Guests with special needs are more comfortable on a cruise than on most other vacations. Cruisers enjoy a very high level of service and accessible accommodations not found in many other destinations.

Many of today's modern ships feature:

Staterooms with 32- to 34-inch doors, ramped bathrooms, roll-in showers, grab bars, raised toilet seats, lowered sinks, vanity areas and a five- foot turning radius in sleeping areas, bathrooms and sitting areas. Spacious corridors, special pool lifts and ramps in terraced public areas. Braille on menus, cabin doors, service directories and elevators buttons. Portable kits for the hearing impaired including TTY (Text Telephone)/TDD (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf), Alertmaster and a strobe alarm. Closed-captioned televisions, amplified telephones in staterooms and public areas and infrared systems.

Several cruise lines assist in providing accessible buses for transfers between airports and the pier and one cruise company recently introduced accessible railcars for their Alaska cruise-tours. Arrangements can be made for early boarding and even medical services on-board.

Cruise lines also do an outstanding job of providing menus that meet special dietary needs. Kosher, diabetic, low sodium, low cholesterol and even gluten-free dining options are all catered to by various cruise lines.

Your Vacation Specialist can direct you to the cruise line and ship that best meet your special needs. Be sure to advise your Vacation Specialist of your specific needs prior to making a booking.