Choose To Cruise

by Dean Kramer
February, 2004

Twink and I just returned to Cripple Creek from an 8 day 7 night cruise to the Caribbean. We went on Holland America’s ship, the MS Oosterdam and we did not have a merely good time—no, we had a PERFECT time! It was my first cruise and it was truly the most wonderful vacation I have ever taken. For disabled people who have accessibility issues, you really can’t do better than a cruise. My experience is admittedly limited, but I’d say the Holland America Line goes overboard to provide a maximally accessible vacation.

Cruising offers these advantages: you need only unpack once, yet each day you awaken in a new location. Transportation, lodging and all meals can be included in one price. There is plenty to do on the ship if disability prevents you from going ashore. You can be among people or, if you choose, keep to yourself as room service is always available free of charge. You can be in the sun or inside in air conditioned comfort, whichever is best, yet always aware of the sea for the ship provides ample views from windows and decks. The motion of the ship on the water is as relaxing as a massage.

In our case, travel to the ship was smooth and uneventful. The airline took me right onto the plane in my manual wheelchair which was folded and stored onboard. Cruise line personnel from Holland America met us at the airport and, knowing in advance that I was disabled, they were solicitous and helpful in arranging our transfer to the ship. We’d booked a wheelchair-accessible stateroom with a small balcony where we could sit and watch the sea and sky. It was a lovely room with all the Electronic Age amenities, a comfortable bed and a sitting area. The bathroom had handrails, a roll-in shower, and also a fold-down bench to sit on.

The Oosterdam, a relatively new ship, was designed to be completely accessible. There are elevators to every deck where guests are permitted. Even non-disabled people can have difficulty walking on a ship so there are handrails everywhere you look. In fact, on a cruise ship you’ll see more people who appear to have multiple sclerosis gathered in one place at one time than you’ll see anywhere else. Until they acquire their sea legs you’ll see people lurching, staggering, grabbing onto each other to avoid falling, holding the walls—for a disabled person it’s a truly satisfying spectacle! There were very few raised thresholds and I went wherever I wished in my wheelchair. The swimming pools, and public rooms were all accessible. There were accessible bathrooms on each deck. Staff was always willing to help push the chair when I or Twink got tired. In fact, the service personnel in the dining rooms, in our cabin, and throughout the ship were consistently available, friendly, and courteous. They were also non-intrusive, balancing presence with detachment in a Zen-like manner very reassuring to this disabled woman. The ship’s Shore Excursion staff were knowledgeable as to which ports of call, had tours and activities that might be fun for me and which might be impossible.

Here are some things I learned about cruise vacations with a manual wheelchair. Before you go, make sure your equipment is in good working order. I didn’t realize my wheelchair’s wheel bearings were too tight. The result was an opportunity for a great upper body workout, especially on carpet. And, due to a loose stem-bearing on one caster, my chair tended to drift to the right. I found myself having to slow the left rim while pushing the right rim faster. The motion of the ship made it difficult for me to determine whether these problems were due to the chair, the ship, or MS weakness. It was very annoying. I don’t always use the chair so I didn’t know just how bad things were until I had it adjusted when I got home. The difference is amazing.

Always remember to set your brakes when sitting on the smooth deck of a ship that is wallowing somewhat in the Atlantic swells. The deck rail between your rolling chair and the deep blue sea comes at you awfully fast. There is a drainage gutter (called the scupper) running along the outside edge of the deck. Don’t let your caster wheels slip over the edge of the scupper. If possible, always sit facing the water in case you do forget to set your brakes (as you may from time to time). It’s easier to notice yourself rolling forward than backward (at least until a certain momentum is reached by which time it’s probably too late.)

Now, say a friend is pushing your chair for you, and you are being pushed forward onto an elevator. And say the friend pushing is anxious to get you both onto the elevator before the doors slam shut. Make sure you have shoes with rubber toe-guards. These are your bumpers, so try to have them hanging over the edge of your foot-rests to absorb the impact as you are shoved against the inside elevator wall.

Cruise ships have at least one night where dress is formal (tuxes for men, gowns for women, so says the daily program). I found that ladies in wheelchairs can get away with a nice sparkly jacket and lots of black (pants, shirt, etc.). Gents could probably get away with one of those t-shirts silk screened with a tuxedo.

Check out the ports of call carefully before you leave the ship. We found ST Martin very accessible and assumed our next stop, Roadtown in the British Virgin Islands, would be the same (we neglected to consult the Shore Excursion staff). We disembarked to discover the sidewalks were being torn up. There were no curb cuts. The traffic was plentiful and swift on narrow streets with equally plentiful potholes. The further we went the worse it got. I finally had to rise from the chair and use it as a walker heading back to the ship. At one point the chair got away from me, rolled down a grassy slope and upended in a field. Kind fellow-tourists helped lift both it and me back up that slope.

Here is a picture of me sitting in the street in Roadtown, BVI. The terrain was mostly inaccessible, the sun was hot, and there was a lot of gritty dust blowing in my face. Notice that I appear to be having a great time. That’s because I was having a great time. I was going places I’d never been to see sights I’d never seen. The bottom line is that a bad day on a cruise vacation can be better than the best day at home doing the same old thing you always do.

Though in large crowds, people often don’t notice folks living so far below eye-level, on my trip the non-Americans I met seemed more understanding as regards disability than the Americans. Europeans were very quick to offer help but were respectfully supportive of my wish to undertake certain challenges independently. The Americans came from the pedestrians have the right of way school of thought and treated me as a motor vehicle without allowing that it takes more time to stop a rolling wheelchair than it does to stop walking. They got annoyed when I was in their way. I was having such a great time, though, that I didn’t care who I annoyed.

As far as I’m concerned, cruise ship vacations are it. With ample sports activities and adventure excursions for the able-bodied (as examples, golf and tennis onboard, parasailing and scuba diving in port), Holland America continues to uphold its reputation for gracious service and a quieter, less frenetic atmosphere than some of the other cruise lines. That works out perfectly for a disabled person and her able-bodied partner. I can’t wait to go again!