FOPMan

If you’re in a balcony cabin, the outside door is very heavy. It does not have traditional mechanisms.

Putting an additional lock on a door is not a good idea. Fires on ships are a real issue and you really, really don’t want to have an extra hindrance if there is a need to evacuate quickly.

Yes, GSC is a tender port. You transfer to a smaller boat directly from the cruise ship. The smaller boat goes between the ship and shore. Where are you stopping at the Dominican Republic? Amber Cove, or elsewhere?

If you go through the north (Eisenhower Avenue) entrance to the port, there is a CVS at the southeast corner of US1/Federal Highway and 17th Street. .there is a gas station at the corner of 17th Street and Miami Road. There is a a Publix Grocery at Cordova Road at 17th Street There is also a Total Wine in the same shopping center. There is a Walgreens at the southwest corner of the intersection of 17th Street and Eisenhower, just before you enter the port. I didn’t bother to list locations on the “wrong” side of the street, Historically, there’s been a Chevron station at the Northeast corner of Miami Road and Spangler/84 as well, but it may have closed. The Spangler entrance to the port is not always open.

Fort Lauderdale is a much easier airport to get through. You can literally see the cruise port from the airport (yes, they are that close- it’s not a photography trick). As far as inbound (to South Florida), I’d consider what airport Id be transferring in and what’s a backup in case of a delayed first leg- are there multiple possible connections? If flying nonstop, the same questions would apply. Similarly, when will you arrive at the destination airport? Mid-day? Evening? Late night? Earlier in the day usually makes ground transportation easier!

The Americans with Disabilities Act does not apply to air travel. Instead, the Air Carrier Access Act does. The federal Department of Transportation is responsible for administering the law. A good reference site is https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/passengers-disabilities.. If you ever have issues related to accessible services during air travel el, you are entitled to contact with a Complaint Resolution Officer (it can be via phone, not necessarily in person). They are employees of the airline who are responsible under federal statute for ensuring the airline is complying with applicable federal law.. The ACAA requires a CRO be available. Please let me know if you have other questions. I’m not a lawyer, but I am an expert in accessibility policy.

You may want to re-examine what you think the applicable rules are. Specific to Hawaiian Airlines, Rule 9 address wheelchairs and similar equipment. Including specific limitations on lithium batteries. Including removal and/or disconnecting the battery if it can’t be removed. https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/legal/domestic-contract-of-carriage/rule-9 There are no stated limits on weight of wheelchairs or scooters. I’ve never had a motorized device that weighs less than 50 pounds. Hawaiian airline, like most others, have size and weight limitations on bags, but wheelchairs and similar equipment are not considered bags by the airlines.

Please be aware: assistance in pushing a wheelchair is often provided to your cabin on initial boarding, but ship’s personnel do not normally regularly push chairs all over the ship. They will help push you up the gangway and provide assistance disembarking- some of the ramping can be rather steep.

You will need to book (reserve) an accessible seat. The train sometimes has more demand than they can supply.

There are no weight limits on durable medically equipment (wheelchairs) that apply to airlines. A couple of years ago, American attempted to implement a policy, but they were informed about the error of their ways and rescinded policy. See https://wheelchairtravel.org/american-airlines-reverses-wheelchair-weight-limit-updated-policy/ Pay close attention to lighter weight chairs as they often use lithium batteries. Airlines and the government care very much about lithium batteries in airplane holds and explosions caused by those batteries. Please comply with applicable policies. Devices with longer wheel bases are less likely to top over front to back, another factor to consider.

There is a Publix Supermarket about three and a half blocks away, on Dania Beach Boulevard, on the south side of the street. (The hotel is not actually in Fort Lauderdale). Publix carries wines and beers, in addition to regular groceries. That particular location may not carry as much higher end wines as select other locations, such as Southport/Port Everglades. Please be exceedingly careful crossing Dania Beach Boulevard (DBB). There is a tendency for drivers to not pay the greatest attention to the traffic light at the intersection of US1 and DBB. There have been numerous accidents over the years, including one that killed my friend, who was a pedestrian at the time.

Dates are critical. A hotel that may be $120 in low season might easily be $325 in season.

Quarterdeck- exceedingly family friendly (pet friendly, too). Very much local, very diverse menu. (Burgers, ribs, sushi, good salads). A short walk to the north. Mezzaluna is also very, very good, but may be more than you want. 15th Street Fisheries downstairs is o. The water. If you’ve got young kids, they could have a good time feeding the tarpon. It’s a short Uber or taxi ride or a long walk. Perfectly safe. I grew up there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve biked it, walked it, canoed it (when it flooded), just a long mostly residential street- apartment buildings.

No. There are separate locations for the port.

Hopefully, the OP came up with a solution. The ship’s medical center can probably treat the ankle if it’s warranted.

Or you could take both- the scooter might be a good relief once you got back aboard.. Small wheels and European stone streets are not the happiest of friends- please be patient and be safe!

While it may not be your first choice of equipment, you might ask about a scooter. If they were picking one up from a passenger on the previous cruise, it would be on the ship already- you’d just take it over for the week.

Please try https://scootaround.com/en/cruise-ports. special needs at sea would provide concierge service, but given the time, may not be able to deliver in time.

Here’s a map for you, from another CC thread:.

It’s one device at a time.

Should have said 3 hour. Somewhere, the three went missing. This does not bode well for your trip, I’m afraid. What other things are booked too close or in unworkable frames?

Considering that the airport suggests a : hour arrival time for international flights in the best of circumstances and the port is a little over an hour away, the math doesn’t work well.

It’s not the wisest idea, and something to be very much avoided if you don’t have clear or TSA Pre. And more complicated if you have to deal with car seats and a taxi/Uber/etc, especially if you need two car seats. If you carried your own bags (carryons and suitcases) off the ship, without needed to worry about car seats or bathroom breaks, you could be at the airport by 8:15 or 8:30, taking the first taxi or having a car service waiting for you. A 10:00 flight would be about as early as I’d want to try, and then only if I had a good plan “B.” MIA can have long security lines and often has a lot of travelers that aren’t efficient in getting through scanners.

It’s about 12 minutes’ car ride from the dock to the Fort Lauderdale airport. Anything 11:45 or later is pretty easy, almost regardless of when you get off the ship (assuming you’re not the absolute last person) and it’s not December 7-March 15 or so (high season). FLL has had some construction going on, so the Southwest gates are not as easy as they used to be.