Wheelchair guests must bring their own collapsible wheelchair. Please note that not all shore excursions are suitable for guests with impaired mobility. Silversea strongly recommends wheelchair guests travel with someone who is able to assist them both ashore and at sea as Silversea may be unable to offer special assistance. Please note that wheel-on and/or wheel-off access may not be available at some ports-of-call. Silversea reserves the right to deny boarding to any guest who failed to notify Silversea of such requirement at the time of booking.
Silversea welcomes guests with mobility needs and offers various accessibility features onboard. However, due to the nature of cruising, some destinations and excursions may present challenges. Below is a guide to help guests plan their journey.
BEFORE BOOKING
Do guests need to notify Silversea in advance about mobility needs?
Yes, guests should inform Silversea of any special assistance or mobility equipment requirements before sailing. This can be done via My Silversea under Guest Information / Special Request, or by contacting specialservices@silversea.com.
Does Silversea provide wheelchairs?
Yes, each vessel has wheelchairs available at the reception for temporary use, such as embarkation and disembarkation. Guests who require a wheelchair for the entire cruise should bring their own.
Can guests bring their own mobility equipment?
Yes, personal wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility aids are allowed. However, guests staying in standard (non-ADA) suites should note that electric scooters may not fit through the doors.
Therefore, guests traveling with a wheelchair, scooter, or ECV are always highly suggested to book a wheelchair-accessible suite with a wider entrance door and an appropriate path of travel inside the room and accommodate the equipment. Regular Suites have a narrower entrance door and may not have the necessary interior space to accommodate wheelchairs and scooters.
What features do wheelchair-accessible suites offer?Silversea ships offer specially designed suites for guests who require mobility assistance. These suites are equipped with wider entrance doors and appropriate paths of travel to accommodate wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility equipment. All areas within these suites are reachable without the need for additional ramps, except for Silver Suites onboard Silver Moon and Silver Dawn and Classic Veranda onboard Silver Endeavour. In these suites Silversea offer ramp to go outside the balcony. The vessels also have wheelchairs available at the reception for guest use.
Where to find the information regarding the disabled access suites?
This information is visible under the Suite tab by suite category.
Also, can be found on the deck plan after clicking on the “View Deck Plan” tab on the ship page. The disabled access suites are indicated with the universal accessibility icon.
EMBARKATION & DISEMBARKATION
How do guests get on and off the ship with mobility equipment?
Silversea vessels have procedures in place to assist guests with mobility equipment during embarkation and disembarkation. When the gangway is flat, guests can drive their wheelchair off the ship. However, if the gangway involves stairs, our staff will provide assistance. The Safety Officer or Bridge must be informed whenever a wheelchair is involved in disembarkation or boarding, and our crew members are available to assist guests in need.
Is assistance available for boarding?
Yes, but guests who require full-time assistance should travel with a companion, as Silversea does not provide dedicated personal caregivers. Butlers can assist with getting to the gangway or dining venues but do not provide continuous mobility assistance.
ONBOARD
Silversea’s ships are designed for accessibility, featuring:
- Wide gangways to accommodate most wheelchairs and scooters
- Accessible public restrooms
- Wheelchair seating in dining venues, bars, and the Venetian Lounge
- Braille/tactile signage for visually impaired guests in elevators, stateroom numbers, and staircases
How does Silversea assist disabled guests in their suites?
Silversea butler can provide reasonable assistance to guest getting to and from the gangway, and to and from a restaurant, however Silversea does not offer full-time wheelchair service and/or staff fully dedicated to providing Guests with wheelchair assistance. Guests traveling on their own wheelchair should be assisted only when requested and are recommended to travel with an able bodily companion.
GOING ASHORE
Are all ports wheelchair accessible?
Not all ports have wheelchair-friendly infrastructure. In some destinations, tender boats or on Silversea Expeditions Zodiacs are required for disembarkation, and wheelchairs or mobility scooters cannot be accommodated in these cases.
Can guests arrange private accessible transportation in port?
If available, private wheelchair-accessible vehicles can be arranged. In some ports, shuttle buses may be wheelchair accessible, but availability is not guaranteed.
Does Silversea offer wheelchair-accessible shore excursions?
Until now we have been offering dedicated “Wheelchair Accessible Excursions” in some areas of the world., These tours are operated by wheelchair accessible vehicles and include only wheelchair accessible venues. These tours are mainly offered in Europe and the US. If you have any questions or concerns regarding shore excursion suitability, please contact the Shore Concierge (shoreconcierge@silversea.com) before your voyage or visit the Shore Concierge desk for more detailed information once onboard.
Wheelchair accessible shore excursions are indicated on the website with the universal accessibility icon.
Are there alternatives for guests with limited mobility?
In almost every port, Silversea offers low-activity excursions specially designed for mobility challenged guests, who can negotiate the steps on and off the coaches.
Is there any destination that is not recommend to guests with disabilities?
The more exotic destinations, like Asia, South Africa and South America it is recommended to guest to book a private vehicle due to the lack of infrastructure, for example wheelchair accessible vehicles are very rare to find and museums, restaurants and popular attractions are not often completely accessible.
Does Silversea offer wheelchair-accessible transportation between the ship and visiting site?
If available in the port yes, however this is not often available.
How Silversea assist disabled guests during excursions?
If wheelchair accessible excursions are not available, it is recommended to guests to book a private vehicle where they can have a dedicated guide and driver who can give them full attention. On regular shore excursions, the guide must look after all guests and may not be able to fully assist disabled guests.
