Marina Accessibility

[chicagoGWMC]

Hi, I was wondering if anybody who has sailed on the Marina could answer a question about it's accessibility. Do you have to go up and down a full flight of stairs when docked to get and off the ship? What about those with mobility issues?

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

[LHT28]

They do have the gangway from deck 5 or 6 usually so yes there are stairs but i did see some people with wheelchairs & the walkers with wheels being taken off on the crew entrance on the lower deck

 

I guess it depends on the mobility issue you have

 

 

Lyn

[dwelsh]

Hi, I was wondering if anybody who has sailed on the Marina could answer a question about it's accessibility. Do you have to go up and down a full flight of stairs when docked to get and off the ship? What about those with mobility issues?

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

 

I refer you to the review, recently posted, which will assist you on this question.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=83047

[Mura]

Oh my, that's an eye opener!

 

I boarded Regatta in November 2005 and blew out my knee a day earlier in Barcelona. I twisted my knee at dinner the second night (trying to squeeze into the window portion of one of these three side-by-side two person tables) and after that used a wheelchair to get around the ship.

 

But I don't remember having problems getting on and off the ship. I must have been able to use crutches up and down the gangway (because I did use them on shore -- I only needed the wheelchair on board).

 

But I would definitely be as unhappy as the reviewer about the access problem on Marina.

[Paul&Kathy]

That's our review and it was a very sad problem as apart from the access the cruise was almost perfect. I think I have just figured out how to upload a photo - if I have done it right this is the main gangway.

[Paul&Kathy]

And this is the crew gangway. Let's hope they get something more accessible very soon as in all other respects the cruise was wonderful and I hate to be critical of Oceania, our favourite cruiseline, but other people with disabilities need to be aware of the problem and be able to decide for themselves whether the ship is suitable for them.

 

By the way, the elevator down to the tender platform was also out of order on our cruise but I assume that was a temporary problem and in fact the stairs were OK (for DH) as there were not too many and they were fixed and very stable, unlike the main wobbly gangway. We usually avoid tendering but on this ship the tenders were the easiest days. In Venice there was an 'airbridge' type of access for embarkation which was fine but it was removed during the evening so on return to the ship on the 1st day and all day on the 2nd we had to use the steps. Disembarking in Athens was via the usual steps but at least that day there were plenty of crew available to assist with hand luggage, wheelchairs etc.

 

We sailed on Nautica and Insignia with a wheelchair and had no access problems, just a gently sloping walkway from what we can remember.

[rubysue]

Hi, Paul & Kathy -

 

I read your great review, which I found most useful and a bit alarming. I am concerned about the accessibility issue looking at these stairs: We are on a Marina cruise in September from Venice to Istanbul and I will be using a collapsible wheelchair, mostly for our time in the ports. This will be supplemented with a cane on board and on certain excursions, depending on how much walking and standing are involved (my knees are both bone-on-bone from arthritis and I will have the first replacement surgery later this fall). I have great difficulty on stairs. I would definitely be a "traffic stopper" going up and down those stairs one at a time, so I hope we can use the crew gangway when we dock. Almost makes one look forward to the ports that require tendering.

 

We sailed on Regatta last year and had no problems with accessibility. Given that a large number passengers on that cruise were using canes, walkers, scooters and wheelchairs I'm not sure I understand why they designed Marina this way.

[LHT28]

Hi, Paul & Kathy -

 

I read your great review, which I found most useful and a bit alarming. I am concerned about the accessibility issue looking at these stairs: We are on a Marina cruise in September from Venice to Istanbul and I will be using a collapsible wheelchair, mostly for our time in the ports. This will be supplemented with a cane on board and on certain excursions, depending on how much walking and standing are involved (my knees are both bone-on-bone from arthritis and I will have the first replacement surgery later this fall). I have great difficulty on stairs..

I have the same problem but just one knee

I just let those in a hurry go ahead of me or warn them I am slow

The gangway is no worse than on the small ships for walking but if you use a wheelchair I would think they will take you off the crew entrance

I did see a few coming out the crew door it may also depend on the water level/dock if they have to have the steps as shown above

In one port the crew ramp went straight to the dock

 

Lyn