Such a wonderful, patient man. I hope MSC made everything right by him. I did enjoy a recent cruise with MSC. They were wonderful people. My roommate is also one who has need of accessibility. They were so accommodating and kind. She did not get off at ports we had been to previously. And I was delighted to keep her company. Hope some day in the future we can all cruise together.
lol. You know most of us need a travel agent 😂😂😂. I know ima need ya when I get closer and after lil more research 😅😅😅. Love your content!! Can’t wait to ‘work’ with you on my very first cruise!!🚢 Edit::::: I didn’t send a text message but I changed my number so will have to shoot another one ~
There is much that we can improve in the US but we do have the ADA. AMERICAN being the operative word here. Unfortunately what we have come to expect as far as accessibility in the US doesn't extend to other countries. However, the cruise lines should adhere to the ADA standards no matter where their ships are registered.
In following Shane's trip, I think that I (and others) noticed a lot of "first timer" mistakes that often aren't big issues for us, but were magnified here due to Shane's wheelchair. So assuming that Shane goes on another cruise - what did he learn that he would do differently, apart from what he mentioned in his conclusion? Would a city/country's accessibility standards (or lack thereof) be a factor in booking his next trip?
MSC was not to blame, his agent was totally at fault for not ensuring he had an accessible cabin. I use a scooter and often need to book a year or more in advance. Research for your destinations is also required. If accessible tours are required check with private companies to ensure they have what you require or prepare to enjoy an almost empty ship.
MSC is a company owned by billionaires, but you still think is acceptable for you to book 1 year or more in advance to not bother the billionaire to get better accessibility. SO yes, MSC is not the problem. People like YOU is the problem.
@samanthaabreu782 it's not about bothering the billionaire, there are a limited number of rooms so if you don't book it fast enough in advance, there might not be any left
I agree with you if he was going through a booking agent. It is their responsibility to know what his limitations are, and to make sure that the room was 100% accessible. Not trying to be negative, but some disabled people think that the world revolves around them and that everything should be handicapped accessible. As Jay said earlier, a lot of these countries have been around for thousands of years and they're just not handicap accessible when we take excursions, it clearly says that there's a lot of uneven surfaces, cobble street roads and that if you have any kind of walking disabilities and limitations that this excursion is not for you..
@@samanthaabreu782 EACH TOUR OPERATOR WHEN THEY GET CONTRACT FOR THE TOURS FOR THAT YEAR PUT IN THEIR BROCHURES THAT THE TOURS ARE NOT MADE FOR ANY DISABLED PEOPLE!!! YET THE CRUISE LINE SELLS THEM THESE TOURS AGAINST OUR WARNING!!! THE LINE IS THE GOD DAMN PROBLEM AND THIS IS COMING FROM ME, AN AGENT FOR 30 PLUS YEARS FOR ALL CRUISE LINES COMING TO MY CARIBBEAN ISLAND!!! STFU
His travel agent did not do a good job. I know people who travels to Europe frequently and was told multiple times to go in the fall or spring. My first trip to Europe was pleasant for following that advice. I felt his travel agent did not give appropriate advice and I hope he never uses that person again.
Either the TA or MSC should have then told him that no accessible cabin is available and they unfortunately can not offer him a cruise at the moment. Certainly not an ideal answer, but a truthful answer and it would have prevented a lot of issues.
QUESTION FOR SHANE? As a quadriplegic wheelchair user and travel agent for Expedia Cruises since 2017 with over a million in sales, I would like to inquire about the level of research Shane conducted prior to this interview. This is not intended to criticize him in any way. The initial search results for all destinations followed by “wheelchair” often lead to many forums and posts indicating limited accessibility. While I appreciate his storytelling abilities, I cannot help but suspect that the negative interactions were intentional to raise awareness. As a resident of Florida who deals with accessibility challenges in my local community, I find it difficult to believe that he is unaware of the varying levels of accessibility across different countries, especially considering the challenges he faces in his own country. I eagerly anticipate the upcoming Zoom call and would appreciate it if you could pose this question to him. Thank you for bringing this issue to the forefront through THE SHIPLIFE!
Kind of gross that you, as a fellow disabled person, are more focused on blaming Shane rather than the cruise line. We should be able to access all the same things everyone else can and book when everyone else can book.
This will be interesting to hear his answers. I even though I am not in a wheelchair, I still review all excursions because I can't walk for long periods of time. 😊
I have a friend who owns and runs a b&b in Italy. To install disability access for every would end up with her closing. She could not afford such an investment, with without huge increase in rates to pay off the financial costs.
I think we're all interested in what he has to say. It's probable that we'll learn that he made a few (or more than a few) "first timer" mistakes, and how that got magnified due to being in a wheelchair. So what will be interesting to see is what he's learned, and how that gets applied to his travels in the future.
He was fortunate to finally get an accessibility cabin. We booked one for my mom to find when we got onboard a last minute switch “ upgrade “ from an inside accessibility cabin to a balcony non- accessibility cabin!! It was all the way aft! They used her previous deck 3 for new crew to quarantine during Covid times.Royal promised to correct the issue after leaving port! Nope! They offered a wheelchair for her because too far to walk with her walker! She could not get a shower chair in nor her walker into the tiny bathroom- I had to get up early from my cabin to assist her all day. They never apologized nor helped correct the issue. It was so hard for me to wheelchair her around the ship for meals etc!! They said no guarantee of any booked cabin. Had she fallen, I guess I’d have a case- glad she made it but I was a wreck at the end!
It is good to know this type of thing. I always thought it would be accessible just because a good part of their public are elderly people and they usually have mobility issues in a higher rate. Royal Caribbean should re think their choices regarding the accessibility on their experiences
Many countries don't have a lot of resources for people with disabilities and aren't very handicap friendly. We are really blessed in that aspect here in the USA.
I feel that even in the United States we are lacking big time. Ever look how many accessible excursions are on a Canada and New England Cruise? Unfortunately none even in the US ports. If he did just a little bit better research he should have been able to find a wheelchair accessible excursion in those ports in Europe. I hope his content brings more awareness of this issue. Some of these mega ships have 40+ handicap rooms but no infrastructure for us to participate off of the boat.
ITS NOT THE GOD DAMN COUNTRIES FAULT CRUISE LINES ARE SELLING TICKETS TO PEOPLE WHO CANNOT HANDLE SUCH TOURS!!!! YOU IN A DAMN WHEELCHAIR AND WANT TO GO ON ATV TOUR? CATAMARAN TOUR WHEN YOU HAVE TO STEP ONTO A BOAT FROM A DOCK ETC ETC?! BLAME THE LINE!!! NOT THE COUNTRY!
Sadly, a lot of countries see people with disabilities as a burden. I watched a video of a Korean man living in South Korea show what It's like to get on the bus with his wheelchair. He had other Koreans yelling at him because the bus driver had to get out of the seat and help him, since the buses are not modified for wheelchairs. The same man then visited the US and saw how fast and easy it was to get on a bus, and no one yelled at him. South Korea has the resources to make the country disabled friendly, but they don't.
It is all about the $$$$. I am a homebound disabled old lady, and i am grateful that the US has the Americans with Disabilities Act. I want to enjoy life during the last years of my life. Even though we are protected by federal law, issues do come up. But, generally, things work out, or we have the right to receive compensation, and the offending company can be held accountable. But, the minute you leave the US, those rights and protections are no longer valid. You always need to research the options for not only general disabilities but also your specific requirements. And, of course, you need to know what rights people with disabilities have wherever you are going.
@Creativekylie I had a close friend who had muscular dystrophy, and he was in a large wheelchair. He was also a major Nascar fan. ( I am, too, lol). He went to as many tracks as he could. But, after arriving at one track, he found that the parking and into the track were not handicapped accessable. He took them to court, and trust me, when he was "on a mission," he never surrendered. He won a lot of money, which he declined to take. He donated the money to the track to make it "super" accessible to people with disabilities. He went back 2 years later, and he was able to get in and watch the race. He passed away at age 41, and I still miss our weekends glued to the TV watching all different Nascar series races. He was a one of a kind.
Question: why was the point that msc requires 30 day notice for accommodation issues and he book only 3 weeks before the sailing date, he completely dismissed the explanation? Also why is he not blaming the person that booked the cruise for the issues? I felt bad for the guy until someone told me msc’s policy. I agreed with so much of what he said in your first video with him, until I found out he expected extra treatment and did not follow the policies in order to accommodate.
Exactly! There are forms that cruise lines require well in advance so the cruise lines know what wheelchair you are bringing and what accommodations you require. Some cruise lines have stopped letting disabled passengers aboard if they have submitted proper paperwork on time.
@@Santiago-in1xf He’s a quadriplegic. I don’t know for how long. But any wheelchair user knows that if they are going to travel on any form of public transportation, they have to plan details in advance. Nothing can be assumed. I don’t believe that he doesn’t know that.
My Mom loves the newer Celebrity ships. We could not find an issue anywhere, when is comes to accessibility, even had a lift for the hot tub lol. Automatic doors everywhere and every time she would go into the buffet, a crew member would come to help her within seconds to gather her food and carry her plate.
Our grandson is in an electric wheelchair. He has only sailed with us on Royal. I always spoke to someone at the excursion desk on-board and they arranged for an accessible van, which are very limited in Mexico and the islands.
Have you been on RC Vision of The Seas or been to Bermuda? I'll be sailing for a family reunion and many of the elders will have scooters. I'm wondering if anyone's had issues on that trip.
So this guy booked his cruise maybe 2 weeks prior to the sailing with a travel agent who said his room would be fine. Most these ships have but maybe a couple dozen accessible cabins if that. Most of those are sold within weeks of a particular sailing going up for booking ie at least a year or more out. Any TA worth using should know that. As far as excursions go the cruise lines probably need to do a better job with the descriptions of if something is accessible or not. Most these tours are by contracted local vendors so maybe if they can’t have all activities accessible at least provide an option or two.
I have been on cruise ships with my dad who 100% wheelchair bound. The problem with shore excursions that are accessible is they are way over price. If you’re lucky to be in an area where there is a wheelchair accessible taxi then that would be the cheapest putting you in the areas most accessible. Europe is a great example of over priced excursions and wheelchair accessible excursions in Europe can be 3x to 5x the amount of a regular cruise. Nassau we use a van company that had more seats than we need and brought us to Atlantis and back. There are places that make it hard for wheelchair individuals a hard time to get around. But my dad is a vet cruiser with a wheelchair and the best cruise line for wheelchairs is Celebrity. The most popular bar has one side for lower none high chair stools where you can use a ramp. Best spot for my dad. He never thought he was going to ever be at a normal height at a bar again until celebrity.
We had a similar problem in Costa Rica, the bus was overbooked and wanted us to put a wheelchair passenger on the bus by herself while her husband and the 2 of us on another bus! There was no accessibility for a wheelchair passenger and while 3 people gave up their seats and got on the 2nd bus, this coach had 4 steps to climb and the entire situation was not acceptable! HAL got an earful about this on the comment card and it's my hope, things will change next time they visit this port!
This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. My husband and I love to travel, but I have to do a lot of research when it comes to accessibility. The cruise ships, ports, hotels, airlines and excursions. You have to ask and then follow up and ask again. Then cross your fingers and hope it all works out. I wish he had tried RCL, NCL, Celebrity or VV as we have found them to be very accessible. Although the carpet is obnoxious and don't get me started on trying to get down the hallways on the first and last night with luggage in the hallways.
