RachaelBelle

Thank you all for your help. We returned from our cruise on 9/16/18 after having a fantastic time. They did use a wheelchair to get me on ship but dropped me on the Promenade deck as soon as I was on board. My husband and I decided to just take it very slow and not do very much until I had access to my scooter. While it did take awhile to get to our cabin since I move so slowly, it could have been much worse. Thankfully I was dropped off in the forward portion of the ship and that was where our cabin was. In the end, everything figured itself out and I really didn't need to worry.

Happy cruising![emoji4]

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We sail on Oasis on 9/9 and I have ordered a scooter from Special Needs at Sea. I have a collagen disorder that affects how far I can walk, stamina, etc. My question is: while waiting for my scooter to show up in the room will I have access to a wheelchair? I'm a little nervous about trying to walk all over such a large ship. I'm afraid I won't be able to do it. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks and happy cruising.[emoji4][emoji572]

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Can anyone tell me if it is possible to find my C & A number. I have only cruised once before with RCI (Rhapsody) and have recently moved house so have no idea what box my cruise records are in or how far down the pile still to be emptied ... anyone any ideas:D

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26 days until Oasis!!

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I think your main problem will not be your father but your kids. RCI has large HC cabins (handicapped cabins) but these are sold very quickly. RCI provide good excursions but you will need to request a brochure from shorexAccess@rccl.com. I normally do this roughly 2-3 months before I sail, with my disabled wheelchair confined son. From what I have read on Cruise Critics you have to be very careful which ship you sail on with toddlers. As some ships have better facilitates for toddlers.:)

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Hi @CruiseDreamer28![emoji4] I've only cruised once but have 2 more scheduled in the next 8 months. I too have a connective tissue disorder (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) and have struggled with trying to figure out what assistive devices I need (if any). Last cruise I went with a scooter on RC. Due to the scooter, we had to have an accessible cabin bc we couldn't fit it into a regular sized cabin. I used it on and off throughout the cruise and even took it off ship into ports and on the excursions. Our next cruise is on RC Oasis and I most definitely will need a scooter due to the size of the ship. I'd say - do whatever feels most comfortable to you. Don't worry about what others may think or say. You know your limitations. Good luck to you and I hope you have a FABULOUS time on your upcoming cruise!![emoji4][emoji572]

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Did this excursion through RC last week. The crew were not intoxicated but did have that famous happy/carefree Jamaican vibe. We had a good time and I think everyone else did too. The actual snorkeling was lacking - not much variance to see and the seas were rough. Then it rained heavily. The crew went into overdrive to make sure everyone was taken care of and having a good time.

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We cruised in 2014 for the first time. When I called to clarify our upcoming cruise I wanted to make sure our 2014 cruise was showing up. It wasn't, lol. So they transferred me to a C&A person and they got us figured out. They made us brand new C&A numbers and made sure 2014 was added. From now on everything will be added to the new C&A accounts. If it were me, I'd call back and have them get it situated for you. They should be able to add a cruise from 2012. Good luck to you!

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81 days until Oasis! [emoji572][emoji4]

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I'll be on this excursion in 27 days. Will report back.

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I was wondering if anyone has had any recent dealings with this excursion? It was booked through RC. My cousin got off Oasis this morning and was told by friends of hers on the ship this last week that the operators of the Catamaran sail & snorkel were heavily intoxicated and had trouble driving back to falmouth. I only ask this to see if anyone has ever encountered this and what way you dealt with it. I wonder, is it possible to cancel the excursion that day if you do not feel safe leaving with the excursion operators? The people who complained were given a partial refund and an apology. I ask because we are scheduled to do this in September and I never even thought this would be a possibility. I guess I am a little naive. Lol. Thank you for your answers.

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I used a scooter in St Maarten in 2014. My DH picked out our excursion, made the reservations & unfortunately forgot to tell them we had a scooter.😑 Yikes! HOWEVER - the excursion company handled it like a CHAMP!😊 Upon greeting us at the port, they understood that I couldn't walk long distances and found us a vehicle that could accomodate the scooter. Because our excursion team was so flexible and such great problem solvers - we were still able to visit Maho Beach and watch the planes come in, do some shopping, visit Orient Beach and even an area where we held little sea stars and conch shells they took out of the water for us. We were SO pleased with them and made sure to call when we got home to express our gratitude. We also tipped our driver and excursion leader. If I remember correctly we went thru Viator for St Maarten. Even though we went in 2014 I hope our experience info helps a bit!

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The balcony will be the same size as a regular balcony cabin, just longer, as the cabin is wider. The picture I posted is of an accessible balcony - note the ramp at the door. EM

@Essiesmom I didn't see that - thank you!

