Departs 19 Feb 2010
From Miami
to Los Angeles
visiting
Fort Lauderdale, Aruba, Cartagena, Panama Canal, Panama, Punta Arenas, Huatulco, Acapulco
and
Cabo San Lucas
Blue Water Holidays Exclusive - Book now for $100 onboard credit per person
£1649
Prices from
Exotic Asia, Singapore to Hong Kong on Legend of the Seas
15 nights / Cruise Only
Departs 28 Jan 2010
From Singapore
to Hong Kong
visiting
Sihanoukville, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Hue
and
Hanoi
Blue Water Holidays Exclusive - Book now and receive $100 onboard credit per cabin
£1059
Prices from
Black Sea and Egyptian Explorer on MS Rotterdam
16 nights / Fly Cruise
Departs 01 Oct 2009
From Athens
and back
visiting
Varna, Sevastopol, Sochi, Istanbul, Ephesus, Jerusalem
and
Cairo
Exclusive Blue Water Holidays Fly/Cruise holiday with 14 nights luxury cruise, scheduled flights, 2 nights in Athens hotel and private taxi transfers
£1999
Prices from
Gaelic Legends on MS Prinsendam
14 nights / UK Depature
Departs 23 Aug 2009
From Greenwich
and back
visiting
Torquay, St Peter Port, Cork, Foynes, Waterford, Dublin, Liverpool, Londonderry, Stornoway, Aberdeen
and
Edinburgh
Exclusive Blue Water Holidays Prices on this luxury cruise departing from the UK
The advantages of a cruise for the physically challenged are many, apart from the obvious ones of no packing and unpacking:Good place for relaxation and self-renewal.
Pure air at sea (no smog, pollen or pollution)
Spacious public rooms
Excellent medical facilities close by
Specialized dietary requirements can be met
The staff will generally be very helpful
Varied entertainment, including gambling (but no wheelchair-accessible gaming tables or slot machines)
Security (no crime on board)
Different ports of call
But there are also significant disadvantages:
Although some of the newest and largest ships have been well designed, none are barrier-free, and it can be hard to access some areas such as self-serve buffets
Few ships have access-help lifts installed at swimming pools (exception: P&O Cruises) or angled steps with handrail, or thalassotherapy pools or shore tenders (exception: Holland America Line)
Unless cabins are specifically designed for the physically challenged, problem areas include the entrance, furniture configuration, closet hanging rails, and beds
Cabin bathrooms: doors that open inward are useless; the grab bars, wheel-in shower stall, toiletries cabinet should be at an accessible height
Elevators: the width of the door is important for wheelchair passengers; controls often cannot be reached from a wheelchair (except in the newer ships)
Sometimes having to wait at elevators behind hordes of able-bodied passengers who really don’t need them
Access to outside decks is usually provided through doors that must be opened manually rather than via electric-eye doors that open and close automatically
Cruise lines, port authorities, airlines, and various allied services are slowly improving their facilities. But few cruise lines show photographs of passengers in wheelchairs (Princess Cruises is an exception)
