Med Cruise for elderly parents - advice?

[Xyla]

I'm considering booking a June 2019 Med cruise on the Jade for me and my family, and bring my elderly parents along. They are in the their late 70s, early 80s and have some mobility limitations. By that I mean they don't require any assistance in routine day to day stuff but they walk slow and get tired easily. My mother is also visually impaired, not blind but is not able to go anywhere on her own. We have done a med cruise before but my parents have not so it's all new to them.

 

I'm thinking we can book some excursions we would all enjoy (dh and I and 3 teen kids) and maybe some others my parents would need to join an organized tour geared toward their fitness level.

 

Any advice or gotchas I'm not thinking of? They cruised with us last year but it was a shorter Caribbean cruise with only 3 port stops so not as much planning. Everything will be on me to organize so want to make sure I'm considering everything important.

[Happy_Traveler_2008]

I did a Med cruise with my parents (early 70's) and siblings last year. They can both walk on level ground but have some difficulty climbing hills or stairs. Since there were 6 of us, I booked private excursions for 5 ports. My parents were able to pace themselves and rest whenever they needed to since we control the schedule. The per person cost is less than those offered by the cruise company which worked out very nicely.

[hawkeyetlse]

What are the ports on the Jade itinerary?

 

For the ports where all 5 of you choose to stay together, it should be easy to find a private operator to take you on the tour of your choice, taking into account your parents' mobility concerns.

 

If there are ports where you and your kids would prefer a more active visit, the easiest thing to do is to book a ship's tour for your parents to do on their own (or maybe you go with them while your husband takes the kids). They usually offer a couple in each port that do not involve a lot of walking. It does cost more per person than a private tour, but with only 2-3 people, you would have to join up with other people to put together a shared group, and that would be harder to do given your requirements.

[lilly2015]

Besides the private tours i would ask them what their least favourite port is. This way they could have another day were they could rest on the Ship and recharge a bit.

Happy planning!

[Bean2010]

We did this too...my advice is to maybe not book a tour in every port. My MIL only did every second day as she found it very hot, and that was in October. It was a great trip for everyone as we all did our own thing and met for dinner at night.

[Turtles06]

OP: this sounds like a wonderful, three-generation trip that will produce very happy memories. The key thing to keep in mind re cruises in the Med is that they are typically port intensive (as you no doubt know), and can be quite tiring, even for non-seniors. :D Many ports will require a good bit of walking to see the things of greatest interest, and some ports are pretty far from those places of interest. If you book private excursions, you'll have greater control of what you do, when, and at what pace. Cruising the Med is nothing like being in the Caribbean.

 

Also, in June, depending on where you are, you may have to contend with high temperatures.

 

Once you decide on your itinerary, the Ports of Call forum will be very helpful for finding recommendations for private tour operators.

 

Our first Med cruise was on the Jade, 8 years ago, in the middle of the winter, and it was fantastic!

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

As you have probably already noticed, most of the Mediterranean itineraries are very "port-intensive".

Some of those ports also are a considerable distance from where the ship actually docks, and require additional transportation just to get to the actual "city" for sightseeing (Pisa, Rome, etc..)

 

We did a TON of walking in every city, even WITH private tours that were able to get us pretty close to the sights we wanted to visit.

 

My biggest fear would be the 2,000 year old cobblestone sidewalks, stairs, and roads that are often slick, uneven, and difficult to walk on. That said, I would try to select tours where most of the viewing could be done on a van or bus.

 

EVERYBODY should see the sights of a Mediterranean Cruise, so just be sure to make it as safe and comfortable for them as possible....and cherish the family time together! :)

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

OP: this sounds like a wonderful, three-generation trip that will produce very happy memories. The key thing to keep in mind re cruises in the Med is that they are typically port intensive (as you no doubt know), and can be quite tiring, even for non-seniors. :D Many ports will require a good bit of walking to see the things of greatest interest, and some ports are pretty far from those places of interest. If you book private excursions, you'll have greater control of what you do, when, and at what pace. Cruising the Med is nothing like being in the Caribbean.

 

Oh my!

We were posting similar thoughts as exactly the same time!

Great Minds! HAHA!

[Son of a son of a ...]

As others have said ... “port intensive.” My 71 Y/O MIL needed a “ship day” to rest after Rome. Her son stayed aboard with her while DW and I went to Pisa/Florence. We had it sorted out beforehand who was going to skip a port if Mom needed a rest. I suggest doing so for your trip ... otherwise, people feel awkward and uncomfortable about what to do.

[Tansy Mews]

I would check out whether many of the ports are tendered or docked. Tendering is more difficult. If a ship is docked, it is much more convenient to head back to the ship to drop off any who are tired. A sea day or even a partial sea day would be nice too!

