Medical and mobility equipment

Please ensure you have adequate medical insurance before you travel. It is mandatory for UK guests (as per our booking conditions), and highly recommended for others, to have fully comprehensive travel insurance that covers you for all pre-existing medical conditions. We recommend you discuss your travel itinerary with your GP/consultant so that they can confirm your fitness for travel.

Electrical medical equipment

Please notify us of any electrical equipment you will need to bring on board with you via our on board needs questionnaire on My Cunard, before you sail.

Please note, the electrical supply on board our ships differs from the standard UK electrical supply. The supply on board is 220V / 110V / 60HZ. It is important that you contact the manufacturer or supplier of your equipment, to ensure that it is safe to use at 60Hz and that your 50Hz machine will not be damaged nor its performance affected. 

It’s important that all equipment is carried on board in your hand luggage, where possible, so that it can be PAT tested (electronic supply safety test) as soon as you arrive. Once you have embarked, the ship’s Electrical Officer may wish to inspect and test your equipment prior to sailing.

Personal extension leads are only permitted on board to be used with essential medical equipment (such as CPAP and nebuliser machines). Your extension lead should be at least three metres long to accommodate plug locations and layout of staterooms. Surge-protected extension leads are not accepted in any circumstances, as they interfere with the ship’s electrical distribution. If you are travelling with a CPAP, an oxygen concentrator or peritoneal dialysis, you should confirm your fitness to travel on your chosen itinerary with your primary health care provider. You must also have full travel insurance that covers you for all pre-existing health conditions. If you have any queries or require any additional support, please contact our medical team via email at medical@carnivalukgroup.com.

CPAP machines

Please advise us if you plan to bring a CPAP machine with you on board once you have booked by completing our on board needs questionnaire on My Cunard.

If you are flying to meet your ship, medical clearance is not required for the carriage or use of CPAP machines. However, some airlines may have restrictions regarding the make and model of the device. If you have a flight booked with Cunard, please contact our Customer Contact Centre to notify us if you are taking a CPAP machine on your flight or contact your airline directly. Not all airlines have a suitable power outlet so you should ensure that you travel with a sufficient supply of batteries to last the entire journey (including transit and unexpected delays).

We would suggest that CPAP machines are carried in your hand luggage. Please note that you are required to bring your own extension lead as these will not be supplied on board; note restrictions in the section above.

Distilled water supply

Some equipment may require distilled water. Please be advised that we are unable to provide this on board and we recommend bringing your own supplies. Alternatively, you may wish to discuss a suitable alternative with your respiratory team or the manufacturer of your CPAP unit.

Pacemakers

If you have a pacemaker you will still be able to travel, however, it is important to note that these can be affected by the security scanners at ports and airports. Therefore, it is advisable to travel with an official letter from your doctor which should be shown at security. This will mean you will not have to pass through the scanners; instead, a member of staff will escort you through the security process.

Medical waste disposal

If you are taking needles for medical purposes, we can provide a medical sharps box upon request. Please notify your requirements for this via the on board needs questionnaire on My Cunard, before you sail.

We are unable to provide colostomy bags on board, however we can provide clinical waste bags for their disposal.

Please ensure that all clinical waste is appropriately wrapped and placed in the bin in your suite or stateroom bathroom. Additional red bags are available on request from your steward. Please note that soluble pouches must not be flushed into the plumbing systems on board our ships.

Electrical feeding pump

Please ensure you bring enough medication and liquid feeds to last the duration of your holiday. If you will require extra refrigerated storage, let us know before you sail so that we can advise on whether we can assist. Please email medical@carnivalukgroup.com and tell us the number and size of the boxes you need to store. Also, read the ‘Electrical medical equipment’ section above to ensure your machine is safe to use on board.

Arranging delivery of liquid feeds

For voyages departing from Southampton, please arrange for the company supplying your feeds to email our Southampton port agency: Southampton.Port.Agency@carnivalukgroup.com. They will provide assistance with delivery arrangements and confirm the delivery address for all guests joining in Southampton.

For all other embarkation ports, please email medical@carnivalukgroup.com for port agent details. Failure to do so may result in your delivery being refused or delayed. Deliveries must be marked with your name, booking reference, stateroom number, ship name, cruise number, and date of travel.

If you are flying as part of your cruise holiday, please call our Customer Contact Centre. We will confirm any airline guidelines and restrictions for carriage of liquid feeds.

Flying with medical equipment

If you are flying with a scheduled airline you should contact the airline directly to discuss your individual needs no later than 14 days before departure. 

