Oceania Cruises

Formed in 2002, Oceania Cruises has positioned itself as the cruise line of choice for travelers seeking a truly refined and casually elegant travel experience. Oceania’s fleet includes three intimate and luxurious 684-guest ships that allow guests to explore the world in style and comfort. 

The Oceania fleet includes the Regatta, Insignia and Nautica. All three ships have three accessible inside staterooms in the G category. Two more ships, the Marina and Riviera, will join the fleet in 2011 and 2012 respectively. These ships will each have six accessible staterooms, two inside-facing staterooms, two ocean-facing and two verandas. 

The median age for cruisers on Oceania’s ships is 67 years old, and understanding their clientele, the ships themselves are accessible. The accessible staterooms have wider doorways to the staterooms and bathrooms to accommodate wheelchairs; roll-in/roll-out showers; grab bars in the bathrooms; and an alert button. For guests who are deaf or hard of hearing, room kits featuring a visual and tactile alert system are available upon request and televisions provide close captioning on some channels. 

Two points that guests with disabilities should be aware of include (1) The Main Lounge has one step that goes down to the dance floor; however, the ships have spaces reserved for wheelchairs that provide good sightlines to the shows; (2) The doors on the decks are wooden, not automatic. Guests should not be discouraged by this though as the ships have more than 400 staff members who are readily on hand to assist with opening doors. These staff members are also very accommodating with carrying trays on the buffet lines, getting drinks and providing unrivaled personalized service. 

Other accessibility features include embarkation and debarkation assistance; accessible gaming; corridors that allow for 180 degree wheelchair turns; and Braille/tactile signage and elevator controls.

Oceania does not provide wheelchairs or scooters for their guests. For wheelchair rentals, scooter rentals or other special needs equipment rentals, contact Special Needs Group at (800) 513-4515. Oceania requests that travelers apprise them of their special needs at least 90 days in advance of sailing. Passengers can notify the Special Services department by calling 800 531-5658 or emailing specialservices@oceaniacruises.com.