Hi All
Having just returned from a cruise, I wondered how other people with ms had found it… with some better information and guidance I think the cruise could have been improved for my partner with ms. getting around the ship due to confusion was difficult for him and getting on and off at certain ports. I was thinking of putting something together to try and inform the ship about how they might make some adaptations for people with MS… any thoughts thanks Louise
The best one I can think of to help you is Sssse, I am sure she will see this thread and give you some ideas, she has just had a cruise a couple of m months a go. Good luck
Kay
I think accessible tenders are needed but not much else,well maybe some plans of the ship lower on the wall if you haven’t asked the purser for one. Nothing that can’t be rectified on board. There are so many different disabilities that they deal with I’m not sure you could make a special case for ms, when they have people cruising with mnd, cancer, amputees, blindness deafness etc.etc. I think they are very helpful and will do their utmost to help once they know your issues for example our waiter made sure my food was cut up. You just have to ask, if they haven’t already anticipated. Other passengers and crew will always point you in the right direction as long as you know your cabin number.
Hello Louise
I’ve only been on a couple of cruises so far (2 weeks till number three) so am by no means an expert. But I suspect that it’s only once you’ve been on a cruise that you find out what you need to know. By which I mean that you discover what you don’t know.
For example, if a port is only accessible by tender, that means you can’t leave the ship if you’re a wheelchair user. And most of this information will be available on the cruise company’s itinerary. You can also find out about the various ports, what’s nearby, whether the centre of the town is walkable / wheelable - see the website https://www.whatsinport.com/
Also, you need to check exactly what is meant by the various destinations, eg, when a cruise has Rome in its itinerary, it doesn’t mean it docks handily down the road from the city. Rome isn’t on the coast, so ships dock at Cittavechia, about half an hour on a train from Rome.
What’s in Port also has maps of the port, and how to get to the main tourist destinations.
Then there are any number of Facebook groups and pages relevant to disabled travel. Equally, there are webpages galore, including a load of YouTube videos posted by disabled cruisers.
Maude is absolutely right when she says that people with MS aren’t any different to people with other disabilities. This is why adapted cabins are quite basically adapted, specific equipment has to be hired depending on the individual needs. When you consider people with MS are really not alike, our needs are very different from one another.
Hopefully you and your partner will enjoy many more cruises together.
Sue
hi thanks for you helpful feedback. we had problems when the ship docked as the walk to the port from the cruise ship was too far and in the hot sun, they didn’t really advise how far the walks would be to the bus stops/taxi’s etc. The tender was ok in fact but the walking became very difficult.
we set off but on one day managed to get on the tour bus but my partner could not make it back to the ship when the bus dropped usf on our return at the port, he was tired, the sun was up, he doesn’t use a wheelchair at home so we did not think to bring one for the holiday so he was stuck on the port about 8 mins walk to the boat. In the end I walked to the taxi rank and asked a taxi driver to drive us the 8 mins walk. He did and charged us 25 euros for the pleasure!
. After arriving home we have decided that a small scooter would have made a world of difference. Lessons learnt I guess on that front!
My partner found it very difficult to find his way around the boat, he could not remember his cabin number or really where anything was on the boat, we could not be separated as he could not find his way to anywhere. I wondered if the cruise company could send out a map of the boat before departure or have one he could carry with him? I also wondered about colour coded decks if that would help? I realised that my partner relies on knowing his surroundings and when taken out of that environment everything became more challenging for him, and not a nice thing for him. Coupled with urgent needs for the loo, and not always knowing where they are on the boat! A map which highlighed the toilets or some electronic device which led you to them?
On one occasion when my partner became hot and very tired in the dining room, he could not walk the length of the ship back to our cabin I agreed to ask to borrow a wheelchair, the cruise staff were not willing initially saying the wheelchairs were only for an emergency and if he needed one we should have brought one… although finally they brought one, only to find my partner had wandered off, and I had to spend a further 45 anxious minutes looking for him.
I agree disability per se needs to be accommodated but there is something about the lack of predictability of the impact of MS which I suspect cannot be addressed anyway whilst recognising there were things we could have done better in our preparation for the holiday
thanks for listening.
Louise
Hi Louise
It definitely sounds like you’ve had a massive learning experience from this cruise. It all sounds like it was immensely tiring for you both.
