How To Have Smooth Sailing on an Alaskan Cruise With an Older Parent With Limited Mobility

I’d be remiss without starting by highlighting the merits of trip insurance. It really is important. I am ridiculously “thrifty”, but this is one item that I will never skimp on. You just never know what is going to happen, no matter how healthy you are on the day you book the cruise. My father-in-law was bit by a venomous spider a few days before a European river cruise and ended up in the hospital. They did not have travel insurance and spent $10,000 on a trip that didn’t happen. A neighbor crushed her kneecap dancing on a cruise, and the medical bills surpassed the cost of the cruise. We learned from those instances just how important insurance is. Premium insurance is a top priority at any age, but it's a must for older limited mobility travelers. Limited mobility can become non-mobility very quickly, and we always want to be prepared for any situation.

Airport travel with a limited mobility parent is an entirely different scenario than my family's usual frantic mad dashing through the airport. To begin with, we were traveling with Princess Cruises and EZair made my mother much more at ease than if we had booked our own flights. We also made sure to book a non-stop flight to make the flight more convenient and easier physically for my mom. The trip started with a much more relaxed feel that I’m used to, although I've never been to the airport that early for a flight! By using EZair, my mom had one less thing to be anxious about. She knew that we were guaranteed to make it to the ship and that's always been a huge concern for her. We requested a wheelchair when the flights were booked. After a short wait in an area near check-in, our friendly attendant appeared and got us on our way to our gate. They assisted her through the TSA line — which she would have had a huge problem standing that long — and got her to the gate effortlessly. We feel that tips are appropriate for the assistance, so we make sure that we have the proper cash ready ahead of time. My mom uses a walker very effectively, but the airport is huge and just too much for anyone with even a slight mobility problem. At the gate, we were given priority boarding and they took her right up to the airplane door. She had time to make her way to our seats without being in anyone's way, and she got settled before the hurried travelers entered the plane.

In Seattle, we waited for the plane to empty and there was a wheelchair waiting for her as we got off the plane, where we were taken straight to the baggage claim. I found the Princess cruise's designated area and she waited there while I got our luggage. We were greeted by a friendly Princess representative who got us loaded on to the waiting shuttle bus, which took us to the port. The port was very crowded, but the MedallionClass system made boarding so much easier than usual. Once we boarded the ship and found that our stateroom was ready, my mom was tired and ready to take a well-deserved nap. We first completed the safety demonstration/Muster Drill requirement. It’s important because you don’t want to be the people who don’t do it and hold up the ship's departure! It was very easy to complete in the room, as we were able to watch it on our TV. There's no more finding your station and waiting for other guests to arrive. It’s very convenient and limited mobility friendly now.

We had an accessible room, which is invaluable to travelers with limited mobility. Although my mom is not in a wheelchair, the room is spacious enough to accommodate one and it’s easier to maneuver her walker around. The shower was easy for her to access and you can request shower stools, as well as toilet seat raisers and bed-boards. There were plenty of handrails for additional support and a bath distress alarm. The thresholds are also made to be easier to navigate, which is a small thing but a big help. She always requests a stateroom near the elevators. Princess does a very good job of making the cruise ship accessible everywhere from restaurants to spas to lounges.

As my mom napped, I explored the ship, got a fancy drink, a great lunch from the International Cafe and then unpacked. When it was time to set sail, we joined the Sail Away Party and enjoyed some music and drinks. Dining is always a huge part of my parents' trips — they love good food and appreciate the specialty dining restaurants that are available on board. Since travel days are a lot for my mom, for the first night we chose to order room service from a specialty dining restaurant. They always get a package that includes specialty dining — if not, it's one of the items that you will be charged for from room service. Sitting on the balcony, enjoying the beautiful scenery of the North West, while eating a delicious dinner, is pretty high on the 'this is awesome list'. When we finished eating, we walked around the ship a bit, enjoyed some live music and looked over the schedule for the next day on our Princess Medallion app. We also went over the breakfast menu and made our choices for room service in the morning.

We waited to make excursion plans until we were on the ship so we could judge my mom's physicality at the time. You have to take some extra time when making plans when you have limited mobility. We were pleased to find that many of the excursions were accessible for her. Each excursion's description gave an excellent overview of the physical ability needed to participate. We decided that an excursion at every port would be too much for her. So I chose two excursions to take part in solo and my mom and I chose two excursions to do together.

On the days I had excursions, since my mom loves to read, she enjoyed the peacefulness of the ship. When the ship is at a port and most of the passengers are on land, it is very quiet. It was also a great time for her to go to the nail salon, the thermal spa (which is amazing), and there were no crowds for lunch. Another great feature for people with limited mobility on a Princess cruise is that with their Medallion app, you can just push a button and drinks and snacks come to wherever you are. It’s really great for my mom because waiting in line is hard for her and then walking back from wherever she was with a drink or snack, is tough with a walker. This makes it so much easier and completely hassle-free.

