Guests with Special Needs

NCL strongly believes that guests with special needs are indeed special. Each ship offers designated staterooms with wider doorways and bathrooms that will accommodate wheelchairs and staterooms with lights and under-pillow vibrating alarms for guests with hearing impairments. Guide dogs are permitted on all NCL ships. Many staterooms have refrigerators that can be used to store medications that must be kept cold. Guests who need oxygen or require oxygen therapy are welcome on all NCL ships; they must supply their own oxygen. Any physical disability or request requiring special treatment or attention must be reported to NCL's Passenger Courtesy Department when the reservation is made. NCL reserves the right to refuse or to revoke passage to anyone in such physical or mental condition as to be unfit for travel or who, in the judgment of the carrier, may endanger the safety or comfort of other guests.



Diabetes

Refrigerators are available in many staterooms for storing insulin.

Diet

NCL offers breakfast, lunch and dinner menus that include low-calorie, haute cuisine recipes from Cooking Light magazine. Our top-rated chefs can also prepare vegetarian entrees (nutrition information provided), as well as low/no sodium and low/no cholesterol entrees. Sugar-free and fat-free desserts are also available.

Hearing Impairments

Select staterooms are available on most ships for guests with hearing disabilities. Among the adaptive devices to make their cruise more enjoyable are in-stateroom lights and vibrating alarms that fit under a pillow and alert the guest to a doorbell, phone or emergency situation.

Medical Care for Minors Traveling Alone

All guests 18 years or younger must have a least one guest 21 years or older traveling with them in the same stateroom. A minor not traveling with a parent or guardian must produce a notarized parental or guardian consent letter authorizing medical treatment in case of an emergency. This letter must be presented to an NCL representative at the pier. Failure to produce the letter at embarkation may result in boarding being denied. There are no refunds in the event of denied boarding.

Onboard Medical Care

Guests are entitled to free medication for seasickness and free treatment by the ship's doctor for injuries that occur on board. Customary charges may be made for certain services. Commonly used medications are kept on board and may be purchased at the office of the ship's doctor. Dramamine, Meclazine, Alka-Seltzer and aspirin are available free at the Purser's Desk.

Oxygen Users

Guests who need oxygen or require oxygen therapy must supply their own oxygen.

Pregnancy

NCL will not accept guests who will have entered their 24th week of pregnancy by the time their travel with NCL concludes. A statement from the expectant mother's doctor, stating her due date and fitness to travel, must be sent to Passenger Courtesy. NCL will not be responsible or liable for any complications of pregnancy which arise or occur during the cruise.

Wheelchair Users

Guests must provide their own wheelchairs. Only collapsible, three-wheel "Amigo-type" wheelchairs can be brought on board the ship. The chairs must be powered by gel-cell batteries. Due to safety regulations, NCL will not accept any wet-cell or acid battery-powered wheelchairs on board the ships. The wheelchair battery recharger must be adaptable to 110 voltage. Wheelchairs may not be used to transfer from the ship to a tender. Guests in wheelchairs may not be able to participate in all shore excursions.

NCL maintains a limited number of wheelchairs on our private island, Great Stirrup Cay, that are specially designed for use on sand. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Jewel




Operator................Norwegian Cruise Lines
Phone...................800-327-7030
Phone2..................305-447-9660

The Jewel will begin her career in August of 2005. There are 27 accessible staterooms in a variety of categories. Deck 11: 11650, 11654 are ocean view and 11139 and 11147 are ocean view. Deck 10: 10642, 10644, 10142, 10144 have balconies. Deck 9: 9648, 9650, 9148, 9150 have balconies and 9672, 9172 are ocean view. Deck 8: 8596, 8598, 8600, 8602, 8096, 8098, 8100 and 8102 are all obstructed ocean view while 8609 and 8109 are inside staterooms. Deck 4: 4604 has obstructed view.


Wind




Operator................Norwegian Cruise Lines
Phone...................800-327-7030
Phone2..................305-447-9660

The Wind has thirteen accessible cabins both inside and outside. The numbers for the inside cabins are 6107, 6136, 6122, 6149, 5140, 5149, 5143, 5150 and 4135. The outside cabins are 921A, 9013, 8255 and 8056. Both the cabin and the bathroom doors are 33" wide. The cabins range in size from 193 to 220 square feet. They have a one inch sill into the showers, however they consider them roll-ins. There are also cabins with tub/shower combinations. They all have hand held showers, fold down seat or transfer bench and grab bars. The toilets are 16" high and have grab bars with raiser available.

