If requested in advance, Royal Caribbean can arrange for accessible transportation to transfer guests between the airport and the pier. This service is offered at no extra charge to our fly/cruise guests or those who have purchased cruise-only transfers. Accessible transport may be limited or not available outside the U.S. See a travel agent or contact us for details.
We offer boarding and departure assistance to guests in wheelchairs or with mobility disabilities. To request assistance at the pier, contact us 30 days prior to your cruise so that we may prioritise your assistance to go onboard. Wheelchair assistance for boarding is available from the terminal check-in to the ship. During peak times there may be a wait for assistance.
While many ports provide easy access for wheelchairs and scooters, guests using assistive devices may not be able to get on or off the ship. These various conditions may include: steepness of the gangway, tendering, weather, tidal and sea conditions, and shore-side facilities.
We will make reasonable efforts to assist our guests, but for safety reasons, our staff is not permitted to lift guests or equipment. Assistance with manual wheelchairs, walkers, canes etc. will be provided.
We will provide reasonable mobility assistance to guests in accessing areas of the ship that are not accessible.
At some ports, the ship will anchor off-shore, and guests are taken to shore by small boats called tenders. Even if the ship is scheduled to dock at a pier, it can change to tendering. Guests with assistive devices who are unable to take a few steps will be unable to board tenders unless roll-on capability is available.
In order to safely board most tenders, guests must be able to take steps and use a collapsible manual wheelchair. In addition, motorised wheelchairs and mobility scooters cannot be taken on tenders, unless roll-on capability is available. Enquire about tender roll-on capability at the Guest Relations Desk while onboard. Please note roll-on capability is not guaranteed.
Weather, sea conditions and other factors may preclude tendering. The safety of our guests and crew is our primary consideration and the Captain and the staff will make the final decision regarding transferring guests and their assistive devices based on safety reasons.
If guests are unable to tender or disembark due to these circumstances, there will be no refund or credit for missed ports. While we recognise your disappointment, the safety of our guests and crew takes precedence.
Call our Access Department on (AUS) 1800 754 500 or (NZ) 0800 102 123, or send an email to specialneeds.au@rcclapac.com, or have your local travel agent or International Representative contact us.