Vietnam Ports with wheelchair?

[urlaub]

We are planning a cruise with Legend of the Seas. Most ports are in Vietnam. Because there are no wheelchair accessible excursions (my husband is paraplegic) we want to book private trips. Now I saw that it should not be possible to leave the ports in Vietnam on our own. Does anybody know if the shuttle busses are wheelchair accessible? My husband needs to stay in his wheelchair.What can we do? RCCL didn't give us information.

[xxoocruiser]

We are planning a cruise with Legend of the Seas. Most ports are in Vietnam. Because there are no wheelchair accessible excursions (my husband is paraplegic) we want to book private trips. Now I saw that it should not be possible to leave the ports in Vietnam on our own. Does anybody know if the shuttle busses are wheelchair accessible? My husband needs to stay in his wheelchair.What can we do? RCCL didn't give us information.

 

 

 

Vietnam is very difficult for anyone confined to a wheelchair and is unable to transfer.

• You need to remember that ADA Law only applies to the USA. Vietnam is still in the very early stages of tourism. It's a country that though it respects their elder population they pretty much don't address the needs of the disabled. Vietnam has over 5.1 million disabled people and it wasn't until 2005 that the ministry even considered improving the transportation system. At that time it was recommended that each city with Mass transportation had to have 2 accessible buses . Not for each route but for the whole city. No regulations were suggested for taxis as the average Vietnamese person can't afford car taxis. That's not even making a scratch in the need for accessible transportation.
  
• There are far more peditaxis and motorcycle taxis than regular car taxis. Really don't think you can expect any wheelchair accessible taxis .
  
• To even attempt to hire a private van, driver and aids to lift your husband in and out is risky. There probably won't be any tie downs to secure the wheel chair .
  
• Additionally all of the major attractions have stairsso that's another problem.
  

Suggest you also check the ASIA PORTS OF CALL FORUM http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=70.

Though this is the general forum, you might be able to get information about the direct port areas to access whether or not your husband will be able to get off the ship and explore the immediate area.

[urlaub]

Thank you for your information, but we know Asia very well and know how it works with cars. But I couldn't find any information how to come from the ship to the port entrance. From there I managed the transportation.

[dgraham]

Thank you for your information, but we know Asia very well and know how it works with cars. But I couldn't find any information how to come from the ship to the port entrance. From there I managed the transportation.

 

I am a paraplegic, with a collapsible wheelchair. We used sedans with a travel agency (Smile Tours, based in Ho Chi Minh City), for Saigon, DaNang and Hanoi. To meet us they had to pay about $20 and have our passport information to give to the authorities. They included the port charges in their quote, which was quite reasonable.

 

We were on a smaller ship (the Azamara Quest) so we were always docked (no tenders) and in Saigon, we were docked only short distance from downtown. But you are on a larger ship you may be docked much further away (2 hrs or more of travel) and have to tender in.

 

Hope this helps.

 

P.S. I used transfer boards to the sedans. As far as I can remember, none of the shuttle buses were wheelchair accessible, so these will not be an option, and often the distance to the dock entry (if the authorities let you proceed through the commercial docks) can be quite a distance. The one exception is if you are docked near downtown Siagon, but I don't believe the Legend can dock there, its too big.

[JSR]

I am a paraplegic, with a collapsible wheelchair. We used sedans with a travel agency (Smile Tours, based in Ho Chi Minh City), for Saigon, DaNang and Hanoi. To meet us they had to pay about $20 and have our passport information to give to the authorities. They included the port charges in their quote, which was quite reasonable.

 

We were on a smaller ship (the Azamara Quest) so we were always docked (no tenders) and in Saigon, we were docked only short distance from downtown. But you are on a larger ship you may be docked much further away (2 hrs or more of travel) and have to tender in.

 

Hope this helps.

 

P.S. I used transfer boards to the sedans. As far as I can remember, none of the shuttle buses were wheelchair accessible, so these will not be an option, and often the distance to the dock entry (if the authorities let you proceed through the commercial docks) can be quite a distance. The one exception is if you are docked near downtown Siagon, but I don't believe the Legend can dock there, its too big.

 

 

We are considering Azamara Quest for our trip to Asia. I am a para and use a manuel folding wheelchair. I can slide into sedans. Did you find the ship accessible? What type of cabin did you have? How was the accessibility? Where you happy with smile tours? did you find any where to use the toilet while you off touring?

