{"id":3068,"date":"2019-07-19T11:34:16","date_gmt":"2019-07-19T15:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/?p=3068"},"modified":"2025-08-11T17:37:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T21:37:08","slug":"cruise-ship-accessibility-features","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2019\/07\/19\/cruise-ship-accessibility-features\/","title":{"rendered":"Cruise Ship Accessibility Features Wheelchair Users Should Look For"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As an accessible travel agent<\/a> and frequent cruiser, one of the questions I get asked the most is, What is the most accessible cruise ship out there?<\/em> The great news is that wheelchair users have more and more options for great accessibility on cruise ships every year. While I haven’t been on every single cruise ship sailing the oceans today, I have a really good idea of what wheelchair users should look for and ask about when trying to determine the accessibility of a cruise ship they would like to sail on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Age Before Beauty<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are some absolutely stunning cruise ships out there right now, and they can rival any five-star hotel on land. But just because the ship is luxurious and beautiful doesn’t mean that it is wheelchair friendly. One of the better indicators of wheelchair accessibility on a cruise ship is its age. It is incredibly difficult to retrofit an older cruise ship to include accessibility features. However, with almost two dozen brand-new cruise ships launching every year, it’s becoming easier for ship architects and designers to incorporate accessibility features from the start. To find out the age of the ship, you can either Google the ship’s name or find its fact sheet on the cruise line website. You also be able to find out when the ship had its most recent dry-dock renovation or retrofit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"wheelchair<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Staterooms: Bigger is Always Better<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many people who have never cruised before are shocked at how small cruise ship cabins can be. Fortunately, accessible cabins are bigger by necessity because wheelchair users need enough space to maneuver around beds, and into and out of the bathroom. That being said, the actual size of a cruise ship accessible cabin can vary widely between cruise lines, and even ships in the same class within a cruise line. An interior stateroom will be the smallest category, and you shouldn’t accept anything smaller than 200 ft.\u00b2 for an accessible cabin that can accommodate two people, one of whom is in a wheelchair. Take note that some cruise lines offer different types of accessible staterooms. “Fully accessible” means that you can access both sides of the bed. “Single-side approach” means that the bed is pushed up against the wall, so you can only get into it from one side. These rooms will still have accessible bathrooms with roll-in showers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a video tour of my accessible verandah stateroom on the Celebrity Edge<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n