Accessible Cruising Candy B
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Accessible Cruising
By Candy B. Harrington
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The Havensight Mall
shuttle in St. Thomas, one
of the cruise stops, features lift access.
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Cruising is often billed
as the most accessible vacation option, but some ships are just more accessible
than others. Generally speaking, the newer and larger ships offer more
accessible options. Additionally, some cruise lines take a more proactive
approach to access issues.
Take Royal Caribbean
International (RCI), for example. According to RCI Executive Vice President,
Adam Goldstein, “Royal Caribbean wants to be the preferred cruise line for
people with disabilities.”
In fact, RCI recently
cemented their commitment to access by selecting a respected member of the
disability community to reign as Godmother of their newest Voyager class vessel.
On November 14, 2003, wheelchair athlete and disability advocate Jean Driscoll
christened RCI’s most accessible ship, the
Mariner of the Seas. Says Mr. Goldstein, “The selection of Jean
Driscoll as Godmother of Mariner of the Seas,
is the reflection of our multi-year commitment to access.”
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Jean Driscoll,
Godmother of the
Mariner of the Seas |
As the fifth and final
Voyager class ship, Mariner of the Seas
is billed as the most accessible cruise ship in the world. And to be honest,
after spending several days inspecting her from stem to stern, I’m hard pressed
to dispute that claim. The designers not only included standard Voyager class
access amenities, such as automatic doors, pool-lifts and excellent access to
all public areas; but they also tweaked a few design features to improve the
access.
Mariner of the Seas
has 26 wheelchair-accessible staterooms which feature good pathway access, level
thresholds, wide doorways and pull-down clothing rods. The Junior Suite
(category JS) staterooms feature large walk-in closets, and (along with category
E staterooms) ramped access to spacious balconies. Additionally, the Junior
Suite staterooms and some inside (category M) staterooms can accommodate a third
and fourth person.
The bathrooms in all of
the accessible staterooms are identical. Access features include a roll-in
shower with a hand-held showerhead, a fold-down shower seat, grab bars in the
shower and around the toilet, a roll-under sink and a full 5-feet turning
radius.
Admittedly, shipboard
access is only half of the accessible cruise equation. Port access is also
equally important. Currently the Mariner of
the Seas sails alternate week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean
itineraries from Port Canaveral, Florida.
Although not all Caribbean
ports offer barrier-free access, there are more accessible options than there
were five years ago. Says RCI President and CEO Jack Williams, “As we are hiring
new shore operators we will evaluate their ability to provide an accessible
experience when we sign them up to do business with us.”
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All of the accessible
bathrooms aboard Mariner of the Seas are identical. |
Mariner’s
Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. It’s
generally considered the more accessible route; even more so since RCI began
offering an accessible St. Thomas shore excursion. This historic island tour is
provided by Accessible Adventures and features transportation in a lift-equipped
open-air trolley. Highlights of the tour include stops at Mountain Top, Magens
Bay, St. Peters Mountain and Drake’s Seat.
If you’d like to do a
little shopping instead, take advantage of the free lift-equipped shuttle to the
shops at Havensight Mall. The shuttle stops right in front of the ship, and it’s
a welcome sight after a long day of shopping.
Mariner’s
Eastern Caribbean itinerary features stops at Labadee, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman
and Cozumel. It’s a more exotic itinerary and a good choice for a second or
third Caribbean cruise. Access is still somewhat limited in this region, but
it’s improving. For example, accessible shore tours are now available in Grand
Cayman and Ocho Rios. Currently you have to book these tours directly with local
tour operators, but hopefully they will be available through the cruise lines
one day.
In Ocho Rios, Lincoln
Campbell offers a variety of island tours in his three lift-equipped vans. The
most accessible choice is the Ocho Rios Hi-Lite Tour, which includes stops at
the Fern Gully, Shaw Park Botanical Gardens and Dunn's River Falls. It also
includes a ride through nearby communities and plenty of time for shopping.
Over on Grand Cayman,
Elite Limousine Services provides accessible island tours in their ramp-equipped
van. The tour includes the Turtle Farm, lunch at the Cracked Conch by the Sea, a
stop at a local museum and shopping at Hell's Gifts and Souvenirs.
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An accessible Deluxe
Ocean View stateroom
aboard Mariner of the Seas |
No matter which itinerary
you choose, you won’t be disappointed with
Mariner of the Seas. Perhaps Godmother Jean Driscoll sums it up best.
“The most exciting thing about Royal Caribbean is their emphasis on
accessibility,” she says. “Their actions let me know they recognize that
disability isn’t a life-long tragedy, and they understand that people who have
disabilities have the same desires for life and entertainment as anybody else.”
IF YOU GO
Accessible Adventures
St. Thomas,
USVI
340-776-4410
www.accessvi.com
Maxi Tours
Ocho Rios,
Jamaica
Lincoln
Campbell
876-779-9211
maxitours@yahoo.com
Elite Limousine Services
George Town,
Grand Cayman
345-949-5963
Royal Caribbean
800-327-6700 - General
Information
(800) 722-5472 ext. 34492
- Access Desk
www.royalcaribbean.com
Candy
Harrington is the author of
Barrier-Free Travel; A Nuts And Bolts Guide
For Wheelers And Slow Walkers, and the
editor of Emerging Horizons. She
can be reached at horizons@EmergingHorizons.com.
