wheelchair cruise – You Should Go Anyway

St. Thomas, USVI, cruise port stop on Carnival Fascination

February 13, 2020February 14, 2020youshouldgoanyway

The first stop on my 7-Day Southern Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Fascination took us to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. There was an accessible excursion available through Carnival so I booked a wheelchair space for myself. Unfortunately, the non-wheelchair spaces were all booked and my friends had to take a different excursion but that’s my fault because we booked it so late.

It was a beautiful day and I met the tour outside the port. The driver loaded me up on the lift to the van and we were on our way for an island tour with a few stops at scenic locations.

Our driver had a great sense of humor and was very accommodating to my needs. A few times I just wanted to stay on the bus while the others stepped off and he was happy to chat.

I did get off at the last stop though which was a beautiful overlook down onto some beaches and islands. I was also able to go souvenir shopping and the store was very accessible — bathroom and everything.

It was a short excursion, but just enough time for me. The island is hilly and the roads were bumpy. Two-and-a-half hours was plenty.

Aruba, cruise port on Carnival Horizon

January 17, 2020April 23, 2025youshouldgoanyway

Looking out my balcony door, I see one lone tree guarding the reef here in the Aruba cruise port. It’s a stark contrast to the action happening on the other side of the boat.

There are tour buses lined-up to gather passengers from boat and head out on excursions. A diamond store sits prominently adjacent to the port parking lot. Steel drums echo faintly. I can see dozens of stores, bars, and restaurants without even leaving the deck of the Horizon. Everything looks close.

I exit the port and easily roll over to the main strip. The curb cuts aren’t exceptional but they exist, which is 99% of it. I weave my way past the slow-walkers and sunburned as they stall in front of any of the twenty or so souvenir shops along the sidewalk. Pretty much every local I pass says, “Welcome to Aruba!”

The feeling is different here. The people seem outwardly friendly. The music pumped out from the Royal Plaza shopping area doesn’t hurt in creating an upbeat, “I’m on vacation” vibe.

I wandered about for several hours and there was a lot to see in a very small area, which was nice. I felt like this was the only port on this trip where you didn’t have to work to see the city.

One thing I did notice is that the interior ramps for wheelchairs are a bit steep. After having slid down the steep exit ramp from the boat earlier, I was unintimidated by these however. Side not: I would have crashed through a glass window had this amazing Carnival crew member not jumped in front of me and pushed back on my chair. I wasn’t even rolling….just sliding down the slick ramp. So much for those anti-slip stickers.

In any case, Aruba wins the cruise! I’d go back on a different trip and spend some time in the resort areas near the beaches if I ever have a chance.

Wheelchair accessible cruise on Carnival Horizon

January 13, 2020April 23, 2025youshouldgoanyway

I’m taking an eight-day cruise from Miami on one of the newer Carnival boats, Carnival Horizon. Having cruised on the older Victory I’ve been happy to see many different things on this larger ship to keep myself occupied.

There are many technological upgrades that make it easer for someone like me who has mobility and upper arm difficulty. For example, I love that my cabin door opens and closes by pushing a button from the inside or tapping my key on the outside.

The “smart” elevator system was a little annoying at first because I couldn’t figure out how to use the accessibility features of the floor selection. However after two days, I’m really liking this feature because I only have to push one button. Once you are told which elevator to go to, you get in the elevator and it goes.

There are also many eating options not found on older ships. For example, yesterday I ate at the site down Japanese restaurant and today I had BBQ Buffet at the Guy Fieri restaurant.

A new addition to the fun is an IMAX theater which shows current movies as well as more IMAX-friendly features. There is popcorn and soda as well, and it doesn’t cost a fortune!

My cabin is 6207 — a wheelchair accessible balcony. It’s at the front of the ship and while it’s very quiet as far as other passengers goes, there seems to be a lot more noise coming from the outside in the form of howling through my balcony door. In addition, and likely because of being so close to the front, there’s the occasional slamming sound of the boat crashing down on the water. It seems like rougher water than other cruises I’ve been on so that’s understandable.

This is not my exact cabin but it is the exact same layout and this guy does a much better job showing it off than I could!

The bathroom is plenty big and has a roll-in shower and grab bars. The bed is pretty standard and the frame is heavy so it doesn’t move around when transferring, which is nice. The height is about 20 inches and there is clearance under the bed.

I’ll update more about this cruise as we stop in Turks & Caicos, the Dominican Republic, Aruba, and Curacao. You can also read about my experience on board when I had to ask for help getting out of bed.