A ship is one of the few holidays that genuinely works when one member of the party walks slowly or not at all. Everything is a lift ride away, the scenery comes to you, and nobody is left behind at the hotel. But the difference between a good week and a frustrating one lies in details that no brochure mentions. These are the things we check.
The cabin
Accessible suites have wider doors, roll-in showers and more turning space, and every ship has only a handful. They sell to the guests who ask first. If a wheelchair is involved, this is the first thing we hold, before dates and before flights. For a guest who walks with a stick, a midship suite near a lift on a deck with the main restaurant matters more than the category.
The ship
Newer, larger luxury ships are generally easier: wider corridors, level thresholds onto verandas, more lifts. Some of the smaller and older ships we love have steps between decks or verandas with a lip that makes a wheelchair impractical. River ships are mostly a single level above the water but often have no lift to the sun deck. We ask the line specific questions about the specific ship and the specific cabin, in writing.
The ports
Tendered ports, where the ship anchors offshore and small boats run guests ashore, are the problem. In rough water a tender is impossible for a wheelchair and hard for anyone unsteady. We favour itineraries that dock alongside, and for the ports that do not, we plan a quiet day on the ship rather than an anxious one on the quay. Private vehicles with a driver who knows the route turn a difficult excursion into an easy one.
Getting there
Assistance at the airport, a transfer vehicle that can take the chair, and a hotel the night before with a step-free room. These are routine to arrange and miserable to discover missing. The night before the ship is the most valuable one in the itinerary for a guest with limited mobility; nobody should be rushing from a flight to a gangway.
What we do
Tell us what the guest can and cannot do comfortably, without embarrassment; we have planned for most situations. We will shortlist the ships and cabins that genuinely work, confirm the details with the line in writing, and plan the flights, transfers, hotels and days ashore so that the whole party travels together.
