Consumer Reports, a publication I have the utmost respect for and that is widely respected as an authority, just came out with their Best Cruise Lines for Accessibility list.

I’ve been on six cruises, with four different cruise lines. Each cruise I brought my mobility scooter with me. So seeing Consumer Reports rate various cruise lines on accessibility, led me to weigh in on my take as well. As someone who loves cruising, I think I have some authority on this topic as well.

First, let’s take a quick look at how Consumer Reports ranked the cruise lines on accessibility. The gave Disney and Viking a rating of 5/5 for the top billing. Holland, Oceania, Princess and Royal Caribbean were rated 4/5. Carnival and Norwegian were rated 3/5.

This is where I diverge from Consumer Reports, respectfully. Note: I have only been on Royal (twice), Carnival (twice), Princess (once) and Norwegian (once, but with another NCL planned). So I can’t refute or speak to their rankings for the other cruise lines. Also, I am not mentioning excursions at all as those require their own post(s) and that will be addressed at a later date.

Able Travels Ranks the Cruise Lines According to Accessibility

For the sake of these rankings, I am going strictly by my personal experiences on the cruise ships I’ve taken my scooter on. With that said, here are my rankings:

Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL): 5/5

My most recent cruise was on the Norwegian Epic to the Caribbean. I have to say, the crew on board the Epic went out of their way to ensure that any and all my needs were met. Our room alone was the most accessible room I’ve had on any cruise ship. My scooter fit easily in the room and even fit on the balcony as evidenced by this video. A nice touch that I haven’t seen on other cruises, the door to my cabin when opened, automatically opens and stays open for a longer period of time, making it easy to get the scooter in and beyond the door. This is a really nice touch for accessibility.

Additionally, the bathroom, something the Epic has taken criticism for was ideal for me and my needs. My scooter could go right into the bathroom, which was equipped with grab bars. The toilet and shower were all in one big room. This was easily the most accessible bathroom I’ve had on any cruise ship. See this YouTube Short I did on the bathroom.

As for the rest of the ship, the hallways were comparable to every other cruise ship (that is they are narrow and long). The same can be said for the main dining room as well as the buffet areas. The dining areas would be more problematic for someone who can’t transfer out of their chair or scooter. I have the ability to park my scooter and walk to a table. But if you had to maneuver through cramped dining areas, you’d likely have a lesser opinion than I do. But the Epic staff gave me the same table every meal, and it was close the entrance.

Embarkation and debarkation are always a time of concern. Getting on the ship can be stressful, especially if you have mobility issues. My embarkation and debarkation off the Epic was the quickest, easiest and most stress free I’ve experienced. For this reason alone, Consumer Reports should give NCL a better rating.

Carnival Cruise Lines: 4/5

I’ve been on two different Carnival ships, the Magic and the Venezia and I can say that both are quite accommodating. The only reason they don’t get that 5/5 rating is the bedrooms we had that were allegedly “accessible” rooms were still small. The bathroom in the Magic was big and accessible. It had a shower chair, grabs bars and would be big enough to accommodate a scooter or chair. The bathroom on the Venezia was smaller and a little more disappointing, which is a shame, because the rest of the Venezia was gorgeous and wonderful experience.

The Magic, which is a Dream-class cruise, is large. Boy was I glad to have my scooter on this trip. The floor layout is logical and wide open. The hallways leading to the cabins are again narrow. But getting around the ship posed little to no limitations, wherever I wanted to go.

As for the Venezia, while this was a beautiful ship, perhaps the most beautiful I’ve been on, there were some weird ship layouts that inhibited my mobility. Two of the top floors didn’t have elevator access and were only accessible by a few flights of steps. While this is a thumbs down, I give the Venezia big praise for their elevators. You can hit the number of people who need on the elevator and it will open to your floor when the elevator can accommodate that amount.

With my scooter, I counted that as two people. This meant not having to worry about rolling over toes or an overcrowded elevator for me to get on and off. Note: We will cover more on elevator etiquette for mobility scooters at a later time.

Royal Caribbean (RC): 3/5

I’ve been on two different RC ships, Allure of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas. Both ships left me with the same impression when it comes to accessibility. Royal Caribbean does just enough for accessibility to make it comfortable and fine, but they don’t go out of their way like NCL did.

Allure of the Seas is much bigger and grander and did have a bigger overall feel to it. The replica of Central Park was open and easily accessible for my scooter. The room on the Allure was small and my scooter barely fit through the door.  Each floor was accessible and open for my full access and that was appreciated.

The elevator situation on both RC ships was frustrating. Lots of waiting for an open elevator to fit me and my scooter. Often times there would be three or four missed “open” elevators for me. That led to wasted time. Plus, for whatever reason, the hallway of the Allure of the Seas by the elevators was smaller and that meant more people congregating there and when the doors opened it was hard to come out with so many people milling around or trying to get onto the elevator. Again, I will address elevator etiquette at a later date.

Princess: 3/5

I was on the Royal Princess for the purpose of an Alaskan cruise. So I was willing to accept a few shortcomings and honestly there weren’t that many. The room we had was very small and could barely qualify as accommodating. My scooter scraped through the doorway and the hallways leading to the cabins seemed extra narrow.

The rest of the ship was open and accessible, including the observation decks. When you’re cruising Alaska, this is a must to catch whales and other sea life you will surely see. However, during a trip through Mendenhall Glacier, the observation areas around the railing were crowded and with my scooter, it was hard to squeeze in to catch a good glimpse.

One huge perk on the Royal Princess was the lanyards. You are given GPS-based lanyards (medallions). Through the mobile app you can order a drink or food to the exact spot you are and someone will bring it right to you. For anyone with mobility issues, this is huge and something I wish all cruise lines adapted.

Embarkation and debarkation were simple and relatively pain free for my entire traveling group. In fact, when they spotted my scooter, I was ushered around a longer line to a different area that led me quickly through the checkout point and off the ship.

Able Travels Tips for Cruising with a Scooter

Before booking any ship or room, be sure to be forthright about your accessibility needs. Explain it clearly to your booking agent. There are also many travel agents who specialize in accessibility travel and you may want to consider using one of them.

Find out the different types of rooms they offer. For example, on Carnival they have three different “levels” of accessible cabins. They are:

Fully Accessible Cabins (FAC): These staterooms are designed for use by guests with highly limited mobility or no mobility, who require the regular use of a wheelchair, scooter or other similar assistive devices.

Fully Accessible Cabins – Single Side Approach (FAC-SSA): These staterooms are designed for use by guests with highly limited or no mobility, who require the regular use of a wheelchair, scooter or other similar assistive devices.

Ambulatory Accessible Cabins (AAC): These staterooms are designed for use by guests with mobility limitations, who do not require the regular use of a wheelchair, scooter, or other similar assistive devices.

Be sure to get the dimensions of your room and a layout of the room and the bathroom before booking. Find out what’s most important to your specific needs.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t think cruising is a viable option because of some kind of disability, I’m here to tell you that is not a concern. Each cruise line takes accessibility seriously. As you can see from Consumer Reports, nobody scored poorly. Cruising is accessible to everyone and is a wonderful way to vacation. Just know what you’re getting before you book any trip. Know the ship, know the room and know the excursions available. You will be pleasantly surprised just how accessible each cruise offering is.