What facilities do you have on board for guests who are deaf or hard of hearing?
Guests must inform us of any hearing requirements at the time of booking so that we are able to identify any extra services that may need to be considered, such as arranging emergency assistance and providing important information in an alternative format.
We recommend that guests who are deaf have, as a minimum, one-to-one assistance in the unlikely event of an emergency. This means in the event of an emergency, guests will have a member of our trained crew with them to assist. Guests will be asked to confirm whether they require assistance in the event of an emergency during the booking process. If the guest didn’t make us aware at the point of booking that they require assistance, then they need to contact their travel agent or the Customer Contact Centre urgently to confirm their requirements and complete a “Your on board needs” questionnaire as soon as possible after booking and no later than two weeks before they sail. These requirements will then be added to their booking, however this is subject to availability.
All of our ships are equipped with the following enhancements for guests who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Hearing loop
- We are able to offer a hearing loop facility (which requires guests to move their hearing aid to the position) at Southampton cruise terminals and at the Purser’s Office on board. In addition, we also provide an "infra-red" hearing support system within some of our theatres and show lounges - compatible headsets are available from the Purser’s Office.
- Should guests require the use of the hearing support system, please speak to the Production staff at the venue who will be able to direct them to the best location in order to utilise the equipment correctly.
Visual alert systems
- All ships have visual alert systems (Ameriphones) on board. They feature a wireless doorbell, vibrating pillow shaker and a pager with charger. This equipment allows guests to communicate with Reception and should also be used to alert the guest in the event of an emergency. This equipment is requested via the "Your on board needs" questionnaire and is available on a first-come first-serve basis.
- The kits are inventory controlled and allocated by Guest Support on receipt of the “Your on board needs” questionnaire. If we can’t provide a visual alert system for the guest, they will be notified prior to travel. If all visual alert systems have been loaned out, guests can be offered a ships pager as an alternative (if available).
- Please be aware, the visual alert system will reduce surface space in the stateroom.
Subtitles
- Our in-stateroom emergency video offers closed captioning.
- Queen Anne – Guest can activate themselves in the cabin by using the subtitles button on both VoD and Live TV (assuming the content has subtitles)
- Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria - The televisions within the staterooms don’t have closed captioning due to the way that the satellite signal is received.
Theatre shows
- We are able to provide a transcript of the songs during the theatre shows for guests who are deaf or hard of hearing. Please request this at reception or with a member of the production staff.
Shore experiences
- Providing that we are aware prior to sailing that guests would like written commentary of an organised shore experiences, we will work with the tour agent and endeavour to provide this for the guest, but this may not be possible in all instances. Please call the Partnership Helpdesk as soon as possible to request this.
You may find the following questions useful: What assistance is offered to guests with a disability or reduced mobility? and Can I see a "Your on-board needs" questionnaire and guide / can we send one out?
Additional Information
- You must ensure to ask every guest “In the unlikely event of an emergency, would anyone on the booking need assistance?”. If they would require assistance, please add the relevant level of support to Polar Online using the "package list" option. If a guest is bringing a mobility scooter or wheelchair on board, you must add evacuation chair assistance for them. However, it’s not possible to add this resource to existing bookings. If this step is missed or needs to be added post-booking, please complete the Partnership Helpdesk Webform and we'll come back to you as soon as possible. For bookings sailing within the next six months, you should call the Partnership Helpdesk for urgent support.
- If the guest has mobility or accessibility requirements, they must complete their "Your on-board needs" questionnaire via My Cruise as soon as possible after booking and no later than two weeks before they sail. You can send them a reminder to do this by following this process guide.
- We have a range of how-to-guides on Shine Rewards Club. Please click here for Cunard and here for P&O Cruises.