Michael, Kathleen and granddaughter, Ophelia ( from Minnesota) relaxing at the La Playa Beach resort in Naples Florida.

Michael and Kathleen enjoying themselves at the Bellagio in Las Vegas

" I wanted to thank you again for the wonderful trip you planned for us to Las Vegas. We could not have done it without all of your thoughtful and thorough planning based on real life experiences of traveling with an electric wheelchair and everything that entails.  Especially helpful, were the instructions on how to handle preparing the wheelchair, signs for proper transport instructions and what to expect from the airlines.  Just proves that one doesn't have to learn everything the hard way-you've taken "the hard way" out of wheelchair travel!"      -Kathleen    

Richard and Carolyn took a cross country road trip from Maryland to Portland Oregon and back by way of Las Vegas.  Here they are outside of the Treasure Island hotel-- one of the many places where they stayed.

Richard and Carolyn doing a little mining along Route 66.

What a blessing it was the day I found a business card for "Wheelchair Escapes" and called Kristy for advise about the road trip we were planning in October 2006.  Thank you, Kristy, for your part in making this trip so much fun and helping me find accessible tourist traps!  Even though the trip was not  without it's surprise problems, I knew that I could call you anytime and get you to help me deal with the problem, so I could take care of my husband.  This is from my heart, Kristy.  Thank you so much.  -Carolyn

Jim called shortly after the cruise to tell me that when he booked the cruise, he wasn't expecting to really enjoy himself.  He thought he'd just give it a try.  He said, he had a great time and couldn't wait to go again!  This was Nov. 2006.  He is going with us again Mar. 2007 and planning a 10 night Panama Canal cruise for early 2008!

Alaska is a once in a lifetime trip! We were very pleased with the accessibility provided by Princess. Kristy's advice was accurate and very helpful. We definitely recommend the helicopter tour around the Denali glaciers! -Alison and Marie

Roland and Carol enjoying their trip to Paris.  Roland was disappointed that a wheelchair traveler is not allowed to the top of the Eiffel Tower. 

Roland and Carol in front of one of the palaces outside of Paris.

Left: Jerry relaxing on Labadee, one of Royal Caribbean's private resort beaches. ( notice he is connected to his oxygen)  There are beach wheelchairs available. In the center, he is relaxing on the deck of the Voyager.( My husband had no problem navigating the island in his own power chair.  Kristy)

(a portion of a  letter to R.C.C.L.)
We are writing to express the great joy and satisfaction we experienced on our first cruise on the Royal Caribbean Voyager. Since my husband utilizes both a wheelchair and oxygen, we were very apprehensive about accessibility and comfort.  We were fortunate to have found Wheelchair Escapes and Kristy Lacroix, a disability travel specialist.  She highly recommended Royal Caribbean and had an extensive knowledge of the many accommodations provided by your cruise line.  We were NOT disappointed.  Thanks to her and your commitment to providing accessible cruising to people with disabilities, we had a most relaxing, comfortable and pampered vacation of our lives!   -Lynne and Jerry

What is Kyle smiling about?  He is soaring over Ketchican Alaska in a sea plane.  Kyle is my youngest wheelchair traveler to date.  Seeing this picture of him enjoying his flight, brought a smile to my face, too.  Kyle was accompanied by his parents, Faith and Christopher.

Sights from the sea plane over Ketchican Alaska.

Christopher, Faith and Kyle enjoying some of Alaska's "liquid sunshine" on their Alaska cruise.   They had a great family vacation.  They were pleased with the accessibility of their cabin and the ship.

This is Jim ( to the right) from Boston. He went to Florida  and enjoyed a day at Disney and a day at Sea World. Jim loved the service he received on JetBlue.  He said they took especially good care of his communication board.
Here are some of Jim's comments:  Wheelchair Escapes was highly recommended to me by my case worker who works for Work Inc. Although, never having the pleasure of being face to face with Kristy, the first thing that I was quick to  notice, was her upbeat and bubbly personality.  My P.C.A. and I spoke with her on the phone and she was this way every time.  Our calls and emails were always promptly returned.  She is fussy and pays attention to details.  On our trip, we had a transportation problem, but Kristy took care of it with just one phone call from us. I highly recommend "Wheelchair Escapes."   Jim

(L) Gigi in front of a Kylemore Abbey in Ireland.
(It is not wheelchair accessible.)

