Ski Mom

Thank you so much for your response! I did read the itinerary and did not see any tender ports but when I called the representative said that the first itinerary I chose did require three tenders but when I called back I didn’t talk to the same representative and she told me that it depends on the ship and then put me on hold and came back to say that most of the ports required tenders and that they lift the wheelchair. I can definitely walk a few steps to board the tender but I’m not really comfortable going on a cruise that has more than one tender port. Until I can get a little more information I think I might look into another cruise destination. I was just hoping someone had taken this cruise and could give me some information. Thanks again!

Thank you for your response.? I did read the itinerary and I did not see any mention of tenders but when I called the cruise line for information the representative said that some of the ports require a tender but when I questioned why it wasn’t stated on the itinerary I was told that the trip I was interested in would have a new ship that required a tender. I picked another itinerary and called again and was given different information so now I am very confused and was just wondering if anyone else had any information about this trip.

Hello! I’m in the early stages of planning a New England cruise with ACL. I’m looking at the Grand New England or the Cape Codder. I was wondering if anyone else has taken this cruise. My question is do you know what ports in New England require a tender? I have looked through all the itineraries on the east coast and none of them state that a tender is required but I have heard that several ports up near Maine require them. I would really like to visit Martha’s Vineyard and Acadia national park. I have MS and travel with a wheelchair and require assistance disembarking. This is my second cruise with ACL. My first one was on the Columbia Snake River and it was fantastic and the crew were very helpful with my needs but none of the ports we visited required tenders. I guess my question is do they allow wheelchairs on tenders? If not I guess I should look at itineraries that don’t require them but like I said from what I’ve read it’s not clear which ports require them. I originally posted this on the ACL forum but thought I would post this question here as well. Thank you in advance for any information or advice that you can provide. Thank you! MaryBeth

Hello! I’m in the early stages of planning a New England cruise with ACL. I’m looking at the Grand New England or the Cape Codder. My question is do you know what ports in New England require a tender? I have looked through all the itineraries on the east coast and none of them state that a tender is required but I have heard that several ports up near Maine require them. I would really like to visit Martha’s Vineyard and Acadia national park. I have MS and travel with a wheelchair and require assistance disembarking. This is my second cruise with ACL. My first one was on the Columbia Snake River and it was fantastic and the crew were very helpful with my needs but none of the ports we visited required tenders. I guess my question is do they allow wheelchairs on tenders? If not I guess I should look at itineraries that don’t require them but like I said from what I’ve read it’s not clear which ports require them. If I am posting on the wrong board I apologize in advance and will post on the persons with disabilities forum. Thank you!

Please excuse the misspelling on my response! I was posting via voice activation and it doesn’t always translate the best spelling or grammar! I tried to edit it but posted it by mistake!

Hi Jim! Thank you for your feedback! No there are no tables of two. They are either 4or 6. We were the same way about liking to socializing with fellow passengers but choosing to dine just the two of us. We were a little nervous that there were no tables of two. We quickly realized that the reason for this setup was to encourage people to meet. I honestly think that it made our trip to dine this way ! I have never met and got to know so many wonderful and interesting people on any other cruise I’ve ever been on. It is a truly unique experience and I look forward to our next one. Please make sure you make it to the coattail hour before dinner because it’s phenomenal!

Thank you so much! I hope it helps!

You are very welcome! I hope you have just as much of a pleasant experience as we did!

Thanks for your review! I enjoyed your pictures! Can I ask you if you saw anyone disembarking at cruise ports in a wheelchair and was the staff willing to help? I was on the Columbia Snake River cruise in July and you’re right some of the ramps are pretty small and steep but the young crew went above and beyond to assist me and my husband get on and off the ship using my transport wheelchair.

You are very welcome! Thank you for the feedback !

Beautiful photos! Fabulous review! Your daughters are lovely and so is mom! I love their style! I will be on a Celebrity cruise in late September. I have limited mobility and will probably be seeing Naples in either a transport wheelchair pushed by DH or a mobility scooter I will be renting for the cruise could you please recommend an activity for us to do in Naples?

I am really Enjoying following along with you on your journey! Thanks so much for sharing!

Loving your review!

Thank you for the link! That helps a lot!

Thank you so much for your response and information. You are right about my post being misleading. I tried to correct it but it was too late I meant to say I would like to see the Sistine Chape and the Basilica while in Rome. I’m not planning on doing any excursions in Venice it’s just that my cruise ends there and I am definitely showing my lack of knowledge because after talking a closer look at the itinerary the cruise terminal is actually in Ravenna not Venice. Celebrity made that a little confusing to a newbie in Italy like me! Any way due to time constraints if I choose the September 17th date I would not be able to extend my stay in Venice. As far as an all day excursion it’s my fatigue level which is the worst part of my MS and I never know when it going to hit me . It could be the weather because heat and humidity are draining to me or like I said climbing in and out of a vehicle or let’s face it the longer the excursion the more likely I will have a need for not only a rest room break but finding an accessible restroom. I have read that a lot of the ruins are not very wheelchair or scooter friendly and that of the two that Herculon was more accessible. I think I would like to just see the beautiful coast and the quaint towns and maybe have lunch in one and save the history for the museums I hope to visit. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond and sharing your experience with the water taxi. I’ve been in situations like that myself! Maybe not the most graceful way to do things but at least I manage to do things that I love. I always try to research and be prepared ahead of time, but we both know that sometimes the best day plans can go wrong too! I have traveled a lot but never to Europe and this is so overwhelming to plan and MS is a progressive and unpredictable condition that I never know when my mobility will decline to a point where I’m in a wheelchair full time . Right now I can transfer from a wheelchair to a vehicle with difficulty, but I can do it, but it might be in my future to here to book a vehicle with a wheelchair lift .

