Review of the Azamara Quest for a wheelchair-using passenger

Just got off a 2-day trip on Azamara Quest.  While people over on the Azamara board are talking about the lapses in service and training (which were definitely there), we were most impressed by how well it went for my DH, who uses a wheelchair due to MS.  I will try to outline the good and possible challenges, but overall I would give this ship high marks IF YOU CAN GET A HC CABIN.  All my pix are here.  There is a section devoted to accessibility features.  

Service – Outstanding

• Embarkation – We embarked from RCCL’s dedicated terminal, and it was a dream.  A nice gentleman named Mr. Grasso was overseeing operations at the drop-off place outside.  He immediately took charge of my DH and secured us an attendant who pushed the wheelchair and shepherded us through all the way to the room.  Getting on was simple – just an elevator ride to the counter, check in (we were directed to the Suite line where there was no wait even though we had regular cabins), and then a direct ramp to the ship.   They had about 14 wheelchairs lined up out front, so even someone meeting their chair on board would have been in good shape.
• Upon crossing into the ship, someone grabbed our carryons and led us to the cabin (along with the wheelchair attendant who was still there).  They took my parents’ carryons as well, so this was not special treatment for DH.
• As I posted elsewhere, they were very thoughtful during muster drill.  They let the HC passengers sit in the lounge outside the dining room where the drill took place, and they didn’t make them go to the boats.  They reassured us that the HC pax would go to this same place in a real emergency, and that crew would be assigned to get us to our lifeboat.  They also made sure we got to the elevators before everyone else after the drill.  Very nice.
• The crew was very attentive.  Every time we left the cabin to go anywhere, our steward/butler was there and pushed DH to the dining room, pool, whatever.  As we were moving around the ship, it seemed there was almost always a crew member to grab the chair from me and push.  I didn’t have any problem with getting a manual wheelchair around, but I also don’t think I spent much time pushing it.  In the buffet, a crew member stepped up to push him to see the choices and carry his plate every meal except one. 
• There was only one port, Coco Cay.  Tendering was a breeze, just a little ramp onto the deck of the tender.  Coco Cay had lots of beach wheelchairs, and the staff there assisted my DH in getting out of the chair and into the water.  It was the first time he had been swimming in years.  It was a real highlight for him, me, and my parents, even though there was nothing really special about Coco Cay as a destination.
• DH wasn’t hungry at dinner the first night, but got hungry later while watching the World Series (go Red Sox!).  We ordered a veggie burger and fries from room service, and it was delivered promptly.  I didn’t taste it, but he declared both items delicious.
• We did not need priority tender or disembarkation because of the nature of the trip, but I’m sure it would have been granted if asked.
• On disembarkation, they once again assigned a crew member to take us all the way to the car.  It was raining and everyone was being herded out into the rain to wait for their cars because there was a logjam of people trying to stay dry at the exit.  Mr. Grasso spotted us in the crowd and led us to a covered area on the side, where we awaited the car.  He really was a sweetheart.  He declined our offered tip but definitely deserved one!

Ship Accessibility – Pretty good, if you get a HC cabin.  Please see lots of pictures and comments here.

• We had an accessible cabin – 3025.  This is one of two OV HC cabins.  I don’t know what other HC cabins they have, this was the only one available when we booked.  We were really pleased with it.  Plenty of room to maneuver a wheelchair (we did have them remove a club chair), bed not too high, bathroom wide open with scads of grab bars, lowered shelves, a very flexible shower head in the roll-in shower, etc.  This is the lowest class of OV and only has a porthole, but the layout and amenities of the room made it seem nicer than my parents’ 1A Balcony room.  The room is on a quiet hall of only a few rooms, and was very quiet.
• I am not sure how someone in a wheelchair would get into the closet in our room, since there isn’t enough room to open the closet door and still be in a wheelchair.  This wasn’t an issue for us (I just handled the closet stuff), but could be for someone traveling alone.  They thoughtfully put in pull-down rods in the closet, I just don’t know how someone in a wheelchair gets the door open!
• Hallways were very narrow (since this is our first cruise, I can’t say if they are more narrow than on other ships but I posted a picture), but we had no trouble getting the wheelchair through.  We did not come across any cleaning carts, maybe because our room was 2 from the end by the elevator lobby.
• Elevators are small, but they were also not usually crowded.  I really don’t know where everyone was, but we never felt the ship was very crowded.  I don’t think we ever had to let an elevator go by because there wasn’t room for the wheelchair.
• There are some mildly challenging areas, particularly for a solo traveler.  The entries from the closed part of the ship to the pool deck (9), the deck overlooking the pool (10) and the buffet area all have little ramps.   Our powerchair from home would have had no problem with them, but perhaps some would.  They do require some muscle in a manual chair.  The complication is that most of those “rampy” entrances also have very heavy wooden doors, so you really need one person to hold the door and one to push the chair.  It seemed there was always a crew member or other passenger around to help, so this was never a problem for us.
• The pool is not accessible, or at least there is no pool lift.  There were more than enough deck chairs and they are all on the same level, so no problem there.  There is an upper deck above the pool that is accessible via the elevators.  There is an even higher deck above that with a few lounge chairs, and that can only be reached via stairs, so that is not accessible.
• The other public areas are completely barrier-free.  The dining room, specialty restaurants, guest relations, stores, spa area, casino, cabaret lounge, library, Mosaic café (new name for Cova) and lookout lounge (bar) were all just wheel-in places.
• We tendered to the private beach, Coco Cay.  It was an easy tender, and they had lots of beach wheelchairs.  There’s not a ton for a HC person to do at Coco Cay, but we did manage to get DH to the water. 
• One warning – the non-HC cabins would have been a real problem for us, as I guess they are everywhere.  They are smaller than on many ships, and they have that lip into the bathroom.  Pictures of my parents' 1A Balcony are here.  I learned that we would rather have the worst HC cabin than the best standard cabin.  (I know, I know, you guys already told me that).
• Movement – we were just on a “bathtub” run to the Bahamas, so I can’t really give any feedback on that.  We didn’t feel a thing, but it was a short trip in calm waters.

Overall, I would recommend the Azamara Quest because it is plenty accessible, and the higher staff ratio gives you the personnel needed to lend a hand when needed.  They seemed very well attuned to the needs of my DH in a wheelchair, and the other pax in wheelchairs I talked to had the same favorable impression.  I did talk to one person traveling with a parent who uses a cane, and he felt they were not as attuned to her needs as he would have liked, but he didn’t give any specifics.  I also think anyone traveling alone in a wheelchair faces some challenges that we didn’t face, so if I missed something, I apologize. 

I would be happy to answer any questions.