 

Thank you so much for your help.

 

jean

[dgraham]

I would definitely recommend the Azamara Quest for a cruise in Asia.

 

First, its smaller size (700 passengers) allows it to cruise relatively close to the downtowns of Singapore, Bangkok, Saigon, and Hong Kong. It is nice to have your “safe haven” nearby if you must return to the ship for any problem (medical or otherwise) that may arise in the course of touring, rather than driving two hours and then having to take a tender to reach the ship (which is often the case with Saigon for other cruise lines with larger ships).

 

Another advantage is that with the Quest you can spend a very enjoyable 3 to 4 hours cruising down the rivers to reach Saigon and Bangkok, watching the local scene on the banks as you traverse these rivers.

 

The Quest itself has fabulous staff who are always ready to assist and I found it to be very easy to get around on the ship. The only place I needed help was if I wanted to go on the pool deck as (like all ships) the doors to the deck are heavy, but they are ramped and there is usually someone nearby who can assist. Even the elevators are quite dependable, I almost never found a time when they were too full to use, as most passengers used the stairs. And this is one of the only ships I know of where it is possible to watch the shows from the front row (or second or third) rather than from the back of the theatre.

 

But if you do take this cruise, which can be the cruise of a lifetime, I recommend you spend a bit more and get an accessible cabin with a verandah. Most ships have glass doors and the rest is wall, but the Quest is floor to ceiling and wall to wall glass, so even when you are not on the verandah you always have a marvelous view. And when I say wall to wall, I mean at least 15 feet of wall to wall. We sometimes joke that we get the best parking spaces, but we also get (and need) larger cabins, usually 50% larger.

 

The washroom is excellent, I had no trouble with my knees and the washbasin. But since (as I get older) I do most of my routines in bed I can’t vouch for the shower or commode, but they looked fine for a wheelchair user (roll in shower, grab bars for the commode). The bed itself is the best height I have seen for transfers, almost the exact same height as the wheelchair seat.

 

Smile tours (for our three Vietnam stops) were excellent and never made the mistake (which happened to us in Shanghai) of sending a van. The transfer to the sedan was easy and there was room in the trunk for my chair. They provided excellent guides and drivers and met us and dropped us off right at the ship. Just remember to point out to them that because of your wheelchair you need a sedan.

 

I tend to use a leg bag in touring and usually can find a discreet place to empty it when needed. but I did find the Hyatt has new hotels in downtown Saigon and in Hanoi, where I’m sure you will find accessible washrooms if needed, if not off the lobby, probably near the restaurants, this was definitely the case in Hanoi. The Grand Hyatt there is lovely. We had a marvelous lunch there [told our Smile guide we wished to eat there rather than use their free provided lunch option). It is set literally on the northern lake (West Lake) in Hanoi and has one of the most peaceful settings you could find. So just look for newer hotels is probably the best advice I can give, or also shoppiing centres in places like Singapore and Hong Kong. Danang (Hoi An) could be more of a challenge.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Dave

[xxoocruiser]

We are considering Azamara Quest for our trip to Asia. I am a para and use a manuel folding wheelchair. I can slide into sedans. Did you find the ship accessible? What type of cabin did you have? How was the accessibility? Where you happy with smile tours? did you find any where to use the toilet while you off touring?

 

Thank you so much for your help.

 

jean

 

Regarding washrooms. You need to go only to go to hotels that cater to the western traveler . McDonalds would also be an option. Otherwise the restrooms you will encounter may just be a hole in the floor or trough style which is very typical throughout Asia and Southeast Asia. Asia in general is not very HC friendly. Believe me when I tell you this as I spent 15 years traveling thoughout Asia and Southeast Asia for work.

[JSR]

Dave, Thank you for the details. I am so looking forward to doing this trip. I may have to wait a few years as our dd is starting high school next year and we will have to wait until she is college to have the proper amount of time. At first we wanted her to go with us but her schedule will probably not work so I think we will wait. But it is the first on our list when she is in college.

I really appreciate your candor.

 

THanks so much. I can not wait to go and we will get the veranda. (We could not when we tried to go last year and that is one of the reasons we held off.)

 

Jean

[dgraham]

Thanks for your comments.

 

If your daughter's schedule does work out in the next few years, I believe the sofa/chair in the verandah room opens into a single bed, although I could be wrong.

 

I do hope you get the chance in the future (even if it is five years down the road) to visit this fascinating area.

 

Dave