Golden Princess wheelchair access to balcony etc

[fenlander298]

I'm a paraplegic and use a manual wheelchair. I've cruised with RCL, NCL and Celebrity but not Princess. I'm interested in a Sth American cruise on Golden Princess. I like the look of the balcony cabins on the Caribe deck (eg C301/C303). I haven't been able to fiind any detailed information about wheelchair access on the Princess website.

 

I have read the older threads on the forum and wondered if anyone has sailed on Golden Princess in a wheelchair accessible balcony cabin recently? I would like to know whether there is still a threshold at the entrance to the cabin and whether there is still only a ramp on one side of the balcony threshold. Is there still a pull down shower bench to sit on in the shower? How about access to the outside decks? Is there a pool lift/hoist, if so to which pool/hottub? Also, is access to the steam room and sauna step-free (I read somewhere that there is no access to the Sanctury for wheelchair users - is this still the case)?

 

There are 3 tender ports on the itinerery (Falkland Islands/Punta Arenas/Puerto Montt). I understand there is a stair climber to get to the tender platform which I can transfer onto, but what about actually getting onto the tender? On my last cruise with Celebrity, the crew were very willing to push the chair onto the tender once I got myself down the stairs.

 

Grateful for any up to date info anyone can proivide (I'm aware the ship had a refit in 2012 and wondered whether access had changed). My TA has emailed my queries to Princess but I haven't heard back yet. Does anyone have a contact name/phone/email for Princess Access and Complianace team?

[Arlened236]

I'm a paraplegic and use a manual wheelchair. I've cruised with RCL, NCL and Celebrity but not Princess. I'm interested in a Sth American cruise on Golden Princess. I like the look of the balcony cabins on the Caribe deck (eg C301/C303). I haven't been able to fiind any detailed information about wheelchair access on the Princess website.

 

I have read the older threads on the forum and wondered if anyone has sailed on Golden Princess in a wheelchair accessible balcony cabin recently? I would like to know whether there is still a threshold at the entrance to the cabin and whether there is still only a ramp on one side of the balcony threshold. Is there still a pull down shower bench to sit on in the shower? How about access to the outside decks? Is there a pool lift/hoist, if so to which pool/hottub? Also, is access to the steam room and sauna step-free (I read somewhere that there is no access to the Sanctury for wheelchair users - is this still the case)?

 

There are 3 tender ports on the itinerery (Falkland Islands/Punta Arenas/Puerto Montt). I understand there is a stair climber to get to the tender platform which I can transfer onto, but what about actually getting onto the tender? On my last cruise with Celebrity, the crew were very willing to push the chair onto the tender once I got myself down the stairs.

 

Grateful for any up to date info anyone can proivide (I'm aware the ship had a refit in 2012 and wondered whether access had changed). My TA has emailed my queries to Princess but I haven't heard back yet. Does anyone have a contact name/phone/email for Princess Access and Complianace team?

I don't know when you will be on the Golden, but I will be on the ship in C303 next Aug. I am an amputee and use a maual w/c on shore, and an electric scooter on the ship. I have not cruised on the Golden before but I have been on the Grand Princess several times (her sister ship)

There has always been a pull down seat in the shower. and safety bars around the toilet. The accessible cabins are large and there is enough room for all my equipment. There has been a ramp on both sides of the threshold of the deck, so I spend enjoyable time on my balcony.

As far as a lift into the pools...I heard that there is one but I have never used it...I manage to get into the pool and hot tub on my bottom up and down the stairs.

As far as the Sanctuary, it is not accessible on the Grand and I think that is the same on the Golden.

Princess has required me to walk on the tender (with my prosthesis)and then they fold and put my chair on board. They assisted me, but could not carry on someone that could not walk on.

You asked about the decks being accessible..there are ramps to the outside decks but not all doors are automatic, I soon learned which ones were and used them. I cannot answer about the sauna/steam room because I never used them...

