Care Vacations vs Special Needs at Sea

My question is "if you are confined to a wheelchair, what would be the best way to keep the door of the cabin open when you are entering or exiting?" I know that some of the "accessible" cabins have the automatic door openers, but I don't believe ours does.

I travel alone, rent a scooter delivered to the ship, but can walk. To go in/out of my cabin I ask the steward to give me a rubber door stop, like they use to prop the door open when they clean.

Leaving the cabin I prop it open, drive out, then park a few seconds to retrieve the door stop and lock up. Returning, I reverse the process.

If you are with your wife, you could do the propping/retrieval while she did the driving. You can push the button for the elevator while she positions herself to be able to get on, and you can hold the elevator door for her.

You will be so much happier when you don't have to push a wheelchair around on that carpeting! A scooter is so much easier for both of you.

Hi RuthC

I believe I saw post of yours suggesting the door stop. I was going to get one to bring. Also, don't know if it was your comment, but I was going to attach a string to it. We will still be bringing the manual chair, so I don't know if I will be out of a job yet.

thanks for your helpful comments

> I don't know if I will be out of a job yet.

Probably not. Last cruise, I brought my manual wc and rented a scooter. The scooter was WONDERFUL for getting around the ship and getting on and off at ports. However, it isn't as comfortable for sitting as the wheelchair, so DH still had to push me in that occasionally. I have now bought my own folding scooter and it will be coming along on our upcoming Alaska cruise, but so will the manual wheelchair for the same reason, plus some of the excursions we plan to take do not allow scooters.

1) I have only sailed 4 cruise lines. NONE of them allow you to store your chair/scooter in the hallway. (Maybe the wheelchair if it's folded)

2) Door Stops. You can go to any Hardware Store and get a stop. If it has a hole to get a cord attached that's great. Pull the stop out and attach the cord to the door handle (inside).

3) After renting a scooter from the 2 vendors mentioned here, I decided to buy my own. There aren't many portable scooter vendors only about 1000 or so ;) The tough part is deciding on which you really want, is it affordable and will I really use it.

4) Some cruise lines have automagic doors that open when you pull out your key card. Royal Carribean has that feature and I am not sure if Carnival does or not.

Royal has automagic doors on SOME rooms on SOME ships. My accessible cabin did not have that feature.

I have been using a scooter on about 4 cruises on RCCL. This will be my 1st on Ncl. On the previous cruises I was brought down by wheel chair to baggage claim and then someone else took me thru customs and outside to pickup. Ncl says they will only take me to baggage claim and I'm on my own. I'll never make it thru customs. Since specialneedatsea delivers scooter to cabin and picks up there, I don't think that will work. I called scootaround, used to be carevacations, and they meet you outside terminal on arrival and departure. I just have to call the # they send to me a week ahead. That sounds better to me, as far as customs goes. ???? Has anyone on here done this before and how did it go???? We are sailing out of Miami!!

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Kathie13,

Personally I never met anyone before getting on the ship. If this can be done, then the only thing I would be concerned about is "Where are they"? Communicating sometimes can be a pain. However the benefit from being able to get the scooter before you board is so much better for you. IF I were to rent a scooter again I think I'd opt for it. Just remember don't make tight flight arrangements I think you'd be OK. My solution was to finally buy a scooter. I could have paid for mine with what I spent on rentals.

Good Luck and please let us know how you made out with the scooter rental.

Are you flying in the day before your cruise? I believe they deliver medical equipment to your hotel room also.

Are you flying in the day before your cruise? I believe they deliver medical equipment to your hotel room also.

No. We are driving from SC. Still hoping I hear from someone who got one at terminal B. Thanks

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