Your conclusion is absolutely correct. I am a person with a mobility impairment who uses a wheelchair and my husband and I take the very things you say into consideration when speaking to travel agents and booking a cruise: Is the cruise line (and the time of year/itinerary) we are considering more oriented toward adults or towards families? Is it more mainstream or premium/luxury? Is the ship we are looking at large or medium/small? How recently was the ship built or refurbished? These questions can help us build an itinerary on a cruise ship that will suit our interests and my needs as someone with a mobility impairment. We have found that, while expensive, the luxury cruise lines, with their smaller ships and older demographic, as well as the ship within a ship Haven type experiences, work better for us. We also enjoy longer voyages with more sea days, giving me time to rest between ports. Finally, booking during the off season, when ships are a little less crowded with families and the weather is not as hot, helps us enjoy the experience all the more. As for the excursions, we just had this happen (not for the first time) on an excursion booked via NCL on St. Thomas. Described as accessible if you use a collapsible wheelchair. We double-checked with the Haven concierge, who seemed pleased this would work for us. Once on the ground in St. Thomas, the excursion was on open-air safari vans. There was no room for my collapsible wheelchair in the van We were left at the port after having waited in the heat for almost an hour. The NCL excursion rep was semi-apologetic, and told us our money would be refunded into our account. We advised the concierge that the excursion was not as described. In the end, during this entire cruise (five ports), there was only one wheelchair accessible excursion available. We paid for taxis in some ports and stayed on the ship in others.
My Mom had a walking disability. Although my family could understand some things not being wheelchair accessible, they NEED to ADVERTISE that fact when selling the port excursions. Make it clear that there will be steps or narrow passages that do NOT fit assistive devices. Otherwise it is frustrating to try to make it work unexpectedly and without future planning and does make those with disabilities stop having experiences and the quality of life they deserve. I am so proud of Shane for not letting this stop him from getting out and living life. Not letting his fears of unexpected obstacles stop him is wonderful.
Jay, how many travel agents are truly understanding and able to really help to disabled if they have not experienced the challenges by seeing firsthand or being disabled themselves to tell their clients this is an awesome deal but it’s not right for you and here’s why this will be better for you with this company because they are more accommodating to you and your needs.
I just hope Shanes intentions weren't to orchestrate these issues for dramatization in his video. I know some people are naive but as someone that plans accessible travel everyday a google search would have turned up those answers before the trip. His van was not accessible either and with his level of mobility he was more fortunate that he could make it work.
I cruise with Azamara exclusively. Over the years I've progressed from a cane to a rollator. The accessible rooms are great. The staff is very helpful. There are few, if any, children. My one frustration is the limited number of accessible excursions.
Being a floor salesman, I can't think of another flooring product that won't be somewhat slippery, especially when wet. This, along with the easy, and cheap replacement cost is why I think they use carpet everywhere. Avoiding lawsuits, and high costs of materials are likely the two main reasons for using carpet.👍✌🗽
After my first chaotic MSC Seashore experience, it's my last to ever, even, think about boarding any of their ships! This guy's review is spot on on how they sucked at customer service!
Being a disabled person, MSC is the reason why I’ll NEVER go on another cruise. The experience on their ship was not a pleasurable experience for me, and one I don’t want to repeat. The customer service was horrible!!!!!!
I agree with 90% of things mentioned, the only thing is if he couldn’t book an accessible cabin he knew he was rolling the dice with a regular cabin, expecting the cruise co. To accommodate him when he booked a regular cabin is unreasonable . What if every accessible cabin was assigned a disabled person
Shane's experience just shows that horribly, the general world hasn't much consideration or respect for people with disabilities. That must have been extremely disappointing to him. It's sad bc surely people all over the world have disabilities. Not to mention the cruise ship itself. If you service Americans, that includes people with disabilities.
But sometimes accessible doesn't mean accessible. A friend had knee surgery and they expected her to accessible the bus without a step stool which she requested in advance on her private tour. Plus they parked so far away it was hard to get there.
I always book Msc cruises in Europe. You have to book accessible cabins far in advance because there aren’t many available. You don’t board a cruise expecting that one is given to you just because you’re disabled! When you book a tour with Msc it’s clearly written in the description on the website if the tour is accessible to disabled people, or you can just ask on the ship. This is clearly not Msc’s fault.
I do feel bad for him and others like him. Because you never really think about what they go thru. Good to bring this to peoples attention. I literally never thought about all the stuff that happened to him.
At some point there is a responsibility on both parts to determine if an experience is available to someone. One, the person making the excursions need to be upfront about what they can accommodate. Two, if the person needs accommodations, they need to do their due diligence to make sure that the excursions can accommodate their needs. Yes it is extra work. If I’m concerned about something, we ask. If it does not accommodate our needs, we don’t do it. We do not sneak attack them. Sorry I want to be on this guys side. However, this guy is looking for problems.
I would tell him to try Princess cruise. I went on my first cruise with Sky Princess a couple weeks ago and there were a lot of accessible pools and hot tubs and bathrooms throughout the ship. There were a lot of guest who were wheelchair bound, and they were enjoying their time on that ship! Going on the Sun Princess in a year, booked it but now have to work and put in OT at work! I’m working to cruise now 🤭
I’m also in a wheelchair and 80 yrs old. My husband cruise VERY frequently… but my husband and I plan for it. We DO NOT expect the public or the cruise industry to jump through hoops for us. They’re dealing with thousands and thousands of passengers who are not in a wheelchair. Those of us IN a wheelchair are still a minority. Does EVERY INDUSTRY have to make special arrangements for EVERY disabled passenger…CRUISING is not for everyone. They’re in business. If you don’t like a hotel, restaurant …you don’t go to it. You’re on a ship…on water…it can get rocky…there are stairs and elevators. If we have to abandon ship SOMEONE is going to have to carry us on their backs! Come on let’s be reasonable. WE CANNOT DO EVERYTHING…. and it’s absolutely unrealistic and unfair to others to think we can.
Respect for the old school logic. Unfortunately everything is not for everyone and people don’t understand that these days. I’ll take myself for example. I’m not the greatest swimmer so I don’t expect people to bend over backwards to give me the scuba diving experience in the middle of the ocean that I think would be cool for an Instagram picture. I signed up for scuba diving in Mexico, and when I realized in the pool that I wasn’t comfortable I didn’t ask them to make more accommodations. I just chose not to go down in the ocean because I realized I was not very good at it even though they told me I would not get a refund. I had to experience that I personally could handle unfortunately everyone is not equal and some things are not for everyone if I want to go to that scuba diving experience I might have to pay more for a private company to accommodate my needs. It sucks that he hasthe circumstances that make it such that he has to pay every time, but there are many places that just are not going to be accessible to him unless he pays extreme amount more and he can’t expect those places to change everything to fit his needs.
Fabulous response! I remember when this first came out. I swear this man made these videos purposely looking to complain. HE booked a guaranteed room 3 weeks before departure and just expected an accessible room. He did no research about the ship to find out the year it was made vs disability advantages of the ship. He rolled in blind. A real cruiser knows the newer ships have done so much to make everyone included. I’m sure his videos were made the way they were to go viral.
I feel he put himself in this situation. Do your research, and book early. I have started cruising to Europe and the cities are old, and they don't make the same allowances they do here in the states because of our laws. But I made the best of my vacations. Just my opinion. 😊
I would like Shane to know that I cruise with my 92 year old mom and 94 year old aunt. We always sail on Celebrity and they have fully accessible cabins and wheel chair lifts for the pool and hot tub. We have always been treated like royalty. They have very few kids onboard and aren't that expensive when you comsider it comes with a drink package, wifi (that sucks) and includes your gratuities. This would be a great line for you to sail with. Please Shane give them a chance to make your dreams come true.
11:40 ok, seriously, there were 72 buses at that 1 port! It’s not just that Shane has a good idea, it should have already been a thing! Even in my small city of roughly 230k people, our city buses are accessible! They kneel, and have a ramp that can be put out. There’s spaces where our seats lift designated for wheelchairs. There are floor wheel locks and a safety belt as well as a stop pull cord right at their level. I get the difference is city bus vs tour bus, but also *side eye* why couldn’t these cruises be investing in buses like that?! And why are disabled passengers essentially being “penalized” for being disabled?! Why should he have had to foot a $250 bill for a private van?! The cruise makes accessible rooms but clearly didn’t think beyond that point. Completely narrow minded and tunnel visioned. They had the foresight to have rooms but nothing beyond that (from the cruise side of things)? It really is ridiculous when you think about it! And this poor lady! My god… I’m glad Shane was able to get an accessible room. But now I have to question, what is protocol for evacuating those who are physically disabled? You can’t expect everyone to show up to the area they need to be at if something goes wrong. Carpet is already difficult to use a wheelchair on, let’s add the carpet becoming wet? A rocking boat making it unsafe for someone in a wheelchair or other mobility issues. Heck, it’s difficult for people without mobility problems to move on a heavily rocking boat. I just think about the Viking Cruise incident where things went seriously wrong! How would a person with mobility issues navigate that? I’m gonna give an example from personal observation because it’s applicable to the evacuation situation. I lived in high rise a low income building that was predominantly people who had various degrees of disabilities. The apartments in my building started on 2nd floor. First floor was designed office space and community room where a company would come in and sometimes make food for people (kinda like senior center services). But because apartments started on 2nd floor, that means in the event of a fire or tornado, a person with mobility issues would be forced to take the elevator. There were people with mobility issues on my floor (floor 8 out of 22). How are they suppose to get to safety, crawl down god knows how many stairs? Sure, the building had a very efficient sprinkler system, but that’s not the point. In the event people need to evacuate and not use stairs, what options do they have other than to wait and pray? Even for myself, while I don’t have issues with mobility, an issue I did face was if people had windows open on certain days, it would be difficult for me to open my apartment door because people’s windows being open would create a suction through the hallway. This became more of an issue during tornado warnings because for a time, there was a myth that you should open your windows to prevent them from exploding from pressure (really dumb myth. Just get to safety if you can. The tornado will do what it’s gonna do). People still believe this myth that’s been long debunked! I was in my early 20s, worked in shipping for a big box company (mainly opening freight), but my boxes could easily be 30-40lbs at times. If I’m struggling to open my door, at that age, working in that environment, imagine the elderly or those with mobility difficulties? This building was recently demolished. I guess the main point I’m getting at is, if these things are being overlooked, what else is being overlooked looked? Final thought, back to the carpet thing, there are carpets better than others. If a carpet is even mildly plush is a pain in the A**! For context, in high school we did a wheelchair exercise for a consumer science class to show the importance of accessibility. It obviously doesn’t even cover even close to the extent of what people go through! But we went outside, had to go up our very long concrete ramp, my school was also built into a hill so you have to go down hill part way, turn 90 degrees to get to the ramp that goes back up to the main entrance. Our entire school was carpeted with what I call “office carpet.” Very flat, non plush, but I can imagine if it was plush. Still, carpet isn’t hard floor and it still creates some resistance. This is the extent of my experience, but I try to be observant. As to why cruises love carpet, it dampens sound so the ship doesn’t echo and it makes it feel like a hotel. Hotels also use carpet for the same reason. It’s nice and dampens sound. When it comes to accessibility, the only lens that matters is the lens of those who these accessibility’s apply to and they shouldn’t be an after thought. Cruises have been around for a long time, it’s not like these companies have never had complaints about accessibility. I’m sure they have! They are choosing to ignore accessibility imo by doing the bare minimum. it’s almost like they want the passengers money and to say they are accessible while making everything as unaccessible as possible to the bare minimum. They keep making new ships but where’s the accessibility beyond the room? They’ve never had complaints about buses? Im sure they have! Where are they taking these complaints seriously and actually making changes either with new ships or on land? Is it because they don’t really, truly want to cater to those with accessibility needs! Highly likely! This bs happens. Bias against those with disabilities happens a lot and the ignorance around this is astounding. I’m not saying every cruise company is like this, but still, I bet it happens more than not. I get that if you don’t personally deal with accessibility needs, it’s not something you think about. Though, next time you’re on a ship, just take a look around and ask yourself if this would be accessible to someone? I do this periodically, even with products. Molly Burke made me more aware of how cosmetic companies cater to those who are blind. Some are good at it, others not so much. Never thought about how a round tube could be problematic by rolling off the table, noted! I randomly think about these things to think outside the scope of my own experience. But for these companies, they work in transportation infrastructure and systems, it should be something that is well thought out as best as possible overall, not just a room! Talking about logistics of implementation of buses, when you’re discussing a multi million or billon dollar industry, and while I know these industries are expensive to run, while you acknowledge accessible buses should happen, it also feels a bit like a dismissive by saying “well there’s XYZ and these other things and how would they do ABC.” That response, is the same thing these companies use as an excuse for bias to not implement changes. I don’t think that was your intent by any means, you’re thinking logistics and cost but to dismiss is the intent of these rich a** companies who focus more on the experience of non disabled people rather than people over all and treat those with disabilities as an afterthought and a ticket. An afterthought they can’t even really accommodate because they haven’t decided they are worth accommodating since they are the minority on board.