Thank you so much for your response and information! The breakfast in the Vatican sounds lovely! Did you say I would book them right through the Vatican? I did read on either the Vatican website or on the CC disability board that there are certain areas in the Vatican that prohibit the use of a scooter and that I would have to transfer to a manual wheelchair that they would provide for free if there was one available. Do you know this to be true? If so I might be better bringing my own transport wheelchair that my husband would have to push. Unfortunately that would make rest room breaks a lot harder to do independently..

Thank you 😊

Thank you!

Believe me! This is all new to me and I appreciate any feedback I can get! I have a girlfriend from my MS group that went to Italy, but she went from Rome, France and Barcelona, so she can only give me information on those destinations and we also have different things we are interested in doing and seeing. She gave me a recommendation on a hotel in Rome and a tour operator but she was there five years ago and things may have changed. That’s why I posted my question and I really appreciate your response. I’m now researching for accessible private tours and reading all I can on this board. I just hope I’m not being too naive to think I can do this!

Hi Juliet! Are you talking about the canals and bridges in Venice? I would not be able to do those either. Venice would just be either a starting point or an end point to our cruise. If I started our cruise in Venice I would probably have the scooter delivered to the ship but if I started in Rome I would probably have it delivered to the hotel so I could use it to tour the Vatican and the Colosseum or the parts that are wheelchair accessible. I just thought if I rented a scooter my husband would not have to push me all over the place. I guess I was just asking for opinions on which itinerary would be best for a first time visit to Italy. Thank you for the and and well wishes. Best wishes to you and your husband,

Thank you ! Thank you! I too am not interested in full day tours or getting In and out of an SUV or hiking around ruins. I have put both your tour operators suggestions in my notebook! Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!

The departure dates I’m looking at are September 6th or September 17 th

Hello I am in the preliminary stages of planning a cruise to Italy and Croatia. I will be traveling with my husband. I have MS and travel with a transport wheelchair and rent a mobility scooter for cruises. I am interested in the best of Italy and Croatia cruise One is 10 days and sails September 17th and the other one sails September 6 for Eleven days and begins in Venice and ends in Rome. Although these two itineraries are very similar they are a little different. I like the idea of starting in Rome and ending in Venice but it doesn’t include Sorrento Amalfi coast. The early September one is a day longer but it is an extra day at sea and ends in Venice instead of Rome which would entail me doing Rome at the end of our trip which is doable but not ideal. I am not familiar with European travel so this is all new to me. I understand that the cobblestone in Europe are an obstacle for wheelchair travelers but I plan on taking private escorted tours with either my wheelchair or the rented scooter. In Rome I would like to see the Vatican and the Colosseum and Venice looks like it maybe do a Rome at night tour by private car tour. Any advice or recommendations on which itineraries you would recommend would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! https://www.celebritycruises.com/itinerary-search?sailStartDate=2024-09-01&sailEndDate=2024-09-30&departures=ROM,BLQ&q=italy&feature=off&dateToggle=M

Sure! Here’s a link to my review and I would be happy to answer any questions you have! https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2951942-my-american-song-columbia-river-review-long-but-i-hope-it’s-helpful/?do=findComment&comment=65761637

I just got back from a Colombia Snake River cruise on the American Song. Beer and wine available always in the dining room as stated by Dave you can get any kind of mixed drink at the lounge where they have happy hour starting at 5:00 and or you can also get a mixed drink at the Skye lounge bar on deck three just about anytime. The lounge bar that has happy hour is open till about 10 for the evening entertainment. We also enjoyed the Back Porch Deck grill for a quick lunch or breakfast . It is located right outside the Sky Lounge.,They are opened early morning at 6:30 am till 2 pm. They have a small menu of hot breakfast items and also burgers and wraps for lunch., You can either eat outside or in the Ske Lounge which also serves yogurt fresh fruit and delicious baked scones! Snacks and cookies are also available and of course they’re famous homemade cookies! I saw people enjoying their mimosas and Bloody Mary there every morning and the Sky Lounge is where I enjoyed a delicious homemade white sangria while just sitting and watching the beautiful views from the open deck or the lounge where there’s plenty of windows! I don’t know anything about room service for alcohol though. Hope that helps!