Wheelie Smooth Sailing! - Cruising Made Accessible
🎙️ Wheelie Smooth Sailing! – Where Accessible Cruising Takes the Spotlight
Welcome aboard the podcast where accessibility meets adventure! Hosted by Deanne Moses-Wright, founder of Wheelie on the Waves, cruise specialist and accessibility advocate, Wheelie Smooth Sailing dives deep into the real experiences of disabled cruisers, unpacks the barriers they face, and highlights the small changes that could make a big difference at sea.
Expect candid conversations, expert advice, and insider interviews—from fellow travellers to cruise industry changemakers. A podcast for all cruisers, whether you’re planning your first cruise, (accessible or not!) or campaigning for better inclusion in travel, this is your port of call. We of course welcome everyone, no matter how ‘normal’ you are 😂🤪
⚓ Real stories. Bold questions. Smoother sailing for all.
Wheelie Smooth Sailing! - Cruising Made Accessible
“Meet Deanne: The Wheelie Determined Voice of Accessible Cruising”
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In this heartfelt and powerful debut episode of Wheelie Smooth Sailing, host Deanne Moses-Wright introduces her mission to transform the cruise industry into a more accessible, inclusive space for all. Deanne shares her deeply personal journey—navigating life with multiple disabilities, falling in love with cruising, and becoming a cruise and accessibility specialist.
With warmth, humour, and fierce determination, she explains why she launched Wheelie on the Waves and what pushed her to become a member of CLIA and an advocate for change within the cruise industry. This episode sets the tone for an honest, respectful, and engaging podcast that amplifies disabled voices and gives cruisers the confidence to travel with ease.
Whether you’re new to cruising or a seasoned sailor, this is your all-access pass to a more inclusive future at sea.
Deanne also teases her first full episode, dropping late next week, featuring a special guest—the Accessibility Manager from Carnival UK. They’ll be diving deep into accessibility on board Cunard and P&O Cruises, unpacking what the latest policy changes really mean for disabled cruisers.
I'm on a mission to make the world of cruising truly inclusive. Whether you're disabled, non-disabled, a full-time carer, a first-time cruiser, or a seasoned sailor, I would love for this podcast to be your go-to space for everything from insider tips and accessibility insights to ship reviews, port guides and even a few tales from when things didn't quite go to planet sea. I'll be sharing advice on everything you're dying to know. Yes, we'll cover drinks packages, onboard Wi-Fi, dress codes, packing tips, spoiler alert, no you don't need to bring towels! and how to make your cruise work best for you. We'll hear from disabled cruisers with real life experiences and I'll be chatting to cruise line reps and change makers too and when I do I'll do my best to let you know in advance so you can send in your questions ahead of time. This podcast is as much yours as it is mine so let's make it interactive, informative and most of all inclusive. Got questions, funny cruise stories or do you just want your voice heard in shaping a more accessible cruise industry? Email me podcast at wheelieonthewaves.co.uk. Let's set sail together because everyone deserves to cruise with confidence. So let's start at the beginning. Who am I? Well, I'm Deanne, a 49-year-old post-menopausal woman, yep, we really just went there, wife of 26 years to my husband Daren and proud mum to two very independent grown-up daughters, Caitlin and Aimie. I've been a businesswoman for over 22 years, running my own companies ever since I was told I'd have to give up work due to my health. Clearly, I didn't take that lying down. I also have absolutely no experience whatsoever of podcasting. So I'm learning as we go and will apologise now for the inevitable mistakes that will definitely occur along the way. I live with a long list of health conditions, many of them the result of serious complications during spinal surgery for scoliosis 30 years ago. Since then, osteoarthritis, Sjogren's disease, fibromyalgia and a few other fun additions have joined the party. I'm an ambulant wheelchair user. I rely on my power chair for around 90% of my life. I can stand independently, take a few steps and I use crutches the rest of the time. I'm determined, very stubborn and fiercely independent, but I've also learned, sometimes the hard way, that it's okay to listen to my body. These days, I'm getting pretty good at knowing when I need to stop, take a breath, go for a lie down, rest and recharge. My love affair with cruising began around 25 years ago when I was pregnant with Caitlin. We sailed with air tours on a ship called Carousel to celebrate my parents' 30th wedding anniversary and I was hooked. But as often happens, life got in the way, health issues, finances, family and work commitments all meant that we didn't cruise again until 2017. That second cruise, just Daren and myself, we were in the Caribbean with Thompson, now Marella, reignited that cruising love. Since then, I've cruised a number of times with Princess, NCL, Cunard, MSC, and many, many times with P&O, totaling over 140 days at sea. And every single sailing has taught me something new, not just about ships and destinations, but about accessibility ability, advocacy and how much work there still is really to do to make cruising better for everyone. When I started sharing my cruise adventures with friends and family and online, people began asking me questions. Lots