Handicapped on ship

[mdeane]

Although we are diamond members, we have not sailed since my husbands stroke. He is wheelchair bound and I cannot remember if we can easily access the areas of the ship. Funny how one does not pay attention if not affected. Any experience tips will be appreciated.

[Texalana]

Although we are diamond members, we have not sailed since my husbands stroke. He is wheelchair bound and I cannot remember if we can easily access the areas of the ship. Funny how one does not pay attention if not affected. Any experience tips will be appreciated.

Check out the Disabled Cruisers Forum. There is loads of info there and people are very helpful if you have specific questions. Here is the link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=190 To answer your question, though, most ships today are very wheelchair accessible in almost all areas. :)

[NorbertsNiece]

Hi,

 

Sorry to read about your husband's poor health.

 

Have you told RCCL of your situation? Email special_needs@rccl.com and start that conversation if you haven't. Do you have an accessible room booked?

[Trainman-2]

RCI Ships are handicapped friendly!

 

Be sure to ask for a handicapped cabin. There is no extra charge for them.

 

The only problem you may encounter is rude people trying to push past you to get into or out of the elevators.

[lovn2liv]

I agree with the post that the Elevators are the most challenging. I had never thought about what the challenges of waiting for an elevator were until we had my mom on the ship in a wheelchair. She had no choice...she couldn't run up one or two or three flights (and believe me, she would have loved to) if elevators were full or lines were heavy. I was shocked to see and experience the inconsideration other cruisers practiced when it came to riding those elevators knowing there was someone wheelchair bound waiting for them too. I was ignorant to it in my lifetime until I relied on the elevators with my mother. People jump in to beat the chair where believe me, I could have pushed my Mom in these elevators like a charged up rocket, knocking anyone out of the way, however, with the sake of hurting others, we weren't agressive with the "ironsides", plus my mom would have killed us. I carried a chip on my shoulder without a doubt towards people on that cruise that had no conscience until I realized sometimes we are just ignorant to the experiences of others. I got better results when I would spin my Mom around so we were facing the crowd waiting for the elevators and people didn't seem to try to cut in as badly and gave us time to board. We would talk to the group and they instinctively held back from boarding. Try it...see what happens. Now, if there is someone in a chair, I gladly give them my spot and wait for the next one or trek the stairs for maybe God is reminding me that I need the exercise.

 

Good Luck! Some of those ships are NOT wheel chair friendly. I loved the Crown and the Emerald (Princess), but it made it difficult to get around when you had to rely on the elevators. The main dining rooms were a nightmare to get to if you didn't take the right elevator. You had to go out to the promenade deck and make your way around to another elevator. It was weird and confusing. Now with a woman who cares about her hair, she would go nuts because of the wind out on the promenade deck would mess up her hair. It has been awhile...so as someone else posted, there is a link that gives you great information, dig in to that post. I can only imagine how helpful that will be. We also brought her electric wheel chair (huge). We used it one day and ended up using her push wheel chair because of the crowds and her inability to manage the speed. She is a fast driver. I was afraid she would take out someones heels.

 

Good luck.

 

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[ryano]

As a wheelchair bound cruiser, I can tell you firsthand, that RCI ships are VERY accessible! Even the older ships like Monarch dont present much problems. Do get an accessible cabin though for sure! There are very few areas like the helipad on ships that have them that he wont be able to get to but other than that, there arent many issues.

 

The elevators can be a pain but as long as you arent in a big hurry, they arent too bad.

 

Every RCI ship has one lift for a pool and one lift for a hottub as well and the crew will gladly help get him in the pool if he wants to.

 

A++++ to RCI as far as accessbility at sea goes.

[138east]

Be creative with the elevators. I can't tell you how many times I rode up with my mom to go down to dinner! A location near the aft elevators is best on most of the RCL ships.

[ryano]

Be creative with the elevators. I can't tell you how many times I rode up with my mom to go down to dinner! A location near the aft elevators is best on most of the RCL ships.

