Cruising for the physically challenged offers one of the most hassle-free vacations possible. But it’s important to choose the right ship and to prepare in advance
Cruise ships have become much more accessible for people with most types of disabilities. Many new ships also have text telephones, listening device kits for the hearing-impaired (including show lounges aboard some ships). Special dietary needs can often be accommodated, and many cabins have refrigerators (useful for those with diabetes who need to keep supplies of insulin cool). Special cruises cater for dialysis patients and for those who need oxygen regularly.
If you use a wheelchair, take it with you, as ships carry only a limited number for emergency hospital use only. An alternative is to rent an electric wheelchair, which can be delivered to the ship on your sailing date.
Six problems to consider
It is as well to begin with the disadvantages of a cruise for the physically challenged:
1. Unless cabins and bathrooms are specifically designed, problem areas include the entrance, furniture configuration, closet hanging rails, beds, grab bars, height of toiletries cabinet, and wheel-in shower stall.
2. Elevators: the width of the door is important; in older ships, controls often can’t be reached from a wheelchair.
3. Few ships have access-help lifts installed at swimming pools (exception: P&O Cruises) or angled steps with handrail, or thalassotherapy pools or shore tenders (exception: Holland America Line).
4. It can be hard to access areas like self-serve buffets.
5. Some insurance companies may prohibit smaller ships from accepting passengers with severe disabilities.
6. Only five cruise ships have direct access ramps to lifeboats: Amadea, Asuka II, Crystal Serenity, Crystal Symphony and Europa.
12 tips to avoid pitfalls
1. Start by planning an itinerary and date, and find a travel agent who knows your needs. But follow up on all aspects of the booking yourself to avoid slip-ups; many cruise lines have a department or person to handle requests from disabled passengers.
2. Choose a cruise line that permits you to select a specific cabin, not just a price category. If the ship does not have any specially equipped cabins, book the best outside cabin in your price range, or choose another ship.
3. Check whether your wheelchair will fit through your cabin’s bathroom door, or into the shower area whether there is a “lip” at the door. Don’t accept “I think so” as an answer. Get specific measurements.
4. Choose a cabin close to an elevator. Not all elevators go to all decks, so check the deck plan carefully. Smaller and older vessels may not even have elevators, making access to even the dining room difficult.
5. Avoid, at all costs, a cabin down a little alleyway shared by several other cabins, even if the price is attractive. It’s hard to access a cabin in a wheelchair from such an alleyway.
6. Cabins located amidships are less affected by vessel motion, so choose something in the middle of the ship if you are concerned about possible rough seas. The larger – and therefore more expensive – the cabin, the more room you will have to maneuver in. And a tub provides more space than a shower.
7. Hanging rails in the closets on most ships are positioned too high for someone in a wheelchair to reach – even the latest ships seem to repeat this basic error. Many cruise ships, however, have cabins specially fitted out to suit the mobility-limited. They are typically fitted with roll-in closets and have a pull-down facility to bring your clothes down to any height you want.
8. Meals in some ships may be served in your cabin, on special request – an advantage should you wish to avoid dressing for every meal. But few ships have enough space in the cabin for dining tables. If you opt for a dining room with two fixed-time seatings for meals, choose the second – it’s more leisurely. Alert the restaurant manager in advance that you would like a table that leaves plenty of room for your wheelchair.
9. Hand-carry medical records. Once on board, tell the reception desk help may be needed in an emergency.
Make sure that the contract specifically states that if, for any reason, the cabin is not available, that you will get a full refund and transportation back home as well as a refund on any hotel bills incurred. Advise the cruise line of the need for proper transfer facilities such as buses or vans with wheelchair ramps or hydraulic lifts. If you live near the port of embarkation, arrange to visit the ship to check its suitability (most cruise lines will be accommodating).
Coping with embarkation
The boarding process can pose problems. If you embark at ground level, the gangway may be level or inclined. It will depend on the embarkation deck of the ship and/or the tide in the port.
