For our latest post we’re doing something a little different. Rather than a specific destination, we’re picking out just a few of our favourite accessible cruises.
The cruises we’ve chosen here give you lots of time to relax on board. But they also give you plenty of sights and stopovers to keep you entertained.
So, from spectacular Scandinavian fjords to some of the most fascinating cities in the world, here’s our pick of the world’s best accessible cruises.
Norwegian Cruise Lines: Explore Scandinavia, Russia & the Baltic
Norwegian Cruise Lines have done an excellent job of making their ships as accessible as possible. Their fleet features 27 wheelchair-accessible staterooms adapted bathrooms and easily accessible doors. They also make it easy to enjoy any on board entertainment too, with accessible spaces in their theatres.
Our pick of their cruises is the 9 day tour of Scandinavia, Russia & the Baltic that leaves from Copenhagen. This wonderful cruise includes stopovers in Tallinn, St Petersburg and Stockholm.
The team at Norwegian Cruise Line only ask that you give them plenty of notice about any mobility requirements you have. Let them know when you book – or at least 45 days before departure. There is more information about the accessibility of their various cruises here.
P&O: A Mediterranean adventure
We’ve also been very impressed by how accessible P&O cruises are. Of course, they’re one of the biggest names in the cruise business, and they have an excellent reputation. They currently have eight ships in their fleet and many of these have adapted cabins. These have wider doorways and plenty of room for your scooter.
There’s a useful overview of all of the on board facilities on their mobility page here. The team at P&O simply ask that you declare your scooter (and any mobility needs you might have) when you book.
Out of their current cruises, we’ve chosen a 14 night cruise of the Mediterranean on the Britannia, which has 33 wheelchair accessible cabins. It stops off in a number of ports, including Barcelona, Cannes, Rome and Gibraltar.
Saga: An epic journey around Latin America
Saga are synonymous with holidays for older people, and so their teams are used to dealing with customers with different mobility needs. They only have three ships, the Saga Pearl II, the Saga Sapphire and the brand-new Spirit of Discovery. But they all have cabins that have been specially adapted for those of us who use a mobility scooter.
Our pick of their cruises has to be their remarkable 83 night journey around South America (including a trip around Cape Horn!). You’ll have the chance to cruise along the Amazon, visit Buenos Aires and even cross the Panama Canal. An unforgettable, once in a lifetime trip.
For a great overview of some of the best cruise lines for those of us with different mobility needs, check out this guide here. In general terms, all the cruise companies here ask that you give them plenty of notice of any needs you might have. Our advice is always to do this when you book.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that for health and safety reasons there are certain forms of assistance that cruise staff may not be able to give. For example, Saga won’t carry passengers up and down gangways in ports other than the ones where you embark and disembark from. So, it’s always worth checking the details early, before you’re at sea!
Travelling with scooters
The great news for those of you travelling abroad is that Quingo Scooters are all approved for air travel by IATA so you won’t have any problems taking them on the plane. That said, it is always well worth getting in touch directly with any train, bus and airlines you want to use just to double check their rules on scooters before you go. For more handy tips on travelling with your scooter by air, take a look at our page here.
Share your accessible getaways abroad with us
Do you have any accessible getaways abroad recommendations? In Europe or perhaps further afield? If you do, we’d love to hear from you, so drop us a line and we’ll feature them.
About Quingo Scooters
The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.
Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC). AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 30847
