I was extremely nervous before going on a 14 day overland trip / cruise to Alaska because I am confined to a wheelchair. Although I can stand, I don’t walk at all. When you travel in a wheelchair, there is always a glitch with something that is supposed to be ADA compliant and is not.

Our journey started in Anchorage and then took us to the Copper Center, Fairbanks, Denali National Park, Mt. McKinley, and Talkeetna. After the overland tour, we boarded the cruise ship at Whittier and traveled south through the Inland Passage to Vancouver, with port at Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan.

Overall the ride was wonderful from an accessibility point of view, although there were a few hiccups we encountered along the way. I brought them to the attention of the cruise line and will share them with you.

The following is a summary of tips and recommendations that I am drawing from my own personal experience if you are considering a trip:

• Never assume that when someone tells you a room, transportation, transfer, etc. It meets the ADA standards that is. There is a lot of variation in interpretation and assumptions when one says “ADA compliant.” You should make a list of specific questions that require specific answers from a travel agent who is actually knowledgeable about your specific and required accommodations.
• When I started planning my trip, I worked directly with the cruise line. I spoke to agents who were actually sailing on the ship we were taking, who could give me information about wheelchair compatibility on the ship and help me choose a room. I also spoke with their access department about accessibility adaptations regarding hotel rooms on the ground and things such as shuttles / coaches / rail elevators. These people were very helpful. I did not want to work through an independent travel agency, as I learned from experience that specific things are not always answered correctly or “lost in translation” when dealt with through a third party.
• I booked my trip almost a year in advance, so I could get exactly what I wanted. For example, I wanted a room on a terrace that contained a buffet, a grill, and outdoor pools / seating / movies to eliminate the use of the elevator. It also saved us $ 1400 by getting an indoor room – the open-air deck was right outside our door, so we didn’t need a balcony in the room.
• We booked in September because there were fewer people to navigate in the cities and there were no small children. I find that when I am on my scooter, I always have to be aware of others; many people, especially children, do not take care of me. Also, we didn’t have to deal with mosquitoes at that time of year, we saw the Northern Lights, the beautiful fall color, and the days were cool – 50-60 degrees. The cooler temperatures were good for me as my MS is very sensitive to hot and humid days, which often occurs in the summer months in Alaska.
• I sent a letter in writing to their Access Department stating that I was “confined to a wheelchair” so I needed elevators for all transportation and a wheelchair accessible shower in all hotel rooms, if available . I recommend sending such a letter if you are totally confined, as this will cover you later if problems arise, which in my case happened.

For example, three coaches arrived that did not have elevators. Fortunately, I am small (125 pounds) and my husband is strong so I was able to get in the carriage. Otherwise I would have had to stay behind which would have interrupted my trip and canceled one of my tours. In the future, here is what I would do and what I would recommend to others to do: Check with the tour desk at each hotel you are staying at to reconfirm that lift transportation will be available for the next few days. You can also reconfirm any other special needs you have requested in advance, such as a wheelchair accessible shower. Twice I was given a room without a wheelchair accessible shower, and I later found out that this room was given to someone who didn’t need it. If I had been traveling with my sister instead of my husband, I would not have been able to shower as she could not get me into a tub that had a chair on it.

If you are a part-time wheelchair user, please note that there are 5-7 steps to get on the coaches and they are quite steep.

The railroads had elevators, as did the separate tour buses in Denali National Park.

Surprisingly, accessibility in Alaskan cities, even the smallest inland locations, was very good. When I use a bathroom, I need my husband’s help. We were able to find a bathroom that was big enough for both of us, even at the roadside booths we stopped at for lunch during our trip. Note: The railroad toilets cannot accommodate two people, so if you are someone in need of a helper, you will need to prepare in other ways for the 5-6 hour journey.

If you are considering taking a cruise or tour, I suggest you start planning your arrangements a year in advance because handicap accessible rooms are limited and fill up quickly.

Finally, due to the unpredictability of my MS, I opted to purchase travel insurance in case health problems occurred that prevented me from going.