Carnival

Guests with Disabilities
Carnival is dedicated to offering the finest cruising experience to our guests with special requirements. Our ships provide a quality of service and a variety of accessible features to make your voyage a relaxing and enjoyable experience. A "Fun Ship ®" cruise vacation if perfect for people who have a special need for fun! Fun for all, all for fun! ™
General Access
 Carnival has made substantial modifications to enhance your ability to move about our ships. Our ships feature Accessible Elevators at each elevator bank with tactile controls within reach of guests who use wheelchairs and auditable signals for guest who are blind or with low vision.

Accessible Routes are available thought most areas of the ship and signs are posted to assist you in locating these pathways.

A Diagram of accessible routes and emergency exit routes for your ship, as well as a diagram which indicates the location of accessible seating within your ships restaurants and lounges, and accessible public restrooms are located on the links below, under your respective ships.

Accessible Accommodations
An entry doorway which is 32" in width; a 36" wide accessible path through the stateroom; accessible closet rods and shelves; safe, telephone, desk, and bathroom with a roll-in shower, grab bars and accessible lavatory. Here are the deck plans and the accesible routes by ship class:

As with all Carnival reservations, staterooms within each category are assigned on a first-come/first-serve basis. Therefore, it is advisable to reserve an accessible or modified stateroom in advance. Please contact our Guest Access Services Department for reservations.


Wheelchair Users

Our ships have specially designed cabins for guest using wheelchairs. We have two classifications of cabins:

Modified Cabins: these cabins have been modified from our standard cabins to include wider entry doorways. The cabin entry measures approximately 29". The cabin bathroom entry ranges from 22" to 29", with a lip ranging from 3.5" to 8" into the bathroom. These cabins are reserved for our guests who use a wheelchair for distance or guests with mobility.

Fully accessible cabins: these cabins have an approximate 32" entry doorway into the cabin and cabins bathroom. There are no lips into the bathroom. They have roll-in showers with fold-down shower seats. Additionally, there is a full turnaround space of approximately 60" x 60" in the cabin and as well as in cabin bathroom. These cabins are reserved for our guests who use a wheelchair, with limited or no mobility, or guests who use motorized scooters.

As with all Carnival reservations, staterooms within each category are assigned on a first/first-serve basis. There it is advisable to reserve an accessible or modified stateroom in advance.

Standard cabins: these cabins have an approximate 22" entry doorway an 8" lip into the cabin bathroom, a 4" lip into the shower stall, and 7" lip to the balcony (if applicable).

Mobility Scooters: Passenger scooters must be stored and batteries recharged in your cabin. Due to safety considerations, wheelchairs and scooters cannot be stored in the corridors. Your personal scooter should be able to fit in a standard cabin: a 21" entry doorway. If your scooter is larger than 21", you must purchase a modified cabin or rent a smaller scooter. Segways and other similar vehicles are not permitted on board our vessels.

At certain ports of call, small boats known as tenders are used to transport passengers from the ship to shore. Certain of these tenders may not be accessible to individuals using wheelchairs and mobility scooters, or the status of the tendering process at a particular port under certain weather, sea, swell, current and/or tide conditions may prove difficult for a safe transfer to take place. In each case, it will be the decision of the ship officials to determine, based on their evaluation of safety issues for our guests and crew, whether or not a guest using a wheelchair may board a tender. In order to safely board tenders, guests must be able to take steps and use a collapsible, fold up wheelchair; motorized wheelchairs and mobility scooters cannot be taken on tenders. *Note-Tendering ports are: Cabo San Lucas, Catalina California, Catalina Island Dominican Republic, Cannes France, Belize, Half Moon Cay Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa (Mexico), Kona (Hawaii), Lahaina (Hawaii), Newport Rhode Island, Sitka (Alaska) Possible Tender: Cozumel , Ketchikan Alaska, Dubrovnik Croatia, Katakolon Greece.

Facilities in ports of call vary significantly; wheelchair accessibility may not be available for shore tours or in certain ports of call. Carnival is not responsible for accessibility in its ports of call, which are not under Carnival's control.

For transportation from the airport to the pier, Hydraulic Lift Transfer is available for guest with mobility impairments, if requested in advance. Standard transfer charges apply; there is no additional cost for the lift for wheelchair assistance at the airport terminals, please contact the air carrier directly.

If you are requesting wheelchair assistance with embarkation and debarkation, Carnival Cruise Lines has a limited supply of wheelchairs onboard each of our ships. In order to accommodate all our guests, we reserve them for embarkation and debarkation in the pier facility only. Furthermore, the wheelchairs onboard are used for emergencies and time-to-time usage, therefore, Carnival Cruise Lines is unable to confirm the exclusivity of a wheelchair for the entire duration of the cruise. Additionally, wheelchairs from the ships cannot be taken off shore in ports-of-call.

If you require the regular use of a wheelchair, Carnival Cruise Lines respectfully asks that you bring your own or rent one from a service provider. Some companies that frequently provide wheelchair services for our guests are:

CareVacations: Phone: 1.877.478.7827 (website: www.cruiseshipassist.com)
Special Needs at Sea 1.800.513.4515 (website: www.specialneedsatsea.com)

Of course, you are free to select your own provider. Please know that Carnival Cruise Lines does not endorse specific service providers. Consequently, you assume risk of utilizing these third party services and are subject to their terms and agreements. Refund issues must be handled directly with you and the service provider as well as any other implications that may arise regarding your rental.