@ It’s not a small topic, nor will I write it off as one. If someone is going to bring this up. I will say my piece. While I don’t have a mobility disability to the extent that I seriously struggle, I do have disabilities that do affect my mobility regularly, mainly making me very sore, stiff or unbalanced, but not to the extent I can’t walk, usually. The balance issue is more like a disorientation than an issue with my joints etc. I also have arthritis in my right hip caused by a med I was on. Beyond that, I have other disabilities and have run into issues, especially as it pertains to work. I see it all the time from others in groups I’m also apart of. It’s not just accessibility that’s an issue, it’s bias, impatience and lack of understanding or care to. And what some companies use to be “efficient” sometimes hinders accessibility. And I won’t be making any sort of “but what about” excuses for a company. Again, while I think he is trying to be reasonable while also acknowledging that accessibility is an issue, there is no “what about xyz” on this topic. The cruise lines know what they are doing and they are doing it deliberately.
We have been on Royal Caribbean and the Oasis class and Anthem and they do a good job for handicap people. With that being said we would recommend that you would try Celebrity or Princess. They are more expensive than MSC and definitely don’t have as many kids. Always book a handicap room! Make sure if you are using a travel agent make sure that they book you in one. Double check what room they have booked you in by looking at the deck plan for that ship. We really haven’t found alot of cruise lines that actually offer fully accessible shore excursions. For myself and my husband who uses a mobility scooter, we have not done many things when we get off the ship except whatever is to do at the port. Good luck and keep on cruising!
The thing with each cruise line or port buying their own accessible bus, is all the handicap people might not want to do the same thing. What kind of fix would there be to accommodate everyone? Say there’s 10 people with wheelchairs, and they all want to do different things instead of one tour that say only 2 people want to do. What happens then?
You do this radical thing called "making a plan" and scheduling a route that makes the most sense for the most people. That's how disabled transportation works. You can't fit 10 wheelchairs into the same van anyway, so they would already have to make a schedule to accommodate everyone.
Aren't you missing the obvious?? An accessible van/bus does NOT need to remain idle just because it's not filled up with people who need it. Passengers without disabilities can use it too! And every line doesn't need to buy one -just one of the major tour operators. All the various ships in port can sell space on it. This is really not a difficult situation to resolve -unless you take the attitude that "it's a small number of passengers" or "it's not profitable." In other words, this can be sorted out easily -if you have a mind to do it.
Yep. So many opinions about accessible transport by people who have never even seen these vehicles, let alone ridden in one. I use a wheeled walker and take disabled transit often. The seats all fold down, so the bus is able to accommodate a mix of people in wheelchairs, people who use walkers (the walkers are tied down and we sit in the regular seats), and any caregivers who accompany a disabled passenger. If no disabled passengers are there to need this van on a particular day, it's still able to take at least a dozen able-bodied people to wherever it is they're going (or more if the bus is large enough). There's no excuse for treating that woman in Shane's video like a sack of flour. Cruise passengers who are disabled deserve every bit the same degree of courtesy and dignity that an able-bodied passenger would expect.
Those buses can be outfitted with wheelchair lifts. I used one way back in 2018 to go to Toronto Airport. It's absolutely inexcusable for there to be that many buses and not one has a lift.
The part of the video where Shane says there’s 72 buses in the lot and none of them have chair lifts or any way for someone in a wheelchair to get in there beyond what they were doing to that woman in the clip, I thought it was ridiculous. They could surely get 1 bus that has the chair lifts or put one on. I mean other countries have people in wheelchairs right?
I am shocked and appalled by seeing this video and the treatment of the disabled there’s no excuse why I boss cannot be handicap assessable at a port to see a person have to be carried on thank you for bringing us to the attention of many disabled and non-disabled individuals to see the challenges That we have face ..
At first thought I figured that the cruise lines use carpet for an esthetic type reason but then I was thinking maybe it helps with sound also. Thanks for the great video!
I think the investment in kneeling buses or vans is a great idea. Cruise ships know who their disabled passengers are and they do keep track (sort of) of the excursions, when you go down to your excursion they can already radio ahead that they need one. Investing in a company that provides this is a great idea. It beats getting horrible reviews.
I have felt this on many levels have to use mobility devices now. I feel the same way visiting RCL private island Coco Cay. I planned the whole trip but there are few places to eat that are accessible, then getting to the beach someone would have to push me in a manual chair. Why not just have a small walkway to beach, the shops, beach beds, etc. I just sat around riding and stayed in the kids area. My sister stayed with me the whole time not wanting me to be by myself, but they can do better. It is not hard, or expensive to do just a little extra. Because disable people spend a lot of money traveling also.
I tried to book a cruise for my husband and I and we’re both wheelchair accessible people and it is so hard to book unless it’s almost 18 months in advance because those rooms go first. We have ourselves my husband needs two people and he is a hoyer lift it cost us $50,000.00 to go to Hawaii but because of the accommodation I gave up it’s my husband wishlist
I took a cruise of Greek Islands with Hollander America. Greece is not regulated by the American ADA law. What they consider “accessible” is no where close to the standards in America. I typically book tours through the cruise line. “Easy” is typically a panoramic tour on a bus. That seems to be a universal standard. However, when you got to a “ moderate” designation of the tour, often, it was the equivalent of a “strenuous” tour in the Caribbean or United States. For example, one tour was considered “moderate” but to get to the town square of Santorini from where you were left off, you had to walk up a steep hill for 3 blocks. This was difficult for passengers with walkers, canes or just out of shape. It did say the tour was not wheelchair accessible. I did find out that at each port, Holland America had at least one tour that was handicapped/ wheelchair accessible. Yes, the tour was much more expensive, but had a van that could actually take individuals into the bus by a lift. We didn’t need a wheelchair lift, but others on our tour did. This van was able to take us straight to the town square and the tour guide took us on a slower pace, even stopped at places with handicapped bathrooms. In the end, a much more enjoyable tour than the tour we originally booked that indicated you would have to walk on steep streets. Whether handicapped or not, travelers should research their destinations and if taking a tour ( from the ship or privately) should book the tour as much in advance as possible so they are not disappointed if the “easy” or handicapped accessible tours are sold out.
I appreciate seeing things through his eyes because everything requires so much effort. And small things that i may take for granted, are a big deal for others. I hope he can go on adults only, off tourist season and have some fun.
As someone who coordinated with the cruise ship industry for shuttles and tours for a number of years in Western Australia, I can confirm that our buses and coaches all had wheelchair accessibility / facility. However, passengers who had a motorised gopher or quadriplegic wheelchair (non standard) would have to provide their own transport. This was undertaken by way of a “wheelchair taxi’ which could handle non-standard electric mobility transport. If the passenger made us aware that they had special needs then we would have this special vehicle ready and available for them. We would also advise them of any places on tours that they would not be able to visit due to their special needs so that they could plan what tours they were happy to buy tickets for. I stress the impetus on “If I was made aware…” because quite often passengers would just expect to visit a port and everything be ready for them without letting us know that they needed something! I’m glad I don’t do this any more as I’ve learnt that no matter the lengths you go to or what you do, someone is always going to be unhappy about something. ☹️
I am a caregiver (pca) for two wonderful gentlemen ( one a para with func😂ton of one hand, and the other a quadriplegic) who I would love to be able to take them with me on a cruise. NCL has a dedicated care team, and I see stair chairs located outside staterooms of guests in wheelchairs. Some of their shore ex are dedicated mobility impaired tours. Venice, although wonderful, would be a horror show for someone mobility or very visually handicapped. There are a few logistical things to work out yet, but I really hope to take these guys on a cruise so they can see some of world and have some fun. Both are younger than me, 60 and 65, and both have retired recently. Any suggestions or advice would greatly be appreciated.
The carpet is because in the event of the ship listing or experiencing extreme weather carpet provides far better footing then any slick tile or hardwood surface. Once those surfaces are wet it become a skating rink and a major liability for the cruise line. In my opinion this is the reason for carpet throughout the majority of the ship. It’s purely a saftey thing !
I dont see how this is a problem. We were in Hawaii in 2023 and the buses all had chair lifts in the rear of the bus. They were loaded on first then everyone else were allowed to load. A 10 minute process. DO BETTER PEOPLE!!! IT AINT HARD!!
Even with the chair lift he need a bed where the hoyerlift could fit I under to operate properly it tiki three people to get him in and out of his chair. We travel with at least eight people and it’s very expensive and I have had several travel agents including my sister in law.
I book cruises during hurricane season when the kids are in school, and I try to book 9+ days so only people that can take 2 weeks off work are going to be onboard. I got some awesome deals booking 1-2 weeks before Thanksgiving on weekday voyages. When I lived in FL my trick was to get cruises direct from the cruise line rep true last minute, under 24 hr before the embarkation, I lived 15 min from the port and always had a carry on packed.
I just got back from cruising with Royal Caribbean. They were very accommodating for disabled passengers. I had an accessible room it was Hugh. I had a scooter and everywhere I went I had no problem. The ports of call were equipped with ramps and there was a bus equipped for wheelchairs and scooters. Try them. However, Royal is really for families. Very little quite time
It would be the major tour operators who would run accessible tours. It would be a small group excursion, and need to be priced accordingly, or just have the accessible busses where they can take a couple wheelchairs.
Although my heart goes out to Shane and the physical difficulties he endures, I do not hold MSC responsible for the cruise fiasco. Fault lays with the booking agent, who assured Shane he had an "Accessible Cabin". Fault also lays with Shane for booking a cruise 2-3 weeks before sailing without doing thorough research on the cruise itinerary and port excursions. Sad he spent so much money and didn't thoroughly enjoy his cruise. A costly lesson learned but now Shane knows to book a cruise months to a year in advance as the "Accessible Cabins" are in demand and will be filled quickly.
So many comments excusing a billionaire company and blaming the customer. If he had booked 3 years in advance, it would've change the fact that he cannot use the pool? Or that there wasn't any acessible bus? Of course not, every time people excuse rich companies they keep doing it and care less about the clients. Who needs a good PR, when you have disabled customers excusing your company for not doing the minimum?
I don't think they are blaming him but his video may discourage some people from Cruising which overall I think has much better consistency as far as accessibility than land based options. Dude had to be naive to think Tunisia was going to be accessible.
