Are cruise ships.

handicap accessible?....I have one knee that doesn't bend and the other
only partly....I've never been on a cruise but would love to....I'm not
in a wheelchair.....thank you....C.

Cruises are the best vacation for someone with a disability, all of your
adventure is in one place! Your resort takes you to the different ports of
call. My wife uses a power wheelchair, we stick to ships built after 2000
and prefer Princess but RCL gets high ratings for accessiblity as well. If
walking is difficult get a power scooter and be sure to book an accessible
stateroom.

Good luck, and have fun....
Grant Hyde

<Skeezix19@> wrote in message
news:22727-402003F0-17@storefull-3112.bay....
> handicap accessible?....I have one knee that doesn't bend and the other
> only partly....I've never been on a cruise but would love to....I'm not
> in a wheelchair.....thank you....C.
>

Skeezix19@ wrote in news:22727-402003F0-17@storefull-
3112.bay.:

> handicap accessible?....I have one knee that doesn't bend and the other
only partly....I've never been on a cruise but would love to....I'm not
in a wheelchair.....thank you....C.

We just got back from a cruise with some friends (Celebrity Century).
Our friend has difficulty walking and this trip was my first view of a
handicapped cabin. I was quite impressed.

We were on the same deck (the main gangway deck) in the same class, but
they easily had 50% more room than we did. The bathroom was quite large
with a sliding door and was at "ground level" so she didn't need to step
up. There was no step up into the shower either... just a curtain around
two sides. It had the standard adjustable height, hand held shower head
and a fold down seat on the wall. There were hand rails conveniently
located throughout the bathroom.

On the down side, I don't remember any hand rails in the bed/sitting area
itself and (stupidly, in my opinion), our lifeboat muster station was on
another deck! If there had been a real emergency and the elevators were
not working for some reason, she would have had to navigate up two
flights of stairs in a herd of panicky people to reach her muster
station. We took the elevator up early and waited for the drill. The
life jackets were on their bed when they arrived, rather than being on
the top shelf in one of the closets.

Absolutely! I'm a wheelchair user and we sailed on our 5th cruise last
October. I've never had a problem. But, I suggest that you use a travel
agent who is has experience booking disability travel. They can really help
you avoid problems and help ease your anxieties.
Have a great trip...
Tracy

<Skeezix19@> wrote in message
news:22727-402003F0-17@storefull-3112.bay....
> handicap accessible?....I have one knee that doesn't bend and the other
> only partly....I've never been on a cruise but would love to....I'm not
> in a wheelchair.....thank you....C.
>

While cruise ships are generally handicap accessible, there are some
limitations. Some will have a high lip around doors that must be stepped
over. Also, not all decks are served by elevators. The newer ships such as
Carnival's Destiny-class, Spirit-class, and Conquest-class, Royal
Caribbean's Voyager-class and Radiance-class, Celebrity's Millennium-class,
Princess's newer ships, Disney's two ships, and virtually everything on
Holland America are better than average. In general, larger ships are more
accessible than smaller ships.

Some ports, such as Cabo San Lucas, Grand Cayman, Belize City, and the
cruise line's private islands (except Disney's) shuttle passengers between
the ship and shore via small boats called tenders. They can be difficult to
board if you have a mobility problem, especially if the seas are rough. You
may also have to climb a steep set of stairs to get to and from the tender,
too. Holland America specifically designed the tenders they use to overcome
this problem. The major ports in the Eastern Caribbean, such as Nassau, San
Juan, Saint Thomas, and Sint Maarteen do not use tenders unless the port is
full.

I don't want to discourage you from cruising. Most will have handicap
accessible cabins, and the overwhelming majority of the ship is accessible.
You will have a wonderful time.

Tom Smith

<Skeezix19@> wrote in message
news:22727-402003F0-17@storefull-3112.bay....
> handicap accessible?....I have one knee that doesn't bend and the other
> only partly....I've never been on a cruise but would love to....I'm not
> in a wheelchair.....thank you....C.
>

Also have a look among tall ships. If you like to sail on a square rigged,
there is one, I am sure, probably English, which focuses on handicapped
people.
Fran

<Skeezix19@> a écrit dans le message news:
22727-402003F0-17@storefull-3112.bay....
> handicap accessible?....I have one knee that doesn't bend and the other
> only partly....I've never been on a cruise but would love to....I'm not
> in a wheelchair.....thank you....C.
>