Accessible Cruise Travel vs Accessible Land Travel

Accessible Cruise Travel vs
Accessible Land Travel
http://sagetraveling.com/Accessible-Cruise-Travel-vs-Accessible-Land-Travel-in-Europe

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One of the key decisions to make when traveling with a disability in
Europe is whether you should travel by cruise ship or by train/car/plane.
Here I present 8 Reasons Why Accessible Cruise Travel is Better followed
by 8 Reasons Why Accessible Land Travel is Better.

8 Reasons Cruise Travel is Better

“Don’t waste energy on the things that don’t matter.” – I met a disabled
passenger on a cruise, and he said this was the reason he only travels by
cruise ship. I thought it was a great way to state it. All of your energy will
be spent on enjoying your trip instead of traveling from place to place!
1

No bad neighborhoods on a cruise ship – When traveling on land, you
always run the risk of choosing a bad hotel. You could be in a
neighborhood with a high crime rate, lots of cobblestones and hills (such as
those shown in the Istanbul photo on the left), strip clubs, panhandlers, or
the overly crowded section of Venice (such as those shown in the Istanbul
photo on the right). Or maybe you choose a great hotel in a great location,
but the building next to you has loud construction going on! With
accessible cruise travel, you don’t ever have to worry about sleeping in a
bad neighborhood.
2

Only unpack once – To me this is one of the best parts about accessible
cruise travel. I don’t have to pack and unpack every time that I need to
switch hotels. Unpack once at the start of your trip and pack once at the
end of your trip, and you’re done!
3

More consistency in dining quality – You’ll be hard pressed to find a bad
meal on a cruise ship. On land it’s easy to walk/roll into a charming
restaurant only to be disappointed by the food.
4

All cruise staff speak English – If you are on one of the major
international cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Celebrity,
Princess, Azamura, Seabourn, etc…), all of the cruise staff will speak
English. On top of that, they’re from all over the world which makes for
some fascinating discussions!
5

Excellent customer service – Customer service by the waiters, maids,
and bartenders is usually very good on cruise ships. The cruise lines train
their staff extensively to make sure this is the case. Paying for the same
quality of customer service would cost much more on land.
6

Easy to see multiple countries in a short trip – Cruising is the only way
that you can say “I slept in Italy last night, I’m in Croatia today, and I’ll be in
Greece tomorrow.” You don’t have to spend any of your daylight hours
catching trains, because the cruise ship comfortably transports you while
you sleep!
7

Cruising can be cheaper than land travel – Depending on your travel
preferences, cruising can be cheaper than land travel. If your budget is of
primary concern, choosing an interior cabin, sailing in the off-peak season
months, choosing an itinerary with ports that don’t require expensive
driving excursions, and limiting the amount of incidental expenses on the
ship can really bring the price down. Travel smart and cruising can be
cheaper than land travel!
8

8 Reasons Land Travel is Better

One day is too short in many ports – This is one of the biggest
drawbacks of accessible cruise travel in my opinion. How are you going to
see Rome in 10 hours when you need a full week? One day is also not
enough time in Istanbul, Athens, Tuscany, Naples, Venice, and many more
ports.
1

If you need maximum accessibility, land travel provides more options –
If you have special needs beyond wide doorways and roll-in showers, land
travel allows you to choose from different hotels with different
accessibility features (grab bar positioning, bed height, etc…). You’ll be able
to find the perfect hotel accommodation for your needs (example
accessible Paris hotel shown on left, example Venice hotel shown on right).
2

On cruise excursions, it’s tough to not be a tourist surrounded by
tourists – When 3000+ passengers pull into port, most of them want to see
the highlights. The ruins at Ephesus (shown in the photo below on the left),
St. Mark’s Square in Venice (shown in the photo below on the right), and
the Colosseum are just a few of the popular attractions that tourists will
flock to. You may spend more time waiting in line than experiencing the
culture! Land travel allows you to get away from the tourists and see how
the locals live.
3

Many of the great European cities are inland – Madrid, Paris, Munich,
Lucerne, Prague, Zurich, Vienna, and Budapest are just a few of the cities
you’ll miss with accessible cruise traveling.
4

You can immerse yourself in a single culture – I love working on a few
phrases in a foreign language when I travel. With a week or two in Italy and
a few weeks of practice beforehand, I’m able to do some basic
communication in Italian. I feel like a local! With cruises, it’s really tough to
work on a language or get a feel for local customs when you’re switching
countries every other day.
5

Better ambience in restaurants on shore – While the dining areas on
cruise ships are generally fancy, there is still something to be said for dining
on a scenic piazza in Rome (Campo de Fiori shown on the left) or the Grand
Canal in Venice (shown on the right).
6

Finding accessible shore excursions can be difficult in some ports, and
impossible in others – We’ve spend countless hours researching accessible
shore excursions in Europe. In many ports vans with wheelchair ramps are
hand to find and/or expensive. In other ports, electric wheelchair users
(and anyone else who can’t walk up bus stairs or transfer into a normal car)
will have no option but to stay on the ship!
7

Land travel can be cheaper than cruising – Although the
accommodation and food are a bargain with accessible cruise travel, the
cost of the trip can add up when you start to factor in accessible
excursions. If you’re traveling on land, you can travel cheaply by avoiding
large expensive cities, choosing hotels outside the city center, dining at
affordable restaurants, and using public transportation. Travel smart and
land travel can be cheaper than cruising!
8

Call Us: 1-888-645-7920
We look forward to making your accessible dream vacation a reality!
Contact us at info@sagetraveling.com
http://sagetraveling.com/Accessible-Cruise-Travel-vs-Accessible-Land-Travel-in-Europe

Accessible Cruise Travel vs Accessible Land Travel

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Accessible Cruise Travel vs Accessible Land Travel