Southern Carribean

[sanspike]

I have been to the Carribean many times but never the Southern. We will be visiting Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada, St Lucia, Antigua, And Barbados. I would appreciate any information on accessible tours.

[kyriecat]

The tour type will depend on the individual's abilities and the type of accessibility device s/he uses. Can the person transfer to a regular vehicle (car, van, etc.) or is a vehicle with a wheelchair lift necessary? Is the person bringing a walker, manual wheelchair, scooter, or electric wheelchair?

For example, my mom cannot walk or climb stairs but she can transfer into a car or low van with a little assistance. She uses a foldable, manual wheelchair for tours. That makes it a bit easier for us to find transportation since we do not have to find a lift vehicle and her wheelchair will fold up to store in a car trunk or van.

The hardest part of the tours we've been on has been finding an accessible bathroom. My mom needs grab bars to get from her chair to the toilet and back.

I've only been to St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, and Antigua with my mom. She was in Aruba with my dad, but I think they stayed in the pier area rather than going around the island.

[sanspike]

I have a foldable wheelchair and can transfer but cannot do bus steps without a LOT of help. Any websites would be appreciated.

[LondonTowner]

Sanspike

We have visited all of those islands except Bonaire. On our last Caribbean cruise I took a foldable wheelchair and managed to go on an excursion in all of the islands. We didn't do one in Aruba as we had already been there before, but the ships dock very close to the town so it is walkable.

I can manage to walk a short way and to climb steps so was able to get on and off the mini buses that they use in the Caribbean. Some of the drivers found an extra step for me to use to get on.

In St Lucia I didn't think I would be able to get in and out of the boat, bt the guys there ensured I managed and they said they heped disabled visitors every day. I suggest you look through the ports of Call Boards for each island. You will also find information on the relevant forums on Tripadvisor.

We never book ship excursions as they are far too expensive. It does mean though, that you have to put some time and effort into doing some research.

[sanspike]

Originally Posted by LondonTowner

Sanspike

We have visited all of those islands except Bonaire. On our last Caribbean cruise I took a foldable wheelchair and managed to go on an excursion in all of the islands. We didn't do one in Aruba as we had already been there before, but the ships dock very close to the town so it is walkable.

I can manage to walk a short way and to climb steps so was able to get on and off the mini buses that they use in the Caribbean. Some of the drivers found an extra step for me to use to get on.

In St Lucia I didn't think I would be able to get in and out of the boat, bt the guys there ensured I managed and they said they heped disabled visitors every day. I suggest you look through the ports of Call Boards for each island. You will also find information on the relevant forums on Tripadvisor.

We never book ship excursions as they are far too expensive. It does mean though, that you have to put some time and effort into doing some research.

Thanks for your help. I have been doing some research. What kind of boat tour was it in St Lucia. Minivans are easier than the big buses I've tried in the past.
What I've read is that there is a lot to pick from when you get off the ship.

[LondonTowner]

Sanspike

In St Lucia we did the tour with Cosol's Tours. There is plenty of info on them on the St Lucia Board. My partner thought it was the best trip we did all holiday and we had been to 10 islands and done something in each of them.

[kyriecat]

My mom doesn't like water/beaches so we didn't do any beach activities during our tours.

For St. Lucia, we booked a land tour with Serenity tours. They have a Toyota mini-van that is relatively low so my mom was able to get into it. We went to the Diamond Falls botanical garden (WC restroom here), volcano, Pitons overlook, lunch at a restaurant with a Pitons view, drove through several of the fishing villages, and made a few sightseeing stops. My husband and I did the Cosol tour without my mom a few years ago and had a great time, but I knew the boat ride to Jalousie Beach was not suitable for my mom. She is unable to walk to get into the boat and does not want to be carried. I don't know if the setup for Cosol has changed since 2009. We had to wade into knee-high water to board the boat and climb up a ladder/over a rail.

For Grenada we booked a tour with J&J. We went to a waterfall but the path had some stairs so my mom was unable to view the falls. We also stopped by the rain forest visitor center (WC restroom here), volcanic lake, rum tasting (advertised as having WC restroom but wasn't), and saw a couple scenic overlooks of the beaches/port and a fort. They used a mini van for the tour that was little high but my mom was able to get in with a boost.

For Antigua we had booked with Tour Guide Gordon who usually gets good reviews. However, I found him to be boorish and condescending towards my mom's disability and refuse to recommend him to anyone. I booked a private tour for 4 several months in advance and specifically requested a car or mini van. I confirmed the request 3 times prior to our arrival in Antigua and was always told that they had a car available for us. He showed up in a 15-passenger van with two steps to board. When I told him that wasn't the transportation that we had discussed, he actually said he didn't think I was serious about needing a car and that we should dump my mom back at the ship so the rest of us could have fun. He made my mom cry with his insensitive comments. We ended up negotiating a price with a taxi driver to visit Dowhill Interpretation Center (WC restroom here), Shirley Heights, Nelson's Dockyard, and Devil's Bridge. The taxi tour ended up costing more than the price we were supposed to pay Gordon and our driver wasn't a guide so he didn't know the answers to many of our questions.

For Barbados we used Johnson's Tours. Again we had a problem with transportation (they showed up in a van), but we were able to get it switched to a car after a small delay. We visited Nicholas Abbey (not really wheelchair accessible), the orchid gardens (WC restroom here), St. Johns church, drove through Bridgetown, and made a few scenic stops. I've heard Harrison Cave is wheelchair accessible but my mom wasn't interested in seeing it.

[sanspike]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've heard transportation is difficult in the S. Carribean. I will check out the suggestions.