Because I’m a wheelchair user, we had completely different problems with our first cruise. All of the walking round the boat was fine for us, as my husband is keen to wander about anyway. The number of lifts we’ve been in is quite staggering. People are generally quite amiable and prepared to make space for wheelchairs, so that’s no bad thing.
So it’s worth taking a wheelchair on board with you, even if you’re not planning to use it all the time.
Once you become familiar with one ship, it makes sense to book another cruise on the same ship - that way you become familiar with where things are on that ship. There are often maps of each deck of each ship on the cruise companies website - you could always print some of these out so you have maps with you. But I agree the company should have maps available. Maybe they actually do? You’d need to ask at the ships information desk. That would help immensely.
The biggest problem with using a wheelchair or scooter would be that many of the excursions are not wheelchair accessible. So it costs a lot more to have private transfers to the various sights you want to see. Or you could just negotiate with a taxi driver to take you on a tour - much less expensive than going on a planned excursion, and less tiring too as it wouldn’t be such a long trip and not as hot.
Do have a look at the What’s in Port website, that would give you a better idea of how far you might have to walk to get out of the port and onto a coach, or just the walk to the town.
I should think you became aware on this cruise of what equipment and help you needed. So a future cruise would be much less stressful, and more enjoyable for you both.
Sue
Your experience sounds very different to mine, crew couldn’t do enough to help, colour coded plans on every deck which is why I say they could be lower for wheelchair users. As for the dining room, possibly just those particular staff or shift. Perhaps you should complain about that. Next time write the cabin and deck number down keep it in a pocket. I think the purser info desk probably do have maps, most people get lost first time on board, disabled or not! My hubby went out in port to watch the waiters and kitchen staff having an impromptu cricket match! I watched from the ship.
We bought a luggie to take on cruises. They are very small and easily transportable. However didn’t find it stable enough for other than flat surfaces so would be wary of using it elsewhere. Cruise ships are huge and confusing for most people and the first is the worst, after a couple you will feel like an old hand. I found cruise critic forums invaluable when planning. Someone there knows everything about the size of the ship and ports, transport etc. We only did excursions for the less able, they were all graded. Just have to accept that you can’t get off at some ports and some countries are less manageable. Having said all that we managed a number of cruises, although can’t anymore. Glad we did it when we had the opportunity.
Hello,
I have done over 20 cruises and my husband who has PPMS has a electric wheelchair that folds, if you get a scooter you may find that you can only have a adapted cabin which are few and far between and booked up well in advance normally.
My wife has the same problems. We going to clinic tomorrow.
Hi Louise The only cruise we havent been is around the world- I would love to say that every cruise we have been on has been fantastic - however some havent including dare I say Cunard - I took them to the arbitrator and won- some of this was health based and some standards! One cruise in our haste to get on!! My walking sticks got left behind and the cruise had some that we purchased which we did- you normally find they have manual wheelchairs on a first come first serve basis- this was invaluable for us- when on one cruise it was minus 20 and my equipment wouldn’t have worked saying that neither did the lifts on the cruise- they froze-thankfully they learned to close all interior doors for exit/entry to foyer- so not all were frozen. Book a disabled cruise-there are no deals to be had for us, unless you are very lucky- thoroughly avomine which has got me through a force 12. I know Southampton have companies where you can hire equipment and they arrange for it to go to your cabin. Ship Ahoy !! Have a great time
Hi Louise The only cruise we havent been is around the world- I would love to say that every cruise we have been on has been fantastic - however some havent including dare I say Cunard - I took them to the arbitrator and won- some of this was health based and some standards! One cruise in our haste to get on!! My walking sticks got left behind and the cruise had some that we purchased which we did- you normally find they have manual wheelchairs on a first come first serve basis- this was invaluable for us- when on one cruise it was minus 20 and my equipment wouldn’t have worked saying that neither did the lifts on the cruise- they froze-thankfully they learned to close all interior doors for exit/entry to foyer- so not all were frozen. Book a disabled cruise-there are no deals to be had for us, unless you are very lucky- thoroughly avomine which has got me through a force 12. I know Southampton have companies where you can hire equipment and they arrange for it to go to your cabin. Ship Ahoy !! Have a great time