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Pain/Mobility Issues


MomSwag
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Concerning excursion activities: My hubby had reconstructive knee surgery 6 months ago. He has limited mobility in his knee (can't jump/run or make sudden twisting motions).

 

I have osteoarthritis in my knee and have certain physical limitations too.

 

I'm wondering how difficult certain excursions would be. If we wanted to see some of the ruins (say, in Cozumel), but were unable to climb very far, would we be able to? Is everything a climb? Can you see any of the ruins without having to pay for a full on tour with lots of climbing?

 

Also, what are the physical limitations for other activities: snorkeling, cenotes, etc...???

 

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Most of the ship's excursion show how "difficult" a tour might be...but you have to go through the booking process to see all the details. If you decide NOT to book it, simply exit and don't pay for it!

 

Snorkeling from a boat will require climbing a ladder into and out of the water. If you see something that interests you, go to your cruise line's forum and ask if anyone has done that...they can give your specifics on difficulty levels so you can make an informed choice.

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If you are referring to Tulum out of Cozumel, there isn't any climbing required, in fact I think it is not allowed. About the only climbing would be in and out of the bus and ferry, and maybe a slight slope up to the ocean viewpoints

 

Personally, (having done it once), I would not go to Tulum again from Cozumel, mostly because the ferry ride was very rough; one of the two times I have gotten seasick in over 50 years of cruising. Also a long, hot day. Much better to see it from a land tour; Chichen Itza is wonderful but very hard to do from a cruise.

 

If you mean ruins in Cozumel, they are small and not very impressive. You would not need to climb them, even if you could.

 

Do look at the rating levels of the excursions; in my opinion they err on the cautious side and of course you don't have to do everything on most excursions, just do what you can. We hardly ever take ship tours though, so with independent tours we can tailor it more to our needs.

 

Also, there are only a few ruins, and none near Cozumel that I know of that allow climbing on them. Not necessary anyway to see the sites. Other activities like snorkeling--not usually too vigorous, but only you can gauge your pain level.

 

If you want to go to a certain site, you will either have to pay for the ship excursion, and there won't be any discounts if you don't do everything offered, go on your own or book a private tour either ahead of time or on the dock; often you can pick out your own agenda then. Sometimes the ship offers just transportation to a certain place, or you can pick up a taxi.

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Ship's excursions usually give a description indicating the amount of physical activity.

 

You cannot climb on the ruins at Tulum, but there is a fair amount of walking. A lot of excursions require walking, often over rough streets/cobblestones, which can be hard on people with knee problems.

 

Carinbbean can be hot and humid, which can also be tiring if you are not used to that kind of weather. Take lots of water.

 

Snorkeling often requires climbing in and out of the boat.

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Hi MomSwag. You have gotten good advice already. I took several cruises with my Mom when she had one partial hip replacement and severely arthritic knees. (A second broken hip ended her travel days.) Cruise Critic was instrumental in our planning. I found the Ports of Call and Disabled Cruise Travel boards especially helpful. Also, when we were booked on Celebrity (I think) on our request the Special Needs department sent us a brochure of their shore excursions that met our needs. (Most of it you can figure out yourself from the descriptions and symbols for the excursions online.) One final note: The most difficult part of most of the excursions I took with Mom was getting her onto the bus. Several excursions used large buses with high first steps. Some drivers brought a step stool to modify that height, but some didn't. Many people on the "accessible" tours struggled with that step.

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My husband had a complete knee replacement surgery last summer. It takes a good year for complete healing. He sees the surgeon next summer for final visit. His knee is still sore so he does not like to walk any distances. Tours should be in a bus, not one where you walk a lot. We have no problem just staying on the ship but we have been to most ports more then once. Just about all passengers go ashore so we have the ship almost to ourselves!

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My husband had a complete knee replacement surgery last summer. It takes a good year for complete healing. He sees the surgeon next summer for final visit. His knee is still sore so he does not like to walk any distances. Tours should be in a bus, not one where you walk a lot. We have no problem just staying on the ship but we have been to most ports more then once. Just about all passengers go ashore so we have the ship almost to ourselves!
His doctor also told him it would take a year for complete healing. He's hard headed and sometimes does stuff he really shouldn't. Lol. But I think he will listen to me while on the cruise. He's a big fan of relaxing away from home. [emoji4]

 

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If we wanted to see some of the ruins (say, in Cozumel), but were unable to climb very far, would we be able to? Is everything a climb? Can you see any of the ruins without having to pay for a full on tour with lots of climbing?

 

Also, what are the physical limitations for other activities: snorkeling, cenotes, etc...???

I've had two knee replacements and have cruised quite a bit since getting them. Here's my input.

 

*Cenotes: I've done the cenotes excursion. (A quick review is here.) An amazing activity but tons of stairs. He'll want to wait on cenotes until he's at least a year or more out from surgery.

 

*Tulum: You'll have to take a ferry to Playa del Carmen. There will be a walk from your ship to the ferry, more walking from the ferry to the bus, then the walking at the ruins themselves. There is a trolley that costs a couple bucks that can take you from the Tulum drop-off point to the entrance of the ruins so the walking would be cut down a bit. But the pathways in the ruins are pretty uneven in some places and gravel paths in others. If he's feeling strong it might be worth it. You can do the trip without many steps, but there are some uneven steps to some viewpoints. And if you want to visit the beach when you are there, you'd have to climb a bunch of stairs to get down. Then there is the walking back to the ferry and then back to the ship. That's a lot of walking on a new knee.

 

*Snorkeling: Easy to do post-knee replacement. Snorkel boat steps are relatively easy to navigate and the personnel working on the boats have always been great at giving an extra little help when getting out of the water.

