Ferry not suitable for the disabled
All Brittany Ferries' disabled cabins use bunk beds
My husband is a wheelchair user and is unable to walk and this has led to problems in using Brittany Ferries where all the disabled cabins use bunk beds.
This is not satisfactory as it is not adapted very well for the disabled person or for the person with them. The top bunk is accessed by a ladder, which is not ideal for anyone over 65, especially if they are not very mobile. Climbing down in the the night, or any time, is a health and safety risk.
That means the disabled person uses the lower bunk. However, as my husband needs turning over in the night, this is again difficult as I can’t get to the far side of the bunk as it is against the cabin wall.
I have to sit him on the edge of the bunk and turn him so he sleeps with his head at the foot of the bunk. This is easy on twin beds. Bunks also mean I have to tip up the upper bunk before I can move my husband.
Would it not be possible for Brittany Ferries’ disabled cabins to have twin beds, as in the Commodore cabins? P&O have two separate beds.
Alison GENT, by email
Brittany Ferries replies: We would like all disabled passengers to enjoy a relaxing time onboard but there are limitations in the service we can deliver because of the constraints of ship design and the many safety structures in a sea-going vessel.
We ask disabled passengers to discuss their requirements with us at the time of booking and again at ticket check-in, so arrangements can be put in place.
Our ships have wheelchair accessible cabins with wider doorways and level access. The floor also has a hard surface for easy movement of the wheelchair.
Modern cruise ferries are all of a similar design and construction; the cabins have two or four berths in a bunk configuration.
Two ships, Pont-Aven and Cap Finistère, which operate Portsmouth-Cherbourg and Plymouth-Roscoff, have four-berth wheelchair-accessible cabins (providing two lower bunks), the others have two berth cabins.
Each person’s disability and what they require will vary greatly. We are happy to discuss the layout and configuration of the wheelchair accessible cabin on each ship.
