The top cruises for travellers with limited mobility
Booking a last-minute trip, swinging your suitcase into a plane’s overhead locker and just going where the mood takes you is a luxury generally denied to less able-bodied travellers.
An estimated 16 million people in the UK have a disability, whether it’s from birth, illness or ageing. And while it’s difficult enough when day-to-day living throws up a series of challenges for the less mobile to tackle, it’s even harder when holidays are thrown into the mix.
Although some holiday genres are either impossible or woefully limited for disabled travellers, one does seem to rise to the challenge more often than the rest: the humble cruise. This is largely thanks to the establishment of the Equality Act in 2010, which has meant that cruise and ferry passenger rights now generally meet EU regulations. And what a difference it’s made: according to statistics from CLIA, the official body for the cruise industry, 82 per cent of cruise travellers with limited mobility say going on a cruise is their only holiday option.
Richard Thompson, the founder of luxury holiday hospitality and leisure company IncluTravel (inclutravel.net), says: “Time was when ocean-going cruise ships were strewn with barriers that made life aboard extremely challenging for anyone with reduced mobility or additional sensory or cognitive requirements. But now that ship has sailed.
“Today’s cruise ships are effectively barrier-free, enabling every passenger to enjoy and experience an almost endless variety of dining, activity, relaxation, entertainment and discovery – onboard and ashore. Statistics show that a typical passenger is likely to tell an average of five people if they like it – a disabled person will tell 50. It’s an easy win for cruise companies.”
The travel industry as a whole is moving in the right direction and companies such as Mobility at Sea (mobilityatsea.co.uk) provide a wide range of equipment – such as profiling beds and hoists – to cruise ports around the UK, enabling more holidaymakers with mobility needs to travel in comfort and safety.
It’s still not easy, of course: there’s an awful lot of red tape to work through, with the complications of wheelchair size, battery capacity and specific needs to consider, and early booking is vital to guarantee accessible accommodation – but the tide is certainly changing.
“You are entitled to be very specific about your expectations and it’s best to get this addressed upfront,” says travel agent Edwina Lonsdale from Mundy Cruising (mundycruising.co.uk). “Whatever your needs, whether hearing loops, braille documentation or signage around the ship, wheelchair access to tenders or access to oxygen, let your agent know so they can ensure the ship you have chosen is able to look after you.”
The top 10 cruise companies for the mobility challenged
Disney Cruise Line
Leading the cruise fleet for children with disabilities, Disney’s philosophy is that any child should be able to participate in all onboard activities, regardless of ability. All of their ships, including Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, have accessible staterooms (wider cabins, ramped bathroom thresholds, grab bars, adjustable bathroom fittings) and the cruise line can provide a bed board (helpful for people with a back injury or arthritis), a bed rail, portable toilet, raised toilet seat, shower stool and transfer bench. On Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, sand wheelchairs are available, there’s an accessible cabana and a tram which can carry manual and electric wheelchairs.
Book it: The Walt Disney Travel Company (0800 171 2317; disneycruise.disney.go.com) has a three-night cruise onboard Disney Dream from £1,403, calling at Disney Castaway Cay. The price is based on two adults and two children (aged 3-12) sharing a Standard Inside Stateroom on a full-board basis, including all fees and taxes. Departs Florida’s Fort Lauderdale April 12.
Holland America Line
Fully accessible, single-side approach and ambulatory accessible rooms are offered for guests with a range of mobility issues, as are accessible bathrooms. Holland America is also committed to providing what it calls “safe, easy and accessible adjustments for all persons with disabilities on shore excursions”, and can make alternative transportation arrangements for non-wheelchair-friendly excursions (although there may be charges for this).
Book it: Holland America (0344 338 8605; hollandamerica.com) has a seven-day Alaska Inside Passage cruise from £1,129 for an inside stateroom on double occupancy with an early booking bonus (inclusive of one shore excursion per guest, one speciality dining option, an elite beverage package, Wi-Fi premium package and gratuity). The round-trip cruise from Vancouver calls at Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan. Departs April 27.
Norwegian Cruise Line
NCL’s mission statement says the company is “committed to providing inclusivity and access to world-class holiday experiences by continuously improving and applying the most up-to-date accessibility standards”. The company has a long history of working with special-needs passengers and consistently gets rave reviews from mobility-challenged guests. A team of accessibility co-ordinators facilitate every aspect of the cruise, but must be booked in advance – 90 days for interpreters and 45 days for other requirements. It’s also worth noting that as well as plenty of accessible rooms, all NCL ships have pool lifts, automatic doors and accessible stateroom balconies.
Book it: Norwegian Cruise Line (0333 241 2319; ncl.com) has a 10-day Mediterranean cruise on Norwegian Viva from £2,607pp, including NCL’s Free At Sea upgrade which includes an open bar, excursions, speciality dining and free Wi-Fi. Calling at Lisbon, Gibraltar, Seville, Motril, Ibiza, Palma, Barcelona, Provence, Nice/Monaco, Florence/Pisa and Rome. Departures throughout 2024.
