Joining your ship-we're here to help

Your journey to and from the terminal is your own responsibility.

Embarkation assistance is available to guests once inside the cruise terminal and must be booked by completing the on-board needs questionnaire prior to going on your holiday. A member of our mobility assistance team wearing high visibility jackets will direct you to the mobility registration area from where we will escort you through embarkation, either with your own mobility aid or using a ship’s wheelchair if needed. We also offer escorted assistance for those who don’t require a mobility aid, such as guests who have a non-visible disability or guests who are deaf or hard of hearing and/or blind or partially sighted.

You must arrive at the time indicated on your e-ticket as this will ensure you board as quickly as possible. For guests embarking in Southampton requiring a quieter, less crowded embarkation experience, please arrive at the cruise terminal after 3pm. This is typically when the terminal becomes less populated and there is less chance of being part of a lengthy queue. Please note, there is no priority or fast-track facility.

At the end of your holiday, we will help you disembark in the same way and details of where you need to access this assistance will be sent to you before departure. This will be arranged with you on board. The assisted disembarkation process can take a long time due to the volume of guests wishing to disembark at the same time, and guests will be disembarked in priority order. As with embarkation, please ensure you only take essential hand luggage as this will need to be managed between you and your travelling companion.

If you have any questions while on board, please contact Reception.

Guests who require assistance with daily living (such as washing, toileting, eating, mobility) must declare this and must travel with a companion or a personal assistant or carer who is responsible for you at all times. The ship’s crew cannot assist with these tasks.

If you have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, you live in a care home or you have a carer or regular support at home, you must travel with a companion or a personal assistant or carer who can provide the same level of care that you receive at home and who will be responsible for supporting you during your cruise, to ensure your safety whilst on board. You will need to provide details in advance. Appropriateness for travel will be assessed on an individual basis.

If you’re travelling alone and it becomes clear that you are unable to manage safely and independently on board without assistance, we will discuss the situation with you to resolve a course of action. You may be asked to disembark the ship at your own cost.

Coaches may be used during your holiday for airport transfers, port transfers and shore experiences. You must declare whether you are able to climb coach steps independently or not.

If you have specific seating requirements, it may be possible to pre-book certain seats via the airline on scheduled flights. Our chartered flights have a limited number of seats that are designated for those guests with reduced mobility. These seats are assigned one week prior to departure. Once we have received all on-board needs questionnaires, they will be reviewed, and priority will be given to those with the greatest need.

Seats are subject to availability and are assigned on a case-by-case basis. You will not be considered for a reduced mobility seat if you have not completed the questionnaire.

In-flight food is subject to availability; where airlines offer an in-flight meal any special requests like vegetarian, vegan, diabetic and gluten-free must be pre-ordered at least 14 days before your flight departure. Please review the airline’s website for more information.

If you are bringing a CPAP, BiPAP, nebuliser or oxygen concentrator on board the flight, or require the use of oxygen during the flight, you must notify the airline directly as soon as possible and no later than 14 days before departure to confirm carriage. All medical equipment must be battery operated as there is no power supply on board an aircraft.

Please inform us:

• If you intend to bring your own hoist or commode as airlines may have weight-associated restrictions
• If you require additional baggage allowance for mobility equipment or medical supplies

Contact us on flightsmedical@carnivalukgroup.com or call 03453 555 111 (local call charges apply) to advise.

If you are travelling on one of our flights with an electric wheelchair or mobility scooter, you must contact the airline as soon as possible after booking and no later than 14 days before departure to confirm carriage of your mobility aid. As each airline may require different information, depending on the flight and type of electrical aid you will be carrying, we ask that you contact the airline directly.

If you are bringing a mobility aid, please ensure you are fully aware of the battery that forms part of the mobility aid and ensure you have the instructions or know how to remove the battery from the device before loading onto the aircraft.