Cruising for Disabled Passengers - Are the Cruise Lines Doing Enough?

Whilst the majority of cruise ships are fully adapted for those passengers travelling in a wheelchair, it is surprising to find that for many, cruising will still not be a viable option for their holiday.

Cruise ships today feature larger cabins for disabled passengers, with hand rails, wider doors and fully adapted bathrooms often with roll in showers. However, whilst these guests are fully accommodated onboard, off the ship it seems to be another story.

For guests who are fully wheelchair bound, regular coaches used to transfer passengers are not always an option, therefore, specialist transportation is required to collect guests from the airport and drop them off at the port. The issues do not end there - the lack of suitable transport also affects the onboard experience as these guests are unable to take part in many of the excursions (if any) as once again they cannot use the coaches supplied to get into the main attractions of the port of call. In many cases the alternative for these guests is to pay for their own private transfers which is going to add significantly to the overall cost of the cruise.

There are some cruise lines out there who do fully cater for wheelchair bound guests from start to finish. An example is Royal Caribbean, they not only provide in most cases a large number of adapted cabins, but they also have a selection of excursions that include suitable transportation.

Personally, I think it is the cruise lines responsibility to provide full facilities for wheelchair bound guests, otherwise it is just a half hearted attempt to cater for the market.