VirginiaIsForCruisers

My experience with Royal was very different. They dumped me in the elevator lobby that is right by the gangway entrance. When I asked to be taken to my cabin, I was told no. And at the end of the cruise, I was told where to wait for assistance (it was a bar near one of the elevator lobbies).

If a hospital bed is not doable, Scootaround and Special Needs at Sea rent recliners that can be delivered. You'd have to be in an accessible cabin. A friend of mine has issues that preclude her from sleeping comfortably in a bed, but she does well with a recliner. Personally, I sleep in my recliner from time to time and rest well in it.

I've only sailed on NCL jewel class ships and RCL Voyager. I prefer the NCL ships overall, especially the cabin layout, but the passageways near the cabins are significantly narrower than the RCL ships. I struggled mightily getting the right angle to get into my cabin on the Jade, but had a much easier time on the RCL ships. On NCL, I could not get by the housekeeping carts with my powerchair, but was able to squeeze by on RCL. Of course, I've only been on the smaller older ships, so the newer models may be different.

I'll second @katisdale -- I switched to a F&G and it has been a godsend on trips.

Most of the embarkation/disembarkation wheelchairs are pretty narrow. They do have at least one larger chair, but I had to wait quite a while because they assisted people in the order they signed up and I had to wait until it was available. For example, let's say I was #10 in line. The larger wheelchair was used for person #4 and #9, even if they didn't need the extra space, so I had to wait until it came back again, after #14. That's one reason why I actually purchased a Fold and Go wheelchair after my third cruise. Now I don't need assistance at embarkation or disembarkation.

I've used Larry and Atanya at ICBW twice for private tours and been very happy. Both times, Larry went above and beyond to make us happy.

I would probably ask to switch sections and when the head waiter asks why, say something like, "I'm very sensitive to strong scents and the waiter's aftershave is too much for me to handle."

I can't speak to the Royal excursions, but I've used It Could Be Worse for private excursions. Larry will take you anywhere. In fact, on the first tour, he took us to some shops I specifically wanted to try. And the second time I used their service, we stopped several places, including K-Mart(!), in search of a specific item I wanted to buy.

I couldn't agree more. On an NCL cruise, my cabin door acted up from the first minute. It wouldn't unlock and I had to go wait in the seemingly endless line at guest services to get a new key card. The representative came up with me and it worked for him. Later that night, the door became hard to close completely. I didn't complain. On the second full day, I came back to the cabin after breakfast and the door wouldn't close at all. The cabin steward messed with it and called maintenance. It eventually took two maintenance people and the steward to remove the door completely and reinstall it. Apparently it was not seated correctly. I wonder how long it had been acting up. At least subsequent guests wouldn't have the same problem.

I can only speak to San Juan and Phillipsburg. As @FOPMan indicated, San Juan is a challenge. The sidewalks are rough and curb cuts are haphazard. When we were there, one of the women from our ship, who was driving a scooter, tried to go a few blocks away from the actual port. That required her to go up a steep hill. On the way down, her scooter actually tipped over and she broke her arm. There are a few vendors immediately beside where the ships stop. That area is pretty flat, but the pathway is rough, with broken pavement and curb cut issues. Phillipsburg has a nice port area that is flat, with stores and bars right by the ships. There is a pathway to get to the boardwalk area that is supposedly pretty easy.

There's a lot of good advice here. I am also an introvert and pretty shy. All of my cruises have been solo trips. I make up my mind to make an effort at least once a day no matter how hard it is. I find it easiest in the buffet. I'll get my food and look for a table with others who are just starting their meal. I'll ask if I may join them and have never been told no. At that point, I'll ask where they are from and ask questions based on that. On my first cruise, I approached a table where a couple was dining and made a comment about the wife's wheelchair (it was purple!). I asked to join them and we ended up striking up a friendship that's been going since 2018. She told me that if I hadn't approached them, she wouldn't have talked to me because I have serious resting ***** face and seemed intimidating. But since I broke the ice and she got to experience my personality, we became friends. In fact, we have two cruises scheduled together in 2023. I do also try to participate in some of the solo activities. On the cruises I've been on, they've been just before meal times, so it's easy to say, "hey, want to grab lunch?" I also like trivia events because it's easy to strike up a conversation with the folks nearby.

The ship changed times when I sailed on her earlier this year. I was able to get fresh squeezed juice at the bar at the front of Windjammer. I did the safety drill on the app, went and checked in at my muster station as soon as I stepped on the ship. It took maybe two minutes. Very easy.

