I booked a Hornblower Niagara cruise in mid-July w...

I booked a Hornblower Niagara cruise in mid-July with a friend who has cerebral palsy.

When we arrived at the last checkpoint before boarding the boat, I could see that the boat was nearly ready to depart, and it was crowded.

Normally, this would not be an issue. However, given that my friend is physically disabled and wheelchair-bound, I knew there would be very little opportunity for him to actually see any part of this tour, given the crowds standing along the boat's perimeter/railings.

Consequently, I asked the Hornblower representative if we could wait a few minutes for the next boat. This would have allowed us to get a spot near the railing so that my friend could enjoy the tour like everyone else.

The employee I spoke with was rude, insensitive, and completely unempathetic. She cited Hornblower's policy of not allowing people to wait for the next boat. This was beyond insensitive, and could have been avoided by making a simple accommodation for someone with a severe disability.

In 2018, it is perhaps even more worrisome that Hornblower did not respond to a follow-up email that I sent in order to discuss this poor experience and perhaps follow up with their own employees and their conduct.

All of this was---and is---an extremely disappointing outcome to what could have been a wonderful experience for a guest who has special needs.