Traveling on Disney Cruise with a friend who has ALS

[darrenwatson66]

Hey there!! I will be traveling with dear friends of mine who have never cruised before and wanted to do DCL. My friend's husband has ALS and is totally wheelchair bound. He wants to do this last trip with his family while he still can. I'm going to help as much as possible!! They have an accessible room which is great but I wanted to know if anyone can give me pointers to make it as easy as possible. I know he would like to do excursions...even if it was a tour...doing the Eastern Caribbean cruise in Dec. DCL says usually the buses are not accessible. Any ideas, pointers, anything that you think would be beneficial to know, please send my way!!

Thank you so much for helping me make this as MAGICAL as possible!!!

 

[everafter1]

Hi! My dad has ALS, but is still somewhat in the early stages. He does have mobility challenges and always needs a cane or walker to get around, but only utilizes a wheelchair for longer distances. We did the Med cruise this summer, and the Crew of the Magic were very helpful. Prior to the cruise someone from DCL actually called my mom and discussed any specific needs he would have.

I'm not sure if this is all excursions, but in the Med, the buses were not always wheelchair accessable. (My parents only chose bus tour excursions that stated you could bring a wheelchair.) Thankfully my dad was able to transfer and fellow cruisers were incredibly helpful. I haven't done the eastern on DCL, but I would double check any excursions you book through them to make sure they can accomodate someone who cannot transfer. I would also recommend looking into private tours, if possible. I know some Disers will have some great recommendations for you!

The ship itself is very easy to navigate with a wheelchair and everyone (including other cruisers) is helpful. We also did not have any difficulty tendering with a wheelchair. Definitely make the most of it and look into everything. I'll try to think of some more of the things we did to make it easier. I hope you all have an amazing time, I know what a truly awful disease this is, but I'm sure everything will work out

 

[darrenwatson66]

Thank you so much!! I will definitely check into private tours and contact Disney to make sure they know everything they need to know. Not sure if they are fully aware of the extent. Yes...its so hard to see this happening to one of my best friends but so thankful I'm going to share this special vacation with him and his family! Thanks again!

 

[YenSid1222]

We have actually done an Eastern with two friends that were both in wheelchairs! It was an experience, to be sure...but one I do not regret as one of them passed away a couple of months after the cruise.

Overall, we had no major issues. St. Thomas will be easy if you are docked and not tendered. There is lots of stuff you can do right off the ship. Check to see which excursions are accessible. Most of the little tour busses are hard for me to get MYSELF in and out of, so I imagine it would be very difficult for someone with a disability.

In St. Maartin, our friends took the shuttle boat over to Phillipsburg and they were very accomidating and helped them in and out...but you do need to be able to step down into the boat.

Of course, Castaway Cay was their favorite stop as it has lots of options. There are special sand wheelchairs that can be used and it is very easy on and off the ship.

 

[ededmd]

Make certain they submit the medical form as soon as possible to allow DCL to review and then discuss specific necessary accommodations.

This will include anything from special room setups to easy dining room table assignments to food needs e.g pureed food at meals etc.

ALS is such a tragic disease. Best wishes for a magical memory making cruise!