The cruise line Holland America is making some changes after a CTV investigation found a couple's dream vacation wasn't as billed. Here's what changed -- and how you can protect yourself or a loved one with special needs before you leave on vacation.

A 19 day cruise to Hawaii was to be a dream vacation for June Yuckin and Ken Nore.

But their wheelchair accessible room aboard the Holland America Zaandam wasn't as accessible as they were lead to believe. They couldn't both get their wheelchairs between the beds making the job of getting in and out an ordeal.

"We were very up front with them we can't walk and that's not a few steps we can't walk at all, all our transfers are strictly with our arms," Ken explained.

In a letter to wheelchair passengers before they travel, Holland America gives critical measurements such as door widths --- but not the space between twin beds. That's a problem according to Jane Dyson with the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities.

"One of the problems we find a lot is when things are billed as wheelchair accessible they haven't actually taken the time to have a wheelchair user come and check it out," she explained.

Dyson says people with disabilities often complain about businesses that are supposed to be wheelchair accessible and aren't.

"So I really hope that the company undertakes to understand what really wheelchair accessible means they have people come in to advise on what wheelchair people need," she said.

In response to our investigation Holland America is going to change the letter it sends so future travelers are better informed.

"It's a simple change to a letter to say the width between, if you are in a twin bed here's the width between the beds," explained Erik Elvejord.

Ken and June hope Holland America will also address the accessibility of the vessels to take passengers ashore --called tenders. Their ship stopped 5 times and twice they were denied the chance to go ashore.

I wanted him to see Hawaii and then they wouldn't even let us off the ship," lamented June.

Holland America says it's about safety.

"Those kinds of decisions are made on the spot by the master. It's a safety issue that they might decide the tender can go ashore or can not go ashore," he explained.

But June and Ken say, even in perfect weather, the ship seemed ill-equipped to deal with tendering large numbers of wheelchair passengers. There were 22 accessible state rooms but the tender only had room for one wheelchair.

"We've been on other cruses and they've carried seven or eight chairs on one tender," said June.

"That's the main thing I'd hate to see someone else to go through what we did," said June.

After CTV contacted Holland America --the company has now offered them each a $500 refund.

Anyone one with special needs -- such as a special diet-- or requiring assistance -- should get everything in writing from a cruise line before you travel and take that documentation with you.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen