View Full Version : cruise for handicapped?
franroty
11-11-2001, 10:53 PM
Anyone been on a cruise? If so well are cruise ships equipped to accomodate wheel chairs etc? We waited a little to long to enjoy life, now I'm thinking we should enjoy even with SCI.
wheelchair experience with most of the major cruise lines. They have a pretty good website with short reviews and photos.
http://www.wheelchairtravel.com/Cruise.htm
~See you at the SCIWire-used-to-be-paralyzed Reunion http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/wavey.gif ~
Here is a list of accessible ships including the number of special rooms rooms each ship has.
www.cruise2.com/HandicappedCabins.html (http://www.cruise2.com/HandicappedCabins.html)
Leaving tomorrow on our next cruise (17 days around Cape Horn). I travel with my parents...my mom has MS and uses a wheelchair full time. This will be their 27th cruise and my 11th.
We have gotten pretty good at scoping out the right cruises. For the most part, the newer cruise ships for the major lines do have selected handicapped cabins. These usually have roll-in showers, elevated toilets, grab bars, ramped bathrooms, wider doors to cabin and bathroom, etc. They do vary in how good the public rooms are as far as line-of-sight (show rooms, etc.).
Shore excursions are something else though. You will rarely find accessible tours through the ship except in Alaska. We take a manual chair so we can transfer into regular cars or cabs or just push around the harbor areas (very nice in some ports) and this also makes getting picked up and lifted into tenders (smaller boats) in the ports where you are not at a dock easier. We have also arranged some of our own tours and accessible van rentals in a few ports (USA and Australia).
The site posted below does have some good info, but is several years out of date. It does not include some of the newer ships (Voyager of the Seas, Norweigen Sun and Sky, etc.) and also still lists some ships and lines that have gone out of business.
Other sites that have pretty good cruise information include the disabled cruiser boards at these two sites:
www.cruisecritic.com (http://www.cruisecritic.com)
www.cruisemates.com (http://www.cruisemates.com)
Also these disabled travel sites:
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/1502/
http://www.access-able.com/
http://www.gimponthego.com/
[This message was edited by KLD on November 12, 2001 at 09:01 PM.]
My husband and I went on the ignaural cruise of the Norrwegian Cruise Lines' Sun. It was a trip from New York to Quebec City and return. Turned out after 9-11-01 that we started and ended in Boston. Security was top notch with a bomb sniffing dog as you boarded and the Coast Guard had gun boats all over the harbor to keep any small craft away from the cruise ships.
The entire ship except for the basketball court on the top deck was accessible. Oops..I didn't check out the hot tubs up on top but I'm sure there was a ramp..there was to the bar next to them. :-) All hallways were smooth with carpeting over the water seals. This ship is German made and the water tight doors are built right ino the walls. I took my manual chair and the only time their was even a slight problem in halls was when the cleaning carts were out. Just had to detour to the other hall. The line requires a doctor's signed statement that you do need wheelchair access and I have no problem with this. Staterooms are priced by size and the disabled rooms were huge compared to the same style room for the same price. We had a blacony room with sliding doors to it. A small portable ramp is in the room for you to use when you want. It is light weight and covers the door gliders on both sides so no moving it back and forth. The balcony is large with room for 2 cchairs, a small table and my chair. The roomhad a roll under desk area that was great for make up stuff, breakfast in the room and reading. We had a queen bed, pull out sofa and an end table that held the lovely baskets o fruit,cheese and wine our friends sent. This was our first cruise. :-)
The bath was all tile except for aluminum drainage slots. The shower area was eqipped with a pull down rubber banded bottom bench. It had a shower head that slid up and down a pole so both standing and seated people could use it. I normally am independent once in the shower but needed help because the shower head was right behind my right elbow when I was seated and it was at my level. Also had a roll under sink and the mirror could be tilted downward by a slight touch. The place was blow dryer equipped and fitted with a universal plug in for electric shavers. Lots of grab bars. You can make a flooded mess in the bath and it will stay in there as there is a slightly raised lip to that one room.
Even with all the furniture I had tons of room to move around the cabin. They also have plenty of storage space and built in closets. The one very reasonably priced service I would use more on a future trip is the laundry service. They do both wash/press and dry cleaning on board and it is reasonable by hotel standards. For a 12 day trip we could have lost one small bag using it and anytime we can travel lighter we like too.