Please inform your airline:

• If you intend to bring your own hoist or commode as airlines may have weight-associated restrictions
  
• If you require additional baggage allowance for mobility equipment or medical supplies

If you have specific seating requirements, it may be possible to pre-book your seats. For further information, please contact your airline.

Please ensure you have adequate medical insurance before you travel. It is mandatory for UK guests (as per our booking conditions), and highly recommended for others, to have fully comprehensive travel insurance that covers you for all pre-existing medical conditions. We recommend you discuss your travel itinerary with your GP/consultant so that they can confirm your fitness for travel.

Medical centre

We operate a private health care service and costs apply; these will be applied to your on board account to be paid prior to disembarkation. We have a medical centre on board each of our ships which offers a range of facilities and is open daily for routine appointments. All doctors and nurses are fully qualified and trained to assist in emergency situations on board. However, the ship's medical centre is not required to be and is not equipped to the same standards as a land-based hospital. It is not designed for the provision of extensive or continuing treatment and medical staff cannot provide carer duties.

Medical centres are located in the following areas on each ship:

• Queen Mary 2: Deck 1 
• Queen Elizabeth: Deck A (below deck 1)
• Queen Victoria: Deck A (below deck 1)
• Queen Anne: Deck 1

Costs for services from the medical centre can vary and visits may include consultation periods. As an approximate guide, an initial doctor's consultation during office hours is around US$110 (this figure is subject to change and may vary depending on exchange rates).

We have a small range of over-the-counter medications available to purchase in the shops on board each ship, such as Paracetamol and sea sickness tablets. Our medical centre is able to supply more specific medications. 

Medical dressing changes

If you require medical dressings to be changed while on board we may be able to accommodate this, but please be aware that charges will apply. As a guide, a simple dressings change will be charged at approximately US$56, and an advanced dressing at approximately US$80. These charges may be subject to an additional consultation fee dependent on your requirements.

Please bring a care plan or letter from your GP or nurse which details your dressing requirements. We carry a stock of basic dressing materials, however, if you require a specialised dressing please bring a supply with you.

Please note, our medical staff are not trained to apply compression bandaging as this is a specialist procedure. 

Sea sickness

The medical centre and spa on board can help combat the effects of sea sickness, offering the following:

• Anti sea sickness tablets (travellers herbal tablets) which are available in the on board shops
• Avomine motion sickness tablets are available through the reception desk and medical centre
• A sea sickness injection (Promathezine) is available from the medical centre - this treatment cannot be pre-booked
• Wristbands are available from the on board shop
• Acupuncture is available at the spa

All ships in our fleet can cater for the needs of those who are dependent on a wheelchair or scooter for mobility issues. It's possible to book specially adapted staterooms with wide access doors, lower placed sinks, units, and handrails.

If you need to bring a wheelchair, mobility scooter or mobility aid on board with you, it is essential that you let us know as soon as possible by completing our on board needs questionnaire on My Cunard. If you need a mobility device or equipment on board, we urge you to please bring your own or hire independently. You must provide in advance (via the questionnaire) the closed dimensions required to fit on an aircraft and/or a suitable stateroom on board. Please note that wheelchairs cannot be hired on board our ships.

Powered mobility devices

Cunard defines a powered mobility device as a powered wheelchair or a mobility scooter. 

Please note that if you will be bringing an electrical device that attaches to your wheelchair, which turns it into a powered mobility device, your wheelchair will be defined as a powered mobility device. This is the case even if you only intend to attach the electrical device, to your wheelchair, when ashore.

Manual collapsible wheelchairs are not included within the definition for the term ‘powered mobility device’. 

All guests who require the use of a powered mobility device (including lightweight collapsible scooters such as brands like Luggie, Monarch Mobie and TGA, or folding wheelchairs) must book an accessible stateroom or selected suite. This also applies to those using wheelchairs that have a detachable electrical device. Not doing so will result in being denied boarding. A list of suitable staterooms can be found in our accessibility on board webpage.

The reason for this is to make sure there is sufficient space for the device, and to ensure the safety of all guests and crew on board while the device is in use around the ship. This policy applies to all powered mobility devices makes and models to ensure a consistent approach.

All guests who require the use of a powered mobility device, whether full or part-time will also be allocated an evacuation chair for use in the unlikely event of an emergency. 

Powered mobility devices must be declared at the time of booking, and full information should be provided via our on board needs questionnaire on My Cunard. If not, your powered mobility device may be denied boarding. 