[cynbar]

I think you're going to find that your parents are going to have very different expectations for tours than the rest of you, and the challenge will be keeping everyone happy. As mentioned, most European cities require a lot of walking, and the heat can be intense. Most cruises that I have been on offer ship excursions designed for those with some mobility or other physical issues --- it might be a driving tour, for instance, with very little on and off the bus. You may want to consider those for your parents at some of the ports, perhaps with anther family member (taking turns) going along. Let the younger family members do their own thing, and be as active as they want. Then you can all meet for dinner and talk about your experiences. Otherwise, I'm afraid everyone may be a little unhappy --- the parents feeling that they're are pushed to do too much, the younger members feeling held back. You don't get to Europe too often, everyone should be able to have a good time at their own pace.

[Turtles06]

Oh my!

We were posting similar thoughts as exactly the same time!

Great Minds! HAHA!

 

Indeed, LOL! ;p

[bmwman]

Simple Avoid Epic in July and August

[Xyla]

My biggest fear would be the 2,000 year old cobblestone sidewalks, stairs, and roads that are often slick, uneven, and difficult to walk on. That said, I would try to select tours where most of the viewing could be done on a van or bus.

:)

 

Yes this worries me wrt to my mother and her visual status. I was in NOLA with her this past weekend, and even some of the sidewalks there with the accompanying trip hazards were challenging for her.

[newmexicoNita]

I'm considering booking a June 2019 Med cruise on the Jade for me and my family, and bring my elderly parents along. They are in the their late 70s, early 80s and have some mobility limitations. By that I mean they don't require any assistance in routine day to day stuff but they walk slow and get tired easily. My mother is also visually impaired, not blind but is not able to go anywhere on her own. We have done a med cruise before but my parents have not so it's all new to them.

 

I'm thinking we can book some excursions we would all enjoy (dh and I and 3 teen kids) and maybe some others my parents would need to join an organized tour geared toward their fitness level.

 

Any advice or gotchas I'm not thinking of? They cruised with us last year but it was a shorter Caribbean cruise with only 3 port stops so not as much planning. Everything will be on me to organize so want to make sure I'm considering everything important.

You are describing my husband and me except for the visual issues. We cruise a couple times a year and are just a few months short of a cruise to Bermuda. Hubby uses a walker on the ship but not around the house. I have trouble walking far and yet I can do ok without a walker.

 

For us the secret is keeping the tours down to a minimum and making sure they are low level when it comes to walking. We get tired pretty easily and have to have level walking surfaces. I know we would have done fine 10 years ago in our late 60s and early 70s, but now, at 81 not so much.

 

We have several friends in their 70s and 80s who have done the Med cruises. It can work, but the two issues they have had are: 1-yes the walking conditions in some countries have been challenging and 2-which is why we will not do one at this stage of our lives is the over night flight. It take so long to recover from the time change and lack of sleep at our age. Oh, one more thing; if you do include your parents make certain you order wheel chairs just for embarkation. Climbing up to the ship from the terminal can be very challenging for anyone with any mobility problems.

 

That being said: visiting the Med is a wonderful experience. We have loved the trips we have made, we just can't do it anymore.

Edited March 8, 2018 by newmexicoNita

[Keith1010]

Med cruises are port intensive so no matter what your age I would not book tours for each day as it will get tiring.

 

June is still a good time frame as it is less hot and humid then July and August.

 

I would arrange private tours where you can and try to do tours of three to four hours unless the place is very special.

 

The key is to do the research ahead of time and the ports of call on Cruise Critic along with Trip Advisor will be very helpful for this.

 

Keith

[Xyla]

 

I would arrange private tours where you can and try to do tours of three to four hours unless the place is very special.

 

 

Keith

 

Thanks - this seems to be the consensus, don't overplan and allow for downtime to recover. And arrange small private tours wherever possible.

 

The cruise starts/ends in Rome so I'm thinking we should fly in a couple days ahead and get an airbnb so my parents (and us!) can recover from the flight. They would fly in from CA so it's a significant flight/time change.

[Shawnino]

OP: Can't recommend the golf-cart tours in Rome enough.

They zip their pax right up close to absolutely everything. Cuts walking by 80%.

Have not seen similar in other Med cities but, in Rome, it's on.

[Xyla]

OP: Can't recommend the golf-cart tours in Rome enough.

They zip their pax right up close to absolutely everything. Cuts walking by 80%.

Have not seen similar in other Med cities but, in Rome, it's on.

 

Oh I *just* saw those when googling accessible tours in Rome. Good to know!