Difficulty of finding a cruise with Evacuation Chair.

[Stephen]

Strange isn’t it. We were on our first Saga cruise this year and you would think with the age demographic the place would look like brands hatch with mobility scooters. We didn’t see one, and as for the lifts, brilliant, large, very quick and allot of the time empty.

[towny44]

well as I only use a walking stick to get round to be told by any cruise line that I must have an evacuation chair to be able to board their ship I am afraid we will not agree to that and we will go to hotels or hire cottages instead of cruising.
I personally think after hearing a discussion between senior staff on board last year returning from AMSTERDAM that they thought the number of people on board with disabilities was far to high and they were planning how to get the numbers much smaller.
if this is the way they want to run things good luck to them but we will not travel with them as will a lot of other people.

For a walking stick user you won't need an evacuation chair but you will need to fill in the on board needs form, and you may need one to one assistance on the stairs in an emergency, but my understanding is that is all. Evacuation chairs will only be needed for wheelchair users, which is where the problem is, as many part time users feel confident they could cope on stairs for short periods.

[Portsmouth]

So, regarding this on boards needs form....is this an actual rule by P&O and Cunard or just policy. Do they tell you fill out out the form when you embark if they see you with a walking stick ? I was on a P&O ship earlier this year using a walking stick and nobody said a thing.Just asked to put it through the scanner and that was all.
I don't need my stick all the time but use it for support and can go upstairs quite fast with the stick as an aid sometimes. I'm more than capable to get around under my own steam without being slow. I'm going on a cruise with Cunard later in the year and hope they wont stop and ask me to fill out a form to satisfy their h&s requirements. I've been on 4 cruise ships with my walking stick in the last 2 years and everything seems pretty normal.

[david63]

is this an actual rule by P&O and Cunard

As I understand it - yes it is a rule.

Do they tell you fill out out the form when you embark

No you need to complete the form online at least 14 days before embarking. Leaving it until you reach the port runs the risk of being denied boarding.

[Mervyn and Trish]

My understanding from posts I've seen in various places is that this change goes beyond P&O and Cunard and is a tightening up imposed by maritime authorities. I've seen a number of instances of people being denied boarding. So bluntly it's a case of follow the rules or risk a ruined holiday with no compensation and probably no sympathy from the insurance companies either.

[poole boy]

mervyn & trish
or say goodbye to cruising as we are and enjoy sensible holidays with out petty rules that spoil the holidays with lots of paper work and as happened to us last year filled all the forms out only for p&o to lose them. in other words to have nice restful holidays for a change instead of hassle

[CaroleF]

As I need to use a scooter in order to get from one end of the ship to another, and to be able to go off the ship and travel along the dockside in order to get a shuttle bus or just to go around the port,when I come to look for a cruise my first question when I phone Bolsover is asking if there's an evacuation chair available, if so then I can consider which cabin I want. I could manage with an ordinary wheelchair if my companion is able to push it which is not necessarily fair on them. I am able to walk short distances but as we all know the distance, for example on an evening if I want to go for a drink before dinner, then to the restaurant, then to the other end of the ship to the theatre, then maybe for an after dinner drink and eventually back to the cabin can be quite a distance. I can't cope with that. During a sea day I would probably be able to go from my cabin to get a coffee and maybe look round the shops but that's about it, so in order to keep my independence I need a scooter. Up until now I thought cruising was the answer. After experiencing over 30 cruises with P&O I thought, after my husband died, that I could still continue cruising even though I now have the effects of arthritis to cope with but it seems maybe it will be very difficult. I do understand that the number of wheelchairs and scooters need to be limited for safety reasons but now with extra rules imposed it seems as if it will be more difficult. I don't need an accessible cabin. Luckily I can afford a mini suite or even on occasions a suite but otherwise I would be forced to try to find an accessible cabin which would mean I would be taking that cabin from someone who really needed it. I don't need the scooter in the cabin, I don't need any additional aids in the cabin.
I have also discovered that I can't go on any P&O excursion if I want to take the scooter, not even on an Accessible one. I could take a wheelchair on certain excursion but not the scooter. I think I could take it on a shuttle bus or obviously arrange a private excursion. I have always liked the security of booking a P&O excursion in the past, particularly as John and I often chose different ones, he liked the active ones, I preferred the more sedate ones! So my next cruise, June 2025 is going to be very different but, at least I can be back on a cruise ship which I love so that's something.

