River Cruising with a wheelchair?

[rjdunn]

Hi all,

 

I am doing some research on River Cruising for my husband and I. I will be traveling with a wheelchair. Will I have any problems? I am very nervous, and would hate to find out I am trapped. We are looking at the Paris to Normandy trip on Viking, but we are totally open.

 

Thank you for all the help in advance.

[Mark_T]

To be honest, a lot depends on the degree to which you are dependent on the wheelchair.

 

Viking do not offer any wheelchair accessible cabins, and the elevator on the ships does not go to the top and bottom decks, so that means you will not be able to book one of the lower cost cabins or access the sun deck unless you can mange a slight of stairs without the wheelchair.

 

Also when rafted with other ships the rxit and return to the ship is often via the sun deck... ... but I have heard of alternative arrangements being made in some cases.

 

In general though Viking along with several of the other major lines don't come high up the list if you do a little googling for accessible river cruises...

[Roz]

Not to discourage you, but depending on the water level and the particular dock, many of the ramps to get on and off the ship are steep and not conducive to a wheelchair or other forms of mobility assistance. Excursions are also going to be a problem. Europe is full of cobblestones (big ones!) and most buildings aren't accessible due to their age and issues with retrofitting.

 

Roz

[Got2Cruise]

I would not take Viking for Paris to Normandy for the simple reason it does not dock in Paris but an hour away. Viking uses long ships and the docking station in Paris that all the other ships use does not accommodate that length ship.

 

Now for the logistics of getting to the excursion sites. One needs to be able to climb up the steps of a large coach bus. If that is not possible then a river cruise isn’t a good fit. If one can manage to walk a few steps independently but need wheelchair for distance then maybe you can find a line to accommodate you.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[xmaser]

It is important to remember that ADA standards do not apply in Europe.

[capriccio]

This question comes up periodically on this board. You may want to check out these threads:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=786530

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2264986

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2363983

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2388572

[philw1776]

Having taken many river cruises I second the warnings posted above. Many European streets are cobblestones. Real problems getting on and off the ship with needing to walk upstairs to the deck and down to cross ships plus unpredictable steep access ramps to the shore.

On the positive side, I have witnessed many people with canes enjoying themselves thoroughly. Viking offers a slow walkers group on many tours as do other cruise lines. Again, beware the many cobblestone streets, problematic for many able walkers as well.

[6rugrats]

I think taking a river cruise in a wheelchair would be almost impossible, for all the reasons listed above.

[Mark_T]

I think taking a river cruise in a wheelchair would be almost impossible, for all the reasons listed above.

 

Many people who use wheelchairs do successfully and enjoyably take river cruises, it is not a one-dimensional thing though and does depend on the degree of dependency.

 

Similarly when people comment that the 'ADA does not apply' we should not forget that there will be local wheelchair users in each and every town that you visit, they live there...

 

It is always going to be a personal decision based on the information provided and each individuals rational assessment of their capabilities.

[dolllover]

We took a Tulip cruise with Avalon and saw an individual in a wheel chair getting help from the crew. You might call Avalon and check with them.

[TravelerThom]

We took a Tulip cruise with Avalon and saw an individual in a wheel chair getting help from the crew. You might call Avalon and check with them.

Avalon's T&Cs https://www.avalonwaterways.com/Terms/ paragraphs 69-72 discusses wheelchairs and place the responsibility on the passenger to provide their own support system ("A qualified and physically-able companion should accompany passengers who need such assistance"). They further state that "For safety reasons, passengers in wheelchairs cannot be carried on ramps in ports where the ship is at anchor." Crew are generally quite helpful, but it is not their responsibility. As Mark_T put it "It is always going to be a personal decision based on the information provided and each individuals rational assessment of their capabilities."

[notamermaid]

rjdunn,

 

as previous posters have pointed out a river cruise could prove challenging for you. You wrote quote: "I will be traveling with a wheelchair." This is not specific enough should you contact a river cruise line about your needs. Can you walk unassisted for a few metres, over three steps, not at all... This is necessary to specify to enable you to get off the ship in ports. Contrary to brochure photos ships do not always dock in ports with wide ramps available everywhere. Depending on water level they can be steep, depending on which ship you dock with you might have to negotiate a flight of steps with little aid.

 

And yes, as has been mentioned before, Viking do not dock in Paris. I would choose the Normandy itinerary based on ship size, i.e. Uniworld with 125m or the other ships shorter than that. They can dock in Paris itself.

 

As dolllover has suggested, phone the company you are interested in directly and discuss your needs.

 

notamermaid