5 Tips for Cruising as a Wheelchair User!
1. Book as EARLY as possible.
Wheelchair accessible rooms are hard to get so it's best to plan your trips accordingly. If you are looking to plan a last minute cruise, expect to be disappointed and if you get lucky you'll have all the reason to be excited! Booking early also gives you a chance to find the best rooms and you will have a longer amount of time to pay off your trip if you decide to not pay for it all at once.
2.Book excursions EARLY.
A lot of the cruise lines don't offer wheelchair accessible excursions, and if they do, they book up fast. Once you book your cruise, book your excursions too if you plan to do them through the cruise line. A lot of people are scared to book excursions outside of their cruise line, but people do it all the time and I personally think it's a better experience and less crowded. There are also companies who specialize in wheelchair accessible excursions. I typically cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines and they do not have wheelchair accessible excursions as of right now. I have filed a complaint about this because I would love to continue cruising with Carnival.
3.Research your ports to see if they dock or require a tender.
This is mostly for peace of mind and to ease stress. Boarding a tender can be a little more stressful, so knowing ahead of time and reaching out to guest services to see how they handle things will make your day off the ship a lot smoother. There are also certain ports that do NOT allow wheelchair users to get off. Each cruise line should have these ports specified on their website. Although rolling right off the ship is simpler, you still want to enjoy tender ports if you are ables to.
4.Bring your own wheelchair or medical device.
Cruise lines offer a company where you can rent equipment from, but cruising is nothing like flying. You are not required to ever "check" your wheelchair and you won't have to get out of it. Therefore, your wheelchair will not be lost or damaged by the cruise line. Your body will be much more comfortable in your own personal medical device. If you don't use a medical device at all times, then the companies they provide can be very helpful for your travel needs. Scootaround is the most popular one I have seen and they have many options that will be delivered to you directly on or before your vacation.
5.You can get assistance in the buffet.
I know, I know. We like to be independent. But there are many workers who WANT to help. They will offer, but they will also happily help if you ask. (I personally like to tip whoever helps me because I feel like they deserve it, but that is my personal choice.)If you are on your own, I'd suggest taking the help. I flipped a whole tray of food going over a bump and they never let me do it independently again. 😂 Save yourself the embarrassment.
With love always,
Aspen Sage 💗✨
Find more information on my travels here:
https://www.instagram.com/accessibility_with_aspen_sage/