Common areas were completely accessible. Norwegian is now pushing its new marketing as being adaptable cruising. Two main dining rooms but no set seating and very long hours. For a $10 surcharge their are world class Italian and French restaurants too. Much smaller, intimate and great food! You have to stroll through one of the main diningrooms to get to the Italian one by chair but that is about the only inconvience. They have a Tapas bar for entertainment and light snacks as well as 3 sports type bars with pizza or snacks. Their is a ramp down to the dance floor area in the observation lounge where the main music is. There is also a disotech type place called Dazzles, a piano bar and the Java Cafe with scrumptious nibblies and rolls for early risers.
This is the perfect lin for casual dressers. They do have 2 formal nights where tuxs or dark suits and formal dress for women is required in the main diningrooms. We skipped those and went French and Italian and wore casual dress clothes--sort coat and tie for the spouse and dress slacks, blouse, sweater for me. Oh, and each room has a safe with an easy to work combination you set. Even if you stay away from formal nights you can sit for photos and a photographer roams the smaller restaurants too. You do NOT have to buy the pictures. They do put them up for display so you can check them and others out. The only dress rule for the entire ship was no jeans, shorts, tank tops, etc in the restaurants after 5:30 formal night or not. You can wear jeans and the like in the Garden Cafe upstairs which is mainly buffet and the few children we saw were up there. So...you can actually cruise with nothing fancier than Dockers and shirts if you want.
As KLD pointed out...off ship was anotther question totally and the lines are of little to no help. Norwegian will be hearing about this from me because I did make land arrangements and then found their gangway was not able to get me to the ground in several places including Boston on the last full day! I mean that is covered by ADAAG and ADA.
Stops on the Sun's Canadian Run were Boston, Bar Harbor, Maine (this is a tender port with sudden waves and tidal changes so it is not recommened that anyone who uses a chair, walker, etc try to get off there, Sydney, Nova Scotia (interesting place of 26,000 people and suddenly stuck with 4 cruise ships due to Sept 11th and unable to deal with it all, we went back aboard and hopped bars),Corner Brook, Newfoundland. This place is cool! Little problem getting off the end of the gangway but I had emailed with the economic development office for the city and this place is going accessible! The shuttle bus is swiped from their paratransit when ships come in because the town needs the money and uses it to expand oher access. So the shuttle to town has a lift equipped bus. There are fairly large taxis at reasonable rates to take you on tours to the other harbors. We loved the one we took! Had a life long resident who knew he poop so to speak. And as the winters take their toll on the city sidewalks they are replaced not with bumpy cobblestones but composite pavers that look like them, and don't fall apart in cold weather, and curb cuts. Then on to Quebec City which is bumpy and has lots of none accessible stores and stuf but helpful people who didn't appear to mind helping us out. We didn't ask they volunteered. On the way back we hit Halifax, Nova Scotia and strolled the entire waterfront area there. This is a town that is already very accessible including their own gangways!
You can trim a lot of costs by sticking to coffee, tea and soft drinks. All alcohol is charged seperately and 15% gratuitees added. Unlike the time honored way of tipping all and sundry, Norwegian adds a flat $10 per day for all tips outside of alcohol service. You can change this up by using cash or signing a tab with a tip added or down by seeing the cashier on the night before the cruise ends.
Overall, the Norwegian Sun was amazingly accessible and I suggest it highly. Unfortunantly it is heading to the Carribean on a permenant basis I understand. Down there few islands use docks from what I hear and tenders are difficult transfers.
Sue Pendleton
Sue - What a review!! Thank you, very much!! Made me want to sign up for one, right away. I've never had anyone to go on a cruise with but that has changed so I'll be sure to make it my next vacation!
~See you at the SCIWire-used-to-be-paralyzed Reunion http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/wavey.gif ~
This article will also appear in next months Access-Able travel web site:
I have just returned from a 17 day South America cruise with my parents around Cape Horn on the Holland America (HAL) Ryndam (11/13-12/1/01). My
mother is quadriplegic due to MS and this was my parents 27th cruise, and my 11th.
