WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE CARIBBEAN CRUISING -- part 5

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE CARIBBEAN CRUISING

By Steve Wright

We know dozens of older and/or disabled people who love the fact that when you cruise, your hotel room moves with you.

That makes it possible to visit three different island nations in as many days -- a logistic impossibility for even the most savvy and rugged of travelers with mobility limitations.

Whether you are a fan of Azamara, Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Crystal, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Oceania, Princess, Radisson Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn or Silversea, you can create a perfectly-accessible Caribbean Cruise departing one of South Florida's two giant seaports.

Simply do your homework in advance and you’ll be sailing into wonderful waters and creating memories that will last much longer than that winter tan.

Wright is an award-winning journalist.

RESOURCES:

http://www.azamaraclubcruises.com

http://www.carnival.com

http://www.celebritycruises.com

http://www.costacruise.com

http://www.crystalcruises.com

http://www.cunard.com

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com

http://www.hollandamerica.com

http://www2.ncl.com

http://www.oceaniacruises.com

http://www.princess.com

http://www.rssc.com

http://www.royalcaribbean.com

http://www.seabourn.com

http://www.silversea.com

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE CARIBBEAN CRUISING -- part 4

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE CARIBBEAN CRUISING

By Steve Wright

The most difficult aspect of cruising for wheelchair users is the hit-and-miss access of the shore excursions.

These little adventures are huge moneymakers for the cruise industry, but the majority of shore and sea side excursions are provided by companies that contract independently with the cruise lines.

Very few of these tour providers invest in making their vehicles or activities barrier-free.

If you want to book an excursion begin inquiring about wheelchair access the minute you book your cruise. Don't wait till you've set sail, or even worse, until you depart your ship only to learn that an accessible adventure does not await you.

Ask detailed questions to find out if the transportation from port to the site of the excursion is inaccessible. Email the cruise line's accessibility/special needs department to find out if it is possible for a wheelchair users to safely board and enjoy the ride on a helicopter, catamaran, etc.

The best approach is to be flexible.

If you can climb several steps onto a bus or if you don’t mind being carried on and off a catamaran – then you might try one of the organized excursions.

Or once in port, you can hire a taxi -- with a trunk large enough to accommodate your wheelchair -- to take you to a destination.

Another option is renting a car for the day to explore colorful restaurants, shops, beaches, museums and natural wonders.

We've tried that option and it is both harrowing (balding tires, doubtful insurance coverage, traffic jams almost preventing a return to the ship in time before it sailed from our port!) and rewarding (traveling between Dutch and French sides of an island in little time at all, observing the real daily life for islanders beyond the cleaned up tourist areas, sampling genuine local cuisine).

The bottom line: cruising is a very enjoyable – and convenient -- way to vacation.

TOMORROW: RESOURCES

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE CARIBBEAN CRUISING -- part 3

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE CARIBBEAN CRUISING

By Steve Wright

Once you’ve studied the cruise literature, asked all of the questions about access and selected the ship and cruise just right for you, it’s smooth sailing, right? Not exactly.


Sometimes ships can pull right up dockside at a port. This means they simply fold down a gangplank -- which is like a giant ramp -- and you walk or roll down it onto the ground at your port of call in San Juan, St. Maarten, Nassau, Cozumel or wherever.

But some ports will not accommodate such large vessels, or the weather conditions will not allow docking.

In these cases, passengers going ashore must transfer from the ship -- often down a steep stairway -- onto a small tender, or boat. Passengers then ride the tender to the port, disembarking there.

Even for able-bodied folks, transferring from ship to tender is a bit tricky.

For wheelchair users, it typically means being carried in your chair by crew members down a stairway, and being lifted onto a little inaccessible boat bobbing like a small cork in a giant, churning sea.

Arrival in port means being lifted – wheelchair and all – from the tender to the dock. At the end of the day, you get to do it all over again when the process is reversed.

In all fairness, the cruise lines are becoming more aware of the difficulty of tendering for passengers with disabilities, and some are attempting to address it.