[towny44]

As I need to use a scooter in order to get from one end of the ship to another, and to be able to go off the ship and travel along the dockside in order to get a shuttle bus or just to go around the port,when I come to look for a cruise my first question when I phone Bolsover is asking if there's an evacuation chair available, if so then I can consider which cabin I want. I could manage with an ordinary wheelchair if my companion is able to push it which is not necessarily fair on them. I am able to walk short distances but as we all know the distance, for example on an evening if I want to go for a drink before dinner, then to the restaurant, then to the other end of the ship to the theatre, then maybe for an after dinner drink and eventually back to the cabin can be quite a distance. I can't cope with that. During a sea day I would probably be able to go from my cabin to get a coffee and maybe look round the shops but that's about it, so in order to keep my independence I need a scooter. Up until now I thought cruising was the answer. After experiencing over 30 cruises with P&O I thought, after my husband died, that I could still continue cruising even though I now have the effects of arthritis to cope with but it seems maybe it will be very difficult. I do understand that the number of wheelchairs and scooters need to be limited for safety reasons but now with extra rules imposed it seems as if it will be more difficult. I don't need an accessible cabin. Luckily I can afford a mini suite or even on occasions a suite but otherwise I would be forced to try to find an accessible cabin which would mean I would be taking that cabin from someone who really needed it. I don't need the scooter in the cabin, I don't need any additional aids in the cabin.
I have also discovered that I can't go on any P&O excursion if I want to take the scooter, not even on an Accessible one. I could take a wheelchair on certain excursion but not the scooter. I think I could take it on a shuttle bus or obviously arrange a private excursion. I have always liked the security of booking a P&O excursion in the past, particularly as John and I often chose different ones, he liked the active ones, I preferred the more sedate ones! So my next cruise, June 2025 is going to be very different but, at least I can be back on a cruise ship which I love so that's something.

It may be worth your while to ask P&O if you could borrow one of the ships manual wheelchairs for the occasions you want to go on an excursion. After all it is their new rules which are creating your problems.

[CaroleF]

Thanks for that suggestion John. I did wonder if I'd be allowed to take a wheelchair, just an ordinary push one, in addition to the scooter, but it would depend on my sister-in-law pushing it for me. I suppose I can but ask Bolsover to find out for me.

[Mervyn and Trish]

mervyn & trish
or say goodbye to cruising as we are and enjoy sensible holidays with out petty rules that spoil the holidays with lots of paper work and as happened to us last year filled all the forms out only for p&o to lose them. in other words to have nice restful holidays for a change instead of hassle

You're right, that's an alternative.

I can understand the change in regs about electric chairs and scooters. The batteries are a known fire hazard. We were told years ago that a fire on board is second is seriousness only to a collision. The increasing number of chairs we've seen in recent years parked in corridors is a disaster waiting to happen. So I think the regs aim to park them in large enough cabins to accommodate them where any fire can be more quickly identified and more easily contained.

[Portsmouth]

Speaking with a friend, they said that P&O have sold 50% of the handicapped accessible staterooms with the Limitless Travel company who specialize in disabled friendly holidays and presumably they have a guarantee of having an evacuation chair. Also from what I've heard the prices are much steeper than booking an accessible stateroom by yourself and don't seem to include OBC which you can sometimes get if booking individually.
This 50% deal with LT company { for their sole use } may have been because P&O wanted to fill up bookings for 2025/2026

[Whynd1]

Strange isn’t it. We were on our first Saga cruise this year and you would think with the age demographic the place would look like brands hatch with mobility scooters. We didn’t see one, and as for the lifts, brilliant, large, very quick and allot of the time empty.


Totally agree Stephen.

[towny44]

Speaking with a friend, they said that P&O have sold 50% of the handicapped accessible staterooms with the Limitless Travel company who specialize in disabled friendly holidays and presumably they have a guarantee of having an evacuation chair. Also from what I've heard the prices are much steeper than booking an accessible stateroom by yourself and don't seem to include OBC which you can sometimes get if booking individually.
This 50% deal with LT company { for their sole use } may have been because P&O wanted to fill up bookings for 2025/2026

P&0 have never had any problems filling their accessible cabins, by the closure of the launch period there are generally very few accessible cabins available. So I cannot see why they would be seeking to sell any via a 3rd party, unless they were at premium. prices, which might explain why LT prices are more expensive.

[Portsmouth]

is this an actual rule by P&O and Cunard

As I understand it - yes it is a rule.

