New to cruising

[msbella14]

Hi all!

 

So, my friend and I are looking for a fun summer trip. Both of us have never been on a cruise. My friend is in a wheelchair. Any ideas on anything, best ships, best cruise lines any info would be get!:)

[Scrapnana]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

What port would you like to sail from? How long a cruise do you want? Any place you really want to visit?

 

Give us some more information and you are bound to get some good suggestions.

[msbella14]

Not sure about where to leave from. He lives in Missouri and I live in North Carolina. So I guess a port on the East coast would be best.

As for length at least a week and we would love to see just about anything or anywhere.:)

The Virgin Islands would be fun.

 

Like I said so new to this but from what little I have read it is doable and sounds fun! We would love ports that have good beach access and hopefully free beach wheelchair rentals.

 

He's one of my best friends and haven't seen each other in over 5 years. We want to have fun that's most important.

Thanks again for any help:)

[John Bull]

As your friend will know, a wheelchair can be problematic.

Not for getting around the ship - all cruise ships these days are well-equipped to cater for those in wheelchairs, and crew are remarkably attentive & obliging to those in chairs. :)

 

But it would help if you can give us some idea of your friend's mobility. Can stand? Can walk short distances & get in & out of vehicles unaided? Or totally chair-bound? Or something in-between?

 

Regular cabins are small & would be a little cramped but workable with a folded-up chair (though not likely a mobility scooter) - it's how your friend would get on with a tiny bathroom, small shower & usually no tub, and with a raised door threshold.

So you may need an adapted cabin - they often book-out early, so early booking probably makes sense.

 

Also consider the cruise line's policy on mobility scooters. They would make life easier on the ship, and you can rent scooters in some ports where you start your cruise, & on some ships. But some cruise lines won't allow a scooter unless the passenger is in an adapted cabin or a suite (strict adherence to fire regulations regarding obstructions like scooters left in corridors).

 

You may need to stick to ports where ships berth at the pier - at some ports the ship moors off-shore and passengers are ferried ashore in boats (called tenders), and your friend could be refused passage in a tender if he can't take his own weight to step from ship to boat (though crew will help him). That restriction varies a lot from ship to ship & might depend on sea conditions. In all cases crew can load & unload the empty chair. If this is going to be a problem, try to avoid itineraries which include tenders. Usually cruise lines indicate such ports on their itineraries with a little anchor by the name of the port or a note "ashore by tender" or similar.

 

Again, the level of your friend's mobility will dictate transportation ashore. Finding space for a folded-up chair is usually OK, but vehicles adapted for loading chairbound passengers are few & far between in ports in places like the Caribbean.

 

If the chair might be a significant issue, there's a forum for disabled cruising here on Cruise Critic

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=190

 

Stacks of folk with disabilities enjoy cruising, you just need to be aware of the issues and their get-arounds

 

JB :)

Edited December 28, 2016 by John Bull

[sanger727]

While I don't have much knowledge about cruising in a wheelchair. Def Agree with trying to book an accessible room. Normal rooms are generally very cramped. And choosing docking ports over tender ports.

 

For lines, we have sailed carnival, Norwegian, and celebrity.

Carnival is generally the cheapest and they have many more itinerary options. The buffet is good, especially if you get one with the burrito place and guys burgers. We found the shows on carnival the worst though. 3 different shows on a 7 night cruise played over and over again and all were singing and dancing.

 

Norwegian had the best evening entertainment. If you do a pre-epic ship, there will be one main theater with a different show every night. If you do one of the mega ships they have a few production shows that are played multiple time, but we found them much better than carnivals. NCL's main selling point right now is that when you book you get 'perks'. Insides and sometimes ocean views get 1, sometimes ocean views and balconies get 2, suites get all. Perks vary month to month but usually include free alcoholic beverages, free specialty dining, shore excursion credits, internet, etc.

 

Celebrity was good also, but usually is more expensive. They will have one theater with a different show every night, varies from singing and dancing, to magician, to a string quartet. Celebrity often runs specials with perks, requires a minimum oceanview to get anything. Then the price is based on the number of perks you want. Similar in nature to Norwegian.

 

Don't want to go into specific port advice just because I have no idea what's better for wheelchair accessibility. Good luck!

 

 

 

 

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[Nitemare]

A travel agent who specializes in cruises that you can talk to is the best asset in this case. They get paid by the cruiseline, not by you, and it's in their best interest to make you happy so you keep using them.

 

Get a pro to help you who cares about you. Use Cruise Critic to weigh options, but start with all your options available. Everyone here has biases towards their favorite cruise lines, ships, and ports.

[msbella14]

Thank you! I will definitely do that. Do you have any favorites?

[Bonnie J.]

If you book now you should be able to get a handicapped cabin. These are perfect for someone in a wheel chair. Everything has a flat floor, no steps. The bathroom is huge and the shower has a pull down seat and there are handrails everywhere they should be. The only possible drawback is that there are two closets, not three. We have had these cabins and I take an over the door hanger thing. It sort of a 'hook' I can hang my dresses on if its too tight in the closet. One of the closets usually has shelves and the safe might be in it. I have seen wheel chairs left in the hall but they should be folded up if they're not IN the cabin.

On Carnival some of the handicapped have cabin doors that automatically open when you put you card in it. But, it will not close for 10 seconds to give a wheel chair time to get in or out of the cabin.

