Accessible cruising Seattle

[Taboots]

We are taking an Alaskan cruise on NCL and flying into Seattle. My wife is a paraplegic and uses a wheelchair. We are flying in one day prior to cruise departure. We are looking for transportation and lodging suggestions from the Seattle airport to the terminal, specifically whether or not to stay near the airport and take an NCL transfer or go independently.  Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Essiesmom]

You might also ask this on the West Coast Departures board, under North American Homeports.  Have you verifies with NCL that their transfer bus would have a lift?  I am assuming that your wife would not be able to do steps into a bus.  Also, have you discussed your wife’s needs with the NCL dept. that handles special needs?  EM

Edited October 31, 2022 by Essiesmom

[kokopelli-az]

NCL provides transportation from the airport to the pier, and vice versa.   You will be on your own for transportation to your hotel and from your hotel either to the pier or back to the airport. 

 

Many hotels near the airport offer transportation from the airport to the hotel.  Hotels that already offer transporation from the airport to the hotel are supposed to accommodate guests who need a lift vehicle and charge them the same price (or free) that they charge their guests who take the hotel's usual van.  You would have to contact the hotel and make arrangements for the lift vehicle.  Hotels do not typically own their own lift vehicle so they have to reserve one from a third party.   I have read mixed reviews with this process with guests ending up waiting a long time for the transportation or it never having been requested in the first place by the hotel.  

 

Personally, I would be tempted to use a private service and skip the hotel provided lift vehicle altogether.   One taxi company I have read about that has several lift vans is Yellow Taxi.  I would contact them to confirm their procedure for requesting a vehicle with a lift. 

https://seattleyellowcab.com/

 

After your cruise, returning to the airport could either be with NCL's transportation or again, with a private service like Yellow Cab.   If you use NCL's transfer back to the airport, ask their Access Department about a transfer with a lift vehicle.   Norwegian Cruise Lines has a dedicated toll free number, 866-584-9756, to speak with Access Coordinators for guests needing special accommodations. Guests can also reach the Norwegian Access Desk via email at accessdesk@ncl.com.  

 

Here is a photo of an example of one of  Yellow Cab's accessible vehicles.