Accessible Cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line

A wheelchair, scooter or walker may be the primary mobility assistance aid for getting on and off the ship for guests who cannot walk on their own. Norwegian Cruise Line has a limited supply of wheelchairs onboard. In order to accommodate our guests, Norwegian Cruise Line wheelchairs are reserved exclusively for embarkation and disembarkation situations. If you will require regular use of a wheelchair, you must bring your own wheelchair with you or make rental arrangements with a service provider. The limited supply of wheelchairs onboard are available for emergency rental arrangements only and are on a first come first serve basis.

Motorized wheelchairs and scooters are allowed in the accessible staterooms provided that they are powered by gel-cell batteries and the chargers must be adaptable to 110 volts. Should you choose a stateroom that has not been designated as accessible, you will need to bring a collapsible wheelchair, or if you have a motorized wheelchair or scooter, the width must not exceed 26 inches to enter the stateroom door. All scooters and wheelchairs MUST be stored in the stateroom. Due to the safety and escape way requirements established by SOLAS regulations, they cannot be stored in the hallways, stairways, or any other public area. Beach wheelchairs can be rented for use on Norwegian Cruise Line's private island.

For additional details on the prearranged rental program, please contact Norwegian Cruise Line's authorized vendor Scootaround.

Guests must be aware that certain vessel transfers, such as tendering and gangways, may not be fully accessible to wheelchairs or scooters at the time that they desire or that they cannot go ashore at all. 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. Note: scooters and wheelchairs and/or guests that weigh 100lbs or more are not allowed to be transferred from the ship to tender and/or from tender to shore.

Some shore excursion facilities may not be fully accessible to guests with mobility challenges. Although all attempts are made to make sure that companies based in the United States provide accessible shore excursions, it cannot be guaranteed that all are able to provide facilities that are accessible to persons with disabilities. Moreover, shore excursions in foreign ports can present challenges to disabled guests.

Norwegian Cruise Line makes every attempt to make the technology available to assist Deaf and Low Hearing guests during their cruise. Many different options and services are available including:

• Embarkation day meeting with staff member who will see to your accessibility needs during the cruise
• The Sky, Sun and Pride of America have staterooms that are hard wired for Deaf and Low Hearing guests which includes a visual-tactile alert system to alert you if there is knocking at the door, telephone ringing, alarm ringing or smoke detection
• On those vessels where rooms have not been hardwired, a portable kit is available upon request in your stateroom that includes a visual-tactile alert system to alert you if there is knocking at the door, telephone ringing, alarm ringing or smoke detection.
• Individual and/or group emergency drills for all Deaf or Low Hearing guests upon request
• Pagers are available upon request on all Norwegian Cruise Line vessels to alert Deaf or Low Hearing Guests to vessel announcements and a manual for same can be provided in advance.
• Assistive listening devices are available on many vessels in the main theatre through the Guest Service Desk.
• Closed-captioned televisions are available for your state room.
• Closed-captioned movies are available on the ‘New Movie Release' channel. A DVD player may be requested if a guest wishes to bring their own DVD movies from home.
• Sign language interpreting services may be provided for Deaf guests if that is their primary means of communication. A request for sign language interpreting should be made with the Access Desk at the time of booking through the Special requirements Information Form that can be obtained from the Access desk, but no later than 90 days prior to sailing. Requests are subject to a number of considerations, including but not limited to, the availability of interpreters and cabin space. Sign language interpreting services may be provided on cruises that depart from and/or return to the U.S. Please make every effort to contact our Access Desk well in advance of your cruise - at least 90 days for interpreters and 60 days for all other requirements — if possible. A request for an interpreter with less than 90 days' notice may still be granted but cannot be guaranteed.
• TTY Phones are available onboard all ships except Norwegian Spirit that use handy phones and text messaging. The guest can request that the phone in their room be replaced with a TTY phone and this will enable them to communicate with the Guest Services Desk staff by teletype.

Norwegian Cruise Line provides personal, customized services to Blind or Low Vision guests including:

• Embarkation day meeting with staff member who will see to your accessibility needs during the cruise
• A vessel orientation tour is available upon request
• Braille / tactile signage
• Service animals allowed onboard and must be arranged through the Access Desk prior to the cruise

Norwegian Cruise Line accepts service dogs that are trained to perform a specific task. A service dog may be needed for many different conditions, which would be acceptable under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. In accordance with the ADA, Norwegian Cruise Line does NOT accept “Emotional Support” dogs as service dogs, they CANNOT sail.

Guests must provide copies of the dog's current vaccination records that show all shots are up-to-date (including Rabies), as well as a USDA or International Health certificate and are responsible for checking with all ports of call for any special requirements they may have. Guests are responsible for bringing all food, medication and life jacket for the dog. A sand box will be provided for all service dogs.

All guests traveling with service animals must book at least two weeks in advance to allow sufficient time to check with each port of call and provide Norwegian Cruise Line with all required documentation.

Dialysis
Guests requiring continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis are welcome to board all vessels. However, Norwegian Cruise Line does not have the ability to assist or administer hemo-dialysis treatments. Those guests using peritoneal dialysis should have all solutions and equipment needed to perform the dialysis delivered to the vessel on the day of sailing at least two hours prior to sailing. Please contact the Access desk prior to the cruise for more information on Norwegian Cruise Line's policies and procedures.

Oxygen
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, Norwegian Cruise Line has selected Special Needs at Sea as the only outside vendors that is permitted to deliver oxygen supplies to the ship.

Special Needs at Sea

• Phone: 800-513-4515
• Fax: 954-585-0577
• www.specialneedsatsea.com
• http://www.specialneedsatsea.com/index.cfm/about-us/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line/

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. Please note that liquid oxygen is not permitted on any Norwegian Cruise Line vessel.

For the safety and security of everyone, oxygen and/or oxygen equipment deliveries will not be accepted from any other company other than Special Needs at Sea.