Help needed in choosing our next cruise..

[CruisinOnWheels]

Hi friends...

 

We would appreciate any and all opinions as to what we should choose for our next cruise. Specifcally we would like to hear opinions about wheelchair accessibility of each ship and comments regarding access departments, time of the year we choose..etc..

We have narrowed the choices down to:

 

1. Princess - Ruby Princess (new ship) 10 day itinerary, 11/4/09

 

2. Celebrity Constellation: 13 day itinerary, 11/09/09

 

3. Celebrity Equinox (sister ship to Solstice), 10 day itinerary 12/4/09

 

thanks for everyones help and opinions..

 

Brian & deb

[katisdale]

Where are these ships sailing to? In other words which ports?

[Arwenmark]

Of those three the Conny is the oldest 'Constellation. and while a beautiful ship not as accessible as newer ships in general.

I have had both good and bad experiences with both Celebrity and Princess, but I believe that of the two Celebrity handled the problems that did arise better. But as for other non accessible amenities etc. I prefer Princess, for instance anytime dining.

[esbrush]

I know this wasn't one of your choices, but we just got back from the 14 day trip to Hawaii. We booked a handicapped cabin 10 months in advance and it was extra nice. My husband took both his scooter and a walker (for shore excursions). I said to my husband that the ship looked like a nursing home, there were so many walkers, wheelchairs etc. People were courtious giving him room in the elevators and the dining room. In the dining room (we did the anytime dining) they sat the handicapped people together in the first tables and there were no stairs for them to climb. The hard part was trying to get through the cabin hallways when the cleaning carts are out. We devised our own route to circomvent them. We rented minivans at the Hawaii ports and took the walker and did our own thing. Almost everywhere we went, we saw the ship tour busses. The van was $52 through Thrifty and alot cheaper than the ship tours. Good luck in choosing a cruise.

[vickila]

Hi friends...

 

We would appreciate any and all opinions as to what we should choose for our next cruise. Specifcally we would like to hear opinions about wheelchair accessibility of each ship and comments regarding access departments, time of the year we choose..etc..

We have narrowed the choices down to:

 

1. Princess - Ruby Princess (new ship) 10 day itinerary, 11/4/09

 

2. Celebrity Constellation: 13 day itinerary, 11/09/09

 

3. Celebrity Equinox (sister ship to Solstice), 10 day itinerary 12/4/09

 

thanks for everyones help and opinions..

 

Brian & deb

 

 

I love the Constellation -- staff is wonderful, ship is mostly accessible -- carts are in halls, but passable. Their aft cabins -- concierge balcony cannot be beat -- on 7,8 and 9 AFT- CC class. Room is large, but balcony is 3/4 shade with table, loungers and 1/4 sun -- all the way to the back -- a real treat. It is a long ship and one thing you should consider is that for some reason on the M class ships of Celebrity the joiners (every few yards) are high and are felt on a wheelchair or scooter by the person -- or presents a problem for the pusher. All depends on the disability of the person (fragile?). Balcony accessible are mid ship -- nice rooms. Vicki

[kitty9]

I've been on all the M-Class Celebrity ships with my scooter and never had a problem. As a matter of fact, we were on Constellation this past may on a cruise in the Baltic, and with me in my scooter and mom in her wheelchair, we didn't have a problem anywhere on the ship. I've not been on the class of ship you mention for Princess, but on their other classes of ships, I've not had a problem.