Reference Material For Disabled Cruise Travel

[Ms Ann]

Spoke with Princess accessibility person today about HC cabins on the Ruby Princess. We only spoke of 2, but the information I have is the inside ( Aloha deck ) is 13X19 ft with open bath 6X7ft. The obstructed view ones on Emerald deck are 21x14 FT and open bath 6x7ft.

Dont know size of others like balcony. Be careful when discussing balcony cabins, they will tell you a sq footage that includes the balcony, could be misleading.

[Ms Ann]

Originally Posted by AAL

I've been researching a wheelchair accessible cabin for a family member and just ran across a very handy resource on the ************* website under "special needs." After you click on the name of a specific ship on that page, there is a link "to view a detailed list of accessible cabins and measurements" and then a chart of the various accessibility features of the ship.

The detailed list of accessible cabins gives you the stateroom numbers and the door widths. It beats squinting at the deck plans to figure out where the accessible cabins are!

as of now, there is nolonger a room size given. Only door width, and info on bath and balcony ramping.

[roxylady]

I traveled on Royal Caribbean, on two different ships and had the handicapped cabin, in both cases. The first time, I used a wheelchair and the second time, a scooter. The doors were wide enough to get through and the cabins large enough to turn around in, but I am not sure, if you can't walk a little, that you can comfortably navigate through the furniture and out to the balcony. For me, there was no problem. I simply plugged in my scooter and used my crutches to get around in the room.

[IrisF]

Hi, I am able to walk some, but use a scooter for any distance at all. So, I really don't usually need a handicapped cabin.

I've cruised three times on Royal Caribbean, twice on Norwegian and once on Princess. On all of them the cabin doors were wide enough on a standard balcony cabin for my Go-Go Scooter to get into the cabin comfortably. All of them had excellent access to areas around the ship. I don't use the pool or the hot tubs, so I can't comment on their accessibility.

Norwegian standard balcony cabins are generally smaller than the other two lines I have cruised and the arrangement of furniture makes it impossible to turn the scooter around once inside the cabin. I'm very used to navigating with the scooter, so I would back into the room, but it made getting around in there very tight. The second time on a Norwegian ship (the Jewel) I did request a handicapped balcony cabin and it was much easier for us both to get around, including turning the scooter. I was able to park the scooter in the closet which provided easier access in the cabin itself.

On Royal Caribbean and Princess standard balcony cabins I had no trouble driving straight in and turning the scooter around. Also there was more room for my cabin mate to get around the scooter. At this point I would not request a HC cabin on either of those two lines.

I wish there was another catagory of cabin for "minimally" handicapped folks such as myself. It makes me uncomfortable to request a fully handicapped cabin when someone else may need it more than I do. For some of us just a little more space to turn around in and park the scooter or wheelchair would be sufficent.

I hope this is helpful and that it makes it easier for you to enjoy cruising as much as I do.
Iris

[allangering]

Nice post!Very well said, thanks for sharing.Thanks a ton for your information and hope to read more from you.

[belle836]

Originally Posted by IrisF

Hi, I am able to walk some, but use a scooter for any distance at all. So, I really don't usually need a handicapped cabin.

I've cruised three times on Royal Caribbean, twice on Norwegian and once on Princess. On all of them the cabin doors were wide enough on a standard balcony cabin for my Go-Go Scooter to get into the cabin comfortably. All of them had excellent access to areas around the ship. I don't use the pool or the hot tubs, so I can't comment on their accessibility.

Norwegian standard balcony cabins are generally smaller than the other two lines I have cruised and the arrangement of furniture makes it impossible to turn the scooter around once inside the cabin. I'm very used to navigating with the scooter, so I would back into the room, but it made getting around in there very tight. The second time on a Norwegian ship (the Jewel) I did request a handicapped balcony cabin and it was much easier for us both to get around, including turning the scooter. I was able to park the scooter in the closet which provided easier access in the cabin itself.

On Royal Caribbean and Princess standard balcony cabins I had no trouble driving straight in and turning the scooter around. Also there was more room for my cabin mate to get around the scooter. At this point I would not request a HC cabin on either of those two lines.

I wish there was another catagory of cabin for "minimally" handicapped folks such as myself. It makes me uncomfortable to request a fully handicapped cabin when someone else may need it more than I do. For some of us just a little more space to turn around in and park the scooter or wheelchair would be sufficent.

I hope this is helpful and that it makes it easier for you to enjoy cruising as much as I do.
Iris

Those are my circumstances as well. Scooter for long walks, cane for short walks, 20 stair steps are my limit. I know I'm gonna get wicked stares from fellow passengers when I "walk" into some venue that I have taken my scooter to and parked in an out-of-the-way spot but I guess I'll survive.