Alternatively, you may be required to embark from an upper level of a terminal, in which case the gangway could well be of the floating loading-bridge type, like those used at major airports. Some have flat floors; others may have raised lips at regular intervals. The lips can be awkward to negotiate in a wheelchair, especially if the gangway is made steeper by a rising tide.
Ship-to-shore launches
Cruise lines should – but don’t always – provide an anchor emblem in brochures for those ports of call where a ship will be at anchor instead of alongside. If the ship is at anchor, the crew will lower you and your wheelchair into a waiting tender and then, after a short boat-ride, lift you out again onto a rigged gangway or integral platform. If the sea is calm, this maneuver proceeds uneventfully; if the sea is choppy, it could vary from exciting to somewhat harrowing. This type of embarkation is rare except in a busy port with several ships sailing the same day. Holland America Line is one of the few companies to make shore tenders accessible to the disabled, with a special boarding ramp and scissor lift so that wheelchair passengers can see out of the shore tender’s windows.
Help for the hearing impaired
Difficulties for such passengers include hearing announcements on the public address system; using the telephone; and poor acoustics in key areas such as boarding shore tenders. Take a spare hearing aid battery. More new ships have cabins specially fitted with colored signs to help those who are hearing impaired. Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Century and Celebrity Mercury have movie theaters fitted with special headsets for those with hearing difficulties.
Finally, when going ashore, particularly on organized excursions, be aware that most destinations, particularly in Europe and Southeast Asia, are simply not equipped to handle people with hearing impairment.
Cruising blind
Any totally- or almost-blind persons must be accompanied by a fully able-bodied person, occupying the same cabin. A few lines will allow seeing-eye dogs. Taking an around-the-world cruise or long voyage aboard a cruise ship is one way for them to enjoy the sea, the aromas of the world, and to feel things that they are unable to at home.
Recent improvements
The large resort ships Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Pearl provide:
1. 11 wheelchair-accessible public toilets on each.
2. 27 wheelchair-accessible cabins, including suites. All have collapsible shower stools mounted on shower walls; all bathroom toilets have collapsible arm guards and lower washbasin. Other cabin equipment includes a vibrating alarm clock, door beacon (light flashes when someone knock on the door), television with closed caption decoders, and a flashing light as fire alarm.
3. Hearing-impaired kits on request.
4. Dedicated wheelchair positions in the showlounge (including induction systems).
5. Electrical hoist to access pool and hot tubs.
6. All elevators and cabins have B raille text.
WHAT TO ASK BEFORE YOU BOOK
1. Are any public rooms or public decks inaccessible to wheelchairs – for instance, it is sometimes difficult to obtain access to outdoor decks?
2. Will you be guaranteed a good viewing place in the main showlounge from where you can see the shows if seated in a wheelchair?
3. Will crew be on hand to help, or must the passengers rely on their own traveling companions?
4. Will special transportation be provided to transfer you from airport to ship?
5. If you need a collapsible wheelchair, can this be provided by the cruise line?
6. Do passengers have to sign a medical release?
7. Are the ship’s tenders accessible to wheelchairs?
8. How do you get from your cabin to lifeboats in an emergency if the elevators are out of action?
9. Do passengers need a doctor’s note to qualify for a cabin for the physically challenged?
10. Does the cruise line’s travel insurance (with a cancellation or trip interruption) cover you for any injuries while you are aboard ship?
11. Most disabled cabins have twin beds or one queen-sized bed. Parents or grandparents with a disabled child should ask the cruise line whether a suitable portable bed can be moved in.
WHY DOORS CAN PRESENT A PROBLEM FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS
The design of ships has traditionally worked against the mobility-limited. To keep water out or to prevent water escaping from a flooded area, raised edges (“lips”) – unfriendly to wheelchairs – are often placed in doorways and across exit pathways. Also, cabin doorways, at a standard 24 inches (60cm) wide, are often not wide enough for wheelchairs – about 30 inches (76 cm) is needed.