Want to point out I don't blame him, but: 1. Don (from Don's family vacation) dug deeper. Supposedly he used a TA who booked him in a studio cabin and told him to send the disability form, and Shane thought that he would get a proper cabin. He booked within 60 days. Has to book early and book an accessible cabin. 100% on TA. 2. Unfortunately ships only need to comply with laws where they're flagged. Not to say that is a good excuse, but it is what it is. 3. Excursions, need to read the whole description it will tell you if it isn't recommended for people with accessible needs. There are specific tours that cater to accessible needs, they tend to sellout very early as soon as a year before the cruise. 4. Historical UNESCO type cities are mostly not accessible. For example I live in PR and Old San Juan is about 80% not accessible. The sidewalks are barely able to fit a wheelchair. There are not a lot of ramps, sidewalks are 12" above the street (gutters where the sanitary pipes) plus most streets are paved with cobble stones, not fit for wheelchairs. Carpets are installed, as an engineer pretty sure is for the acoustics and help minimize noise. Again the TA is to blame for most of issues especially if TA knew it was his first cruise.
My partner lost his foot earlier this year. Our last cruise was October '23. No, the foot damage wasn't from the cruise!! Type II unfortunately. He has a prosthetic, still uncertain using it, but that's an option going forward... I imagine we'll be bringing the chair AND the left foot in future.
One of the benefits of carpet is that is dampens the noise. A lot of newer hotels are starting to move away from carpet, so I wouldn’t be surprised if cruise lines followed suit.
If he had called MSC himself, booked and requested a handicap accessible room, he would have got one. It bad to leave a bad review for the cruise line because true handicap rooms are booked at least a year out, not a few weeks prior to sail.
Travelling is difficult, even on peoples without physical disabilities. I just came back for a horrible trip to Paris and the surrounding region yesterday. The metro in Paris center often have the tiniest doors when transferring from different lines and they open and close violently. Even if one had a suitcase and not a wheelchair, some gates were hard to squeeze through. It's a big problem downtown, and in the outskirts there were more elevators and such, but there is really nothing to see in the outskirts of Paris. It's sad to say that theses older European destinations, until they update their systems to be more inclusive and pleasant to visit, are indeed over-rated to visit, even with their high historic and cultural value. Better to be on a beach somewhere warm, where it's safe and easy for everyone.
Cruising with a disability has changed greatly in the past 30 years! In the 90s you were pretty much on your own, no matter what kind of disability you had. Today it isn't perfect, but much better. Heck I remember when Carnival would just put a chunk of wood at the door frame to make supposedly accessible. Unfortunately some travel agents and even cruise line booking staff don't necessarily understand different disabilities require different accommodations. For example placing a visually impaired person in a chair accessible room!! If one isn't a cruise savvy traveler, I strongly suggest using a travel agent that specializes in the field. Not only will they be aware of what ships have what accommodations, but port info also. What I would love to see, accessible cabins placed mid ship, especially on those overgrown mega ships. Which would make everything relatively close. Mini parking lots on the ship near the MDR and such places, as well as on floors with cabins, that a scooter could be parked and charging. The number of people who don't use a chair/scooter all the time is growing!! These people can walk short distances, but not far enough to get around the larger ships. This would allow them to use regular cabins, freeing up the accessible cabins for full time chair users. Accessibility at ports, OMG that can be a nightmare. The things I've seen over the years, especially when it was a tender port. There is a relatively easy and economical, fix for some ports. The current Mexico tax fiasco has proven the major cruise lines will pull together when there is an issue that affects all of them. Accessible tours does affect each of these cruise lines as well. If they would pull together to partner with one or two tour companies, to have accessible vans/busses, it could be economically feasible for a tour company to do it. The trick would be, is that the person may need to book their tour when booking their cruise. That way the tour company would know in advance how many people, from which ships. They could possibly even service two ships in one day, if there was only one or two from each ship, by staggering the pick up time by 30 minutes.
Haha I was hoping would notice😅 I was wondering why it felt so weird while recording and I assumed it was the just the mic on my collar but then I took a closer look when editing but unfortunately the video was already done. I had reached the point of no return 😂
I’ve not seen any problems on RCCL, but I’m using a cane not a chair. The only handicapped issue I have experienced is with passengers cruising with their electric wheelchairs/scooters also participating in the Bellyflop contest. I don’t usually comment on others with handicaps, as not all handicap issues are visible, but to participate in a contest like the bellyflop seems too much of a stretch and makes the average passenger question the validity of passengers with disabilities. This is just my opinion, I’m glad that RCCL is in charge of the topic and handles each passenger individually.
I'm a certified accessible travel advocate/luxury travel advisor. My first thought is why would he book his first cruise without doing any research? I would have NEVER booked him in this stateroom or on this itinerary. We have a list of accessible suppliers around the world that we work directly with. We would have confirmed all of his accessible accommodations and excursions before even taking his payment. We would have confirmed them 2-3 times before his departure. In fact, we would send accessible transportation to his home/from the airport. He should take this as a lesson learned. Accessibility is crucial for him. He should never forgo that for the sake of saving a few bucks.
Tunisia is Level 4 Do Not Travel. Shane, would you visit someplace so dangerous? Why did you not practice any due diligence to know the cruise line's reputation, or the realities of booking last minute?
Tunisia is a mainstay package deal holiday location for many people in Europe, just look up tui and you will see them offering packages all the time. I dont know what Level 4 is refering to and which nation gives that rating. But the UK Gov has 3 areas for Tunisia, The Border to Libya is a no go, and the border to Algeria only recommended on a must need basis. While Rest of nation is generally considered okay to visit.
@@scorg Level 4 is from the U.S. Department of State. I did not realize that Tunisia is a popular vacation spot, thank you. From an American perspective, we are not accustomed to having terrorist groups a short distance away. Not to mention the filthy facilities.
This is so sad to see. I know when we have been to Europe there have been many places that I repeatedly thought were not very accessible at all. Carpet is less slippery than other kinds of flooring, and it also is a noise dampener so those would be the my guess a to why the ships have so much carpeting.
Hey Jay, I don’t think all the cruise line companies need to buy their own vans for a city, but if they ALL chipped in to purchase one or two for a city and share it. Then follow through for the excursion if you will need it or not.
I have hundreds of people per year asking me to plan and book their vacations for them, I feel for you, I wish I could do it full time and help less experienced people plan and facilitate vacations best suited for their expectations.
omg, I feel physically sick watching them trying to load that woman on the bus. I only hope MSC will move to correct this immediately or stop taking peoples' money when they can't properly accommodate them.
Does MSC have any control over the vans and buses that are being used for the excursions? I’m genuinely asking because I was under the impression that the excursions were all done through companies that are not run by the cruise. Edit to add: the way that woman was treated is terrible and I don’t think it’s ok. I just don’t know what the cruise company can do to rectify the situation
@@owenclifton7052if he was able to find the wheelchair van himself, msc could have hired it for the wheelchair users aboard as a reasonable accommodation
The excursion companies are outsourced. It is up to the cruise line to accurately describe the limitations involved. Imo it was Shane’s agent who was to blame by not ensuring he had an accessible cabin from the start.
@@owenclifton7052 And the disabled are going to have to do thorough research before venturing out. There is no way that poor lady was going to get on that bus.
@@owenclifton7052 At the end of the day MSC does have control over which excursions are sold on board MSC ships or via their website. While they do outsource, they are choosing the companies they're outsourcing to and specify the terms for the tender for those third party companies to bid on. If MSC wanted that every bus used in one of "their" excursions is accessible, they could make this one of the requirements in the tender and only contract companies who can guarantee that. MSC just choses not to insist on it.
There's no excuse for the bus company to tell him the bus was accessible when it wasn't. This is a huge problem all over, in all sorts of venues - restaurants, shops, etc. They'll claim to be accessible, and when you get there, there are steps up, or the restroom is on a level with no elevator, and the like. They need to be honest.
All the companies get together, use their data to find out how many passengers they average with disabilities, then work with their excursion partners to finance transportation that could accommodate disabled travelers. They could also use surveys to find out which excursions their disabled passengers are interested in, add a disability friendly symbol beside the excursion description. There are reasonable solutions, just needs a little effort.
ALWAYS USE A TRAVEL AGENT =) we have one who literally called and text us while on a cruise because Southwest was cancelling flights and got us a car rental so we were able to get home - Christmas 2023. She is a friend for life now. Use an agent
I chose “easy” excursions and they weren’t easy. I pushed my roommate up and down hills to go on a train ride. How was that easy? We went to a wildlife park that had steps to go down. The ground was sand and rocks. Not passable pushing a wheelchair. I went and saw everything. She was helped up a step just to get into the gift shop. Even stores often had a step into their shops and tight aisles.
When I was on P&O (this is Carnival UK btw) during the summer, we had a port visit to Civitavecchia and one of the tours on offer was a Rome in a day for wheelchair users. It sold out before I was even onboard. First thought was, great that they offer this, second was, they dont have many places, but the third was, you charging more then double then that of the regular tour visit to Rome! I'm also the same, thinking about the logisitics issues over every cruise line owning a bus. Where would they keep this, would they hire a person to run this once per week if they only have a limited shedule (Carnival UK for instance with P&O and Cunard would be Once maybe twice in a week at best, maybe 3 weeks depending on where Azura and Victoria are) Although MSC likely will have 4 ships per week going in so maybe in theory they could.
Especially when you know you have a specific need. All I hear is that line from Finding Nemo, "You think that you can do these things, but you can't" 😂
ASK YOUR QUESTIONS FOR SHANE HERE!👇
BOOK YOUR NEXT CRUISE WITH US!🚢
www.luxrallytravel.com/influencers/bookwithj?referral_src=yt_385_2V1VE9lQ59w
Such a wonderful, patient man. I hope MSC made everything right by him. I did enjoy a recent cruise with MSC. They were wonderful people. My roommate is also one who has need of accessibility. They were so accommodating and kind. She did not get off at ports we had been to previously. And I was delighted to keep her company. Hope some day in the future we can all cruise together.
lol. You know most of us need a travel agent 😂😂😂. I know ima need ya when I get closer and after lil more research 😅😅😅. Love your content!! Can’t wait to ‘work’ with you on my very first cruise!!🚢
Edit::::: I didn’t send a text message but I changed my number so will have to shoot another one ~
You should reach out to “Accessibility with Aspen Sage” she’s a traveler with disabilities and has done numerous cruises.
There is much that we can improve in the US but we do have the ADA. AMERICAN being the operative word here. Unfortunately what we have come to expect as far as accessibility in the US doesn't extend to other countries. However, the cruise lines should adhere to the ADA standards no matter where their ships are registered.
In following Shane's trip, I think that I (and others) noticed a lot of "first timer" mistakes that often aren't big issues for us, but were magnified here due to Shane's wheelchair.
So assuming that Shane goes on another cruise - what did he learn that he would do differently, apart from what he mentioned in his conclusion? Would a city/country's accessibility standards (or lack thereof) be a factor in booking his next trip?
MSC was not to blame, his agent was totally at fault for not ensuring he had an accessible cabin. I use a scooter and often need to book a year or more in advance. Research for your destinations is also required. If accessible tours are required check with private companies to ensure they have what you require or prepare to enjoy an almost empty ship.
MSC is a company owned by billionaires, but you still think is acceptable for you to book 1 year or more in advance to not bother the billionaire to get better accessibility. SO yes, MSC is not the problem. People like YOU is the problem.