They have seven elevators which have doors 34" to 36" wide. Most of the decks are accessible as are two of the public restrooms. They have cabins that are equipped for deaf and hearing impaired passengers.

Dream




Operator................Norwegian Cruise Lines
Phone...................800-327-7030
Phone2..................305-447-9660

The Dream was a new ship in 1992 and underwent a refurbish and 130 foot stretch in 1998. The Dream has six restaurants from Italian to French and everything in between, a lively casino and 10 different bars and lounges, there's always something to keep you entertained. Plus, there are plenty of ways to stay active afloat with a basketball court, jogging and walking track, two pools and a modern fitness center open 24 hours. The Dream has thirteen accessible cabins both inside and outside. The numbers for the inside cabins are 6107, 6136, 6122, 6149, 5140, 5149, 5143, 5150 and 4135. The outside cabins are 921A, 9013, 8255 and 8056. Both the cabin and the bathroom doors are 33" wide. The cabins range in size from 193 to 220 square feet. They have a one inch sill into the showers, however they consider them roll-ins. They also have hand held showers, fold down seats and grab bars. The toilets are 16" high and have grab bars.

They have seven elevators which have doors 34" to 36" wide. Most of the decks are accessible as are the public restrooms. The have cabins that are equipped for deaf or hearing impaired passengers.

Dawn




Operator................Norwegian Cruise Lines
Phone...................800-327-7030
Phone2..................305-447-9660

The Dawn is a new ship in 12/02. The Artistic Side of Norwegian Dawn makes quite an Impression. No other ship anywhere in the world can offer its guests a more significant collection of rarely seen original art. Imagine stepping out of the Stardust Theater after an evening of world-class entertainment, and discovering Romero Britto’s whimsical “Flowers for You” hanging right outside the door. Or, they may be surprised to find Andy Warhol’s complete “Flowers” or “Mao” displayed. At almost every turn, the great works of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism and Pop-Art are to be discovered on this spectacular ship.

There are 24 accessible cabins in a variety of categories. Accessible cabin numbers are category BB 10698, 10700, 10198, 10200. BC 9206, 9208, 9706, 9708. I 10711, 10211. JJ 9219, 2719. G 8120, 8122, 8126, 8128, 8620, 8622, 8626, 8628. II 11609, 11109. AF 11616, 11116. The doors are 33" with no sill for both the cabin and the bathroom. The bathrooms have roll in showers with hand held shower head, grab bars and fold down seat. Some designated accessible rooms have tubs with grab bars. There are alert kits for hearing impaired passengers and the public restrooms are accessible.


Star




Operator................Norwegian Cruise Lines
Phone...................800-327-7030
Phone2..................305-447-9660

The Norwegian Star was a new ship in 12/01 and offers 10 remarkable restaurants, 13 bars and lounges and an astonishing array of staterooms and suites – over two-thirds of which feature a private balcony or ocean view and the luxurious rooftop Garden Villas – the largest suites afloat. There are 20 accessible cabins in a variety of categories. Accessible cabin numbers are category BB 10698, 10700, 10198, 10200. BC 9206, 9208, 9706, 9708. I 10711, 10211. JJ 9219, 2719. G 8120, 8122, 8126, 8128, 8620, 8622, 8626, 8628. The doors are 33" withe no sill for both the cabin and the bathroom. The bathrooms have roll in showers with hand held shower head, grab bars and fold down seat. There are alert kits for hearing impaired passengers and the public restrooms are accessible.


Pride of Aloha




Operator................Norwegian Cruise Lines
Phone...................800-327-7030
Phone2..................305-447-9660

The Pride of Aloha features NCL’s signature Freestyle Cruising, offering a diverse choice of six restaurants without fixed dining times, resort casual dress code and relaxed disembarkation. She also has 13 bars and lounges, two swimming pools, a spa and fitness center and conference facilities among her many amenities. In addition, the ship features a Hawaii museum called the Kumu Cultural Center (Kumu is Hawaiian for source of learning).

