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Quebec City is not handicap friendly


floretts
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We just returned from a Canadian Maritime Province cruise from Boston. Despite earlier suggestions that Quebec City is negotiable by mobility scooter, it definitely is not. There are low curbs where there are supposed to be ramped corners. . Most shops require climbing steps for entry. The city is quite steep, so one must be relatively strong to push a wheelchair. IT is very exhausting! Also the sidewalks are uneven in the flat areas, so it is not a pleasant experience getting around. The funicular from the lower to upper city does have a side entrance for a wheelchair, the one shining light in navigating the city. Also, there is a handicap entrance to the tourist bureau.

We travelled on the Veendam, and despite being told in advance by Holland America that the ship is able to get a scooter off at a tender port with advance notice, the ship does not have that capability, making Bar Harbor also an impossibility for some travelers. It is easy to walk around Halifax, and relatively easy to walk around Charlottetown.

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  • 2 weeks later...
We just returned from a Canadian Maritime Province cruise from Boston. Despite earlier suggestions that Quebec City is negotiable by mobility scooter, it definitely is not. There are low curbs where there are supposed to be ramped corners. . Most shops require climbing steps for entry. The city is quite steep, so one must be relatively strong to push a wheelchair. IT is very exhausting! Also the sidewalks are uneven in the flat areas, so it is not a pleasant experience getting around. The funicular from the lower to upper city does have a side entrance for a wheelchair, the one shining light in navigating the city. Also, there is a handicap entrance to the tourist bureau.

We travelled on the Veendam, and despite being told in advance by Holland America that the ship is able to get a scooter off at a tender port with advance notice, the ship does not have that capability, making Bar Harbor also an impossibility for some travelers. It is easy to walk around Halifax, and relatively easy to walk around Charlottetown.

 

I would definitely agree that Quebec City is not scooter/wheelchair friendly. The City is on a steep hill and the tourist area is all cobblestone streets and old stone heritage buildings. To take in the major tourist attractions you are always walking up or downhill. It is an absolutely beautiful city, but not easy to get around with mobility challenges I am sure.

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I had no real issues with what we did while in Quebec. We did a tour to the basilica and also to the montomercy falls. I traveled the park with no issues on my scooter.

 

As for the Veendam, it sounds like you have not seen my reviews on it from June. I found out the keep misinforming people about its tender as well. Thankfully I was able to navigate the steps on it while the varied my scooter on and off.

 

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Edited by sherilyn70
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Quebec is no fun in a wheelchair either. Cobbled streets, high kerbs, steps into most shops and rather steep side streets. But it is what it is.

 

At least you managed to get on the funicular. We had two days there with QE in 2012 and investigated the disabled access on the first day. We turned up next day to find the side entrance was closed during repair work, so were stuck at the bottom for another few hours of gazing in shop windows.

 

Pity you missed Bar Harbor. The streets are pretty steep, but the tour around Acadia National Park was breathtaking.

 

.

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We just returned from a Canadian Maritime Province cruise from Boston. Despite earlier suggestions that Quebec City is negotiable by mobility scooter, it definitely is not. There are low curbs where there are supposed to be ramped corners. . Most shops require climbing steps for entry. The city is quite steep, so one must be relatively strong to push a wheelchair. IT is very exhausting! Also the sidewalks are uneven in the flat areas, so it is not a pleasant experience getting around. The funicular from the lower to upper city does have a side entrance for a wheelchair, the one shining light in navigating the city. Also, there is a handicap entrance to the tourist bureau.

We travelled on the Veendam, and despite being told in advance by Holland America that the ship is able to get a scooter off at a tender port with advance notice, the ship does not have that capability, making Bar Harbor also an impossibility for some travelers. It is easy to walk around Halifax, and relatively easy to walk around Charlottetown.

 

Sorry to hear of your bad experience with Quebec City.. and I was a bit taken aback by your comments about Charlottetown? I live near Charlottetown and I am in a wheelchair or scooter 100% of the time. I never encounter any issues getting around the city other than little tiny independent boutiques or shops.. but all mainstream franchised shops would be handicap accessable. Canada has laws that govern this.

 

As for tenders.. we only sail with Carnival. .and I know Carnival never promises that any tender would be accessable by wheelchair or scooter.. Therefore I never bother with tender ports myself.

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  • 4 weeks later...

As for the Veendam not being accessible on the tender, Holland Amarica as a reputation for giving misinformation. I do know the Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam have accessible tenders, but depending on the wind, water, etc the Captain may not always allow them.

 

Once, on a tender, they did not have a place for the scooters and as we were docking, the tender rolled and he went flying off the scooter. Thankfully he was not hurt but what a fright.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I use a scooter and had very little difficulty in Quebec. Yes, some of the stores required some steps, but I am able to manage that. Charlottetown was very easy as was Halifax. I chose not to go into the tender and missed Bar Harbor, but DH kindly bought me back a lobster dinner.

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Charlottetown is very flat and it is very possible to scooter or push a wheelchair. Certainly some restaurants or shops might have a few steps but not like Quebec City where there are often a number of steps.

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