Bournemouth Airport's 'Ambulift'

Arrival for Check-In with Mobile Hoist Doubling as a Baggage Trolley!

For many years now P&O have operated a winter season out of Barbados currently operated by several ships. The company operates flights normally from Gatwick , Manchester and Birmingham and occasionally they have special flights from airports like Cardiff and Bournemouth .These are normally organised as specials - maybe one or two in the winter. It is possible for passengers to check their luggage in and the chosen airport and for the baggage to arrive outside the passengers cabin without the need to pass through Barbados immigration or customs. This is a real plus if you're travelling with extra equipment, medical supplies etc. The same applies in reverse when returning to the uk.

Our flight was from Bournemouth and the ground agents special assistance was outstanding. Sadly, Barbados ground agents were not as attentive. In both cases , each of the airports use an 'Ambulift' to enable passengers who are unable to use stairs to board the aircraft.

This particular cruise was a two-week holiday in January 2025. The ship was P & O's Britannia which has a maximum capacity of  3647 passengers. 

Anyone who has tried to reserve an accessible cabin on any cruise ship knows that the reservation has to be made very often up to 2 years in advance for this particular reservation the only cabin available on the whole ship was for a superior balcony cabin B426. The practice of only once a day cabin service has some impact , particularly with regard to pool and bathroom towels.

The current policies of P&O with regard to 'EVAC' chairs restricts even further the possibility of obtaining an accessible cabin on a P & O cruise. There are a limited number of EVAC chairs on board, and once this limit is reached, the company will not accept bookings from mobility challenged passengers. Please see the special note at the end of this article.

As we were in a party of three which included our daughter Vicki,  a permanent wheelchair user, we were grateful for the extra space that this cabin afforded. As we had to take a mobile hoist with us , the extra space made manoeuvring this and the wheelchair extremely easy.

Britannia has been designed in a quirky way particularly with regard to the location of stairs. There are three sets of elevators : aft,  forward and midships. The midship elevators are extremely busy due to the fact that there are no stairs in the section for ambulant passengers to use.

As any seasoned wheelchair cruise passenger will know, accessible excursions are an extreme rarity, and our experience has always been that it is  best to fully research the destination, and arrange excursions direct with the supplier who will have the appropriate vehicles. This is not easy but we try to share as much information as we can on our website as it becomes available.

P&O clearly indicate to passengers which areas are there for the ease of use for wheelchair passengers and others with mobility challenges . For example,  in the Horizon buffet restaurant , areas are clearly marked as to which tables are best suited to wheelchair users. There is level access to the Headliners Theatre lower seating, and again this seating is clearly marked for wheelchair users and companions and/or carers. This area enables wheelchair users to be closer to the stage than is possible on some ships where wheelchair users seem to be placed right at the back of theatre, the furthest from the action.

Both Pool Hoists Were Not Functioning

There were two special chairs to hoist passengers into two of the swimming pools, but sadly both of these had been out of action for over eight weeks and it would appear that there was no real urgency to get these working. It was also noted that each of these hoists placed the user in an area of the pool which was too deep, at 5'5", for a companion or carer to assist safely.

With regard to the port destinations ,  Bonaire and Curaçao were probably more wheelchair friendly for moving around.  St Vincent, had the most appalling crumbling pavements and road with no thought for any dropped curbs. Wheelchair users were restricted to walking in the road most of the time sharing with a lot of traffic; not the safest option really.

Curacão Mangrove Park is a short distance from the cruise port and has a wheelchair friendly walkway.
Lovely View of St. Vincent	Beautiful Day in Grenada

Overall, the trip was enjoyable as it was nice to be able to see the sun for two weeks every day and get away from the dismal UK weather. Having travelled with P & O many times in the past, it would appear that they now are pitching their products to customers who would be happy with  a three star product, particularly with regard to the standard of the food on board. From a personal point of view, I thought the ship was too busy, too loud and brash at times. The four black tie evenings on board did not warrant the effort, as these evenings were nothing special.

Our opinion of this cruise is coloured by previous experiences with P & O, particularly experience prior to the company's acquisition by Carnival. The company have lost that special touch by reducing costs to appeal to a wider clientele, and now it is nothing special. On a positive note, the entertainment was of a very high quality, which included an excellent  George Michael tribute act , comedy shows, and variety.

A special note on accessible cabins and 'EVAC' chairs

We have been unable to find any legislation that specifically states that EVAC chairs are mandatory ; here is a summary of the SOLAS regulations:

The key international regulation governing this is the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention, which mandates that ships are designed and equipped to ensure the safety of all passengers, including those with mobility impairments. 

However, when it comes to wheelchair users and evacuation, the regulations are more nuanced.

• Evacuation Procedures: According to SOLAS and other regulations, ships must have a plan for evacuating people with disabilities in an emergency. This may include providing evacuation chairs or other equipment to help safely evacuate people from higher decks. While it's not explicitly stated that every ship must have an evacuation chair, the general requirement is that the ship be capable of evacuating all passengers, regardless of mobility.
• Accessibility: In addition to evacuation, the ship must also meet accessibility standards, such as having accessible cabins, bathrooms, and pathways, and providing assistance for wheelchair users where needed.

P & O states "An evacuation chair – this is a mandatory requirement for anyone who is unable to use the stairs due to mobility or other circumstances, or for anyone bringing a manual wheelchair or powered mobility device."

It would appear that it is only P & O and Princess within the Carnival Cruises group which implement this regulation.