I consulted with Kristy of Wheelchair Escapes, to help me find out about accessibility for an already planned pilgrimage to Ireland I was taking.  Not only did Kristy help me to find out about what was and what was not going to be accessible, but when discovering some of the challenges I would encounter on my trip, regarding hotel accommodations, Kristy recommended I take the Tubby II with me (see below).  The Tubby II saved the day by creating the accessibility I needed, in most of the hotels I stayed in!  Thank you, Kristy.  You made an inaccessible country a bit more accessible. (At least the part I was in.)

Making travel dreams a reality is very rewarding, especially when I get to see the smiles of my clients enjoying themselves on their vacations.  This is Marika making a new friend in Cozumel Mexico. 

Marika's dad Michael ,is encouraging Marika to reach out and touch the dolphin.  She did come back with all of her fingers.

(Not to mention the fact that you were always finding ways to save on the costs.)  We had no problems and everything was so accessible.  Marika had a blast and now she wants to do the Alaska Cruise and land trip!!  In the past, I would never  even have considered it - but knowing that you will attend to every detail to make sure we have a great time with no hassles, we are planning to take that trip next year, with your help.  -The Steir Family   05/07

(back) Janice, Kainoa, Keala and  Patrick (front) Matthew, Adela (service dog) Shari and Al  modeling their new RCCL caps for winning the trivia contest.

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Patrick, Shari, Thomas, Matthew and Adela their service dog in front of Hubbard Glacier

Dear Kristy,  Thank you for your help setting up my trip.  When I saw the ship ( Liberty) I could not believe how big it was.  I was so impressed with the accessibility all over the ship.  Our accessible room was big and the bathroom was so easy to get around in.  I was impressed with the "wave" and the dining room.  It was nice to meet some of your other clients on the ship too.  I loved using the beach wheelchair at Labadee.  The water was so clear and warm.  The ice shop was awesome.  thanks for telling me where to go to see it best.  The pools were too deep for me.  My favorite thing was my dolphin experience that you arranged special for me.  I loved it!  The dolphin kept coming back to me.  The people there were very helpful.  This was the ship's 100th cruise.  Thank you So much!  -Rebecca Legard

This is a group shot of the 20 of us that sailed together  on the Explorer of the Seas in March 2008.  We sailed from NJ and back for nine nights.  It was nice to make some new friends, like Minaxi, Devyani, Jaiprabha, Kailash, Indira,Sybil and Nicole.  As it turned out Minaxi came to my rescue and actually put me up for a few nights shortly after the cruise.  Thanks again for that!  Sybil and Nicole have already booked their next cruise with us.

The Villages MS Support Group with some new friends from New Hampshire enjoying a group photo with Captain Johnny (Mariner of the Seas)  Those using scooters and wheelchairs are at the top of the picture.

Some comments:  "The cruise was grand!  The beach wheelchairs were great and plentiful.   Your friend in St Maarten gave us a great accessible tour.  He was very accommodating to our group.  The private bus you chose for our transfers was very good.  This ship was very accessible.  The accessible bathrooms were perfect!  We look forward to working with you for our next group cruise."

Kristy made planning this complex trip to Hawaii a breeze.  With our father, a senior, and a wheelchair user along, there were lots of issues we never imagined.  Through her experience, she was able to take care of our special needs without a hitch.

Kay and Walter at the dinner table aboard their first cruise.  I arranged to have a  scooter waiting in her cabin for Kay to use while on the cruise.
 

Kay said, " Kristy does a fantastic job!  You can trust her judgment.  She will help make sure your needs are met.  She made everything so easy.  Just give her a call!"