Prior to our departure, we found Katy Ludwig and Jennifer McCloskey (Manager), at the HAL Access & Compliance Office most helpful and willing to
both answer questions about access and to provide us with unusually good information. We often find that information about the specific accessibility features of a modified cabin is lacking on both cruise line web sites and in their brochures. When we inquired about the bathroom features on the Ryndam (cabin 704) Ms. Ludwig arranged for someone on the ship to take digital photos of the bathroom set up and e-mail them to us the next day. Ms. McCloskey was also able to answer questions about HAL policy on access to/from the ship in ports and use of the new HAL tender lift which we were able to use.
We also did not use any HAL tours, since none are accessible and they were expensive. We used primarily arrangements through South Star Tours in
California (info@southstartours.com, tel. 800 643-4468) except as noted below.
After a total of 15 hours of flying from LA through Miami we arrived in Santiago, Chile. We had not been informed by HAL about the $61 cash per person payment required of all US citizens (less for Canadians or other countries) for entry into Chile at the airport, so be prepared. We were met by our private transportation company. HAL does not provide free transportation to/from the ship in these ports, but charges a fee for their
own package (more expensive, and only offered a sedan or bus). We are glad we chose our own arrangements as we were able to get a lift equipped van through South Star Tours with a very nice English speaking guide for the 90 mile trip to the port of Valparaiso.
On arrival at the ship we were provided good (although a bit disorganized) assistance to our cabin # 704, which accommodated 3 (using a roll-away bed). The bedroom set up does not allow sufficient room around the beds for wheelchair transfers or the use of a lift if set up for one queen sized bed, but with with the beds set up as two twins with the beds against the wall it was
workable. This left a grab rail over one bed which was helpful for turning in bed. All room lights could be controlled from the bed, but it was impossible to see the TV from one of the two beds. The bathroom was accessible, although the sink cut-out was limited and their was no trap
insulation. The bathroom was small, so the turning radius was not up to ADA standards, and to use the sink the bathroom door had to be left open. The toilet (18" high without toilet seat) was set at an angle to the wall and grab bar (one side only) which was limiting and a little scary in rough seas. We used both our wheelchair and our lift as additional supports for safety while using the toilet. The roll-in shower access was good with a flip-down wall mounted seat. Our main
complaint was the drainage system which did not work well at all, resulting in a wet floor throughout the bathroom whenever the shower was used. Due to poor maintenance the tiles leaked through to the underlayment, and stepping or rolling on the floor resulting in water being squeezed from the saturated underlayment to the floor. This could be dangerously slippery. In
addition, the mirror was too high for good use from the wheelchair, and there was limited shelf space that was accessible from the chair. The
closets had good access and appropriate height shelving and clothing rods, which could be adjusted into different configurations as needed. The desk was accessible as was the small love seat. This cabin has only small portholes and is very far forward on the ship, resulting in more noticeable motion in rough seas.
All public areas on the ship were wheelchair accessible, although this was somewhat limited in the Crow's Nest (our favorite area) bar. This is at the top of the ship at the bow with glass windows all around but because the couches are screwed to the floor, there were several areas where path of travel was too narrow for wheelchair use (using an 18" wheelchair with no camber). This was also somewhat of a problem in the showroom, which has not specially reserved wheelchair seating. If you plan to arrive early for shows, you can move chairs to get access all the way to the front row of the showroom if desired. All other areas where either ramped or level with the exception of the observation area on the roof of the Crow's Nest. The Promenade area is fully covered and allows easy wheelchair access all the way around the ship. The pool offers very limited access with no lift, but could be used by someone with assistance for lifting and transferring.
The first two days out of Valparaiso were very rough, cold and rainy until we entered more sheltered waters. Our first port was Puerto Montt in the Chilean lake country. This area is beautiful with high snow covered volcanoes, lakes, rivers, streams and fertile pasturelands. Here we made our own arrangements for an all-day tour via automobile (Mercedes Benz 230) through Eureka Tours (eureka-turismo@entelchile.net, fax
56-65-255146) in Puerto Montt . The driver, Edmundo Muñoz, spoke excellent English and found
us a wheelchair accessible bathroom in a beautiful hotel in Puerto Varas on Llanquihue Lake (Hotel Cabanas del Lago, which also has wheelchair
accessible rooms). The German Museum in Puerto Varas is interesting, but not at all wheelchair accessible. Although the Petrohue River Falls viewing area is not accessible (1/4 mile trail with steps and steep slopes) the drive there and view of the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes is spectacular. Our tour went to many places not visited by the usual bus tours.
