Accessibility On Cruise Ships

On European waterways river cruise ships have to be fairly low in order to pass under many bridges so the top deck or Sun deck as it is called on many ships is only accessible by stairs on most ships although some of the newer and more widely accessible river cruise ships have wheelchair lift platforms that take passengers to the top deck.

Accessibility on cruise ships. We have wheelchair-accessible rooms on all PO Cruises ships subject to availability at the time of request. For instance while most cabin doorways are around 23 wide accessible rooms have doors that are 32 wide. The number of accessible cabins on a ship will vary based on the size and age of the ship.

Norwegian Pearls Garden Villa has a staggering size of 2320 ft2 216 m2 plus a huge balcony measuring 1035 ft2 96 m2. There are some areas on the Carnival Liberty however that are not handicap accessible such as the mini-golf course and some areas are only accessible by stairs. There are ramps over the threshold to the suite bathroom and balcony.

This varies not only by cruise line but also by ship. Celebrity Cruises is another shipping company that provides impressive accessibility facilities for individuals with disabilities. Suite Details - Suite is 390sq ftBalcony is 715sq ft.

The majority of inside cabins are between 160-180 square feet with some being as small as 120ft2 and some as large as 200ft2. Below are 9 examples of inside cabin sizes. Please see our Accessible Staterooms for more details.

An interior stateroom will be the smallest category and you shouldnt accept anything smaller than 200 ft² for an accessible cabin that can accommodate two people one of whom is in a wheelchair. In 2010 the United States Department of Transportation USDOT published regulations that provide for practices and procedures for transportation of individuals with disabilities on passenger vessels in the United States including non-US. For example Royal Caribbeans new ship Odyssey of the Seas offers 41 wheelchair-friendly rooms while Vision of the Seas one of its oldest and smallest ships has 14.

Half of the holland america cruise ships travel to and from alaska but one of the most wheelchair and handicap accessible ships is nieuw. We have done the research so you can have all the available information on accessible cruise ship features of each ship for each cruise line. If you need additional information please contact our Accessibility Department at 866-592-7225.