With the AIDA through the fjords -
Norway on shaky ground
A cruise with a child in a wheelchair - can it be relaxing at all? We wanted to put it to the test for you, and our answer after ten days on board the AIDA: Yes, it can! If you consider a few things in advance and travel with a good dose of flexibility. Here is our experience report on a trip to the Norwegian fjords - with plenty of sea air.
(Nike immediately felt at home on board. On departure from Hamburg it was hot, around 30 degrees, the fresh wind on leaving the harbor blew wonderfully around her nose and she didn't protest against the corset despite the heat)
Planning is half the battle
Our cruise from Hamburg was booked months in advance - including a barrier-free cabin. That was worth its weight in gold and also urgently needed, as these special cabins are rare. A huge thank you to our travel agenttravel agent Sarah Hennewho supported us with her expertise and a lot of patience.
The excursion planning went less smoothly: the shore excursions that could be booked after booking the trip were either unsuitable for Rollikids or simply fully booked - months before departure. Anyone with special requirements should therefore enquire early or plan their own excursions. (This, on the other hand, was really straightforward, as there were providers everywhere on site offering spontaneous tours, including barrier-free ones).
We had to register everything we needed extra for Nike, such as our Cloud Cuddle and an extra wheelchair for hiking (which we left at home after all).
An unspectacular but long journey
From Lake Constance to Hamburg - quite a journey. But with an overnight stay in Bielefeld it was doable. We had booked the parking lot at the cruise terminal in advance - unfortunately, Aida only offered it for cars under 1.90 m in height. Our solution: we reserved a higher space directly with APCOA, and the disabled parking spaces were conveniently located right next to the terminal. Almost a luxury! It was also no problem to extend our wheelchair ramp at the back.
In the waiting room at check-in. We had already dropped off our large luggage. With the wheelchair we were allowed in faster, passing the others. That was very practical, because Nike was hungry.
Welcome on board: between comfort and compromise
First of all: we immediately noticed how many people with various disabilities were on board, the sheer number of wheelchairs, walking frames, walking sticks and other aids was incredible. So it seems to work!
Our wheelchair cabin was spacious, but not quite ideal: the door opened automatically (and very slowly) - 20 seconds of full view of everything going on in the cabin. Not exactly a privacy highlight for four people. We took the mattress off the bunk bed for Nike and put it on the floor. We protected her with the CloudCuddle, an inflatable travel cot for children with disabilities.
The bathroom was great and very spacious. There was really nothing to complain about, the only thing missing was a hoist, but maybe you can bring one with you? There are mobile lifts, such as those from Handi-Move. We were still able to give Nike a good shower and even put her on a shower seat. TheMultiflex from Rehanorm or a similar bath seat would have been cool. I tied Nike to the shower seat with a cloth, as there was no strap to prevent her from falling off
The corridors were regularly clogged with cleaning trolleys - an everyday occurrence on a cruise ship, but really annoying with a wheelchair or rehab buggy. And the elevators? Unfortunately, they were often out of order. But with a little patience, everything worked.
The bathroom was spacious and handicapped accessible, the only thing missing was a hoist.
There was no suitable bed for Nike, so we used ourCloudCuddle with us . It fitted perfectly in the cabin. We simply took the mattress from the loft bed. Alternatively, aFixstärnli would also have worked .
Catering
We had to be on time for dinner. For the first half hour that an on-board restaurant was open, there were always reserved taxi tables. Later, there were no more. But we always found something. Sometimes a bit of patience was required here too. Points were definitely awarded for the cheerful and helpful staff in the restaurants, the chef at the light food counter and for the microwave on deck 14 - a much-loved helper for bottles and the like.
It was good that we had lots of burp cloths with us, as there were only tiny, small paper napkins, of which we would have needed a lot, Nike actually had her Babybjörn bib for every fresh meal (it's a shame that it's not available in a larger size) and the wonderfulscarves from JOF we also always needed.
We always found something for Nike with her many intolerances that she could eat, even if it sometimes took a lot of research and creativity. For example, I mixed cooked rice (gluten-free) with bolognese and added cooked vegetables. The chefs all knew me after the week on board because I always asked them what other ingredients were in the sauces.