If you wish to bring your powered mobility device on board, there are a few essentials you need to check in advance:

1. Choose the right type of stateroom - if you will be bringing a powered mobility device inside the stateroom, you must book a fully accessible stateroom or selected suite. Please note your powered mobility device must still be a maximum length of 120cm. For a list of suitable staterooms, visit our accessibility on board webpage.
2. Please measure your mobility aid and ensure it will fit through the stateroom door. Details of stateroom door widths can be found on our accessibility on board webpage.
3. Check the type of battery your device uses – we accept gel, dry cell, sealed lead acid or lithium-ion battery-operated powered mobility devices.
4. Any guest who is a full-or part-time wheelchair or mobility scooter user must be registered for evacuation chair assistance. This should be declared at the time of booking and in the on board needs questionnaire so we can keep a record.

This will help to ensure you can bring your powered mobility device aboard and use it safely around the ship and in your stateroom.

Your device does not need to be PAT tested (electrical tested) before embarkation, however, if for any reason a powered mobility device needs to be tested, the electrical team will contact you once on board to carry out a PAT test and you will be informed of the result afterwards.

All scooters and electric wheelchairs can be charged in your stateroom when not in use, but this should only take place when the cabin is occupied for safety reasons. The electricity supply on board all our ships is 60Hz/220V/110V. It is important that you contact the manufacturer or supplier of your powered mobility device prior to embarkation to ensure that the equipment is safe to use at 60Hz and the voltage is compatible. This is to ensure that the equipment does not become damaged or its performance is affected.

Our powered mobility device policies and procedures comply with all applicable ship safety and disability/equality legislation, including the EU Passenger Rights Regulation. We aim to offer our services to all disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility subject to applicable safety requirements and within the parameters of each ship design, port infrastructure, and equipment.

Manual wheelchairs

Collapsible manual wheelchairs are welcome on board in any of our staterooms. Wheelchair users are advised to occupy an accessible stateroom, but if you do not require the facilities of an accessible stateroom, or a wet-room-style bathroom, and do not need your wheelchair to move around the stateroom, you can occupy a standard stateroom. Access to the bathroom in a standard stateroom is via a step and there is a raised threshold to enter the shower cubicle. Some bathrooms have a shower over bath.

If you are bringing a collapsible wheelchair and are booked into a standard stateroom, the wheelchair should be easily collapsible in one piece, with no removable parts, and should not weigh more than 23kg. Please ensure the wheelchair does not exceed 50cm in width and 100cm in length, when collapsed. This is to ensure that wheelchair fits through the stateroom door. Many wheelchairs will need to be folded to fit through the stateroom door and crew cannot assist with this. Wheelchairs cannot be left in corridors in line with health and safety compliance. When open, the wheelchair must not exceed 120cm in width, due to the size of the lifts.

There is no facility to hire a wheelchair on board; we therefore ask you to please bring your own or hire one independently. To find out more about hiring a wheelchair, please call 0800 328 1699 or visit mobilityatsea.co.uk/contact. Please note Mobility at Sea can only hire equipment for Southampton to Southampton (UK) cruises.

Guests who are full-time wheelchair users must be booked into an accessible stateroom. Part-time manual wheelchair users booked into a non-accessible stateroom should note that these staterooms are not designed for using a wheelchair as there is not enough manoeuvring space.

If you are bringing a non-collapsible manual wheelchair, please make these checks:

1. Check that your choice of stateroom gives you enough room to manoeuvre your wheelchair. Non-collapsible manual or electric wheelchair users must book an accessible stateroom. You should also check that your choice of stateroom gives you enough space to safely store your mobility aid without obstructing your access in the stateroom or evacuation route. For a list of suitable staterooms, visit our accessibility on board webpage.
2. Check it will fit through the stateroom door. Details of stateroom door widths can be found on our accessibility on board webpage.
3. Any guest who is a full-or part-time wheelchair or mobility scooter must be registered for evacuation chair assistance. This should be declared at the time of booking and in the on board needs questionnaire so we can keep a record. 
   

Wheelchairs must be declared as soon as possible after booking via the on board needs questionnaire, or as soon as the need is known, otherwise your wheelchair will be denied boarding.

If you require the use of a non-standard mobility aid please discuss this with us as some devices are not suitable for on board use.

Storage and use around the ship

All mobility devices must be stored inside your stateroom when not in use: they cannot be left outside your stateroom door. Public walkways and stairwells must be kept clear in case of an emergency. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer alternative storage for any mobility equipment and we may ask you to disembark if your personal mobility equipment will not fit in your stateroom.

When using your powered mobility device on board it is of the utmost importance for your safety, and the safety of others, that you operate it at a safe speed. Raised door thresholds are present throughout the ship which need to be negotiated with care and you may find the layout of the ship narrower than you are used to. When in public areas, please ensure your mobility device is clear of any exits or fire doors. The ship’s staff will be on hand in these areas to offer guidance on where to safely leave your scooter. 

