Wheelchair Access & Special Needs
Seabourn is committed to providing safe, easy, and accessible accommodations for all persons with disabilities, to the extent that is feasible.
Seabourn does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of disability. However, some needs require adequate time to prepare for a guest's arrival. It is recommended that guests make every effort to contact the Access & Compliance Department and to submit a Special Requirements Information form (SRI) well in advance of the departure date. It is recommended that guests submit an SRI upon booking or a minimum of 45 days prior to departure.
Guests who are unable to care for their basic needs (e.g. dressing, eating, and attending safety drills) MUST have a capable traveling companion. The medical staff on board is not available for daily care unless an individual is hospitalized in the ship's Medical Center. In limited situations (either on board or ashore), Seabourn may find it necessary to ask the individual to make alternative travel arrangements, such as if an individual with a disability is unable to satisfy certain specified safety and other criteria, even when provided with appropriate auxiliary aids and services.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY ONBOARD
Seabourn's vessels have specially designed suites for guests who need mobility assistance. If you have not booked one of these accessible suites but instead will be using a standard suite, you need to know about some limitations that adversely impact maneuverability, especially ingress and egress into bathrooms. For example, bathroom dimensions, doorsills, and the height of bathtubs in standard suites are often difficult to negotiate for guests who have limited mobility. Additionally, standard suite doors and hallways may be too narrow for a wheelchair or scooter to maneuver into and out of the suite. Please note: For safety reasons, these mobility devices must be stored and charged in the guests' suites. If you have booked a non-accessible suite, you should know that most suite entry doors measure 23 inches wide.
Quest, Sojourn and Odyssey:
The Quest, Sojourn, and Odyssey offer Wheelchair Accessible Suites with features such as wider entry doors, roll-in showers with grab bars, benches/seats, hand-held shower nozzles, and lowered closet and towel rods. If you have booked a Wheelchair Accessible Suite, you should know that Wheelchair accessible suite entry doors measure a minimum of 32 inches wide.
Accessible suite locations are noted on the Deck Plans for each ship
PERSONAL MOBILITY EQUIPMENT ONBOARD
For the safety of all guests and crew and to enhance accessibility, Seabourn strongly recommends that all personal electric mobility equipment meet the following criteria:
- Width: 23" maximum in order to be accommodated in a standard suite, unless collapsible to a width of 23" or less
- Weight: 100 lbs. maximum without battery
- Batteries: Must be Gel or Dry Cell or AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) only
Seabourn recognizes that for some people, a larger scooter may be essential. If you believe you need a larger scooter, please contact the Access & Compliance Department to discuss your requirements. For the safety of all guests and crew, scooters and other mobility equipment need to be securely stored and charged in the guest's suite; not in hallways or elevator lobbies. Scooters left in hallways and elevator lobbies could restrict people needing to travel through these areas in an emergency, particularly other guests using mobility aids.
Seabourn is not able to provide complimentary wheelchair assistance for any purpose other than embarkation, disembarkation, and emergency situations. Seabourn wheelchairs are not available for shore excursions or for use on board. If you will require regular use of a wheelchair, it is recommended that you bring your own wheelchair with you. You may also make advance rental arrangements prior to your sailing and have a wheelchair delivered directly to the ship for use on board and in ports of call.
Seabourn recommends Special Needs at Sea and CareVacations/CruiseShipAssist as vendors for delivery of mobility devices. Please contact these vendors directly for pricing and availability.
Special Needs at Sea
Phone: 800-513-4515 (or locally at 954-585-0575)
Fax: 800-513-4516
Email: info@specialneedsatsea.com
Website: SpecialNeedsAtSea.com
CareVacations/CruiseShipAssist
Phone: 877-478-7827 (or locally at 780-986-6404)
Fax: 800-648-1116
Email: csa@carevacations.com
Website: CareVacations.com
SHORESIDE WHEELCHAIR ASSISTANCE
Airports and/or Train Stations
Wheelchair assistance that is requested for airports or train stations must be done directly through the airline or rail station. Seabourn is not able to arrange for wheelchair assistance at airports or train stations.
Land Tours and/or Shore Excursions
Because facilities in ports around the world vary significantly, wheelchair accommodations may not be available for some land tours and/or shore excursions. Furthermore, many transportation vehicles around the world do not have wheelchair lifts. It may be necessary for Seabourn to make alternate transportation arrangements such as a sedan vehicle. This requires that a guest who uses a wheelchair be able to transfer from their wheelchair to the front or back seat of a sedan. Due to the limited number of lift-equipped vehicles in foreign locations, guests may incur additional costs for transportation related to airport transfers, shore excursions, and tour/hotel packages. Please note, lift equipped transportation within the United States may be arranged without additional costs. For information on alternative transportation arrangements and associated costs please contact the Access & Compliance Department. Please advise Seabourn as far in advance as possible of any special needs for transfers. This will help to ensure availability of the appropriate vehicle(s) and for Seabourn to provide an estimate of additional associated costs.
Guests should be aware that certain third party shore excursion facilities may not be fully accessible to guests with disabilities. Although Seabourn endeavors to make sure these companies comply with legal requirements, they cannot guarantee that all are able to provide facilities that are accessible to individuals with disabilities. For detailed information on accessibility of shore excursions, it is strongly recommend that guests contact the Shore Excursions Department prior to embarkation at 1-800-984-3225 (or locally at 206-626-9187) or visit the Shore Excursions Office on board.
Please be advised that all pre-arranged mobility equipment rentals must be made by the guest and the third party provider. Consequently, guests assume the entire risk of utilizing these third party services subject only to whatever terms or arrangements are made by the guest or on guest's behalf with the service provider. Refund issues must be dealt with solely between the guest and the service provider. Seabourn recommends contacting one of these companies to confirm your arrangements as soon as possible in order to ensure the availability of your specific requests.
