QUESTION: My wife is confined to a wheelchair. We would like to take a cruise in the Caribbean. Which lines can accommodate us?
ANSWER: A score of ships that will be calling at Caribbean and the Bahamian ports this season have cabins especially designed for the wheelchair user. But just how equipped can vary markedly from ship to ship, and even vessels with such cabins have only a handful of them.It's a good idea check with your local travel agency or a cruise line to be sure that your needs can be met. Cabins known in the industry as "dedicated," meaning they are specially designed, are best suited for wheelchair users. Generally, in such cabins, the user can roll right into the bathroom and the shower without encountering a lip, or threshold. On some vessels, there's enough room in the cabin to make a 360-degree turn in a wheelchair.
The industry practice, incidentally, is to charge no more for these cabins than for similar ones in the same class; that explains why getting such a cabin may require a certificate of medical need. You should also be aware that most ships require that wheelchair users be accompanied.
The Cruise Lines International Association compiles a listing known as the Cruise Guide for the Wheelchair Traveler, which details the extent to which a passenger in a wheelchair can get around. The member lines are asked to indicate whether, for example, cabins have wide doors, low or no sills and whether all public areas are accessible. But conversations with several lines found some ships less promising - and others more promising - than the industry association chart suggests.
A public relations representative for Carnival Cruise Lines, for example, said each of the company's ships in the Caribbean has 14 to 20 cabins that are "handicapped accessible"; the CLIA chart shows Carnival's ships having low or no sills. But, as the representative for Carnival confirmed, these cabins have a lip, or threshold, of six and a quarter inches between the main cabin area and its bath on the Celebration and Holiday and of two inches on the Ecstasy and Fantasy. The Carnival official said ramps were available to ease access.
To gauge if a sill is low, consider that the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1992 requires a ramp for a change of grade of more than half an inch. According John L. Wodatch, chief of the public access section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, the act applies to all cruise ships that do business in the United States. The ships, he said, are required to make "readily achievable" changes so that people with disabilities can take part in activities and have access to public areas.
Here is a sampling of Caribbean-and Bahamas-bound ships and how many dedicated cabins they have for wheelchair users.
Celebrity Cruises: Horizon (four), Meridian (two), Zenith (four).
Costa Cruise Lines: Costa Allegra (eight), Costa Classica (six), Costa Romantica, to be launched Nov. 21 (six).
Cunard Crown Cruises: Crown Dynasty (four), Crown Jewel (four), Crown Monarch (five).
Diamond Cruise Inc.: Radisson Diamond (two).
Holland America Line: Nieuw Amsterdam (four), Noordam (four), Westerdam (six), Maasdam, to be launched Dec. 3 (six).
Norwegian Cruise Line: Seaward (four), Windward (six), Dreamward (six).
Regency Cruises: Regent Sun (two).
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line: Majesty of the Seas (four), Monarch of the Seas (four), Nordic Empress (four).
If you want to contact a cruise line directly to ask about facilities for disabled passengers, here are their addresses, phone numbers:
Abercrombie & Kent, 1520 Kensington Rd., Suite 212, Oak Brook, Ill. 60521; (708) 954-2944 or (800) 323-7308 outside Illinois.
American Canadian Caribbean Line, P.O. Box 368, Warren, R.I. 02885; (401) 247-0955 or (800) 556-7450 outside Rhode Island.
American Family Cruises, 80 S.W. Eighth Street, Miami, Fla. 33130; (305) 377-4130 or (800) 232-0567.
American Hawaii Cruises, 550 Kearny St., San Francisco, Calif. 94108; (415) 392-9400 or (800) 765-7000.
Baltic Express Line (see Euro Cruises).
Bergen Line, 505 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017; (212) 986-2711 or (800) 323-7436.
Captain Cook Cruises, c/o International Cruise Connections, 99 Long Court, Suite 200, Thousand Oaks, Calif. 91360; (800) 433-8747.