Everything we did on board was easy for her to attend. We went to the casino to play some slots, played bingo, watched ice sculpture carving, attended a lecture by an actual Iditarod musher, listened to live music, went to shows, played trivia games, we took a class on how to play a harmonica and we got a special treat called “Puppies in the Piazza” –where they brought in future sledding puppies for us to interact with. There were a few things that were too crowded for my mom to attend — like the champagne party and the night clubs were not for her. But that’s the beauty of a cruise, she still had something more in her style to do at any given time.

Our first port was Ketchikan, and we excitedly got ready for a Duck tour. It was a bit tough getting my mom into the amphibian because you had to climb a ladder, but it was easy to get to the amphibian as it was parked right by the ship. Our excitement quickly faded as the amphibian decided it was on vacation too that day. We managed to somehow get my mom back down the ladder and we understand that things happen, so we regrouped and went on a sightseeing bus tour. The town is so picturesque with brightly colored buildings, with expertly carved animals everywhere you look, and lots of amazing totem poles. We thoroughly enjoyed the sightseeing, then did some shopping, and the day ended up being a great success. My mom was tired, so we had an early dinner, and she turned in. I went to some shows, visited the casino and ended the evening at the piano bar.

The next day scenic cruising through the snowcapped mountains, passing blue icebergs, then coming up to the magnificent glacier, was absolutely breathtaking. If you are traveling with someone who has limited mobility (and really, even if you’re completely mobile) I highly suggest getting a balcony stateroom. We started the scenic cruise on our balcony with brunch from room service. As we were cruising, a Naturalist came on board and narrated the passage for the ship. It was played on our TV and throughout the ship, and it was incredible. We brought binoculars and loved it when he pointed out sea otters, seals, bears and eagles for us to find. We even had a brief whale sighting. At one point we headed up to the open deck and the view was amazing. My mom didn’t last there long because it was a cold day and it had started to rain, but I stayed for a bit. A cup of delicious warm cup of coffee from the International Cafe was a perfect stop on my way back to the room. In the stateroom, my mom was thrilled to be able to watch the rest of the journey from our couch, keeping very dry and warm.

Our next port was Juneau. My mom stayed on the ship and enjoyed a spa day, while I went whale-watching and then on a hike around Mendenhall Lake and glacier. My mom could have gone whale watching, it was not strenuous at all, but of course the hike would not have been for her. An interesting thing happened to me on that excursion, because I had never traveled alone before. I was very present for the entire excursion. I wasn’t trying to make sure my kids were being good or having fun, or that everyone was where they were supposed to be. I was mesmerized by the whales, and I learned so much about them, the wildlife in the forest and the glacier. When I got back to the ship, my mom was well rested and we both were excited to tell each other about our days. We had a fantastic dinner in the main dining room and then called it a night.

The following day, we stopped at Skagway. My mom stayed on the ship again with a good book that she found at the ship's library, and I boarded a ferry for a scenic ride to Haines. After a very beautiful bus ride, we arrived at the Takshank Moutain Trail to drive ATV’s up the mountain. The mountain views with dazzling blue lakes below were surreal, the waterfalls were plentiful, we saw lots of wildlife, ate wild blueberries and had a homemade Alaskan feast at a lodge. It was a bucket list day, for sure. It would have been too much for my mom, but as I boarded the ship, I quickly saw my mom, who was playing with adorable sledding puppies. Bucket list items again!

Our last port was Victoria, and we were very excited for a day at Butchart Gardens. After a lovely bus ride to the gardens, we were told that we could rent a wheelchair for the day on the premises. It’s a very large garden and we thought that would be the prudent thing to do. We quickly got a wheelchair and headed in. I’m not one to be intimidated by crowds, but it was busy. If we didn’t have the wheelchair, I think it would have been much easier to navigate through the gardens, but we did. I was very dismayed at the lack of people letting us through the paths. The wheelchair was wide and it was hard to dodge and get around the large crowds of people. And it’s really hilly. It might not seem as hilly when you aren't pushing a wheelchair, but to me it felt like we were visiting Mount Everest. I was not strong enough to push the wheelchair well, and it became frustrating. If my husband had been with us, I feel confident that he would have not had the problems that I did. So I’m not saying don’t go if you're using a wheelchair, just make sure you have a strong person along. Unfortunately, I believe it would have been too difficult for my mom to use her walker there, so a wheelchair is the best option. With that being said, the gardens are magnificent. You wouldn't even know there was a crowd when looking at my pictures. It gets a ten for beauty. I have never been to a more beautiful garden. We really did enjoy the excursion — it was just more of a workout than I was expecting. It was dark on the way back to the ship, and the city was stunning. We had a tour by bus and the city is lively at night and the lights are spectacular.

The next day, we woke up in Seattle after an amazing week. We had so much fun, and we will cherish the memories forever. Don’t let limited mobility stop you from cruising. We are proof that it can be done and it’s relatively easy. The cruise lines will do everything they can to make sure you have what you need, and there is truly something for every level of physical ability available. After this successful journey, I’m hoping we can take the entire family on the next Alaskan cruise. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I am thankful that I was able to share it with my mom.

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