Ski Mom
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1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:
I believe the itinerary from the cruise line should tell you if a port requires tendering. I don’t know how active the ACL board is here, but maybe someone there could tell you if there are any tender ports. EM
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.
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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
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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!
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1 hour ago, Ski Mom said:
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!
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!
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3 hours ago, jimdee3636 said:
A very belated thank you for your informative and well-written review, and of course the great pictures.
I have one question: were there any tables for two in the dining room at dinner time? My wife and I like to socialize with fellow-cruise guests over drinks, but prefer to dine by ourselves.
Thanks!
Jim
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!
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On 10/4/2023 at 3:52 PM, chill6x6 said:
I enjoyed reading about your cruise!
Thank you so much! I hope it helps!
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On 7/24/2023 at 7:47 AM, marieps said:
Thanks so much! Glad you had a great time. Your windsurfing pic looks like a stock photo it's so sharp and beautifully composed.
You are very welcome! I hope you have just as much of a pleasant experience as we did!
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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.
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On 8/11/2023 at 6:12 PM, latinqt said:
I really enjoyed this commentary. Thank you so much
You are very welcome! Thank you for the feedback !
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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?
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On 7/31/2023 at 8:31 AM, Scottishclover said:
PORTS
So we are very much DIYers in ports, primarily to save money. I find ship tours vastly overpriced and even the price people pay for private tours boggles my mind at times. Sometimes you look at the base price of a cruise, think it’s ok, but by the time you add up all the tours and activities on port days, it can cost an arm and a leg. Our aim on port days was to have a good variety of activities and keep the cost down as much as possible. We had $800 OBC so I did plump for ship excursions at 2 of the ports on this cruise. I would say book your ship excursions as early as possible. They rose significantly in price, the closer we got to the cruise.
KATAKOLON
What did we do?
Ship Excursion:Best of Olympia. Trip to Olympia Archaeological Site and Magna Grecia Olive Farm
What did Others do?
Not sure - there’s not a whole lot of options here. I think a lot of people just walked around in the town ( which isn’t so big).
Need to Know
The ship docks about 10 mins from the main tourist area, I did spot a ho-ho bus, don’t expect much from Greek plumbing😜
I actually quite enjoyed our tour. Our guide was from the Ministry of Culture and he knew his stuff. However, I think there was probably information overload for some people, especially the rude people on the bus who thought it was fine to talk loudly over the guide😡 You did need to have a wee bit of knowledge of the Ancient Greeks to get the most out of it.
It was really hot at Olympia and there was little shade. Something to consider.
The Phillippeion.
Temple of Zeus - the main draw at the site.
The Olympic Stadium. DD1 was a pretty good sprinter at school, winning medals at Scottish Schools Championships but alas it was too hot to break any records here.
You really need a guide at Olympia to make it worthwhile, otherwise there’s not a great deal of information about the ruins. It’s hard to comprehend the age and beauty of everything.There was some excavation going on, so archaeologists are still discovering many treasures. A lot of what had been discovered is now preserved in the museum. We had a short tour inside before going to the olive farm.
Sculpture of Nike, goddess of victory by Paionios. This was made around 400BC. Incredible!
Apollon of Olympia. Probably the highlight of the museum - a large group of sculptures found at the Temple of Zeus.
It took about 10 minutes to get to Magna Grecia Farm. After a welcome drink of white wine produced on the farm, we got a talk from the owner about the olive oil production. Then there was a tasting session with different grades and flavours of oil. This was followed by lunch, which was quite substantial. More wine ( and they weren’t stingy), meze and Greek salad, what looked like chicken souvlaki and rice ( didn’t partake as we don’t eat meat) and then baklavas. In truth the meze would have been enough - looking around the table there was a lot of food waste, which I never like to see. Then the inevitable Greek dancing and time to shop…. not my thing. I would have preferred a proper tour of the farm.
DD2 really enjoyed her time at Magna Grecia Farm
Katakolon Verdict
This was our first time ever in Greece and we enjoyed the day. The 2 different parts of the tour were in complete contrast so it was a good choice. Driving through the town, I think a tour is the way to go here.
