Shore Excursions and Fellow Passengers

[wannabecanuck]

Hi there,

I am relatively new to the cruising scene, having been on only one cruise previously and am going on an Alaska cruise in September this year as part of a tour.

I have read through lots of posts, however I could not seem to find the answers to my question so I was wondering if I could draw from some of your past experiences as a guide on what to expect.

 

My question largely concerns fellow passengers in general and what they are usually like on larger ships. As a bit of background, the previous cruise we went on was to from England to Norway on a very small ship (~500 passengers) and when it came to shore excursions everything to descended into a free-for-all for the best seats on the shuttle buses etc.

Someone later told me that on their shuttle bus, a man had to help his disabled wife into a seat at one end of the bus before having to go all the way back to the other end to sit down himself as no one offered (or bothered) to move to allow him to sit next to (or near to) his wife and provide the assistance she needed.

 

On the Alaska cruise I will be taking my mother who now has mobility problems herself and I'm concerned about similar things happening to us, although I'm hoping that this will not be the case on larger ships and people will be more considerate. However, if anyone has any tips or things to look out for regarding the 'shore excursion stampede' I would be most grateful as I'm sure you are all a friendly bunch :)

We are travelling on the Norwegian Jewel btw.

 

Many thanks and apologies for the length. This is my first post so please be gentle ;)

 

(P.S. Don't let my name fool you, I live in the UK!)

[CowPrincess]

First, welcome to Cruise Critic. I am, sorry to say, pretty certain your fellow pax will not be any more civilized that the ones you have seen and heard of. We have seen some pretty horrid behaviour from other pax towards mobility-impaired folks :( sigh....

 

Having said that, many of the buses we have been on for shore excursions have designated "handicapped" seats at the front where your mom could sit. If it were ME and I needed to be near the mobility impaired person I would enlist the help of the driver and/or guide to ask other pax to change seats to help you out. People won't always move, but likely someone will (my DH and I would :) )

 

Also check out the Disabled Cruising Forum for tips on travelling

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=190

 

I would make DARN sure that the shorex people know your mom is handicapped. DARN sure. Likely whatever shore excursion you are going on will have a representative from the ship -- make sure THAT person knows, too. And you may have to give up a little of the British "reserve" if needed :) I messed up when travelling with a mobility-impaired friend and did NOT bring to the rep's attention that she needed extra help, and OMG we were walking and walking and she had to do 2 flights of stairs on the ship. (I had incorrectly assumed that it was OBVIOUS that my friend needed help, but apparently not :rolleyes:)

[frecgenswl82]

First, welcome to Cruise Critic. I am, sorry to say, pretty certain your fellow pax will not be any more civilized that the ones you have seen and heard of. We have seen some pretty horrid behaviour from other pax towards mobility-impaired folks :( sigh....

 

Having said that, many of the buses we have been on for shore excursions have designated "handicapped" seats at the front where your mom could sit. If it were ME and I needed to be near the mobility impaired person I would enlist the help of the driver and/or guide to ask other pax to change seats to help you out. People won't always move, but likely someone will (my DH and I would :) )

 

Also check out the Disabled Cruising Forum for tips on travelling

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=190

 

I would make DARN sure that the shorex people know your mom is handicapped. DARN sure. Likely whatever shore excursion you are going on will have a representative from the ship -- make sure THAT person knows, too. And you may have to give up a little of the British "reserve" if needed :) I messed up when travelling with a mobility-impaired friend and did NOT bring to the rep's attention that she needed extra help, and OMG we were walking and walking and she had to do 2 flights of stairs on the ship. (I had incorrectly assumed that it was OBVIOUS that my friend needed help, but apparently not :rolleyes:)

 

I agree with what cow princess has posted. Speak up and ask nicely for the help you and your mom needs. Just a friendly note, I am a younger 63 y/o person who doesn't look handicapped but I do have problems walking long distances and stairs. So sometimes the person in the front seats also need the help. I am sure I would give up my seat for someone older than I, hopefully allowed to also sit near the front. Susan

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. It is a great place to find valuable information.

 

I am going to disagree with the previous 2 postings and say that I have not observe the free for all for shuttle seats.

 

You mention that you are on a cruise/tour. Many of your excursions will be planned for you.Let the tour company know about your needs. If your trip involves the domed train you will have an assigned seat.

 

We took tours or did an activity in each port. People were very orderly in getting on shuttles, etc. On our Denali tour two couples changed seats because one was over the seat well and one of the gentlemen had issues with his leg.

 

Let people know that your Mom has some issues and I think you will have a better experience.

[sherryf]

The only thing that I'd add is that you might want to try to get to the excursion meeting place early. Often, they load the bus as people show up, and it's easier to get a decent seat if you are early.

