Millennium TA for HC

[willieg]

DH and I have recovered from our Millennium TA and wanted to report because we got so many good tips from this board. Celebrity booked our air, hotel, and ground transportation. The ship was good for all kinds of vehicles--scooters, wheelchairs, and walkers. We had a HC room with veranda. There was a ramp for the veranda, but DH could step outside. He did some rollin'and some strollin'. The seas were calm and the weather warm. The coolest days were in Bermuda. We had good results with Delta in Atlanta and Ft. Lauderdale. In Florida we used the hotel shuttle. In Barcelona there were no porters at the airport, but the Delta rep helped us once we got inside. We had bulkhead seating all the way.

 

Grand Bahama--didn't get off the ship. Used it as a pool day and watched a container ship load up since we were at an industrial dock.

 

Bermuda--We docked at the Dockyards. There was a bus to the ferry and there were cabs at the pier. We booked a trip with Lloyd Smart and enjoyed our day of sightseeing. The Dockyards were too far for us to walk or roll.

 

Lisbon--Be sure to get up early to see the trip up the river into the city. We took a ship panoramic excursion. The bus was difficult. There were 3 steps and then a turn to the left and two more steps. The tour was good. At the dock there were a few cabs with English-speaking drivers. There was a little restaurant area at the dock that looked nice. There is a bus to a square, but then there are hills to climb. There is an on/off bus leaving the square.

 

Gibraltar--We went into town using the cab line at the dock. It would be difficult with a chair. The walk into town is long and the town is crowded with shoppers. There were mini-vans available for Rock tours. We had to wait a long time for a taxi back to the dock. There are many places to eat near the taxi stand.

 

Malaga and Valencia were new ports and we couldn't get much advice from the shore excursion people. We took another panoramic excursion in Malaga that had too much walking time. It was not an easy trip. The same thing happened to others in Valencia. Ask questions about how much walking is involved. In Valencia we docked near a pretty marina and we enjoyed sitting by the pool and watching all the sailing ships come and go. In these ports there was a bus to the entrance to the industrial port. In Malaga the tour buses came to the ship and picked you up there. I did see one woman in a wheelchair getting onto a bus.

 

Barcelona--Our disembarkation was quick and well organized. Celebrity arranged for a HC cab to pick us up. Our hotel was the Atrium Palace. The location was great. Our room was large, but our bed was small. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet. Barcelona is good for the HC.We used the manual wheelchair the entire time. We strolled everywhere and used the off-on Bus Turista. We waited until the late afternoon to ride when the crowds had gone. After our ride the cafes awaited. We sat outside most of the time and thoroughly enjoyed the food and watching all the people stroll by. We did shopping at El Corte Ingles.

 

I encourage everyone to try the Transatlantic. We have never taken a more relaxing cruise. Millennium was a good choice for us.

[travelteam]

Willig,

 

Thanks for that great review. Sounds like you managed in spite of some poor accessible tours. My guess is that your ability to roll with the punches saves the day. My guy and I are just happy to still be about, so whatever we can manage is great, and if not, we love to sit at cafes.

 

We're probably going to do private tours on our TA. Just easier not to have to go with a larger group. We hate to have people wait for us, and if my guy tires early that day, we just find a great cafe, and people watch.

 

We have HC friends who cannot travel. They don't have the patience or humor. It can be quite hard without lots of planning, but even then, things go awry.

 

:D

[daju22]

Willieg,

Thank you so much for your review. Glad to hear you can take the wheelchair on the HOHO bus. Hope they're that way in all the ports!

Did your DH walk onto the bus? Did you fold the wheelchair while on the bus?

So glad you had a wonderful voyage! Our TA is in August with different ports. Will see how we get along with the scooter and wheelchair!

Judy

[willieg]

The Bus turistic is wonderful. You will wait on the curb for the bus. Wave to the driver and he/she will let down a ramp so that you can "wheel" onto the bus. If you want to get off at a stop just let the driver or narrator know and they will let the ramp down for you. In the middle of the bus is an area for "parking" the wheelchair. There is a seat belt and in some area you will need to use it. The two stops are on either side of Placa Catalunya. There will be students to hand out literature for you. You can't miss it. Buy a two day ticket. North of the Placa are many good restaurants.

Don't miss El Corte Ingles. The elevators are to the right of the main entrance. Above the elevator each floor is described in several languages. Instead of cheap souvenirs we bought things for our grandchildren here. Everyone does not speak English, but you can communicate with a little Spanish. Shopping is the universal language.

Have a great trip. Keep a good sense of humor and have fun.