Seattle Handicapped Boarding

[Briitini]

Someone in my party has an accessible cabin (wheel chair assistance for boarding needed) and they just called NCL and they said there is no special accessible boarding and you have to just show up at whatever time you pick. Is that correct? I thought they called for handicapped earlier than they call for general boarding?

 

If they selected a later time, but was unaware that there was handicapped assisted boarding can they show up or will they be turned away until their selected time?

[ggTexasGal]

Someone in my party has an accessible cabin (wheel chair assistance for boarding needed) and they just called NCL and they said there is no special accessible boarding and you have to just show up at whatever time you pick. Is that correct? I thought they called for handicapped earlier than they call for general boarding?

 

If they selected a later time, but was unaware that there was handicapped assisted boarding can they show up or will they be turned away until their selected time?

 

You didn't state if your party member called (866-584-9756) - Norwegian Cruise Line's team of Access Coordinators at the Access Desk

OR, have checked the link below.

https://www.ncl.com/about/accessible-cruising

 

I realize that this link does not directly address your question, but hopefully I can give a little bit of helpful clarification. Your selected "Check-In" time is just that, a time to show-up at the port for check-in. Following passing through security screening, everybody goes to Check-In. From there, there are several areas that divide passengers by certain categories. I can't remember specifically about Seattle's set-up, but every other cruise (different ports) we've taken in the past two years, they have called for handicapped/special needs, prior to general boarding.

[ElaineKeagy]

I boarded at Seattle six weeks ago. Handicapped/ special needs boarding did not necessarily get early access to the ship. Pax in wheelchairs were given assistance in boarding and they were grouped separately from general boarding pax after they got there number. There was no general call for handicapped boarding immediately after the priority pax went on board. As wheelchairs became available they were taken forward to board and at that point they were put ahead of passengers already in line.

 

Let me add this proviso to what I stated. It was the first cruise of the season out of Seattle. The staff were all new and it appeared there was a lot of “on the job training” going on. It was a cluster*, no doubt about it. Chaotic and disorganized. No one seemed to know what they were doing. They suspended boarding several times because passengers weren’t following the rules. I hope by this point

in the season they have figured it out and it may be an entirely different process where there would be a boarding call for handicapped.

 

OTOH, there weren’t nearly enough wheelchairs for all the handicapped passengers at the same time.

 

Just be prepared to be patient and flexible.

 

 

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