DCL port adventures

[seidelhd]

This may be better answered in the Cruise Forum, but I wanted to start here, since it involves my DD12, who is disabled and in a wheelchair most of the time.

We (myself, wife, and 3 kids) just got back from a fantastic 4 day cruise on the Dream. It was our first Disney cruise (first cruise for the kids), and we all had a great time. In Nassau, we did not do any Port Adventures due to mixed reports about wheelchair access. We got off the ship, walked around for about 30 minutes, did not enjoy getting hassled to braid hair or buy conch shells, so got back on board.

We booked a 7 night next year on the Fantasy. I'm curious if any of the Port Adventures there are wheelchair accessible? We obviously won't be climbing Dunns River Falls, but I'm thinking about glass bottom boats or snorkeling tours. She would stay onboard and my wife and I would alternate staying with her, while the other is in the water with the other kids. We are scheduled for a Western Caribbean itinerary but can change it to Eastern.

We loved Castaway Cay b/c of the beach wheelchairs (we have used them in Panama City Beach the last two years as well) and the easy access all over the island for her.

 

[Michigan]

We have never been on a Disney cruise but we have been on several Princess cruises. I find the eastern to be more wheelchair friendlier due to less tender ports. There are wheelchair accessible tours in St Thomas and in St Maarten Joyce Prince is a fantastic guide that has a van and will take you anywhere you want to go.

 

[Lindy Stevens]

We were on Disney Wonder with my wheelchair. Planning a Dream cruise this July. In Nassau, I did go on the glass bottom boat with my wheelchair and had no issues. However, we went on the harbor boat cruise and it was a challenge. We rolled right on the tour boat, got off and shopped, ate conch, etc. On the return trip back to the cruise port, they put us on a wobbly, little wooden boat. When we got to the dock, the sea wall was much higher than the boat. They had these rickety wooden steps with nails sticking out. I thought I would fall into the water and be crushed between boat and wall. Big, strong men lifted my wheelchair up the steps and almost tossed it into he waiting hands of more big, strong men. We thanked God, and them and passed out some tips before swearing we won't go on another port tour that has 2 different boats. We did not know to ask ahead of time.

 

[cgncga]

This may be better answered in the Cruise Forum, but I wanted to start here, since it involves my DD12, who is disabled and in a wheelchair most of the time.

We (myself, wife, and 3 kids) just got back from a fantastic 4 day cruise on the Dream. It was our first Disney cruise (first cruise for the kids), and we all had a great time. In Nassau, we did not do any Port Adventures due to mixed reports about wheelchair access. We got off the ship, walked around for about 30 minutes, did not enjoy getting hassled to braid hair or buy conch shells, so got back on board.

We booked a 7 night next year on the Fantasy. I'm curious if any of the Port Adventures there are wheelchair accessible? We obviously won't be climbing Dunns River Falls, but I'm thinking about glass bottom boats or snorkeling tours. She would stay onboard and my wife and I would alternate staying with her, while the other is in the water with the other kids. We are scheduled for a Western Caribbean itinerary but can change it to Eastern.

We loved Castaway Cay b/c of the beach wheelchairs (we have used them in Panama City Beach the last two years as well) and the easy access all over the island for her.

We have been on 5 Disney Cruises and have our 6th planned for this summer. My daughter is now 14 and was almost 9 on our first cruise. While not a full time wheel chair user, she used a medical stroller for the first 3 cruises, but transitioned to a customized manual wheelchair about 2 years ago. She has significant stamina issues and even walking around the cruise ship all day is too much for her. Every cruise we have been on (2 on the Dream, one on the Fantasy, as well as The Wonder in Alaska and the Magic in the Med) have always had a few wheelchair accessible port adventures at each stop. Sometimes she and I will do one port adventure while my husband and elder daughter will do a different one. Sometimes the entire family will do the wheelchair accessible port adventure.