The short answer
- A cruise line cannot refuse a booking because of a disabilityOn a cruise from a UK port, refusal is allowed only for safety reasons set in law or where the ship or port makes boarding impossible to do safely. Help in the port and on board is free if you ask at least 48 hours ahead.
- Ask about the cabin in measurements, not labelsAn accessible cabin on one ship can be different from one on another. Ask for door widths, the shower, the bed height and how far the cabin is from a lift.
- A GHIC does not cover treatment on boardThe ship's medical centre charges privately, even when the ship is docked. Declare every condition when you buy travel insurance.
- Somebody still has to give the personal careThe crew help with getting on and off and getting about, not with washing or dressing. A carer who comes is paid one fixed price for the whole trip, agreed with their fare, cabin and meals before you book.
Passenger rights are from Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 as it applies in UK law, checked October 2026.
Your rights when you book
What the law says when an older or disabled person books a cruise
There are rules on the rights of disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility at sea. They still apply in the UK as assimilated law, and they cover a cruise whose port of embarkation is in the United Kingdom.
The rules come from a regulation on passengers' rights when travelling by sea, Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010, which stayed part of UK law after the UK left the EU. They use the phrase "a person with reduced mobility", which covers somebody whose movement is limited by age as well as by a disability, so they apply to an older parent who walks slowly with a stick as much as to a wheelchair user. They apply to the cruise line, to any travel agent or tour operator who sells you the cruise, and to the terminal at the port.
The ladder below sets out what the rules say at each stage, in the order you meet them, and what to do. Each source links to the text on legislation.gov.uk.
When you book
What the rules say
A cruise line, travel agent or tour operator cannot refuse a booking because of a disability or reduced mobility, and cannot charge more for the booking or the ticket because of it.
What to do
Tell them at the time of booking about the cabin, seating, services or medical equipment your relative will need, so the request is on record from the start.
Source: Articles 7 and 11(2), Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 as it applies in the UK
If they say no
What the rules say
A refusal is allowed only for safety requirements set in law, or where the design of the ship or port makes boarding or the voyage impossible to do safely. They must explain why straight away and, if you ask, in writing within five working days.
What to do
Ask for the reason in writing and ask what alternative sailing they can offer, which they must make reasonable efforts to find.
Source: Article 8, Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 as it applies in the UK
If they ask for a companion
What the rules say
Where it is strictly necessary for safety, the cruise line can require your relative to travel with somebody who can give the help they need. The rule that this companion travels free applies to passenger services such as ferries, not to cruises.
What to do
Ask whether a companion is a condition of booking, and what the companion's fare and cabin will cost, before you pay a deposit.
Source: Article 8(4), Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 as it applies in the UK
48 hours before
What the rules say
Help in the port and on board is free. It is guaranteed if you tell the cruise line or the terminal at least 48 hours before it is needed, unless they agree a shorter time. Without notice, they must still make reasonable efforts to help.
What to do
Ask for written confirmation that the help has been booked. You are entitled to one.
Source: Articles 10 and 11(1), Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 as it applies in the UK
At the port
What the rules say
Your relative should arrive at the time the cruise line gives in writing, which cannot be more than 60 minutes before the published embarkation time. A companion who is helping them must be allowed to help with boarding if you ask.
What to do
Check where the meeting point for assistance is, and whether wheelchairs or a buggy are provided from the car park or drop-off.
Source: Article 11(1) and Annex II, Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 as it applies in the UK
If equipment is damaged
What the rules say
If a wheelchair, scooter or other equipment is lost or damaged through the fault of the cruise line or terminal, they pay the cost of repair or replacement, and should try to provide a temporary replacement quickly.
What to do
Photograph the equipment before you hand it over, and report damage before you leave the ship or the terminal.
Source: Article 15, Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 as it applies in the UK
If something goes wrong
What the rules say
Complain to the cruise line or terminal within two months. They must tell you within one month whether the complaint is upheld, and give a final answer within two months. If it is not resolved, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency hears the appeal.
What to do
Keep the booking confirmation, the assistance confirmation and the names of the staff you spoke to.
Source: Articles 24 and 25, Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 as it applies in the UK
Two points are worth holding on to. The first is that the right to help depends on notice: tell the cruise line about your relative's needs when you book, and confirm the help at least 48 hours before sailing, so that nobody can say they did not know. The second is that a cruise line is allowed to ask that your relative travels with a companion if it is strictly necessary for safety. On a ferry that companion travels free, but the rules do not extend this to cruises, so a companion's fare is whatever the cruise line charges. Ask about it before you pay a deposit.
The help the rules require on board is set out in the regulation's Annex III. It covers carrying medical equipment and mobility equipment, including electric wheelchairs, giving information about the route in an accessible format, help moving to the toilets if needed, and reasonable efforts to give a companion a cabin next to your relative. It does not include personal care, which is why the carer section below matters.
