FOPMan

You may want to set up an account with Italiarail and then email Blu with your account name and a request to reserve wheelchair seating for the specific train (date/route/time) you want. They can then set aside the seat and assign it to your italiarail account. You can then log into italiarail and purchase the seat. You can also purchase the seat on italiarail’s site and email the confirmation number to Blu, which can then reserve a wheelchair space, as available.

You will have access to the ship’s Internet throughout your journey. Ship’s basic/premium Internet dies not include phone services. You should expect intermittent coverage from land towers when/if your ship is at dock.

Fort Lauderdale airport is basically adjacent to Port Everglades. Miami airport is about 40 minutes away, depending upon traffic. Fort Lauderdale customs and immigration is usually less of a line. Flight duration on a nonstop should be nearly the same Unless Miami was $125 per person cheaper and/or flights were much more convenient fir you, I would pick Fort Lauderdale.

I glanced at several excursions in Sitka on Viator. I noticed one that specified a seat width of 17 inches, advising potential customers to purchase multiple seats if additional space was wanted. I may not have seen all wheel-based tours, but there was decidedly most that said. explicitly, no wheelchair accommodation. The ADA is not front and center in tour operators’ minds.

It will be there when it gets there. There are too many variables to try to account for.

You didn’t say what kind of excursion it is or whether you’d asked at the time you made the reservation about bringing your daughter’s service animal on the excursion. It’s very believable that, say, they are using 15 passenger vans for transportation. If the van has a full load of passengers (every seat occupied), there really isn’t excess space. if you’d asked at the time of reservation and the provider did not set space aside, that’s a different matter. I’ve often found it easier to work directly with the operator of the excursion- and purchase tickets directly from them- rather than involving a third party. And yes, with the ADA in place it shouldn’t make a difference. But is seems to. I don’g have the energy to pursue legal action every time the provider doesn’t follow the law.

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.

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.

I had quite the discussion about this. My issue was the only “excursions” available on a cruise last December to a wheelchair user (me) were accessible villas at Margaritaville at Turks and Caicos, the “train” at T&C, and a villa on Half Moon Cay (which was much more than the credit. I’ve been on the train tour 4 times. No dice.

Ship’s or other port-authorized providers are on the ship-side of security. Private taxis are outside the gates. Distance can vary depending on what berth the ship is in. For one berth, it is 125 feet from the gangway to in-securty buses and 250 feet to the gates. Add 400 feet to each if in one of the other two (non-central) berths. Smaller ships almost always are in one of the “other” (non-central) berths if multiple ships are in port.

And note that transportation for a power wheelchair needs to specifically fiscussed, if applicable.

For at least some tours, there will be two similar tour offerings, one for wheelchair users and one for other guests. This is usually done to manage the number of wheelchair accessible seats, often associated with buses with lifts for wheelchairs or other devices where the individual is riding the device and cannot climb the buses steps. Often, the bus driver will not permit standing on the lift platform while it id operation. The bus does NOT notmally have an extra wheelchair. If your husband can ascend and descend the bus steps he does not need the lift.

For embarking, assistance in pushing your husband through at least part of the process may be available, depending on staffing levels. On board ship, your family is responsible for pushing your husband. Ship’s staff will be more than happy to move chairs from tables in any dining room or the lidio so that the wheelchair can be used at the table. Ship’s staff will help your husband in the wheelchair up and down the gangway in ports. They cannot usually provide any assistance off the ship. St. Thomas VI does NOT have sedan taxis. They use large trucks with bench seating in the bed. Rides are shared. On occasion, a driver may let someone ride in the cab, but the cabs are quite high. There are a couple of wheelchair transportation services on the island that use minivans. They can be booked either for the day or scheduled point-to-point transportation. Expect point-to-point to be at least $75 each way. Some stores are wheelchair accessible-many are not. Maegan’s Bay Beach has had a beach wheelchair available in the past, first-come, first served. The bar at that beach is accessible. You should be able to arrange for a taxi on Antigua. Again, building accessibility may vary significantly. Most people will help or make any accommodation they can, such as bringing merchandise or food outside. Take a comfortable cushion and gloves for the people pushing your husband. If you are in a regular cabin, you should expect a tub/shower combination, I think. There may be cabins with other configurations. Wheelchair accessible cabins decided DONT have tubs.

