Cruises

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about expedition cruise ships lately — you know those small ships that visit more rugged destinations and feature basic cabins and outdoor experiences. Last week when I was reading the public comments about the proposed cruise ship guidelines I happened across a letter by Mr. Daniel Vaccaro of Epic Adventures. It really kind of bothered me. His letter asked the Access Board to loosen the access guidelines on expedition-style ships because in his opinion it’s just not something that disabled people do.

Hmmmmm.....maybe they don’t do it because it’s not accessible.

Anyway, his company is in the process of designing some new ships for the market and he really doesn’t want to include more access features. I’m thinking if he’s designing some new ships, this is the perfect time to include additional access features.

Anyway, his letter really bugged so I wrote to the Access Board. After all, they really should have both sides of the story. If it bothers you too, (or if you’ve alwasy wanted to take an expediton cruise but couldn’t because of architectural barriers) then drop the Access Board a note.

Comments can be e-mailed to pvag@access-board.gov, faxed to (202) 272-0081 or mailed to Office of Technical and Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 1331 F Street NW, suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-1111. Be sure and include Docket No. 2004-1 in all of your correspondence on this subject. Comments sent by e-mail will be considered only if they contain the full name and address of the sender in the text.

My letter follows.

This letter is in response to Mr. Daniel Vaccaro’s (of Epic Adventures) comments. In his letter to the Access Board he asked the Access Board to limit the number of accessible cabins and public spaces on expedition style vessels, because he asserted that there is little demand for this type of adventure experience by people with disabilities. In fact her wrote,

“In conclusion, the very nature of expedition cruising and its purpose attracts only those passengers seeking a physically challenging vacation.”

I strongly disagree with his assessment. Some disabled people like physically challenging vacations too. And with the aging of our population, adventure travel is expected to increase, so it’s reasonable to expect that many of those Baby Boomers that want to take an expedition cruise will have some type of disability.

Today I get a lot of mail from people who want to take expedition cruises but don’t because they are not accessible enough. I can only expect the number of prospective passengers to increase in future years. Today disabled people don’t flock to expedition type cruises because they don’t really have minimum levels of accessibility, so the argument of “we don’t’ have many disabled passengers” really doesn’t hold much water. It’s like a business owner who has stairs up to his front entrance saying, “Why do I need a ramp? I never see any disabled customers in here.” Truly, if there were more accessible expedition ships, there would be more disabled cruisers.

And it’s not impossible to make an expedition style ship accessible. I encourage the Access Board to check out Sea Wolf Adventures; an Alaska-based expedition ship that offers accessible cabins, kayaking and even landings. It’s not just for people who are disabled, as it was built to be accessible to all. So that is proof that it can be done. I encourage you to look at their website to see what is possible (http://www.seawolf-adventures.com/). I’ve had lots of positive feedback about this unique company from my readers. I wish more expedition style boats had this type of access, as it’s really needed. My readers really do want to cruise on expedition ships.

Also, Mr. Vaccaro wrote,

“We need to be thought of like other adventure products, like white water rafting, horseback riding, zip lines, mountain climbing and bungee jumping, not hotels.”

I’d like to remind the Access Board that all of those activities have been made accessible; many with little cost or adaptations. With that in mind, expedition cruising can be made just as accessible. I encourage the Access Board to make all types of cruises accessible to everyone. It really is possible.

Sincerely,
Candy Harrington

More and more people are taking the time to let the Access Board know what they think about the proposed guidelines for passenger vessels (cruise ships to us civilians). And the good news is, more folks are telling the Access Board that there just aren’t enough accessible cabins on cruise ships. To date, 11 people have told the Access Board we need more accessible cabins.

Rest assured that the cruise lines will chime in just before the deadline with their assertion that there are too many accessible rooms already and the number should be decreased. I even had one cruise ship employee tell me that he thinks the number should be decreased because there are too many disabled people aboard ships as it is, and they don’t move quickly enough on shore excursions and are a danger to other cruisers with their wheelchairs and scooters.

Fact is more, with our aging populating, more and more people are acquiring age-related mobility disabilities. And these people have worked most of their life and have a substantial disposable income. What do they want to do with that income? Travel. So the demand for accessible cabins will only increase in the coming years.

Let your voice be heard. The Access Board listens to real people. If you’ve ever tried to book a cruise and been told that no accessible rooms were available, then let the Access Board know about this. Again, the demand is definitely on the rise.

It’s easy to send in your comments and you have until November 13, 2006.

Comments can be e-mailed to pvag@access-board.gov, faxed to (202) 272-0081 or mailed to Office of Technical and Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 1331 F Street NW, suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-1111. Be sure and include Docket No. 2004-1 in all of your correspondence on this subject. Comments sent by e-mail will be considered only if they contain the full name and address of the sender in the text.