@samanthaabreu782 it's not about bothering the billionaire, there are a limited number of rooms so if you don't book it fast enough in advance, there might not be any left
@@samanthaabreu782 found the snowflake
I agree with you if he was going through a booking agent. It is their responsibility to know what his limitations are, and to make sure that the room was 100% accessible. Not trying to be negative, but some disabled people think that the world revolves around them and that everything should be handicapped accessible. As Jay said earlier, a lot of these countries have been around for thousands of years and they're just not handicap accessible when we take excursions, it clearly says that there's a lot of uneven surfaces, cobble street roads and that if you have any kind of walking disabilities and limitations that this excursion is not for you..
@@samanthaabreu782 EACH TOUR OPERATOR WHEN THEY GET CONTRACT FOR THE TOURS FOR THAT YEAR PUT IN THEIR BROCHURES THAT THE TOURS ARE NOT MADE FOR ANY DISABLED PEOPLE!!! YET THE CRUISE LINE SELLS THEM THESE TOURS AGAINST OUR WARNING!!! THE LINE IS THE GOD DAMN PROBLEM AND THIS IS COMING FROM ME, AN AGENT FOR 30 PLUS YEARS FOR ALL CRUISE LINES COMING TO MY CARIBBEAN ISLAND!!!
STFU
He booked last minute and horrible travel agent. That was the issue
His travel agent did not do a good job. I know people who travels to Europe frequently and was told multiple times to go in the fall or spring. My first trip to Europe was pleasant for following that advice. I felt his travel agent did not give appropriate advice and I hope he never uses that person again.
Either the TA or MSC should have then told him that no accessible cabin is available and they unfortunately can not offer him a cruise at the moment. Certainly not an ideal answer, but a truthful answer and it would have prevented a lot of issues.
We do take our legs for granted , don’t we.
QUESTION FOR SHANE? As a quadriplegic wheelchair user and travel agent for Expedia Cruises since 2017 with over a million in sales, I would like to inquire about the level of research Shane conducted prior to this interview. This is not intended to criticize him in any way. The initial search results for all destinations followed by “wheelchair” often lead to many forums and posts indicating limited accessibility. While I appreciate his storytelling abilities, I cannot help but suspect that the negative interactions were intentional to raise awareness. As a resident of Florida who deals with accessibility challenges in my local community, I find it difficult to believe that he is unaware of the varying levels of accessibility across different countries, especially considering the challenges he faces in his own country. I eagerly anticipate the upcoming Zoom call and would appreciate it if you could pose this question to him. Thank you for bringing this issue to the forefront through THE SHIPLIFE!
Kind of gross that you, as a fellow disabled person, are more focused on blaming Shane rather than the cruise line. We should be able to access all the same things everyone else can and book when everyone else can book.
This will be interesting to hear his answers. I even though I am not in a wheelchair, I still review all excursions because I can't walk for long periods of time. 😊
I have a friend who owns and runs a b&b in Italy. To install disability access for every would end up with her closing. She could not afford such an investment, with without huge increase in rates to pay off the financial costs.
Thank you for saying so eloquently what I was thinking. However, I will add Shame on Shane.
I think we're all interested in what he has to say. It's probable that we'll learn that he made a few (or more than a few) "first timer" mistakes, and how that got magnified due to being in a wheelchair. So what will be interesting to see is what he's learned, and how that gets applied to his travels in the future.
He was fortunate to finally get an accessibility cabin. We booked one for my mom to find when we got onboard a last minute switch “ upgrade “ from an inside accessibility cabin to a balcony non- accessibility cabin!! It was all the way aft! They used her previous deck 3 for new crew to quarantine during Covid times.Royal promised to correct the issue after leaving port! Nope! They offered a wheelchair for her because too far to walk with her walker! She could not get a shower chair in nor her walker into the tiny bathroom- I had to get up early from my cabin to assist her all day. They never apologized nor helped correct the issue. It was so hard for me to wheelchair her around the ship for meals etc!! They said no guarantee of any booked cabin. Had she fallen, I guess I’d have a case- glad she made it but I was a wreck at the end!
It is good to know this type of thing. I always thought it would be accessible just because a good part of their public are elderly people and they usually have mobility issues in a higher rate. Royal Caribbean should re think their choices regarding the accessibility on their experiences
Many countries don't have a lot of resources for people with disabilities and aren't very handicap friendly. We are really blessed in that aspect here in the USA.
In their mentality, handicap means stay at home!
I feel that even in the United States we are lacking big time. Ever look how many accessible excursions are on a Canada and New England Cruise? Unfortunately none even in the US ports. If he did just a little bit better research he should have been able to find a wheelchair accessible excursion in those ports in Europe. I hope his content brings more awareness of this issue. Some of these mega ships have 40+ handicap rooms but no infrastructure for us to participate off of the boat.
Thank goodness for the ADA although it doesn't cover everything very well. It also needs to be updated!
ITS NOT THE GOD DAMN COUNTRIES FAULT CRUISE LINES ARE SELLING TICKETS TO PEOPLE WHO CANNOT HANDLE SUCH TOURS!!!! YOU IN A DAMN WHEELCHAIR AND WANT TO GO ON ATV TOUR? CATAMARAN TOUR WHEN YOU HAVE TO STEP ONTO A BOAT FROM A DOCK ETC ETC?! BLAME THE LINE!!! NOT THE COUNTRY!
Sadly, a lot of countries see people with disabilities as a burden. I watched a video of a Korean man living in South Korea show what It's like to get on the bus with his wheelchair. He had other Koreans yelling at him because the bus driver had to get out of the seat and help him, since the buses are not modified for wheelchairs. The same man then visited the US and saw how fast and easy it was to get on a bus, and no one yelled at him. South Korea has the resources to make the country disabled friendly, but they don't.
He picked the wrong cruise line. His expectations are closer to a US based so Celebrity or Virgin etc...
It is all about the
$$$$.
I am a homebound disabled old lady, and i am grateful that the US has the Americans with Disabilities Act. I want to enjoy life during the last years of my life. Even though we are protected by federal law, issues do come up. But, generally, things work out, or we have the right to receive compensation, and the offending company can be held accountable. But, the minute you leave the US, those rights and protections are no longer valid. You always need to research the options for not only general disabilities but also your specific requirements. And, of course, you need to know what rights people with disabilities have wherever you are going.
We might have the right to receive compensation but very rarely do we.
@Creativekylie
I had a close friend who had muscular dystrophy, and he was in a large wheelchair. He was also a major Nascar fan. ( I am, too, lol). He went to as many tracks as he could. But, after arriving at one track, he found that the parking and into the track were not handicapped accessable. He took them to court, and trust me, when he was "on a mission," he never surrendered. He won a lot of money, which he declined to take. He donated the money to the track to make it "super" accessible to people with disabilities. He went back 2 years later, and he was able to get in and watch the race. He passed away at age 41, and I still miss our weekends glued to the TV watching all different Nascar series races. He was a one of a kind.
Exactly! They need a Disabilitues Act in Europe but done have Kingdom's not Democratic.
Question: why was the point that msc requires 30 day notice for accommodation issues and he book only 3 weeks before the sailing date, he completely dismissed the explanation? Also why is he not blaming the person that booked the cruise for the issues? I felt bad for the guy until someone told me msc’s policy. I agreed with so much of what he said in your first video with him, until I found out he expected extra treatment and did not follow the policies in order to accommodate.
Exactly! There are forms that cruise lines require well in advance so the cruise lines know what wheelchair you are bringing and what accommodations you require. Some cruise lines have stopped letting disabled passengers aboard if they have submitted proper paperwork on time.
He stated that he completed the required forms
MSC took his money. That makes it partially their responsibility. Also this was his first cruise so he deserves some grace.
Too late; 30 day notice required.
@@Santiago-in1xf He’s a quadriplegic. I don’t know for how long. But any wheelchair user knows that if they are going to travel on any form of public transportation, they have to plan details in advance. Nothing can be assumed. I don’t believe that he doesn’t know that.
My Mom loves the newer Celebrity ships. We could not find an issue anywhere, when is comes to accessibility, even had a lift for the hot tub lol. Automatic doors everywhere and every time she would go into the buffet, a crew member would come to help her within seconds to gather her food and carry her plate.
Our grandson is in an electric wheelchair. He has only sailed with us on Royal. I always spoke to someone at the excursion desk on-board and they arranged for an accessible van, which are very limited in Mexico and the islands.
Have you been on RC Vision of The Seas or been to Bermuda? I'll be sailing for a family reunion and many of the elders will have scooters. I'm wondering if anyone's had issues on that trip.
So this guy booked his cruise maybe 2 weeks prior to the sailing with a travel agent who said his room would be fine. Most these ships have but maybe a couple dozen accessible cabins if that. Most of those are sold within weeks of a particular sailing going up for booking ie at least a year or more out. Any TA worth using should know that.
As far as excursions go the cruise lines probably need to do a better job with the descriptions of if something is accessible or not. Most these tours are by contracted local vendors so maybe if they can’t have all activities accessible at least provide an option or two.
I have been on cruise ships with my dad who 100% wheelchair bound. The problem with shore excursions that are accessible is they are way over price. If you’re lucky to be in an area where there is a wheelchair accessible taxi then that would be the cheapest putting you in the areas most accessible. Europe is a great example of over priced excursions and wheelchair accessible excursions in Europe can be 3x to 5x the amount of a regular cruise. Nassau we use a van company that had more seats than we need and brought us to Atlantis and back. There are places that make it hard for wheelchair individuals a hard time to get around. But my dad is a vet cruiser with a wheelchair and the best cruise line for wheelchairs is Celebrity. The most popular bar has one side for lower none high chair stools where you can use a ramp. Best spot for my dad. He never thought he was going to ever be at a normal height at a bar again until celebrity.
I don't think the accessible transportation is a cruise line expense. The tour operators would be on the hook for that.
Should of researched first in that situation
Oh yeah as someone with the disability and being able to Google those destinations seems like he did not prepare at all!
We had a similar problem in Costa Rica, the bus was overbooked and wanted us to put a wheelchair passenger on the bus by herself while her husband and the 2 of us on another bus! There was no accessibility for a wheelchair passenger and while 3 people gave up their seats and got on the 2nd bus, this coach had 4 steps to climb and the entire situation was not acceptable! HAL got an earful about this on the comment card and it's my hope, things will change next time they visit this port!
This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. My husband and I love to travel, but I have to do a lot of research when it comes to accessibility. The cruise ships, ports, hotels, airlines and excursions. You have to ask and then follow up and ask again. Then cross your fingers and hope it all works out. I wish he had tried RCL, NCL, Celebrity or VV as we have found them to be very accessible. Although the carpet is obnoxious and don't get me started on trying to get down the hallways on the first and last night with luggage in the hallways.
Your conclusion is absolutely correct. I am a person with a mobility impairment who uses a wheelchair and my husband and I take the very things you say into consideration when speaking to travel agents and booking a cruise: Is the cruise line (and the time of year/itinerary) we are considering more oriented toward adults or towards families? Is it more mainstream or premium/luxury? Is the ship we are looking at large or medium/small? How recently was the ship built or refurbished? These questions can help us build an itinerary on a cruise ship that will suit our interests and my needs as someone with a mobility impairment. We have found that, while expensive, the luxury cruise lines, with their smaller ships and older demographic, as well as the ship within a ship Haven type experiences, work better for us. We also enjoy longer voyages with more sea days, giving me time to rest between ports. Finally, booking during the off season, when ships are a little less crowded with families and the weather is not as hot, helps us enjoy the experience all the more. As for the excursions, we just had this happen (not for the first time) on an excursion booked via NCL on St. Thomas. Described as accessible if you use a collapsible wheelchair. We double-checked with the Haven concierge, who seemed pleased this would work for us. Once on the ground in St. Thomas, the excursion was on open-air safari vans. There was no room for my collapsible wheelchair in the van We were left at the port after having waited in the heat for almost an hour. The NCL excursion rep was semi-apologetic, and told us our money would be refunded into our account. We advised the concierge that the excursion was not as described. In the end, during this entire cruise (five ports), there was only one wheelchair accessible excursion available. We paid for taxis in some ports and stayed on the ship in others.
