When you are planning a cruise and have certain things that you want to make sure are prepared for before hand.
When you use a trained special needs travel agent you will be getting a the comfort of knowing that they are aware of all the options on the ship and cruise line. They may also have tips and contacts outside of the cruise line incase your needs are not able to be met by the cruise line.
Every cruise line has a Special Services Dept; and what is offered by each is slightly different. When planning out your trip it is important to ask all your questions and make sure that your travel agent is aware of your needs and concerns; nothing is too unusual. Please make sure that you are comfortable expressing theses needs with your agent.
From the time that you start that cruise we want to make sure that you are comfortable. This is why there are spots for transportation, terminal assistance, and even storage of any mobility equipment.
Traveling with a service animal can have many different aspects, each port that you go to may have different requirements so letting your travel agent know that you will be bring a trained service dog along is very important. They will want to do the work of making sure that you are aware of everything that may need to be prepared before your voyage.
Traveling with oxygen has many regulations as well. Making your travel agent aware of this need as soon as you can will benefit your planning concerns.
There are many accommodations for those that have visual and hearing challenges. Depending on your needs if requests are put in early enough you will be able to use the accommodations that will make sure you have the best vacation possible.
Traveling with a CPAP requires a few things that you may not be able to travel to the cruise with or that may cause a challenge, especially if you are flying. Know that the cruise line is prepared with distilled water for you is a great benefit. If your travel agent knows the ship and cruise line they will think about your needs that you might not have thought about such as an extension cord to run that CPAP machine; there are not always the most convenient electrical outlets within the cabins.
Besides water for your CPAP you might not be aware that most cruise lines offer shower stools, raised commode seats, portable commodes, and transfer benches. They do also like to know if you are bringing any other medical equipment.
If you are having medical equipment delivered to your cabin they need to know before hand so that the cabin can be prepared for this delivery and so port/cruise security is aware of this delivery.
We had a hospital bed delivered to our cabin and since we had a 2 story cabin we requested that the bed be set up on the main floor and not up stairs. Unfortunately, when we came into the room the delivery man was setting it up upstairs in the bedroom. Luckily we were able to move it and get it all resolved. I am sharing this with you because I wanted to show you that even with all the planning that was done things happen so remember that you need to go with the flow.
Was this an inconvenience? Yes
Did it ruin our trip? No
Did I use it as a learning experience? Yes
From now on I will make sure that I have where I would like the bed set up in multiple places and that the cruise line and delivery company are aware. It also taught me to always ask for a extension cord because you are not able to bring them onboard and between the powerchair, hospital bed, and other things that needed to be charged we did not have enough outlets or outlets that where in a convenient spot.