CORFU
What did we do?
We explored Corfu Town on our own and visited the Old Fortress.
What did others do?
I’m pretty sure lots went on boat trips and had a beach day.
Need to Know
Theres a long pier here. Shuttles ( at a cost) into town. We walked- it’s 30 minutes tops. The Greek for Corfu Town is Kerkyra.
I loved Corfu Town. It had lots of charm and was so pretty. I would advise hitting it early though. The difference between crowds at 9 am and 11am was astonishing. There’s some good value shopping here, if that’s your thing.
Views from the Old Fortress
The New Fortress, which is still quite old!
We found Corfu to be very green.
The old town is filled with narrow streets like these, everywhere you turn. It’s easy to get lost. The streets were very clean.
The Pier. DD1 spent a good hour or so in afternoon running up and down it to change up her training.
We came back to the Beyond early afternoon and sat outdoors to have lunch at OV. The views from the ship were lovely. One really cool thing about Corfu is that the airport is very close by and the planes taking off went right over the ship.
Corfu Verdict
Corfu really surprised me. The island was really green. It’s definitely somewhere I’d like to return to, maybe to do some hiking when the weather is a bit cooler.
Next up….. thoughts on Dubrovnik and Kotor.
I am really Enjoying following along with you on your journey! Thanks so much for sharing!
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On 7/29/2023 at 4:56 PM, Missusdubbya said:
Wonderful review so far, thank you!
Loving your review!
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25 minutes ago, FOPMan said:
Vatican tickets and tours can be booked directly through the Vatican Museums’ sire, https://m.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani-mobile/en.html, as well as indirectly from various outlets.
I don’t know their current practice regarding scooter transfers. At the time I was there I was mostly using a rollator (about 8 years ago). A couple of friends were at one of the breakfasts a few weeks ago, bug they don’t use equipment.
At least some of the hoo-on-hop buses in Rome and Barcelona have ramps.
Thank you for the link! That helps a lot!
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18 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:
What you wrote is a bit confusing. (The first is probably just wording, but where you wrote: "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", I'm not sure what you are asking about regarding Venice.)
But mostly, you wrote that you planned to take "private escorted tours". (We almost always do this, so we can set the pace and also decide more specifically what we do - or do *not* - want to see.)
So I don't understand your concern about no interest in full day tours or "getting In and out of an SUV or hiking around ruins". IF you are doing private escorted tours, one of the big advantages is that YOU get to choose the itinerary, the timing, and the activities (assuming the private guide agrees this is "possible", of course).
Venice is likely to be the most challenging, so you'd want a guide who is specifically experienced with mobility-challenged or wheelchair travelers.
When we were in Venice, we were quite surprised (and really pleased!) to see, on the top (2nd or 3rd?) floor of a museum, a group that included quite a few people in wheelchairs.
I have some mobility difficulties, so our guide had already helped us with a well hidden elevator in the building, so no doubt that group was using the same or other elevators in that building. (For someone who didn't know, there would be no indication that there was any elevator anywhere in the building.)
But there *will* be issues with the many small bridges over the many little canals.
I'd suggest starting early, finding an appropriate private guide who is experienced guiding travelers with disabilities/in wheelchairs/etc., and then not only setting up a workable schedule/agenda, but --> find a hotel that is situated where you can get to the other touring routes.
My recollection is that some of the larger water vehicles can load at dock level, and can accommodate wheelchairs, but please *doublecheck*. Again, your guide should be familiar with this, and thus how using those can help you avoid the little bridges, and also access as much as possible of the city.
We took a water taxi from the airport to our hotel that was right on the Grand Canal. Alas... it was at a *very* low tide time, so the dock of the hotel was, er, considerably higher than we had expected. So, let's just say that several others "helped DH to shove me up and out" of the water taxi on to the hotel dock.
NOT the most graceful entry, to put it mildly! 😳
DH was probably trying very hard not to laugh too loudly...
And I overestimated my stamina the first day. It was SO exciting to be wandering through Venice that I sort of lost track... and suddenly it was... "Uh, I can't go much further at all!"