My Mom had a walking disability. Although my family could understand some things not being wheelchair accessible, they NEED to ADVERTISE that fact when selling the port excursions. Make it clear that there will be steps or narrow passages that do NOT fit assistive devices. Otherwise it is frustrating to try to make it work unexpectedly and without future planning and does make those with disabilities stop having experiences and the quality of life they deserve. I am so proud of Shane for not letting this stop him from getting out and living life. Not letting his fears of unexpected obstacles stop him is wonderful.
Jay, how many travel agents are truly understanding and able to really help to disabled if they have not experienced the challenges by seeing firsthand or being disabled themselves to tell their clients this is an awesome deal but it’s not right for you and here’s why this will be better for you with this company because they are more accommodating to you and your needs.
I just hope Shanes intentions weren't to orchestrate these issues for dramatization in his video. I know some people are naive but as someone that plans accessible travel everyday a google search would have turned up those answers before the trip. His van was not accessible either and with his level of mobility he was more fortunate that he could make it work.
I cruise with Azamara exclusively. Over the years I've progressed from a cane to a rollator. The accessible rooms are great. The staff is very helpful. There are few, if any, children. My one frustration is the limited number of accessible excursions.
Being a floor salesman, I can't think of another flooring product that won't be somewhat slippery, especially when wet. This, along with the easy, and cheap replacement cost is why I think they use carpet everywhere. Avoiding lawsuits, and high costs of materials are likely the two main reasons for using carpet.👍✌🗽
After my first chaotic MSC Seashore experience, it's my last to ever, even, think about boarding any of their ships! This guy's review is spot on on how they sucked at customer service!
@@obbie1osias467 I do agree that the customer service wasn't good.
Being a disabled person, MSC is the reason why I’ll NEVER go on another cruise. The experience on their ship was not a pleasurable experience for me, and one I don’t want to repeat. The customer service was horrible!!!!!!
@@sylviaennis1243 Don't give up, I am sure there's a cruise line that can accommodate your special needs.
I agree with 90% of things mentioned, the only thing is if he couldn’t book an accessible cabin he knew he was rolling the dice with a regular cabin, expecting the cruise co. To accommodate him when he booked a regular cabin is unreasonable . What if every accessible cabin was assigned a disabled person
Shane's experience just shows that horribly, the general world hasn't much consideration or respect for people with disabilities. That must have been extremely disappointing to him. It's sad bc surely people all over the world have disabilities. Not to mention the cruise ship itself. If you service Americans, that includes people with disabilities.
But sometimes accessible doesn't mean accessible. A friend had knee surgery and they expected her to accessible the bus without a step stool which she requested in advance on her private tour. Plus they parked so far away it was hard to get there.
I'm
I cant twll you how many non handicap people ive seen book a handi room. The cruise line doesnt ask any verification
Bravo to You and Shane for shining a light on this problem. Hopefully the Cruise lines will get on board with the needed changes. 🤞
I always book Msc cruises in Europe. You have to book accessible cabins far in advance because there aren’t many available. You don’t board a cruise expecting that one is given to you just because you’re disabled! When you book a tour with Msc it’s clearly written in the description on the website if the tour is accessible to disabled people, or you can just ask on the ship. This is clearly not Msc’s fault.
He literally did the paperwork to receive a disabled cabin. Why would he think that he wouldn't receive one?
I do feel bad for him and others like him. Because you never really think about what they go thru. Good to bring this to peoples attention. I literally never thought about all the stuff that happened to him.
At some point there is a responsibility on both parts to determine if an experience is available to someone. One, the person making the excursions need to be upfront about what they can accommodate. Two, if the person needs accommodations, they need to do their due diligence to make sure that the excursions can accommodate their needs. Yes it is extra work. If I’m concerned about something, we ask. If it does not accommodate our needs, we don’t do it. We do not sneak attack them. Sorry I want to be on this guys side. However, this guy is looking for problems.
I would tell him to try Princess cruise. I went on my first cruise with Sky Princess a couple weeks ago and there were a lot of accessible pools and hot tubs and bathrooms throughout the ship. There were a lot of guest who were wheelchair bound, and they were enjoying their time on that ship! Going on the Sun Princess in a year, booked it but now have to work and put in OT at work! I’m working to cruise now 🤭
I’m also in a wheelchair and 80 yrs old. My husband cruise VERY frequently… but my husband and I plan for it. We DO NOT expect the public or the cruise industry to jump through hoops for us. They’re dealing with thousands and thousands of passengers who are not in a wheelchair. Those of us IN a wheelchair are still a minority. Does EVERY INDUSTRY have to make special arrangements for EVERY disabled passenger…CRUISING is not for everyone. They’re in business. If you don’t like a hotel, restaurant …you don’t go to it. You’re on a ship…on water…it can get rocky…there are stairs and elevators. If we have to abandon ship SOMEONE is going to have to carry us on their backs! Come on let’s be reasonable. WE CANNOT DO EVERYTHING…. and it’s absolutely unrealistic and unfair to others to think we can.
Respect for the old school logic. Unfortunately everything is not for everyone and people don’t understand that these days. I’ll take myself for example. I’m not the greatest swimmer so I don’t expect people to bend over backwards to give me the scuba diving experience in the middle of the ocean that I think would be cool for an Instagram picture. I signed up for scuba diving in Mexico, and when I realized in the pool that I wasn’t comfortable I didn’t ask them to make more accommodations. I just chose not to go down in the ocean because I realized I was not very good at it even though they told me I would not get a refund. I had to experience that I personally could handle unfortunately everyone is not equal and some things are not for everyone if I want to go to that scuba diving experience I might have to pay more for a private company to accommodate my needs. It sucks that he hasthe circumstances that make it such that he has to pay every time, but there are many places that just are not going to be accessible to him unless he pays extreme amount more and he can’t expect those places to change everything to fit his needs.
Fabulous response!
I remember when this first came out. I swear this man made these videos purposely looking to complain. HE booked a guaranteed room 3 weeks before departure and just expected an accessible room. He did no research about the ship to find out the year it was made vs disability advantages of the ship. He rolled in blind. A real cruiser knows the newer ships have done so much to make everyone included.
I’m sure his videos were made the way they were to go viral.
NCL Joy as the worst for disabled. Rooms dirty , hallways blocked with large carts . Was discussing.
I hope not, my clients are on there now! Did you go after the refurbishment?
I feel he put himself in this situation. Do your research, and book early. I have started cruising to Europe and the cities are old, and they don't make the same allowances they do here in the states because of our laws. But I made the best of my vacations. Just my opinion. 😊
I would like Shane to know that I cruise with my 92 year old mom and 94 year old aunt. We always sail on Celebrity and they have fully accessible cabins and wheel chair lifts for the pool and hot tub. We have always been treated like royalty. They have very few kids onboard and aren't that expensive when you comsider it comes with a drink package, wifi (that sucks) and includes your gratuities. This would be a great line for you to sail with. Please Shane give them a chance to make your dreams come true.
I strongly suggest that he cruise on Princess. Princess is very wheelchair accessible.
11:40 ok, seriously, there were 72 buses at that 1 port! It’s not just that Shane has a good idea, it should have already been a thing! Even in my small city of roughly 230k people, our city buses are accessible! They kneel, and have a ramp that can be put out. There’s spaces where our seats lift designated for wheelchairs. There are floor wheel locks and a safety belt as well as a stop pull cord right at their level. I get the difference is city bus vs tour bus, but also *side eye* why couldn’t these cruises be investing in buses like that?! And why are disabled passengers essentially being “penalized” for being disabled?! Why should he have had to foot a $250 bill for a private van?! The cruise makes accessible rooms but clearly didn’t think beyond that point. Completely narrow minded and tunnel visioned. They had the foresight to have rooms but nothing beyond that (from the cruise side of things)? It really is ridiculous when you think about it!
And this poor lady! My god…
I’m glad Shane was able to get an accessible room. But now I have to question, what is protocol for evacuating those who are physically disabled? You can’t expect everyone to show up to the area they need to be at if something goes wrong. Carpet is already difficult to use a wheelchair on, let’s add the carpet becoming wet? A rocking boat making it unsafe for someone in a wheelchair or other mobility issues. Heck, it’s difficult for people without mobility problems to move on a heavily rocking boat. I just think about the Viking Cruise incident where things went seriously wrong! How would a person with mobility issues navigate that?
I’m gonna give an example from personal observation because it’s applicable to the evacuation situation.
I lived in high rise a low income building that was predominantly people who had various degrees of disabilities. The apartments in my building started on 2nd floor. First floor was designed office space and community room where a company would come in and sometimes make food for people (kinda like senior center services). But because apartments started on 2nd floor, that means in the event of a fire or tornado, a person with mobility issues would be forced to take the elevator. There were people with mobility issues on my floor (floor 8 out of 22). How are they suppose to get to safety, crawl down god knows how many stairs? Sure, the building had a very efficient sprinkler system, but that’s not the point. In the event people need to evacuate and not use stairs, what options do they have other than to wait and pray? Even for myself, while I don’t have issues with mobility, an issue I did face was if people had windows open on certain days, it would be difficult for me to open my apartment door because people’s windows being open would create a suction through the hallway. This became more of an issue during tornado warnings because for a time, there was a myth that you should open your windows to prevent them from exploding from pressure (really dumb myth. Just get to safety if you can. The tornado will do what it’s gonna do). People still believe this myth that’s been long debunked! I was in my early 20s, worked in shipping for a big box company (mainly opening freight), but my boxes could easily be 30-40lbs at times. If I’m struggling to open my door, at that age, working in that environment, imagine the elderly or those with mobility difficulties?
This building was recently demolished.
I guess the main point I’m getting at is, if these things are being overlooked, what else is being overlooked looked?
Final thought, back to the carpet thing, there are carpets better than others. If a carpet is even mildly plush is a pain in the A**!
For context, in high school we did a wheelchair exercise for a consumer science class to show the importance of accessibility. It obviously doesn’t even cover even close to the extent of what people go through! But we went outside, had to go up our very long concrete ramp, my school was also built into a hill so you have to go down hill part way, turn 90 degrees to get to the ramp that goes back up to the main entrance. Our entire school was carpeted with what I call “office carpet.” Very flat, non plush, but I can imagine if it was plush. Still, carpet isn’t hard floor and it still creates some resistance. This is the extent of my experience, but I try to be observant. As to why cruises love carpet, it dampens sound so the ship doesn’t echo and it makes it feel like a hotel. Hotels also use carpet for the same reason. It’s nice and dampens sound.
