Broken ankle before harmony of the seas

I will be sailing on the Harmony five weeks after breaking and spraining my right ankle! I will be in a walking boot and plan to have a knee scooter rented for getting around the ship, though I should be able to do a lot of walking with the boot by then. I contacted the cruise line, but they mentioned all the accessible rooms were booked. I'm very worried about how this injury will affect my vacation that I've saved so long for! Does anyone have any advice or any experience with something similar?

I just responded to you on the RC board. The differences between the HA and a regular cabin are the door width and the bathroom (and of course a HA cabin will be larger so a full-time wheelchair user can get around unobstructed). You shouldn't have a problem getting your knee scooter through the door of a regular cabin. Your biggest issue might be the bathroom. There'll be a step up to get into the bathroom and into the shower where in a HA cabin there is no threshold whatsoever. You may want to ask for a shower chair so you have something to steady yourself with (not sure if there are grab bars in the showers of the regular cabins). The shower in the HA cabin has grab bars and a built-in seat.

Accessible staterooms are slightly larger then the corresponding non accessible state rooms. The difference is the size of the entry and bathroom doors as well as the bathrooms having slightly higher toilets and grab bars in the showers.

I suggest you access the RCI website and look at the deck plans for the Harmony. When you find the deck your are on, look to the right and it will list the sizes of the cabins and there is also a link View accessible staterooms . That may help ease your concerns.

Enjoy your cruise!!!

From your explanation, You do not NEED a HC cabin. Knee scooter can fit in a couple place no problem. By the way, HC cabins are booked usually over a year in advance.

I will be sailing on the Harmony five weeks after breaking and spraining my right ankle! I will be in a walking boot and plan to have a knee scooter rented for getting around the ship, though I should be able to do a lot of walking with the boot by then. I contacted the cruise line, but they mentioned all the accessible rooms were booked. I'm very worried about how this injury will affect my vacation that I've saved so long for! Does anyone have any advice or any experience with something similar?

Bring along a few ziplock bags and ask your cabin attendant to keep you supplied with ice. At 5 weeks you should have pretty good mobility, but a change in activity combined with increased salt intake through your meals could result in your ankle swelling. Elevate whenever possible, ice it down if swelling sets in. Try not to worry -- you can still have a fabulous time if you take care of yourself while healing. Have a great vacation!

If you look at the shower and think “no way!” Check out the spa. It should have an accessible shower.

went on a cruise with a traveling wheel chair. it did not fit in cabin open, but i hopped in. did not have a handicapped cabin but you will be fine. ask for a seat for the shower. It was the best cruise i ever went on after the broken ankle i was very depressed husband surprise me. it literally changed me to a happier person broken ankle and all. go go go enjoy enjoy

Bia

Ask for a shower stool and a taller toilet seat.

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We sailed MSC two summers ago while I was almost healed from a foot fracture (it came off the day after we returned) ! I was completely weight bering in the boot and had permission from my doctor to take it off to 'swim' as long as I was just floating around and there were not any waves crazy waves. My mom and I would work as a team and I would get to the edge of the pool or ocean and take the boot off and then go in and she would take it back to my chair. Getting out I would do my best and hop out and then dry myself off and put the boot back on. We brought a tote bag with paper towels, a big zip lock the boot fit in, baby powder to dry my leg and baby wipes for clean up. By that point I was used to taking the boot off to shower and was able to use some pressure on my foot while showering so there wasn't a need for a shower chair. However, we were in the Yacht Club and had a tub with the highest side I had ever seen and that was a trick to get in and out of! Honestly the two worst parts were getting onto the tender boats (it was easily a 2 foot drop because they used life boats!) and I had to be lifted back onto the ship and flying. If you are flying to the ship call your airline's accessibility department. I was able to be moved to a bulkhead row with my mom (who I was traveling with). They also allowed us to board early, and they did offer wheelchair assistance in the airport. I didn't want the wheelchair assistance but it was nice to board early because people are maniacs when they board an airplane and it was nice to be able to move at a slower pace. TSA was interesting because they made me take the boot off to screen it, however both times REFUSED me anywhere to sit while they did it or to put it back on so I ended up sitting on the floor and hopping around. I was told later by a friend I should have refused to take it off and could have been given an enhanced pat down and had it swabbed which in hindsight would have been easier. The biggest issue we had the whole trip was that my cast was one that inflated so my foot wouldn't wiggle around and as we took off and the pressure changed the air pillows inflated. We had the thing to deflate them in the overhead compartment and couldn't get off. I ended up having to take it off quickly. Before our flight home I completely deflated it and had no issue!

The shower in Allure doe not have a grab bar exactly, but it does have a vertical pipe as part of the shower fixture... which provides some support... be careful if grabbing the horizontal controls ... they can get hot. I the corner of the shower is another pipe like structure that you can rest you foot on. I assume it is there if you are trying to shave your legs. You might google images for Allure of the Seas bathroom... that will give you a good idea on what to expect. As a separate note, I had the same thing happen to me while in Amsterdam. They put me in a hard cast... which really complicated my life... heavy, hot and made showering very challenging... and dont get me started on the cobblestone streets... You should have a good time. One suggestion... if there is anyway to get a cabin near the rear elevators... that will help shorten your daily commute to dinner, the Schooner bar and the entrances to central park and Boardwalk... and even a straight shot down to Promenade

I will be sailing on the Harmony five weeks after breaking and spraining my right ankle! I will be in a walking boot and plan to have a knee scooter rented for getting around the ship, though I should be able to do a lot of walking with the boot by then. I contacted the cruise line, but they mentioned all the accessible rooms were booked. I'm very worried about how this injury will affect my vacation that I've saved so long for! Does anyone have any advice or any experience with something similar?

Can you take your boot off to shower? If so, you don't need a HC cabin. The knee scooter will fit throught the door and maybe when you're not using it you can wheel it into the closet.

I had achilles tendon surgery before a 16 day European cruise. Traipsed through Venice, Pompeii, Capri (in the rain), Monte Carlo, etc. Then danced the night away in the disco. You will be fine!!

If you need to elevate your leg, put a life jacket under the mattress. Leave the straps out so it’s easily grabbed JIC.

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