TO SEA IN A WHEELCHAIR
ONE OF the questions people with a disability may ask themselves is: can I go on a cruise? The simple answer is: yes. I have been on cruises myself in my wheelchair and access was fantastic. Accessible cabins, in common with all other cabins, are available in different styles — inside, outside, balcony and suites. The accessible room I had (inside accessible on P&O Britannia) was spacious and had a wardrobe with a rail that lifted down. A full wet room was fitted, with a shower chair attached to the wall, grab rails near the toilet and the bathroom was also big enough for my chair to turn around in.
As the ship holds many people, it can become crowded and difficult to manoeuvre around. However, the ship provides lots of quieter areas.
One swimming pool on Britannia has a chair hoist. This is operated only by crew members who have been trained to do so. One of the smaller pools does have a flight of stairs, which was much easier to use for entry than a ladder.
The theatre where all the shows take place is vast. At the front there are four or five rows where a wheelchair and companion seat are reserved on each side of the aisle.
On sea days there are so many different activities, ranging from talks to sports. The crew do their best to involve anyone who wants to take part.
So, being on a cruise with a disability is possible. But what about excursions? Access on excursions will depend on where you go. The P&O team are good at advising how accessible countries are. Some ports do require a tender boat — the ship is required to anchor offshore and passengers travel to shore on the smaller tender.
The tender is available to disabled people; however you have to manage steps and be able to independently cross a gap of 45cm/18in. The ship provides a tester experience on-board, to establish if passengers can do this.
Crew members may slightly assist a passenger into the tender but are not allowed to lift or fully support anyone.
More generally speaking, if you need day-to-day support at home, your carer or support worker will need to accompany you on a cruise.
You can ask for a report about excursions to be emailed to you in advance of the trip. This should provide detailed information about the ports as well as the actual excursions, covering aspects such as terrain and accessible toilets.
When boarding and disembarking, assistance can be given by the crew. A medical form is sent out prior to the cruise, on which you tick the box for this service. If there is an emergency that requires passengers to leave the ship in a rush, specialist crew will fetch you, using equipment such as an evacuation chair.
For those who are hard of hearing or deaf, hearing loops are available on all ships and limited wireless visual systems and textphones are provided.
Braille and large-print information is provided and blind or partially sighted passengers are given an orientation tour of the ship.
I would say, after all the travelling I have done, cruising is the best form of seeing the world for disabled people.
To get the most out of the cruise, inform the cruise line of all your special requirements on the medical form sent out beforehand. And give the cruise line a call prior to the voyage. This will ensure your needs are met.
Cruises go all around the world so there are no limits, for anybody.