We're heading into the time of year when everybody feels a little trapped and in need of an escape.
Say, a Caribbean cruise.
Imagine how people who feel a little trapped all the time by wheelchairs or oxygen tanks or medical conditions can be intimidated by the prospect of negotiating a path to a cruise ship in the winter.
And yet, it keeps getting easier.
Cruise lines all try to do whatever is necessary to make a cruise easier for passengers with disabilities. But you need to know in advance, not after you board the ship, right? That means doing research or homework and, if you've ever spent much time on websites, the information is not always as accessible as getting on the ship is.
If you or somebody you're traveling with is in this category, we have a couple of places to start…
1. The "special needs" section that was the most thorough one we could find is Carnival's. Even if you're cruising with another line, it will give you an idea and of what can be done to assist you, and give you some questions to ask. Click on this link: www.carnival.com.
2. At the online travel agency called Vacations To Go, you'll find a list of more than 90 ships and the special needs services that are provided, whether it's hard for you to see or hear or breathe or get around. Click on this link: www.vacationstogo.com.
Nobody should be deprived of a winter escape by special needs, right?
Norwegian Epic
7 nights
February 16, 2013
Miami (return): St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Nassau
Inside: $549
Cost per day: $78
www.ncl.com