kokopelli-az

Have you considered Uber transportation?   See a dummy booking from the Wyndham Bayside to the San Diego Cruise Terminal (attached).   There will no doubt be other people staying at the hotel who will need transportation to the cruise terminal.   

38 minutes ago, suramom said:

you can check it easily on airplane and pick it up with luggage, that's what we do.  

I would not check any mobility equipment with my luggage.    Take it with you to the door of the plane.  Tell the airline personnel you want to gate check your mobility equipment.   It will be placed in the plane's hold along with the strollers etc.  You will pick it up as you get off the plane.  The last thing you need is your mobility equipment being lost or damaged being thrown in with all the luggage.    You will have less of a chance of damage if you gate check your equipment.    

11 hours ago, nynewfies said:

 

Do you know if you can use a scooter to get on the ship?  Is the gangway accessible with regard to slope and width?  The transport chair I have is OK for me to push on relatively level ground, but with any kind of an upward incline I wouldn't be able to do it.  I'm hoping he could use his mobility scooter to get onto the ship.  Thanks!

 

 

You can use a scooter to board the ship (assuming it's your own or a rental you bring or pick up outside the terminal).   People do it all the time.   

it's a rental scooter that you pick up in your stateroom you would not have it to board the ship. 

If you end up pushing your husband in the transport chair, have one of the ship's pushers do it while you follow.

My first choice would be a scooter.  However, it needs to be 23" or less wide to fit through the door of a non-accessible stateroom.   Check with your rental company to inquire about the width of their rental scooters.   (Are there any available accessible staterooms on your ship that you could change to?)

Some power chairs are collapsible but again check with your rental company about the width and also if they have collapsible ones.  

Wheelchairs are fine but someone might need to be available to assist with the pushing.  

Ships are huge, many piers are very long and then there's your port stop.  There will be a lot of territory to cover.  

PS:   Celebrity will need to know you are bringing/renting mobility equipment.  Have you seen their accessibility brochure?

https://secure.viewer.zmags.com/publication/94b2c9f8#/94b2c9f8/1

My husband has a collapsible transport chair and he rents a scooter for the cruise.  The transport chair is used at the airport, hotel and getting aboard the ship (usually his scooter is already in our stateroom when we get there).  

Depending on what type of vehicle your tour is using, it may be able to accommodate a collapsible wheelchair.  Very few excursions accommodate scooters (unless it's a small fold-up type).  

Read the "special notes" on your excursion description; some say "Not suitable for wheelchair guests because of the few steps and the gravel" or similar.  If it is unclear, contact Princess' Access Department or Shore Excursion Department.   

Do you have an accessible stateroom?   (Maximum width of a scooter for a non-accessible stateroom is 22".)  Your scooter will have to be stored in your stateroom when you are not out and about using it.  

Princess will need to know you are bringing mobility equipment and will have you complete a mobility questionnaire.   If you haven't already seen their accessible guidance, see here (scroll to Accessible Cruising).  https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise

We'll be on the Summit in a week and we selected our check-in time the first day available (not at midnight but in the morning after we got up).   First available timeslot was 12-12:30pm, which we chose.   (Back in the olden days, we used to be able to check in at 11am, then on the Equinox in September the earliest time was 11:30am, now on the Summit the earliest time is 12noon.)    I look at the check-in times often and they are frequently different on the app vs the website.

Right now, the available check-in times on the website for our cruise on the Summit is 12-12:30pm or 2-2:30.   Looking at the app the available check-in time is 2-2:30 only

.  

If you aren't able to choose a check-in time you want, just keep checking (website & app) and the time you want may come up.  

Lots of people use oxygen while on a cruise and there are several threads regarding oxygen on this board.   Do a search for oxygen in this Disabled Cruise forum.   

You can rent portable oxygen concentrators from the frequently mentioned special needs rental companies (scootaround.com, for example) if this is of interest.  These can be delivered to your home (to take from home to your ship) or be delivered to your stateroom.  

Each cruise line has specific guidelines for passengers bringing oxygen.  When you have an idea of what cruise line you want to book, take a look at its policies for oxygen.  

Provide more information or questions and people on this board can give you more specific responses.  

Yes.   You will get whatever perks Royal is offering when you book Royal while on Celebrity.  

21 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Depending on which big box store, you may not be able to adjust your price. We booked a couple of times with one and found that if there was a price adjustment we were SOL.

We always book with big box based in Washington State and have never not been able to take advantage of a lower fare if one came up.   You have to compare the lower fare with what you have booked to be sure you aren't losing any perks (or if you lose perks, that the lower price makes up for it).  

9 minutes ago, trbarton said:

Thanks!  I assume that you have some kind if ID tag on it. 

 

Tom😀

Not only an ID tag, but the airline personnel at the gate will tag it, too.  Check in with them when you get to your gate and tell them you have a walker to be gate checked.   They will put a tag on it.  

