Special Needs At Sea - How Cruise Planners Has Revolutionized Accessible Travel

People with special needs and those who are elderly are familiar with the challenges of finding suitably accommodating vehicles, homes, stores, and more as they navigate the world. Well, thanks to Helen Hebert, a global travel specialist operating out of our own Northeast Ohio branch of Cruise Planners, planning the perfect vacation no longer needs to be a burden.

Cruise Planners is the largest travel franchise in the world, and as you may have guessed by their name, they do indeed help people to plan cruises. That's not all they do, however, Helen said: "Cruise Planners is a full-service travel agency, so [in addition to cruises] we handle driving tours, land vacations, all-inclusive vacations, just about anything you could think you'd want to do on a vacation."

Special Needs At Sea

One of the great programs offered through Cruise Planners is called Special Needs At Sea. The idea is to make sure that, no matter your current level of mobility, you can enjoy a wonderful vacation. "I come from a family where we travel together," Helen shared. "Every year, we take some kind of a family vacation, and there are people in my family ... that have gotten older, some temporarily disabled, some permanently disabled, or even just the person like myself that as you get older you become what they call a slow walker. You're the one who slows down the people in the group. You tend to stay back because you don't want to slow the rest of the group down. There's no reason why slowing down means quitting the things you want to do, which includes travel and having a great enjoyment in life. So, Special Needs At Sea helps with that by providing ... any kind of equipment or materials that a person needs to make their travel experience more comfortable and more enjoyable."

The accommodations go far beyond just wheelchairs and scooters to include even medically necessary equipment like oxygen tanks and more. "Some people sleep in a recliner because of some sort of digestive issue, so they can place recliners at your destination or on your ship. And they deliver the equipment to the ship. It can be [oxygen] tanks, walkers, any type of chair mobility, whether it be transport, scooters, [or] power chairs. ... We can do different types of cushions for people that sleep slanted. I know some people sleep in a bed that has to be slanted, and they'll go in and adjust the bed. They can deliver adjustable beds, patient lifts, lifts for the beds--all that type of equipment that you would have at home but you're not going to pack that to bring it. They can deliver it to the ship, have it set up, and they will come and pick up everything once the ship docks back at the embarkation port."

Taking Your Vacation from Sea to Land

For those who wish to include land adventures in their vacation, Cruise Planners can also arrange for appropriate accommodations and transportation every step of the way. "There are several options for excursions [and] helping out in hotels," said Helen. "Unfortunately, where Europeans are ahead in many ways--explorers for alternative medicine and things like that--they are not at the same level as we are in the United States for making places accessible for those with special needs. So, the special needs group [that we provide] can assist with making a non-traditional place more accessible for one who needs the access." When exploring the Cruise Planners website and trip list, you can look for the trips that include a small handicapped symbol to easily see which are most accessible to those with special needs.

Going the Distance

Perhaps the best feature of all is the dedicated personal planning offered by Helen, Evan and their support team at Cruise Planners. When someone on the trip has a special need, they will make absolutely sure that those needs can be met at each leg of the trip so that everyone can relax and enjoy their vacation. "Being a special needs agent," said Helen, "I would plan with the traveler to make sure that their whole trip is mapped out where it would fit the need to be able to take full advantage of what they like to be doing. ... [We] pick an itinerary that works for them, that can make the most of their vacation."

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Here at HandyPro, we make your well-being our priority. Our interview series goes hand-in-hand with that effort, and we hope you find it helpful! For more information on how we can help you make your home a home for life, visit us at www.StayAtHomeModificationsInc.com or call me (Brian Pritchard) at 216-212-7531.

To get in touch with Helen Hebert at Cruise Planners and start mapping out your perfect vacation, you can call 440-522-7060 or visit her on the web at www.TakeMeAwayTravelCP.com.

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