speech) and have a great command of the English language. But I can't enjoy the shows or the talks. Does anyone have any recommendations based on your experience or knowledge? I'd REALLY love to enjoy the shows :)

 

Some cruise lines and itineraries have more visual shows (dancing, magic, acrobats, etc) than verbal shows (singing, comedians, etc). We have found that the ships and itineraries that tend to be multilingual are more visual shows. Think: Mediterranean cruises, South American cruises on MSC and NCL. I woukd think Costa would fall into that category as wrll, but I've never sailed on them.

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  • 5 months later...
  • 3 months later...

We will be on Celebrity Equinox in September and are in Aqua class accessible room. My husband uses a rail to pull himself out of bed as he only has use of his left arm. Do the beds accomodate a rail or can I rent them on the ship?

We have not cruised for years and this will be the first holiday since he has had his disability.

Edited by tiadog
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...

Thank you for posting this.

 

cwo4wife

 

One of our wonderful Members, Kathy (Splinter) took the time and effort to capture a lot of useful material from the old Cruise Critic Message Boards that would otherwise have been lost when the old boards are shut down.

 

As Splinter requested, please use these threads for reference. Please post any additional reference material to these threads (in the correct category) but, if you have any questions or suggestions that arise from these threads, please post them in a separate thread. Thanks.

 

Again many thanks and a big high five to Kathy for her initiative and for taking the time to undertake this project.

 

Good work!

 

The links below will take you to the post that contains Splinter's Resource listings:

 

Cruise Line Special Services Offices

 

Resources for Eastern Caribbean for Disabled Cruise Travel

 

Resources for Western Caribbean for Disabled Cruise Travel

 

Resources for Mexican Riviera for Disabled Cruise Travel

 

Resources for Alaska for Disabled Cruise Travel

 

Resources for South America for Disabled Cruise Travel

 

Resources for Hawaii for Disabled Cruise Travel

 

Resources for Europe for Disabled Cruise Travel PART ONE

 

Resources for Europe for Disabled Cruise Travel PART TWO

 

Resources for Europe for Disabled Cruise Travel PART THREE

 

Resources for Europe for Disabled Cruise Travel PART FOUR

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