Does Princess accommodate the disabled?

[NinnerN]

I'm wondering if I'm missing something that Princess might offer for the disabled on their cruises.  Where can I look? 

[mom says]

What they are able to offer depends, in large part, on what the disability is. What type of assistance do you require? 

 

If you go to the Princess Cruise website, scroll to the small print at the very bottom of the page. Click on Accessible cruising. That will bring up a FAQ page. Scroll down to the Accessible Cruising section. As well as information, there are links and contacts.

 

Another source of information (not necessarily Princess specific) is this forum:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/

[cr8tiv1]

It is best to book far in advance for an accessibility cabin.  They go quickly.

 

If a wheelchair/scooter is needed, you must provide your own.

 

There is some assistance to get on and off a ship with a wheelchair service provided by Princess, but very limited.  There are always people on the ramp with a handicap vest on to assist passengers.

 

Best to book near an elevator.  Sometimes it is difficult to make it down the passageways with steward carts and other obstacles in the way.

 

There are some tables in the MDR that do not require going up a short step.  Waiter/assistants will move the walker/wheelchair/scooter out of the way.

 

Without invading your privacy, it is difficult to give you a definitive answer to your question.

 

 

[Moondogy]

Also when looking at a cruise, when you start choosing the cabin you want, there is a a box that can be checked that says I need an accessible cabin. Sometimes it won't show any so you might need to contact a CVP to help. Last cruise and next one booked are in accessible cabins for us.

 

[NinnerN]

Thank you everyone.  I appreciate your responses.  I use a scooter that breaks into three pieces so it can go in the trunk of a car, bus etc. Right now the room I have booked on our next cruise is handicap accessible balcony room.  We booked one on our last cruise and I'll never book another kind of room again.  It was wonderful.  My question was me wondering if there's more that Princess offers that I'm missing.  I know I can have special boarding.  I read somewhere on CC that the Princess employees seat the disabled in a special seating section for the shows.  So I was just wondering if there's anything else.  I am also looking for a private driver who might take us around the DR.  Does anyone know where I can start looking?  

[IndyKid]

There's also a forum here on CC that is all about disabled cruising:

 

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

[capriccio]

1 hour ago, NinnerN said:

I read somewhere on CC that the Princess employees seat the disabled in a special seating section for the shows. 

The top few rows of the upper part of the theater (enter from deck 7) are marked as special seating.  The last row has space for wheelchairs and seats so if one of your party is in a wheelchair you can sit together. They are first come, first served (I've never seen an employee get involved) and it is best to get there early.

[cr8tiv1]

Some of Princess' older ships allow you to "drive" in to the bottom (deck 6) of the theater and park on the side of the aisle, in case you wanted to be closer to the stage.  Unable to recall exactly which ship, but think Ruby is one of them.

 

Never heard of a "private driver" to take you around the MDR (Main Dining Room).  You drive yourself up to the table, transfer to a seat, and magically, your scooter is parked and returned to you at the end of the meal.  Those drivers "love" being able to move your scooter for you.   

 

Special embarkation is not like the airlines.  You won't be the first to get onboard.  They space out mobility passengers amongst groups, a few at a time.  Same with disembarkation, you may be escorted off the ship, a few at a time.

 

Are you traveling with someone that is able to open doors for you?  I know that mid-ship, there are automatic doors to the Promenade.  Sometimes they are roped off due to excessive wind/weather.

 

Princess sells a few excursions that are handicap friendly.  These sell out quickly too. 

 

I am like you....I often want answers to questions I don't know how to ask.  I am sure that someone will have an answer for you if this thread stays active. 

[david63]

5 hours ago, capriccio said:

The top few rows of the upper part of the theater (enter from deck 7) are marked as special seating.  The last row has space for wheelchairs and seats so if one of your party is in a wheelchair you can sit together. They are first come, first served (I've never seen an employee get involved) and it is best to get there early.

This assumes that none of the ignorant selfish folk haven't decided that those seats are for anyone!

[capriccio]

4 hours ago, david63 said:

This assumes that none of the ignorant selfish folk haven't decided that those seats are for anyone!

That goes without saying - and not only on ships - unfortunately.

[EDDY0827]

9 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

 

Never heard of a "private driver" to take you around the MDR (Main Dining Room).  You drive yourself up to the table, transfer to a seat, and magically, your scooter is parked and returned to you at the end of the meal.  Those drivers "love" being able to move your scooter for you.   

 

 

I believe the "private driver" in the DR would be a person that drives you around the Dominican Republic.

[Rick&Jeannie]

Just now, EDDY0827 said:

I believe the "private driver" in the DR would be a person that drives you around the Dominican Republic.

Hah! That would make a LOT more sense!

[waltd]

If there are any tender ports Princess offers very little assistance getting on and off the tender.  You would have to be able to navigate the stairs and walk on the tender by yourself for the most part.  Not sure how they would even manage with a scooter if at all.

