DCL Bahamas Cruise - Wheelchair

[bellepearle]

Hi. We are thinking about doing the DCL 8-night Bahamas cruise embarking from New York. Are there any excursions at either Nassau or Castaway Cay that accommodate wheelchairs? I am unable to walk due to a physical disability. My parents can carry me short distances if need be. I will be bringing my motorized wheelchair as well as a motorized scooter (scooter is small and easy to disassemble and move). I was looking at the available excursions on the Disney site but didn't see any that allowed a motorized wheelchair or a motorized scooter which has me worried. We went on a Celebrity cruise to Bermuda about 5 years ago and I was able to take my scooter onto a glass-bottomed boat so at least I could do something on the island. My dad carried me on the boat and then carried my scooter on board and it worked out perfectly. Please, if someone could help me out with this, I'd like to know if it is worth going on a Disney Cruise and whether or not anything is accessible on the islands. Thank you.

Lindsay

 

[KPeveler]

I dont know about excursions, but I will say this - you must get a wheelchair accessible stateroom, even if you do not usually need accessible rooms, because otherwise your equipment will not fit through the door of the room!

 

[bellepearle]

Katy, yes we always get a handicapped accessible room whether it's at a hotel or on a cruise. Thank you though.

 

[peemagg]

I don't know about DCL cruises, but I do know that Nassau at the Atlantis hotel is accessible to wheelchairs. If you use a manual chair, then you can probably get it into one of the cabs or buses over to Atlantis. If you have to use a power chair, then your choices are even less. There are very few handicapped accessible vehicles on the island. Do Not even think of taking a water ferry! They are to me floating barges waiting to sink, and are tourists traps, because once they stuff (and I do mean stuff) you on this boat, they then have some jerk trying to give you a tour of the harbor and then charge you more for his guided service.

 

[bellepearle]

peemagg - I do have a motorized wheelchair so I would need accessible transportation. I think though that there are a few transportation companies that provide that service privately. To get to Atlantis you do need transportation correct? It's not a walkable distance?

 

[bellepearle]

peemagg - Are glass bottom boats not worth it either?

 

[videogal1]

I don't know about DCL cruises, but I do know that Nassau at the Atlantis hotel is accessible to wheelchairs. If you use a manual chair, then you can probably get it into one of the cabs or buses over to Atlantis. If you have to use a power chair, then your choices are even less. There are very few handicapped accessible vehicles on the island. Do Not even think of taking a water ferry! They are to me floating barges waiting to sink, and are tourists traps, because once they stuff (and I do mean stuff) you on this boat, they then have some jerk trying to give you a tour of the harbor and then charge you more for his guided service.

Ahhh, the water ferry to Atlantis... I took such a thing to Atlantis when on a HAL cruise. There was no way to get my scooter onto the ferry (read small boat) so three guys picked it up...me still on it, eek!... and carried it aboard...VERY rough trip to Atlantis. Then, at the end of the tour the ferry was loaded, except for me (I was told to await the bus) and it left. No bus. I waited and waited...no bus. I complained at the nearby "terminal"/ tourist trap...lots of concern...no bus (the ferry "staff" had lied). Finally, a guy whose brother was a taxi driver called his brother to come and pick me up as the cruise ship was leaving soon. He arrived, drove me to the terminal where the cruise ship was docked and wanted money for the ride. I told him to wait there and I drove through the port gates to the ship where I was met, strangely enough, by a very worried cruise director who had been looking for me. She urged me to board the ship but I told her about the taxi driver/rescue mission and refused to board the ship until he was paid (come to think of it now I guess they could have just sailed off without me...I was very angry) so she ran off to pay him and I boarded. I suggest you avoid the ferry and just call a cab or van/cab. Try to firm up arrangements with someone at Atlantis before you go...they do have a tour desk at the hotel. You will have to be escorted on the tour by someone with a key to the elevators (when I was there some of the sidewalks had stairs in places instead of ramps.) Also, it is quite a long walk to Atlantis from the ferry dock, many city streets and construction sites. Such adventure...

 

[videogal1]

peemagg - I do have a motorized wheelchair so I would need accessible transportation. I think though that there are a few transportation companies that provide that service privately. To get to Atlantis you do need transportation correct? It's not a walkable distance?

Not really walkable. Way too far, too much crazy traffic, few curb cuts and a HUGE soaring bridge that's really got a swell view from a taxi but I wouldn't want my battery to go dead in the middle of crossing it.

 

[bellepearle]

videogal1 - Thank you so much. So bottom line, we should contact Disney to see if we can get a private accessible taxi/bus or contact a company ourselves? What did you do at Atlantis when you were there? Any excursions?

 

[OrthoDad]

There are specially designed beach wheelchairs on Castaway Cay. We have 2 sons with cerebral palsy, and we have really never been able to enjoy a beach holiday...until we went on the DCL! It was fantastic! Really easy, the chairs are just right off the beach, we parked our chairs, and used the beach ones. It was the highlight of our trip.

Even so, when we are planning our next DCL trip, we're trying to get the ones with 2 stops at CC! Just because of the wheelchairs.

Have a great trip!
W

 

[bellepearle]

orthodad - Thanks for the info. Have you been to Nassau with your sons? I'm worried about what I would be able to do there and how hard or easy it would be to get around there.

 

[peemagg]

At Atlantis, they have a neat aquarium there that is wheelchair accessible.

 

[bellepearle]

peemagg - awesome. is that something you pay for?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Wait for DCLFUN to chime in. Cathy works for DCL reservations and goes on a lot of the cruises. She can give you lots of information about the tours.

Two things to consider.

At Castaway Cay there are no tours as such, but access to the beaches is fairly simple. Of course there is no way you will take either a power chair or an ECV onto a beach.

Nassau is not subject to the ADA. I do not think any of the regular tours there are accessible, but accessible tours can be arranged. When I went it was very difficult to find curb cuts, and many of the stores you had to step up to get into.

 

[bellepearle]

Cheshire Figment - That would be great if Cathy could add her to knowledge! From the Disney site, it looked as if they had a glass bottom boat at Castaway Cay which would be fun but I don't know if I can get my scooter or wheelchair on it. I was also thinking about doing the Stingray Adventure. Do you know the depth of the water that you are in when feeding the stingrays? I would love to find out how to arrange accessible tours at Nassau. I've read posts on here that say Nassau is tough to get around in a wheelchair or scooter. However, I also read a post where someone suggested bring a wooden platform to take around with you to act as a ramp in Nassau since there are very few curb cut outs which I thought was a great idea. Do you think DCLFUN (Cathy) will post on here? I would love her help. Thanks.

 

[peemagg]

Yes you do pay for the access to the aquarium. I don't remember for certain, but I think it was around $25 per person for the day pass.

 

[OrthoDad]

orthodad - Thanks for the info. Have you been to Nassau with your sons? I'm worried about what I would be able to do there and how hard or easy it would be to get around there.

No, we didn't do any excursions. My boys loved the boat so much, we stayed aboard!

 

[Mary976]

I'm really interested in this topic as well, as my DD uses a manual chair and I had been debating a cruise in the next couple years. I heard good things about Castaway Cay, and I was debating if on a shorter cruise we would even leave the boat at the other stops. OP, if you do go I'd love to read any kind of trip report afterwards.

Mary

 

[bellepearle]

peemagg - that's not a bad price

 

[bellepearle]

orthodad - awww