Our guide asked me if I could get to [pointing to a nearby spot], and then she called a water taxi who showed up and took us back to the hotel! Whew! (And... the tide was much higher then, thank goodness! 🤭 )
The bottom line is that the wheelchair group was obviously getting around Venice well enough to get to that museum, somehow. And there must have been enough accessible to make the entire trip worthwhile. You might want to search for guides that are experienced with visitors using wheelchairs. Apparently it's not impossible!
GC
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 .
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12 hours ago, FOPMan said:
Florence is also a city that is much easier to get around when not in a motor vehicle, though the streets can be a but rough on scooter, wheelchair, or rollator wheels. It can be challenging to get point to point and have parking.
A golf cart tour of Rome is a possibility to consider. Authorized drivers can get you much closer to many attractions than a regular car can, especially for things like the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps.
Booking some tours well in advance can be helpful. One of out smarter moves was breakfast in the Vatican, which included early access to the Vatican Museum. Our group of 30 people had 25 minutes or so in the Sistine Chapel to ourselves.
Many museums offer discounted admission not to the disabled individual but to their aide, with proof of disabling condition. We used my disabled parking placard since the US doesn’t produce any identification card with the international symbol for disability. We had a letter if needed, but it was in English and wanted to be respectful of the countries we visited and not have things lost in translation.
Upon seeing me, it is really obvious that I have mobility issues. I don’t think we ever actually showed documentation, but always had it available.
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..
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9 hours ago, juliet said:
Here are some sites I found, and there are lots more online. Hope some of it helps.
And, Ski Mom, I KNOW you can do it!!
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/travelers-with-disabilities
Thank you 😊
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5 hours ago, juliet said:
Here are some sites I found, and there are lots more online. Hope some of it helps.
And, Ski Mom, I KNOW you can do it!!
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/travelers-with-disabilities
Thank you!
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5 hours ago, juliet said:
Got it. I assumed you were aware of it all, but not sure. Again, have a wonderful time!
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!
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8 hours ago, juliet said:
Ski Mom, I'm curious if you've spoken to people about all the little bridges that go over the canals with steps up and down each one. We were there many years ago. My husband has MS too and at that time he could walk, but it was hard for him with all the steps. He's now in a transport chair if we travel. I'm just wondering how it can be done with a scooter or wheelchair.
Good for you that you're traveling. I wish we had the nerve, but he's afraid to go traveling other than on a cruise.
I'll be living vicariously through you. Have a wonderful time.
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,
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3 hours ago, Ski Mom said:
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!
2 hours ago, kokopelli-az said:Personally I would take the Sept 17 trip based on starting out in Rome. You may be more tired than you think after the cruise.
BTW, if you depart from Rome, you may want to look at RomeCabs.com to see what they can offer in the way of transportation and/or tours. My husband also has a transport chair and rents a scooter to use on the ship. We used RomeCabs to take us from the airport to our hotel, from the hotel to the cruise ship port and then from the cruise ship port back to the Airport. We arrived in Rome a little early to check in so they took us on a mini-tour of Rome; I think it was about two hours. They can put together anything you want. Highly recommended on many boards. Plus, we had everything reserved before we left home and it worked like clockwork with them picking us up, etc. There is a certain amount of relief with everything already booked.
When we went to Florence, we booked a tour to Lucca and Pisa with Papillon excursions. They have shore excursion tours all over Italy. We told them we wanted a mostly driving around tour since I knew my husband would not want to be getting in and out of the SUV but I got out a few places. They designed a half day tour that was wonderful (we didn't want a full day tour). Our tour guide was from Livorno and very knowledgeable. We were very impressed with them. https://www.papillonservice.com/
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!
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42 minutes ago, Ski Mom said:
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!
The departure dates I’m looking at are September 6th or September 17 th
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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!
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45 minutes ago, marieps said:
We just booked American Song westbound. Would love to hear more about your experience if you'd be kind enough to share.
Sure! Here’s a link to my review and I would be happy to answer any questions you have!
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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!
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American Cruise Line New England
in American Cruise Lines
Posted
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!