The ship and the cabin
Choosing a ship, a cabin and an itinerary that suit your relative
Every ship is built differently, and the word "accessible" can mean different things on different ships. The questions below turn the label into something you can check against what your relative needs at home.
Start with the home your relative manages now. If they need a step-free shower, grab rails and room to turn a wheelchair at home, they will need the same on board, and a cabin that does not have them will make every morning harder. If they walk short distances with a frame, the distance from the cabin to the lift, the dining room and the deck matters more than the view from the window.
The cabin itself
Ask for measurements
Where the cabin is
Near a lift, mid-ship
Tender ports
Check each port on the itinerary
Getting about on board
Distances and equipment
The itinerary
Sea days and length
Get it in writing
Before you pay
Each ship has a fixed number of accessible cabins, so it helps to book early once you have found a ship that suits. A travel agent who regularly books cruises for disabled passengers can save time by knowing which ships have the layout you need, though you should still ask for the measurements yourself. The holidays guide for disabled people covers the wider choice of holidays in the UK if a cruise turns out not to fit.
If your relative has dementia, the choice of ship and itinerary works differently, because routine and crowds matter more than the cabin layout. Should a person with dementia go on a cruise? covers that decision on its own.
Medical care and insurance
Medical care on board, travel insurance and medicines
A cruise ship has a medical centre, but it is not the NHS. Settle the insurance, the medicines and the paperwork before you pay the deposit, because they are much harder to fix once you are at sea.
The NHS Business Services Authority, which runs the UK Global Health Insurance Card, is clear that a UK GHIC or EHIC does not cover any medical treatment on board a cruise, even if the ship is docked. Treatment in the ship's medical centre is private and charged for. If your relative is taken ashore to a state hospital in a country where the GHIC is valid, they may be entitled to emergency or necessary treatment there. Travel insurance has to cover everything else, including treatment on board and getting your relative home if they become unwell.
Declare every diagnosis when you get an insurance quote. A condition that was not declared can lead to a claim being refused. If a mainstream insurer refuses cover or quotes a premium you cannot pay, the Financial Conduct Authority requires travel insurers, in some circumstances, to signpost customers with serious medical conditions to a directory of specialist insurers. One is the MoneyHelper travel insurance directory, run by the Money and Pensions Service.
Before you pay the deposit
0 of 9 ticked
Insurance
Medicines and equipment
Paperwork
The advice on medicines comes from the National Travel Health Network and Centre's factsheet on medicines and travel, which also covers controlled drugs, for which you may need extra paperwork. Ask the GP practice early if your relative takes a strong painkiller or sleeping tablet.
Bringing a carer
Bringing a carer, or the companion a cruise line asks for
The crew will help your relative on and off the ship and around it, but not with washing, dressing, the toilet at night or medicines. Somebody travelling with them has to do that, and it helps to decide who before you book.
There are two ways to arrange the help on board. A relative or friend can travel as the companion and give the care themselves, or a paid carer can come too. A carer who already knows your relative is the easiest choice, because they know the routine and your relative trusts them. Either way, ask the cruise line to put the companion in the same cabin or the cabin next door, which the rules ask them to make reasonable efforts to do.
| A relative or friend | A carer who comes with you | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gives the personal care | The relative or friend, every day of the cruise | The carer, for the hours you agree with them |
| What it costs | Their fare and their share of the cabin | One fixed price for the whole trip, quoted before you book, with their fare, cabin and meals agreed at the same time |
| Breaks | Nobody else to hand over to unless the family shares it | Agree daily breaks and time off in writing, and who covers during them |
| If they are unwell on board | Your relative may be left without help | The same risk, so agree a plan for it with the carer |
| What to settle first | Whether they can manage the care for every day of the trip | The hours, the price, the fare, the cabin, meals and insurance, in writing |
Who gives the personal care
- A relative or friend
- The relative or friend, every day of the cruise
- A carer who comes with you
- The carer, for the hours you agree with them
What it costs
- A relative or friend
- Their fare and their share of the cabin
- A carer who comes with you
- One fixed price for the whole trip, quoted before you book, with their fare, cabin and meals agreed at the same time
Breaks
- A relative or friend
- Nobody else to hand over to unless the family shares it
- A carer who comes with you
- Agree daily breaks and time off in writing, and who covers during them
If they are unwell on board
- A relative or friend
- Your relative may be left without help
- A carer who comes with you
- The same risk, so agree a plan for it with the carer
What to settle first
- A relative or friend
- Whether they can manage the care for every day of the trip
- A carer who comes with you
- The hours, the price, the fare, the cabin, meals and insurance, in writing
A carer on a trip is not paid by the hour. The price for the whole trip, and who pays the carer's fare, cabin and meals, is agreed in writing before anything is booked.
