Special Needs at Sea works with Costa Cruise Line to provide handicap travel services for thousands of travelers aboard their ships each year!
Costa Cruise Line welcomes guests on accessible cruise excursions to experience “Cruising Italian Style.” The spirit of Italy and the Italian way are the ‘amore’ of a Costa Cruise. Once onboard, celebrate during the Festa Italiana, an Italian street festival at sea, or enjoy a cup of cappuccino pool side. Whatever one chooses to do on an accessible vacation, Costa provides optimum handicap travel services in order to enhance guests’ cruise experiences and ensure enjoyment of voyages. This is especially important for any passengers with disabilities or impairments.
All of Costa’s ships – except the Costa Marina – have accessible cabins. The Costa Concordia, Costa Serena and Costa Pacifica have the most accessible cabins with 29, followed by the Costa Fortuna and Costa Magica with 27. All Costa cruise ships have accessible cabins available across different categories, with the exception of the Costa Allegra and Costa Romantica, both of which have Inside Singles only. The staterooms have accessible closet rods and lowered shelves. The bathrooms have a roll-in shower, grab bars, a lowered sink and a handheld showerhead; Costa will provide a fold down shower stool and/or toilet riser upon request.
The ships themselves have accessible seating for the shows and accessible seating in the main dining hall. A meeting is set up at the beginning of every cruise for guests with special needs with the Guest Relation Manager, during which the various handicap travel services are explained and all relevant information is provided, including a special map outlining the easiest ways to reach the main areas of the ship. Costa also provides embarkation and debarkation assistance.
Costa Cruise Line provides handicap travel services to persons with hearing impairments and visual impairments. For guests with visual impairments, Braille signage is available at elevator stations and cabin doors onboard the Costa Atlantica, Concordia, Costa, Deliziosa, Fortuna, Luminosa, Magica, Mediterranea, Pacifica and Serena. Guests will be provided with general information and security procedures onboard the ship at the information desk and through a designed TV channel in the guests’ cabins. And on board the newer vessels (Costa Atlantica, Concordia, Fortuna, Luminosa, Magica, Mediterranea, Pacifica, Serena and Victoria), the elevators audibly announce the floor number.
For guests who are hearing impaired, hearing impaired kits are provided in the cabins and the main show lounges have compatible assistive listening systems.
Costa Cruise Line requests that travel agents or direct passengers advise the Reservations Department of any special need and handicap travel services required at the time of booking (no later than 30 days prior to the cruise). Costa cruise ships do not provide wheelchairs or scooters for their guests. For wheelchair rentals, scooter rentals or other special needs equipment rentals for accessible cruise excursions, contact Special Needs Group at 1-800-513-4515. For questions and more information regarding accessible vacations for special needs, contact Costa’s Reservations Department at 1-800-GOCOSTA.