The next two days we cruised the Chilean fjords and Darwin channel with spectacular mountains, glaciers and not a sign of any other people, ships or towns, and then entered the historic Straits of Magellan.
Our next port was Punta Arenas, Chile on the Straits of Magellan. Here we had a tender port and a chance to use the new wheelchair tender lift on the Ryndam. We had not been informed that reservations were necessary to use this lift, which delayed our departure by an hour. The lift is like a modified platform stair-glide system and lifts you onto a hydraulic platform on the special tender. It was easy to use and could accommodate either power chairs or manual wheelchairs of 18" (no camber) or less. There is no tie-down, so have someone ride with you on the lift platform in the tender to provide protection from tilting during the ride on the tender. If you will need the tender lift in any port, be sure to arrange this well ahead of time (at least the day before) through Michelle Clomos (Customer Relations
aboard ship). Unfortunately the dock-side set up at Punta Arenas was a nightmare of inaccessibility and I would not recommend getting off the ship
at this port for anyone who cannot walk or stand at all. Our delay resulted in us missing our tour and having to wait an additional hour to arrange
another van (not accessible, requiring lifting my mother in and out of a standard van).
The next day we were in Ushuaia, Argentina in the afternoon after cruising the beautiful Beagle channel (mountains and glaciers) in the AM, the
southern-most city in the world. This town is not very accessible due to poor sidewalks and hills, but there were some curb cuts and with help we
were able to walk around the town. The museum is NOT accessible. The location is beautiful and the people friendly and offered to help get the wheelchair up and down hills and into stores with steps.
The next day we cruised to Cape Horn early in the morning. Be sure to be on deck in time to round the Cape and experience having the bow in the Pacific and the stern in the Atlantic! We were lucky to have pretty good weather (rain, but no fog) so viewing the Cape was easy and the seas were not too rough. We then cruised that day and arrived at the Falkland Islands the next morning. This is also a tender port with better shore-side access (still steps requiring lifting) but my mother chose not to go ashore. The town is easy walking, with wheelchair accessible public bathrooms on the main street. Instead of taking a tour I choose to take the $10 shuttle (van, bus or cab) to a penguin viewing area where the docent pointed out interesting information about the birds, vegetation and living with the large number of land mines still in many beach areas from the war in the 1980s between England and Argentina. We were fortunate to have good weather here (cold but sunny).
Following two days at sea we had a two day stay in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Here we had a city tour in a van (again not accessible, with lifting required) around the beautiful city and parks. The main cathedral is accessible (ramps), although the cemetery (to see the grave of Eva Peron) was not due to walkway condition and construction). The second day we took cabs on our own to shop and see additional areas. Many people on the ship
took an optional side trip to Iguassu Falls here (2 hour plane trip) but there is no wheelchair access and the trip is expensive, even using the much cheaper rate offered by South Star Tours (compared to the HAL tour). A major problem here was the requirement of the port to use their
non-accessible "people mover" bus from the ship to the street (this has been added since the September 11 attacks). The security people did help in lifting the entire wheelchair in and out of the bus (no tie-down), but we did not receive
any assistance from HAL about this.
The next day we were in Monte Video, Uruguay. Again we had some confusion about our tour (South Star) and when we finally got our automobile transport our driver had only limited English. He did give us a good driving tour of the city including the beach areas, old city and beautiful residential areas.
After two more days at sea we arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Here we had three very good tours with a company arranged through South Star Tours. Although none of the transportation was accessible, the company provided enough "muscle" on each trip to lift my mother on and off vans and buses, although generally only the guide spoke English (and my Portuguese is nonexistent except for "abrigato"--thank you!). The first day we drove through the city and into the Tijuca Forest National Park to the parking area at Corcovado mountain where the famous Christ, the Redeemer statue is located. My father and I climbed the 226 steps up to the actual statue from there, while my mother remained with the guide at the parking lot and was still able to see most of the spectacular view. The usual way to get to
this area is by cog-wheeled train, which is not accessible at all, and buses are not allowed on this road. We then drove south through the Tijuca Forest park past lush tropical vegetation and waterfalls to the beach areas of Ipanema and Cococabana. We only viewed Sugar Loaf from a distance as the cable car ride there requires numerous stairs to access.
