Our experiences of cruising with oxygen

It was only when they were seated together a PHA UK event that Cathy Jack and Jayne Venables realised they would be on the same ship just a few weeks later. Along with their husbands, they enjoyed a rewarding holiday that suited their health needs – making special memories along the way. Read on for their experiences…

Experiences shared January 2026

CATHY

“I posted in the PHA UK private Facebook last year to get guidance and help on cruising with PH and oxygen, as I wanted to book a cruise for my 60th. Jayne was among the members who commented and said she was cruising later in the year. At that point I didn’t know we would all end up on the same cruise. 

I’ve been on oxygen since my PH diagnosis at the end of 2020 and have four litres whilst sitting, for up to 16 hours. I also use a portable concentrator and a mobility scooter. 

I’ve cruised before, but this was my husband Jeff’s first time. I originally tried booking directly with P&O, but as I use a mobility scooter, they said that we couldn’t do the cruise I chose as I’d need an accessible cabin and evacuation chair. I tried to explain I didn’t need either of these, but they wouldn’t budge and only offered a cruise to somewhere I wasn’t interested in visiting.  Jeff suggested I speak to a travel agent we knew, and she listened to what I was looking for and found the Celebrity Cruise for us.

It sounded perfect, as we’d be away for my birthday and would visit places I’d not been, plus Celebrity offered luxury but relaxed cruises which suited us. We sailed for two weeks and visited Gibraltar, Villefranche, Pisa, Portofino, Rome, Sardinia and Cadiz.

I didn’t realise we had booked the same cruise as Jayne and Liam until we randomly chose to sit next to them at the PHA UK event in Birmingham – as Jeff saw their dog Molly and wanted to fuss her. We introduced ourselves, got chatting and found not only were we on the same cruise, but our cabins were on the same deck area on opposite sides of the ship.

I guess my main concern was travelling with oxygen, but my travel agent reassured me that Celebrity had a good reputation for looking after travellers with additional needs.

I didn’t have any issues as the concentrator I hired was smaller than the one I have at home and fitted fine in our cabin. I hired it from The Oxygen Store. It cost about £350, plus a refundable deposit. They delivered it five days before we sailed in a hard-shelled case with wheels and handle and they collected it the Monday afterwards. They can also deliver it directly to your cabin if needed, but this costs more.

I connected with Celebrity’s accessibility team in the run-up to the holiday and we chatted via email to ensure everything I needed was in place for me, including a fridge and extension leads. On the cruise itself, the on-board team were really helpful – from helping me up and down ramps on my scooter and onto tenders, to carrying my plate in the cafe. 

When I cruised with my mum in 2012 before my diagnosis, she was in a wheelchair and not mobile which meant that excursion options were limited, but I hoped that as disabilities are now viewed differently that it would be more doable for me. 

There was plenty of room in the cabin for my scooter, plus as it folds up really small it could easily be put in the bag hold on the minibuses that took us on excursions. Despite this, the excursions team thought the tour companies wouldn’t be able to or wouldn’t want to transport it, and wanted to cancel a couple of my trips, but I argued my case and showed them how it folded. Part of me thinks they just wanted to push us to buy the accessible tours which were way more expensive. 

When I’ve travelled before in Europe and the UK, I’ve found many resorts are hilly, so even with a scooter it can be difficult to explore. On the cruise I had similar problems in some ports, but we explored what we could, then spent time on the ship as there was always plenty to do, or somewhere to sit, to people-watch and try the latest cocktail on offer.

My favourite excursion was wine pairing in Italy, which we did with Jayne and Liam. We initially booked to go into Rome but changed this as we decided it would be too hot and busy there on a Sunday with a festival happening. I’m glad we did as the tour guide was knowledgeable during the coach journey, and we got to spend some time by a lake, wandering and drinking coffee, before going to the winery. Here we did a tour then had wines paired with a tasty meal.

I loved our cabin.  It had what they called an ‘infinity veranda’ and the balcony area was part of the room, though you could shut it off.  It had a floor to ceiling / wall to wall window so you had a view from anywhere in the room. The top half of the window lowered to let fresh air into the room or went right down to make a balcony rail. It was lovely as if I was tired, I’d sit and cross-stitch or lay on the bed and chill. 