Chris says, "I procrastinated for years waiting to get better.  I finally joined Jerry and Kristy on a cruise. Now I know, it is the only way to travel.  I wish I wouldn't have waited so long."

(L-R) Jim, Kristy, Jerry, Irene, Judy, Ellen Linda and Annie, waiting for the ice show to start.

We had a wonderful time.  My parents enjoyed their first cruise.  thank you so much!  -Manju

This is Pat, who I met at an Abilities Expo in New Jersey.  Pat had a unique request.  Her horse was being trained in my small town Newton NH.  She lives on Long Island NY.  She wanted to drive here with her service dog, have an accessible room with a roll in shower, close to the stables and have an aid for the morning and the evening.  She gained a lot of self confidence in taking this trip alone.  (She usually travels with her own aid.  She wasn't able to come with her.)  Between the aids Joyce and Terri and my hoyer lift and "M bar" we were able to make sure Pat had a safe and comfortable trip.  She is looking forward to coming back up for another visit.

"I felt like I made new friends."  Joyce, Pat and Kristy took good care of me.  I look forward to coming back!

Susan says, "What a wonderful escape!  You could do so much in such a short time.  A very enjoyable trip."

Dick and Barbara on the right and Jerry and Kristy on the left.  We had just landed in Fairbanks Alaska to start our tour and cruise. We found out the bus driver lives only three miles from us!  What a small world.

Jim and Sue on the right going on their first cruise.  Jerry and Kristy on the left.  Sue always wanted to be on a cruise for her "special" birthday.  She told me where she wanted to be and we built the cruise around her birthday destination.

Kristy, Thanks for everything. Your expertise in accessible cruises is great. You calmed all of our worries and told us what to expect. No question was a dumb question. You gladly answered everything and anything. We will be calling on you again for our next adventure. Thanks a million. -Judith and Ruben

We have had a scare with Dad this week and last.  He was hospitalized.  The one thing keeping him going has been that he is so looking forward to our trip.  We truly feel that your services don't have a dollar value... they are priceless.  You give people like us hope.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I will definitely send you pictures of Dad and me at the WWII Memorial.  Thank you again. -Laurie

Our trip was a big success!  Julian did very well in NYC and did not want the trip to end, so I know he really enjoyed his stay.  Kristy, you were very accommodating and we just want to thank you so much for your services.  Thank you for helping to make our travel experience with a disabled child as smooth as possible.  I will highly recommend you to any friends and family members.  Sincerely, -Carleen
(They needed to fly five of them to NYC for a family reunion.  They had never attempted to fly with a power chair and their disabled son.  They had an accessible room with a connecting room an accessible van, a hospital bed and commode chair waiting for them.)

Thanks so much!  My anxiety level was reduced at least four fold by your email.  You replied so quickly.  Appreciate so much your attention to detail.

Here are Mike and Lorena in Nassua.  They enjoyed their cruise aboard the Carnival Dream.

Mike and Lorena enjoying their accessible tour of St Thomas.

Sylvester has a nice wheelchair accessible vehicle for tours in St Thomas.

 Mike and Lorena had a "blast " on their   cruise on the Carnival Dream.  They had a category 8A wheelchair accessible balcony cabin number 6208. The cabin and bath    were both very accessible.  The  balcony     was accessible, but Mike was not able to   view anything because of a metal plate that blocked his view. 

They also said that they felt and heard too much slapping against the waves.

See photos page for pictures of their room  and bath.

Mike and Louis in St Maarten.  Louis has three accessible vehicles in St Maarten.

                    Lorena and Mike In St Maarten.

This is a picture of Scott on the Athabasca Glacier.   Our whole trip was wonderful. Breathtaking.  Words are not adequate to describe the beauty of the mountains, rivers, lakes and wildlife.  Thanks so much for all of your help.  Kris Keefer (Pacific Northwest Trip)

This is part of the group on the Allure of the Seas January 30, 2011. 

Swimming with a dolphin

Swimming with a dolphin