Bathroom doors, whether they open outward or inward, similarly hinder maneuverability. An electrically operated sliding door would be better. Bathrooms in many older ships are small and full of plumbing fixtures, often at odd angles, awkward when moving about in a wheelchair. Those aboard new ships are more accessible, but the plumbing may be located beneath the complete prefabricated module, making the floor higher than that in the cabin, which means a ramp is needed.
Some cruise lines will, if given advance notice, remove a bathroom door and hang a fabric curtain in its place. Many lines will provide ramps for the bathroom doorway if needed.
Access to outside decks is usually through doors that must be opened manually rather than via automatic electric-eye doors.
It’s not cheap to provide facilities for wheelchair-bound passengers. Trained crew members are needed to assist them, which translates to two crew members per eight-hour shift. Thus, six crew members would be required according to the latest safety and evacuation regulations solely to provide support for one wheelchair-bound passenger – a big drain on labour resources.
BERLITZ RATES THE MAJOR CRUISE SHIPS FOR WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY
Adventure of the Seas A
Aegean Pearl D
AIDAaura B
AIDAbella B
AIDAcara B
AIDAdiva B
AIDAluna B
AIDAvita B
Albatros C
Amadea C
American Eagle D
American Glory D
American Spirit D
American Star D
Amsterdam B
Aquamarine D
Arcadia B
Arion D
Artemis B
Astor C
Asuka II A
Athena D
Aurora B
Azamara Journey C
Azamara Quest C
Azura B
Balmoral B
Black Watch C
Bleu de France B
Boudicca C
Braemar C
Bremen D
Brilliance of the Seas B
C. Columbus C
Caribbean Princess B
Carnival Conquest B
Carnival Destiny B
Carnival Dream B
Carnival Ecstacy C
Carnival Elation C
Carnival Fantasy C
Carnival Fascination C
Carnival Freedom B
Carnival Glory B
Carnival Imagination C
Carnival Inspiration C
Carnival Legend B
Carnival Liberty B
Carnival Miracle B
Carnival Paradise C
Carnival Pride B
Carnival Sensation C
Carnival Spirit B
Carnival Splendor B
Carnival Triumph B
Carnival Valor B
Carnival Victory B
Celebrity Century B
Celebrity Constellation A
Celebrity Eclipse A
Celebrity Equinox A
Celebrity Infinity A
Celebrity Mercury B
Celebrity Millennium A
Celebrity Solstice A
Celebrity Summit A
Celebrity Xpedition D
Clelia II D
Clipper Adventurer D
Clipper Odyssey C
Club Med 2 D
Coral D
Coral Princess B
Corinthian II D
Costa Allegra D
Costa Atlantica B
Costa Classica B
Costa Concordia B
Costa Deliziosa B
Costa Europa C
Costa Fortuna B
Costa Luminosa B
Costa Magica B
Costa Marina D
Costa Mediterranea B
Costa Pacifica B
Costa Romantica B
Costa Serena B
Costa Victoria B
Cristal D
Crown Princess A
Crystal Serenity A
Crystal Symphony A
Dawn Princess B
Delphin D
Delphin Voyager C
Deutschland C
Diamond Princess B
Discovery C
Disney Magic B
Disney Wonder B
easyCruise Life D
Emerald Princess B
Empress C
Enchantment of
the Seas B
Eurodam B
Europa B
Explorer of the Seas A
Freedom of the Seas A
Fuji Maru D
Funchal D
Galapagos Explorer II D
Gemini C
Golden Iris C
Golden Princess A
Grand Celebration C
Grand Mistral C
Grand Princess A
Grand Voyager B
Grande Caribe D
Grande Mariner D
Grandeur of the Seas B
Hanseatic D
Hebridean Princess D
Holiday D
Independence D
Independence of
the Seas B
Insignia B
Island Princess B
Island Sky D
Jewel of the Seas B
