Captain Beefheart

Hi MyCatMischief. If you are able to climb a few steps you will be able to book the ships own trips and put your manual chair in the coaches hold. The cruise lines also do trips for full time wheelchair users. Both of the organised trips can be quite expensive. I have also read on various forums that some wheelchair users have used a company called T J Travel which gives a more competitive price and may be worth a try. There are also other companies who do private tours that are shown on Tripadviser.

Wheelchair users who are thinking of cruising with P&O and Cunard where the ports of call require tenders please see the post in the European disabled cruising section about tenders

P&O have introduced a policy which says that if any of the ports involve a tender wheelchair users will now have to take what they are calling a "step test" to prove that they are able to get on and off the tender before being allowed to board. So if you are a full time wheelchair user and are thinking of booking a cruise that involves tenders I would check with customer service before booking because it is unlikely that you will be unable to use the tenders.

Just to make members aware that if P&O are providing a shuttle service but there is no accessible shuttle bus, if you have paid the select fare you are entitled to get a taxi to the same destination of the shuttle buses and back to ship and claim a refund of the fares. Just to repeat, this is if there is not a accessable shuttle running but there is a free shuttle bus for people that can climb a few steps into the standard shuttle bus. You must be regisrered that you cannot climb those few steps and must get a receipt from the taxi driver and present it to the receptionist who must give you O.B.C to the cost of your taxi fares. Please be aware that some staff may not be aware of this policy so you may have to insist that they credit it to your account.I have used taxis on the last 2 cruises and been given credit even though the receptionists had to ask their managers.

It is in your pre-cruise information but not something P&O will make you aware of.

Hi cruisers, it seems to be a positive response from both sides of the pond towards a European disabled section,which as most have suggested would help to differentiate between the the ADA & DDA disability codes and provide more information to disabled cruisers in the the European area .

Would it be possible for a member of managment of the site to respond to the request for setting up a European Section ? Many thanks.

Hi Betty ,for as the name suggests it would be a section for all disabled cruisers whilst crusing in Europe to pick up info, tips etc;that are different to the existing disabled section that primary covers the U.S. market and vise versa(but still retaining it).It was meant as a suggestion to give extra and wider help to all disabled cruisers.Thanks

The idea of a European disabled section is so that the very things that you have said raindropsalways could be easily found by disabled people who are traveling around Europe regardless of where they live and I can't understand why any disabled person would have any objection to trying out this idea.

Britany, as Editor of the site after positive interest in a mention about setting up a European disabled cruise section from a previous post by members, could we have a European section? The information in such a section would help both European and American cruisers because there are differences in requirements between the ADA, & DDA as well as different destinations..

Britany, a reply would be appreciated. Thanks

There are some last minute bargains but if you are turned down months in advance why would you check again unless you were given that advice....able cruisers comment from time to time that they were given hc cabins after final payment....I have been able to get hc on ncl to bermuda and in jan on princess regal....both after final payment and once up sold to a hc suite just days before ncl to bermuda out of nyc...if you have the flexibility keep trying after final payment....

 

 

I have a cruise booked for grand med in 20 16 and would welcome a European section very much...

Hi searoses, thank you for support for a European section, it would certainly help the likes of yourself on the forthcoming European cruise.

Hi everyone,

 

I'm an editor with the Cruise Critic editorial team, and we are working on a number of different features called What to Expect. One of our upcoming features is about disabled/accessible cruising. They are organized in a Q&A format, so I'm looking to see what questions I can collect about accessible cruising (even if you already know the answer). Questions like: Do cruise ships offer wheelchairs or are there aids for the visually/hearing impaired onboard? Really anything that comes to mind about your accessibility needs, please post in this thread so we can answer as many questions as possible and share with our broader readership.

 

Thank you!

 

~Brittany Chrusciel

Hi Brittany, as editor do u think that it would be possable to set up a disability section for European cruises because it would be also helpful for American passengers that have booked onto European cruises were different disability laws apply ? Response would be appreciated.

Hi everyone,

 

I'm an editor with the Cruise Critic editorial team, and we are working on a number of different features called What to Expect. One of our upcoming features is about disabled/accessible cruising. They are organized in a Q&A format, so I'm looking to see what questions I can collect about accessible cruising (even if you already know the answer). Questions like: Do cruise ships offer wheelchairs or are there aids for the visually/hearing impaired onboard? Really anything that comes to mind about your accessibility needs, please post in this thread so we can answer as many questions as possible and share with our broader readership.

 

Thank you!

 

~Brittany Chrusciel

Hi. I would very much like to take part in this but I find that the disabled section of Cruise Critic mainly covers American Cruise lines. Would it be possible for a disabled section to be set up for European Cruise lines to help disabled passengers sailing from European ports because the ADA does not apply to these cruises. Thanks

Hi folks, travelling to Lisbon later next week, can anybody tell me the best way to get to Estoril/Cascais in w/chair /mobility scooter ,would it be best to get from cruise terminal into Lisbon City first? Is Estoril/Cascais accessable beach /town etc;

Thanks in anticipation.

Hi maitai999,thanks for your reply,unfortuantly I myself have one of the bigger types of scooter that breaks into 5 peices so can't help you out on any of the six mentioned.

I personally took interest in the original post due to my concerns following the rules introduced to stop people taking scooters into standard cabins and on the effect it would have on the accessible cabins(I personally require a accessable cabin)and these being taken by passengers that would now have to book a one of these cabins to take on board a scooter even though they did not require the adaptions that the accessable cabins have(as you mentioned you did not want to take up one of these cabins for your mother for these reasons)but had no alternative.

I today phoned P&O and Cunard,Cunard new about being able to take onboard the smaller foldaway scooters and explained how to book one onboard were as P&O didn't know anything about the rule change and said i would have to book a accessable cabin.Iam at the present time in contact with cusomer service at P&O on the subject ,if I get no joy I will contact the lady you mentioned in your post .Thanks again

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Hi maitai999, that sounds encouraging do you know if she (Janine Furmage) acts for P&O as well as Cunard ? Thanks.

Hi, as anybody been able to book one of these scooters into a standard cabin because after reading the post I rang P&O's booking office and TA's and nobody seemed to know about the change in the rules?