Please also pay careful attention when backing in and out of lifts, as these are often in close proximity to the staircases, which may be narrow and difficult to negotiate. For more information on lifts, including dimensions, visit our accessibility on board webpage.

There are wheelchair spaces in our theatres and other entertainment venues for the use of full-time wheelchair users and their companions which are allocated on a first come first served basis.

Our wheelchair and powered mobility device policies and procedures comply with all applicable ship safety and disability/equality legislation, including the EU Passenger Rights Regulation. We aim to offer our services to all disabled people or people with reduced mobility subject to applicable safety requirements and within the parameters of each ship design, port infrastructure and equipment.

Please note: if you do not advise us in advance (during the booking process and confirmed via the on board needs questionnaire) that you will be bringing a mobility device, you may not be able to bring your device on board. There are no storage facilities available for devices that are denied boarding, so this could result in a you being denied boarding also.

Other mobility aids

Please note that segways, trikes or any similar non-standard aids to mobility will not be permitted. If you are not sure whether your mobility aid is acceptable, please email us via the Contact Us page and select the ‘Accessibility’ option from the dropdown list provided.

Ship's equipment

We are able to provide the following mobility aids on board, subject to availability. These items should be requested prior to travel and will be allocated in order of date of receipt of your on board needs questionnaire.

• Bath bench (these are not suitable for staterooms with whirlpool baths)
• Bath seat
• Raised toilet seat (these do not have handles)
• Shower chair (these do not have wheels)
• Shower stool (these do not have wheels)
• All accessible staterooms also have a pull-down or fixed chair in the wet room.

All the equipment has a maximum user weight limit of 30 stone (190kg), apart from the shower stools which are 15 stone (95kg).

No other mobility aids besides those listed can be provided, and we strongly advise that you bring your own.

Guest's own equipment

If you require an item that we are unable to supply such as a commode, bed blocks, hoist etc you are welcome to bring your own or contact our recommended supplier, Mobility at Sea, on 0800 328 1699 (calls are free from a landline).

If you are bringing a hoist or any other electrical equipment, you will need to check that it is compatible with the electrical supply on board. All our ships' electricity is supplied at 60Hz/220V/110V.  It is important that you contact the manufacturer or supplier to ensure that your equipment is safe to use at 60Hz.

If you are bringing a hoist, you must be booked into an accessible stateroom. Partially accessible staterooms have limited floor space for manoeuvrability and are not appropriate for guests who require a hoist. We do not provide stateroom hoists, but you can hire one from an independent supplier.

The ship's Electrical Officer may test your equipment prior to sailing. We would suggest you check-in no later than the allocated time on your boarding pass to ensure enough time for this process. You will be responsible for the carriage and installation of your own electrical equipment and your hoist must remain in your stateroom at all times.

Guests who are bringing other mobility aids like rollators, crutches etc. must inform us through the completion of the on board needs questionnaire. This is so that we can offer appropriate support, however, please be aware that due to the nature of the cruise experience, we may not be able to meet all requests. We strongly recommend that you are registered for a minimum of one-to-one assistance in the unlikely event of an emergency if you are bringing a mobility aid on board. You can do this when booking.

Guests are not permitted to bring their own mattress, mattress topper, bed or chair (or anything containing foam) unless the item has the appropriate International Maritime Organisation (IMO) fire rating certification. If you wish to make a request to bring equipment with you, then please email us via the Contact Us page and select the 'Accessibility' option from the dropdown list provided. Our recommended supplier, Mobility at Sea, has a selection of IMO-approved items available for hire. You can call them on 0800 328 1699 for more information.

If you are flying and taking any of the above equipment you must populate your on board needs questionnaire with full details. If you are flying with a scheduled airline, you will need to contact them directly and confirm carriage of any equipment. If you are flying with a charter airline, please ensure you contact our Customer Contact Centre.

Pool hoists

For details on pool hoists available on each ship, and other venue-specific information, please visit our accessibility on board webpage.

Accessible toilets

For details on accessible toilets available on each ship, and other venue-specific information, please visit our accessibility on board webpage.

Equipment storage

Mobility scooters, wheelchairs and other aids to mobility must be stored inside your stateroom when not in use. For safety reasons, they cannot be left outside your stateroom door. If they are, they will be removed. Public walkways and stairwells must be kept clear in case of an emergency. It is your responsibility to ensure that your stateroom is suitable for storing your own equipment. Manual wheelchair users occupying a non-accessible stateroom will likely need to collapse the device in order to enter. Devices will need to be folded and carried inside the stateroom by yourself or your companion, as our crew cannot support with this.