Vision of the Seas - Feb 2015 Accessible Review

[Branchan]

Hello,

I am new posting to reviews but I thought it may be helpful to others looking for some feedback on certain cruises. This is the 5th cruise we have done with RCI. Here's our feedback from our Feb 14th sailing on the Vision of the Seas.

 

Transportation

We used Super Shuttle for our accessible transportation from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the port. We have used this company once before and that time they were over an hour late to pick us up. This time I was a little skeptical but we decided to try them again. The accessible shuttle driver we had at the airport had never used the wheelchair lift before. He had to be shown by us to secure the chair and even work the lift. Not very impressed with that. The shuttle from the hotel to the port was much better and the driver knew what he was doing. Shuttle to the airport after the cruise was booked through Royal Caribbean was a large tour bus with a lift. They did not tether or lock down the chair at all which was strange for a commercial vehicle in the US.

 

Embarkation

Very easy and smooth check in. There was a special line for special needs so we were taken to that line and were checked in quickly. Once aboard there was just a short wait for the staterooms to be ready at 1pm. We headed to the Windjammer and as always it was crowded. We just grabbed our food and ate on the pool deck. It was pretty brisk in Tampa that day so we were chilly eating on the pool deck. Once we had our rooms, it was just a short amount time till we had our luggage. We had it all by dinnertime, which was nice. We unpacked and then it was time for the muster drill. Muster drill was at 3:30 and since this was a smaller ship the muster drill was on deck 5 outside. The last few cruises we were able to do the drill inside. Seeing as it was chilly outside and there is always an issue getting an elevator afterwards, we were able to stay in the casino and they had anyone with special needs do the muster inside.

 

Stateroom

We stayed in stateroom 7032, which is a wheelchair accessible balcony room. There is a bit of a lip getting into the room, which is odd because the standard rooms seemed more flush to the ground. Not a huge deal for a power chair but a manual chair may struggle a bit. The overall room was quite large and very spacious so it was easy for Shawn to maneuver around. The bathroom was large but the roll in shower part was a bit smaller than we are used to on other ships. While sitting in the commode chair Shawn's feet touched the wall. The only disappointment I found with this room is that when the pullout sofa was out, which they due at turndown in the evening, there was not enough space for Shawn to get through to sit out on the balcony and enjoy the evening. We could probably ask for it to be put down later but the problem still occurs in the morning. Shawn always orders breakfast room service because he likes to eat while on the balcony so with the sofa pulled out (where our son sleeps) he is not able to eat on the balcony. This is the first time this has been an issue for us and it may be due to the ship being older.