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Important Mobility Accessibility Information

Participating in the offered activities on this itinerary will require good mobility, generally good health, and the ability to care for oneself in all activities of daily living. Guests should be capable of negotiating uneven and slippery terrain ashore including rocks, snow and ice.

 

At ports of call, you will embark and disembark the ship either by using a gangway or, in ports where the ship anchors in the harbor, by small rubber landing crafts (Zodiacs). In ports where Zodiacs are used guests who participate on excursions, landings, and wish to visit tender ports of call must be able to negotiate 10-12 steep internal stairs and get in and out of small rubber landing crafts (Zodiacs) with limited assistance. Due to the small nature of these landing crafts we are not able to transport wheelchairs or scooters with guests. In some cases, Zodiacs will be used to board/disembark the ship for your Expedition voyage, we will not be alongside in port for these procedures. The below locations will use Zodiacs for embarkation and disembarkation:

 

  • Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
  • Nome, Alaska, U.S.A
  • Iquitos, Peru
  • Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway

 

Other locations may change with very late notice from the ship being alongside to being at anchor for embarkation and disembarkation procedures due to reasons beyond our control.

 

In ports where gangways are available your ability to use a wheelchair on gangways will depend on the type of gangway (which is generally provided by the port itself), the construction of the pier and on the tides. You should be able to use the gangways in most (but possibly not all) cases. Situations may occur in which guests with limited mobility may not be able to go ashore at the time they desire or are unable to go ashore at all in certain ports. For the safety of all concerned, the Captain shall make the final determination regarding whether or not it is advisable to provide assistance to guests with mobility limitations, or to carry their mobility assistance device (wheelchair, scooter, walker, etc.), taking into account all appropriate matters including, but not limited to, weather conditions, ship’s location, weight of the mobility device, etc.

 

Please advise the Guest Services Manager on board if you feel you need assistance with going ashore. With advanced notice, additional people and equipment may be able to be arranged to make the process as easy as possible.

 

Because facilities in ports around the world vary significantly, particularly in remote locations visited by our expedition ships, wheelchair accommodations may not be available for most expedition experiences and some land tours and/or shore excursions. For detailed information on accessibility of shore excursions, we strongly recommend contacting our Shore Excursions Department prior to embarkation at 1-800-984-3225 (or locally at 206-626-9187) or visiting the Destination Office on board.

 

As our Expedition experiences visit remote areas of the world, transportation vehicles with wheelchair lifts are not typically available, in most cases it will be necessary to for Seabourn to make alternate transportation arrangements such as a sedan vehicle in locations where one is available. This requires that a guest who uses a wheelchair to be able to transfer from his/her wheelchair to the front or back seat of a sedan. Additionally, in instances where lift equipped vehicles are available, many do not have the facilities for the safe transport of mobility scooters in the passenger compartment. Therefore if you are using a mobility scooter you may be asked to disembark your scooter and enter the coach by the front steps and ride safely in a regular coach seat, transfer to a provided boarding chair and take the lift onto the coach and transfer to a regular coach seat, or ride the lift on your scooter and then transfer to a regular coach seat. In some cases, it may be possible for your scooter to be stowed in the luggage compartment for use in the ports of call. If your scooter must be stored in the luggage compartment of a motorcoach it may be necessary for someone traveling in your party to load the scooter into the luggage compartment; the policy as to whether or not the coach drivers are able or allowed to provide assistance is that of the Tour Operator and not Seabourn. The ability to provide assistance may depend on certain factors such as the weight or dimensions of the scooter. Due to the limited number of lift-equipped vehicles, it is best to advise Seabourn as far in advance as possible of any special needs for transfers. This will help to ensure availability of the appropriate vehicles.

 

While every effort is made to assist guests, we hope you understand that we are unable to provide staff members who can spend all or most of their time working with a single guest in order to address ongoing special needs. Guests who will require that level of care will need to travel with a companion who will be able to provide them with the assistance they require. If at any point prior to departure, you have concerns about your fitness to travel on this itinerary, please consult your physician and let us know how best we may be of assistance.

 

Wheelchair assistance that is requested for airports or train stations must be done directly through the airline or rail station. Seabourn does not arrange for wheelchair assistance at airports or train stations.