Another tip..if you book the Golden...ask for anytime dining...the traditional dining room is only accessed by 2 elevators at the rear of the ship(there are 4 elevators but only 2 go to deck 6) and there are no bathrooms on that level

If you trip is after august I will be happy to answer all your questions then.

Remember my opinions were from the Grand Princess but I think they are the same for the Golden.

Hope this helped

Arlene

[fenlander298]

Thank you Arlene. Very useful tip about the MDR and elevators, I was thinking of opting for anytime dining and will definitely do so now. My trip won't be until 2015, so please do let me know how your August cruise goes and if you can find answers to my questions, I'd be really grateful for your first hand experience.

 

many thanks, Linda

[Arlened236]

Linda I have added you to my contact list so I won't forget your information and I can send you the info you want about the Golden Princess after our family cruise to Alaska.

Arlene

[Splinter]

Princess will not take you on a tender. Their requirements are that you instead get out of your wheelchair and walk onto the tender, and will allow you to take your folding wheelchair onto the tender by someone carrying it on. So for the ports you mention, you will not get to those ports at all.

 

Have you looked at doing the same cruise on HAL?? We did it in 2001 and were on HAL ships that had tender lifts for wheelchairs. We went from Santiago, Chile to Rio in Brazil.

 

We were able to get ashore at Puerto Mont easily because that ship was at a pier (and we hired a car service for a lovely tour of the area). In Puenta Arenas though even though we were able to get onto the tender, shoreside was a nightmare as it required the chair (and my mother) to be carried overhead their heads by shoreside crew up a whole flight of stairs with no guardrail...in the rain. It was very scary. If you can get ashore in the Falklands (often cancelled due to weather), the town of Stanley is fairly accessible, but at least when we were there, the tours around the rest of the island, including the penguin shuttle, were not.

 

We found everyone in South America more than willing to help us ashore. This includes lifting my mother into regular vans (no lift vans except in Santiago) for private tours, help getting up whole flights of stairs for entertainment and in museums, etc. If you go to Rio, there are now wheelchair accessible features for access to both Sugarloaf and the Christ the Redeemer statue (not to be missed). The cogwheel rail to the latter is NOT accessible though, and buses are not allowed up to the base of the statue, so be sure to get a car or van tour or hire there.

 

If you go with HAL, just be sure that you get a fully wheelchair accessible cabin, not one of the "modified" accessible cabins they also have, which would not meet your needs.

[fenlander298]

Thank you Splinter. We had a v bad experience with HAL (across the Pacific) - the air con didn't work, access to the balcony was awful and to cap it all the special tender lift was out of action for the entire cruise - so I didn't get ashore at any of the islands, so I haven't cruised with them again. I know many people recommend them, but I haven't been tempted to give them another chance. So far I think I've liked Celebrity the best for access and helpfulness of crew/officers, but their Sth America cruises are much dearer for balcony cabins than Princess. I didn't reckon that I'd be able to go ashore at the tender ports, but always worth checking. I'm not too worried about missing Stanley in the Falklands and I have read that sometimes Puerto Mont although shown as a tender port sometimes changes to a docked port (I'll keep my fingers crossed). I was also looking at the cruises from Rio, but was thinking of waiting til 2016 when there should be much better access for the paralympics.

[keep on cruising]

Fendlander, you must have been on the same South Pacific cruise on the Zaandam that we were on. My DH is an amputee and cannot walk at all so it was very disappointing not to be able to get off in Kona or Akora. I don't think he could have gotten off on any of the small islands even if the tender lift was functioning. My DH was able to access our balcony. Fortunately we had air con and didn't have a pipe break in our room as others on both sides of us did so it was a good cruise.

 

We have sailed on the Noordam since and found the accessible balcony room a very strange configuration and had to have furniture removed to make the room work. There were no tender ports on that cruise so I can't comment on if the tender lifts really do work.

 

We have taken a few cruises on Princess since his amputation and will be on the Grand Princess in February. He was always able to access our Caribe balcony.

 

We have found that the crews on both lines are always willing to help - and in the Pacific some of those gangways were really high - and required 3 people to get him up and down - always with a smile.