Electric Wheelchair on Oasis

My husband uses an electric wheelchair and can't walk at all. The last time we were on a cruise, he used a scooter and could stand with help to transfer. Now he can no longer do that. We are traveling on the Oasis in Jan. and I'd love to get some feedback from wheelchair users who've been on the ship. First, we do not have an accessible room, but we've been told that the doorways in the suite we've booked will not be a problem.

Since it's not considered accessible, I'm told there is a track to get over to get onto the balcony. We do own portable ramps and I'll be bringing those.

He will be using a commode, and we've even rented an electric recliner, so he can spend time out of his wheelchair.

He doesn't seem to care about getting off the ship and we've been to the scheduled ports many times, so he seems to be fine with staying on the ship.

I'd love to read any other suggestions experienced travelers could offer us. Thank you in advance for any help.

there is a pretty substantial step up to get onto the bathroom. any portable ramp you have may not be sufficient. and depending on how its laid out, the bar area may prevent the use of the ramp anyway.

by commode do you mean a bedside one? what about showering/bathing?

How/where did you rent the recliner?

First and foremost, we wish you and your husband a memorable and enjoyable cruise.

Although we have not yet sailed on any of the mega ships, one of us also uses an electric wheelchair (power chair) and manages to wheel around an HC cabin and most of the public venues of the ship quite nicely.

If you are also your husbands' care-giver and if there's one thing we may suggest, it would be for you to get up an hour or so before he awakes and go out on deck for a coffee and a brisk walk. It gives you a chance to recharge. ( if it's safe to leave your husband alone in the cabin)

I used go on deck for about an hour to 2 hours and before returning to the cabin, I picked up two more coffees and some croissants for the two us to munch on before getting ready for the day.

The reason why we suggest this is that you are most likely busy tending to his needs all day long with little or no time for yourself.

Don't allow yourself to become frustrated at the elevator banks; you may have to wait until there's ample room for your husband, his wheelchair and yourself.

Bathing may pose a challenge and he may have to contend with a daily sponge bath which is safer than trying to get him into the bathroom especially with rough seas.

We forgot to take our portable ramps with us for access to the balcony but we did manage albeit with significant difficulty.

You are right about not getting off the ship as that the ships' ramps can be quite steep and some of the port cities are not always wheelchair friendly.

Again, we wish you a wonderful cruise!

If he can't stand or walk at all, you need an accessible cabin. Too many obstructions in a standard cabin if you can't walk a few step.

There is a small step to enter the restroom. If needed, you may request a shower seat and raised toilet from the special needs department.

Hope you're in an OS that has a stall shower in addition to a tub (which I tend to have some difficulty climbing in and out of). You may want to pose your inquiries on the disabled boards where you might also get first hand help.

Did you contact special needs? Did you measure the chair, and review it with them? Yes the doors are wider, but you should check. They can also make other arrangements for you.

If at all possible, switching to an accessible cabin will really help given that you need extra space and the bathroom will be adapted.

I currently have difficulty standing due to a lower back injury. I managed ok in a conventional cabin but really needed the shower stool. So I would recommend that you make a request in advance. They are usually happy to provide these things.

RCL do organise tours designed for people with mobility problems. These are subject to demand and sometimes get cancelled at the last minute (based on experience) but they are worth considering. Some ports are better than others for getting on and off and the crew will always assist.

Lifts are a pain at busy times but I find that being smart with your routes and timings, you can avoid congestion quite a lot of times and it really helps avoid the frustration. I generally avoid lifts where there is a large group gathering. Even if it means taking a longer route and waiting a while.

When you're at the Aqua Theater, the HC area is in the back row and you are unable to see the divers diving off the very tall platform due to an overhang. Kind of disappointing.

there is a pretty substantial step up to get onto the bathroom. any portable ramp you have may not be sufficient. and depending on how its laid out, the bar area may prevent the use of the ramp anyway.

 

by commode do you mean a bedside one? what about showering/bathing?

Thanks for responding. We are bringing a caregiver with us. She'll be in a different cabin, but she'll be able to sponge bathe him. Also, we're in an Aqua Theatre suite which we were told by the accessibility dept. would be big enough for him to get around with his chair. We will be using a bedside commode which he can transfer to.

How/where did you rent the recliner?

We rented the recliner from Special Needs Group. Their phone number is (800)513-4515. The price is $325 for the week. Without that recliner, we would not have been able to go on the cruise. He gets uncomfortable spending long periods in his wheelchair.

Did you contact special needs? Did you measure the chair, and review it with them? Yes the doors are wider, but you should check. They can also make other arrangements for you.

I gave them the measurements and they said the chair would fit through the doors. If they're wrong we're in trouble.

First and foremost, we wish you and your husband a memorable and enjoyable cruise.

 

Although we have not yet sailed on any of the mega ships, one of us also uses an electric wheelchair (power chair) and manages to wheel around an HC cabin and most of the public venues of the ship quite nicely.

 

If you are also your husbands' care-giver and if there's one thing we may suggest, it would be for you to get up an hour or so before he awakes and go out on deck for a coffee and a brisk walk. It gives you a chance to recharge. ( if it's safe to leave your husband alone in the cabin)

 

I used go on deck for about an hour to 2 hours and before returning to the cabin, I picked up two more coffees and some croissants for the two us to munch on before getting ready for the day.

 

The reason why we suggest this is that you are most likely busy tending to his needs all day long with little or no time for yourself.

 

Don't allow yourself to become frustrated at the elevator banks; you may have to wait until there's ample room for your husband, his wheelchair and yourself.

 

Bathing may pose a challenge and he may have to contend with a daily sponge bath which is safer than trying to get him into the bathroom especially with rough seas.

 

We forgot to take our portable ramps with us for access to the balcony but we did manage albeit with significant difficulty.

 

You are right about not getting off the ship as that the ships' ramps can be quite steep and some of the port cities are not always wheelchair friendly.

 

Again, we wish you a wonderful cruise!

That was such a nice post. Thank you. We are bringing an aide with us, who is his regular caregiver. He can't even sit up in bed by himself (at home we have a motorized bed to sit him up) but on the cruise there will be two of us to get him sitting up. After that he is able to transfer to his chair by himself. Once he's up, I have no trouble and he's pretty independent.

This cruise is something he's really looking forward to. We haven't been able to travel much, because he gets uncomfortable, but the electric recliner will make all the difference. for him.