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Cruising is an excellent vacation choice for families with a special needs child. It’s a chance to visit multiple destinations without flying or driving from city to city and the family only has to unpack once--important plus for your special needs child. Once settled into your stateroom, there are few disruptions to routine. Today’s passenger cruise ships are very accommodating to persons with special needs, and more kid-friendly than ever. Almost all ships offer supervised, age-appropriate activities for children plus…

As 2009 closed, several new ships made a huge splash within the cruise industry, foreshadowing the future of cruising, including Disney Cruise Lines’ 4,000-passenger Dream and Royal Caribbean Cruises’ 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas, the largest passenger cruise ship ever floated. Within the next twelve months, several more behemoth vessels will enter the waters including Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, sister ship to the Oasis; and the largest ship ever for Norwegian Cruise Line, the 4,200-passenger Epic. With increased…

Did you ever cancel a trip because of a bad knee or other mobility impairment? Have you avoided cruises and family events that require travel for fear you’ll need oxygen mid-trip? Relax. Today’s world is more accessible than ever, and for anyone with special requirements for traveling, there’s a world of information and help waiting for you. It’s disappointing to be left behind or to have to leave a loved one behind because of a physical limitation or special travel…

Royal Caribbean International’s (RCI) much anticipated next generation cruise ship, the Oasis of the Seas is ready for passengers. Rising sixteen decks high, she is the largest vessel afloat---and among the most accessible. We toured the ship recently and can report first hand that the Oasis of the Seas offers the largest number of accessible staterooms of any ship, a total of 46. For the newer ships in the fleet, RCI has consistently maintained a standard of 1.7 percent of all staterooms…

As a supplier of oxygen and other special needs equipment for travelers, I see first hand the uncertainty and confusion regarding traveling with oxygen, especially the rules and regulations for dealing with cylinders or other forms of portable oxygen on a cruise. Like everything in life, cruising with oxygen is simple, once you know the guidelines. After almost a decade of working with cruise ships and accessibility, here’s what I’ve learned that can ensure smooth sailing for anyone traveling with…

A few months ago, I was filling up one of our Special Needs Group delivery vans at a gas station. A woman approached me about the logo on the side of the van and wanted to know what it meant. I told her that we deliver oxygen and mobility equipment to cruises, hotels and airports around the world. The woman was amazed; she did not know that a service like this even existed. As it turned out, her mother had…