RCL Europe Excursion Aug 2007

[grayjm77]

Does anyone have any info. about Royal Caribbean's European (Mediterranean) shore excursions? In particular, we are traveling on the Brilliance of the Seas in August 2007. Are any excursions accessible to someone who uses a manual wheelchair but is unable to walk or climb stairs? Has anyone found anyone who is helpful at the Special Needs help line? So far, we've been advised by RCL that none of their tour buses are accessible but that they can arrange for us to book private tours at significantly higher prices. They also were unable to advise as to the accessiblity of their excursions beyond the standard rating system they use on their website.

We're also willing to just book a car to take us to certain ports but can't find anything like that either.

Any advice would be great!

[katisdale]

I have not been on RCL but I have been to Europe and taken ship's excursions. If you cannot climb the steps onto a bus there is little that they offer. Also since the buses are large they have to park at a distance from the sights you wish to see. If you can get up the steps of the bus they will transport your chair for you but someone will still have to push the chair, frequently over cobblestones to get to the sites which may or may not be accessible when you get there. I have had very good luck using the destination boards here on Cruise Critic to find a private guide/driver for the various ports. I tell them what problems I have when I ask for a quote so they know what services I need (for me to get close to the sites and room to stow my rollator). We have even saved some money using these guides over the cost of the ship's tours as the private guides quote you a price for the use of the car which may hold 4 to 6 people while the ship's excursions are per person. I think Europe by cruise ship is a good choice.

[Splinter]

If you can transfer fairly easily, you might just want to take cabs. We used to take a slide board and do this when these type of transfers were easier for us.

 

You are not going to find lift equipped van tours in Europe, except for very expensive private tours. What ports do you have, and perhaps we can advise on what there is to so. For some ports you may not have far to go to see some sights...others are miles away.

 

When we were in the Med last, we lifted my mother up the steps of a bus twice. With four of us to help, we just transferred her onto the first step, then lifted up each step (seated facing the door), then did a 2 person lift up into the first seat. The bus drivers let us on first to do this. Not ideal, but workable if you have enough strong help with you. The bus drivers usually are not allowed to help though.

[leoandhugh]

We did Brilliance OTS from Istanbul to Barcelona last October; if you would tell us what ports you are doing, we may be able to provide some help. We normally use a cab for doing closeby center cities, and some of them are pushable from the ship. In some ports, the ship provided shuttle busses into town centers; they can take a manual wheelchair but the handicapped passenger has to be able to climb up the 3 or 4 high steps into and out of the bus. Same applies on some of the shore excusions; they can take a manual wheelchair in a luggage compartment under the bus, but the wheelchair user has to be able to get in and out of the bus. The Special Needs people in Miami are very helpful with arrangements on the ship itself, but have no control over shore excursions at all; those are contracted from the ship itself by the Shore Excursion personnel onboard. You may also find some useful info on this board if you look back several months.:)

[willieg]

You can get an e-mail address from special needs at RCL and someone will e-mail you a list of possible excursions at each port. Then we call the shore excursions department and ask questions. If there is something you really want to do, be persistent.

We are thinking about another TA, but can't get any information about Casablanca. I don't want to have to get a cab there.

We had a problem with an excursion in Malaga. It was billed as a Scenic Drive which turned out to be "get off the bus and hang around a plaza for an hour"

We got compensation because the tour was not as "billed." We were on the Millennium.

[grayjm77]

We will be visiting the following locations in this order:

 

Barcelona

Villefranche (but we want to get to Nice, Monaco/Monte Carlo)

Livorno (but we want to get to Florence and Pisa)

Naples/Capri

Venice

Dubrovnik

Corfu

Civitavecchia (but desperately want to get to Rome)

and then back to Barcelona

 

My husband cannot climb steps to get into a tour bus and I don't have the strength to lift him on my own (we're traveling alone). Pushing his wheelchair for long distances is not usually an issue for him it's just getting from the ports to the cities.

 

We have contacted RCL Shore Excursions numerous times and they are basically useless. All they can offer is a private tour for about $1000 or more a day and they feel this is adequate service. :mad:

 

I don't really want to leave our planning until we arrive at the port for fear that we will be stranded there. Does anyone know of any reliable cab/taxi companies that may or may not specialize in wheelchair accessibility that we could pre-arrange with? Basically we just need to get from the port to the city and then tour on our own, and then get back to the boat in time (and hope they haven't left since RCL won't guarantee anything when you make your own arrangements).:(

[Queenie2]

The private accessible van services in Italy (which is where you will need them) are expensive. the rate rcl was giving you is pretty much what you will find on your own. they just don't have the accessible services there, which of course drives up the price. If a standard cab will suit your needs (I'm not able to tell from your post) then just find one and negotiate the price at the port. The big reason to arrange something in advance would be because of access.

 

Also, you can book the van and then find some other (able-bodied) passengers to split the cost with you, which will bring down the price per person.

 

Candy

[Splinter]

Barcelona

You can get accessible (lift) van cabs here. The downtown area is pretty accessible, as is the Christopher Columbus museum (close to the ship).

 

Livorno (Florence & Pisa)

You can take a cab to Pisa as it is close by. You can take a cab to the train and take the train to Florence, but will probably need help to get the wheelchair on-board. Taking a cab would be very expensive as it is nearly an 1.5 hour drive. Access varies in Florence. Most of the museums have no elevators, ramps or lifts and stairs are common.

