Best Option for Interabled Family to Norway with High Service?

[Pinache]

Hi!

 

My husband and I are very frequent travelers.  For my parents' 70th birthdays, we are planning to take them to Amsterdam and a Norwegian cruise.  They are highly inexperienced travelers, however.   My mother is a pretty high anxiety traveler (this is her and my dad's life dream though), and has substantial mobility limitations, although is not in a wheelchair.   This means most walking will not appeal to her and is very challenging, stairs are very problematic, etc.  Excursion-wise we are looking for things she can do, as wellas are fine breaking off.

 

The more we can have things handled by the cruiseline, ensure transitions are smooth, and my parents (especially my mother) can be given as much information and support as possible the better.

 

We are looking at NCL the Haven because of their Butler service, or Viking.  Does anyone have opinions if either would meet their needs, general advice, or recommendation of other similar price point cruiselines that would be best suited for a lot of hand holding for mobility assistance and generally really not-savy travelers (we have traveled with them before, but are trying to get as much help as we can).

 

Thanks!

[1025cruise]

What type of assistance will you require on the ship? While butlers are there to assist, they are not caretakers. 

For mom, I would suggest getting her a scooter. 

[ColeThornton]

This forum may have some helpful information for you:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/

[GeezerCouple]

6 hours ago, Pinache said:

Hi!

 

My husband and I are very frequent travelers.  For my parents' 70th birthdays, we are planning to take them to Amsterdam and a Norwegian cruise.  They are highly inexperienced travelers, however.   My mother is a pretty high anxiety traveler (this is her and my dad's life dream though), and has substantial mobility limitations, although is not in a wheelchair.   This means most walking will not appeal to her and is very challenging, stairs are very problematic, etc.  Excursion-wise we are looking for things she can do, as wellas are fine breaking off.

 

The more we can have things handled by the cruiseline, ensure transitions are smooth, and my parents (especially my mother) can be given as much information and support as possible the better.

 

We are looking at NCL the Haven because of their Butler service, or Viking.  Does anyone have opinions if either would meet their needs, general advice, or recommendation of other similar price point cruiselines that would be best suited for a lot of hand holding for mobility assistance and generally really not-savy travelers (we have traveled with them before, but are trying to get as much help as we can).

 

Thanks!

 

If you are considering NCL because of the Haven, please keep in mind that the Haven, as nice as it may be with the extra services, is still on a large regular cruise line ship, and possibly on a very large ship.

That is, if (when!) you leave the Haven, you've left all of those special features and services behind.  Depending upon the particular cruise and how crowded it is, as well as the general ambiance of the full ship, there could be quite a difference indeed.

 

If your thinking about that is something like, "Well, we'll just stay in the Haven", then you might want to rethink sailing on a large ship with the "ship within a ship" experience.

A smaller premium or luxury line ship may be more toward your liking.  You wouldn't feel restricted, that you (or your parents or even just your mother) might not feel comfortable "anywhere on the ship".

 

On a smaller premium/luxury line ship, you'll likely get the services you desire without the possibly disruptive situations outside the Haven.  And you are less likely to feel that you can't make full use of all of the ship's amenities, etc.

 

GC

[fruitmachine]

Ask yourself whether she would cope with transfers to shore by tender; that may influence your selection of cruise-line and/or itinerary.

[mnocket]

You might consider MSC, but only in the Yacht Club.  The Yacht Club does the ship-within-a-ship concept much better than NCL Haven.  One caveat....  while some MSC ships have all Yacht Club features self-contained in one convenient area at the front of the ship, others  have the Yacht Club restaurant at the back of the ship separate from the rest of the Yacht Club.  This would be a long walk for so someone with mobility issues.

[JimmyTheSaint]

Having been to Norway on a cruise it's not somewhere I'd consider taking someone with limited mobility. The terrain is very hilly, a lot of the sights involve walking. The scenery is amazing and dramatic but best encountered by getting in to it, not by viewing it from a cruise ship balcony.

[SPacificbound]

Smaller size ship, and consider a wheel chair for her. She may not use it much, but even on a smaller size cruise ship there are some long walks involved, so she may use it quite a bit. Better have and not need, then need and not have.

 

[azalice]

I am in my 80s and slowing down (arthritis) in terms of being able to walk distances as I used to on my travels. So I find the smaller ships such as Azamara are wonderful. It is so much easier for me to get around the ship compared to most others. And I do chose more excursions that just bus you around to see things rather than the walking tours I used to do. It is my current reality so must deal with it or stop traveling.

[Eli_6]

My Mom is 76 and my Dad is 82.  I would take them to Alaska rather than Norway.  Similar experiences and not as much travel.  My uncle (who was in excellent health) dropped dead after a European cruise and international flight at age 70.  Having done Europe cruises, I wouldn't bring either of my parents on them. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Eli_6

[mrgabriel]

If your parents aren’t comfortable travelling, I would pick a place that you can fly to without connections, and where English is spoken. I think a Norwegian cruise would be lovely. There are lots of excursions that you can enjoy by coach. And many Norwegians speak excellent English. 
 

Are you wanting to go to Norway because it’s a family homeland? 
 

My sister has mobility issues and can’t walk more than about a block without assistance. They enjoy river cruises because there aren’t worries about rough seas and she can get close to the land. This summer they’re taking the whole family (19 in total) on an NCL cruise from Stockholm through Scandinavia and then winding up in Denmark. They think the ship they selected will be comfortable for her, and have enough to keep the kids busy. 

[Sea42]

You might find this thread helpful. They discuss what they did in Norway using a wheelchair but many of the details would be helpful for someone with limited mobility.