Cruising: not all plain sailing

From my cabin I could just make out a silhouette that rose and fell gently into the sea against an increasingly pale orange sky. The MV Discovery had just anchored off the most remote and mysterious island on earth – Easter Island – and we had had to cross the South Pacific to get here, halfway between Chile and New Zealand.

In an hour I’d be climbing to the rim of Rano Kau, a volcanic crater lake, one kilometre across.

The island is known locally as Rapa Nui, so remote that you can even smell it from a distance: a mixture of soft, spongy earth and yellow grass, volcanic rock, and possibly horses; the few inhabitants travel around on horseback. 
 
Easter Island is best known for its legendary moai, massive ceremonial stone figures that stare enigmatically inland from sacred platforms. Their origins remain a mystery, but it is believed that Peruvian craftsmen visited about 1,000 years ago with their superior tools and knowledge. The Polynesian locals dispute this, claiming that the sacred figures are the embodiment of their ancestors. In a single day, I visited seven sites, and the quarry where half-finished heads seem to emerge eerily from the ground. Lunch was an elaborate on-shore picnic beside the idyllic, white beach, under swaying palms.

Cruising has shaken off its elderly image, and become one of the fastest-growing industries in the travel sector. There are voyages to suit all tastes, from round-the-world, to the “Cruise to Nowhere” – the sea breeze and luxury of being on-board with no ports of call is enough for some. Nearer home, take a no-fly cruise around the British Isles, or cruise the Mediterranean from Southampton. Arriving in Nice’s old harbour and sailing past the legendary Hotel Negresco on the Baie des Anges evokes La Belle Epoque, and the cuisine aboard the MV Spirit of Adventure on its Mediterranean Odyssey lives up to the image. The cruise also takes in Monte Carlo, Pompeii, Malta, Sicily and Minorca. We even got a tour of the galley after dinner.

So how does cruising compare when it comes to accessibility? Passenger safety is the priority on board ship, so the environment can present a challenge. Sills on heavy doors opening on to deck are an obvious challenge for wheelchair-users; a simple ramp could be the answer. Facilities do vary from ship to ship, but many doors are now no-sill, level to deck.

There is currently no obligation on UK or international shipping companies to provide access onboard. Vessels are exempt from the transport code of practice on transport vehicles introduced by the Disability Rights Commission under the Disability Discrimination Act, so facilities vary. But as a matter of good practice, companies are encouraged to take account of the specific needs of passengers, and to make reasonable adjustments.

While vessels are exempt from the act, companies have a duty not to discriminate in respect of onshore activities, ie UK terminals’ waiting areas, booking facilities, information and timetables must all be accessible.

Many larger cruise lines have adapted their ships to become more accessible in recent years, and positively encourage disabled passengers. However, when booking, you must ensure that everything you need will be available. Wide-door cabins and bathrooms should be at least 30” (76cm), with wheelchair-height mirrors, etc, and ask about cabin proximity to lifts. Most ships only carry wheelchairs for emergency use. You should take your own folding one if applicable. All companies insist on a non-disabled travelling companion. Excursions are not always accessible for those who cannot board a tender boat independently, although Holland America line offers some accessible shore tenders. Ships are unable to accept assistance dogs.

The state-of-the-art QE2 has electronically opening sliding doors, level entrances to ballrooms, remote-controlled lights and curtains in cabins, but with less adventurous ports of call than some of the smaller ships.

P&O says it aims to make your stay as relaxing and comfortable as possible, with the entire fleet catering for mobility scooters as well as wheelchairs, and ships having accessible routes to the vast majority of public areas on board. Accessible cabins have wheel-in showers.

Saga’s over-50 cruises on the user-friendly Saga Rose and Saga Ruby offer UK-wide departures including Liverpool and Newcastle, including a free private chauffeured car to port if you live within 75 miles. Some cabins are fully accessible, with low sills of less than an inch. Public rooms have no sills, and small ramps are placed in various doorways. They offer less strenuous excursions with panoramic coach tours for those with less mobility. Saga says wheelchair-users advise them that both ships are wheelchair-friendly in terms of giving them the independence to be able to get around without relying on others to assist them.

And Royal Caribbean (sister company is Celebrity Cruises) says: “With a wide range of easy access areas on board our ships, including flat, no-sill doors opening on to deck, braille on signs, specific lighting in cabins, and wide accessible lifts to all decks, we do everything within our power to ensure that disabled guests have a fantastic holiday.”

Most ships can accommodate special dietary requirements, but you need to give full details when booking. You could be refused access to a cruise if you arrive without having fully informed the company of any special needs beforehand.

Deaf people should enquire about flashing light alarms, vibrating alarm clocks, textphone and TV subtitles, and visible public address systems.  I have seen no evidence of these on board the ships I have travelled on, although improvements are being made all the time. Just picture this: you arrive in your new, luxurious environment. It’s relaxed, safe, hassle-free – your luggage has magically arrived in your cabin. Just as you are about to choose what to wear for dinner, an alarm sounds (unless you have no hearing at all). Everyone is called to muster stations at the very moment they least want to go. They grapple (and are often photographed) with what appears to be a couple of orange polystyrene boxes  – lifejackets. You must get to a muster station quickly, be counted, and answer when your name is read out (hugely embarrassing if you get there and simply don’t hear it). Safety drill is obligatory on every ship upon embarkation, so it’s vital to remind the crew that you are deaf. In my case, I had to leave the cabin door unlocked, so that I could be alerted by a steward. I was left wondering what might happen in a real emergency. It’s hardly practical to leave the door open for the entire trip!

Otherwise, disruption is minimal, so you are free to look at the choice of events in the ship’s news sheet each morning, choose one of several locations for breakfast, decide whether to go ashore, or simply relax on deck. You can take in a lecture, sit at the poolside bar, go off on an organised excursion, or possibly head off on an adventure independently.

Book early for discounts from brochures or by internet. Last-minute availability may be cheaper but offers less choice. The seemingly high cost really covers several luxurious holidays in one: it’s almost all-inclusive, and there is nothing more stress-free and wonderful than knowing that you have not got to worry about lifting heavy bags, packing and unpacking, having to bother locating hotels, negotiating with taxi-drivers, finding the tourist office, or spending all night looking for a good restaurant – in fact, all the tribulations that come with other types of holiday are absent. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy.

Did you know?
Easter Island received its name from Dutch sea captain Jacob Roggeveen, who became the first European to visit, on Easter Sunday, 5 April, 1722.