Disabled Cruisers Ask Supreme Court For Help

A few years ago, when I broke my leg trail running, I grew a new appreciation of the difficulties disabled people face every day. When part of one of my past jobs required issuing parking tickets, believe me, if you parked in a handicapped space and didn't have the proper authorization.....you weren't getting out of that ticket, pal.

Fortunately, more places are opening up to the disabled traveler. You would think cruises would have done this years ago, since disabled travelers choose to cruise more than the general population does.

On Monday, 28 February, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a suit filed against Norwegian Cruise Line stating that facilities on board are inaccessible to disabled passengers, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The cruise line argued that US law doesn't apply to foreign flag carriers. (Note - Clicking on the link takes you to a NY Times article, free registration required.)

The Court won't issue it's opinion for months, but I've already made up my mind. If they already have a big share of the disabled market, and that market is getting bigger, why would they want to lose it to their competitors who have found that market to be a profitable one?