Priority boarding for Handicap?

We will be travelling with my mother (in a wheelchair), father (should be in a wheelchair but too tough to admit it) and disabled sister who will probably need a chair to get through all the lines. Does Carnival allow handicapped and their family priority access? I know my dad won't be able to do much standing around in long lines. Thank you for any input!!

Hi,

Whenever I have used assisted boarding, including Carnival, you basically sit in a holding area and wait until one of the wheelchair pushers are available or they collect you from the drop off point. It depends where you are sailing from.

Pete

Hi,

 

Whenever I have used assisted boarding, including Carnival, you basically sit in a holding area and wait until one of the wheelchair pushers are available or they collect you from the drop off point. It depends where you are sailing from.

 

Pete

I'm sorry, I should have included that. We are sailing from Galveston.

We will be travelling with my mother (in a wheelchair), father (should be in a wheelchair but too tough to admit it) and disabled sister who will probably need a chair to get through all the lines. Does Carnival allow handicapped and their family priority access? I know my dad won't be able to do much standing around in long lines. Thank you for any input!!

In General if the individual is traveling with someone that can push the wheelchair or if it's a powered wheelchair they just board when their group is called.

If the individual requires the assistance of cruise personnel to push their personal wheelchair or if the individual has to request wheelchair assistance at the pier than that serviced is provided on a first come first served basis.

OP -

As near as I could find out from my own series of inquiries here and elsewhere over the course of the past year, each port sets its own policy. (aka - makes up policies on the fly. :D) You may find one as described above that will hold you with others if you don't need Carnival's own assistants, others have been reported to put those that use mobility aids (including scooters & powered wheelchairs) in front of or behind FTTF and sometimes even higher. Your experience may vary greatly from port-to-port and staffing.

We will be travelling with my mother (in a wheelchair), father (should be in a wheelchair but too tough to admit it) and disabled sister who will probably need a chair to get through all the lines. Does Carnival allow handicapped and their family priority access? I know my dad won't be able to do much standing around in long lines. Thank you for any input!!

no you do not get priority boarding just because you are using wheelchair assistance to get on board.

priority goes to high end suites, the high loyalty levels and wedding parties. those needing WC assistance will be taken in a separate line/area but not necessarily be boarding first/ahead of the masses. what usually happens is someone comes to escort you to the elevator one or two at time and you will be brought aboard that way and then are on your own right after. so if someone needs a WC full time they will need to rent their own and have it with them when you arrive( you can arrange to have one waiting in the cabin but the cabin may not be accessible until 1 pm or later and they do not bring you to the cabin when you first board, you are left on the deck you board and must then make your own way)

My experience is admittedly very limited compared to many here - but I'd suggest it can do no harm to ask - worst they can do is refuse you, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

Our recent cruise, our group had different times for check-in & boarding (different decks) - so contacted Princess and asked if we could all come at one time or the other so that we had the extra help with my chair in case I needed it. Expected that they probably would allow us to board as an entire group at one or other of the times on our info - but we were given priority instead (indeed - they bent over backward the whole trip to make sure things went smoothly and easily for me :) )

Carnival has a specific check-in desk for "special needs" at most ports. Use that line. They will then notify you when the special needs boarding will be. This is typically either directly prior to or directly after FTTF boarding, but always prior to general boarding. You will not be boarding with a general group, but with the special needs group.

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much for the info. We don't really need to board earlier but standing in the line to check in won't work well. Happy to hear they have a separate line. As long as I can get my Dad and Sister to a place to sit down we will be in good shape. Dad has neuropathy in his feet and legs and Sister has epilepsy and seizures can be triggered when she over does it. We might also just wait until later to check in. When most of the guests/groups have already boarded. This trip will be to celebrate my Dad's 70th birthday so I'm trying to make it the best!!

p.s. I'm also watching for FTTF. They are a rare commodity :)

Happy Cruising!!

Thank you so much for the info. We don't really need to board earlier but standing in the line to check in won't work well. Happy to hear they have a separate line. As long as I can get my Dad and Sister to a place to sit down we will be in good shape. Dad has neuropathy in his feet and legs and Sister has epilepsy and seizures can be triggered when she over does it. We might also just wait until later to check in. When most of the guests/groups have already boarded. This trip will be to celebrate my Dad's 70th birthday so I'm trying to make it the best!!

 

p.s. I'm also watching for FTTF. They are a rare commodity :)

 

Happy Cruising!!

I highly suggest using wheelchair assistance for boarding. I know that you said that you dad really doesn't want to, but if he hasn't cruised before, he may be seriously underestimating the amount of walking necessary just to board the ship. It's always better to start well rested than to wear yourself out and be in pain from the get-go.

I also highly recommend FTTF ... keep looking! It's really helpful to be able to get right into your room for a little rest. Sometimes boarding can be a little taxing if you have multiple health issues :)

In general if the individual is traveling with someone that can push the wheelchair or if it's a powered wheelchair they just board when their group is called.

Interesting - I wonder if this is a CCL thing. I can push my wife's wheelchair just fine but on HAL and RCCL they never let me. Not an option. They have us wait with others with wheelchairs and someone comes and takes her away (with me running after) - well before general boarding. Usually before the photographers are even set up.

In General if the individual is traveling with someone that can push the wheelchair or if it's a powered wheelchair they just board when their group is called.

 

If the individual requires the assistance of cruise personnel to push their personal wheelchair or if the individual has to request wheelchair assistance at the pier than that serviced is provided on a first come first served basis.

Interesting - I wonder if this is a CCL thing. I can push my wife's wheelchair just fine but on HAL and RCCL they never let me. Not an option. They have us wait with others with wheelchairs and someone comes and takes her away (with me running after) - well before general boarding. Usually before the photographers are even set up.

It's not a thing on Carnival, either. They board in the "special needs" group which is either directly before or directly after the FTTF group, depending on the port.

In Galveston Carnival has staggered check-in. You choose or are assigned a time to arrive at the terminal, and unless you are platinum, diamond, suite, FTTF or some other form that gets priority on your boarding pass, they will not allow you into the terminal until the time on your pass. But I believe this has cut down significantly on the lines outside and inside the terminal. EM

Interesting - I wonder if this is a CCL thing. I can push my wife's wheelchair just fine but on HAL and RCCL they never let me. Not an option. They have us wait with others with wheelchairs and someone comes and takes her away (with me running after) - well before general boarding. Usually before the photographers are even set up.

Never been on CCL that's why I stated "In general" in my previous post. Been on RCCL, HAL as well as Princess and it's always been an option. We just politely refuse assistance when someone come to push.

Never been on CCL that's why I stated "In general" in my previous post. Been on RCCL, HAL as well as Princess and it's always been an option. We just politely refuse assistance when someone come to push.

Gotcha. CCL doesn't force you to use their "pushers" if you are able to handle the wheelchair yourself. I suppose that if you were to be picky about it, it could be an option on CCL to board with your group as well (no one ever said you couldn't do it); however, we always choose to board with the special needs group. Getting a scooter onto the ship is always better when there are fewer people around :)

Our experience has been very pleasant both with NCL sailing out of New York City and with RCI sailing out of Tampa.

We have cruised twice since my partner became disabled in 2013 and now uses a wheelchair. In each instance we were directed to a separate check-in line-desk where we were processed quickly and aboard ship (with assistance) within minutes.

A special "thank you" note to both NCL and RCI:

When we disembarked and re-boarded the ship in the various port we visited, the crew was always very helpful.

Thank you!

I am in a wheelchair and have gotten on the ship first before anyone on carnival and ncl.