 

Naples/Capri

You are right in the heart of the city here. You can take a cab or even just push the chair in level areas (some areas are hilly). You can get into the old Crusader era fort just a few blocks from the pier, but cannot get into the upstairs areas. There is a ferry that leave from the same pier for Capri, but not sure how accessible it is, or how accessible Capri is (it is very hilly)

 

Venice

You will have to take a boat (several steps or lift the wheelchair) from your ships pier to San Marco square, which you can get around in with a wheelchair. There are a couple of vaporeto stations that are wheelchair accessible for the vaporetto (water bus). This is the best way to see the city. Walking around Venice is problematic as there are many bridges with steps and few or no ramps/wheelchair lifts. Steps into many shops. You can see some more accessible areas here:

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/accessible_venice3.htm

[grayjm77]

How easy is it to get a cab from the city back to the port? Are there central areas in the cities (Nice, Florence, Pisa, Rome) or is it best to make arrangements with the cab that brought us to the city in the first place?

[leoandhugh]

grayjm77 hate to be so pessimistic, but you should have done the research before booking the cruise. we are the ones above who did Brilliance last year from Istanbul to Barcelona.

Here is what I remember Villefranche is a tendering port; ship does not dock. Nice is one direction on the coast, Monaco/Monte Carlo the opposite direction. Pick one and take a cab there. There is a train station at Villefranche but not doable with a wheelchair. it involves a flight of stairs to get up to the station.

Livorno for Florence/Pisa. Pisa is doable with a cab but Florence is too far and getting around in the city is a major problem with a wheelchair - too many places you might wish to see are just not accessible. If you feel you must absolutely see Florence then book a private car and driver and be prepared to pay a lot of euros.

Civitavecchia for Rome - the port is at least an hours ride from Rome and will cost a fortune There are trains but you have to get to the station in Civitavecchia and then in Rome find a way of getting around and still try to get back to the ship on time. No way would I even suggest you try.

Dubrovnik you can take a taxi from the pier to the gates of the walled city but from there you would have to push the wheelchair. We have done it twice, but as the pusher, I can assure you it is tough. The center of the old walled city is pedestian only.

Venice from where the ship will dock you will have to take either a vaporetto or a taxi and the city is very difficult to negotiate with a wheelchair because of all the canals and bridges over them, most of which have steps at either end. We were fortunate, Brilliance docked at a seldom used dock and we were able to negotiate our way in to St Marks square with the wheelchair. If you can get a vaporetto to St Marks then you could do that small area with a wheelchair.

Naples the ship will dock right downtown and you can do some close- in sightseeing with a wheel chair but traffic is bedlam. Best try to negotiate some time - an hour or two with a taxi.

Do not take it out on RCCL for being less than helpful; if you or one in your party is not able to use their ship excursions, they can not do more than that. And even those are contracted out to land based operators.

We have been fortunate enough to do all our research before booking a cruise ,we were aware ahead of time the difficulties and constraints we would encounter, and we adjusted as we went along.

[amstelveenscooter]

We will be visiting the following locations in this order:

 

Barcelona

Villefranche (but we want to get to Nice, Monaco/Monte Carlo)

Livorno (but we want to get to Florence and Pisa)

Naples/Capri

Venice

Dubrovnik

Corfu

Civitavecchia (but desperately want to get to Rome)

and then back to Barcelona

 

We did the same cruise last year, with my better half remaining in her scooter throughout.

 

Barcelona: Generally accessible; several good restrooms at restaurants (e.g., Starbucks) on the square. All wheelchair accessible taxis in Barcelona are controlled by AMIC (93 420 80 88). The Hop-on/Hop-off busses can generally accommodate 1 wheelchair / circuit.

 

Villefranche: We had to tender at Nice, due to volumes at the port, so can't advise. Nice is "pushable", but downtown Nice is horribly torn-up for Metro construction.

 

Livorno: Plenty of cabs to Florence waiting at dockside; moderately expensive but similar to tour bus prices for a party of 4. At the Accademia, there's a separate line for wheelchairs that will bypass all the wait. Trying to include both Florence & Pisa might be a bit much for a single day, if you want any time inside the art museums.

 

Naples / Capri: Naples itself wasn't worth walking around (semi-unsafe areas near the port), and the elevator from the port to Capri isn't wheelchair accessible. You can get cabs to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast, but be prepared to pay.

 

Venice: If you dock at the cruise terminal, go around the corner to the City of Venice tourist bureau at the bus station and collect the key to the platform lifts (loaned to tourists). They can give you a route map for walking through much of the downtown area via lift-equipped bridges, and info on which vaporetti can handle a chair. NOTE: Depending on where you dock, your vaporetto can't always reach St. Mark's Square without crossing a stepped bridge. You often want to exit at the stop just before St. Mark's. The public toilet to the west of St. Mark's Square is accessible if you ring the bell. The Rialto bridge is totally inaccessible (steep steps).

 

Dubrovnik: Again, many cabs available for the short drive to town, but they will also give you a more scenic tour as well. Try to arrange to have them meet you at the opposite end of the town for the return trip (by the cruise bus pick-up area). There is only one accessible toilet in one of the coffee shops on the square; check at the tourist bureau office for details.

 

Corfu: "Pushable", but the cabs will also give you a good tour of the island. There's a cafe overlooking the resort area with an excellent accessible restroom, but the lift to the public restroom (underground) is usually broken and the hotels aren't accessible.

 

Civitavecchia / Rome: Taxis are available but expensive because of the distance to Rome (Tour bus fare equivalents will get a group of 4 the full day tour, with the driver meeting you at various areas). Don't wait in line at St. Peter's; walk under the colonnade to the right all the way up to the wooden gate, and the guards will admit you immediately to the lower right entrance where the lifts are. Then, walk around the walls to the Vatican museum, again bypassing the line; the guards will admit the wheelchair party immediately, and have some form of health insurance or disabled placard with you (the ticket fee will be waived). There's a platform lift route to the Sistine Chapel, but expect a waiting line and crowds in the Chapel if reconstruction is still in progress.

 

Good luck!:D