No shore excursions suitable for wheelchair users!?

[sanger727]

17 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

AMA Waterways has a gentle walking group which minimizes the distance required to walk by taking you in a small van/bus as close as possible to the attractions.  We have a 14 day cruise with them this summer.  They also have high and medium activity excursions.  It is a river cruise.

 

On our last Celebrity cruise (Edge Eastern Med) we checked with the excursions desk and they had zero, zip, nada excursions available for slow/gentle  walkers.  Therefore we did not book the cruise with Celebrity.

 

 

 

There is a big difference between gentle walking and wheel chair accessible. If you can't walk at all you are greatly limited by lack of wheel chair accessibility at tour sites and may also not be able to get into a standard van/bus.

[Chardonnay Char]

If I were you, I would look elsewhere -- like an all-inclusive that does accommodate folks in wheelchairs. Remember this:  the cruise lines may be hurting financially.  They (well Carnival, etc) did try to get in on the COVID funding,  But they have chosen to not be based in the U.S. -- hello, to not pay our taxes -- so they were not available for relief funding.  The point is: For that reason, I am not willing to accept less and pay more these days.  Spend your money where you will be taken care of. 

[plus-girl-travels]

The behind the scenes ship tour will include several areas with bulkhead doors that require you to step up and over the threshold - several inches.  They are taking you to employee only areas in lower decks that are not built for wheelchairs or scooters like the main passenger floors.  
 

I used tours by locals when my mother was no longer able to climb the couple of steps into the buses.  I do not expect old port cities like you listed to be very wheelchair friendly.  It just isn’t a thing like the US ADA laws.  

[JiggeryPokery]

On 3/27/2023 at 2:04 AM, jwlane said:

Should theater backstage and/or kitchen areas be accessible?

Well in the past , the tour of the kitchens used the lift. I was very suprised that the present tour did not

 

[jwlane]

38 minutes ago, JiggeryPokery said:

Well in the past 

 

That doesn't answer my question - should those areas be accessible? 

[mom says]

2 hours ago, jwlane said:

That doesn't answer my question - should those areas be accessible? 

Why should they be? Unless for occupational safety reasons; not for passenger convenience.  These are normally crew only areas.

[JiggeryPokery]

Perhaps they needn't be accessible, but, it may be in their own interests to may it more accessible if they continue to have tours of various parts of their ship, then it could attract wheelchair user - the value of 'the purple pound'. Also it would be more inclusive for prospective wheelchair using staff

[mom says]

1 hour ago, JiggeryPokery said:

Perhaps they needn't be accessible, but, it may be in their own interests to may it more accessible if they continue to have tours of various parts of their ship, then it could attract wheelchair user - the value of 'the purple pound'. Also it would be more inclusive for prospective wheelchair using staff

Why would it be in their own interests? Those tours sell out very quickly, even though they are not accessible. They would be incurring quite large costs at no fiscal benefit to themselves. And given the purposes of those areas, I highly doubt a w/c using crewmember would be employed there in the first place. When was the last time you saw a working crew member in a w/c below decks?

Edited March 28, 2023 by mom says

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, JiggeryPokery said:

Perhaps they needn't be accessible, but, it may be in their own interests to may it more accessible if they continue to have tours of various parts of their ship, then it could attract wheelchair user - the value of 'the purple pound'. Also it would be more inclusive for prospective wheelchair using staff

Someone must live in an alternate universe....

 

[phoenix_dream]

While I have great sympathy for those in this situation the bottom line is that cruise lines have to put their resources towards the majority of their passengers.  They can't be expected to satisfy all needs. They are a cruise line not a tour agency. There are independent tour agencies that do cater to those with various disabilities.  One should also note that Celebrity marketing is geared towards a younger crowd these days. And yes, there are disabled younger people but most I've seen on Celebrity just don't fit their target market so I don't expect this to change anytime soon.