[IrisF]

Originally Posted by belle836

Those are my circumstances as well. Scooter for long walks, cane for short walks, 20 stair steps are my limit. I know I'm gonna get wicked stares from fellow passengers when I "walk" into some venue that I have taken my scooter to and parked in an out-of-the-way spot but I guess I'll survive.

Hi Belle836, we can't worry about what others think. We KNOW what we can and cannot do. It may even vary from day to day. I usually park my scooter in the dining room where they tell me to and then walk with my cane to the table. When I can't do that anymore, I'll sit on the scooter to eat. I suppose I could do 20 stair steps - if my very life depended on it - but it would not be easy or comfortable for me to do so. When you get a "wicked stare" just give them a big smile and keep going! I'm usually so happy to be cruising that I don't even notice those stares.

[NorthernLite]

Originally Posted by Splinter

We don't have a category for central America, so will add this here. I have not used them, but have had them recommended from other cruisers:

Go With Wheelchairs (Costa Rica accessible tours)
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...hzk/4tours.htm

The web site not the Go With Wheelchairs.

[Arlened236]

Are there any resources for the southern carribean islands such as Barbados, St Vicent, St kitts, Santo Domingo and Grand Turk. I am looking for wheelchair accessible tours and what might be accessible on these islands, or problems I might find when I go ashore.
Thanks...I could not find this information in the resources that were listed. We sail on the Grand Princess in Feb 2010

[megr1125]

Originally Posted by Arlened236

Are there any resources for the southern carribean islands such as Barbados, St Vicent, St kitts, Santo Domingo and Grand Turk. I am looking for wheelchair accessible tours and what might be accessible on these islands, or problems I might find when I go ashore.
Thanks...I could not find this information in the resources that were listed. We sail on the Grand Princess in Feb 2010

i'm not an expert and haven't been to all those islands...BUT it is my experience that tours that SAY they are WC accessible are not necessarily so....i was on a couple with my mom that were "semi accessible.." and that was just the vehicle. one, in dominica was so bad we came back early.

another, the accessible van was broken (we found out literally 15 minutes before the tour) so we again had issues....

i would not trust the cruise line's info. in fact, i told the shore ex manager to TAKE the WC tour IN a WC and then he'd know for himself!

i would anticipate that you'll have difficulty in those places. that said, in grand turk, the pier area by margaritaville, with a few shops, was nice and flat.

[bagsybarlow]

I am a wheelchair user and recently cruised on Celebrity Equinox which I found very accessible and they have the lifts for gaining access to the Solarium pool and hot tub. I used it everyday and it was fantastic.

I did find the main dining room rather tight to get around but in fairness we only used the main dining room for the brunch so it is probably not too bad at normal meal times.

The Blu Restaurant was extremely comfortable and easy to get around, I used to stay in my wheelchair for breakfast (only because I am not so good of a morning) but would transfer to a dining chair putting my wheelchair back wedge cushion on the seat and I was comfortable for the whole meal.

I hope this will be of help to some of you.
Betty

[bagsybarlow]

I forgot to say we were in Aqua Class and there was plenty of room to get around, especially if you can walk a little, we used to open the balcony door and and as it was ramped `I used to just role out onto the balcony sometimes staying in my chair or transferring to the chair provided, depending on how I was.

The bathroom was more than ample with a fixed head shower and also lower down a shower head that could be removed to make showering easier or for a carer to use. The drop down shower seat was of generous proportion so it was easy to take a shower. The only thing I didn't really like was the shower curtain but who could complain about that.
Betty

[cruises4u]

Does anybody know the bathroom configuration on the handicap balcony rooms on NCL Epic? The regular rooms have separate toilet, shower, sink. Thanks

[TrikeRider]

Originally Posted by cruises4u

Does anybody know the bathroom configuration on the handicap balcony rooms on NCL Epic? The regular rooms have separate toilet, shower, sink. Thanks

The toilet and shower are in one room. The sink is separate, in the actual cabin but accessible. Do a search on the "Epic" forum for pics.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=609

Look at this thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1224224

[DHDSal]

Lots of fantastic information - I'm sure our customers will benefit a lot from these findings!

Thank you

[IRL_Joanie]

Originally Posted by DHDSal

Lots of fantastic information - I'm sure our customers will benefit a lot from these findings!

Thank you

Welcome to Cruise Critic

But you need to modify your signature so that it does not show your company web site. I found out the hard way that it is a big no no on CC and I'd hate to see you get knocked on the knuckles

We are not allowed to mention a Travel Agent/Agency or give their URL.

Joanie

[Retired Educator]

I have followed the threads about the change in boarding policy for Princess and am a bit concerned as I travel with my trusty POC and have mobility issues (no chair or scooter needed at this point). We will be flying into SFO for our June Alaskan cruise and using Princess transfers to and from the ship. Will they have accommodations for those of us with special needs? Or will we be asked to wait on the queue for our "assigned time" by deck... heck, we don't even have a cabin yet (J guaranty).