Accessibility aboard the Pride of Aloha is good, there are 5 accessible staterooms that are 187 square feet (not including bathroom space) and have 34 ½” doorways. These stateroom numbers are 8117, 9127, 9132, 9318, 9323. Other features include a roll-in shower with hand held shower head, bench and grab bars. The toilet is raised and has grab bars.

Taking a seven day inter-island cruise is a great way to experience Hawaii. Michelle Muller with the NCL’s shore excursion department said that there are several opportunities to go ashore and tour the islands. While there are some excursions that are inaccessible due to steps and rough terrain, most of the National Parks and Island Tours can be accessible if arranged in advance (they do have access to lift equipped vehicles but share them with other ships).

There are accessible public restrooms and all decks are accessible. There are alert kits available for hearing impaired passengers which include flashing lights for the fire alarm, emergency alarm, phone and door.

Majesty




Operator................Norwegian Cruise Lines
Phone...................800-327-7030
Phone2..................305-447-9660

The Majasty has four accessible outside cabins. There numbers are; Princess Deck 730, 734, 735 and 739. The cabin doors are 33" and the bathroom doors are 33". There are no sills. The bathrooms have roll-in showers, hand held showers, fold down seats and grabs at both the showers and the toilets. The toilets are raised and the sinks are accessible.

All decks are accessible and there are accessible public restrooms.

Sun




Operator................Norwegian Cruise Lines
Phone...................800-327-7030
Phone2..................305-447-9660

The Sun is a new ship whose maiden voyage is scheduled for 9/01. There are 20 accessible cabins with 4 of those cabins having balconies. The cabin numbers for those with balconies are; 8018, 8019, 8218 and 8219. The inside cabin numbers are 0105, 0304, 0112, 0311, 9108, 9311, 9121, 9314, 9125, 9318, 8110 and 8312. There are 4 cabins with ocean view and those number are; 5012, 5013, 5212 and 5213. Both the cabin door and bathroom doors for these accessible cabins are 33" wide with no threshold. The bathrooms have roll in showers with grab bars, hand held shower head and seat. The toilets are 16" high with grab bars, risers are available upon request. All areas of the ship are accessible via elevator.


Crown




Operator................Norwegian Cruise Lines
Phone...................800-327-7030
Phone2..................305-447-9660

The Norwegian Crown was built in 1988 as the crown jewel of the Royal Cruise Line luxury fleet. Her 527 staterooms are extra large, most with picture windows and marble bathrooms. There are 4 accessible ocean-view staterooms but they are located near the lifeboats so the view may be obstructed. All of the accessible rooms are located on the Lido Deck. The accessible staterooms have 32" wide bathroom and stateroom doors with no sill. The bathrooms have roll-in shower with hand held shower head and grab bars. The toilet has grab bars and there is knee clearance under the sink.

Spirit




Operator................Norwegian Cruise Lines
Phone...................800-327-7030
Phone2..................305-447-9660

Meet Norwegian Spirit, the magnificent newcomer to NCL’s fleet of Freestyle Cruising ships! Now you can discover Alaska’s breathtaking Inside Passage scenery or sail to the Caribbean’s most exotic and tropical ports. And experience the spirit of these majestic destinations aboard a ship that is equally spectacular, offering eight exciting restaurants, entertainment venues ranging from intimate pubs to 900-seat theater and a host of family-friendly facilities. Enjoy endless activities, exciting dining choices and an atmosphere where you can relax in the fresh, open spirit of NCL’s exclusive Freestyle Cruising.

There are 4 accessible staterooms, all inside. The numbers are; 11629, 11129, 10637 and 10137. Both the stateroom door and bathroom door are 32" wide. The bathrooms all have roll in shower with seat, hand held shower head and grab bars. The toilet has grab bars and there is knee clearance under the sink.

Last year, on the Spirit, I saw a severly handicapped wheelchair-bound girl carried off the tender and up the sandy incline at Great Stirrup Cay (private island) by 4 or 5 attendants. The handled her very carefully and I thought they really were great. I suppose the ship could have told the family it would be too much trouble, but instead they really accomodated her.