We choose this cruise because it sails out of Bayonne which is an easy 8 hour drive from us. The itinerary isn't really exciting but it was a nice getaway.

Embarkation was a breeze - very quick and well organized. The only minor hiccup is that security asked my elderly father to remove his suspenders instead of using the wand to check him. How they expected a 70 year old man to hold up his pants and walk through the security scanners without his suspenders and then put them back on in the terminal is beyond me. He managed though because they would not relent. Wheelchair assistance was backed up from the get go - my mother has her own wheelchair and it was an easy push for me to get her from the terminal to the ship - only 1 longish ramp but not too steep.

Our cabin was an interior accessible cabin. This is well set up for wheelchair users. Large bathroom with a roll in shower with grab bars on the wall on the left side and a fold down bar on the right. The sink is easy to roll under to wash your hands. The only non accessible portion of the bathroom is the storage behind the mirrors - I can't see how that would be reached by anyone in a wheelchair. The desk is easy to roll under and the closet has both a high bar and a low bar along with numerous shelves. There are also 8 small drawers for storage in the desk area. The downside to Royal is that the beds are hard and the pulldown couch is like sleeping on a wooden plank. There were lots of pillows this time and we asked for blankets instead of the heavy duvets so that made sleeping more comfortable. The cabins have been redone so there is new carpeting throughout and the new white/blue colour scheme in the cabin. Read more