That evening we had a tour that included a wonderful Brazilian "barbecue" which offers a buffet of salads and then an unending round of men coming to your table with long skewers of grilled meat of every possible variety (beef, pork, chicken, etc.). They keep serving you until you say "enough!". The usual cost for this is about $20 per person if you go on your own
(drinks not included). The restaurant we went to in the Cococabana area was fully accessible except for the bathrooms. After this we went to a stage
show which showed traditional dance and Carnival costumes with dancers. The location was not accessible, but we had plenty of help to carry the
wheelchair up to the 2nd story location.
The next day we had to be off the ship by 10AM and took an all-day tour to the colonial Imperial city of Petropolis in the mountains north of Rio.
Here we were pleasantly surprised to find a fully accessible Imperial Palace Museum, complete with a lift installed just for wheelchair access. We had a traditional Brazilian lunch in a lovely private 19th century home (lifted up a few steps). We had rain and fog here, but were still able to see the old colonial buildings and resort areas in this popular location. The tour company then took us to the airport for our return to the USA, providing wonderful services there getting us through security (expedited for those in
wheelchairs) and onto our flight to Miami. We were lucky enough to get "bumped" to business class on our United flight from Miami to LA, so we did not arrive home quite as tired as we might expect after a 16 hour trip.
South America would not be the first destination I would choose for any disabled cruisers, as there are more challenges ashore than on cruises to
destinations such as Western Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Alaska or Hawaii. It can be an interesting destination for anyone who has sufficient assistance and is not afraid of a challenge (with some risks, too).
This article will also appear in next months Access-Able travel web site:
I have just returned from a 17 day South America cruise with my parents around Cape Horn on the Holland America (HAL) Ryndam (11/13-12/1/01). My
mother is quadriplegic due to MS and this was my parents 27th cruise, and my 11th.
Prior to our departure, we found Katy Ludwig and Jennifer McCloskey (Manager), at the HAL Access & Compliance Office most helpful and willing to
both answer questions about access and to provide us with unusually good information. We often find that information about the specific accessibility features of a modified cabin is lacking on both cruise line web sites and in their brochures. When we inquired about the bathroom features on the Ryndam (cabin 704) Ms. Ludwig arranged for someone on the ship to take digital photos of the bathroom set up and e-mail them to us the next day. Ms. McCloskey was also able to answer questions about HAL policy on access to/from the ship in ports and use of the new HAL tender lift which we were able to use.
We also did not use any HAL tours, since none are accessible and they were expensive. We used primarily arrangements through South Star Tours in
California (info@southstartours.com, tel. 800 643-4468) except as noted below.
After a total of 15 hours of flying from LA through Miami we arrived in Santiago, Chile. We had not been informed by HAL about the $61 cash per person payment required of all US citizens (less for Canadians or other countries) for entry into Chile at the airport, so be prepared. We were met by our private transportation company. HAL does not provide free transportation to/from the ship in these ports, but charges a fee for their
own package (more expensive, and only offered a sedan or bus). We are glad we chose our own arrangements as we were able to get a lift equipped van through South Star Tours with a very nice English speaking guide for the 90 mile trip to the port of Valparaiso.
On arrival at the ship we were provided good (although a bit disorganized) assistance to our cabin # 704, which accommodated 3 (using a roll-away bed). The bedroom set up does not allow sufficient room around the beds for wheelchair transfers or the use of a lift if set up for one queen sized bed, but with with the beds set up as two twins with the beds against the wall it was
workable. This left a grab rail over one bed which was helpful for turning in bed. All room lights could be controlled from the bed, but it was impossible to see the TV from one of the two beds. The bathroom was accessible, although the sink cut-out was limited and their was no trap
insulation. The bathroom was small, so the turning radius was not up to ADA standards, and to use the sink the bathroom door had to be left open. The toilet (18" high without toilet seat) was set at an angle to the wall and grab bar (one side only) which was limiting and a little scary in rough seas. We used both our wheelchair and our lift as additional supports for safety while using the toilet. The roll-in shower access was good with a flip-down wall mounted seat. Our main
complaint was the drainage system which did not work well at all, resulting in a wet floor throughout the bathroom whenever the shower was used. Due to poor maintenance the tiles leaked through to the underlayment, and stepping or rolling on the floor resulting in water being squeezed from the saturated underlayment to the floor. This could be dangerously slippery. In
addition, the mirror was too high for good use from the wheelchair, and there was limited shelf space that was accessible from the chair. The
closets had good access and appropriate height shelving and clothing rods, which could be adjusted into different configurations as needed. The desk was accessible as was the small love seat. This cabin has only small portholes and is very far forward on the ship, resulting in more noticeable motion in rough seas.
