Got safely back home yesterday after a 4 night cruise. We went on
P & O Ventura. It was wonderful!
Cruising is ideal for wheelchair users. I’d hired a portable hoist, profiling bed/mattress from Mobility at Sea. They take everything right into your cabin and collect it from there too. I took my own commode/shower chair.
My carer looked after me so well, bless her.
We visited Amsterdam, made a few purchases, ate al fresco and really enjoyed it.
So guys, if you’ve ever wondered if cruises are suitable for disabled folks…yeah, they sure are!
Cruise, how lovely and what a great experience to relate. Sounds like you had a great time and all your comfort needs were met. My husband and I went on our first cruise last year. I walk with a stick at the minute, but there were lots of people using mobility scooters, wheelchairs and sticks. We did have a balcony which made the cabin feel a bit more roomy. We chatted to a couple, the husband had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease but was determined to live life to the full, avid cruisers. They had a suite, which they let us look around, amazing but beyond our means. I would definitely recommend going, well apart from the sea sickness that is ps my husband was fine .
You don’t get sea sickness on a river cruise! We’re just back from our 4th river cruise and have enjoyed all of them. We’re busy considering where to go next.
I’ve been from Amsterdam to Bruges via Normandy battle fields, from Amsterdam to Basel, on the Danube from Budapest to Vienna and back and the Rhône. All very exciting. For all but the Amsterdam to Basel we went with Riviera travel and found them just fantastic.
Best of luck with holiday planning!
River cruises sound so great. Would they be OK for someone in a wheelchair? As the ships aren’t as big as ones that are ocean going I’ve wondered about the accessibility of them, and getting on and off them as well.
Yes, please don’t be put off considering a cruise. Just to add some reassurance, despite my experience we went on a second last minute cruise last year. We also have a cruise summer booked for July, so you can see I am undeterred.
Very reassuring to hear about your cruise from you and others. My wife has done a few (to escape from me, I suspect…) but has roped me in for one in July (Princess) and another in October with all the family (P&O). I’ve not fancied them up to now, so am hoping I can click with the lifestyle.
I’m in the Midlands so the Southampton jaunt is about 2 1/2 hours. With all the grief going through airports at the moment, everyone keeps telling me how easy it is to turn up dockside, leave the car and head on board ship. Thanks to our savvy friends we have booked an early boarding so we get lunch as well.
It’s the first time I’ll be taking a chair too. Although I walk with a stick, the distances involved on a big boat may be beyond my scope, so wheels’n’batteries will help out. My biggest concern is how I will curtail my urges to pig out on all the lovely food - I’ve never been one for “sampling”!
It was my hubby who convinced me to try a cruise… We sailed out of Newcastle, it was a breeze, well apart from the fine we got for ending up in a bus lane Serves us right for trying to dodge the toll for going under the Clyde, which it would have been far cheaper
Our next cruise is from Southampton and from what I can see there is a disabled car park next to the port.
Bouds….I am going to check out mobility at sea, and have a look at what you can hire.
Graeme, problem with sampling is that you sample everything… here is my tip, save your baggiest clothes to use towards the end of the cruise …
Thanks for the tip about parking at Southampton - I thought we pull up at the dock and cars get re-parked. Handy if there’s disabled parking. I’ll check with our Cruise-mad friends, I’m sure they’ll know.
As for clothes, I need to drop a few kilos in the next few weeks - a recent infection and inactivity means all the slack in my clothes has already been taken up!
ps my husband was fine 
.
Serves us right for trying to dodge the toll for going under the Clyde, which it would have been far cheaper 