Do they tell you fill out out the form when you embark

No you need to complete the form online at least 14 days before embarking. Leaving it until you reach the port runs the risk of being denied boarding.

So I thought I'd update you all about what happened when I embarked on the Queen Anne for my cruise in December
As I previously said ....I don't need my walking stick all the time but it is useful /helpful a lot of the time.
Having had a think about this after posting on here....I made the decision not to fill out the online form....I am fully able to go up and down stairs quickly with my stick in an emergency ....maybe faster than some who have no walking stick
So I decided for this Cunard cruise I wouldn't use my usual wooden walking stick and instead purchased a metal type one from Millet's and would say if questioned when embarking that I had sprained/ twisted my ankle the day before and this was just for today. I didn't for one minute think they would turn me away for a twisted ankle that had just happened.
So I went through the embarkation procedures and put my walking stick through the security scanner and walked onto the ship.
Nobody stopped me, No staff said anything .......it was all so easy
I was pleased as I did need my stick especially when we went ashore for a few hours.

[The Big Cheese]

We have just booked a cruise through Iglu, who we have used before, for P&O Iona sailing in September 2025.
On receipt of the confirmation and within 10 mins I notified of a desire to take folding wheelchairs for use when ashore.
I was informed this would not be possible as there were no evacuation chairs available for this sailing.
I have been offered to transfer to another P&O sailing within a 12 month window (of the same or higher value - circa £5k per cabin x2) or lose my deposit - on a booking that they cannot fulfill- where I had no way of checking before paying the deposit if a evac chair was available or not - which we do not need.
Angry is not the word!!!
Surely I have some consumer rights here??

[david63]

There are two points here.

The first is that you should have stated that you needed to take a wheelchair at the time of booking and the second is that your TA should be dealing with all of this as that is what you are paying them for.

where I had no way of checking before paying the deposit if a evac chair was available or not - which we do not need.

Your TA should have been able to check that a chair was available prior to booking.

Unfortunately P&O have tightened their rules over this and there is nothing that can be done - if they say an evac chair is required then an evac chair is required no matter what anyone else thinks.

Surely I have some consumer rights here??

Very few I am afraid as safety, especially at sea, overrides most other rights.

I am sure that I have read that if no evacuation chair is available then all monies paid are refundable - push your TA on this with P&O.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I would add to David's reply that is not just a case of P&O tightening rules, but of a change in maritime regulations. Also important to remember that it is not simply a matter of having a chair available, it is having someone trained to use it. In the case of emergency that means one to one assistance, which is a big commitment for the cruise companies and limits the number they can accommodate.

[The Big Cheese]

Thanks David63 for your reply to my earlier post.
Since making the online booking I have had some dialogue with the TA and was of the same opinion that they should be working to resolve the issue.
Also reading and understanding it is a similar policy for other cruise lines and not necessarily limited to P&O.
We have not had issues on previous cruises with other cruise lines, but I can also understand changes in policy - it’s for passenger safety at the end of the day, as frustrating as it is.
I could understand if I wanted an accessible cabin and that then triggered a question(s) on disability, however in my case I was of the understanding that able bodied would not require evac chair and there was no way to check availability via the TA at the time of online booking.
As P&O cannot now fulfil the booking, I should be entitled to a refund via the TA.

[towny44]

We have just booked a cruise through Iglu, who we have used before, for P&O Iona sailing in September 2025.
On receipt of the confirmation and within 10 mins I notified of a desire to take folding wheelchairs for use when ashore.
I was informed this would not be possible as there were no evacuation chairs available for this sailing.
I have been offered to transfer to another P&O sailing within a 12 month window (of the same or higher value - circa £5k per cabin x2) or lose my deposit - on a booking that they cannot fulfill- where I had no way of checking before paying the deposit if a evac chair was available or not - which we do not need.
Angry is not the word!!!
Surely I have some consumer rights here??

Unfoftunately it is now essential that you confirm all your potential disability requirements at the time of booking, P&O t&cs make it clear that using a wheelchair now needs to be booked in an accessible cabin, AND you will also need an evacuation.chair.
I sympathise with your predicament, but P&O are being very firm about passengers being fully awatre of all t&c's.
N

[Mervyn and Trish]

Unfortunately as soon as you say you want to bring wheelchairs for use ashore that suggests you are not fully able bodied and triggers the requirement for an Evac chair.