Allen Marine Tracy Arm - "not suitable for wheelchairs"?

[fann1sh]

I considered posting this on the Disabled Cruise Board, but...I think it may belong here, if that headline is true.

 

HAL summary of Allen Marine Tracy Arm catamaran excursion says "not suitable for wheelchairs" in the notes.

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-destinations/ExcursionDetails.action?excursionCode=100030935

 

I'm travelling with my 93 year old Dad, who normally uses a cane. However, I'd planned on renting a scooter or wheelchair for our Nieuw Amsterdam 2016 trip.

 

Can anyone tell me if any aspect of the excursion may be a problem for him? I've cruised Alaska before, and been on Allen Marine catamarans before, and the note puzzles me.

[Budget Queen]

Correct, you can not take a wheel chair dependent person on this tour.

 

BUT, since it appears he is ambulatory- and if continues to be, he would take the wheel chair down to the tender entry. THEN there would be stairs. The ships I have taken, including one with HAL, involved going down a level, then back up a few steps into the boat. There is staff assistance available- to offer a hand, but, everyone, would need to be ambulatory.

 

There may be some ships that have fewer steps involved, but none are going to be just level walk ons.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Budget Queen

[fann1sh]

Thank you for a fast reply - you are the most helpful poster on this board!

[peety3]

As posted, the boat is boarded through the ship's tender platform. It'll require getting down to deck 4, then down to about deck 3, out on the tender platform, up three steps, and onto a boat that's tied up to the ship. Depending on conditions, the small boat could be moving about slightly, so every passenger needs to be reasonably mobile/ambulatory to be ready to make the transition. Likewise, you'll have to reverse this process to return to the cruise ship at the end of the tour - EVERYONE reboards the ship before going anywhere else.

 

When we finished up our last tour, as I was returning to the ship, things got a little dicey. I heard someone say "behind you, don't back up" just as someone else said "take a step". Unfortunately, I didn't hear the final word of that, "take a step BACK". Although I didn't make the "leap" onto the tender platform, crew got real nervous and antsy about it. A moment later, all was well and I made my way back onto the ship.