Unfortunately I have never seen a beach wheelchair in any ports. Maybe a hotel on a beach might have them.

If you have to tender in, I have seen crew lifting a wheel chair to get it on the tender .

Just remembered Carnival's island, Half Moon Cay, has brick paths along the beach. You must tender in but the tenders have a ramp to get off and then on in this port. Check with Carnival. Maybe they do have beach wheel chairs.

Another thing, ships leaving from Port Canaveral use the airport in Orlando. That is a good one hour drive from the port. So try Fort Lauderdale or Miami or even San Juan. You have a good choice of ports to visit from these towns.

Watch out though, you'll get hooked on cruising!

And in the future, ships leave from Charleston, SC but most are only 5 days. An easy drive from NC.

[Nic6318]

Hi all!

 

So, my friend and I are looking for a fun summer trip. Both of us have never been on a cruise. My friend is in a wheelchair. Any ideas on anything, best ships, best cruise lines any info would be get!:)

 

 

Hi Msbella

 

My advice would be to look through this web site thoroughly. On the "main forum page", you will see threads dedicated to each cruise line. Go to them and read some of the comments...ask people on those threads why they think that particular cruise line is special.

 

On that main forum page you will see listings for the "port of calls". You can find all kinds of information about each port in the Caribbean, including tour and activities available as well as prices. Same for the "departure ports" threads, take a look at them. They have information about hotels, restaurants, and local transportation.

 

As far as your friend being confined to a wheelchair, he knows is ability but one thing I would suggest is that you should avoid ports that require a tender to get off the ship. There are only a handful of these ports.

 

I would try and find a friend who has cruised a bit, they would also be able to give you some useful information. If you don't know somebody like that then I would suggest finding a travel agent who has had a lot of experience traveling on cruise ships as well as dealing with the cruise lines. To that point, when you ask which are the best cruise lines, that necessarily depends on what you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend. Unless you are willing to put in the time on research, a good travel agent would be able to help you evaluate the "value" of spending more on some more upscale cruise lines. For many, spending a little more is well worth it. It is a decision you will have to make, maybe not this time but in future cruises.

 

hope this helps

have a great cruise

[cb at sea]

All of the "private island/beaches" that any cruise line uses will have "beach wheelchairs" to help non-mobile folks get to their "spot" on the beach. But, other beaches in ports will NOT have them.

[luddite]

Hi all!

 

So, my friend and I are looking for a fun summer trip. Both of us have never been on a cruise. My friend is in a wheelchair. Any ideas on anything, best ships, best cruise lines any info would be get!:)

 

Yup! Use Cruise Critic as a research tool.

[crystalspin]

Thank you! I will definitely do that. Do you have any favorites?

 

We can't mention the names of travel agents -- a number of online agents sponsor the day-to-day expenses of Cruise Critic!

 

If either of you have friends who have cruised you could ask them for recommendations. At least some (if not all) cruiselines have Personal Cruise Consultants (PCCs) who will help you through e-mail and phone convos, as well -- I have never used one to book (I went from using a local TA to booking myself), but intend to at least on Holland America as the one assigned to me saved my bacon (i.e. my DEPOSIT!) when I had to cancel on Christmas Eve and the main phone numbers were all on holiday recording with no ability to leave a message.

[OCruisers]

A travel agent who specializes in cruises that you can talk to is the best asset in this case. They get paid by the cruiseline, not by you, and it's in their best interest to make you happy so you keep using them.

 

Get a pro to help you who cares about you. Use Cruise Critic to weigh options, but start with all your options available. Everyone here has biases towards their favorite cruise lines, ships, and ports.

 

So agree! A good travel agent would be so helpful to you.

Picking an itinerary with port stops where you dock, not tender, would work best for you.

[Karysa]

Hi all!

 

So, my friend and I are looking for a fun summer trip. Both of us have never been on a cruise. My friend is in a wheelchair. Any ideas on anything, best ships, best cruise lines any info would be get!:)

 

How about Bermuda? I have never been but it's definitely on my list for a summer cruise.

[Beachdude]

From the perspective of a great summer cruise, I always like to suggest Alaska because the ship is always so close to land that you only have to look out the window to see something new and breathtaking.

 

Burt

[XBGuy]

Msbella, there have been a lot of good suggestions in response to your queries. I particularly endorse the recommendation of working with a travel agent. I really think a travel agent will help you feel good about your decisions.

 

I am going to add a couple of items, that many do not care to consider. Both of these come under the category of "Do Not Try to Go 'On the Cheap' for Your First Cruise."

 

• Buy Travel Insurance. Stuff happens. A couple hundred bucks, or so, won't stop that stuff from happening, but it can ameliorate the pain, a bit.
   
  
• Make sure you and your friend have current passports. A lot of people will now jump in here and say, "I've cruised lots of times, and I've never had to carry a passport." To which, I, again, reply, "Stuff happens." I have two friends who were taken off ships on gurneys in a foreign port. The ships continued their itineraries while my friends were hospitalized. It was then up to their wives to arrange transportation back to the United States. Of course, in order to travel back to the U.S. you must be able to prove citizenship. A passport is gold-plated proof. If either you or your friend do not have a current passport--and some cruise lines insist that in order to be "current" it cannot be within six months of expiration--then make sure you start the process. There are numerous reports here on Cruise Critic that passport requests are being turned around very quickly, these days.
  

 

Have a great time.