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Cruising isn’t complicated, not when you’ve got someone like Spencer Blomquist cutting through the confusion. He knows this world like the back of his joystick. As a wheelchair user who’s clocked 36 cruises, worked in accessible tech, and now arranges life-changing trips for others with Expedia Cruises, Spencer has advice that hits differently. It’s sharp, specific and backed by more mileage than your average travel agent has logged in their lifetime.
Spencer books trips for clients across the US and Canada, and half of them use wheelchairs. The other half? Just lucky folks who stumbled into the expertise of someone who takes travel planning far beyond “all-inclusive”. While many agents sell holidays, Spencer’s focus on accessible cruising makes him a rare find. He doesn’t throw around generic tips. He’s lived through the flukes and wins of accessible travel.
Before his injury in 2008 left him paralyzed from the neck down, Spencer had signed with Norwegian Cruise Line to manage bar and beverage operations. When that plan veered off course, he rerouted. Now, he makes the seas navigable for wheelchair users who thought maybe travel had closed its doors.
Why cruises trump hotels every time
Forget the promise of hotel accessibility. Spencer has seen too many roll-in showers that don’t roll and beds that don’t budge. On a ship, if you book an accessible room, you’re getting that room. No surprise downgrades. No inaccessible “upgrades”. Everyone boards on the same day. No room turnover roulette. If the room has a roll-in shower, it’ll actually fit a wheelchair. Beds clear for Hoyer lifts. Storage is smarter. Space is used better.
He says cruise lines get accessibility right far more often than land-based hotels. Not perfectly, but better. And with the ability to drive to many US cruise ports, you dodge the whole flying-with-a-wheelchair chaos. No baggage handlers dropping your chair, arguments at security or praying your equipment comes off the plane in one piece.
Pick the right line
Spencer doesn’t have a favourite cruise line: “They’re all fantastic,” he says. Norwegian nails it with accessible family bathrooms and thoughtful public spaces but their wheelchair accessible balcony rooms can only accommodate two guests. Good for couples, tough for a family of three or four. Royal Caribbean? Top marks for accessible activities, dockside access at private islands and sensory-friendly features. Princess makes booking accessible shore excursions a breeze. Virgin Voyages? Chic cabins, adults only but killer food “it’s almost like eating at a specialty restaurant, every time.”
Every line has quirks but Spencer can navigate them like a captain in a storm. He even helps rework accessibility training for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). When he tells you which room works best for a Hoyer lift or which destination to avoid during peak allergy season, he’s speaking from personal trial and error.
What to look for (and what to book quickly)
Cruise ships have a limited number of wheelchair-accessible rooms so book yours quickly.
The newer the ship, the more likely it has features like automatic door openers, zero-entry thresholds and accessible balconies. But don’t assume, Spencer warns: not all “accessible” rooms are equal. Some are ambulatory accessible only which is good for someone with a cane but useless for a power chair. Always double-check.
Get the right travel insurance. Spencer uses a policy that waives pre-existing condition exclusions if booked within 14 days of deposit. Travel insurance is not optional, it’s crucial.
If you’re travelling with medication, a ventilator or specialized gear, plan meticulously. Bring it in your carry-on. Cruise ships have medical centres, but they won’t stock your unique prescriptions.
Need a shower chair, hospital bed, or oxygen delivered to your room? Spencer arranges all of it. Certified vendors coordinate with cruise lines under strict coast guard rules.
Excursions? Plan harder
Accessible onshore tours aren’t always listed on cruise sites and some take weeks to confirm. However, Spencer connects clients with third-party operators, particularly across the Caribbean, who provide tours, properly equipped vans and guides.
Embarkation and disembarkation? Organized chaos. But Spencer says wheelchair users often get priority boarding, and a little communication with guest services smooths things out. Tell them what you need. Yes, it’s hectic but manageable.
Start small, but start!
Pack every supply you need, plan every detail and use a travel agent who actually gets it, someone who knows how to vet excursions, check deck plans and spot inaccessible balcony doors before they ruin your holiday.
Cruising is the great equalizer. It doesn’t care if you roll or walk, use voice controls to turn your lights off, or if you need a hoist to get into bed. With the right planning, it’s all possible. And if you want it handled properly, Spencer’s already out there. Testing cabins, rating shipboard experiences and uploading YouTube videos (Wheelie Awesome Adventures) not for clout, but so someone else doesn’t have to learn the hard way.
Cruising isn’t reserved for the elite, able-bodied or mobile,, not anymore. From roll-in showers to wheelchair carousels, Hoyer-lift ready beds to private island pathways wide enough for power chairs, this isn’t a dream. It’s out there right now. All it takes is planning, precision and sometimes the assistance of someone who’s done it, again and again. Planning a cruise when you use a wheelchair can feel like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing. But it doesn’t have to. Spencer’s already mapped it out, tested it, and probably made a video about it from his balcony at sea. He’s done the legwork literally and figuratively so others can just roll up, unpack, and enjoy the view.
Cruising also should not be complicated. It should be room service with a smile, Caribbean sunsets without the airport drama and real adventure without having to ask ten times if the bathroom actually fits your chair. Disability isn’t the end of adventure. It’s a different way of meeting it and on a ship built to welcome you, it all becomes possible.
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