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Cruising For Special Needs Accommodations

By James Lockwood


If you are disabled or have certain special needs, you can still have a cruise ship adventure. If you belong to this category, your best bet is to consult with a travel agent to find the best cruise line that will cater to your needs.

No two cruise lines are rather alike, so comparison shopping is needed when choosing your options. Your particular disability might be the deciding factor on which cruise to take. For example, not all cruise ships can accommodate wheelchairs very easily. Cabins are infamously small, thus you must get dimensions to figure out if your wheelchair will even fit inside your room.

Fortunately, a few of the larger cruise lines have specially designated cabins that have wider doorways. The bathrooms are big enough for a wheelchair to roll right inside. The closets are built for a lower reach and the elevators have controls easily accessible for those people sitting in wheelchairs. Some cruise lines will have collapsible wheelchairs available, however it is highly encouraged that passengers bring their own. If motorized wheelchairs are in use, you must bring your own charger that's adaptable to a normal 110 volt plug.

Part of going on a cruise is experiencing the various ports of call. Small boats called tenders are utilized to carry the travelers from the cruise ship to shore. Every effort is made to make sure that wheelchair bound passengers get to experience these ports of call. However, the tenders which take passengers to shore are not always accessible or safe for the disabled. If the wheelchair bound does find a way to safely get to shore, particular ports of call might not always be geared up to handle special needs.

Hearing impaired passengers can also request special accommodations. A few cruise lines will offer ADA (American Disabilities Association) compliant rooms. They will have tele-typewriters (TTY) or telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD). These cabins might have ADA approved kits which include visual smoke alarms, door sensors so you know someone is at your door and even alarms which vibrate.

Travelers with guide dogs or other service animals will have a harder time finding a suitable cruise. Each port of call has various rules and regulations concerning animals. Your travel agent can check with the Department of Agriculture for each port of call to figure out their guidelines. At times the services animals might be denied permission to leave the cruise ship.

Special nutritional needs are also accommodated on many cruise lines. Vegetarians have options as do those passengers who require low fat, low salt or low cholesterol diets. Guests with lung impairments which require oxygen can cruise as well, but should make certain that they have a plentiful supply of oxygen for their travels.

One of the caveats for disabled guests or those with special needs is that you need to be autonomous and travel with another companion in case any support throughout the cruise is required. Regardless of what infirmities you may have, the cruise line ought to be notified upon booking. Nevertheless, with special planning for your special needs, you need to be able to have an extra special adventure!






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