Kapitan Khlebnikov D
Kristina Regina D
Le Boreal C
Le Diamant D
Le Levant D
Le Ponant D
Legend of the Seas B
Liberty of the Seas A
Maasdam B
Majesty of the Seas C
Marco Polo C
Mariner of the Seas A
Mein Schiff B
Minerva C
Monarch of the
Seas C
Monet D
MSC Armonia B
MSC Fantasia A
MSC Lirica B
MSC?Magnifica B
MSC Melody C
MSC Musica B
MSC Opera B
MSC Orchestra B
MSC Poesia B
MSC Sinfonia B
MSC Splendida B
National Geographic
Endeavour D
National Geographic
Polaris D
National Geographic
Sea Bird D
National Geographic
Sea Lion D
Nautica B
Navigator of the Seas A
Nippon Maru C
Noordam B
Norwegian Dawn A
Norwegian Epic B
Norwegian Gem B
Norwegian Jade B
Norwegian Jewel B
Norwegian Pearl B
Norwegian Sky B
Norwegian Spirit B
Norwegian Star A
Norwegian Sun B
Oasis of the Seas B
Ocean Dream C
Ocean Princess B
Ocean Village B
Oceana B
Oosterdam B
Oriana B
Orient Queen D
Orion D
Pacific C
Pacific Dawn C
Pacific Princess B
Pacific Sun C
Pacific Venus C
Paul Gauguin C
Pearl Mist D
Pride of America B
Prince Albert II D
Princess Danae D
Prinsendam A
Professor Multanovskiy D
Queen Elizabeth B
Queen Mary 2 A
Queen Victoria B
Radiance of the Seas B
Regatta B
Rhapsody of the Seas B
Rotterdam A
Royal Clipper D
Royal Iris D
Royal Princess B
Ruby Princess B
Ryndam C
Saga Ruby C
Sapphire D
Sapphire Princess B
Seabourn Legend D
Seabourn Odyssey B
Seabourn Pride D
Seabourn Spirit D
SeaDream I D
SeaDream II D
Sea Bird D
Sea Cloud D
Sea Cloud II D
Sea Cloud Hussar D
Sea Princess B
Serenade of the Seas A
Seven Seas Mariner A
Seven Seas Navigator B
Seven Seas Voyager A
Silver Cloud C
Silver Shadow B
Silver Spirit A
Silver Whisper B
Silver Wind C
Sovereign C
Spirit of ’98 D
Spirit of Adventure D
Spirit of Alaska D
Spirit of Columbia D
Spirit of Discovery D
Spirit of Endeavour D
Spirit of Glacier Bay D
Spirit of Oceanus D
Spirit of Yorktown D
Splendour of the Seas B
Star Clipper D
Star Flyer D
Star Pisces D
Star Princess A
Statendam B
Sun Princess B
SuperStar Aquarius C
SuperStar Libra C
SuperStar Virgo B
The Calypso D
The Emerald D
The Iris D
Thomson Celebration C
Thomson Destiny C
Thomson Spirit C
Veendam C
Ventura B
Vision of the Seas B
Vistamar D
Volendam B
Voyager of the Seas A
Westerdam B
Wind Spirit D
Wind Star D
Wind Surf D
Yamal D
Zaandam B
Zenith B
Zuiderdam B
KEY A) Recommended as most suitable for wheelchair passengers
B) Reasonably accessible for wheelchair passengers
C) Moderately accessible for wheelchair passengers
D) Not suitable for wheelchair passengers
The following ships of Carnival Cruise Lines have double-width entertainment deck promenades that are good for wheelchair passengers, but the public restrooms are not accessible. In addition, although the cabin bathrooms are equipped with shower stalls and grab rails, the bathrooms have a steel “lip” and are therefore neither suitable nor accessible when stepping out of a wheelchair: Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival Elation, Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Fascination, Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Sensation, Holiday.
Asuka II (NYK Cruises), Crystal Symphony (Crystal Cruises) and Europa (Hapag-Lloyd Cruises) are the only ships presently in operation that provide special access ramps from an accommodation deck directly to the ship’s lifeboats.
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2010