A highlight of the cruise was a seven-course taster menu in one of the speciality restaurants for my birthday. Jayne and Liam by chance had booked the same restaurant on the same day and they arrived whilst we were still eating – so when a birthday cake was brought out for me, I was able to give half to them to enjoy (it was huge!) 

Travel insurance cost me £1,500 with Co-op, for Jeff and I combined. It’s expensive, but it covered us for a year and was cheaper than for a single trip, which made it better value as I also ended up visiting my sister in Florida – a long-haul flight that I’ve done a few times with oxygen. I’d say cruising is much easier, as you just put everything in the car, drive to the docks and it’s transferred onto the ship. There’s no hanging around at airports.

Everything you need was there on the cruise – amazing food, excellent entertainment and the opportunity to socialise with people. It was a trip of a lifetime, a wonderful way to celebrate my 60th birthday, and it was lovely that Jayne and Liam were there. We all got on really well and it was an added bonus to be able to spend time with them, which made the whole experience extra special.”

JAYNE

“I‘d seen Cathy’s name pop up on the Facebook group but I’d never met her and Jeff before the PHA UK event in Birmingham. We all got on really well on the holiday and although we did some things together, we also did things on our own.

My husband Liam and I had cruised before, about seven years ago, with Royal Caribbean. I had PH back then too, and it was so easy, which is why we decided to cruise again last year. The biggest benefit is that there is no flying involved. I probably could do it and would be able to get a fit-to-fly letter, but I just can’t face it – not with all my IV medication and oxygen.

With a cruise, I never lose sight of my meds as I take them straight onto the ship, and I find that reassuring. Celebrity Cruises, who we went with last year, have a team called ‘Special needs at sea’ and I contacted them to explain I have PH, use a scooter, and am on oxygen therapy. They were great.

I’ve got an implantable loop recorder (which monitors my heart rhythm) and because of that they gave us upgraded Wi-Fi for free. I was also put in touch with a team called ‘Accessible excursions’ and they checked that all the trips I wanted to go on would be suitable, on my behalf. I was really impressed.

I hired the oxygen concentrator from The Oxygen Store, and it cost around £800. That was for three weeks, as although the holiday was for two, I needed time either side to allow for delivery and collection.

We didn’t book an accessible cabin, as we didn’t think we needed one, and it was fine. We had more than enough room for all the equipment, and to move around. There was a fridge to store my IV meds, and we paid extra to have a balcony, which made a big difference. I would often go back to the cabin for a sleep in the afternoons, and it meant Liam had somewhere to sit and enjoy the view while I rested.

My travel insurance cost £725 with PayingTooMuch. A lot of companies refused to cover me, and although it was a lot of money, I saw it as a necessary evil.

Both Cathy and I would get asked about our oxygen by other passengers, and I got questions about my pump and IV line too. They were curious, and I didn’t mind – I never do. There quite a lot of other people on board with scooters, and wheelchairs too, which helped me feel less ‘different’. 

By far the biggest highlight of the trip for me was being able to go into the sea for the first time since having my pump. I got myself an inflatable dry bag and took it along to an excursion to Nice in France.

It’s completely watertight, so it held my pump safely and enabled me to go in up to my knees and then sit in the shallows for an hour. After ten years, I can’t tell you how amazing it felt to be able to do that. I took my spare pump to the beach with me just in case it all went wrong, but it was absolutely fine. [You can find the bag at Amazon for £12.99 by searching for ‘Swim Buoy Tow Float Dry Bag’]

If anyone reading this article is thinking about cruising, just do it. Research it all first, and bear in mind that you don’ t necessarily need an accessible cabin. It’s so much simpler than flying. You don’t need a fit-to-fly letter – just turn up at the port, and half an hour later you’re on the ship.

Remember that you can still go on holiday if you have PH. It’s important to get away and it makes you feel like a so-called ‘normal person’.”

If you would like to share your own travel experiences and recommendations, please email media@phauk.org