Handicapped passenger: What to do at ports?

[deezee28]

I Will be taking my mom and mom-in-law on the Adventure OTS on April 25, 2010. We will be visiting the following ports (which I have never visited, except for St. Maarten):

 

Bridgetown, Barbados

Castries, St. Lucia

St. John's, Antigua

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

 

 

My mom is handicapped and will be traveling in a wheelchair. What activities or tours can I do that are wheelchair accessible (and not expensive)? She can walk a few steps with a cane and possibly walk up a few steps like to get on a tour bus, but not much else.

 

In 2008 I took my mom on her first cruise (this will be her second)... also on the AOS, but the ports were different. I had actually taken that same exact cruise 6 months earlier, therefore I was familiar with the ports and had a plan ahead of time. This time I'm not familiar with the ports and I'm in the dark so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.:)

[Aplmac]

I'm not in a position to make any recommendations activities-wise

but I can say that most sidewalks in/around? Bridgetown

have long ago been modified with little wheelchair-access ramps.

The local Disabilities people saw to that! ;)

I see them all over..

In other countries, such sidewalk access spots are highlighted

by being painted a lovely sky-blue color, to point them out,

but not here -not yet.

 

Barbados needs to get with that paint program: make it look good.

.

[deezee28]

I'm not in a position to make any recommendations activities-wise

but I can say that most sidewalks in/around? Bridgetown

have long ago been modified with little wheelchair-access ramps.

The local Disabilities people saw to that! ;)

I see them all over..

In other countries, such sidewalk access spots are highlighted

by being painted a lovely sky-blue color, to point them out,

but not here -not yet.

 

Barbados needs to get with that paint program: make it look good.

.

 

Thanks so much for the information.....:)

[Aplmac]

I'd like to wake this important thread up

by adding an assessment from a Scottish friend of mine

who reckons that wheelchair access around the Barbados Port area isn't that bad! :)

 

His email quote below:

My latest scoring for areas near where the ship was berthed

- and on how user wheelchair friendly they were:

Bridgetown scored 8 out of 10

unlike Antigua which struggled to get a 2 out of 10.

 

I'm hoping he might get back to me with grades for other Caribbean ports of call,generally

so those of you with need for such info, will know what conditions you might find...and where.

 

I'm also hoping other readers might contribute their individual experiences as well.

What did you find? -and where? -what port of call?

 

 

.

[sanspike]

Makes Barbados sound doable and Antigua not so much. We will be there in February of 2014. Did anyone notice how hard the taxis are to transfer into. Steps are a big problem but with help doable if not to high. Thanks.

[DisneyKidsDad]

My family and I will be traveling to St. Croix, St. Martin, Antigua, St. Lucia & Barbados on the Jewel Of The Seas in May, 2014. My daughter is a full time wheelchair user. Can anyone suggest any accessible tour companies on any of these islands? We will be sailing out of Puerto Rico.

Thanx :D

[gunnarx5]

My family and I will be traveling to St. Croix, St. Martin, Antigua, St. Lucia & Barbados on the Jewel Of The Seas in May, 2014. My daughter is a full time wheelchair user. Can anyone suggest any accessible tour companies on any of these islands? We will be sailing out of Puerto Rico.

Thanx :D

I just came across this thread...what did you do in these ports? We will be traveling to a few of them in a few weeks and have 2 boys that use wheelchairs.

Thanks!

[marys350]

I just did a google search and found this website that has information about handicapped accessibility of different Caribbean cruise ports. I hope that you find some helpful information and ideas.

 

http://www.accessiblecaribbeanvacations.com/

 

I also found that if you do a search for "wheelchair accessible tours in ....." and name an island, you will find more helpful websites.

Edited January 2, 2016 by marys350