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Friday, April 19, 2013

Cruises for Those with Special Needs

Cruise line brochures and websites are filled with images of hale and hearty, fit, younger passengers enjoying some very active pursuits, and even those cruise lines that are a little more honest about their passengers in general, their ages and their abilities, tend to to paint a rosy pictures of cruise travelers in the prime of their time.



The actual truth is nothing like the images the cruise lines paint.

In fact, more than 60 million cruise passengers each year are those with some kind of disability who need a variety of special needs -  from oxygen requirements to motorized scooters and even power chairs.



The positive update these days is that despite the glorious pictures of only hale and hearty passengers about to leap ashore and run around the block, the cruise lines have in fact become very much more aware of the special needs of a growing number of their passengers. 



While the solutions they offer are not always as ideal as they should be, every year, more and more cruise lines seem to be paying attention to these issues.



At least twelve of the popular cruise lines, for example, from Carnival to Cunard and all levels between now offer special disabled cabins.



Lots more information about accommodating cruise lines and what they can offer can be found at www.disabledcruiseclub.com – a web site specializing in special needs cruises from the Red Sea to the polar regions.



And where they are not able to accommodate the very special needs of their passengers, there are companies such as Special Needs at Sea, at www.specialneedsatsea.com who can help make any trip easier and more hassle-free.



But be warned - there are still a lot of problems still with this issue, no matter the promises and some cruise passengers with special needs to to their cruise research very thoroughly before booking and embarking on a trip of a lifetime.

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