Last week, my parents and I along with several members of my dad's family went on a Western Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Pearl. My parents' and my handicap accessible mini-suite was more spacious than the staterooms in which we slept during our first three cruises. Inside the Pearl's Garden Cafe, a few tables were designated for people with physical disabilities. I was able to pull up with my manual wheelchair to a blackjack table (and win almost $100) in the ship's casino. I received some free Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) merchandise. I had the opportunity to go ashore in Roatan on Bay Island in Honduras as well as Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.
I had a wonderful time overall, but as a person with physical disabilities, my experience could've been even better. Sometimes, I had to wait for an elevator that wasn't full of people who were capable of walking. At certain times of the day, I could barely go down the corridor leading to my stateroom in my wheelchair because I had to maneuver around stateroom attendants' large cleaning carts. I was unable to bowl because the lounge in which the bowling alley was located didn't have a wheelchair accessible bowling ramp. I couldn't get off the ship in Harvest Caye, Belize, because the dock there was being repaired, so it could be accessed only on tender boats. I spoke about the above with an access officer, who listened to what I had to say.
If you plan to take a cruise with NCL, you'll probably enjoy yourself. Just be aware of the challenges you may encounter as an individual with a physical disability.
My dad and I by the Norwegian Pearl
(Photo by Tracy Jensen-McGrath)
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