P&O
Of all of the cruise lines I researched, P&O had by far the clearest website and information for those travelling with mobility issues. Whether it’s about accessible cabins and ship access, mobility aids and equipment, accessible shore excursions or information on travelling with various impairments and disabilities, the website is refreshingly upfront about the difficulties you may encounter. Their two excel-class ships, Arvia and Iona, have the highest number of wheelchair accessible or adapted cabins at sea, and the fact that P&O offers around 160 no-fly round-trip cruises from Southampton also makes it a good option for wheelchair users.
Book it: P&O Cruises (0344 338 8003; pocruises.com) offers a seven-night Norwegian Fjords cruise onboard Iona from £639 per person, including children’s clubs, full-board meals and entertainment. Calling at Stavanger, Olden, Alesund and Haugesund. Departs Southampton May 11.
Princess
With a dedicated lane for a streamlined check-in, from the outset Princess promises to make every effort to accommodate guests with mobility issues. Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available on all ships, as are swimming pool lifts. Service animals are permitted (with prior written notice) and the Princess wearable tech Medallion app helps guests navigate the generously proportioned ships with GPS tracking technology.
Book it: Princess Cruises (0344 338 8670; princess.com) offers an eight-day Scandinavia cruise onboard Sky Princess from £849, calling at Kristiansand, Oslo, Aarhus, Copenhagen and Skagen. Departs Southampton May 7.
Fred.Olsen
Liaising with outside companies to provide profiling beds, hoists and commodes, Fred.Olsen also provides photos of their cabin layouts, so passengers know what to expect, and explains at which ports they will be able to disembark during their cruise. If guests with mobility issues are unable to board transfer coaches, private excursions are organised.
Book it: Fred.Olsen (01473 646175; fredolsencruises.com) has a 14-night no-fly Wildlife of the Azores & Madeira cruise aboard Bolette from £1,899 per person. Calling at Praia da Vitoria, Portugal, Ponta Delgada and Santa Maria in the Azores, Funchal in Madeira and Lisbon in Portugal. Departs Liverpool April 19.
Celebrity Cruises
As well as wheelchair-friendly shore excursions and remote control appliances for lighting and accessible room equipment, Celebrity Cruises’ Edge Series ships are fitted with a “Magic Carpet” – a multi-purpose cantilevered platform on the side of the ship designed to elevate the embarkation/disembarkation process and provide an accessible tender experience for guests with mobility issues.
Book it: Celebrity (0344 493 2043; celebritycruises.com) has a seven-night Spain and Portugal aboard Celebrity Apex from £2,846, based on two people sharing an Ocean View stateroom. The cruise will call at Vigo, Lisbon, Porto and La Coruna. Departs Southampton July 27.
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean offers what it calls “a 360-degree service” for any passenger with special needs. This means they are taken care of from the airport to the shore, with early boarding assistance and accessible suites (with a 1.5m turning radius for easy manoeuvrability). There are also automatic doors and gradual incline entrances to public rooms, as well as pool and jacuzzi lifts, and accessible shore excursions.
Book it: Royal Caribbean (0344 493 4005; royalcaribbean.com) has a seven-night Western Mediterranean cruise on Oasis of the Seas From £1,322 per person. The cruise offers fully wheelchair accessible excursion options on a round trip from Barcelona, calling at ports for Palma, Florence/Pisa, Rome and Naples. Departs July 21. Flights not included.
Ambassador
Catering for the over-50s market, Ambassador sails from seven regional ports – meaning shorter travel distances for wheelchair users – and regularly works with Mobility at Sea (mobilityatsea.co.uk). Ambassador’s website is possibly the firmest in spelling out its mobility policy, which may be off-putting to some, but says it “warmly welcomes guests with disabilities, including those with mobility restrictions as well as restricted sight and hearing”.
Book it: Ambassador (0808 102 8140; ambassadorcruiseline.com) has an 11-night Iceland’s Northern Lights cruise onboard Ambassador ship Ambition from £999 per person. Calling at Rotterdam, the Orkney Islands, Faroe Islands and Reykjavik, Iceland. Departs London Tilbury on March 15.
Carnival
Carnival’s website has a full list of ports that require a water shuttle and therefore aren’t suitable for wheelchair users, which helps avoid disappointment further down the line. As with all the top cruise lines for the mobility-challenged, Carnival has fully accessible cabins, single-side approach and ambulatory accessible cabins with bigger turning spaces, plus accessible features such as grab bars and shower seats. They can also help arrange for hydraulic lift transfers to be reserved at airports.
Book it: Carnival (0800 764 7419; carnival.com) has the eight-day Southern Caribbean from Miami aboard Carnival Horizon from £750 per person, visiting Aruba, Curaçao, La Romana and Amber Cove. Departs March 10.