When it comes to accessibility, the only lens that matters is the lens of those who these accessibility’s apply to and they shouldn’t be an after thought. Cruises have been around for a long time, it’s not like these companies have never had complaints about accessibility. I’m sure they have! They are choosing to ignore accessibility imo by doing the bare minimum. it’s almost like they want the passengers money and to say they are accessible while making everything as unaccessible as possible to the bare minimum. They keep making new ships but where’s the accessibility beyond the room? They’ve never had complaints about buses? Im sure they have! Where are they taking these complaints seriously and actually making changes either with new ships or on land? Is it because they don’t really, truly want to cater to those with accessibility needs! Highly likely! This bs happens. Bias against those with disabilities happens a lot and the ignorance around this is astounding. I’m not saying every cruise company is like this, but still, I bet it happens more than not. I get that if you don’t personally deal with accessibility needs, it’s not something you think about. Though, next time you’re on a ship, just take a look around and ask yourself if this would be accessible to someone? I do this periodically, even with products. Molly Burke made me more aware of how cosmetic companies cater to those who are blind. Some are good at it, others not so much. Never thought about how a round tube could be problematic by rolling off the table, noted! I randomly think about these things to think outside the scope of my own experience. But for these companies, they work in transportation infrastructure and systems, it should be something that is well thought out as best as possible overall, not just a room! Talking about logistics of implementation of buses, when you’re discussing a multi million or billon dollar industry, and while I know these industries are expensive to run, while you acknowledge accessible buses should happen, it also feels a bit like a dismissive by saying “well there’s XYZ and these other things and how would they do ABC.” That response, is the same thing these companies use as an excuse for bias to not implement changes. I don’t think that was your intent by any means, you’re thinking logistics and cost but to dismiss is the intent of these rich a** companies who focus more on the experience of non disabled people rather than people over all and treat those with disabilities as an afterthought and a ticket. An afterthought they can’t even really accommodate because they haven’t decided they are worth accommodating since they are the minority on board.
Talk about a novel….
@ It’s not a small topic, nor will I write it off as one. If someone is going to bring this up. I will say my piece. While I don’t have a mobility disability to the extent that I seriously struggle, I do have disabilities that do affect my mobility regularly, mainly making me very sore, stiff or unbalanced, but not to the extent I can’t walk, usually. The balance issue is more like a disorientation than an issue with my joints etc. I also have arthritis in my right hip caused by a med I was on. Beyond that, I have other disabilities and have run into issues, especially as it pertains to work. I see it all the time from others in groups I’m also apart of. It’s not just accessibility that’s an issue, it’s bias, impatience and lack of understanding or care to. And what some companies use to be “efficient” sometimes hinders accessibility.
And I won’t be making any sort of “but what about” excuses for a company. Again, while I think he is trying to be reasonable while also acknowledging that accessibility is an issue, there is no “what about xyz” on this topic. The cruise lines know what they are doing and they are doing it deliberately.
We have been on Royal Caribbean and the Oasis class and Anthem and they do a good job for handicap people. With that being said we would recommend that you would try Celebrity or Princess. They are more expensive than MSC and definitely don’t have as many kids. Always book a handicap room! Make sure if you are using a travel agent make sure that they book you in one. Double check what room they have booked you in by looking at the deck plan for that ship. We really haven’t found alot of cruise lines that actually offer fully accessible shore excursions. For myself and my husband who uses a mobility scooter, we have not done many things when we get off the ship except whatever is to do at the port. Good luck and keep on cruising!
The thing with each cruise line or port buying their own accessible bus, is all the handicap people might not want to do the same thing. What kind of fix would there be to accommodate everyone? Say there’s 10 people with wheelchairs, and they all want to do different things instead of one tour that say only 2 people want to do. What happens then?
You do this radical thing called "making a plan" and scheduling a route that makes the most sense for the most people. That's how disabled transportation works.
You can't fit 10 wheelchairs into the same van anyway, so they would already have to make a schedule to accommodate everyone.
Aren't you missing the obvious?? An accessible van/bus does NOT need to remain idle just because it's not filled up with people who need it. Passengers without disabilities can use it too! And every line doesn't need to buy one -just one of the major tour operators. All the various ships in port can sell space on it. This is really not a difficult situation to resolve -unless you take the attitude that "it's a small number of passengers" or "it's not profitable." In other words, this can be sorted out easily -if you have a mind to do it.
Agreed, I’m not disabled but I have a bum knee; a ride to any attractions is welcomed
Yep. So many opinions about accessible transport by people who have never even seen these vehicles, let alone ridden in one.
I use a wheeled walker and take disabled transit often. The seats all fold down, so the bus is able to accommodate a mix of people in wheelchairs, people who use walkers (the walkers are tied down and we sit in the regular seats), and any caregivers who accompany a disabled passenger.
If no disabled passengers are there to need this van on a particular day, it's still able to take at least a dozen able-bodied people to wherever it is they're going (or more if the bus is large enough).
There's no excuse for treating that woman in Shane's video like a sack of flour. Cruise passengers who are disabled deserve every bit the same degree of courtesy and dignity that an able-bodied passenger would expect.
Those buses can be outfitted with wheelchair lifts. I used one way back in 2018 to go to Toronto Airport. It's absolutely inexcusable for there to be that many buses and not one has a lift.
The part of the video where Shane says there’s 72 buses in the lot and none of them have chair lifts or any way for someone in a wheelchair to get in there beyond what they were doing to that woman in the clip, I thought it was ridiculous. They could surely get 1 bus that has the chair lifts or put one on. I mean other countries have people in wheelchairs right?
Exactly, Disney have acessible buses to all their parks in Orlando and everybody rides on them
MSC treated my mom who was in a wheelchair so good, extremely professional. Love MSC, really thinking about going back soon.
Hope you are not an MSC sales agent!
For his experience, 2.5 was very generous!
I am shocked and appalled by seeing this video and the treatment of the disabled there’s no excuse why I boss cannot be handicap assessable at a port to see a person have to be carried on thank you for bringing us to the attention of many disabled and non-disabled individuals to see the challenges That we have face ..
I have the distinct impression that he was LOOKING for drama.
At first thought I figured that the cruise lines use carpet for an esthetic type reason but then I was thinking maybe it helps with sound also. Thanks for the great video!
Accessibility bus just means it has a door with a lift. People without disabilities can still use it.
I think the investment in kneeling buses or vans is a great idea. Cruise ships know who their disabled passengers are and they do keep track (sort of) of the excursions, when you go down to your excursion they can already radio ahead that they need one. Investing in a company that provides this is a great idea. It beats getting horrible reviews.
I have felt this on many levels have to use mobility devices now. I feel the same way visiting RCL private island Coco Cay. I planned the whole trip but there are few places to eat that are accessible, then getting to the beach someone would have to push me in a manual chair. Why not just have a small walkway to beach, the shops, beach beds, etc. I just sat around riding and stayed in the kids area. My sister stayed with me the whole time not wanting me to be by myself, but they can do better. It is not hard, or expensive to do just a little extra. Because disable people spend a lot of money traveling also.
Carpet helps dull the noise
I tried to book a cruise for my husband and I and we’re both wheelchair accessible people and it is so hard to book unless it’s almost 18 months in advance because those rooms go first. We have ourselves my husband needs two people and he is a hoyer lift it cost us $50,000.00 to go to Hawaii but because of the accommodation I gave up it’s my husband wishlist
I took a cruise of Greek Islands with Hollander America. Greece is not regulated by the American ADA law. What they consider “accessible” is no where close to the standards in America. I typically book tours through the cruise line. “Easy” is typically a panoramic tour on a bus. That seems to be a universal standard. However, when you got to a “ moderate” designation of the tour, often, it was the equivalent of a “strenuous” tour in the Caribbean or United States. For example, one tour was considered “moderate” but to get to the town square of Santorini from where you were left off, you had to walk up a steep hill for 3 blocks. This was difficult for passengers with walkers, canes or just out of shape. It did say the tour was not wheelchair accessible. I did find out that at each port, Holland America had at least one tour that was handicapped/ wheelchair accessible. Yes, the tour was much more expensive, but had a van that could actually take individuals into the bus by a lift. We didn’t need a wheelchair lift, but others on our tour did. This van was able to take us straight to the town square and the tour guide took us on a slower pace, even stopped at places with handicapped bathrooms. In the end, a much more enjoyable tour than the tour we originally booked that indicated you would have to walk on steep streets. Whether handicapped or not, travelers should research their destinations and if taking a tour ( from the ship or privately) should book the tour as much in advance as possible so they are not disappointed if the “easy” or handicapped accessible tours are sold out.
I appreciate seeing things through his eyes because everything requires so much effort. And small things that i may take for granted, are a big deal for others. I hope he can go on adults only, off tourist season and have some fun.
Old San Juan, PR 🇵🇷 is a Old city not for weelchair at all. Take a taxi to give you a tour on car.
As someone who coordinated with the cruise ship industry for shuttles and tours for a number of years in Western Australia, I can confirm that our buses and coaches all had wheelchair accessibility / facility. However, passengers who had a motorised gopher or quadriplegic wheelchair (non standard) would have to provide their own transport. This was undertaken by way of a “wheelchair taxi’ which could handle non-standard electric mobility transport. If the passenger made us aware that they had special needs then we would have this special vehicle ready and available for them. We would also advise them of any places on tours that they would not be able to visit due to their special needs so that they could plan what tours they were happy to buy tickets for. I stress the impetus on “If I was made aware…” because quite often passengers would just expect to visit a port and everything be ready for them without letting us know that they needed something! I’m glad I don’t do this any more as I’ve learnt that no matter the lengths you go to or what you do, someone is always going to be unhappy about something. ☹️
Hope you are having a better time this week, stay positive. Happy New Year!
Tour buses are available with an accessible lift. Both guests with disabilities as well as able bodied guests are welcome.
I am a caregiver (pca) for two wonderful gentlemen ( one a para with func😂ton of one hand, and the other a quadriplegic) who I would love to be able to take them with me on a cruise. NCL has a dedicated care team, and I see stair chairs located outside staterooms of guests in wheelchairs. Some of their shore ex are dedicated mobility impaired tours. Venice, although wonderful, would be a horror show for someone mobility or very visually handicapped. There are a few logistical things to work out yet, but I really hope to take these guys on a cruise so they can see some of world and have some fun. Both are younger than me, 60 and 65, and both have retired recently. Any suggestions or advice would greatly be appreciated.
The carpet is because in the event of the ship listing or experiencing extreme weather carpet provides far better footing then any slick tile or hardwood surface. Once those surfaces are wet it become a skating rink and a major liability for the cruise line. In my opinion this is the reason for carpet throughout the majority of the ship. It’s purely a saftey thing !
I dont see how this is a problem. We were in Hawaii in 2023 and the buses all had chair lifts in the rear of the bus. They were loaded on first then everyone else were allowed to load. A 10 minute process. DO BETTER PEOPLE!!! IT AINT HARD!!
Even with the chair lift he need a bed where the hoyerlift could fit I under to operate properly it tiki three people to get him in and out of his chair. We travel with at least eight people and it’s very expensive and I have had several travel agents including my sister in law.
I book cruises during hurricane season when the kids are in school, and I try to book 9+ days so only people that can take 2 weeks off work are going to be onboard. I got some awesome deals booking 1-2 weeks before Thanksgiving on weekday voyages.
When I lived in FL my trick was to get cruises direct from the cruise line rep true last minute, under 24 hr before the embarkation, I lived 15 min from the port and always had a carry on packed.
I just got back from cruising with Royal Caribbean. They were very accommodating for disabled passengers. I had an accessible room it was Hugh. I had a scooter and everywhere I went I had no problem. The ports of call were equipped with ramps and there was a bus equipped for wheelchairs and scooters. Try them. However, Royal is really for families. Very little quite time
If you have the money you can get accommodation i just don’t like this guy
Shane, book Holland America! No screaming kids and really good accessible rooms😊
It would be the major tour operators who would run accessible tours. It would be a small group excursion, and need to be priced accordingly, or just have the accessible busses where they can take a couple wheelchairs.
Although my heart goes out to Shane and the physical difficulties he endures, I do not hold MSC responsible for the cruise fiasco.
Fault lays with the booking agent, who assured Shane he had an "Accessible Cabin".
Fault also lays with Shane for booking a cruise 2-3 weeks before sailing without doing thorough research on the cruise itinerary and port excursions.