 

Oh, and don't take the $8 shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier. That's where I saw the absolute worst behavior ever. People pushing and cutting in line, and they pack you into the bus like sardines, and most people end up standing. It's a bargain if you are willing to deal with that, but not a great idea for anyone with mobility limitations.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We took a tour in Juneau that used a small bus with picture windows and excelent commentary. It drove over to Douglas island where we had views of Juneau across the water. Then we drove through the city, visited the Log church (it has good views of the glacier on a clear day--it was cloudy when we were there), and the Mendenhall Glacier. We only had 1 hour at the Glacier. But, if Mom has mobility issues she will not be hiking to the falls and this will be enough. You will have a better experience with the arranged tours. [even if you buy these on the dock]

[CleoV]

I also have to disagree that others will be inattentive to your situation. It's impossible to say what will happen in any individual situation, of course, but people are people; they'll be as attentive (or not) as they are anywhere else, and will queue in an orderly fashion.

 

On our recent cruise there was a 95 year old gentleman and his wife, and he was wheelchair bound. They always had priority boarding, not just because the cruise line/tour company assisted in that way, but also because guests allowed them to go first. We could all see the situation and weren't the slightest bit put out by them getting settled first.

 

Obviously, if you show up late I wouldn't expect anyone to bend over backwards to accommodate your seating preferences. They want to sit by their loved ones, too! But if you're there early and request some assistance from the tour company, you should be good.

[PennyAgain]

Alaska cruises and tours are covered by the rules of the Americans with Disabilities Act which has many basic requirements including seating for the disabled on public means of transport, but that doesn't mean that every tour van is thus equipped and there may be a big step up.

 

Be honest with the staff on the ship about which tours you book and what requirements there are for each.

 

Make no assumptions.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[wannabecanuck]

Hi all,

Thanks for all of the warm welcomes and replies! Although the topic of other passengers and how they behave is largely subjective, its good to get a bit of advance warning as to what to expect.

I will definitely alert the shore excursions people to my mums condition, and perhaps it is the right time to lose my British reserve which is alive and well within me ;)

(The last cruise I went on was all Brits so I couldn't really lose it then although I nearly lost it :p!!)

 

A couple of points made me think though...

Getting to the pickup point early... Is this possible? On my previous cruise we waited where we were told to, only to find other passengers had become wise to this and headed directly onto the buses!

My mum is trying to be as independent as possible and doesn't want to use a wheelchair or scooter, which I can understand. She can walk albeit slowly and for limited amounts of time and not really up or down stairs. In any case, turning up early would still probably end up with us at the back of the queue.

I will check with my tour operator to see if they are coordinating shore excursions as the tour company I'm going with is very supportive and has been in the past.

 

Thanks also for the suggestions and things to avoid too, were going to be looking through the shore excursions over the coming months and the 1 hour glacier tour may just be ideal for mum if its less crowded on the bus.

I think I'm beginning to believe that my last cruise was just a bad experience, so it hasn't stopped me looking forward to going in September. :)

 

So one final question if I may... seeing as we are going in September, how busy is the ship likely to be? (i.e. full half full etc)

 

Many thanks again

 

Andy

[CowPrincess]

My mum is trying to be as independent as possible and doesn't want to use a wheelchair or scooter, which I can understand. She can walk albeit slowly and for limited amounts of time and not really up or down stairs. In any case, turning up early would still probably end up with us at the back of the queue.

 

What ship are you sailing on? What exactly is the "tour" you are doing that includes the cruise? Where do you sail from and to?

 

I don't know about other cruise lines but I do know that Holland America does not have wheelchairs for passenger use, except in medical emergencies. So if you are not providing your own w/c, you need to rent one for onboard.

 

A few years ago we travelled with another friend who had stamina problems, so we ordered her a wheelchair to use "just in case" and just kept it in my cabin. It gave all of us (except the lady with stamina problems, who never DID use the w/c) a feeling of security -- that we'd be able to get her out on deck to view the scenery, get her into town if she wanted to go, etc. I think it was $70 US per week. Cheap insurance ;)

 

My most recent cruise with my other mobility-impaired friend -- she absolutely REFUSED to even consider ANY kind of mobility aids. Wouldn't have a w/c, nor a walker. I really wish I'd FORCED her to carry a cane, even if she didn't use it, as a VISUAL CUE for everyone around her that she had a mobility problem.

 

(As an example, we had requested wheelchair assistance for boarding in Vancouver, and the ^&$%# HAL rep at the terminal looked at my friend and said "You don't really need a wheelchair, do you dear?" in the most condescending tone I had every heard. Got it sorted out, but who needs THAT?)

 

edit re Sept sailings -- the mainstream cruise lines are usually still sailing full in Sept.

[Kerry's Girls]

I cruised quite a bit while my husband was in a wheelchair and we had mostly wonderful experiences with fellow passengers. Since he was young and looked healthy, we heard a few comments from others about "using a wheelchair to get better treatment", but otherwise I have found that most everyone is kind and more than willing to be helpful.

 

I will echo the opinion of others that it is much better to bring your own mobility device and not need it than taking a chance of not being able to manage the long distances on board/in port. My husband did NOT want to use a wheelchair, but it made it possible for us to do a lot more than we otherwise could have. Choose a cabin by the elevator as the corridors can be long walks themselves.

