Wheelchair on Infinity/Shore Excursions

[LeeAnnN]

Hoping all you seasoned cruisers can fill in some blanks for us. My family and I have cruised a half-dozen times, 3 or 4 with Celebrity. But this time we're traveling with my sister-in-law and her husband who is wheelchair-bound. He's booked into an accessible Sky Suite, and has ordered a power-chair from an outside vendor to use on the ship. We're on the Infinity for a 7-day Alaska cruise departing July 8. Our question: are there any of the shore excursions that he can participate in? The Celebrity descriptions seem to all have "mild" activity as the lowest level and warn that it may involve a few steps. Also, if any of you know of any other concerns we should be aware of, please let us know. We want their first cruise to be spectacular!

[MrsKinsey]

I saw lots of people in wheelchairs or power chairs onboard and all seemed to be able to get around easily.

 

Something to keep in mind, however, is if the ship has to tender at any of the ports. A few friends of ours brought their chair-bound mom with them and their mom was unable to get off the ship when we tendered. One night, when returning on a tender to the ship, the water was so rough that disembarking the tender was a little dangerous and kinda scary. I can't even FATHOM how a less-than-able-bodied person would be able to do that.

 

That is the only thing I can think of as I have no personal experiences with X's excursions in Alaska.

 

Celeste

[TRAINMAN744]

LeeAnnN:

We had my father-in-law who is wheelchair confined on the Summit to Hawaii last Oct. We had an electric skooter on board for him, but being 90 and not familiar w/scooter, it was unsafe for him and other passengers to use. Celebrity furnished him with a wheelchair to use, this was set up in advance by our TA. There were a lot of people using electric chairs and even taking them off ship in tenders. Of course this depends on weather. Celebrity bends over backwards to help the handicapped. I checked with the Captains Club and they gave me a web page address to check which tours were wheelchair lift accessable. WE will be on Infinity leaving for Alaska next week.

 

Bill

[LeeAnnN]

Bill, thanks for the info. We've ordered an electric chair for my bro-in-law, and he has his own push version. He's only 70 so I hope he won't be a road hazard! I haven't had any luck locating the web address you mention for accessable tours, and so far the Celebrity folks just keep referring me back and forth between the "special needs" department and the excursion department. Have a great time next week. Let me know how it goes!

LeeAnn

[SueM.]

LeeAnnN,

 

I have been doing a little research because of a friend who is in an electric wheelchair. I have been told that the White Pass Railway is accessable and has a lift for those in a wheelchair. You might want to look for a website for the White Pass Railway or check with Celebrity and see if this is really true.

 

We have sailed on the Infinity with a large group that included several people in scooters and they felt the ship itself was easy to get around.

 

Any place that the ship docks, he will have no problem getting off the ship. If he is able to be in a travel wheelchair when the ship tenders, the crew should be able to lift him in his chair onto the tender. On HAL we saiw being done with a woman in a wheelchair, but hers was a light(travel?) one. I don't see the crew being about to lift an electric chair, they weigh so much. Now if you are tendering and the weather gets rough, they might refuse to allow a wheelchair onto the tender.

 

Good luck and report back how your BIL manages.

 

sue

[leoandhugh]

We do a lot of cruises and always take a manual wheelchair to use ashore, and the scooter on board the ship. Alaska will be, because of ADA, more accessible than most cruises, but if you have someone to push a foldup wheelchair for him, you will have more flexibility in what you do. We did Alaska on Summit a few years back in a handicapped Sky Suite which was wonderful onboard. In several Alaska cities like Ketchikan and Skagway, although there are cored curbs and ramps, the sidewalks are quite narrow. Also, with a foldup chair rather than a scooter ashore, you have much more ease getting it on to an excursion bus or in to the trunk of any taxi. Scooters do not afford that much flexibility. If you have both, take both and use both. In Skagway, as someone already posted, the White Pass RR has one car with a wheel chair lift; if you plan to use that excursion, you need to reserve the seating early for that car.:)

[judyfssw]

We've done Alaska twice with my husband who we put in a wheelchair off of the ship and uses a scooter on board. We've never had a problem tendering or at a dock. However, if the weather is bad, Celebrity has a the right to refuse to tender him as it can be very dangerous to the person in the wheelchair.

All of you haver a wonderful cruise.

[rebeccalouise]

In Juneau there is a skyride. It is right where the ship docks and takes you up to the top of a mountain- where you can see down to the harbor. I really liked it and I am sure it is handicapped accessible.

 

In Skagway there is the White Pass Train ride.

 

In Ketchikan, it is very level and you can just walk around and shop. I liked it there.

 

In Victoria- I'd recommend going to the Gardens.

[Squirrel's Mom]

At Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, you shouldn't have a problem once you get there. From their website:

 

Accessibility

 

Basic facts about the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center's accessibility to visitors with disabilities:

» The visitor center has two accessible entrances - an upper entrance with a ramp and a lower entrance with elevators.

 

» The first parking lot offers restricted parking for vehicles displaying the international symbol of access or official identification issued by a city or state.

» The visitor center's film and video exhibits are captioned. Personal listening devices may be checked out from the Information Desk for the Magnificent Mendenhall movie.

» A public TTY is available at the visitor center's information desk.

» Photo Point Trail and the salmon viewing are accessible.

[NorthernLite]

We've done Alaska twice with my husband who we put in a wheelchair off of the ship and uses a scooter on board. We've never had a problem tendering or at a dock. However, if the weather is bad, Celebrity has a the right to refuse to tender him as it can be very dangerous to the person in the wheelchair.

All of you haver a wonderful cruise.

 

 

According to their web site the newer M Class ships have special tendering escalators that securely send the wheelchair with person in it into the tender. I have never heard or seen these used and when I asked on our first Constellation cruise special services didn't know if the ship was equipped with this and aboard it took 2 days for the crew to find it. So if there is a page about which ships truely have and use this equipment I'd love the link.

 

As for getting to accessible trains and the like Celebrity tends to use buses that are not lift equipped. So for someone who cannot climb 3 10 inch steps and get to and from a seat, forget it. Now that the Journey is in dry dock and built in 2000 it should have tendering equipment at least for manual wheelchairs. With only 700 pasengers I think it will be minivans in most ports. I am crossing my fingers on this since the DH loves Celebrity so much. Me? I kind of like Crystal's reputation when it comes to excursions.