Tips for Booking a Wheelchair Accessible Cruise
Cruising is a great accessible way to travel. It allows you to see many different places in a short amount of time with the benefits of only having to unpack once and not having to worry about finding accessible accommodations or restaurants. There are some things to keep in mind however, to have a successful trip. Here are my tips for booking a wheelchair accessible cruise.
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My Tips for Booking a Wheelchair Accessible Cruise
1. To Fly or not to Fly, that is the question
One of the first questions to ask yourself is whether you are willing to fly to reach the cruise ship. There can be several challenges for wheelchair users in flying and some people just don’t want to take the risk of their mobility equipment being damaged. So, it is important to be honest with yourself as to whether you are comfortable flying to a destination to meet up with the cruise ship.
For some people with limited mobility, there is the option of renting mobility equipment once you reach your destination. When cruising, there are agencies like Special Needs at Sea that can deliver mobility and medical equipment directly to your stateroom or even hotel if you are flying in a day or two early.
If you are not comfortable flying, cruising can still make a great option even if you don’t live near a cruise port. Popular US-based cruise ports are New York City, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Galveston, New Orleans, San Fransico, Los Angles, San Diego, and Seattle. If you don’t live close to one of these cities, you can consider driving or even taking a train to one of these destinations and then boarding your ship.
2. Choosing a Destination
Cruise ships sail all around the world, so there are plenty of destinations to choose from. If you aren’t flying, your choice of destinations may be limited, however, there are still some great options available. If you’re sailing out of the US, places like the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada are excellent choices.
In fact, some places are easier for the differently abled to cruise to as their accessibility is rather limited. One example of this is Greece. Its volcanic terrain can be a challenge both for those with limited mobility and wheelchair users alike.
I like to think of a cruise as giving me a taste of an area. I can spend a fantastic day visiting the sites and getting a sense of how I like the area. If I really enjoy a location, I can either choose to cruise there again or plan a longer land trip to that destination.
3. Avoid Tender Ports
The only thing I really look out for when looking at cruise itineraries is whether tender ports are involved. In smaller locations, the cruise ship is not always able to dock at a pier and has to anchor offshore. In this case, smaller boats (tender boats) shuttle passengers from the cruise ship to shore.
These smaller boats often require someone to be able to step from the loading platform onto the tender. There are also restrictions on the weight of your mobility equipment (usually it has to weigh less than 100 lbs.). Very few ships have the capability of a roll-on system that would allow you to stay in your wheelchair to board the tender (and even then, there are still weight restrictions).
I believe one Celebrity cruise ship has a roll-on tender system and Holland America claims to have a roll-on tender for all of their ships except the Volendam. I have not had the chance to personally try these systems yet, so I cannot speak to how well they work etc.
In general, I recommend avoiding tender ports as there’s a chance you won’t be able to go ashore. Sometimes an itinerary is so great that it is worth it even if it contains one or two tender stops. That is a personal decision for each person. Even if you’re unable to go ashore, it can be nice to have the ship pretty much to yourself and enjoy a relaxing day.
4. Choosing the Right Wheelchair Accessible Cruise Line and Ship
Once you have a desired destination, the next step is to decide which cruise line you’d like to sail on. There are many options and most have accessible staterooms and pathways throughout the ship. Some ships have automatic doors, and some do not.
The experience on each cruise line can differ as well. Some lines, such as Princess and Holland America offer a more traditional cruising experience with a focus on quality food, entertainment, and customer service.
Other cruise lines are geared towards younger crowds (Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival). These lines offer a variety of experiences ranging from rock climbing walls, skydiving simulators, water slides, and even go-cart tracks. They also offer Broadway-style shows, acrobatics, and ice shows as entertainment.
Almost all cruise ships have a pool lift available, although it may not be out all of the time and you may need to ask one of the crew members to set it up.
Just be aware that no matter what line you choose to sail, your experience can differ widely from ship to ship (even within the same cruise line). Do your research to see what ship offers the experience you want and the level of accessibility on that specific ship.
Some people cruise for a specific ship and that becomes a destination in itself. Others choose the itinerary they want first, then they look at which ships and lines offer the best options.
Pro Tip: Sometimes sailing on an older, smaller ship offers better prices than one of the newer ships. That’s why it’s important to decide if the ship or the itinerary is of more importance to you.