Diabetes/ Medicine Storage

If you are traveling with injectable medication(s) and need a container for disposal, please contact the Medical Center or Housekeeping onboard. Staterooms are equipped with mini-bars which are designed to maintain the temperature of beverages. Please do not use it to store medications that have specific temperature requirements. Should you need to store medicine that needs proper refrigeration, please visit Guest Services where access to a refrigerator is available 24 hours a day. Ships equipped with mini-bars are:

  • Carnival Conquest
  • Carnival Dream
  • Carnival Freedom
  • Carnival Glory
  • Carnival Legend
  • Carnival Liberty
  • Carnival Miracle
  • Carnival Pride
  • Carnival Spirit
  • Carnival Splendor
  • Carnival Valor

Dietary Needs

Carnival Cruise Lines can provide our guests with the following special dietary needs: Vegetarian, Low-Cholesterol, Low-Fat, Low-Carbohydrates, Low-Sugar, Gluten Free, Indian Vegetarian and Kosher. If you have food allergies, please advise your dining staff once onboard.

Dialysis

Carnival does not supervise dialysis machines for those guests who require Hemo-Dialysis. We do allow guests who require Peritoneal (self Dialysis). Guests must travel with all medical supplies and medications and self-Administer in stateroom.

Oxygen

Guest using Oxygen and other breathing apparatus are responsible for traveling with their own supply of Oxygen and medications. Guest need to bring enough Oxygen to last the duration of the cruise, oxygen supply onboard the vessels are for emergency use only.

If you choose to hand carry your oxygen, packing oxygen cylinders and/or tanks in your luggage is strictly prohibited, as well as putting them through security x-ray machines. Please hand carry your oxygen machines (BiPAP, CPAP, Concentrator, Nebulizer, etc.) and not place them in your checked luggage.

The Medical Center is equipped with oxygen for emergency use ONLY. If you will require the use of oxygen during your cruise, you must arrange for an adequate supply to be delivered to the ship on your sailing date. (Likewise, all guests undergoing CAPD (Peritoneal Dialysis) must arrange for the delivery of solutions and supplies.) Please contact Guest Services once onboard for proper storage of your oxygen. All guests are responsible for the pickup and delivery of their oxygen. Please have your medical supply company contact us, otherwise port clearance may not be granted. It would be most helpful for you to carry with you a copy of your medical records (e.g., a list of your medical conditions, allergies, names and dosages of your medication, a copy of your EKG If applicable and the name and contact of your physician).

Deaf/Hard of Hearing

In cabin alert systems are available upon request, these kits include: bed shaker, smoke alarm, and door. Our in cabin telephones are equipped with an amplifier.

Infrared systems are available in the main show lounges onboard some ships.

Blind/Low Vision

Braille Signage is available onboard some ships. Braille and Large Print format is available with advance notice for the following documents: In-Cabin Directories, Cruise Ticket Contract, and Welcome Aboard Booklets. We also provide audio format for our Carnival Capers®, with advance notice.

Service Animals

Carnival Cruise Lines does permit guest to travel on board with specially trained service animal (e.g., dog guides, hearing-ear dogs, working dogs). Please note that many of our exciting ports of call have established strict entry requirements for animals. Therefore, guests with service animals who wish to disembark in ports of call should contact the Department of Agriculture to determine the policy of each destination regarding admission of service animals to the particular country.
Pets are not permitted onboard.

Children with disabilities

The following information highlights some of the conditions under which our onboard Carnival Youth Program accepts children with special needs into the respective programs (Camp Carnival, Circle "C" and Club O2).

  • In order to participate in any Carnival Youth Program activities the parent or legal guardian will need to complete a registration form.

  • You will also be given an alternate special needs checklist, which will help aid the Youth Staff in how to best serve your child while participating in the activities. This checklist specifies what behaviors are sometimes displayed, and ways in which to help dissipate them.

  • Children with special needs have the option to move down one age group if this will help them better adapt to the environment.

  • We do not provide one on one attention, but if this is necessary, the parent or legal guardian, assigned helper is welcome to stay and participate with the child during activity times.

  • Parents of children with special needs will be provided with a beeper or phone (if applicable).

  • Youth Programs Important Information rules still apply to all children, in terms of administration of medication, illness, hours and unacceptable behavior while in the program.

  • The Youth Staff may not administer any medication and/or needles to any child participating in the Carnival Youth Program. Additionally, no medications with the exception of epi-pens, diabetic testing equipment & inhalers are permitted in the facilities. If your child requires regular medication while attending the program, parents must return to administer that medication.

  • Should a child still be in diapers and they are older/bigger than what the diaper changing table can hold, then the parent or legal guardian will be called to assist.

  • Youth Staff cannot lift children with mobility disabilities.

  • Since the Youth Staff are not able to provide one-on-one assistance, children will need to be able to feed themselves. In the event that a child needs to be fed, a parent or guardian may remain with the child during dinner, or bring the child to activities following the dinner service.

If you need additional information please contact us at: specialneeds@carnival.com