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Traveling in a wheelchair undoubtedly comes with its challenges, but almost any wheelchair user will probably agree that cruising comes with far fewer challenges than air travel and most other modes of transportation. On a cruise, you don’t need to worry about finding an accessible taxi or calling in advance to check accessibility when going to dinner.
Instead, you can hop in an elevator and in less than five minutes, you’ll be ready for dinner in a nice cruise ship restaurant. Life on board a cruise ship is easy for wheelchair users because it’s like an entire city is right there on the ship. Whether you want to lounge by the pool and drink pina coladas all day, see a Broadway-style show or even gamble in the onboard casino, nearly anything is possible within the confines of a cruise ship.
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While cruising is one of the easier ways to travel with a disability, wheelchair users should keep a few things in mind when considering a cruise vacation. If you’re planning a cruise, here are six tips for cruising as a wheelchair user to help ensure you have an enjoyable — and accessible — cruise vacation.
Book as early as possible
PRINCESS CRUISES
Some of the larger cruise ships can hold around 5,000 people. Royal Caribbean‘s Icon of the Seas, currently the world’s largest ship, carries 7,600 passengers. However, even with that much space, wheelchair-accessible cabins can be limited. Typically, a cruise ship only offers a few dozen accessible rooms, and they are often booked quickly. (MSC Cruises tends to provide more accessible cabins than other cruise lines. MSC Seaside offers 51 accessible cabins.)
If you’re thinking about taking a cruise, it’s incredibly important to do the proper research and reserve your accessible cabin as early as possible. Booking a year or more in advance is great, especially for Alaska cruises. Cruises to Alaska often sell out of accessible cabins in record time, so keep an eye out for on-sale dates if there’s a specific cruise you’d like to book.
Related: 6 ways to get a deal on a cruise
Choose a cruise line that works for you
ALL INCLUSIVE PROJECT/CELEBRITY CRUISES
Generally, the bigger the ship, the more accessible it is. For example, cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Disney have at least a few thousand passengers on every cruise, so the ships are more likely to accommodate wheelchair users. Holland America and Celebrity Cruises cater to older travelers, so you can also expect good access on their ships. However, smaller ships (and especially river cruises) are typically not wheelchair-friendly.
Newer ships are also more accessible than older vessels. If you see that a brand-new ship is coming out from one of the big cruise lines, you can almost guarantee that accessibility will be fantastic.
Screenshot of deck plan for Icon of the Seas. ROYAL CARIBBEAN
To determine whether a ship is the right one for you, go to your chosen cruise line’s website and pull up the deck plan of your desired ship. Accessible cabins will be indicated by a wheelchair symbol.
You can also do a Google search for “(cruise ship name) wheelchair access review” and read reviews from other wheelchair users. Nothing beats that firsthand perspective from a fellow wheelchair user.
Related: The best cruise lines for wheelchair users and passengers with limited mobility
Find out if ports of call are docked or tendered
GARY D ERCOLE/GETTY IMAGES
Rolling around a cruise ship as a wheelchair user is spectacular, but what about exploring the various ports of call? Visiting various destinations on a single itinerary is one of the big advantages of a cruise vacation.
Wheelchair users should choose cruise itineraries where ships dock at the ports of call. Once the ship is tied up to the pier, wheelchair users can simply roll down a ramp to disembark the ship.
The alternative is that the ship anchors offshore and uses smaller, typically inaccessible, boats called tenders to take passengers ashore. It’s difficult, and sometimes impossible, for wheelchair users to board these boats and transfer to shore.
You can find out if a port is docked or tendered by viewing the itinerary online or calling the cruise line.
Related: The most wheelchair-accessible beach destinations in the US
Rent mobility equipment
ONFILM/GETTY IMAGES
For many wheelchair users, one of the most difficult parts of traveling is taking along medical and mobility equipment. As someone who travels with a motorized wheelchair, a shower/commode wheelchair, a patient lift, wheelchair chargers and other medical equipment, I know firsthand how challenging it is to haul everything around once you reach a destination.
To make the process easier, companies such as Special Needs at Sea and Scootaround will allow you to rent mobility equipment that will be waiting in your cabin when you board the ship. Cruise travelers can rent wheelchairs, hospital beds, patient lifts, oxygen concentrators and more.
Related: These are the most accessible cities around the world
Reserve shore excursions with accessibility-focused companies
SUTTHICHAI SUPAPORNPASUPAD/GETTY IMAGES
If cruise lines are lacking in one department, it’s the availability of wheelchair-accessible shore excursions. Some cruise lines do offer accessible shore excursions in certain destinations, but the choices can be limited.
Royal Caribbean offers accessible shore excursions in several port cities in the Caribbean, Europe and the Mediterranean. Passengers must fill out a request form prior to the cruise. Additionally, accessible shore excursions through Carnival Cruise Line are marked with a wheelchair icon. They include tours in Valletta, Malta; Glasgow, Scotland; Ketchikan, Alaska; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
If your particular cruise line doesn’t provide a good selection of wheelchair-friendly excursions, consider booking a tour with an external company. In most ports of call, especially in the Caribbean and Europe, you can find local companies that have adapted transportation. It might take a bit of a Google search to find them, but they are out there.
For example, Sage Traveling offers wheelchair-friendly shore excursions in dozens of popular cruise destinations. Even better, the company is managed by a wheelchair user, so you can rest assured that accessibility will be top-notch.
Let an accessibility specialist plan your cruise
If researching and planning a wheelchair-friendly cruise seems daunting, let someone else do the work for you. Some travel companies specialize in accessible tours — including cruises.
Easy Access Travel specializes in both accessible cruise vacations and packaged land tours for travelers with physical limitations. The company has sailed with such lines as Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.
In addition to offering accessible shore excursions, the above-mentioned Sage Traveling organizes wheelchair-friendly cruise vacations to the Caribbean, Europe and the Mediterranean.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
Top ways cruisers waste money
The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin
“}]] Traveling in a wheelchair undoubtedly comes with its challenges, but almost any wheelchair user will probably agree that cruising comes with far fewer challenges than air travel and most other modes of transportation. On a cruise, you don’t need to worry about finding an accessible taxi or calling in advance to check accessibility when going …
