 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
Cruise: Smooth Sailing for Disabled Passengers
|
|
How the newer ships help make cruising easier for those with special needs.
|
|
BY HANNAH WALLACE | ILLUSTRATION BY WESLEY MATTICE
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you’ve never been on a cruise ship, you may not know that it’s becoming a very handicapped-friendly form of travel. Wherever they’re based, most vessels follow the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which recommend a certain number of wheelchair-accessible staterooms and bathrooms (with roll-in showers, fold-down benches and lowered sinks), 32-inch-wide doorways and public areas that are wide enough for 180-degree turns. Many ships also have Braille menus and signage, including elevator controls and deck numbers on staircase handrails—and most also allow service animals.
EASY ON
However, some cruise lines do a better job of meeting the needs of disabled travelers than others. According to Kristy Lacroix, a travel agent with New Hampshire–based Wheelchair Escapes (wheelchairescapes.com), which specializes in trips for the disabled, Royal Caribbean is one line that exceeds expectations. “Many cruise lines will have wheelchair-accessible cabins but won’t have accessible hot tubs or pools,” she notes. “Royal Caribbean has a lift for the pool and one for the hot tub.” The cruise line also has automatic doors throughout its ships, and lowered closet rods, safes and vanities in its handicapped-accessible staterooms; the Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas even have wheelchair-accessible merry-go-rounds. Not only that, the company has two wheelchair-accessible private beach resorts—Coco Cay in the Bahamas and Labadee in Haiti.
AT HOME ON THE WAVES
New ships tend to have more amenities for disabled travelers than older vessels—in part due to growing public awareness about the needs of disabled travelers’ needs. Celebrity’s recently launched Solstice–class ships (Solstice, Equinox and Eclipse) have 30 wheelchair-accessible staterooms with automatic doors; 20 of these have accessible verandas as well. In addition, four of the 130 Aqua-Class (spa) staterooms are handicapped-accessible. On Cunard ships, guests who are deaf or hearing-impaired can get portable room kits that alert them when someone calls or knocks on the door or if the smoke detector sounds. The Royal Court Theatres aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria have hearing-assistance devices as well. For deaf passengers, Carnival provides a TDD kit (an electronic telecommunications device) as well as a “bed shaker” for wake-up calls. Both Royal Caribbean and Holland America can accommodate oxygen therapy and dialysis equipment. (This list isn’t meant to be comprehensive. If you’re wondering whether one or more of these devices or amenities is available on a cruise you’re planning, it’s important to inquire before you book. Most cruise-line reservations departments have “special access” service divisions to handle specific queries.)
CONSULT AN AGENT
Not all the ports where ships stop during a cruise are handicapped-friendly, of course. For a headache-free vacation, you’d do best to work with a travel agent who specializes in disabled travel, such as Wheelchair Escapes. (For a list of other such travel agents, check the Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality at sath.org.) An agent will be able to tell you which destinations have wheelchair-friendly sidewalks, ramps at museums and historic sites, and accessible bathrooms; the agent will also know which ports prevent service animals from disembarking, and even which shots and papers you’ll need to get for Sparky.
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.
|
|
|
|
Published: December 1, 2010
|
|
|
|
|