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Scooter Safety In Alaska Ports


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This is my first cruise with a scooter and 2nd cruise overall. Without going in to details, my wallking distance is pretty limited due to stamina and pain. I know this eliminates some shore excursions.

 

How safe/secure is it or can you even leave a scooter outside some of the places I might visit. I''m particularly thinking of small stores that may not have accessibility or enough room to get around? Any precautions to take? Or just hire an armed guard to protect it. :)

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You might want to ask this on the Alaska board under Ports of Call. I think one of the difficulties would be the width of the sidewalk and hazard a scooter parked on it might be to other chairs/scooters and strollers...EM

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I have scooted around in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway.

In Ketchikan, the port area is easy to scoot around, all the way up to Creek St. There are curb cuts, and the hills aren't so steep. As I got further out of downtown I found I had to ride in the street, and that made me a little concerned for my safety due to cars. The traffic wasn't heavy, but I was so low.

I was able to ride my scooter right on to the fishing boat.

Downtown Juneau is also fairly easy to scoot around, as it is flat. But as soon as you head up the hill heading toward the Cathedral it is quite a drain on the battery, and the sidewalk was fairly broken up.

Skagway was easy to scoot around, since it is very flat, and has great boardwalk sidewalks. Even the street is reasonably safe to scoot on.

Some of the sidewalks do require doubling back to cross the street, though, they rise up on one end, and have steps at the other.

I am able to walk, so in many of the shops I parked outside, took the scooter key, and went inside. Many shops are large enough that there is room to ride inside; the problem is there's a step to get there.

 

I can't remember riding around any other Alaska ports. If you list your ports I may be able to remember something, or know from times I have walked around.

Remember, Alaska is America, so a lot of places have been adapted to make it easier for the disabled.

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  • 5 weeks later...
We'll be in Alaska also next month!, What about getting on and off the ship. Can you scoot off. we cannot walk the ramp.

 

Thankx

If you plan to scoot off the ship, do keep tide fluctuations in mind. When I walked, there were times I had no trouble walking off, but the gangway was so terribly steep that climbing back on was like climbing a ladder.

Had I been using a scooter, it would have been impossible to ride it back up.

Should you return and find that the gangway is steeper than you can safely ride on, ask if the gangway is going to be lowered to a different level, if there is another opening (for supplies, for example), or how else you can be assisted.

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If you plan to scoot off the ship, do keep tide fluctuations in mind. When I walked, there were times I had no trouble walking off, but the gangway was so terribly steep that climbing back on was like climbing a ladder.

Had I been using a scooter, it would have been impossible to ride it back up.

Should you return and find that the gangway is steeper than you can safely ride on, ask if the gangway is going to be lowered to a different level, if there is another opening (for supplies, for example), or how else you can be assisted.

 

Thanks so much for this information. I know in Ketchikan the gangway is extremely steep in the AM. Fortunately we will be cruising Misty Fjords in the AM and arriving a 1:30 so it should be OK..

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