French River Cruse with an 87 Year Old

[JCGannon]

My wife and I are experienced travelers in our 50s and are used to taking care of our mother in law who is 87. She can get around a bit, but needs a wheelchair to go any distance. Stairs are an issue.

 

This works great at, say, Disney or on a Celebrity cruise. But how about a river cruise?

 

Does anyone have direct experience on AMA or Tauck or Viking with a person who has mobility issues? I assume that the ships have elevators and good accessibitlity. What abut the shore excursions? Are they set up for people with mobility issues (France is not Orlando, we know that)? Are some better than others? Would we be better choosing a line such as AMA where we could arrange for tours that would work for her at some of the stops.

 

Thanks!

John

[Haqdeluxe]

I would say the "good accessibility" might be a stretch. 

This link may be helpful....

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1959

[Fouremco]

This recent thread addresses much the same issues and is well worth reading:

 

 

[CastleCritic]

That is a tough one and the linked article touches on most of it.

 

Unlike the US river cruise I took last fall the buses in Europe are NOT set up for passengers with mobility issues/wheelchair lifts. you would definitely have to store the chair in the bus for each trip (which I think is doable) and then help her climb the stairs.

 

On the Ama ships cabin choice comes into play for MOST of their ships the elevator will go to the 2nd and third floor cabins and the first floor restaurant but can NOT be used to reach the 1st floor cheaper cabins (and on some of them the first floor rooms are down a spiral set of steps)

 

Stairs are going to be an issue on a lot of excursions and maybe even some docking locations, as the article mentions sometimes the ship will be docked next to another ship and you will need to cross it to get to the land side.  For Ama ships if that "land side" ship is viking you absolutely will be going up and down stairs as their 2nd decks dont match up in height (and some lines just dont let you go through their common area even if the ships are the same deck heights, AMA had that policy during covid).

[caradara]

On Viking once we saw a man in a wheelchair and the crew actually lifted him up and down the stairs when docking or having to go through another boat when rafting.  It looked difficult but doable.  It probably depends on the staff?

[Gourmet Gal]

1 hour ago, caradara said:

On Viking once we saw a man in a wheelchair and the crew actually lifted him up and down the stairs when docking or having to go through another boat when rafting.  It looked difficult but doable.  It probably depends on the staff?

So sorry to say but that’s a lot to expect.  If one relies on a wheelchair for mobility a river cruise ship is a difficult environment.  Quite often at the ports that seem simple to navigate with just a walk ashore to tour the town it can be treacherous and uncomfortable rolling on cobblestones and narrow crowded streets.  

[JCGannon]

Thank you all for the comments. 

 

We had not known about the rafting and sundeck situation. One of the articles mentioned favoring the trips that visit the smaller towns in Southern France because many sights are right off the boat vs. a bus ride to Normandy.

 

We are going to book an AMA trip from Chalon-sur-Saône to Arles. I can see that this trip has a daily activity of "scenic cruising" or biking or a wine tour. IE our mother-in-law can check out the town in the AM or PM and then sit on the boat as it cruises and we take a shore excursion and meet in the next town.  

 

Also mentioned is a British Shearings cruise on the 100 person Algeria that is 100% ADA compliant. Rhine and Dutch waterways.  Looks like a good choice for 2024.

 

John

[CastleCritic]

That might be a decent option but keep in mind that the sun deck is still up a few steepish steps from the 2nd deck and the elevator again cant get up there.  Im sure she can get someone to help her if she asks the desk.  Also a consideration is getting down.  If the ship is under way then she can probably knock on the wheel house/stick her head in there and the officers will find someone.  Alternately if people are up on deck I would expect the bar crew to be around occasionally. The crew rest area is also at the very stern of the ship on the sun deck

 

There are still a "few" steps between the area around the wheelhouse and the main sun deck (about 4) but there is a couch behind the wheelhouse on that lower level. (good for keeping out of the wind) and chairs and tables in front of it.  Alternate plan, sit on the bow on the deck level or in the lounge.  

 

Worse case give her a cell phone and have her call the desk that way.

 

[YoungDubFan]

Before booking, I would contact AMA directly or work with an experienced travel agent who has booked numerous river cruises. By discussing your MIL's abilities, AMA can let you know if they are able to accommodate her. In my opinion, it is not fair to expect the ships crew to have to carry your MIL up or down stairs. The other consideration, although exceeding rare, is what does she do in the case of an emergency. Is she able to get out of her cabin and up to the deck if an evacuation is required?

 

Another thought, as mentioned in the article, is that most of Europe is not mobility challenged friendly. There are many cobblestone streets, uneven surfaces, no wheelchair ramps, etc. I have seen people pushing wheelchairs on cobblestones and it is a chore.

 

Please do plenty of research before you book. There may be ports that you MIL is not able to get off the ship at all and she needs to be content with possibly having to just watch from the lounge. 

[notamermaid]

On 6/19/2022 at 5:19 PM, JCGannon said:

We are going to book an AMA trip from Chalon-sur-Saône to Arles.

I seem to remember reading that you need to notify the cruise company with such a major mobility restriction. In your case I would definitely talk to Amawaterways before you book. Generally speaking I am sorry to say but I would not recommend a river cruise to someone who relies on a wheelchair to get around and has major issues with climbing stairs. The one thing you need to bear in mind is that the sundeck has no elevator and the stairs to it are narrow and steep. Not sure if ships have these chair lifts that you can have installed in your home for example. The sundeck is a major appeal in river cruising.

On 6/19/2022 at 5:19 PM, JCGannon said:

Also mentioned is a British Shearings cruise on the 100 person Algeria that is 100% ADA compliant. Rhine and Dutch waterways.  Looks like a good choice for 2024.

You have found the one exception that I would have recommended! The MS Alegria is a ship that has been modified to be wheelchair accessible and is the perfect fit. The ship has even been granted an award for its design. Unfortunately, the MS Alegria no longer sails. She is at a permanent berth in the Netherlands under the name Amanpuri.

 

The other ship that is great is the Phoenix MS Viola. But Phoenix is German language only.

 

notamermaid