Definitely have your own ID tag on it, too.

13 minutes ago, trbarton said:

My walker is small with only wheels on the front. I’ve looked on Amazon but their bags are for big walkers. Any suggestions?

 

We have a 4 wheel rollator and have never bagged it.   Just left it at the plane door for the airline personnel to take it.  

For the accessible balconies, 6107 and 6108 are available.   You need to choose the "Accessible Stateroom Needed" on the page that says "Qualify for a Special Rate?"  

28 minutes ago, 65Mommy said:

Is there any requirements to qualify for a scooter rental?  Do they require doctors note?

No, not by the scooter rental companies (Scootaround and Special Needs).     But you may need an accessible stateroom so the scooter can get through your doorway.   Many cruise lines have their own rules for booking an accessible stateroom.    

16 hours ago, Dunchues said:

It's also worth ( at the last minute and right at the door) asking the crew if they have room in the closet for it, on newer planes they can be pretty large and I've always found the stewards helpful in that regard.

 

We are going to do this on an Alaska flight with a short connection time next month.  But I am going to advise the airline representatives at the check-in counter, at the gate and when we get to the plane's door that we want to use the wheelchair closet for a collapsible wheelchair.  There are specific federal rules regarding being able to stow a mobility aid in the wheelchair closet.  

This describes what kind of mobility aids may be brought inside the cabin of the plane:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-II/subchapter-D/part-382/subpart-I/section-382.121

John Morris does a good job of summarizing bringing a mobility device on an airplane:

https://wheelchairtravel.org/air-travel/flying-with-manual-wheelchair/

And he also has a summary of the Air Carrier Access Act:

https://wheelchairtravel.org/air-travel/air-carrier-access-act-summary/

Will your rollator stay folded up without coming unfolded?   If not, you could try some velcro strips or ties to tie it together to keep it from keeping unfolded.   

When you go to the dining room, your waiter will take your rollator and park it up front by where you enter the dining room (there will be others there, plus scooters).  This is done all the time.  They will bring it back to you when you are ready to leave.   If you have the right table away from others, you might be able to keep it by your table or in a corner.

No charge.   🙂

15 minutes ago, shadow 123 said:

I agree. You really should think of buying it. Take a look on amazon they're very reasonable.

 

If you're looking at rollators on Amazon, don't forget to check the Amazon Warehouse.  There are lots to choose from in their Warehouse and you will save yourself some $$.   

https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Warehouse/b?ie=UTF8&node=10158976011

Rentals are based on supply and demand and your beginning and ending port.  So they are all different and there is really no standard per day price; it will be based on your particular cruise and dates.  You might just give them a call and have them give you a quote over the phone if you can't do a dummy booking on line.  They will want to add insurance to your booking so decide if this is something you want ahead of time.   Also, request discount code USCRUISE (from United Spinal members) for a discount (even if you book on line, you might have to actually talk to Scootaround to have the code applied).  

Have you considered buying a rollator?   You may find out that by the time you rent one you may have spent enough $ that you could have purchased one.

1 hour ago, ILoveMyDogs said:

With air travel can you gate  check it or does it get checked w luggage and then you use airport wheel chair? 

Definitely gate check your precious cargo.  The last thing you want to do is end up with no mobility device, or a broken one, at your destination.   If you have a layover on your flight, let the airline personnel know you want to pick it up at your connection stop.  Then ride it over to your connecting gate and again gate check it.   

Are you going to be on Celebrity this time?   

If so, you definitely need to contact Celebrity's Access Department at (954) 628-9708 or send an e-mail to special_needs@celebrity.com.   They will need to be advised of his condition in any event.  

If you're going to be on another cruise line, you need to contact that company's Access Department.

If you are interested, you might contact either Scootaround.com or SpecialNeedsatSea.com and inquire whether they have something like this to rent.  It would be delivered to your stateroom.  

I'm sure there are others on this board with personal knowledge who can speak about toilet assistive devices.  

PS:   Commodore cruiselines??!!    We sailed with them in 1999 out of New Orleans on the Enchanted Isle.

10 hours ago, gluecksbaer said:

There is sometimes a closet that can hold folded wheelchairs/walkers, but they will usually be gate checked.  

 

Regarding the wheelchair closet, on our flight next month to FLL, I plan on requesting that my husband's foldable wheelchair be placed in the closet, not stowed below.   We have a somewhat short layover (thanks to the airline changing the schedule) and I would like to have the wheelchair available immediately (and hopefully the pusher will be there when we land, too).   I'm interested in seeing what they say when I request this since I know the crew likes to stow their own things in the wheelchair closet.  

53 minutes ago, trbarton said:

Are the attendants required to stay with you once you’re at the gate prior to the boarding of the plane?    They do not stay with you while you are waiting for your plane.  Except if you arrive at the gate and your plane is boarding, then they would probably stay to push you to the door of the plane (otherwise it would be another person to push you to the door).

