? Boarding special needs

Hello, I have a question, I need a wheelchair to take me on the ship...... My question, if I board in a wheelchair, I will be with my other half, my father in law, my sister and brother in law, will they be allowed to board with me?

Hello, I have a question, I need a wheelchair to take me on the ship...... My question, if I board in a wheelchair, I will be with my other half, my father in law, my sister and brother in law, will they be allowed to board with me?

Normally no problem. Though you will all have to wait until they push you on board, sometimes it can be little wait.

Thats fine, just glad they can go with me so I don't have to find somewhere to sit and have them find me lol. Thank you.

Hello, I have a question, I need a wheelchair to take me on the ship...... My question, if I board in a wheelchair, I will be with my other half, my father in law, my sister and brother in law, will they be allowed to board with me?

Will you be bringing your own wheelchair, renting a wheelchair or reserving assistance via Royal?

We’ve done a few cruises where DH required wheelchair assistance to board. I stayed with him while the rest of our party boarded together. Depending on how many people also needed assistance, we could either get right on or need to wait a long time for our turn. No way of telling. Same with leaving the ship - could get right off or need to wait.

Snit13, getting one from RC I don't need it walking on the ship, just had spinal and cervical surgery four weeks ago with fusions double, and I am not allowed to look up or down but I am able to look right to left but I am so limited and the neck basically needs to be stable so the fusion will take which will heal 6-8 months, hopefully. The gangplank is unsteady and you go up and down so being wheeled on keep my head more steady than walking on the gangplank. But my father in law is in rehab and I finally got to visit him yesterday, looked at the wheelchair and said nope I going to walk, so have to decide what to do lol.

Gerif- You and another poster mentioned it could take a long time to board, would you say I will board faster just going on regular, I am Emerald Status.

Boarding can be a long walk and uphill so I would suggest requesting wheelchair assistance. Wait depends on how many others require the same at that time and this is always hard to guess.

You can all board together but some members of the group may want to go ahead. What we do is simple agree somewhere to meet. Alternatively, we meet in the cabin.

One thing to be aware is that you might encounter bumps in the wheelchair. Make sure that this won't cause problems. With some spine problems, walking slowly is a better option than a bumpy wheelchair ride.

One final piece of advise. Contact special needs ahead of time to request wheelchair assistance on embarkation.

Hello Yuvraj, well, I got dressed and put socks on as I am going for my first recheck at the surgeon in an hour from now....I never wear socks in the house (live in Florida) but I want to put sneakers on to the doctor....I figured I get something to eat so I got blueberries and half and half and went upstairs here to sit at my desk check cruise critic and eat then leave...well, don't you think right before getting to my desk I slid on my chairman!! I saw stars, I had tears coming down my eyes and I still hurting and something happened to the plates/screws in my head, it doesn't feel right, good thing I going to the doctor but no more socks!!

Reading what you just said and what just happened, your so right!! (I had spinal cord surgery and cervical surgery so its in the neck) and reading what you mentioned about the bumps in the wheelchair is not what I thought of. I do have a brace which I call my helmet to put on when I am crowds and when I board so that will help but now you making me think twice walking may just be better to avoid the "bumps".

Have to go to the doctor hopefully nothing went wrong ugh!!

Last few times we cruised (mostly Port Canaveral) , I did not see any special boarding for those needing assistance. On our last cruise ( also from Port Canaveral) we were able to board with one of the first groups but waited for other family to arrive.( We wanted to board together to get that boarding photo) It seemed there were assisted passengers in every category called. We waited about 35 minutes for our family and when they arrived they were boarding Gold, the second to last group.

So to answer your question, YES, you will likely board together according to the boarding list. Something like consecutive cruisers, suites/pinnacles, D+, D, and so on.

good luck and feel better.

M

In December on Allure, someone came up to us as we exited the shuttle and upon seeing my wife with a walker, he immediately brought over a wheel chair. He accompanied us all the way to the gangway, where a crew member pushed the wheel chair onto the ship. Departure was another story. We were able to get assistance off the ship with a wheel chair, but waited for ever for the disorganized staff to get from upstairs hall to downstairs customs. They were taking one or two at a time and each time it took almost 30 minutes. I finally said, I would take her myself, and someone came over and assisted us.

