June 3, 2008 - Cruise travel has fast become the choice for many disabled travelers because of many improvements that cruise lines have affected to their vessels. Many of the newer ships have an increased number of accessible cabins and much of the public areas are being designed with scooter and wheelchair-access in mind.

To make the cruise travel choice even easier, Scootaround Inc. has announced an expanded range of services for cruise travelers departing from ports worldwide. The company's enhanced service offerings make Scootaround the industry leader in overall value for customers who require mobility rental equipment for worldwide cruise ship travel.

In addition to their advance reservation system that allows customers to book mobility equipment up to one year in advance, Scootaround has expanded their service offerings to include service for 80 Cruise ports worldwide. This allows customers to book rental equipment for use in North America, Europe and around the world.

One-way cruises are another important service that has been added for all cruise travelers. For many customers who plan to disembark in a destination port for extended periods of time, the flexibility of ending their scooter or wheelchair rental abroad makes it easier to fulfill their unique travel plans. In such cases, the rental is booked for a set amount of days and the customer simply leaves the mobility equipment aboard the ship where it will be retrieved by a Scootaround representative.

For travelers who decide to rent a scooter once their cruise has already commenced, Scootaround now provides on-location equipment rentals. In many cases, a call to Scootaround's toll-free hotline will allow a mobility equipment rental to be arranged and ready for pickup at a specific port of call along the way.

River Cruises have also been added as a new service. This unique travel opportunity along the world's inland waterways is becoming a favorite among many travelers because of the unique locales being offered. With vessels of smaller size and low draft, one can travel to locations where land transportation is not available. Many travelers like the idea of sailing into the heartlands of a country where the attractions and sights can only be experienced by water.

Scootaround is also happy to assist travelers with a number of specialty services on a referral basis through an association with Special Needs at Sea. These services include oxygen and oxygen-related supplies, 24-hour cruise issue hotline support, embarkation/debarkation solutions, animal relief materials for service animals, Braille printing materials, hearing-impaired equipment setup and deployment and accessible transportation.

Year after year, cruise lines are making efforts to ensure that their ships and services are as accessible as possible. These continued improvements coupled with Scootaround's enhanced services are helping to make cruise travel a more realistic choice for travelers with disabilities.