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Holland America Line Special Needs Passengers      Information courtesy of Holland America Line

Wheelchairs     Oxygen

Holland America Line offers a limited number of staterooms designed to be wheelchair and scooter accessible. There are, however, size and weight guidelines for scooters. If you plan on bringing a scooter on the ship, please contact us at 800-547-8493. For the safety of all guests and crew:

  • Scooters and other mobility equipment need to be securely stored and charged in the guest's stateroom; not in hallways or elevator lobbies.
  • Scooters left in these areas could restrict people needing to travel through these areas in an emergency, particularly other guests using mobility aids, since they would have no way of getting by a scooter left in a hallway.
SHIP TRANSFER OPTIONS
Certain ship transfer operations (i.e. during tendering and at the gangways) may not be fully accessible to wheelchairs or scooters. When a ship is unable to dock, guests are taken ashore on smaller boats called tenders. Some guests with limited mobility may find it difficult to embark or disembark the ship at certain times while at dock or while tendering due to steep gangways and steps, particularly during low or high tide. Also, please note that scooters and wheelchairs which are more than 100 lbs. without the battery are not allowed to be transferred from the ship to tender and/or from tender to shore.

WHEELCHAIRS
For persons not capable of walking on their own, the use of a wheelchair will be the primary mobility assistance aid for getting on and off the ship. Holland America Line has a limited supply of wheelchairs onboard. In order to accommodate our guests, wheelchairs are reserved exclusively for embarkation and disembarkation situations. If you will require regular use of a wheelchair, we recommend that you bring your own wheelchair with you. You may also make advanced rental arrangements prior to your sailing and have a wheelchair delivered directly to the ship. Situations may occur in which mobility-impaired guests 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 the carrying of mobility-impaired guests and 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 guest, etc.

Holland America Line is no longer able to provide complimentary wheelchair assistance for any purpose other than embarkation, disembarkation, and emergency situations. Holland America Line wheelchairs are also not available for shore excursions. For additional details on the prearranged rental program, please contact:

    CareVacations
    phone: 877-478-7827
    Fax: 800-648-1116
    
res@carevacations.com


Guests must be aware that certain third party transfer and shore excursion facilities may not be fully accessible to guests with disabilities. Although we endeavor to make sure these companies comply with legal requirements, we cannot guarantee all are able to provide facilities that are accessible to persons with disabilities. For detailed, up-to-date information on accessibility issues involving shore excursions, we strongly recommend visiting the Shore Excursion Office on board.

In limited situations (either on board or ashore), we may find it necessary to ask the individual to make alternative travel arrangements, such as if an individual with a disability is unable to satisfy certain specified safety and other criteria, even when provided with appropriate auxiliary aids and services. Guests who are unable to care for their basic needs (e.g. dressing, eating, and attending safety drills) MUST have a capable traveling companion. It is essential that we be notified of any special medical, physical, or other requirements you may have as soon as possible, including whether you intend to bring a scooter with you.

OXYGEN AND OXYGEN DELIVERIES ONBOARD
The ship is not equipped to provide guests with these services other than on an emergency basis in the Ship's Medical Center. For security and safety reasons, HAL has selected
CareVacations/CruiseShipAssist as the only outside vendor that they will permit to deliver oxygen supplies to the ship. They believe they can and will meet your on board medical needs:

    CareVacations/CruiseShipAssist
    phone: 877-478-7827
    Fax: 800-648-1116
    
csa@carevacations.com
    
www.cruiseshipassist.com

You are also welcome, however, to bring your own oxygen and/or oxygen equipment from your home. Please note that our staff and crew are not permitted to handle your oxygen and/or oxygen equipment during the embarkation and disembarkation process. Thus, you must be able to handle your supplies if you bring your own. Please contact the Access & Compliance Department prior to sailing if you will require oxygen while on your cruise.

Note: Oxygen and/or oxygen equipment deliveries will not be accepted from any other companies.


MORE CONTACT INFORMATION
If you require additional information on the ship's facilities or ability to accommodate your needs, please feel free to contact the Access & Compliance Department at 800-547-8493; TTY 800-254-8669; locally at 206-281-3535 ext. 4514 or email
HALW_Access@hollandamerica.com

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