Cruise lines that care about their mobility-impaired passengers are creating ways for them to board tenders either directly from a platform or via an internal lift -- thus eliminating the need to descend an external stairway.

Some tenders are equipped with stair-climber devices that attach to a wheelchair, then safely allow chair and user to be moved up or down the steps in the tender.

You must first decide if shopping for emeralds on Grand Cayman or seeing St. Martin’s famous beaches is worth the hassle.

If you are a wheelchair user and decide to give it a go, it’s best to make the attempt in a lightweight manual chair and with an able-bodied companion to steady you and to run interference between you and the crew members who try to lift your chair by the (too easily) removable armrests.

TOMORROW: SHORE EXCURSIONS

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE CARIBBEAN CRUISING -- part 2

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE CARIBBEAN CRUISING

By Steve Wright

When you’re planning your cruise, make no assumptions about wheelchair access.

Be sure to ask specifics about stateroom door widths, dimensions and thresholds, as well as access to public areas.

Some ships have areas that are not accessible, but perhaps you can have a wonderful vacation even if you can’t negotiate the steps to the lap pool.

Find out if there are automatic doors to public areas. Inquire if there’s a pool lift. Ask before you book if the ship has raised lips on the floor at door thresholds.

Research the specific ship you’d like to sail on, and ask specific questions about the features that interest you.

Most cruise lines strongly advise people with disabilities – especially wheelchair users – to travel with an able-bodied companion.

In a perfect world, this wouldn’t be necessary. But just because a situation isn’t perfect doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time.

Having someone to lend you an arm into the shower or bump your chair up a step or two to the pool deck can make all the difference.

If you decide to heed this advice, be sure to find out if your cabin will have one bed or two -- so you’re comfortable with the sleeping arrangements, especially if you are traveling with an attendant who is a professional caregiver but not your significant other.

Sometimes cruise lines make cabins more roomy for wheelchair users by equipping them with only one bed. Many feature queen or king beds that can be broken into a pair of small individual beds.

TOMORROW: THE TROUBLE WITH TENDERS

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE CARIBBEAN CRUISING

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE CARIBBEAN CRUISING

By Steve Wright

You know the joys winter can bring: slippery roads, frozen fingers and car doors that won’t budge.

So why not keep the winter blues at bay and plan some fun in the sun on a Caribbean cruise?

Easier said than done when you’ve got accessibility needs.

Dreams of sipping fruity drinks while sunning poolside can fade faster than a winter tan if the cruise you’ve chosen can’t meet your access needs or doesn’t mesh with your idea of a swell time.

To help in making that all-important decision of how to spend your hard-earned dollars on a trip to remember, here are some tips on winter Caribbean cruising.

First, decide what you want out of a cruise.

Do you prefer subdued décor, a refined atmosphere and sophisticated diversions?

Or is your idea of a good time hitting the bars, casino and nightclub partying the night away?

Each cruise line caters to a particular demographic and you need to match your taste to the right one.

How you plan to spend your time on the cruise makes a big difference in the accommodations -- and price point – that are right for you.

If you expect to be out on deck while at sea and exploring the sights while in port, a small cabin with no view can work just fine.

Some of the lines have ships with small but very accessible inside cabin featuring wide cabin and bathroom doorways, roll-in showers and more.

Such accommodations are typically quite affordable.

All the major cruise lines that sail the Caribbean out of the Port of Miami, or Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, have accessible cabins in all price ranges -- allowing people to choose an experience that matches their budget.

For those who shun crowds and prefer quiet time for relaxation, it’s advisable to spend more for a larger cabin, especially one with a balcony verandah.

Typically, the newer the ship, the more balconies there are. Portable flip-down ramps provide access to the verandah, where a clear-glass wall provides safety and a good view of the blue waters for people seated at wheelchair height.

Like hotels, the rule of thumb is the newer the ship, the better the overall access.

TOMORROW: ACCESSIBILITY SPECIFICS