Carnival Cruise Lines, 3655 N.W. 87th Ave., Miami, Fla. 33178; (305) 599-2600.
Celebrity Cruises, 5200 Blue Lagoon Dr., Miami, Fla. 33126; (305) 262-8322 or (800) 437-3111.
Classical Cruises, 132 East 70th St., New York, N.Y. 10021; (212) 794-3200 or (800) 252-7745.
Clipper Cruise Line, 7711 Bonhomme Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63105; (314) 727-2929 or (800) 325-0010 outside Missouri.
Club Med, 7975 North Hayden Rd., Scottsdale, Ariz. 85258; (602) 948-9190 or (800) 258-2633.
Commodore Cruise Line, 800 Douglas Rd., Suite 700, Coral Gables, Fla. 33134; (305) 444-4600.
Costa Cruise Lines, World Trade Center, 80 S.W. Eighth St., Miami, Fla. 33130; (305) 358-7325 or (800) 462-6782.
Cruise Company of Greenwich, 31 Brookside Dr., Greenwich, Conn. 06830; (203) 622-0203 or (800) 825-0826.
Crystal Cruises, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 200, Los Angeles, Calif. 90067; (310) 785-9300 or (800) 446-6645.
Cunard, 555 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017; (800) 221-4770; (800) 458-9000 for the Sea Goddess.
Delta Queen Steamboat Company, 30 Robin St. Wharf, New Orleans, La. 70130; (504) 586-0631 or (800) 543-1949.
Diamond Cruise, 11340 Belondo St., Omaha, Neb. 68164; (800) 333-3333.
Dirigo Cruises, 39 Waterside Lane, Clinton, Conn.06413; (203) 669-7068 or (800) 845-5520.
Dolphin Cruise Line, 901 South America Way, Miami, Fla. 33132; (305) 358-2111 or (800) 222-1003.
Epirotiki Lines, 551 Fifth Ave., Suite 605, New York, N.Y. 10176; (212) 599-1750 or (800) 221-2470.
Euro Cruises, 303 West 13th St., New York, N.Y. 10014; (212) 691-2099 or (800) 688-3876.
European Waterways, c/o Le Boat, P.O. Box E, Maywood, N.J. 07607; (201) 342-1838 or (800) 922-0291.
Fantasy Cruises, 5200 Blue Lagoon Dr., Miami, Fla. 33126; (305) 262-5411 or (800) 423-2100.
Fred Olsen Lines (see Euro Cruises).
Galapagos Cruises, c/o Adventure Associates, 13150 Coit Rd., Suite 110, Dallas, Tex. 75240; (214) 907-0414 or (800) 527-2500.
Hanseatic Cruises, c/o Golden Bear Travel, 16 Digital Dr., Suite 100, Novato, Calif. 94948; (800) 551-1000.
Holland America Line, 300 Elliott Ave. West, Seattle, Wash. 98119; (206) 281-3535.
KD River Cruises of Europe, 170 Hamilton Ave., White Plains, N.Y. 10601; (914) 948-3600 or (800) 346-6525 in the East; (800) 858-8587 in the West, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Majesty Cruise Line, 901 South America Way, Miami, Fla. 33132; (305) 536-0000 or (800) 532-7788.
Marquest/Transocean Cruise Lines, 101 Columbia St., Suite 165, Laguna Beach, Calif. 92656; (800) 510-7110.
Melanesian Tourist Services, 302 West Grand Ave., Suite 10B, El Segundo, Calif. 90245; (310) 785-0370.
Montasser InterNile Travel, P.O. Box 40, Andreas, Pa. 18211; (717) 386-3220.
Nabila Nile Cruises, 605 Market St., Suite 1310, San Francisco, Calif. 94105; (415) 979-0160 or (800) 443-6453.
Nile Cruises Hilton, P.O. Box 257, Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt; (800) 448-4782.
Norwegian Cruise Line, 95 Merrick Way, Coral Gables, Fla. 33134; (305) 447-9660; for reservations: (800) 327-7030.
