European Cruises with Limited Mobility

[mbrusyo]

I'm looking into options for a European vacation next year, hopefully visiting Italy and/or Greece. My first choice would be an NCL cruise and there are many great options, but I am worried about how my mother in law will do if she has mobility issues. Are all the cruise ports tender ports? She has a hard time walking, so I don't know that it would work well for her. Any advice?

[DCGuy64]

39 minutes ago, mbrusyo said:

I'm looking into options for a European vacation next year, hopefully visiting Italy and/or Greece. My first choice would be an NCL cruise and there are many great options, but I am worried about how my mother in law will do if she has mobility issues. Are all the cruise ports tender ports? She has a hard time walking, so I don't know that it would work well for her. Any advice?

Pack your patience, is what I'd say. My mom was wheelchair-bound when she and my dad did a Mediterranean cruise from Rome back in 2011. She wanted to see stuff on land, and that's where it gets tricky. A LOT of towns in Italy have cobblestone streets, few if any wheelchair ramps, and not a ton of elevators. The exceptions I've seen are places like the Vatican and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. They have dedicated entrances for those needing accessible entry. But pushing my mom around Venice (which is nothing but bridges) and Assisi (which is very hilly) was quite challenging. I don't know where you live, but Italy is NOT set up like the US in terms of accommodating people with mobility issues, although it has improved substantially since I first visited in 1984.

[kitkat343]

Someone asked about port cancellations in Europe and I was looking at some recent reviews of Getaway cruises, and I think based on the recent reviews of the getaway this might be difficult for your MIL.

 

 

The times in port were cut after final payment, and on at least one cruise the number of tender ports increased from one to three after final payment.   People reported significant issues with tenders, especially in Santorini (which is absolutely beautiful but might be difficult to navigate). 

 

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=703352

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=703328

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=703310

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=702872

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=702687

 

Have you considered a Baltic cruise?  Or Norway?  The ships dock very close to the city center in the Baltics (or they did prior to St. Petersburg being cut; I'm not familiar with the replacement ports) and if you are thinking the summer the weather would be much better in Northern Europe.  Norway was very accessible for families and travelers with disabilities.

 

If you do go, normally I advise families and travelers with disabilities to use private tours, but you need to be careful since some ports were cancelled entirely and converted to sea days, and other port days were shortened so you need to carefully check cancellation policies prior to booking private tours.

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by kitkat343

[Girr]

You don't say what cruise so I don't know what ports are involved, but no, most aren't tender ports.  For the most part with a mobility scoter getting off/on the ship is easy and can be rented for a cruise. However, as mentioned cobblestone streets make it very challenging.  I just spent a month in Italy with DH who uses a motorized wheelchair (one of the newer lightweight folding ones), and overall we left the wheelchair for the most part in our hotel/apartment.  It was just too painful/difficult.  Another important disadvantage was going during the height of tourist season - the streets are just too packed with people.  I will say over the years more and more major cities have adapted sidewalks to allow wheelchair accessibility; however as mentioned it's rare and elevators are even rarer.  Now, if you're thinking about Venice you'll have a minimum of one bridge no matter where you're going.

 

I would suggest:

1.  Go in the off season.  While the last two years have had record numbers of tourist, I keep hoping things get better.  Trying to get around in when the streets/sidewalks are packed isn't fun - even if you don't have mobility issues!

2.  Golf cart tours.  Okay, right up front you're not going to see anything in detail, but it does the basic job.  I'll be honest, DH had not real desire to visit museums and a lot of things that interest me, but I wasn't about to buy into the idea of him just staying in the apartment.  😀  The golf card tours got him out, and in turn, had him decide he did want to see "more".  This trip we did use cabs a lot more than usual to get him to locations that I'd normally just walk to.

3.  Private tours.  Often the initial price of a private tour seems outrageous; however, by the time you consider the control you have over the tour it is well worth the money spent.  If/when the day gets too much you can stop it and have them head back.  

