Disabled Accessibility for Ports of Call

[Mauriesmileco]

Hi this is my first time cruising and I was wondering if any others have any experience of going to Pisa/Florence and Rome with a wheelchair. I,can walk a few steps but am very unsteady was wondering if it was better to book a private tour company like Rudys or Romeinlimo rather than the ship excursion. I had a look at the excursion for the ship and it didn't seem all that in depth and most of the touristy things were just a photo opportunity. do any others have an experience they could share thanks in advance.

[Sauer-kraut]

There is a whole forum on disability cruising here on Cruise Critic

 

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

 

And you might get a lot of help over on the Italian Ports of Call board here

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=595

[xxoocruiser]

Hi this is my first time cruising and I was wondering if any others have any experience of going to Pisa/Florence and Rome with a wheelchair. I,can walk a few steps but am very unsteady was wondering if it was better to book a private tour company like Rudys or Romeinlimo rather than the ship excursion. I had a look at the excursion for the ship and it didn't seem all that in depth and most of the touristy things were just a photo opportunity. do any others have an experience they could share thanks in advance.

 

Have you checked with the cruise lines Special Needs Dept. to see if they have any wheelchair accessible excursions ? Additionally it would be very helpful to know the following:

 

• Is your wheelchair collapsible/folding or is it a EOV Wheelchair ?
  
• Are you able to walk up/down steps to get into/out of a tour bus?
  
• If your wheelchair is collapsible/folding are you able to transfer in/out of car and or van?
  
• What is actual port is the ship docking? Generally for Pisa/Florence it's Livorno
  

[Mauriesmileco]

Thanks very much for your reply the excursions are not up for that cruise yet the wheelchair can be folded and I am able to transfer to bus or car will contact RCI direct think that's best [emoji3]

[Host Walt]

I suggest you post your question on our Disabled Cruise Travel forum where you will get suggestions from many with similar issues.

[Pris13]

There is not accessibility in Europe. We did this two years ago with my mother-in-law and even tours listed as accessible were not. We are able bodied and getting her around Barcelona and Italy was almost impossible. My wife even assisted a son and mother from Spain and they were having issues.

[Piggeldy]

There is not accessibility in Europe.

 

Seeing that Europe spans an area of 3,930,000 sq mi and 50+ countries... this is of course not true. What is true, however, is that many areas in Europe are not as accessible to people with disabilities as it would be desirable. What you will be able to access will highly depend on your ability, your creativity and your will to see a certain sight.

 

Especially when sightseeing you will run into sights that are not accessible (due to steps or stairs) as we tend not to install elevators in medieval or early modern buildings. You will also run into cobblestone streets in old parts of cities. Not all taxies will be able to accommodate a wheelchair. Not every bus / train / tram will be accessible in a wheelchair. I would suggest checking out travel sites aimed at tourists with disabilites such as these:

 

http://www.slowtrav.com/Italy/accessible/rome/index.htm

http://www.sagetraveling.com/florence-accessible-travel

http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allthingstuscany/tuscanyarts/accessible-museums-pisa-livorno-grosseto/

 

If you just google "accessible [city]" you will find travel reports by others who have been there, done that. Enjoy your trip!

[Mauriesmileco]

Thank you so much piggeldy will check these links out [emoji4]

[emmtee]

I don't have any experience in Rome/Pisa, but can offer some general info based on my experiences.

 

Before my dad passed away, he went on many cruises with his walker. (His mobility issues were due to muscle weakness and balance). On his last one, he was in a wheelchair, but could walk a few steps with assistance. I was with him on a Baltic cruise many years ago when he only needed a walker. My sister and I actually came along to help my dad get around, and then I broke my ankle in Estonia and I needed help myself.

 

For the most part, where there's a will, there's a way- and my mother has a very strong will. The group tours that were available through the ship were on large motorcoaches with steep stairs. Between the three of us (my mom, sister, and me) we were able to push/pull him up the stairs and he just stayed on the bus even when we got off for sightseeing and picture taking. In Berlin, he had to stay on the bus alone with the driver while we all went on a boat ride. That was the worst. (We tipped the driver and the guides well for that tour. They were very understanding).

 

When I broke my ankle, my mother stayed in Estonia with me for a few days and my sister was alone in helping my dad for 2 days in St. Petersburg. He was naturally a little slower than the others on the tour, and my sister reported that they had a very rude tour guide who kept complaining that they had to wait for my dad.

 

When my dad was in a wheelchair for his last cruise (Alaska, Inside Passage) we had the whole family there to help out, which was a good thing. For two of the ports, my mother booked a private tour for all 21 of us, so we could go at our own pace without inconveniencing others. We were very happy to have our private tour - especially in Juneau, where Dad had to wait for a really long time to disembark because they didn't have the ramp set up - only stairs. If we had been booked on a ship's tour, we would have missed it.

 

Based on my experience, I would recommend a private tour if you can get it. It will be much easier to get in and out of vehicles and you can go at your own pace. I would only take a group tour if you can easily negotiate the steps of a motorcoach. Otherwise, you might only see Rome from the window of a bus.

Edited June 28, 2015 by emmtee

[Floridiana]

Based on my experience, I would recommend a private tour if you can get it. It will be much easier to get in and out of vehicles and you can go at your own pace. I would only take a group tour if you can easily negotiate the steps of a motorcoach. Otherwise, you might only see Rome from the window of a bus.

 

I agree. I was on a ship's tour bus in Barbados with somebody who could not walk. The poor man was unable to see any of the sights. The driver helped him to the door of the small bus while we walked to the sights. A taxi/car would have been able to pull up much closer and he could have gotten in his folding wheelchair pushed by his wife. In our bus, two large oxygen tanks took up the space reserved for the wheelchair, so he did not have his. The 2 oxygen tank passengers were very aggressive about their front seats and space.

 

My point is that you may not be the only one on the bus with a handicap and the bus drivers/guides may be overwhelmed.

[Putterdude]

We have not been to Pisa/Florence however we have been to Rome. British Airlines left Dudette's wheelchair in London as we carried on to Rome and their agent there after some arm twisting loaned us a transporter chair which was not the best. That said we did quite well, we did a couple of circuits on the HOHO which was accessible. The Vatican and surrounds are very accessible. We went to the coliseum which is not very accessible and Dudette elected to wait outside in the shade. We stayed at the Best Western-Royal Santina which was about a block from the Terminus which had accessible rooms and was across the street from where the HOHOs begin and end. There were several restaurants nearby and we had no trouble getting out for dinner.

 

I would certain read some of the links provided in other posts, they are very helpful. Remember Rome is very hot and humid in the summer and into the fall. With all we know now, when we go back we will not try to do the whole city in a few days but rather select maybe 2 sights each day and likely go by cab.

[fabnfortysomething]

I would say very much go for a private tour over a ships even if it claims to be wheelchair accessible.

contact several companies and ask their advice particularly with reference to distance to walk but with a car/minivan you will get a lot closer to the sights than in a large tour bus which will have to park far out

[Mauriesmileco]

Thank. You everyone for replying I am in the process of looking at trip advisor for a private tour I think that would be best just need to make sure I'm back on time lol