This past month my family of 6 took off for the Alaskan wilderness....OK, maybe a cruise ship buffet doesn't necessarily qualify as wilderness but let's face it, there are some similarities. My family has some mobility challenges as one of my teens is a full time wheelchair user and on this cruise, my mother in law used a rented scooter. As always, before any cruise I did a lot of research prior finding out about wheelchair access on Alaskan cruise ships and how we could make this the most successful trip for everyone possible. Here is what I learned in hopes it helps someone else have as fabulous a trip as we did. If you would like a more general information make sure and read Celebrity Solstice Alaskan Cruise Review. CELEBRITY SOLSTICE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY ON ALASKAN CRUISE:Landing in SeaTac is very easy. You can reserve a wheelchair accessible taxi that will fit 4 people (including chair user seated in chair) and 4-5 pieces of luggage through Yellow Cab or simply go to the taxi stand upon arrival and they will get you one. The ride to our hotel was roughly $50. Highly recommend the Hampton Inn in Seattle for an accessible solution for pre and post cruise stay. They ...
Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain | A Desert Gem
I was born in raised in Phoenix and in the 30 years I spent there had never come across a desert gem like the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain and that is saying something because Arizona has many beautiful resorts to choose from. Set just outside Marana, AZ (just slightly north of Tucson) this luxurious resort preserves the peace and beauty of the desert in the way you would expect from the Ritz-Carlton brand.Our drive from downtown Phoenix was an easy 1 1/2 hour drive down the I-10, including stop time in Casa Grande for a rare In-N-Out Burger treat these days (side note: Denver, really, you need to get with the In-N-Out program). You could fly into Sky Harbor in Phoenix or Tucson for a stay here. We flew into Phoenix and spent one night at the Hotel Palomar downtown before driving down the next morning.We arrived at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain just in time to see the Native American Flautist serenading the sunset perched upon the mountain. This would happen each night of our stay. Anytime I hear a flute playing now I fondly remember that 30 minutes each night to slow down and reflect on the day. The fire pit or pool area gives you the perfect vantage point to both see the ...
Our Caribbean Cruise on the Celebrity Constellation Review
This past spring break my family and I took a 4 night Western Caribbean cruise docking in both Key West and Cozumel.Celebrity Cruises had a reputation for being very wheelchair friendly and we choose The Constellation for 3 reasons-accessibility, dates, and we got a kicking deal booking last minute. The Constellation was built in 1991 and while its age is showing a bit, we thoroughly enjoyed our time on board. We had two balcony staterooms, cabins 6107, which is handicapped accessible and 6108. I wrote about the wheelchair accessibility of Celebrity Constellation on Traveling Mom if you want to check that out as well.Here are the Top 5 Things We Loved About Celebrity Cruises Constellation Ocean LinersIn order for us to do a Celebrity Constellation review the PR department was kind enough to arrange a special dinner for my birthday at Ocean Liners, their premier pay French restaurant. The restaurant is beautiful and any foodie would be in heaven here. My family was treated to all the special menu offerings but the highlights were the flambéed lobster and the dark chocolate soufflé. If cruising on board with kids I suggest sending the kids to one of the many activities ...
If You Don’t Have a Disability in Your Everyday Life, You Don’t Get To Have One In Line at Disney
I am going to let you in on a little secret. Wheelchair users love Disney Parks. They are one of the few places where being 'special' pays off. Despite spending the majority of your time looking for accessible entrances, staring at people's butts in crowds, and trying to smile politely when people run into you because they didn't see you 'down there', there is a major perk to being a chair user.You get to skip most of the lines.That's right, when there is a 90 minute wait for Toy Story Mania, wheelchair users roll happily past to a private loading area where they usually get on in less than 10 minutes. Want to know an even bigger secret? If there are no other chair users in line, Cast Members have been known to let you ride over and over to your hearts content.Why?The answer usually comes down to logistics and a little bit of sympathy. Most ride vehicles have to come to a complete stop and it takes quite a bit of extra time for a wheelchair user to transfer themselves. The process isn't pretty and usually involves having a family member lift them into and off of the vehicle or completely strapping down the wheelchair. Instead of stopping the ride each time a chair ...