SERVICE ANIMALS
Only service animals are permitted on board Seabourn ships. Service animals are defined as those animals that are individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. Seabourn does not permit guests to bring pets, therapy/companion animals, and other animals that do not meet the definition of service animals. Any questions regarding service animals may be addressed by the Access & Compliance Department.
Your itinerary may include ports of call that have very specific and strict requirements that need to be met prior to service animals being allowed off the ship. Please be sure you understand these requirements for each port of call. The best places to obtain specific information on required documentation and immunizations for your service animal are the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website, local customs offices in the specific ports, and from your service animal's veterinarian. All documentation and immunization requirements are established by government authorities and not by Seabourn. Should you need assistance in locating this information, please contact the Access & Compliance Department.
To board the ship, service animals must have current vaccinations. Records confirming the vaccination status should be provided to the Access & Compliance Department prior to your departure. It is also recommended that you carry the immunization records with you in case they are required at any port of call. If you do not have the proper documentation and proof of vaccinations for your service animal, or if there are local quarantine requirements, your service animal will be denied the right to leave the ship. If your service animal is denied the right to leave the ship, the staff on board will work with you to determine what actions may be possible to allow you to visit the port without your service animal. Please note that in your absence, you will need to provide for the care and supervision of your service animal. Except in those circumstances where your service animal has been denied disembarkation, you may not leave your service animal unattended on the vessel or in your suite at any time.
DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING GUESTS
To help maximize the cruise experience for guests who are deaf or hard of hearing, Seabourn has made the following items available:
- With advance notice, suite kits that include a visual and tactile alert for someone knocking at the door, the phone ringing, or an alarm.
- Suite televisions capable of showing closed captioning (some satellite feeds do not transmit with captioning, so this feature is available only when the signal the ship receives has captioning).
- Telephones with amplified sound for suites.
- Assistive Listening Systems with portable receivers (available on Quest, Sojourn and Odyssey only) in the show lounges to assist guests who are hard of hearing during performances.
- Written safety information and a copy of the lifeboat drill safety speech.
BLIND OR LOW VISION GUESTS
To help maximize the cruise experience for guests who are blind or have low vision, Seabourn has made the following items available:
- Downloadable daily activities, news, and menus for guests with laptops with screen reader programs.
- With 45 days notice, large print or Braille menus describing the inspired cuisine offered across a myriad of venues, from the elegant Dining Room to the casual dining options.
- A familiarization tour of the vessel upon arrival.
OXYGEN DELIVERIES ONBOARD
Guests requiring continuous or intermittent oxygen for chronic conditions must make their own arrangements prior to travel. Seabourn ships are not equipped to provide guests with these services other than on an emergency basis in the Ship's Medical Center. For security and safety reasons, Seabourn has selected CareVacations/CruiseShipAssist and Special Needs at Sea as the only outside vendors permitted to deliver oxygen supplies to their ships. Oxygen and/or oxygen equipment deliveries will NOT be accepted from any other companies.
Special Needs at Sea
Phone: 800-513-4515 (or locally at 954-585-0575)
Fax: 800-513-4516
Email: info@specialneedsatsea.com
Website: SpecialNeedsAtSea.com
CareVacations/CruiseShipAssist
Phone: 877-478-7827 (or locally at 780-986-6404)
Fax: 800-648-1116
Email: csa@carevacations.com
Website: CareVacations.com
Please be advised that all oxygen and oxygen equipment rental arrangements must be made by the guest and the third party provider. Consequently, guests assume the entire risk of utilizing these third party services subject only to whatever terms or arrangements are made by guest or on guest's behalf with the service provider. Refund issues must be dealt with solely between the guest and the service provider. Seabourn recommends contacting one of these companies to confirm arrangements as soon as possible in order to ensure the availability of your specific requests. Guests are also welcome, however, to bring their own oxygen and/or oxygen equipment from home. Please note that Seabourn staff and crew are not permitted to handle oxygen and/or oxygen equipment during the embarkation and disembarkation process. Thus, guests must be able to handle their supplies if they bring their own. Please contact the Access & Compliance Department prior to sailing if you will require oxygen while on your cruise.
Please Note: In accordance with FAA regulations, airlines have restrictions concerning traveling with oxygen and oxygen containers. It is the traveler’s responsibility to be familiar with and in compliance of the regulations of the airline they are traveling on.
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Seabourn does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of disability. They seek to the extent feasible to accommodate the needs of all individuals with disabilities, including children. However, due to the sensitivity of caring for any child, with or without a disability, they must first determine what the child's specific needs are so they may properly evaluate and determine the best and safest way to meet these needs. Seabourn encourages families to contact the Access & Compliance Department prior to their cruise, to evaluate and determine what the child's specific needs will be and how best to accommodate those needs.
FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING ACCESSIBLE CRUISING
For additional information on the ship's facilities or ability to accommodate guests’ needs that may not be covered in this section, please feel free to contact the Access & Compliance Department at:
- Phone: 866-530-2193 (or locally at 206-626-9183)
- TTY: 800-254-8669
- Email: access@seabourn.com
For post sailing questions or concerns please contact the Guest Relations Department at:
- Phone: 800-628-2298 (or locally at 206-626-9181)
- Email: guestrelations@seabourn.com
For information regarding the Transportation Security Administration’s Screening Tips for Persons with Disabilities, please visit the Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions section of their website at www.tsa.dhs.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds
which is a wonderful, worthwhile excursion. Tour the distillery and learn how the world famous Irish whiskey is made.
