Ruby Princess and disabled daughter? Did I make a mistake?

[GwenyP]

Hi, we just booked an Eastern Caribbean Thanksgiving cruise for my family, my sister's family and my parents. My oldest daughter, 7 years old, has a disability and we use a wheelchair for her. She can walk with assistance holding her hands but not for long distances. We have previously sailed with Carnival several times (four cruises for her, 6 for us) and they have always been very good about accommodating her needs with her food requirements and the kids club.

 

Since we booked the trip I've read some not-so-flattering things about how Princess handles those with disabilities and I'm worried for her. One of the things that concerns me is tendering to Princess Cays. She's just over 50 pounds and my husband will, of course, be with me to assist. I'm worried they won't let her on the tender. Her chair folds up and she could sit on my lap. Any experiences with this??

 

Does the kids club work well with kids with disabilities? My daughter doesn't need one-on-one care and can play independently but she won't necessarily be able to participate in activities similiar to other kids her age.

 

Also, how well to they accommodate food requirements? My daughter eats mostly soft foods and Carnival was always very good about pureeing whatever she needs or making something special for her.

 

I've also noticed that they don't have a Special Needs department like Carnival to discuss these things with beforehand. Or is there??

 

I'm really hoping we haven't made a bad choice here. We've been wanting to try a different line but I'm starting to second guess.

[WEELYNCRUZER]

I have been on 10 Princess cruises. I'm in a chair and can't walk at all. Princess is way ahead of carnival when it comes to special needs. The Ruby is a great ship. Enjoy your self and your daughter. Remember today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.

[kitty9]

Here's the information from Princess' website:

 

 

Princess Cruises makes every effort to accommodate our passengers with disabilities. Have your travel agent notify us of your wheelchair usage and/or any special needs prior to sailing. We have wheelchair accessible staterooms on all Princess cruise ships. If you require a mobility device, you must provide your own. You can pre-reserve a wheelchair and have it and other medical equipment delivered to the ship by contacting Special Needs at 1-800-513-4515 or at http://www.specialneedsatsea.com. When bringing your own wheelchair, we highly recommend collapsible wheelchairs, as the width of the stateroom doors varies. Some Princess ships have areas that are not wheelchair accessible.

 

Accessibility varies widely on pre- and post-cruise land tours and hotel packages. Not all providers have lift-equipped transportation options and when available, arrangements must be secured in advance. The maximum weight of the wheelchair and the guest cannot exceed 600 lbs on transportation lifts. For pre- or post-cruise land tours, please contact the Access Office at 1-661-284-4521 with questions or concerns. You may also fax your request to the Access Office at 1-661-284-4408.

 

If you have purchased a Princess Transfer at the start or end of the cruise, be aware that lift-equipped transportation may not be available in your port of embarkation or disembarkation. Arrangements must be secured in advance by contacting the Access Office as soon as possible.

 

Passengers utilizing mobility devices with batteries are advised that the batteries must be a dry cell type and must be stored and recharged in the stateroom. Mobility devices of any kind, like other items, may not be left outside the stateroom.

 

Because we are not staffed with specially-trained personnel to assist passengers with physical challenges, we recommend you be accompanied by someone who is physically able to assist you both onboard and on shore if necessary. Travelers with disabilities should check in with the onboard Tour Office to ensure all pre-reserved tours can accommodate their needs. Not all port facilities are accessible for those using mobility devices. Ports of call may be accessed by a variety of methods including, but not limited to, a ramped gangway, series of steps or by tender. In some cases, you may be able to access the tender; however, the shore side facility is not accessible. With your safety and comfort in mind, the decision to permit or prohibit passengers from going ashore will be made on each occasion by the ship's Captain, and the decision is final. Those ports which normally use tenders to access the shore are noted on the itinerary.

 

In many ports of call, a mechanism known as a "stair climber" is used to assist passengers up and down the gangway. This requires that passengers transfer to a Princess wheelchair which is then connected to the stair climber and operated by the ship's personnel. If you cannot transfer or your personal mobility device cannot be easily disembarked due to size or weight, you may be precluded from going ashore.

 

If you are traveling with a service animal, please be aware that Princess requires a written notice in advance. Entry regulations vary from port to port, and there are some ports that prohibit the landing of animals altogether. Passengers are advised to consult the local authorities at each port of call prior to departure for the necessary documentation. Princess does not provide food for service animals. The choice of dog litter material is limited and varies by ship and location.

 

Princess ships are equipped with "All-In-One Kits" including a TTY that can be placed in most passenger cabins and arranged at Princess Wilderness Lodges. Additionally, all televisions onboard provide closed captioning and most onboard theaters are equipped with assistive listening devices. Electric outlets in most staterooms are limited to one and it is helpful to travel with an extension cord if you are using electrical equipment. Princess is pleased to have available JAWS Professional software with a KOSS-TD/80 headset available on one terminal in each Internet Café on every Princess cruise ship.

 

You can take care of special requests by calling their Access Office.

[katisdale]

I think you will be pleased with Princess. I am opposite from you in that I am going on my first Carnival Cruise next April (Fantasy out of Charleston because we can drive there) and a little worried about the accessible cabin we have gotten. You won't have any problem using the tender. They will not carry her in her wheelchair into the tender but because you will do that it won't be a problem. If the wheelchair will fold that won't be a problem either. I really like the layout of the accessible cabin on Princess. The bathroom is roll-in and the shower has a fold down seat. There is enough room to store the chair in the room without having it in the way the entire time. I think you will have a great time.

