Mediterranean excursions for limited mobility passengers

[NanJ0508]

If you or a fellow passenger have limited mobility I would like to hear about your experience with excursions in the Mediterranean ports. My husband has some health issues and also needs a cane for balance and support. We are planning our next cruise and have to consider the types of excursions available. I downloaded excursion documents from RSSC.com for several Mediterranean cruises. At least 85% or maybe even more involve at least an hour of walking, most more than that. We are probably more interested in the eastern Mediterranean because of the scenic beauty. 

 

I looked at excursions for the Caribbean and French Polynesia and those ports have many more boat/catamaran types of excursions that sound like he could easily manage them. We just got back from Alaska and he had no problem with boarding the whale watching boats or the Haines jet boat. Some of the ramps on the piers were pretty steep but he managed.

 

Four of us will travel together and we were thinking about the private arrangements offered by Regent but would have to get details on costs and ideas.

 

Thanks for any input!

[ysolde]

Interested in this, too.  I use a wheelchair and have been a bit disheartened to notice the lack of excursions available to passengers who are mobility impaired.

[RachelG]

Private arrangements through Regent are way expensive, so if you are wanting to do private, you are better off doing on your own.

[PhD-iva]

2 hours ago, RachelG said:

Private arrangements through Regent are way expensive, so if you are wanting to do private, you are better off doing on your own.

If you are not going to go on the included excursions, may I suggest you contemplate sailing with sister-line Oceania. Similar to Regent quality but has more of an à la cart pricing structure. 
I’m looking forward to my South American cruise on Regent in early 2024!

[cwn]

Nan….

I walk with the aid of a cane and use two when traveling. If one can walk with a cane doing the things one needs to at home, some one and two man Regent tours are doable. We have 200+ days on Regent and have done the ship tours in most ports around the world. I agree that with lots of sailing type tours in the Caribbean and the Pacific, tour choices are easier. Europe and Asia are harder because they are city tour tours.
I look for the tours that have the least amount of walking or it is at least broken up in several stops or say that it is at your choice. Food sampling tours are a good choice. I avoid ones with lots of steps or hour+ long  continuous walks, of course. But we don’t limit ourselves to just overview bus tours. Then when we board the ship, I stop by the Tour Desk and talk with them about each tour I signed up for. They are very helpful and will contract the operator if there is a question. I usually like to talk to the head person.
I check that I can stay on the bus during a stop while my husband does the walking if too much for me or  that we can get off and arrange with the guide to meet the bus at a place and time. Sometimes the bus stays at the stop other times it needs to wait somewhere else and come back.This works especially well for sites in town. We can find a cafe or a park bench near by and enjoy the sights and sounds while the rest of the tour makes the rounds with the guide. I take a book to read on the bus if we stop at a site that is to much for me. And my DH does the walking and takes pictures for me. On the all day tours, I am usually not alone on the bus at stops. 
We have found that Regent’s included tour package is worth it to us. We still will do a privately arranged tour at some ports we love because there are things there we want to see or do again. Hope this helps.

Edited June 11, 2022 by cwn

[NanJ0508]

6 hours ago, cwn said:

Nan….

I walk with the aid of a cane and use two when traveling. If one can walk with a cane doing the things one needs to at home, some one and two man Regent tours are doable. We have 200+ days on Regent and have done the ship tours in most ports around the world. I agree that with lots of sailing type tours in the Caribbean and the Pacific, tour choices are easier. Europe and Asia are harder because they are city tour tours.
I look for the tours that have the least amount of walking or it is at least broken up in several stops or say that it is at your choice. Food sampling tours are a good choice. I avoid ones with lots of steps or hour+ long  continuous walks, of course. But we don’t limit ourselves to just overview bus tours. Then when we board the ship, I stop by the Tour Desk and talk with them about each tour I signed up for. They are very helpful and will contract the operator if there is a question. I usually like to talk to the head person.
I check that I can stay on the bus during a stop while my husband does the walking if too much for me or  that we can get off and arrange with the guide to meet the bus at a place and time. Sometimes the bus stays at the stop other times it needs to wait somewhere else and come back.This works especially well for sites in town. We can find a cafe or a park bench near by and enjoy the sights and sounds while the rest of the tour makes the rounds with the guide. I take a book to read on the bus if we stop at a site that is to much for me. And my DH does the walking and takes pictures for me. On the all day tours, I am usually not alone on the bus at stops. 
We have found that Regent’s included tour package is worth it to us. We still will do a privately arranged tour at some ports we love because there are things there we want to see or do again. Hope this helps.

CWN, thank you so much for the very well-thought out response! You obviously have overcome the limitations as best as you can. My husband and I appreciate the suggestions and will evaluate the tours with your suggestions in mind. 

 

I had not thought about talking with the Tour Desk once on board. Great suggestion. On our recent cruise they were very helpful and patient with us as we changed a couple of tours. 

 

Arranging our own tours is a bit out of our comfort zone. We have not traveled internationally a lot and appreciate that Regent vets the tours, requires the operators to adhere to certain guidelines and can be in touch with the tour operators in case of problems. 

[cwn]

 Nan, I understand about the comfort level with Regent tours. Most of the Med ports do have good taxis service. You can get names and phone #s from the tour desk and just go on a short drive to sites you want to see or stop at. Also we have bailed on the Regent tour once or twice and got a taxis back to the port if it was well suited for me even after all the checking. I always try to get taxis info for each port just in case.

Enjoy your trip.

[Got2Cruise]

Are you bringing a portable wheelchair? The bus drivers will store it in the below luggage compartment. Most of Europe is cobblestone streets. We were on a cruise with a gentleman who used a walker and he researched and found out there were rollator type walkers to be used on cobblestone streets. 

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

I use a mobility scooter on our cruises. It’s great to get around the ship and I can use it in most ports around the world. We follow advice of the tour desk. I, too, stay on the bus sometimes when my husband takes the tour. Always enjoy it!

[NanJ0508]

1 hour ago, Got2Cruise said:

Are you bringing a portable wheelchair? The bus drivers will store it in the below luggage compartment. Most of Europe is cobblestone streets. We were on a cruise with a gentleman who used a walker and he researched and found out there were rollator type walkers to be used on cobblestone streets. 

No, my husband doesn't use a wheelchair. While he uses a cane mostly for balance, his primary issue is shortness of breath due to having 2 lung lobes removed. The special walker is a good idea, thanks!