Carnival Cruise Lines Disability Assistance Policy

How well does Carnival look after people with disabilities? Last summer I sailed on RCCL Vision of the Seas. I can only walk very short distances and require a wheelchair most of the time. The Vision staff were great. When we booked the cruise they said that they would provide assistance boarding and disembarking. At every port there was assistance on and off the ship and they even wheeled me to the tour buses. And they provided the wheelchair for the entire cruise. RCCL even had crew members who were specifically assigned at the terminal and on the ship for this duty

Carnival seems to have different policies. I have cruised 5 times on Carnival prior to becoming disabled. We are considering a cruise on the Paradise on Sept 5. I phoned the special needs department to inquire as to the assistance available. At first I was told that I would not be assisted on and off the ship in the wheelchair. When I indicated the service that I had received on my RCCL cruise the person who I spoke to said that I would probably be helped if asked a staff member "out of the goodness of their heart". As I understood it Carnival has no formal policy of providing this type of assistance unlike RCCL which allows you to pre arrange this when you make the booking. . Any input on this would be welcomed.

Andrew Andoniadis

In article gers.com,
Andrew Andoniadis wrote:

As I understood it Carnival has no formal policy of providing this type of
assistance unlike RCCL which allows you to pre arrange this when you make the
booking. . Any input on this would be welcomed.

Book with RCI.

--
Charles

Stick with RCCL is right!! We cruised with my husbands elderly parents in Oct
and RCCL couldn't have been more accomodating and helpful. We rented a
wheelchair from RCCL's vendor( and we paid $100 for it) and they wheeled her
onto the ship. After that either us or our 2 kids wheeled her about, but not
for the lack of RCCL trying!!! My inlaws got escorted off the ship at
debarking ,etc. We were very impressed with RCCL but I am sure that carnival
and other cruiselines are just as terrific to those who need assistance.
Perhaps you got a yo-yo on the phone with CCL

I don't know what Carnival's policy is, but I have needed a wheelchair
for getting on and off their ships several times and have never had any
problem getting a chair along with a helpful attendant. On the other
hand, I don't know in advance if I'm going to need this; as you do, it
seems to me you would be better off booking on a cruiseline where this
assistance was more of a certainty.

Eileen

Andrew Andoniadis wrote:
How well does Carnival look after people with disabilities? Last summer
I sailed on RCCL Vision of the Seas. I can only walk very short
distances and require a wheelchair most of the time. The Vision staff
were great. When we booked the cruise they said that they would provide
assistance boarding and disembarking. At every port there was assistance
on and off the ship and they even wheeled me to the tour buses. And they
provided the wheelchair for the entire cruise. RCCL even had crew
members who were specifically assigned at the terminal and on the ship
for this duty

Carnival seems to have different policies. I have cruised 5 times on
Carnival prior to becoming disabled. We are considering a cruise on the
Paradise on Sept 5. I phoned the special needs department to inquire as
to the assistance available. At first I was told that I would not be
assisted on and off the ship in the wheelchair. When I indicated the
service that I had received on my RCCL cruise the person who I spoke to
said that I would probably be helped if asked a staff member "out of the
goodness of their heart". As I understood it Carnival has no formal
policy of providing this type of assistance unlike RCCL which allows you
to pre arrange this when you make the booking. . Any input on this would
be welcomed.

Andrew Andoniadis

My husband has a disability and we have been on both Royal Caribbean
and Carnival ships. We never had a problem getting a wheelchair to
get on the ships and to disembark. The attendants are very helpful
and will wheel you right up to your cabin. When you get onboard the
Carnival ship go to the purser's desk and ask them for a wheelchair.
You will have to leave them a print out of a credit card which will be
returned to you when you bring the wheelchair back at the end of the
cruise. Royal Caribbean does the same. I have called the special
needs department for Royal Caribbean and they told me they do not have
wheelchairs onboard and we should rent one privately. But on both of
the cruises we did with them the wheelchairs were onboard for the
asking.

Charlotte




Eileen Garland wrote in message ...
I don't know what Carnival's policy is, but I have needed a wheelchair
for getting on and off their ships several times and have never had any
problem getting a chair along with a helpful attendant. On the other
hand, I don't know in advance if I'm going to need this; as you do, it
seems to me you would be better off booking on a cruiseline where this
assistance was more of a certainty.

Eileen

Andrew Andoniadis wrote:
How well does Carnival look after people with disabilities? Last summer
I sailed on RCCL Vision of the Seas. I can only walk very short
distances and require a wheelchair most of the time. The Vision staff
were great. When we booked the cruise they said that they would provide
assistance boarding and disembarking. At every port there was assistance
on and off the ship and they even wheeled me to the tour buses. And they
provided the wheelchair for the entire cruise. RCCL even had crew
members who were specifically assigned at the terminal and on the ship
for this duty

Carnival seems to have different policies. I have cruised 5 times on
Carnival prior to becoming disabled. We are considering a cruise on the
Paradise on Sept 5. I phoned the special needs department to inquire as
to the assistance available. At first I was told that I would not be
assisted on and off the ship in the wheelchair. When I indicated the
service that I had received on my RCCL cruise the person who I spoke to
said that I would probably be helped if asked a staff member "out of the
goodness of their heart". As I understood it Carnival has no formal
policy of providing this type of assistance unlike RCCL which allows you
to pre arrange this when you make the booking. . Any input on this would
be welcomed.

Andrew Andoniadis

When you get onboard the
Carnival ship go to the purser's desk and ask them for a wheelchair. . . .

But on both of
the cruises we did with them the wheelchairs were onboard for the
asking.

Only problem with that is if they've only got five chairs on board and you're
the sixth person to ask for one. For something as important as this could be
you're better off mking independent arrangements to have a chair.

Carnival Cruise Lines Disability Assistance Policy

Group: rec.travel.cruises Date: Tue, Apr 27, 2004, 7:14am From:
(Eileen=A0Garland)
"I don't know what Carnival's policy is, but I have needed a wheelchair
for getting on and off their ships several times and have never had any
problem getting a chair along with a helpful attendant. "
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Ei leen


Who are you kidding? We have seen you being 'wheeled ' up the ramp in
Cozumel every time you visit Carlos and Charlies....

I have traveled on many different cruise lines and only one actually
provided me with a wheelchair while onboard. The problem with not
bringing your own, or having a company to supply you with one, is the
fact that the cruise line might not have one to give you or won't let
you take it off the ship at the ports. As it was said to me, do you
really want to sit in a wheelchair when you don't know if the person
before you got sick in it. Also, some of the wheelchairs that I have
been escorted to my cabin in are not very comfortable.

If you need the name of a supplier, please feel free to contact me at
.