Ok! You're no spring chicken and you need a few aids to keep you going. But DO NOT BE DETERRED.

It is really quite easy. Work out what help you need in the way of equipment etc. Ask your shipping line what help and equipment they will provide and what you can bring on board. And then:

Book! Go! Enjoy!

At Southampton I unpacked in my enormous cabin equipped with a well appointed wet room and wheelchair accessible balcony. We enjoyed a leisurely cruise down the Channel and up a remarkably calm North Sea to our first port of call which was Stavenger. It's a very pretty port with many of the old port side warehouses still preserved, although converted into shops, offices, restaurants etc. Many of them are painted in the colours that vary as to purpose, with white reserved for residential houses.

Bergen was next on the list. The fish market is a must to visit, with all types of fish on sale to see and many places in which to sample them. The cleanliness and freshness of the town has to be seen to be believed! No graffiti or litter anywhere. The Norwegians love flowers and everywhere colourful blooms could be seen. Most of the older and many of the more modern houses in Norway are built in wood and a lot of the older houses in the countryside still have grass roofs on which traditionally the farmers used to graze a goat or two. I saw the turf roofs, but no goats!

Next stop Olden. I woke in the morning as we were gliding majestically down a glassy fjord, with the sun just appearing over the snow and ice topped mountains. After breakfast, eaten on my balcony in the sunshine, I boarded the coach for the "leisurely" tour down the fjord and back up past the lake. How can I describe it? I can't! Words fail me! The mountains sweeping down to the water, the white of the glaciers and ice fields reflecting in the water below. The wild flowers on the slopes leading down to the road were beautiful. Fields of Lily of the Valley fragrant beneath the greens of the birch and spruce. Wood anemones, pink campion, clover, cow parsley, buttercups and many others, all redolent with perfume and the hum of the bees in the sun.

On return to the vessel a marvellous meal awaited, served by smiling waiters who seemed delighted to serve you and could not be more helpful.

After that, Alesunde and then a day spent at sea. It was made memorable by both the lifts that serve the grills restaurants and lounge being out of action for several hours, thus leaving the less agile of us stranded! However there must be worse places to be stranded other than in a well stocked bar next to the restaurant with all the attending staff!

Iceland was decidedly chillier than Norway and extra layers were a necessity. I had booked a leisurely tour of the town with a visit to a waterfall into which, legend says, the pagan idols were thrown on the adoption of Christianity - thus named Godafoss Falls. They were quite dramatic with large boulders in the stream bed, which as everyone knows, are trolls which have been caught out in daylight and therefore turned to stone!

Istjefjord was a tender port and as they can't lift my luggie (scooter) on board I was ship bound. But the following day we berthed at Reykjavik and I boarded my coach for a visit to the Blue Lagoon. The day was icy cold with a bitter wind and slight drizzle. At the lagoon you all have to strip and shower naked before bathing. The sight of many middle aged and more senior ladies trying to retain their modesty was...well, I'll leave it to your imagination!

The lagoon itself was heaven, the waters luxuriously warm and silky feeling. The colour is an opaque milky azure and the steam drifting across the surface made it seem slightly surreal. The mud is said to have therapeutic properties and everyone was plastering themselves with tons of it, in hope of instant rejuvenation (it didn't work on me, but my skin did feel silkier)!
On return to the ship the panic was on for manicure, hairdo, makeup and on with my silver sequin dress for a formal dinner.

In Toshavn in the Faroe Islands I went on a tour again. It started in mist but it gradually lifted and we were able to see the valleys with their countless multicoloured sheep. Once again the wild flowers were lovely. I even saw some orchids. We saw many houses with turf roofs. The main difference between these and the Norwegian versions were their lawn mowers. In Norway they're goats, in the Faroes, sheep!

I found that my luggie gave me much more freedom than even I had expected. All the coach drivers seemed very happy to load and unload it at stops for me. The waiters almost fought with each other to bring it to my table at the end of the meal.

I gather that Cunard have now decided that luggie owners can occupy ordinary cabins as it is narrow enough to pass through normal cabin doors.

So all I can say is book. Go and enjoy!