All public areas on the ship were wheelchair accessible, although this was somewhat limited in the Crow's Nest (our favorite area) bar. This is at the top of the ship at the bow with glass windows all around but because the couches are screwed to the floor, there were several areas where path of travel was too narrow for wheelchair use (using an 18" wheelchair with no camber). This was also somewhat of a problem in the showroom, which has not specially reserved wheelchair seating. If you plan to arrive early for shows, you can move chairs to get access all the way to the front row of the showroom if desired. All other areas where either ramped or level with the exception of the observation area on the roof of the Crow's Nest. The Promenade area is fully covered and allows easy wheelchair access all the way around the ship. The pool offers very limited access with no lift, but could be used by someone with assistance for lifting and transferring.
The first two days out of Valparaiso were very rough, cold and rainy until we entered more sheltered waters. Our first port was Puerto Montt in the Chilean lake country. This area is beautifu
Sue Pendleton
02-07-2002, 12:24 PM
Jeff, if the cruise special offered at that site for the Carnival Legend going to Bermuda for 6 days from Baltimore is $1049 (for an accessible room with balcony) total, that's a good deal. But there is a $200 port charge that may not be added into that price. If that is the room only you can get a better price through another travel agent or Carnival itself. We booked the largest with balcony and it's $980.00 plus the port and tax fees. Also, if you book several months in advance you should expect upgrades or credits. Since it's hard to upgrade an accessible room expect credits for drinks or shops on board. And Carnival does have a good special needs department that has measurements for everything you can think of including heights of (their portable rampable equipped) balcony gliders. Shop around for prices. Right now there are some great prices but you have to ask.
Chris Chappell
02-20-2002, 04:04 PM
or anyone with accessible cruise experience.
I'm trying to book an Alaskan cruise for July / August. Does anyone have any helpful info or experience with this? Cruise lines? Best / Worst? Where to go?
Thank you. Any and all input is appreciated.
This is a good year for Alaska...more ships than ever are going there, so the prices are very competitive.
We went on the Regal Princess. Accessible cabin was very nice, large roll-in shower bathroom, good space in the cabin (I can get the cabin number if you need it), pretty much everything on the ship was accessible. We were also able to get accessible tours in all ports through Princess.
I would stick with the newer Princess Ships, Crystal, and perhaps Celebrity. Although Holland America has good cruises in Alaska, I would tend to avoid them as they have a reputation as not being quite as disabled-friendly. Their main advantage is that some of the ships have a tender lift, so if you are going to any ports that are tendered (Sitka, for example) this can be an advantage. Our experience is that their roll-in showers and cabins are on the small side, and there have been some issues with their willingness to assist you up/down the gangway at ports.
You can also check out past posts (and post questions) on the Disabled Cruisers forums on both these sites:
www.cruisemates.com (http://www.cruisemates.com)
www.cruisecritic.com (http://www.cruisecritic.com)
Sue Pendleton
02-21-2002, 01:25 AM
Chris, KLD has a ton of experience with the different lines. Our first cruise was on the Norwegian Sun and the room and all but the basketball court was very accessible. The things to look for when checking web sites by line is when the ship was built. The newer the ship the more accessible. And the HP rooms are huge compared to the same price rooms for ABs so many lines require a doctor's note of disability. I print up several and have him sign a dozen or so at a time.
Our next cruise is the end of October to Bermuda aboard the Carnival Legend. It's inaugural cruise is in August. The different lines also cater to different types of people. Carnival has kids and umbrella drinkers (it's so cheap we are going with a lot of friends), Norwegian is middle of the road and middle aged mainly and has several restaurants and no set seeating so is really great if you're living on quad-time(never arrive on time). Both lines can be boarded without any formal clothes more than a sport jacket or dress. Celebrity, Holland America and Seabourn (not terribly accessible from a friend's opinion) require dress at least one evening. The one thing you do not want to miss on an Alaska cruise is the helicopter ride over the glaciers. The copters are lift equipped for chairs. I hope after Bermuda Alaska will be next but since we're on the east coast maybe not. Oh, and when buying trip insurance ask about pre-existing conditions and whether the travel agent has a better policy than the cruise line. We got ours for $50 a piece instead of $99 and it covers pre-existing, medical evacuation to $20K and everything else the line's policy did but $1,000 less on luggage.