 

 

[cruisequeen4ever]

I just did the Med in a mobility scooter. We chose an itinerary with no tender ports to be safe. They ended up making one port tender, but that cruise line helped me get ashore with my scooter. I don’t know if NCL does this. I recommend sticking with docked ports to be safe. The cobblestones really beat up my scooter, and my husband had to lift my scooter up and down quite a few times on and off curbs due to some sidewalks not having a ramp on one or both ends, but I was able to go almost everywhere he went. There were a few times, I had to sit and wait while he ventured further into ruins or up stairs to see something, but I go to see most things. It does take a lot of pre-planning. We hired private drivers with minivans in most ports because the cruise line couldn’t guarantee their buses could hold my scooter. Many museums and sites give disabled people free entrance along with one caretaker, so I arranged those free tickets and brought my handicap placard. We pre-purchased all tickets as you just have to nowadays. We were able to do one cruise line excursion as handicap accessible. Once onboard the ship, I was able to confirm with Shore Excursions that the shuttles into a few of the ports would be able to hold my scooter. My husband always breaks it down into 4 parts to put into trunks and bus storage. If you do all of that, and go into it with the attitude that she may need to wait in a cafe sometimes for you, you can have a great trip. Will it be a lot of work for the family? Yes!!!!! My husband was terribly worn out by the end of the trip, but he did successfully make my dreams come true. If she travels with a mobility scooter or wheelchair, be sure to pre-arrange with the airlines months in advance because the international airlines require much more documentation than domestic airlines, and they can take longer to approve. Also, you must bring all documentation with you. The airline reps at the Athens airport spent about 20 min reading mine. It is all possible, though, so if you proceed with it, best of luck and have fun!

[Girr]

On the subject of traveling with your own scoter/wheelchair I'll warn you Delta airlines in Rome was horrible!  Even with all the documentation it was a real pain and took over an hour to get it cleared.   They were insisting on both batteries being removed (an all most impossible act).  The paperwork clearly states the chair and batteries are FAA certified.  We had a supervisor insisting the batteries had to be removed.  I had to get a senior member of security to come down and agree to boarding the chair. 

 

It all worked out, but leave extra time at the airport. 

 

Then when we arrived in Atlanta the chair wasn't at the gate.  No biggie we thought as there was a wheelchair attendant, and we just went to luggage thinking it would be there.  Nope.  About thirty minutes later, they located it and told us they would forward it on to our next flight.  I was really surprised when it was at our finally destination.  

[cruisequeen4ever]

1 hour ago, Girr said:

On the subject of traveling with your own scoter/wheelchair I'll warn you Delta airlines in Rome was horrible!  Even with all the documentation it was a real pain and took over an hour to get it cleared.   They were insisting on both batteries being removed (an all most impossible act).  The paperwork clearly states the chair and batteries are FAA certified.  We had a supervisor insisting the batteries had to be removed.  I had to get a senior member of security to come down and agree to boarding the chair. 

 

It all worked out, but leave extra time at the airport. 

 

Then when we arrived in Atlanta the chair wasn't at the gate.  No biggie we thought as there was a wheelchair attendant, and we just went to luggage thinking it would be there.  Nope.  About thirty minutes later, they located it and told us they would forward it on to our next flight.  I was really surprised when it was at our finally destination.  

Great warning! I did actually have some similar experiences but not as bad as yours for sure. They did try to send my scooter on to the next airport, but my husband and I refused because we had a long layover, and I needed my scooter for it.We stood on the tarmac because it was a remote gate where we were. They eventually brought me my scooter And transported me to the airport terminal. The battery issue is an issue. Thankfully the pilot of my plane understood what I was meeting and told the agents to approve the battery to be left in tact as that is considered the safest option for my kind. I think because scooters aren’t as common in Europe, they’re not used to dealing with them. I’m surprised that an American airline like Delta wasn’t familiar with though. We flew Lufthansa, Eurowings, and Condor. It is possible for sure, but it can take some extra legwork. 

Edited August 3, 2023 by cruisequeen4ever

[casaloma]

I haven't been overseas with my mobility scooter yet, but I've flown to Vegas and LA with it on Delta and American and it was pretty painless.  Also went on a cruise with it out of Seattle.  Ketchikan is made for people on mobiity scooters!  Though I'd love to go to the Med on the scooter, the cobblestones scare me.  We're going in October to the Baltic, which I think will be a little more scooter friendly.  But the bottom line for me is how wonderful it's made traveling for me.  Any small hassles just aren't important.  

