Disabledcruiser

Thanks all for your replies - it sounds as if MSC have got the message about the poor food when we sailed on the Opera - might give them another try!

Those not disabled themselves don’t realise that all other accessible cabins other than Iona and Arvia, are very disabled ‘unfriendly’. P&O, to their credit, have really thought hard, how best to make life easier for the wheelchair/mobility scooter passengers that will occupy those cabins. All accessible cabins on the other ships all over the world, may unlock the cabin door for the wheelchair user (like Princess Medallion class), but Iona and Arvia’s ‘open’ the door as well, allowing the disabled person to smoothly enter, with the cabin door automatically closesing a few seconds later. Other redesigned features are: the bathroom opens and closes itself, door bell that activates a flashing light (for the deaf), automatic balcony door open/close, height adjustable washbasin etc.etc. All at no extra cost than the equivalent regular cabin grade. Of course, like most other accessible cabins, to permit wheelchair movement inside the cabin, they are approx double width.

Pasta on an Italian ship just has to be good, or Italians themselves wouldn’t book with them. When you say “stick to European food” are you excluding meat dishes, other than Pizzas? Do they serve steak, lamb and pork, for instance? Also, what are their specialty restaurants like and what do they charge?

Totally agree about safety - pity though that when they designed both those ships that they put all the accessible balcony cabins on decks 14 and 15! Also that P&O, in their haste to fill the bookings for 2025 and 2026, block sold 50% of the available accessible cabins to the Limitless Travel company for their sole use. “Why then don’t you book an accessible cabin through Limitless’’ I hear you ask? Here is the answer…because that company, which specialises in disabled holidays, adds a hefty premium and charges double or even triple the standard fare, making it impossible, unless you are very wealthy, to get one of the Iona or Arvia accessible cabins. No other travel agent or even the cruise line themselves, can sell those cabins. Just giving one example - last month I telephoned P&O direct to see if I could book an accessible balcony cabin on any cruise on Iona going to the Norwegian fjords from April until June and the only date with disabled balcony cabins left was 10th to 17th May 2025, so we booked it at a price of £1,200 per person, which includes an emergency evacuation chair service for me and assisted stair service for my wife. Limitless, knowing I am a possible customer, emails me daily advertising cruises. Yesterday’s email advertised the same grade of accessible cabin on the same cruise, for £3,400 per person, an increase of £4,400 per cabin - why? It should be noted that the Limitless price does not include anything extra during the cruise - ie food, entertainment etc are the same and no shore excursions are included - However, we are getting £160 on board credit and Limitless customers don’t !!

Hi We sailed on ‘Opera’ many years ago from Argentina to Southampton in a suite. Nice ship, but the food was awful, especially any kind of meat. My question is - what’s the food like now in the MDR’s?

A new rule on all P&O ships discriminates against disabled people that use a mobility scooter or power wheelchair. Passengers arriving to board the ship on either vehicle will be not allowed to board unless they are booked in to an accessible cabin. Furthermore, NO REFUND will be given. As disabled cruisers will know, securing an accessible cabin on any ship is extremely hard and sometimes only possible if booked over a year in advance. To overcome that, some disabled passengers book suites that have plenty of room. PLEASE NOTE: Even if you have booked a suite on a P&O ship as of NOW and arrive at the port to board on even the smallest/lightest mobility scooter, you will be refused boarding and NO MONIES will be refunded. This anomaly is compounded further because of their new ‘Disabled Evacuation Chair’ rule, which states - not only has the disabled passenger be booked into an accessible cabin, but P&O must have enough crew available to prearrange an emergency evacuation service. On Iona and Arvia for instance, all passengers unable to walk unaided from the highest deck to the promenade deck - Decks 19 to 8 - must have an evacuation chair arrangement. That means, even if you booked your accessible cabin many months before and stated on the new P&O Mobility Questionnaire that you were not able to walk unaided down/up stairs, unless an evacuation service has been arranged, you will be turned away.