 

I will be traveling with a walker. Is that stored on the plane & taken off upon arrival?   Let the personnel at the counter (at your gate) know you have an item that needs to be gate checked.   They will tag your walker.   Your walker will be left at the door of the plane (by you) and will be stowed below the plane along with wheelchairs, strollers, etc.   If you have a connecting airport request that your walker be brought back to you when you arrive at your connecting airport so you can use it to go to your next gate.   You will not have to tell the airline personnel at the gate counter that you have a walker because it will have already been tagged.  Then you do the same thing:  leave your walker at the door of the plane, it gets stowed, and it will be brought back up to you when you arrive at your final destination.  

 

How much do people usually tip the attendants?   We usually tip $5-$10.   The more time they spend with us, the more we tip.   

 

Thanks for everyone’s information & suggestions. 
 

Tom😀👍

7 hours ago, gluecksbaer said:

I've also been pushed to the gate in a transport chair and left there to wait for my plane, which made going to the bathroom before boarding complicated.  I'm fairly ambulatory though, and that trip I just had a backpack, so I put it on the chair and used the chair like a walker to get to and from the restroom.

You can always ask the pusher to stop by the restroom on the way to the gate.  They will wait for you outside the restroom.  I have had them ask if we wanted to stop by a restaurant to order something to go.  

About being left at the gate without a pusher (from the US Dept of Transportation): 

If you believe your rights under the Air Carrier Access Act are being or have been violated, ask to speak with a Complaints Resolution Official (CRO). A CRO is the airline’s expert on disability accommodation issues. Airlines are required to make one available to you, at no cost, in person at the airport or by telephone during the times they are operating.

Here is the Air Carrier Access Act FYI:

https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/passengers-disabilities

We travel on Alaska a lot.  Last month we were at the airport (PDX) and the Alaska people were outside the door of the terminal and asked if we needed wheelchair assistance (this was about 4am).  From the front door!  We've never been asked that before; we've always checked in at the counter, have them take our luggage, and they direct us to where people are waiting for wheelchair assistance.   We didn't even talk to the people at the counter.  Our luggage was left at the luggage self-checkin place and off we went with the wheelchair pusher.   We'll be on Alaska again next month so I hope the Alaska personnel are outside of the terminal again.   (They can hang the walker on the back of the wheelchair.)

But unless the Alaska personnel are outside the terminal, you will need to speak to the first Alaska representative you see.  You may also see where the Alaska passengers needing a wheelchair are waiting and can go over there and talk to whoever is coordinating things so you can get on the list.  Make sure you've requested wheelchair assistance on your reservation. 

At your arrival airport, the wheelchair pushers will be outside your plane when it arrives waiting for passengers who have requested wheelchair assistance to deplane.  We have always had the pusher take us out to the taxis, Ubers, etc.   Also, they will take you to and wait for you at the restroom, baggage claim, etc.   Tips are appreciated.

So to answer your question, "someone be there at the airport at SFO from Alaska Airlines when I arrive & will take me through security to the boarding gate & when I arrive they meet me at the gate, take me to baggage claim, & outside where I can get a Uber/Lift ride", the answer is yes (assuming you have requested wheelchair service).  

You have seen this, correct?   https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/accessible-services/specialservices-wheelchair   

2 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

People talk about the "wheelchair pushers". Am I allowed to push my wife in the airport wheelchair that we requested from the airline, or do we need a "pusher"?

With most airlines, you do not need to use a pusher; you can do it yourself.  I would go to where the people are waiting for the pushers for your airline and ask whoever is in charge if you can take the wheelchair yourself and leave it at the gate.   If there is no one there in charge at the time you get there, I probably would just take one of the wheelchairs. 

The advantage of using one of the airline's pushers is that they know exactly where to go and know the shortcuts of getting through lines and security.   It's usually quicker and easier to use one of the airline's pushers.  

2 hours ago, buckeye7 said:

Sorry if this has been recently asked (can’t get Search to work), but I’m wondering if anyone has heard what types of sales Princess might offer on Black Friday. Has it always been $1 deposit or do they change the sale every year? Thanks!

Right now they are having half price, refundable deposits.  Just booked the Sky for Feb 2025 with a $250 refundable deposit.  I'm sure they will have a Black Friday sale of some kind.  

Interesting when I was doing a dummy booking on the Princess websiste for the Feb 2025 cruise.  I wanted a mini-suite for 2 but there was no choice to select a Reserve Collection mini-suite (category M1) unless you chose 3 passengers.   Then the Reserve Colleciton mini-suites came up.    I called my TA and the final price was actually about $800 less than what was showing on the Princess website.  Plus I got some OBC.  Had I booked directly with Princess it would have cost more plus no OBC.