[Moondogy]

9 hours ago, waltd said:

If there are any tender ports Princess offers very little assistance getting on and off the tender.  You would have to be able to navigate the stairs and walk on the tender by yourself for the most part.  Not sure how they would even manage with a scooter if at all.

Last cruise we was on, they used local ferries to shuttle instead of the ships tenders. The crew from those helped the scooter passengers over then lifted the scooter over for them. First time I've ever seen this.

[ldubs]

11 hours ago, waltd said:

If there are any tender ports Princess offers very little assistance getting on and off the tender.  You would have to be able to navigate the stairs and walk on the tender by yourself for the most part.  Not sure how they would even manage with a scooter if at all.

 

Last Princess cruise we were on I'm pretty sure they said scooters would not be accommodated not the tenders (it was ship's tenders).  

[cr8tiv1]

It might help posting your itinerary and the ship you have chosen.  There are so many variables to consider.

[iamaqt2]

Don't expect to ever catch an elevator at busy times.  Pro tip would be travel against the traffic flow.  If everyone is going up, go down.  Then go up.  If everyone is going down, go up. Then go down.  
And give yourself plenty of time to get anywhere.   

[Tonsoffun44]

Depends what you are looking for, what ship, which ports. Only sailed Princess once so far - they seem to be very against people with physical disabilities getting off at tender ports compared to other lines we've sailed with. Inside cabin on Regal E321 "accessible" the layout of the cabin when beds are separated is HORRIBLE for someone who uses a standard size manual chair and can't walk at all.  Only Great thing I can say is - can sit close to the stage in the main theater, unlike many lines older ships that have the handicapped seating in the back. 

[Jadn13]

7 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Last Princess cruise we were on I'm pretty sure they said scooters would not be accommodated not the tenders (it was ship's tenders).  

This. I have seen many upset passengers and on my last few cruises Scooters weren’t allowed on tender boats. 

[happy42cruise]

On 11/14/2023 at 7:39 PM, capriccio said:

The top few rows of the upper part of the theater (enter from deck 7) are marked as special seating.  The last row has space for wheelchairs and seats so if one of your party is in a wheelchair you can sit together. They are first come, first served (I've never seen an employee get involved) and it is best to get there early.

My husband has used a scooter & a wheelchair on our cruises, we prefer to sit on the lower level in the theater so he sits in his device next to me on the end of the aisle.  We make sure we are not obstructing anything and we've never had a problem.

[Moondogy]

6 hours ago, happy42cruise said:

My husband has used a scooter & a wheelchair on our cruises, we prefer to sit on the lower level in the theater so he sits in his device next to me on the end of the aisle.  We make sure we are not obstructing anything and we've never had a problem.

We was on the CB last time....to get to the lower level you'd have to go up some steps then back down on the other side if I remember right. So DW had to use the second level where the handicap seats were.

[cr8tiv1]

16 minutes ago, Moondogy said:

We was on the CB last time....to get to the lower level you'd have to go up some steps then back down on the other side if I remember right. So DW had to use the second level where the handicap seats were.

 

Correct, the CB has no entrance without navigating stairs for Deck 6 in the Princess Theater.  BUT...there are a few other Grand/GEM class ships that allow entrance directly from Deck 6.  It would have been nice to have a standard...but this is Princess (without any consistency).  

 

I believe (but do not rely on my memory), the Ruby may have direct access to Deck 6 seats.  The Grand, Emerald, Caribbean do not.  Not sure about the Crown.  I'm sure there is someone out there who can verify/deny my recollections.

[Moondogy]

It's been way to long for me to remember if the Crown was that way or not.

[ldubs]

9 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Correct, the CB has no entrance without navigating stairs for Deck 6 in the Princess Theater.  BUT...there are a few other Grand/GEM class ships that allow entrance directly from Deck 6.  It would have been nice to have a standard...but this is Princess (without any consistency).  

 

I believe (but do not rely on my memory), the Ruby may have direct access to Deck 6 seats.  The Grand, Emerald, Caribbean do not.  Not sure about the Crown.  I'm sure there is someone out there who can verify/deny my recollections.

 

2 hours ago, Moondogy said:

It's been way to long for me to remember if the Crown was that way or not.

 

Got off the crown a couple weeks ago.  My memory may be faulty, but it seems you can access the theater from deck 6 without any steps.  I also think there are steps down from the casino so to avoid them, access to deck 6 would have to be by the forward elevator.   

[cruisequeen4ever]

You booked the right kind of stateroom, and dining room staff will park your scooter for you after you sit down and bring it back to you after dinner. Hiring a private driver works really well when touring with a scooter; we often do that. The Royal class ships are more often able to accommodate scooters on tenders due to the platform setup they have. Be sure to fill out the Access form or ask your Travel Agent to do it for you, so Princess is fully aware of your situation. If there are any excursions you want to do but aren’t sure if the transport will accommodate your scooter, once onboard, go to the Shore Excursion Desk, and they can usually either tell you if the transport has storage for a broken down scooter or they can call the company to find out. 
 

Princess handles accessibility well. 😀