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We do have an accessible balcony booked and I'd definitely like to keep it. This is just new territory for us as our previous experiences on RCCL we had an accessible that included the queen bed and a sofa that turned into a bed. 1 cabin was a balcony and 1 an interior stateroom. I was just hoping to get a deluxe accessible (bc a regular deluxe shows a sofa wuth a pull out bed). I guess we'll have to decide which we'd rather do - accessible balcony or a mini-suite. Any idea if the actual balcony in accessible balcony has more room than a regular balcony? I'm wondering if I can take the scooter out there. Thanks for your input! 😊

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We are scheduled to sail on Regal Princess in April 2019 and have booked an accessible balcony cabin. However, there are 3 of us in the room and I can't seem to find any photos or get questions answered. My DH & I are taking along our teenage daughter and Princess keeps saying we all have to sleep in twin beds. I asked about a deluxe balcony (so we could have the regular queen and a sofa or a pullman) but they don't have any accessible deluxe balconies. Meaning that's never an option. As I use a scooter due to OI (brittle bone/collagen disorder) and also need an accessible bathroom, this is our only choice. Has anyone sailed on Regal or a sister ship and could share their accessible balcony experience? Our only sailings have been with RCCL and we have been quite pleased with the accessibility of the cabin. A balcony cabin is a dream come true for us and we're thrilled to have one. Thank you for your help & info. 😊

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Dont do it !!!! Did that tour last week suppose to be 5 hour paid for 5 hour and only got 3 !!! Also paid for pictures $40 and never received them, they are ignoring my emails . Also saw a group of 14 that made reservations and were turned away because they over booked... Horrible !!!!!!

@alspal2 Did you purchase the tour through the cruiseline? I wonder if that makes a difference?

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We are very interested in doing the Dreamer Catamaran Sail and Lagoon Snorkel out of Montego Bay. Has anyone gone on this excursion? We know there are other options but we don't drink and so the "party excursions" seem a bit much for us. We were just wondering what your experiences were, is there somewhere they stop for lunch and/or shopping? We are arriving in Falmouth on RC Oasis of the Seas. Thanks!😊

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Mlbcruiser and Wyknott, I see where you've talked about taking the scooter off the ship in ports. On our first and only cruise we had no idea what we were doing so...we took the scooter off the ship in St Marten, Coco Cay and St Thomas!;p:')

At Coco Cay it probably wasn't the best idea due to all of the sand, lol, but the crew was very accommodating and got me onto the island. St Thomas and St Marten were both easier. For both ports, we had previously booked excursions - Magen's Bay Beach in St Thomas and Maho & Orient Beach, shopping and a tour in St Marten. Because we had no clue what we were doing ;p we did not inform the excursion operators about my scooter ahead of time. I needed the scooter even though I can walk - just not long distances and I get tired quite easily. At each port and with each driver/guide they bent over backwards to make sure my family and I were taken care of. In St Thomas my husband and the driver literally picked up my scooter and put it on the bus so I would have it. And carried it back off at every stop. In St Marten they made sure to put our group on a bus with a lift for the scooter. At EVERY SINGLE STOP they made sure to get me out and would constantly check on us to make sure everything was ok. We were just thrilled and amazed at the service and kindness that was shown to our family during these excursions. The companies just knocked it out of the park. We used Royal Caribbean excursions for one and Viator for the other and made sure to tip our guide/driver very well and also called the companies to make sure they knew how much we appreciated the service.

My husband and I are going to Labadee, Falmouth and Cozumel on our next cruise in September. 15th Wedding Anniversary!!:D We are hoping to be able to take the scooter off ship this time but are not expecting to. I will bring my crutches as a back up, if needed. This is our second cruise ever and because of the service and kindness we were shown by RC on FOTS - RC has us for life. We are Loyal To Royal! And mlbcruiser thank you for your kind words earlier about my first post - I was a bit nervous & not sure if I had done it correctly! :D

We are booked in a Central Park view balcony cabin on Harmony of the Seas. I think the cabin is about 182 sq ft, but layout will figure into the equation. I have been told by the Access Department that the scooter will fit into the door, which is 23 inches wide and that the scooter rental companies they recommend are familiar with their cabins. Hopefully this is true but I am hoping to hear from someone who has had to store a scooter in a cabin like this. Or any of the regular balcony cabins of an Oasis class ship. I barely have my husband talked into using one for the first time and I’m already worried about issues like navigating through a hallway with steward carts in the way. While he can walk on his own, without a cane, he’s a bit slow and the amount of walking necessary on a large ship with repeated long distances Will tire out the good leg to an extreme. If the ship hits rough water would present problems, too. So a scooter, for at least part of the time, could help a lot.

 

While I am thinking of it, has anyone ever had a problem with their rented scooter being taken while on a ship when they are in a show room or restaurant or anything?

 

Would be very grateful for any knowledgeable replies.

Hi mlbcruiser,:)

While I have not sailed on Harmony, I did use a scooter on Freedom on the Seas. I cannot answer about Harmony's specific cabins but can share my experience onboard FOTS. I have a brittle bone disease and also have a good and a "bad" leg so I understand the need for a scooter. I did not have any issues navigating hallways in the scooter. Stewards were very helpful and would move their carts if they were in the way. Most other passengers were very helpful and would step back and/or allow me to go through whatever area I was in. While leaving the scooter in the WindJammer, by the pools/hot tubs, or in a show I never had any issue with anyone trying to use my scooter or mistaking it as theirs. I did tie a blue ribbon on the basket so I could identify mine. This isn't much info but I do hope it helps. I just joined cruise critic and this is my first reply to a post. I hope I've done it correctly. I hope you and your husband have a wonderful time on your cruise. :)