If your relative already has a carer through PrimeCarers, ask them whether they would consider coming. Some carers like the idea and some prefer not to work away from home, and both are reasonable answers. Carers on PrimeCarers are self-employed, so the arrangement is between you and the carer, and PrimeCarers does not set the terms between you. A carer who comes away is paid one fixed price for the whole trip, quoted before you book rather than counted by the hour, and their fare, cabin and meals are agreed at the same time. Put it all in writing before anybody pays a deposit. If a cruise involves foreign ports, talk through with the carer what that means for them, including their passport, their insurance and their days off, and write down what you agree. Can you take a carer on holiday with you? goes through what to agree, and can I take a live-in carer on holiday? covers rest, sleep and a cabin of their own on a longer trip.
Think through the help your relative needs across a day at sea. Some people need help getting up, getting ready for dinner and going to bed, and manage the hours in between. Others need help on and off through the whole day and sometimes at night. On a cruise the carer is on board all the time, so agree in writing which hours they are working and when they have their breaks, because being on the same ship is not the same as being on duty.
Paying for a carer can come from your relative's own money. Attendance Allowance, at £76.70 or £114.60 a week in 2026/27, is not means-tested and can be spent however your relative chooses, so it can go towards the cost of a carer on a cruise as it would at home.
If your relative's usual carer cannot come, tell us about the trip below: the dates, where you are going and what the carer would do, and you can meet carers who could come. For now this is for trips within the UK, so for a cruise that calls at ports abroad, ask a carer who already knows your relative whether they would consider it.
Take a carer with you
Tell us the dates, where you are going and what the carer would do, and we will set your account up as you go.
Before and after the cruise
Help before you go, on the way to the port and when you get back
A cruise starts well before the ship sails and ends a day or two after it docks. A carer can help at either end even if nobody comes on board.
- 1
Write the routine down
Weeks beforeMedicines and when they are taken, how your relative likes to be helped, what they can do for themselves and what helps on a bad day. Share it with whoever is travelling with them, and keep a copy in the hand luggage. - 2
Help with packing and the last few days
The week beforeA carer who visits at home can help sort clothes, medicines and equipment, and make sure the prescriptions are collected in time. - 3
Getting to the port
Sailing dayIf a carer drives your relative to the port, mileage and travel time are charged only if they are agreed in advance and in writing. Arrive at the assistance point at the time the cruise line gave you in writing. - 4
The first days back
After the cruiseA long journey home can leave your relative tired for a few days. Book a few visits for the days after you dock, so that somebody helps with the washing, the shopping and getting back into the routine.
If it is the family carer who wants to go on the cruise, and your relative would rather stay at home, a carer can cover at home while you are away. Holiday cover while you are away explains how that works. The carer-supported holidays guide sets out the ways to arrange a holiday when somebody needs care.
Plan any visits at home with notice in mind. For hourly care either side can end the arrangement with 48 hours' notice, and for live-in care it is 7 days once the carer has worked 168 hours (48 hours before that). If you cancel a booked visit, it is payable in full unless the reason is an unplanned hospital stay, illness, or something the carer agrees to. If a cruise is cancelled or your relative's health means you cannot go, tell the carer as early as you can.
Questions
Questions families ask about cruises with a disability
Yes. On a cruise that sets off from a UK port, the cruise line cannot refuse a booking because of a disability, and must give help free of charge in the port and on board if you tell them at least 48 hours ahead. Ships have accessible cabins, but they vary from ship to ship, so ask for the measurements of the cabin and the bathroom before you book.
Only where it is strictly necessary for safety. If they do, they must tell you why, and in writing within five working days if you ask. The rule that a companion travels free applies to ferries and other passenger services, not cruises, so ask what the companion's fare will be before you pay a deposit.
The UK rules on passenger rights do not give a carer a free place on a cruise. A cruise line can set its own offers, so ask when you book. A paid carer's own fare, cabin and meals are agreed between you and the carer before you book.
No. The help the rules require covers getting on and off the ship, carrying medical and mobility equipment, moving to the toilets if needed and information in an accessible format. Personal care such as washing, dressing and medicines has to come from somebody travelling with your relative.
No. The NHS Business Services Authority says a UK GHIC or EHIC does not cover any treatment on board a cruise, even when the ship is docked. Treatment in the ship's medical centre is private, so check the travel insurance covers it, and declare every condition when you buy the policy.
Complain to the cruise line or the port terminal within two months. They must tell you within one month whether the complaint is upheld and give a final answer within two months. If it is not resolved, you can take it to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which enforces these rules in the UK.
A carer on PrimeCarers is self-employed and decides whether they would work away from home, so ask the carer directly. If they agree, they are paid one fixed price for the whole trip, quoted before you book, and their fare, cabin and meals are agreed with you in writing at the same time. For now, telling us about a trip on this site is for trips within the UK.