Firstly, what do cruise lines do to support people with disabilities?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Accessibility arrangements for cruise ships might be very different from what you\u2019re used to at home. There\u2019s often much more forward planning involved. Think about transport in the UK \u2013 you can pre-book passenger assistance with just two hours\u2019 notice on trains.\u00a0But P&O Cruises, for example,\u00a0require fourteen days<\/a>, and\u00a0NCL requires 45<\/a>. Sometimes the information provided online by cruise lines can be quite vague, for example,\u00a0Celebrity Cruises state<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Celebrity has made the cruise experience as accommodating as possible for our guests who are blind or have low vision.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n But other than mentioning that they have braille in public areas and elevators, and welcome assistance animals, don\u2019t explain this any further. Norwegian Cruise Line\u2019s accessibility information is more descriptive and mentions options such as a ship orientation tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My advice is to contact some cruise lines directly. Everybody\u2019s needs differ \u2013 explain what would help you, and see if they can accommodate it. My first cruise was with P&O Cruises, and they were able to provide me with a large print daily schedule as I\u2019m not a braille reader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to my previous point, remember that accessibility assistance might be very different from what you\u2019re used to at home.\u00a0If you\u2019re traveling to UK, USA, Canadian or Western European ports then you\u2019re likely to have an experience that is pretty familiar. But if you\u2019re traveling elsewhere, particularly to countries that are less developed, you might find your experience at shore more challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nobody knows your needs better than you. If you can, use\u00a0Google Street View<\/a>\u00a0to explore the places you\u2019d like to visit.\u00a0Look for things like crossings, tactile paving, etc, that you\u2019d normally use to guide yourself around and see if they\u2019re present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can never go wrong asking for advice, the\u00a0Emma Cruises Facebook Group<\/a>\u00a0is a great place to start. You might not find someone with the same requirements as you, but you\u2019ll almost certainly find people who have visited the same ports before and they\u2019ll be happy to describe them to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about what you want to get from your holiday.\u00a0For example, if you have no sight at all, you might not be interested in scenery or landmarks but instead, enjoy the beach or a museum with an audio description. When you\u2019ve worked out what you want to do, see what ports have it! Travel agents are great for helping you decide as they\u2019ll have a wealth of knowledge about what\u2019s on offer. You can book through Emma’s travel agency here:\u00a0Book a Cruise<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting on and off the ship at your departing or final destination will usually involve a ramp or a jetty (like the ones you walk through to board planes).\u00a0But at some ports, usually on islands with shallow waters, you\u2019ll need to board a smaller boat called a tender to get from the cruise ship to land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll almost certainly be required to use steps and cross the gap from the ship to the tender without crew assistance \u2013 some might ask you to prove you can do this before you\u2019re allowed to attempt it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Question 1: Which ports will be accessible to you?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nQuestion 2: Will I need to tender to a port?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n