Cruises

I've been getting a lot of questions this week about the "new" Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations for cruise ships. This flurry of inquiries was preceded by a recent DOT press release touting the new regulations as something to celebrate on this upcoming 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Frankly though, people are a bit confused.

Readers are asking me questions like, "Does this mean cruise ships will now have to provide accessible shore excursions?" and "Will it require a specific number of accessible rooms on each ship?" and "Does this mean that expedition style cruises will finally be accessible?" 

 

Continue reading "The Real Scoop on the "New" DOT..." »

I've received a lot of e-mail regarding my blog post back in December, about Princess Cruise Lines new tendering policy for wheelchair- and scooter-users. Some folks shared their experiences about their denied boardings to tenders, while others couldn't believe Princess was allowed to do this. (Unfortunately they are, as they consider it a safety issue for both the crew and passengers.)

But the most interesting message I received came along with an copy of the new policy; something that's been hard to obtain from the cruise line before. The person who shared it with me is not a writer, and I have no doubt that's why she finally got it. And I also have to add that although she was very persistent, it wasn't easy for her at all.  In any case, I felt a follow-up post was in order; one that includes the official Princess policy word-for-word, along with my translation -- based on reader feedback -- of what actually happens on the ship.

 

Continue reading "Princess Wheelchair Policy: Separating Fact..." »

I've been getting a lot of first hand reports from travelers, regarding Princess Cruise Line's policy towards tendering wheelchair-users. As you may recall, tendering is at the discretion of the captain. In other words, he can decide if it's safe for a wheelchair-user to use the tender. Actually he can decide if it's safe for anyone to tender, as sometimes weather affects the process.

 

Continue reading "New Princess Tendering Policy" »

I had such high hopes for Oasis of the Seas. Granted, I prefer smaller ships, but Royal Caribbean used to have an excellent reputation for access. Plus I was really happy to hear that they were going to include a zero-step entry pool on their newest ship.

 

Continue reading "Oasis of the Seas - Not as Accessible as She..." »

With the upcoming launch of Royal Caribbean's mega-liner, Oasis of the Seas, I've been doing a lot of thinking about size lately. The new ship will be the largest cruise ship in the world, holding over 5,000 passengers and touting features such as a real park with trees and grass, a carousel and even a tethered blimp. That's in addition to all the RCI standards, such as a rock climbing wall, the surf rider and scads of restaurants and lounges. Putting it in perspective, the ship is larger than an aircraft carrier.

 

Continue reading "Is Bigger Really Better?" »

As you can imagine, I get a lot of mail reader mail. Some folks ask questions, while others write to tell me about the good or bad experiences they've just had on a trip. And usually I'm able to give them some advice on how to make things go smoother next time. But every now and again I hear from someone who did everything right, but through no fault of their own, still ended up shortchanged on the access end of things. Such was the case with an e-mail I got from Kate, who told me about her recent (unpleasant) experience with Royal Caribbean.

Continue reading "RCI Drops Ball at Pan American Pier" »

Although I always encourage folks to plan ahead when it comes to accessible travel, sometimes things don't quite work out that way.

Such is the case with one reader who is a self-defined slow walker. She can't do distances at all, and she needs to sit down and rest a lot. At home, she uses a scooter when she shops at stores that provide them; but otherwise she just takes things at her own pace.

Continue reading "Last Minute Scooter Rental Saved the Cruise" »

I get a lot of requests for information about accessible European river cruises. I have to say that most of the stops along these cruise itineraries are full of access obstacles - most notably the cobblestone streets - but until a month ago there was one ship that actually offered decent access. It wasn't perfect, but for a river cruise, it was more accessible than other offerings in the market.


Continue reading "European River Cruise Update" »

Every now and then I read something that really irks me. Such was the case today, when I was scanning some archived posts on a cruise message board.

The post in question was obviously left by an ignorant individual who complained that her last cruise was "wall to wall wheelchairs" and she was miffed because "you couldn't go anywhere without going around them." Well, duh, what else are you going to do when you encounter a wheelchair? Go through it?

Continue reading "Wall to Wall Wheelchairs?" »