[Mindy97]

About your daughter's food...on the first day, there will be a time (and unfortunately a line) to see the Maitre D' or one of the dining captains. You should go to that, regardless of what you've told the special needs department about your daughter's food needs.

 

The person there will make note and will bring you menus for the next day at dinnertime to see what you would like for your daughter. They can adapt most things, I think. If nothing looks good, suggest something, and they will probably be able to do it if they have the supplies. Don't forget to look at both the children's and adult's menus. This system works well; I've known people who have gluten problems, and even with Anytime Dining they did a perfect job for her.

 

M.

[jennan76]

You can reach the Princess Access Department by calling:

 

(661) 284-4521

 

Or you can email:

 

accessoffice@princesscruises.com

[jennan76]

Here is what the Princess site reads:

 

"Princess makes every effort to accommodate our passengers with disabilities, but you can ensure a successful trip by working with us in advance.

 

"Have your travel agent notify us of your wheelchair usage, special needs, and/or service animal before your voyage. Notices and requests must be made in writing and faxed to the Princess Access office at 661-284-4408 at least 30 days prior to sailing.

 

"If you have questions about the program, please call the Princess Access office at 661-284-4521.

 

"All Princess ships have wheelchair-accessible staterooms, but we highly recommend collapsible wheelchairs, as the widths of the stateroom doors vary. You may bring your own, or you can pre-reserve a wheelchair and have it and other medical equipment delivered to the ship by contacting [CareVacations at 877-478-7827 or carevacations.com.] Some areas on some ships are not wheelchair accessible.

 

"Passengers utilizing mobility devices with batteries are advised that the batteries must be a dry cell type, and must be stored and recharged in the stateroom. Mobility devices of any kind, like any other items, may not be left outside the stateroom. Because of staffing limitations, we recommend you be accompanied by someone who is physically able to assist you both onboard and onshore.

 

"Travelers with disabilities should check in with the onboard Tour Office to ensure all shore excursions can accommodate them. Not all port facilities are accessible for those using mobility devices. Ports may be accessed by a variety of methods including a ramped gangway, a series of steps or by tender. In some cases, you may be able to access the tender, but the shoreside facility will not be accessible. Many ports of call use a mechanism known as a “stair climber” to assist passengers up and down the gangway. Passengers must transfer to a Princess wheelchair, which is connected to the stair climber and operated by the ship’s personnel. If you cannot transfer or your personal mobility device cannot be easily disembarked, you may be precluded from going ashore. With your safety and comfort in mind, the decision to permit or prohibit passengers from going ashore will be made on each occasion by the ship’s Captain, and the decision will be final. Ports that normally use tenders to access the shore are noted on the itinerary.

 

"The maximum weight of the wheelchair including guest cannot exceed 600 lbs. on transportation lifts. If you have purchased a Princess Transfer at the start or end of the cruise, be aware that lift-equipped transportation may not be available in your port of embarkation or disembarkation.

 

"Tender Port Policy

 

"The goal of Princess Cruises is to provide a safe comfortable cruise experience for all passengers. If you will be using a mobility device during your sailing we strongly recommend you travel with a person physically fit to assist with your needs both onboard and ashore.

 

"Embarking and disembarking can be challenging for those with limited mobility. Many major ports of call provide easy access for wheelchairs and scooters. However due to various conditions; steepness of the gangway, weather, shore-side facilities, tidal and sea conditions, passengers using mobility devices may be required to transfer to a stair climber or be precluded from going ashore. Princess staff will make every effort to assist but are not allowed to individually physically lift more than 50 pounds (22 kg).

 

"Some ports of call require the ship to anchor off shore. Passengers are then taken to shore by small boats or tenders. When tendering is required, passengers using mobility devices will not be transferred into or out of the tender, if lifting in excess of the above limitation is required. Many tender ports do not provide wheelchair access so even if the passenger can board the tender they may not be able to disembark ashore. Again the shore-side facilities, movement of the tender, weather and tidal conditions can also preclude tendering.

 

"The decision to allow any passenger to board a tender or disembark the vessel will be made by the Captain on the basis of the safety and welfare of all involved and is final.

 

"If passengers are unable to tender or disembark because of circumstances outlined above there will be no refund or credit for missed ports. While Princess recognizes your disappointment the safety of both passengers and crew takes precedence."

[PrincessPeggyLynn]

My husband is a full time wheelchair user and we love cruising. We especially love the Ruby as it is the most independently accessible ship we have been on. Tenders can be a problem because of the seas. If it is very rough, the ship might not even stop at Princess Cays. If the water is just rough, the captain may make the decision that anyone with a mobility disability cannot use the tender for safety reasons. We have used the tender at Princess Keys (my husband remains in his chair) and other times, we could not. The last thing you want to do is get injured on vacation so trust the captain's judgement!

 

You received excellent guidance from others on contacting their accessibility office and speaking with the maitre d.

 

So just enjoy, relax and have a great time.

 

Maggie

[Putterdude]

We were on the Ruby in January and DW is disabled. We were extremely pleased with the accessibility of the ship. You should have not problems with Princess Cays so long as the water is calm. We have found that Princess handles disabled people with a great deal of dignity and couldn't be more pleased with them.