Alamo rentals are service by Enterprise at Port Canaveral. Please see/ call https://www.alamo.com/en/car-rental-locations/us/fl/port-canaveral-07ad.html

You are unlikely to find a group tour that uses sedans or other low vehicle. You will need to focus on a private driver/tour guide. Since you are NOT looking fie a wheelchair-accessible van, but “only” a vehicle with available trunk space, you should have a much easier time of it. Note that your mileage may vary considerably on finding curb cuts and ramped entrances. Many people will be happy to help and provide an extra hand.

A safer choice, to be sure! Be sure to get at least wanna get away plus fares so you ha e access to same day change/standby lists. Regular wanna get away fares DONT include standby privileges.

Assuming the ship docks on time and is generally cleared for disembarking, individuals clearing customs and immigration, especially if they have nothing to declare, and are walking off among the first few off the ship and don’t need baggage assistance should not usually experience much of a delay. If one has TSAPre, CLEAR, or other mechanism for getting through airport security efficiently, that can help reduce wait time and associated anxiety. Since you mentioned HOU, it’s probably relatively safe to assume you are flying Southwest. Southwest is usually efficient in checking bags curbside and is relatively close to the vehicle entrance to the airport. Holiday travel can be disruptive l, and it is always good to have a plan B. Don’t stop for the restroom until you are at the airplane gate.

Upgrades are on a space available basis, as clearly stated in HAL promo material. No space available, no upgrade.

There’s not exactly alot to “explore” in Whittier. Almost all the city’s residents living in a single building. If timing permits, is is worth going on a wildlife cruise, As I remember, the dock is just a few feet down from the cruise ship. See https://phillipscruises.com

I would not lake that assumption, including if looking for a transfer to an airport. HAL’s very own website instructs you to contact HAL if there are such needs: https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/shore-excursions/AMS/10870.html Happy sailing!

The Americans with Disabilities Act explicitly requires that accessible cabins be able to be booked in the same manner, means, and times as non-accessible cabins. That’s a good thing overall. I would not want to have to spend 6 hours on hold to wait for an agent when a non-disabled individual can book a cabin in 2 minutes via the web. The same rule applies to concert tickets, but many venues don’t comply, resulting in lots and lots of time on the phone for otherwise simple tasks. The ADA allows for documentation to be required if the benefit received at no cost would, without an accommodation need, have a fee associated with it (such as a parking placard). HIPAA has nothing to do with this. HIPAA limits what medical information a Covered Entity like a doctor, hospital, or insurance company can disclose with and without a patient’s authorization.

HAL has a habit of not assigning accessible cabins to longer itineraries that are made up of shorter cruises. That improves access to a limited resource for those seeking one or more segments. It does make it a bit more challenging to book a longer itinerary. A cruise consultant can help string things together.

The walk is along a pretty busy commercial street for all but the last 200 feet, which are under the 17th street bridge.

I’m not quite sure what the OP means. Accessible cabin availability is what it is. There should be more accessible cabins, but there aren’t. $1 deposit doesn’t keep you from making a ressie for an available cabin. The limited number of accessible cabins may and usually does limit an upgrade, regardless of Club Orange or any other opportunity, and that does feel pretty rotten. It should be easy to implement a method for upgrading people from one accessible cabin to another, especially if they have opted into the ability to change cabins.

Disabled parking is limited and as I recall first-come, first served. You can drop bags and passengers before parking- that’s probably a good idea. Here’s a direct link to the parking services provider for Pier 91. The page acknowledges that there is disabled parking available, but is silent on whether the shuttle is accessible. Under federal law, it should be. but we know that compliance is often spotty, at best. There is a contact phone # for additional questions. https://cruiseseattleparking.com/#/pages/pier91