I was extremely nervous before doing a 14-day land tour/cruise to Alaska because I am confined to a wheelchair. Although I can stand, I don’t walk at all. When traveling in a wheelchair, there is always a problem with something that is supposed to be ADA compliant and isn’t.

Our journey began in Anchorage and then took us to the Copper Center, Fairbanks, Denali National Park, Mt. McKinley, and Talkeetna. After the land tour, we board the cruise ship in Whittier and travel south through the Inside Passage to Vancouver, port-calling at Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan.

Overall, the trip was wonderful from an accessibility standpoint, although there were a few hiccups we encountered along the way. I have 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 making from my own personal experience if you are considering a trip:

• Never assume that when someone tells you a room, transportation, transfer, etc. meets ADA standards that is. There is a wide variation in interpretation and assumptions when it is said to be “ADA compliant.” You need to make a list of specific questions that require specific answers from a travel agent who is truly knowledgeable about the specific accommodation you need.
• When I started planning my trip, I worked directly with the cruise line. I spoke with agents who actually traveled on the ship we were taking, who were able to give me information about wheelchair accessibility on the ship and help me choose a room. I also talked to their access department about accessibility accommodations regarding hotel rooms on land, and things like shuttle/coach/rail elevators. These people were extremely helpful. I did not want to work through an independent travel agency as I have learned from experience that specific things are not always answered correctly or “lost in translation” when dealing with 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 terrace room that had a buffet, grill, and pools/outdoor seating/cinemas to eliminate elevator use. It also saved us $1400 by getting an inside 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 boating crowds in the cities and no small children. I find that when I’m on my scooter, I always have to be aware of others; so 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, beautiful fall color, and the days were cool, 50-60 degrees. The cooler temperatures were good for me, as my EM is very sensitive to hot, humid days, which often happens in the summer months in Alaska.
• I sent a written letter to their Access Department stating that I was “confined to a wheelchair”, requiring elevators for all transportation and a roll-in shower for all hotel rooms, if available. I recommend sending such a letter if you are totally homebound, as this will cover you later if problems arise, which happened in my case.

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 on the bus. Otherwise, he would have had to stay behind, which would have cut my trip short and canceled one of my tours. Going forward, here’s what I would do and what I would recommend others do: Check with the tour desk at each hotel you’re staying at to reconfirm that lift transportation will be available to you for the next few days . You can also reconfirm any other special needs you have requested in advance, such as a roll-in shower. Twice I was given a room without a roll-in shower only to find out later that this room had been given to someone who didn’t need it. If I had been traveling with my sister instead of my husband, I wouldn’t have been able to shower as she couldn’t get into a bathtub that had a chair.

If you use a wheelchair part time, be aware that there are 5-7 steps up to the coaches and they are quite steep.

The railways had lifts, as did the separate tour buses in Denali National Park.

Surprisingly, accessibility in Alaskan cities, even in the smallest places in the interior, was very good. When I use the bathroom, I need my husband’s help. We were able to find a bathroom that was big enough for the two of us, even in the roadhouses we stopped at for lunch on our trip. Note: Railroad restrooms cannot accommodate two people, so if you need a helper, you’ll need to prepare in other ways for the 5-6 hour journey.

If you’re thinking of taking a cruise or tour, I suggest you start planning your arrangements a year in advance because handicapped-accessible rooms are limited and fill up fast.

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