[cruisequeen4ever]

2 hours ago, casaloma said:

I haven't been overseas with my mobility scooter yet, but I've flown to Vegas and LA with it on Delta and American and it was pretty painless.  Also went on a cruise with it out of Seattle.  Ketchikan is made for people on mobiity scooters!  Though I'd love to go to the Med on the scooter, the cobblestones scare me.  We're going in October to the Baltic, which I think will be a little more scooter friendly.  But the bottom line for me is how wonderful it's made traveling for me.  Any small hassles just aren't important.  

We did the Baltic before I became disabled, and I’d say it’s easier than the Med, but you will encounter some cobblestones. It’s a tough ride but worth it. That’s great to know Ketchikan is primo for scooters. I did the AK cruise many times prior to becoming disabled and figured it’d be quite accessible and good to know that’s true.

[casaloma]

Ketchikan was great but Sitka was doable also.  I didn't make it into town because I thought the shuttle wouldn't store my scooter but DH went and said it totally would, many people storing strollers, etc.  so when I go back I'll totally do Sitka as well.  

[MechE31]

We just finished a European itinerary with my FIL who is mobility limited. He can walk short distances but not much else and is in a scooter. 

 

We did 10 nights round trip out of Rome going to Santorini, Athens, Olympia, Mykonos, Malta, Messina, Naples and Livorno. We also did London and Paris before the trip. 

 

Santorini was the only tender port and getting back to the cable car was significantly worse than the tender. If you go, get back 3 or 4 hours early to avoid the crowds. 

 

For the rest, be very careful in selecting excursions. We did private excursions every day we left the port. This allowed us to customize our adventure. The private drivers aren't very expensive compared to an NCL excursion but the prices go up if you want tour guides.

 

A lot of the older places like Pompeii and Acropolis are "handicap accessible", but you are very limited in what you can do and the paths you can take. People are also oblivious or just plain don't care. 

 

My biggest point of advice is invest in a portable scooter. He got a so lite s1 that folds very small and has good enough wheels to go over uneven pavement. It did quite well overall. If you get a rental on the boat, most will have a hard time folding small enough to load into a car/van to leave the boat. 

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by MechE31

[cruisequeen4ever]

3 hours ago, MechE31 said:

We just finished a European itinerary with my FIL who is mobility limited. He can walk short distances but not much else and is in a scooter. 

 

We did 10 nights round trip out of Rome going to Santorini, Athens, Olympia, Mykonos, Malta, Messina, Naples and Livorno. We also did London and Paris before the trip. 

 

Santorini was the only tender port and getting back to the cable car was significantly worse than the tender. If you go, get back 3 or 4 hours early to avoid the crowds. 

 

For the rest, be very careful in selecting excursions. We did private excursions every day we left the port. This allowed us to customize our adventure. The private drivers aren't very expensive compared to an NCL excursion but the prices go up if you want tour guides.

 

A lot of the older places like Pompeii and Acropolis are "handicap accessible", but you are very limited in what you can do and the paths you can take. People are also oblivious or just plain don't care. 

 

My biggest point of advice is invest in a portable scooter. He got a so lite s1 that folds very small and has good enough wheels to go over uneven pavement. It did quite well overall. If you get a rental on the boat, most will have a hard time folding small enough to load into a car/van to leave the boat. 

 

I was going to buy a portable scooter for ease of travel, but I ended up going with the Pride GoGo Sport, the one most rental companies use because it’s so durable. It doesn’t fold down and isn’t light, but the wheels are much more durable, and it does break down into 4 pieces, with each piece weighing 38 pounds or less. My husband has been able to fit it into minivans, SUVs, sedans, and even a Prius one time. When we have luggage, we have to do a minivan or SUV for sure, though. I felt much better in this rugged scooter on the cobblestones, but it’s good to hear your experience was fine on cobblestones, too.