5. When to Book Your Wheelchair Accessible Cruise
No matter which cruise line you sail with, all ships have a limited number of accessible staterooms. These rooms can sell out quickly, so it’s best to book as early as you can to have a better selection of types of staterooms (inside vs balcony for example) or to get any kind of accessible room at all.
Popular itineraries and times of year to travel can sell out of accessible rooms as far as 1 year in advance. So, once you decide, where, when, and who you are going to sail with, book it right away. Most cruise lines have some sort of price guarantee so even if the price of your trip drops once you’ve put a deposit down, you can call and have it re-priced for a lower amount.
6. Choosing the Right Cabin
Most accessible cabins are located near the elevators, making it easier for those with mobility problems to navigate once onboard the ship. Depending on which cruise line you choose, some have different levels of cabin accessibility. Make sure to read the descriptions carefully and talk with your travel professional to decide which is the right choice for you.
All fully accessible cabins offer wider doorways, ramped thresholds, more interior room inside the cabin to allow for turning radius of your mobility device, grab bars near the toilet, a roll-in shower with fold down seat and hand-held shower head, and a roll under sink.
If having the grab bars on a certain side is important to you, check out pictures of some of the staterooms on www.cruisedeckplans.com. Use the public site for free access. Just choose the cruise line and ship you’ll be sailing on. Under stateroom type, they will list which rooms are accessible and sometimes have pictures or video of that particular room.
7. Contact the Access Office for Your Cruise Line
When you book an accessible room on a cruise ship, you will be required to fill out a special needs form and submit it to the access office. This helps ensure that only those who truly need the rooms are booking them. This form will ask about the type of mobility equipment you will be using and whether you plan to have any equipment delivered to your stateroom.
This form is also used if you are bringing any kind of breathing equipment (I.e., oxygen concentrator, CPAP machine, ventilator, etc.).
8. Finding Accessible Shore Excursions
Depending on the cruise line, sometimes accessible excursions will be listed with all of the other excursions and will be labeled with a wheelchair icon or specifically say “wheelchair accessible”. Other times, accessible excursions can only be found by contacting either the access office or the excursions department for that specific cruise line.
You also have the option of looking into private excursion companies. The number of accessible excursions (and types) can vary widely by destination. You can find these companies by using Google and searching for “accessible shore excursions in ____” and enter your destination.
Or, you could also look for accessible options on www.viator.com or www.getyourguide.com. Finding accessible excursions on these sites can be hit or miss depending on the destination.
Sometimes, I’ll look at accessible tour options in destinations I’m considering to help me narrow down itineraries. It would be disappointing to book a dream trip, only to find out there aren’t any accessible activities available.
It’s a good idea to book activities early as well since accessible tours are limited and may sell out. Since the pandemic, I’ve also taken note of the cancellation policies in case of an unexpected itinerary change or if my cruise gets canceled.
9. When to Arrive at the Port
If you are traveling a great distance to the port, it’s a good idea to arrive at least a day before you board your ship. This helps allow for any unexpected travel delays and gives you an opportunity to rest up before your cruise starts. There are usually plenty of hotels around the port that have accessible rooms available.
10. Boarding the Ship
Arrive at the pier at your designated boarding time. Generally, check in is smooth, fairly quick and painless. Your stateroom may or may not be ready yet.
Generally, everyone heads to the food court for a bite to eat once boarding so it will most likely be crowded. Depending on the cruise line, sometimes the main dining room will be open for lunch. There may also be other free venues that are open and less crowded (an example is Princess ships sometimes have a restaurant called Alfredos which is included in your cruise fare and often less crowded than the food court).
This is also a great time to take a tour of the ship to learn where everything is located (and to get pictures without a ton of people in them). Or you can sit back and relax by the pool until your room is ready.
Conclusions on Booking a Wheelchair Accessible Cruise
There are so many choices when deciding to cruise that it can be overwhelming. I hope that my tips for booking a wheelchair accessible cruise will help to guide you in booking the right trip for you. Of course, a travel agent that specializes in accessible travel can give you personalized advice and take out some of the stress of planning if you would rather use a professional.
No matter how you book, I hope you have a fantastic trip and enjoy all of the wonderful things that an accessible cruise has to offer.