Sad he spent so much money and didn't thoroughly enjoy his cruise. A costly lesson learned but now Shane knows to book a cruise months to a year in advance as the "Accessible Cabins" are in demand and will be filled quickly.
I think Shane was looking for views a bit and I just hope his influence will educate people to plan better and help companies to improve.
So many comments excusing a billionaire company and blaming the customer. If he had booked 3 years in advance, it would've change the fact that he cannot use the pool? Or that there wasn't any acessible bus? Of course not, every time people excuse rich companies they keep doing it and care less about the clients. Who needs a good PR, when you have disabled customers excusing your company for not doing the minimum?
I don't think they are blaming him but his video may discourage some people from Cruising which overall I think has much better consistency as far as accessibility than land based options. Dude had to be naive to think Tunisia was going to be accessible.
These accessible services helps more than hinder. A person may need this may not be in a wheelchair. Accessibility helps us all. We need to do better.
Want to point out I don't blame him, but:
1. Don (from Don's family vacation) dug deeper. Supposedly he used a TA who booked him in a studio cabin and told him to send the disability form, and Shane thought that he would get a proper cabin. He booked within 60 days. Has to book early and book an accessible cabin. 100% on TA.
2. Unfortunately ships only need to comply with laws where they're flagged. Not to say that is a good excuse, but it is what it is.
3. Excursions, need to read the whole description it will tell you if it isn't recommended for people with accessible needs. There are specific tours that cater to accessible needs, they tend to sellout very early as soon as a year before the cruise.
4. Historical UNESCO type cities are mostly not accessible. For example I live in PR and Old San Juan is about 80% not accessible. The sidewalks are barely able to fit a wheelchair. There are not a lot of ramps, sidewalks are 12" above the street (gutters where the sanitary pipes) plus most streets are paved with cobble stones, not fit for wheelchairs.
Carpets are installed, as an engineer pretty sure is for the acoustics and help minimize noise.
Again the TA is to blame for most of issues especially if TA knew it was his first cruise.
My partner lost his foot earlier this year. Our last cruise was October '23.
No, the foot damage wasn't from the cruise!! Type II unfortunately.
He has a prosthetic, still uncertain using it, but that's an option going forward... I imagine we'll be bringing the chair AND the left foot in future.
One of the benefits of carpet is that is dampens the noise. A lot of newer hotels are starting to move away from carpet, so I wouldn’t be surprised if cruise lines followed suit.
My in-laws have had good luck with Celebrity cruises and handicap facilities. Def less kids on that cruise line. Good luck Shane.
If he had called MSC himself, booked and requested a handicap accessible room, he would have got one. It bad to leave a bad review for the cruise line because true handicap rooms are booked at least a year out, not a few weeks prior to sail.
Travelling is difficult, even on peoples without physical disabilities. I just came back for a horrible trip to Paris and the surrounding region yesterday. The metro in Paris center often have the tiniest doors when transferring from different lines and they open and close violently. Even if one had a suitcase and not a wheelchair, some gates were hard to squeeze through. It's a big problem downtown, and in the outskirts there were more elevators and such, but there is really nothing to see in the outskirts of Paris. It's sad to say that theses older European destinations, until they update their systems to be more inclusive and pleasant to visit, are indeed over-rated to visit, even with their high historic and cultural value. Better to be on a beach somewhere warm, where it's safe and easy for everyone.
Cruising with a disability has changed greatly in the past 30 years! In the 90s you were pretty much on your own, no matter what kind of disability you had. Today it isn't perfect, but much better. Heck I remember when Carnival would just put a chunk of wood at the door frame to make supposedly accessible.
Unfortunately some travel agents and even cruise line booking staff don't necessarily understand different disabilities require different accommodations. For example placing a visually impaired person in a chair accessible room!! If one isn't a cruise savvy traveler, I strongly suggest using a travel agent that specializes in the field. Not only will they be aware of what ships have what accommodations, but port info also.
What I would love to see, accessible cabins placed mid ship, especially on those overgrown mega ships. Which would make everything relatively close. Mini parking lots on the ship near the MDR and such places, as well as on floors with cabins, that a scooter could be parked and charging. The number of people who don't use a chair/scooter all the time is growing!! These people can walk short distances, but not far enough to get around the larger ships. This would allow them to use regular cabins, freeing up the accessible cabins for full time chair users.
Accessibility at ports, OMG that can be a nightmare. The things I've seen over the years, especially when it was a tender port. There is a relatively easy and economical, fix for some ports. The current Mexico tax fiasco has proven the major cruise lines will pull together when there is an issue that affects all of them. Accessible tours does affect each of these cruise lines as well. If they would pull together to partner with one or two tour companies, to have accessible vans/busses, it could be economically feasible for a tour company to do it. The trick would be, is that the person may need to book their tour when booking their cruise. That way the tour company would know in advance how many people, from which ships. They could possibly even service two ships in one day, if there was only one or two from each ship, by staggering the pick up time by 30 minutes.
your shirts on backwards!
Haha I was hoping would notice😅 I was wondering why it felt so weird while recording and I assumed it was the just the mic on my collar but then I took a closer look when editing but unfortunately the video was already done. I had reached the point of no return 😂
Shane has a huge heart!
I’ve not seen any problems on RCCL, but I’m using a cane not a chair. The only handicapped issue I have experienced is with passengers cruising with their electric wheelchairs/scooters also participating in the Bellyflop contest. I don’t usually comment on others with handicaps, as not all handicap issues are visible, but to participate in a contest like the bellyflop seems too much of a stretch and makes the average passenger question the validity of passengers with disabilities. This is just my opinion, I’m glad that RCCL is in charge of the topic and handles each passenger individually.
I don’t need an accessible as much as others. Stepping in and out of the bathroom wasn’t easy. I used the handicap bathroom whenever possible.
Hey Jay, my question is has the cruise line reached out to him yet to give a statement?
I'm a certified accessible travel advocate/luxury travel advisor. My first thought is why would he book his first cruise without doing any research? I would have NEVER booked him in this stateroom or on this itinerary. We have a list of accessible suppliers around the world that we work directly with. We would have confirmed all of his accessible accommodations and excursions before even taking his payment. We would have confirmed them 2-3 times before his departure. In fact, we would send accessible transportation to his home/from the airport. He should take this as a lesson learned. Accessibility is crucial for him. He should never forgo that for the sake of saving a few bucks.
Can’t imagine having a disability in Rome. None of the elevators would be accessible
Check out my Rome hotel video. They surprisingly have many accessible hotels you just have to find them!
Great catch-up video.
Tunisia is Level 4 Do Not Travel. Shane, would you visit someplace so dangerous? Why did you not practice any due diligence to know the cruise line's reputation, or the realities of booking last minute?
Tunisia is a mainstay package deal holiday location for many people in Europe, just look up tui and you will see them offering packages all the time.
I dont know what Level 4 is refering to and which nation gives that rating. But the UK Gov has 3 areas for Tunisia, The Border to Libya is a no go, and the border to Algeria only recommended on a must need basis. While Rest of nation is generally considered okay to visit.
@@scorg Level 4 is from the U.S. Department of State. I did not realize that Tunisia is a popular vacation spot, thank you. From an American perspective, we are not accustomed to having terrorist groups a short distance away. Not to mention the filthy facilities.
This is so sad to see. I know when we have been to Europe there have been many places that I repeatedly thought were not very accessible at all. Carpet is less slippery than other kinds of flooring, and it also is a noise dampener so those would be the my guess a to why the ships have so much carpeting.
Hey Jay, I don’t think all the cruise line companies need to buy their own vans for a city, but if they ALL chipped in to purchase one or two for a city and share it. Then follow through for the excursion if you will need it or not.
I have hundreds of people per year asking me to plan and book their vacations for them, I feel for you, I wish I could do it full time and help less experienced people plan and facilitate vacations best suited for their expectations.
omg, I feel physically sick watching them trying to load that woman on the bus. I only hope MSC will move to correct this immediately or stop taking peoples' money when they can't properly accommodate them.
Does MSC have any control over the vans and buses that are being used for the excursions? I’m genuinely asking because I was under the impression that the excursions were all done through companies that are not run by the cruise.
Edit to add: the way that woman was treated is terrible and I don’t think it’s ok. I just don’t know what the cruise company can do to rectify the situation
@@owenclifton7052if he was able to find the wheelchair van himself, msc could have hired it for the wheelchair users aboard as a reasonable accommodation
The excursion companies are outsourced. It is up to the cruise line to accurately describe the limitations involved. Imo it was Shane’s agent who was to blame by not ensuring he had an accessible cabin from the start.
@@owenclifton7052
And the disabled are going to have to do thorough research before venturing out.
There is no way that poor lady was going to get on that bus.
@@owenclifton7052 At the end of the day MSC does have control over which excursions are sold on board MSC ships or via their website. While they do outsource, they are choosing the companies they're outsourcing to and specify the terms for the tender for those third party companies to bid on. If MSC wanted that every bus used in one of "their" excursions is accessible, they could make this one of the requirements in the tender and only contract companies who can guarantee that. MSC just choses not to insist on it.
There's no excuse for the bus company to tell him the bus was accessible when it wasn't. This is a huge problem all over, in all sorts of venues - restaurants, shops, etc. They'll claim to be accessible, and when you get there, there are steps up, or the restroom is on a level with no elevator, and the like. They need to be honest.
Shane . Was the cruise advertised as handicap accessible at all ?
If the cruise offers handicap-accessible cabins it's fair to assume that they can accommodate the people in those rooms.
All the companies get together, use their data to find out how many passengers they average with disabilities, then work with their excursion partners to finance transportation that could accommodate disabled travelers. They could also use surveys to find out which excursions their disabled passengers are interested in, add a disability friendly symbol beside the excursion description. There are reasonable solutions, just needs a little effort.
They already do all that.
Looking forward to a live with him.. I want to take my mom but have lots of questions ❤
Very important issues here. Thanks.
ALWAYS USE A TRAVEL AGENT =) we have one who literally called and text us while on a cruise because Southwest was cancelling flights and got us a car rental so we were able to get home - Christmas 2023. She is a friend for life now. Use an agent
I chose “easy” excursions and they weren’t easy. I pushed my roommate up and down hills to go on a train ride. How was that easy? We went to a wildlife park that had steps to go down. The ground was sand and rocks. Not passable pushing a wheelchair. I went and saw everything. She was helped up a step just to get into the gift shop. Even stores often had a step into their shops and tight aisles.
When I was on P&O (this is Carnival UK btw) during the summer, we had a port visit to Civitavecchia and one of the tours on offer was a Rome in a day for wheelchair users. It sold out before I was even onboard. First thought was, great that they offer this, second was, they dont have many places, but the third was, you charging more then double then that of the regular tour visit to Rome!
I'm also the same, thinking about the logisitics issues over every cruise line owning a bus. Where would they keep this, would they hire a person to run this once per week if they only have a limited shedule (Carnival UK for instance with P&O and Cunard would be Once maybe twice in a week at best, maybe 3 weeks depending on where Azura and Victoria are) Although MSC likely will have 4 ships per week going in so maybe in theory they could.
JAY here's my question: Why book a cruise on short notice?
because he wanted a story for his channel... knowing he would have issues to report
@@mrcolr I agree with that and I'm OK with it if it brings more attention around the issue of inaccessibility.
Especially when you know you have a specific need.
All I hear is that line from Finding Nemo, "You think that you can do these things, but you can't" 😂
Probably because he has the freedom and flexibility to do so.
Everyone likes a good deal, plus, his availability to vacation at the last minute. His mistake was trusting his travel agent.
Carnival does go to Europe just fyi 🙂 I'm going on carnival in June around Europe
Carpet is more for noise reduction maybe but I had that same thought..