 

Best,

Mia

[lar]

I recently posted this comment for another passenger who was traveling with a parent who has only a little bit of a mobility issue:

 

My one biggest piece of advice when traveling with someone with disabilities is - if you use any of the shore excursion programs at all - go to the Shore Excursion desk yourself at the beginning of the cruise and let the shore excursion manager know your mom needs a little assistance. My personal experience is that the "special needs" office get overwhelmed with all the special requests on each cruise and does not always communicate well with all the other departments on the ship.

 

I have known a few different cruises where people have been traveling with someone who needed help - and they told the ''special needs" department but that department never told shore excursions or security so there was no help available to help get their family member off the ship during a steep gangway - and there are sometimes STEEP gangways in Alaska. And on another occasion the shore excursion staff did not know our friend was in a wheel chair and the Skagway train had sold all their wheelchair spots, so sadly he was turned away from the train ride. And in each case these folks told "special needs" but the information just never made it to the other departments.

 

Even if your mom just needs a little help, you will want that extra person to help her down the gangway and onto the tour bus. And on some tours they are sure to seat those people at the front of the buses, and bring them special easy access doors at venues. Take the few extra minutes at the beginning of the cruise to go to the shore excursion manager and explain her limitations so they can get you onto the tours you want with the special help. And that manager can also help you notify all the other departments that need to know.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We sailed on the Radiance of the Seas on the last Northbound cruise out of Vancouver. [August 31- Sept 7] There were MANY people from the Vancouver area on the cruise. Royal Caribbean had drastically reduced fares to fill the last rooms. Several people we talked with were doing B2B cruises. One woman was sailing solo and doing a B2B for $900 [inside]. What a deal.:eek:

[bonvoyagie]

I think that last year was one of the best for getting reduced rates on last minute AK cruises - the market was quite soft and there were lots of ships to choose from.

 

As for your fellow passengers - I have not seen the pushing and shoving as described by some others. I know that in the case of our first port - Juneau we had been at sea from Sunday PM to Tuesday PM and most people were in a huge hurry to get off and get their first taste of Alaska. I am not sure how other lines do things but on NCL they arrange it so that people with early tours get off the ship first, followed by other tours and then everybody else. They also arrange for people to exit through crew areas and other gang planks. Also in AK you will also find that there are some tours that do not follow the ADA on all of their tours - the White Pass RR is one of them - they have a limited number of ADA equiped cars and do not have them on every train. As for the buses, again as others have stated, they have reserved seats for people with limited mobility.

 

Again, I have not seen any case where people were not polite and allowed any people with handicaps to board the buses first etc.

[sunluva7]

Have you thought about booking a private or small group excursion? There are independent tour companies mentioned all over this board for every port. Depending on what kind of tour you are looking at, an independent tour company could give you a quieter, no-rush, pleasant way to see the sights. I booked one for myself and 14 fellow passengers - a tour of the Scottish highlands. It was great. We simply met the guide at the dock and off we went. No pushing or shoving.:). And we saved a lot of money off the ship excursion by sharing the cost of the van.

 

Go to the roll-call board for your cruise and see if anyone is planning any group tours, or start one yourself.:)

[wannabecanuck]

Thanks again for all of your replies.

The ship were going on will be the Norwegian Jewel (NCL). It is part of a touring holiday that starts in the Canadian Rockies that ends with an Alaskan Cruise from Seattle.

I spoke to the tour company today and they don't offer their own optional excursions while on the ship (I guess it would be taking business away from NCL) but no matter.

 

Thanks also for the tips regarding who to tell about my mums mobility issues... Its quite shocking to think that the special needs desk gets inundated with requests and consequently drops the ball there. I will definitely follow it up with the shorex people too especially about the gangways as these would be a problem. Do NCL have separate special needs and shorex desks?

 

It sounds like NCL may well be doing things right if they are staggering the disembarkation for those with early excursions though. Is there anything else I should be aware of regarding the way NCL do things?

 

Having toured Canada several times and the USA a few as well, I personally have always found the people to be quite polite and courteous, which always makes the holiday for me :) hopefully this will continue on the cruise, however I will consider myself forewarned nonetheless!

[bonvoyagie]

One thing I have noticed with NCL is that senior staff and management are always walking around and open to comments and whatever they can do to make your cruise more enjoyable. They don't hide behind an office or desk- so find out who the Hotel Manager is and if you have problems or questions feel free to contact him/her. I do know that you need to rent your wheelchair/power chair on your own - the cruise line does not have them. I saw both on our last cruise - but don't remember the name of the rental company.

 

I do not know about a special needs desk or person. I do know that on the Jewell the Shore Ex desk is next door to the Main Desk so it is a short walk between the two.

 

Since you are with a tour group that does not have anything planned for the cruise portion of the trip - I would think that you are free to do as you please - this can be either ship based tours or independent tours.

 

Enjoy your vacation

[DizzyDallasDi]

I will definitely alert the shore excursions people to my mums condition, and perhaps it is the right time to lose my British reserve which is alive and well within me ;)

(The last cruise I went on was all Brits so I couldn't really lose it then although I nearly lost it :p!!)

 

Andy, Perhaps you could channel your inner Basil Fawlty? ;) I'd pay to watch Basil organizing seating assignments on a tour bus. I can see it now ... utter chaos! :D

 

Probably not the best way to go about it, but it could be great fun to do. LOL