I was on Mariner in March. The MDR food ranged from fine to very good. I am not an adventurous eater, but easily found something that was pleasing every evening, including pasta, chicken, and beef dishes. They were very accommodating when I asked to switch side dishes, which I did several times. I have never done specialty dining because that's not how I choose to spend my money. I'm not judging those who love specialty dining, it's just not something that interests me.

I was in both St. Thomas and St. Maarten earlier this year on Royal's Mariner of the Seas. In St. Thomas (Crown Bay), there is a port area that is very accessible. There are a few shops. As Essiesmom wrote, there are lots of iguanas to watch. I don't recall any restaurants or food stands in the port area, but to be fair, I really didn't look. I didn't leave the immediate port area alone in my wheelchair because I booked a great accessible private tour. In St. Maarten, there is a decent port area that is very accessible. There are quite a few shops there, including some food stands and I believe a restaurant. Also, once you leave the port area, you can scoot to the Boardwalk. It's a bit of a hike, especially if it's really hot, but it's definitely doable. That would be your best bet for lunch.

I travel by myself most of the time. I don't know if this would work for you, but I have a large carabiner that allows me to drag a suitcase behind my powerchair like this: I also use this product to securely attach my cane to my chair in case I have to walk a little.

I was able to bring a six pack of soda back on board when we stopped at St. Thomas earlier this year. Nothing was said by the crew. I figured if they confiscated it, then so be it.

I would suggest trying Larry and Atanya at It Could Be Worse on St. Thomas. They have an accessible van and I believe they offer a day trip to St. John. I've used them in the past for St. Thomas trips and been delighted with them. They strive to do everything possible to make your trip memorable.

I agree with the suggestion to look into an accessible cabin as the roll in shower would give you maneuvering room while helping him. Also, at least on NCL, the shower in the non-accessible cabin I saw was super tiny. I'm a large person and would have been uncomfortable in it alone, much less with a helper. I have only sailed on NCL and Royal. I met one person on one of my NCL trips who had a need for pureed food and said that they were super accommodating. She did work with their special needs department before the cruise and met with a chef on the first day to review her needs. I also agree with the suggestion of a smaller ship. The only NCL ships I've been on are the jewel class, which I love. They are easy to navigate, with three elevator banks. Also, the only thing that is a real challenge to access is the aft MDR. That is only accessible by a single elevator, which can cause a long wait. I just go to the midship MDR, which serves the same menu and is easier to access. On Royal, I've only gone on Voyager class ships. As a wheelchair user, the fact that the handicapped seating area of the main theater on the Voyager ships is only accessible via one set of elevators is frustrating, requiring me to get to the theater very early and stay for a long time (up to 30 minutes) after the show is over to get an elevator. I don't know how your uncle is with loud noise and visual distraction. To me, the Royal ships I've been on have been loud and sort of overwhelming visually. I prefer a more low key setting. I'm actually trying a trip on Holland America next year at a friend's suggestion, since I get overwhelmed easily. I hope your voyage with your family goes smoothly!

The Star Trek cruise is great fun, but most facilities and activities are Trek. Offhand, the only 100% Trek-free facilities that I can think of are the spa and the MDR. Many venues are re-themed to appeal to fans. It is truly an immersive experience. All shows in the large venues are Trek, though there are some non-Trek things like a piano player/singer in one of the bars. The cruise director is not the regular ship's CD, he's an employee of the charter company. There are parties and Star Trek movies on the pool deck much of the time, though there are some theme-free times. Thinking about it a little more, the solarium didn't have any Trek theming, so your wife could spend time there to take a dip. Also, there are quiet areas away from the pool deck where you can sit on a deck chair and read or just relax. Several of the TV channels are dedicated to Trek. This year, there was a channel that ran the Original Series 24/7, one for Next Gen, one for DS9, one for Voyager, one for Enterprise, one for Discovery, and one that split between Picard and Lower Decks. There were also channels that showed the movies non-stop. There were still a few other stations that showed news and non-Trek movies. I've attached the preview schedule we were sent before this year's cruise. There were more activities added, but this gives you an idea of the scope of the trip. All that being said, there are many great people on the trip and plenty of folks don't talk Trek 24/7. Most people don't wear costumes the whole cruise, though some do. Most people are more like me -- I wear Trek T-shirts most days, that's the extent of my costuming. STTC22.dailyschedules.pdf