Ask The Expert!
by Candy Harrington, editor of Emerging Horizons
Access on Carnival Elation
I'm thinking about taking a cruise on the Carnival Elation with my son who uses a power wheelchair. It's a good choice for us because we can drive to the port in Mobile, instead of having to hassle with air travel. Can you tell me anything about access on the ship?
The Elation was built in 1998, so it's not a new ship, but with some careful planning you may be able to make do with it, especially since you'll be able to drive to the port.
The big thing to watch out for is the modified cabins, which are erroneously called "accessible" cabins on some on-line databases. These modified cabins are not appropriate for full-time wheelchair users, as they all have a 3.5-inch step up to the bathroom and narrower (29-inch) entry doors. You need to book one of the fully accessible cabins which have 32-inch wide doors, no lips into the bathrooms, a roll-in shower and a full five-foot turn-around space in the bathroom. There are only four fully accessible cabins on the Elation — R298, M298, E259 and U243 — so try and book as early as possible. Additionally, there is no wheelchair access to the Sun Deck or Funnel Deck.
It should also be noted that the ports on the four and five day cruises out of Mobile aren't that accessible; however the seven day itinerary stops in Grand Cayman and Montego Bay, where there are some accessible shore options. Granted you have to arrange them on your own, however at least they exist. Cozumel is doable with an accessible taxi for most wheelers, but the other ports on the four and five day cruises offer very little in the way of accessibility. Of course, if you just want to enjoy the ship and don't care about sightseeing, then port days are a great time to do this, as the ship will be less crowded then.
— July 21, 2010
