5 Reasons Cruises Are the Ultimate Accessible Vacation

THE COMFORT FACTOR - Traveling by ship often eliminates logistical headaches, says Rob Clabbers, a member of the T+L Travel Advisory Board and the founder and president of Q Cruise & Travel.

- By Hannah Selinger

"The staff on ships is generally much better prepared than at a typical hotel," says Clabbers, who has been in the business for more than 17 years and gone on more than 140 cruises and expeditions. He recalls seeing crew members carry a guest, in a wheelchair, on and off a ship. "Is that something they guarantee will always be available? No, but it gives you an idea of how willing they are to assist."

EASIER ACCESS

Many lines, including Cunard, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, and Silversea, have designed shore excursions specifically for those with mobility challenges: a wheelchair-friendly tour of mountainous St. Lucia, for example, or of the waterfalls and fjords of northern Iceland. For its part, Viking has launched two expedition ships, Viking Octantis