and lots of questions. So in October 2022, I launched a Facebook page. Wheelie on the Waves was born. It started just as a place to share my own adventures and tips for all cruisers, but I was frequently being contacted by disabled people asking if cruising would really work for them, as they were nervous that it just wouldn't be suitable. So it became even more important to me to share the ease of travelling the world by ship on wheels. But then, two cruise lines who make up the majority of cruises sailing from the UK changed their accessibility policies. Suddenly, I was flooded with messages. People who had had their cruises cancelled, some were even turned away at the port. Can you imagine? Many didn't know the policies were now in place. As we have to book so far in advance to secure suitable cabins, lots had been booked before the cruise policies became implemented. Some had been misinformed or just misbooked, and it broke my heart. Media companies found my page and were contacting me asking for interviews and information. And that's when I realised things really did need to change. In my research, I came across CLEAR, the Cruise Lines International Association. According to their website, they represented a unified voice for the global cruise industry, bringing together cruise lines, travel agents and key stakeholders. They provide training, set industry standards and their membership covers around 95% of the world's ocean-going cruise ships. But what I found surprising, actually a little frustrating, is that CLIA had no dedicated accessibility working group, nothing formal in place to consistently include disabled voices in shaping the future of cruising. Now imagine if they did. Imagine a panel of disabled travellers, real cruisers with lived experiences across all disabilities, who could be called upon by Cruise Lines to advise on everything from ship design and cabin layout, door size, label placing, to excursion planning and onboard experience. That's my vision and that's my overall goal and I'm working hard to make it happen. I knew I had more of a chance of accomplishing this goal by changing the industry from within. So I retrained. I joined the travel industry. I completed every cruise line training I could get my hands on and I became a paid member of CLIA. I then became a CLIA master. Then I found Premier Travel, a brilliant agency with nearly 90 years of experience. Their total customer care approach fitted perfectly with my goals and I knew that we would be a great fit. Together, we're working toward a more accessible cruise line. They have supported me wholeheartedly and I'm so grateful to be part of such a wonderful company. I started letting people know about myself online and offered my services as a cruise and accessibility specialist. Booking cruising holidays for all clients, including those with disabilities that would need additional assistance looked after. Accessible transfers arranged and airport and port assistance registered. I ensure I take away the stress from those clients so that they can just sit back, relax and look forward to their holiday. I know from personal experience just how stressful it could be and how many questions we really do have about so many things. So I make myself available to listen, advise and assist. No long waits for responses when they have questions. I simply listen to my clients and ensure they get the holiday they deserve. And my client list, it's growing fast because clearly this kind of service is needed. One thing you'll quickly find out about me is that I'm honest, but I'm also fair. I don't jump to conclusions and I'm not here to sensationalise or stir things up. I'm a voice of reason in what can sometimes be a very noisy space. facts matter to me I'll always do my best to share accurate up-to-date information and when there's opinion involved I'll make that clear too and just as important I believe in the right to reply whether it's cruise lines service providers or guests if we're talking about something that affects you the door is always open for conversation clarification and response, this podcast isn't about calling people out it's about calling people in So let's keep it honest, respectful and focused on making things better for everyone. And let's have some fun along the way. Thank you so much for joining me on this introduction short episode of Wheelie Smooth Sailing. I hope this has given you a little insight into what this podcast will be all about. Real talk about accessible cruising, honest conversations with those behind the policies and stories from the people who experience it all firsthand. If you've enjoyed this intro and you're passionate about inclusive travel or you just want to understand it better, please follow, like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And if you know someone who might benefit from this, do share it with them too. I've got some exciting guests lined up for us over the next few weeks, starting with my first full episode, which drops late next week, when I'll be speaking with the accessibility manager at Carnival UK. We'll be diving into all the recent accessibility policy changes at P&O Cruises and Cunard, unpacking why they were introduced, how they're being implemented, and what they really mean for disabled cruisers in practice. It's a conversation you won't want to miss, especially if if you felt frustrated or confused by the changes over the past few years. Until then, I'm Deanne and this has been Wheelie Smooth Sailing with Wheelie on the Waves and Premier Travel where access isn't an afterthought.