Oceanic Cruises, 5757 West Century Blvd., Suite 390, Los Angeles, Calif. 90045; (310) 215-0191 or (800) 545-5778.
OdessAmerica Cruises, 170 Old Country Rd., Suite 608, Mineola, N.Y. 11501; (516) 747-8880 or (800) 221-3254.
Orient Lines, 1510 S.E. 17th St., Suite 400, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33316; (305) 527-6660 or (800) 333-7300.
P&O Cruises, c/o Golden Bear Travel, 16 Digital Dr., Suite 100, Novato, Calif. 94948; (800) 551-1000.
P&O Holidays - Fairstar Cruises, c/o International Cruise Connections, 99 Long Court, Suite 200, Thousand Oaks, Calif. 91360; (818) 707-0667 or (800) 222-7447. Paquet French Cruises, 6301 N.W. Fifth Way, Suite 4000, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33309; (305) 772-8600 or (800) 556-8850.
Premier Cruise Lines, 400 Challenger Rd., Cape Canaveral, Fla. 32920; (407) 783-5061 or (800) 473-3262.
Princess Cruises, 10100 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90067; (310) 553-1770 or (800) 568-2628.
Ouark Expeditions, 980 Post Rd., Darien, Conn. 06820; (203) 656-0499 or (800) 356-5699.
Regal Cruises, 4199 34th St. South, St. Petersburg, Fla. 33711; (813) 867-1300 or (800) 270-7245.
Regency Cruises, 260 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016; (212) 972-4499.
Renaissance Cruises, 1800 Eller Drive, Suite 300, Post Office Box 350307, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33335; (305) 463-0982 or (800) 525-5350.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, Fla. 33132; (305) 539-6000.
Royal Cruise Line, 1 Maritime Plaza, Suite 1400, San Francisco, Calif. 94111; (415) 956-7200.
Royal Viking Line, 95 Merrick Way, Coral Gables, Fla. 33134; (305) 445-0515 or (800) 422-8000.
Sea Air Holidays, 733 Summer St., Stamford, Conn. 06901; (203) 356-9033 or (800) 732-6247 outside Connecticut.
Seabourn Cruise Line, 55 Francisco St., Suite 710, San Francisco, Calif. 94133; (415) 391-7444 or (800) 929-9595.
Sea Spirit Cruise Lines, 2800 University Ave. S.E., Minneapolis, Minn. 55414; (612) 379-4697 or (800) 533-1482.
Seawind Cruise Line, 1750 Coral Way, Coral Gables, Fla. 33145; (305) 854-7800 or (800) 258-8006.
Seven Seas Cruise Line, 333 Market St., Suite 2600, San Francisco, Calif. 94105; (415) 905-6000 or (800) 285-1835.
Special Expeditions, 720 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10019; (212) 765-7740 or (800) 762-0003 outside New York State.
Star Clippers, 4101 Salzedo Ave., Coral Gables, Fla. 33146; (305) 442-0550 or (800) 442-0551.
Sun Line Cruises, 1 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 315, New York, N.Y. 10020; (212) 397-6400 or (800) 872-6400 outside New York City.
Swan Hellenic, 581 Boylston St., Boston, Mass. 02116; (617) 266-7465 or (800) 426-5492.
Tall Ship Adventures, 1010 South Joliet St., Suite 200, Aurora, Colo. 80012; (303) 341-0335 or (800) 662-0090.
Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, P.O. Box 190120, Miami Beach, Fla. 33119; (305) 534-7447 or (800) 327-2600.
Windstar Cruises, 300 Elliott Ave. West, Seattle, Wash. 98119; (206) 281-3535 or (800) 626-9900.
QUESTION: I will be cruising at the end of December in the Azores and the Canary Islands. What sort of weather can I expect?
ANSWER: The Azores, about 800 miles west of Portugal, have a very mild climate throughout the year, with no great extremes of temperature.