Cruising can offer a great vacation choice for people with disabilities. Nearly everything you need is under one roof, including food, entertainment and lodging. Many cruise ships provide basic accessibility features, including a handful of accessible staterooms and limited accessible seating. However, some ships go above and beyond. Here are some of the most accessible ships sailing the high seas.
Celebrity Cruises designed its newest ship, Celebrity Ascent, with people with disabilities in mind. Public spaces feature wider corridors, automatic doors and gradual inclines that are easier for wheelchair users to navigate. Pool lifts make it easier for passengers with disabilities to go for a swim. When visiting ports, guests who use wheelchairs and small mobility scooters can head to the ship’s accessible tender loading platform to board small boats to take them to the pier. Before setting sail, passengers can contact the cruise line’s dedicated accessible shore excursions team for personalized advice on visiting port cities. Other ships in Celebrity’s Edge Class offer similar accessibility features.
Among accessible ships, Crystal Symphony stands out. Each stateroom receives around-the-clock butler service, making it easier for passengers with disabilities to request nearly anything they need to ensure smooth sailing, including such specialized equipment as rubber shower mats, shower stools and shower benches. Onboard crew is trained to assist passengers with disabilities as they navigate the ship, from boarding to disembarking and everything in between. Numerous elevators and large hallways make it easier for people with mobility issues to navigate, even if others are in the corridors. Moreover, the ship features accessible entry points and seating in all onboard restaurants, theaters and entertainment areas. When it comes to port calls, the onboard shore excursions staff can usually help passengers arrange wheelchair- accessible transportation and modified tour routes through Crystal’s sister company, Abercrombie & Kent. The line’s Crystal Serenity is equally accessible.
Aboard Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, a huge range of accessibility features makes nearly every part of the ship accessible. The ship has a larger-than-average number of accessible staterooms and features accessible seating in all onboard restaurants and entertainment venues. For example, in Casino Royale passengers using wheelchairs and scooters will find lowered blackjack tables and slot machines with movable seating, as well as ample accessible seating in the Royal Theater and Aqua Theater. When it’s time to take a dip, passengers with disabilities can use the lifts at the ship’s pools and hot tubs. Symphony of the Seas features automatic doors, ramps and elevators that go to each of the 18 decks, making it easier for passengers to enjoy everything on board. When it’s time to board and disembark, passengers who use wheelchairs or scooters can use an accessible route to the tender platform and wide gangways. Royal Caribbean also offers accessible excursions in many ports of call.
Holland America Line’s recently refurbished ms Oosterdam proves an excellent choice for travelers with disabilities. To make it easier for wheelchair and scooter users to access ports, the ship provides an elevator to the tender level where passengers can roll directly on and off the tender platform. All decks except the Sports Deck are accessible by elevator. When it’s time for onboard fun, passengers with disabilities will find lower playing tables in the ship’s casino and accessible seating in the Vista Lounge. HAL’s Shore Excursion Department may be able to plan accessible excursions in many of the ports of call.
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