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I've had two knee replacements and have cruised quite a bit since getting them. Here's my input.

 

*Cenotes: I've done the cenotes excursion. (A quick review is here.) An amazing activity but tons of stairs. He'll want to wait on cenotes until he's at least a year or more out from surgery.

 

*Tulum: You'll have to take a ferry to Playa del Carmen. There will be a walk from your ship to the ferry, more walking from the ferry to the bus, then the walking at the ruins themselves. There is a trolley that costs a couple bucks that can take you from the Tulum drop-off point to the entrance of the ruins so the walking would be cut down a bit. But the pathways in the ruins are pretty uneven in some places and gravel paths in others. If he's feeling strong it might be worth it. You can do the trip without many steps, but there are some uneven steps to some viewpoints. And if you want to visit the beach when you are there, you'd have to climb a bunch of stairs to get down. Then there is the walking back to the ferry and then back to the ship. That's a lot of walking on a new knee.

 

*Snorkeling: Easy to do post-knee replacement. Snorkel boat steps are relatively easy to navigate and the personnel working on the boats have always been great at giving an extra little help when getting out of the water.

Thank you. This is very helpful!

 

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It seems to me given your husband's surgery it is not worth taking the risk of messing up his knee. I would suggest you do something very relaxing like spending the day at Mr. Sanchos instead of an active tour where there is a lot of walking and even the chance of your husband damaging his knee. Sometimes it is best to have a relaxing vacation and this sounds like the ideal time for relaxation.

http://www.mrsanchos.com

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It seems to me given your husband's surgery it is not worth taking the risk of messing up his knee. I would suggest you do something very relaxing like spending the day at Mr. Sanchos instead of an active tour where there is a lot of walking and even the chance of your husband damaging his knee. Sometimes it is best to have a relaxing vacation and this sounds like the ideal time for relaxation.

http://www.mrsanchos.com

I think you're right. We can't afford another $20,000 surgery!

 

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I will remain on board while DW does some excursions. I have a spinal cord stimulator implant to reduce agonizing pain from permanent nerve damage. Its my new normal and despite the allure of having new experiences, I just cannot do them.

A balcony with binoculars to check things out, and a bed close by, to rest... and of course, room service!

 

 

Paul

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I will remain on board while DW does some excursions. I have a spinal cord stimulator implant to reduce agonizing pain from permanent nerve damage. Its my new normal and despite the allure of having new experiences, I just cannot do them.

A balcony with binoculars to check things out, and a bed close by, to rest... and of course, room service!

 

 

Paul

I am so sorry to hear that! We were in a bad car accident in 2011 and we both have issues stemming from flipping 6 times in a truck.

 

Cruising is about the only vacation I can do anymore. Driving long distances is more than I can do these days.

 

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I am so sorry to hear that! We were in a bad car accident in 2011 and we both have issues stemming from flipping 6 times in a truck.

 

Cruising is about the only vacation I can do anymore. Driving long distances is more than I can do these days.

 

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That sounds horrific.

 

This is our first ever cruise after being 100% bedridden for three years. Several surgeries and I can now sit, stand, and walk for a short time (and I look able bodied). This is a celebration of my "new normal" cruise. It seems to be the best way I can think of, to have some semblance of a normal vacation.

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That sounds horrific.

 

This is our first ever cruise after being 100% bedridden for three years. Several surgeries and I can now sit, stand, and walk for a short time (and I look able bodied). This is a celebration of my "new normal" cruise. It seems to be the best way I can think of, to have some semblance of a normal vacation.

I use the same expression "my new normal". Fortunately, I've not had to have any surgeries. I "look normal" also. But people literally can't comprehend the pain unless they've lived it.

 

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I have osteoarthritis in one knee and the other is not far behind. I have booked 2 snorkel trips for my upcoming Eastern Caribbean. One is a shore snorkel and the other I emailed the operator and confirmed that the boat would not prove too difficult. Much better communication with private tours.

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I will remain on board while DW does some excursions. I have a spinal cord stimulator implant to reduce agonizing pain from permanent nerve damage. Its my new normal and despite the allure of having new experiences, I just cannot do them.

A balcony with binoculars to check things out, and a bed close by, to rest... and of course, room service!

 

 

Paul

 

I am glad that you are getting relief from the SCS (mine is now switched off permanently having failed to deliver any benefit :( ) and I hope you have a lovely cruise :)

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I am glad that you are getting relief from the SCS (mine is now switched off permanently having failed to deliver any benefit :( ) and I hope you have a lovely cruise :)

 

 

 

Thank you.

Chronic nerve pain is such a personal thing. What works for one, won’t work for the next person. So far i get 30-50% pain reduction but i still experience too many extra bad days in bed.

 

I hope you can manage your pain.

 

Paul

 

 

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I am currently in the ER. It's always so difficult to know when your pain needs to be investigated further. Since I have chronic pain, it's hard to differentiate between what's already going on and what's new.

 

About to have an ultrasound to rule some other stuff out, but the NP said she hopes it's just a Baker's Cyst.

 

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I am currently in the ER. It's always so difficult to know when your pain needs to be investigated further. Since I have chronic pain, it's hard to differentiate between what's already going on and what's new.

 

About to have an ultrasound to rule some other stuff out, but the NP said she hopes it's just a Baker's Cyst.

 

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So sorry to hear. I hope it is resolved soon.

 

 

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I am currently in the ER. It's always so difficult to know when your pain needs to be investigated further. Since I have chronic pain, it's hard to differentiate between what's already going on and what's new.

 

About to have an ultrasound to rule some other stuff out, but the NP said she hopes it's just a Baker's Cyst.

 

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I hope it is all sorted soon.

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