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Gerif- You and another poster mentioned it could take a long time to board, would you say I will board faster just going on regular, I am Emerald Status.[/quote]

Not sure status matters - our first RCI cruise, no status, we were on right after the wedding parties. We are now Diamond and sometimes need to wait. I think it’s more first come first served and how many people require it when it comes to wheelchair assistance.

When my wife and I went on Allure I needed Wheelchair access they put everyone in wheelchairs and their families together in a waiting area. Once Pinnacle and Suites were on the ship then all the Wheelchair people went onto the ship in groups because they only had 5 or 6 people to wheel the people up the ramps. Hope this helps you. I used the wheelchair at Port Everglades then I used my Crutches and Canes to get around.

Our first cruise, my Dad boarded by wheelchair. We all went together.

They boarded us by the lower deck entrance (same used at other ports and tendering), not up the ramp.

They supplied the wheelchair, once on board he used his walker.

Hello, I have a question, I need a wheelchair to take me on the ship...... My question, if I board in a wheelchair, I will be with my other half, my father in law, my sister and brother in law, will they be allowed to board with me?

Upon arriving at the Port go up to the first RCCL Rep you see and advise you need wheelchair assistance. If a chair and pusher is available you and those traveling will all go the security and the check in process together. If wheelchair and pusher is not available you'll be taken to waiting area and your name will be placed on a list. Wheelchairs are provide on a first come first served basis. When one beomes available you'll be taken through the security and cruise check-in process. Whether you get a chair right away or have to wait once you've completed the checkin , if boarding hasn't begun you will be taken to a waiting area where you will be transfered to a chair and have to wait for a wheelchair when boarding begins. The wheelchair is not left with you while waiting to board as there are limited number and are needed to assit other who are arriving. Once on Board the pusher will take to you to one of the public areas of you choice and dropped off .

On disembarkation day The area to go for wheelchair assistance is published in the daily compass that will arrive in you room the night before. Upon arriving at the on-baord wheelchair area your name will be placed on a list along with your departure number. It's important to know that mo wheelchair assistance will be provided if you plan to self-departure.

Thank you everybody!

Upon arriving at the Port go up to the first RCCL Rep you see and advise you need wheelchair assistance. If a chair and pusher is available you and those traveling will all go the security and the check in process together. If wheelchair and pusher is not available you'll be taken to waiting area and your name will be placed on a list. Wheelchairs are provide on a first come first served basis. When one beomes available you'll be taken through the security and cruise check-in process. Whether you get a chair right away or have to wait once you've completed the checkin , if boarding hasn't begun you will be taken to a waiting area where you will be transfered to a chair and have to wait for a wheelchair when boarding begins. The wheelchair is not left with you while waiting to board as there are limited number and are needed to assit other who are arriving. Once on Board the pusher will take to you to one of the public areas of you choice and dropped

off .

 

On disembarkation day The area to go for wheelchair assistance is published in the daily compass that will arrive in you room the night before. Upon arriving at the on-baord wheelchair area your name will be placed on a list along with your departure number. It's important to know that mo wheelchair assistance will be provided if you plan to self-departure.

If a person has their own wheelchair (in my case my 10 year old daughter), then we can board together and one of us can push her, correct? We don't really need "assistance" and she doesn't need to borrow a WC either as she has her own pediatric version. If the ramp is steep, that's my husband's problem. ;p

Yes, but they will probably offer you to board at pier level and avoid the ramp.

In my Dad's case, he had a roller walker, but they offered him the wheelchair and took us all through the crew door.

SRF, how do I get to arrange boarding that way, is there anything I have to do because that would be best for my medical condition.

Just let the rep at the pier know you can’t do lots of bumps.

Oh my gosh that be so perfect for me thank you!

Yes, but they will probably offer you to board at pier level and avoid the ramp.

 

In my Dad's case, he had a roller walker, but they offered him the wheelchair and took us all through the crew door.

Was this on Oasis, in Port Canaveral, or was this on a smaller ship? The gangway at Port Canaveral is not a steep ramp and there is more than one. Wheelchairs, strollers and walkers go on differently than those walking on board. Sounds like you are talking a different ship and port as one of your posts talks about tendering and Oasis class ships don't tender.

Do we board this way before Emerald goes on?