Unfortunately, the labels on the dishes didn't make much sense. It always said "gluten-free" and "lactose-free", but unfortunately that didn't help us at all because we didn't know whether it contained nuts, soy or fructose. It would have made more sense to label the ingredients, because I assume that there are even more people with various intolerances.
Cheers to the veranda!
The days at sea belonged to us - soaking up the sun, chilling out on our own balcony, just letting ourselves drift. Unfortunately, the pools were so full that we tried not to look at them. Swimming was not an option anyway: swim diapers are not allowed on board - what a shame!
The veranda became our retreat - quiet, cozy and with the best view of the fjord. It was also easily accessible for Nike via a wheelchair ramp.
Chilling out on the veranda.
Shore leave - or not
Stavanger:
A pretty town, which we explored on our own during a long walk and ate delicious fish in the harbor.
Fresh crab poke bowls, fished directly from the sea, were available right at the harbor.
Nike has found the perfect background.
Nordfjordeid:
Unfortunately we weren't allowed off the ship as it was a floating platform and there was a storm that day which made it too unsafe. It was also so foggy that you couldn't see the fjords around it even from the ship...I didn't really understand the point of this stop, nor why they didn't go to another port instead, as the wind had been forecast days in advance. We made ourselves comfortable on our veranda and went restaurant hopping until the day was over.
Alesund:
The most beautiful town we visited on this trip. Picturesque Art Nouveau, everything very easy to walk around. We walked out to the aquarium, saw the whole town and then breathed in a lot of good sea air in the hilly area in the dunes. There were also public barbecue and picnic areas. If it hadn't been raining so heavily that day, we would have liked to take advantage of that. Instead, I went shopping duty-free, which was great here. What's more, you could have had everything shown to you on the bus, as "Hop-on-hop-off" offered barrier-free bus trips even without prior booking.
HOGGI Bingo Evolution with rain cover and slip bag for warm feet from the Kangoo from Bogetec, fitted together perfectly and kept Nike warm and dry.
We were able to hike wonderfully through the hilly landscape and nature.
OurBingo Evolution rehab buggy rode pretty well on the paths, we only rarely had to lift it up a bit and put it in thechanging backpack from HOGGIfitted everything we needed to take with us: water bottle, thermos flask, changing kit, snacks...
Maloy:
This was a real coffee trip stop for us. Nothing special to see, no accessible excursion bookable. At the harbor there was only a street with souvenir stores, otherwise absolutely nothing. What a shame. We had a great day on board and went restaurant hopping again, which meant that after a week on the ship we had certainly put on a few more kilos.
To get back to Hamburg from up there, we then had a whole day at sea. Fortunately, it was mainly sunny and mild, the perfect day to relax on board.
It's all about the right company
My brother and his family traveled with us to support our plans. That was very important for me, because I was afraid that I would be lost somewhere with the children. However, this fear was unfounded. The on-board staff were always very helpful and I never had the feeling that I couldn't have managed on my own. Nevertheless, it is of course worth a lot if you can hand over responsibility because someone else looks after Nike at the breakfast table while I get food from the buffet or take her with me. We also had more fun in the group, of course, because there was always someone who wanted to take part in a chosen activity. For example, we adults had a "white party" and spent a few bar evenings together. The children were usually involved in the shows.
A day at sea with sunshine
Back at sea: sunshine galore, enjoying the terrace, delicious food - life can be so beautiful! The only thing we couldn't do was swim again (keyword: swim diapers). There was a great show in the evening - the AIDA entertainment team really made an effort and there was a lot of applause.
Back in Hamburg - everything went like clockwork
Disembarkation was perfectly organized: No long waiting times, breakfast in peace, suitcases found quickly - and we were off south again. However, Nike was so exhausted after a seven-hour journey. For next time: maybe two legs after all?
Conclusion: Cruise with a wheelchair child? Absolutely!
Despite some minor hurdles, this trip was a wonderful experience. Particularly positive: the good accessibility on board almost throughout - and our little technology hero, the baby monitor, which gave us completely new freedoms. While Nike relaxed in her cabin, we were able to enjoy shows and the nightlife - always with the reassuring feeling that we could be with her immediately if necessary.
The only thing we would be more critical of next time was the choice of ports - Ålesund was great, the rest was rather so-so. But that's the great thing about cruises: you can always try out new routes!
