Guest Post by Matt Sutton, 46, from Peterborough

I’ve always believed that cruising has the potential to be one of the most accessible ways to travel — especially for people with mobility needs. When you’re visiting multiple places, it can be a logistical challenge to make sure each hotel is suitable and that you can get from A to B without stress. With a cruise, you only need to set up your “hotel room” once — and it moves with you.

Being based in the UK, just a few hours from Portsmouth and Southampton, I’ve been lucky enough to try out that theory several times. And with this being VV Insider, I wanted to share my experience sailing with Virgin Voyages from Portsmouth.

Booking and Prepping for the Trip

The booking process is really straightforward. After choosing how many people will be in the cabin, you just need to tick the accessible cabin box and you’ll be able to see which options are available. Virgin offers accessible versions of all cabin types — from Insiders to the top suites.

Once I’ve booked, I always email Virgin’s accessibility team with my booking number and a bit of detail about what I’ll be bringing. For me, that includes an electric wheelchair, a mobile hoist, and a UK/EU extension lead. Since the cabins only have one European socket and the US sockets aren’t suitable for charging my equipment, the extension lead is essential. Just make sure it doesn’t have surge protection — those aren’t allowed on cruise ships — and carry it in your hand luggage so it can be inspected at boarding.

Onboard Experience in an Accessible Sea Terrace

I’ve stayed in a few of Virgin’s accessible Sea Terrace cabins now, and I’ve been really pleased with the layout. The first time, I was tempted to go for an XL Sea Terrace but ended up booking the standard version — and I’m glad I did. There was loads of floor space to manoeuvre, and I never felt cramped.

The doorways into the cabin and bathroom are wide enough for easy access, and a fold-down ramp appears when you open the sliding door to the balcony, so you can roll straight out. Because the cabin itself is wider, the balcony is too — which means I can turn around easily without having to reverse back inside.

Accessibility Ashore — The Not-So-Great Bit

While I’ve had a good experience on board, things haven’t always gone smoothly in port. On one sailing in 2024, I wasn’t able to get off the ship at a port near Bilbao. The gangway setup involved shallow steps and a couple of steep ones — not something I could manage with my wheelchair.

What made it more frustrating was that the original itinerary also included A Coruña, which was cancelled due to weather. Instead, we stayed two days in Bilbao — or technically the nearby port town — and I couldn’t go ashore for either of them.

I followed up with Virgin afterwards and tried to explain that while I really like the ship, cruising isn’t just about the ship. If it was, we’d sail in circles and never dock anywhere. There’s a real opportunity here for Virgin to lead the way in making shore access more inclusive.

Looking Ahead

Virgin recently announced a partnership with Disability Aviation and Maritime (DAM), which I think is a really promising step. DAM’s goal is to make accessible travel as seamless as possible, and I’m hopeful that this collaboration will bring practical changes.

I’m already booked on Scarlet Lady 2.0 for late 2025 — including a return to that same port. I’ve let Virgin know about the previous issues, and I’m curious to see whether anything’s improved by the time we get there.

I always recommend Virgin Voyages when I talk to others with accessibility needs. Virgin Atlantic has a strong reputation in this area, and it does feel like Virgin Voyages is doing its best to carry that forward at sea.

About the Author

Matt S is a 46-year-old cruise enthusiast from Peterborough. He lives with SMA and uses an electric wheelchair, and he’s passionate about sharing honest, practical insights to help make travel more accessible for everyone.