Accessible Excursions

[jdh]

We are booked on the Explorer Dec 10th going to San Juan, St Thomas, St Marteen and Nassau. Can anyone tell me if the excurisions that include the Butterfly Farm on St Marteen are accessible. My husband uses a Pride Rally for mobility and we have had problems in the past trying to find handicapped accessible excursions. We really want a tour that will include both sides of St Marteen as well as the butterfly area.

[Queenie2]

Can your husband walk a few steps and transfer into a van? If so then just skip the ship's shore excursions and catch a van at the dock. They are reasonably priced and some have room to load a scooter in the rear. They will take you wherever you want to go and you don't have to feel rushed by other folks. the butterfly farm as far as I can recall had one step up but they may have a makeshift ramp in place by now. I also liked the zoo.

http://emerginghorizons.com/topical/caribZoo.html

 

But no in answer to your questions the ship's shore excursions are not suitable for folks who use a scooter or wheelchair.

 

Candy

[sologrip]

We are booked on the Explorer Dec 10th going to San Juan, St Thomas, St Marteen and Nassau. Can anyone tell me if the excurisions that include the Butterfly Farm on St Marteen are accessible. My husband uses a Pride Rally for mobility and we have had problems in the past trying to find handicapped accessible excursions. We really want a tour that will include both sides of St Maarten as well as the butterfly area.

 

I toured the Butterlfly Farm and both sides of St. Maarten with a few passengers who used scooters or chairs last year. The Butterfly farm was a little gritty but there were no step problems. I did wonder if a 4-wheeled scooter would fit down the outside entrance hallway but my Pride Sundancer had ho problem. We went on to Orient Beach for a bbq but, alas, the weather got nasty and we all beat it back to the ship to spare our electronics...A poncho would have been a nice thing to have there just for that reason!

[jdh]

Thanks for your info. I am bound and determined to go to the butterfly farm, but don't want to go without hubby. Would be nice if there were more accessible excursions, but we always have a great time regardless.

[cjh]

If you can lift his scooter and put it in a mini van I highly recommend a private tour with Joyce Prince. We did a half day tour with her and saw the entire island. She has a mini van and both of my girls rigid manual chairs fit in the back. You can find out more about her on the St. Maarten's page or on her web site http://www.Joyceprince.com

 

Cindy

[jdh]

Thanks cjh. I have emailed Joyce giving her our desires and checking into availability and whether she can accomodate the Rally. I'm keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that this is the answer. I'll let you know. Do you have any suggestions for tours of Old San Juan that are accessible?

[jdh]

cjh: just an update, Joyce is already booked on the day we will be in St Marteen. Any other ideas? I am so bumbed...but will keep searching. Thanks for your help.

[cjh]

We didn't get to San Juan until very late the time we went because the sea was rough so we couldn't cruise at normal speed. Basically all we did was get off the ship and go the stores across the street. What we did see it's not very wheelchair friendly.

 

Ask Joyce if she can recommend anyone else that would be able to take the scooter. To bad she is booked because she is great!

 

Cindy

[redsoxfan56]

I had emailed Joyce this week to find out if she could accomodate a power chair...she responded that she could not unless it can be lifted into her vehicle...ther is no way my husband can do that so we are unable to use her.

Tryly wish there was an accessible tour in St. Martin.....:mad:

[cjh]

I had emailed Joyce this week to find out if she could accomodate a power chair...she responded that she could not unless it can be lifted into her vehicle...ther is no way my husband can do that so we are unable to use her.

Tryly wish there was an accessible tour in St. Martin.....:mad:

 

I talked to Joyce about this on our tour and she didn't realize that there were so many people that don't get to see the island because they can't leave the dock area. She said she would look into a wheelchair accessible van but it might take some time for her to do something like this because they have to order the van and then have it shipped.

 

You know how much a van with a lift is on it in the USA, can you imagine how much more it will be to have it shipped there?

[Splinter]

I hope she is looking at the used market in the USA. There is a steep depreciation in adapted vans just as soon as they leave the lot, and often you can find low milage, good condition adapated vans. I recommend http://www.disableddealer.com, as well as eBay ("wheelchair van"), and checking with dealers of new adapted vans as they often have used equipment for sale. Used may also save her some on customs fees bringing it into San Martin.