 

Excellent point! If you find an elevator with room in it, GET ON there no matter where its going!

[luckyprincess]

Hi! This isn't about the ship itself per se but it was something I noticed. A while ago there was a post about Samana and someone posted that those in scooters and wheelchairs couldn't go aboard. Lots of posters argued that point so I made sure I found where it was printed in the compass. Just something to think about as you plan your ports. There was a whole group of people in scooters on our cruise and I felt bad that on a 10 day cruise with only 4 ports they couldn't go to shore on one of them.

 

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[xxoocruiser]

Agree with the elevator situation. I always get on the first open elevator regardless of direction. Additionally I find that avoiding the bank of elevators that's the most direct route to the pool/buffet deck is a good thing. Particularly if it's a sea day. Basically going to the fartherest opposite elevators works best. At dinner time arrive a few minutes late to avoid the elevator crowd and the crowd of people waiting to get into the MDR as if the food is going to run out anytime soon.

 

Other than that I find cruising to be my best travel option with a disability. Have been on several cruise lines. Before becoming disabled HAL was my perference. However now cruising with a disability and needing to use a mobility scooter hands down I prefer RCCL. Think part of it as that RCCL has partnered with Make-A-Wish Foundation which has raised their awareness of the need of cruise ships being more accessible.

 

Also recommend that you select a ship built after 2002 as they tend to be the most accessible. Additionally when selecting an itinerary best to select one with little to no tender ports. It is the polciy of most cruise lines that unless you're able to walk a few steps and use a foldable wheelchair you will not be allowed on the tender. Though as the previous poster stated ,ther are some on CC that will agrue that point. Botton line it's best to go with the expectation that you will not be allowed on the tender and if for some lucky reason you are than that's just a added bonus for the cruise. For this reason the ship is generally my destination of choice with the ports being an optional bonus.

[ibcnusoon]

I cruised with my Dad last year. He walks with a cane but for long distances he needs a wheelchair. I decided to invest in a folding wheelchair and it worked like a charm the entire week. In dining rooms they sat us close to the main entrance and in port, we just wheeled Dad off the ship, grab a taxi or van and off we went, having the folding chair helped him get to excursions everywhere with us.

 

We originally were thinking of getting him a scooter but this worked out better, I didn't mind pushing him around in the chair on the ship and at port.

 

The elevators were our biggest challenge, passengers have no respect for a disabled person in a wheelchair, I don't know how many times groups of families were cut in front of us to jump in the elevator. I couldn't believe it, they saw us standing there first waiting! Finally, since we were traveling with the 6 of us, we eventually had each of us stand in front of all the elevators and the first one that opened, we'd all make a jump for it. It's a horrible way to deal with the elevator situation and a wheelchair, but it worked.

[jamscckmc]

I will be bringing my mom on the Grandeur to Bermuda in May. She can walk but not long distances. We are doing Baltimore because she can no longer fly. She can not walk uphil so I will push her up the ramps. She wants to walk in to the dining room, can we leave her W/C outside the dining room and theater?

 

My biggest concern is the muster. If you can't do stairs do they let you use the elevators and if in a wheelchair do they take you to an indoor muster? I don't remember seeing any W/CSs outside at the muster. One thing I loved about Princess is having the muster stations inside not out in the heat/cold/wind!

[Mama24]

I use a wheelchair full time, and I was allowed to use the elevators to get to the muster drill. The muster station we were assigned to was outside on deck 5. The crew member in charge also put our party on the outside edge of the crowd and allowed me to leave a minute or so early to get to the elevators.

 

This was before the Costa Concordia disaster, so it may be different now.

[ryano]

. If you can't do stairs do they let you use the elevators and if in a wheelchair do they take you to an indoor muster? I don't remember seeing any W/CSs outside at the muster.

 

I have done both inside and outside muster drills. On my Freedom cruise last April, I was outside on the deck under the lifeboats. They will let you use the elevators. The crew member in charge of my station put me on the outside so it was easy to leave and he let me go a minute or so early as to avoid the crowds.