Remember the access code
THE MOST important stage of booking your cruise, if you have a disability, is to make your travel agent aware of your mobility and/or medical needs at the time of your inquiry and to alert your chosen cruise line and airline from the start. This is one of the tips from iglucruise. com, an expert in the topic. It also urges passengers to fill in the cruise line’s medical form accurately, including requirements such as a fridge for medication or a sharps-disposal safe.
Contact your airline directly, says Iglu, as it will be much easier to discuss your needs this way. No luggage charge is usually made for essential medical equipment such as wheelchairs or sticks. These are often taken at checkin or at the gate and stored in the hold, while the airline helps you to your seat by a suitable method. Ensure you have all your documentation for disability needs, to avoid surcharges.
If you travel with a service dog, you must notify the cruise line before travel. Service dogs are permitted on all cruise ships (number per ship may be limited), though they may not be allowed to disembark in all ports and documents may be required. You may have to show vaccination records, an international health certificate or proof of the dog’s service training.
You must bring your own wheelchair if you need one — the ship’s are for pier assistance only. Some ships are not suitable for mobility scooters, while others have stipulations about battery type and collapsibility.
The crew will do everything they can to help on board — for instance with accessible tables in restaurants. However, for legal reasons, they are not able to offer care assistance.
Most cruise lines offer alert kits for passengers with hearing impairments; these will signal if there is a knock at the door or a phone call, if the alarm clock rings or if smoke detectors go off.
If you use a wheelchair, you will need a disabled access cabin — book early to ensure you get one — as ordinary cabins may not be large enough. ACCESSIBLE STATEROOMS
Celebrity Cruises
Solstice class ships offer 30 accessible staterooms. Millennium class have 26. Solstice ships have accessible lifts and lowered desks.
Crystal Cruises
Crystal Serenity offers accessible cabins of a variety of grades. Crystal Symphony offers disabled access cabins in outside staterooms and suites. Crystal tries to arrange lifts on tour buses that can accommodate wheelchairs and mobility needs.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney employs youth counsellors who have experience working with children with special needs, including autism and behavioural challenges. Each ship has 16 accessible staterooms, two of which sleep four.
Holland America Line
Each ship has 28 accessible cabins. A wheelchair-accessible tender transfer system makes boarding tender boats much easier. (Heavy wheelchairs or scooters are not allowed on tenders.)
Princess Cruises
All Princess ships have wheelchairaccessible staterooms but it recommends collapsible wheelchairs, as the widths of the staterooms vary. Royal class ships have the greatest number of accessible staterooms of the fleet. Accessible rooms have full wheelchairturning space; a roll-in shower with grab bars and a fold-down bench seat; an easy-access closet and a writing desk with wheelchair access.
Regent Seven Seas
Seven Seas Mariner offers six accessible standard suites. Seven Seas Voyager has four (two are Penthouse suites).
Royal Caribbean
Freedom class ships offer 32 accessible staterooms; Radiance class offer 15 to 19. Freedom class ships also have a lift for one pool and for one whirlpool.
Fred Olsen
Boudicca is most wheelchair-friendly of the fleet. Some rooms have been adapted for wheelchairs. A rail is provided for the WC and a seat in the shower, which is wet-room-style. Bed and toilet are low; extra mattress and/or raised toilet seat available on request.
Assistance dogs are welcome; bring their paperwork!
Details above are a guide only and may change. Confirm suitability of any cabin/ itinerary with cruise line before booking. For more advice, see iglucruise.com