Chris Chappell
02-21-2002, 12:35 PM
For the info. Sue, btw, I have family that lives in Bermuda. If you'd like any ideas on what to see / do let me know. It's a pretty small place activity wise but I did have an opportunity to swim with dolphins when I was there in 2000.
KLD, I went to the Princess Cruises website, found the Alaska trip but not the boats you recommended. Currently the boats listed are Sea Princess, Ocean Princess, Star Princess? Not the ones you mentioned? What am I doing wrong?
Btw, (anyone)do you use a certain travel agent who is familiar with wheelchair users? Name? Number?
Thanks, I'm ready to book the trip! http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
SCI-Nurse
02-21-2002, 08:12 PM
Looks like the Regal Princess is not doing Alaska this year, just the South Pacific and Orient (routes vary each year, and many ships were rerouted/reassigned this year after 9/11 to avoid anywhere near the Middle East).
Any of the newer Princess ships should have comparable facilities to what I described for the Regal Princess.
There are some travel agents that specialize in disabled travel and cruises. Here are some links to try:
http://www.discoveryhillstravel.com/
http://dmoz.org/Society/Disabled/Travel/
http://www.makoa.org/travel.htm
(KLD)
Sue Pendleton
02-22-2002, 02:38 PM
I'd love any info you have on Bermuda, Chris. We will be docked at King's Wharf the entire time but will use taxis or lift vans to get around. I did find that they are getting more and more accessible and have an advocacy group there now for the physically disabled.
http://bermuda-online.org/BPHA.htm
The following is for Norwegian Lines and they have 2 ships going to Alaska this year, the Wind and the Sky. The site has plans of all the decks including where the HP rooms are...almost always near elevators. No balcony HP rooms that I saw but there are plenty of places to view the outside while sipping coffee, soft drinks or any booze or mixed drink you can think of. The Wind was redone for Freestyle Cruising so it has several restaurants, no fixed seating and the ability to excape tuxedos if you're like my husband.
http://www.ncl.com/
Celebrity has 3 ships going to Alaska this year. It's more upscale and if their ship leaving from NYC had balconies we'd be going on this line for Bermuda. Again, the spousal unit is a water nut and hated giving up his sailboat when he was shipped to Italy (for once it was the army's fault!)and loves having the veranda available. Celebrity's deck layouts are hard to read they are so small. I'd order a brochure.
http://www.celebritycruises.com/home.asp?c=USA
And Carnival has a new ship (2001) the Spirit that does both a north and south bound cruise to/from Alaska. If you add the 2 together you'd have a great 2 week vacation. Look at rooms 8234 and 8239 on the Panorama deck. Huge balcony and those are HP rooms (we'll be in 8234 of the Legend for the Bermuda trip).
Celebrity, I believe, will also combine cruises and/or air or land to make round trip or longer trips for you.
http://www.carnival.com/
If you are used to using a corporate travel agent go for it. They can get you the same information most disabled specializing agents can and often have much better prices and credits. Or go right through the lines themselves and ask about specials like upgrades, etc. You will need to talk to their special needs department for room measurements and questions about what, if anything, may not be accessible. If you plan on taking a powetr chair ask about voltage and plugs. Also ask about which stops may be tenders and the odds of bad weather or tides keeping you on ship.
I think you'll find the cruise to be terrific and the flight to get to the embarkation point the hassle (if you have any problems at all).
Chris Chappell
03-29-2002, 05:22 PM
Alaska for later this year!
Holland America seemed to be the best.
www.hollandamerica.com (http://www.hollandamerica.com)
Thanks for all the help and suggestions!
Onward and Upward!
Sue Pendleton
03-31-2002, 01:00 AM
I want a full review, Chris! Both of the boat and the stops. Cruising is so much easier than most vacations that I think we will be taking several in the next few years. Our local TV in Baltimore carried the first Celebrity ship, the Galaxy, leaving this past week for the west Carribean. Baltimore (Dundalk) will be Celebrity's home port to the western Carribean 10 and 11 days cruises. I'm hoping they swipe one of their veranda equipped ships for this route because I would love to see Belize.