Vista class and disabled passengers

[smoosh21]

Can anyone, especially those who are disabled, tell me of their experiences on the Vista class ships?
My mother has now come to me and my sister saying that she wants to take my father on a cruise. He is in a wheelchair with limited mobility. I have seen some pictures of the ADA compliant suites and they seem to be very accessable for wheelchair passengers, but how is the rest of the ship? Is it easy to access most parts of the ship?

What about the older non-vista class? Older ships worry me because they may not be as accessable.

Also, I would look for advice on what ports of call offer the most accessability. They are looking towards going to Caribbean, but haven't narrowed down Eastern or Western.

[Sea Island Lady]

Be sure and post this on the Disabled board and you should get some answers.


Also take a look here:
http://www.access-able.com/dBase/shdetail.cfm?id=53

[smoosh21]

Thanks for the link

[TylerRose]

We were on the Z last summer with my MIL in a wc. Ships staff assist up and down gangway, which can be quite shallow... or steep depending on location and tide. We kept plenty of singles available and fives for tips since we rarely were assisted by the same person twice.

Vista class ships were definately designed with a greater compliance for the disabled and allowed greater comfort. Though they seemed endless, the halls did seem wider and there were definately more elevators available.
Bath room in cabin meets all needs and she thought it was is well layed out.

Issues purtaining to all ships, not repaired on Vistas are those of getting about and finding access. Dining room requires staff excort to weave through tables, and the Show Lounge is NOT THE LEAST BIT HANDICAPPED FRIENDLY! You will need to arrive early to find help or to weave through on your own if you want a spot near the front. (My MIL is legally Blind). They rearrange sofas and chairs regularly adding to the frustration. If location is not a concern, then you can park in middle of lounge. Elevators require transfer between Lower area and upper floors. Many people are using scooters now, and it adds to elevator wait. That said, it is never hopeless... it just requires patience.

Not all ports allow docking however, and unless we missed it, the "lifeboats" they use as tenders were NOT handicapped accessable. She had to have help stepping on and then wc was hoisted over.

She loves the crows nest for the option of pushing the WC against the floor to ceiling window view. Decks are accessable- but getting to them often a challenge. Lido is very well staffed, and though crowded, someone will assist with tray and wc seating.

This is a bigger ship with more people than the previous ships, and more handicapped public bathrooms were available... Ships store was plentiful, but less accessable than any we'd been in prior.

If you have specific questions, please ask.

[Oceanwench]

OK ... the computer just ate my reply so I'll try again.

DH [in power chair] and I have cruised on both the Zui and the O. Both ships are very accessible.
We had verandah cabins that had plenty of maneuvering room. The beds were low for easy transfer. The showers were of the roll-in variety and had a built-in seat. Toilet was higher than a regular one, with ample grab bars adjacent.

Dining room: No problems, we were assigned to a table close to the entrance. No need to disrupt pax to make our way to the table.
Pinnacle: No problem.
Casino: No problem. DH likes rouette and was able to drive right up to the table!
Elevators: Blessedly empty most of the time, as compared to RCCL, where we had to wait many minutes for an uncrowded elevator!

Lido: Very accessible, and the wonderful staff is helpful.
Vista Lounge: Yuck ... seating is not good here. DH isn't big on shows, so it did not matter to him.

Public bathrooms: Not all are accessible, but DH had it figured out after the first day or two.

Excursions, etc.: DH prefers to stay onboard and read, roam, etc. He has no problem being alone [when I go off into port] as there are so many helpful crew members and friendly pax. Whenever he was alone in the Lido, a crew member would help him get his lunch and carry it to a table.

We are looking forward to sailing on the Zui in May, and we can't say enough good things about HAL's accessibility on its Vista class ships.

[bepsf]

I might suggest to mobility-impaired passengers to try entering the Vista Lounge via the entrances on Main Deck - that would get you to the lower floor where you'd be able to pull right into the main seating area and a steward should be able to help move a chair aside for you to sit w/ your spouse.

I'd think that a staff member would have suggested that to you so you could enjoy the shows...