Space to park scooter in reg balcony cabin on RCCL’s Oasis class?

We are booked in a Central Park view balcony cabin on Harmony of the Seas. I think the cabin is about 182 sq ft, but layout will figure into the equation. I have been told by the Access Department that the scooter will fit into the door, which is 23 inches wide and that the scooter rental companies they recommend are familiar with their cabins. Hopefully this is true but I am hoping to hear from someone who has had to store a scooter in a cabin like this. Or any of the regular balcony cabins of an Oasis class ship. I barely have my husband talked into using one for the first time and I’m already worried about issues like navigating through a hallway with steward carts in the way. While he can walk on his own, without a cane, he’s a bit slow and the amount of walking necessary on a large ship with repeated long distances Will tire out the good leg to an extreme. If the ship hits rough water would present problems, too. So a scooter, for at least part of the time, could help a lot.

While I am thinking of it, has anyone ever had a problem with their rented scooter being taken while on a ship when they are in a show room or restaurant or anything?

Would be very grateful for any knowledgeable replies.

We are booked in a Central Park view balcony cabin on Harmony of the Seas. I think the cabin is about 182 sq ft, but layout will figure into the equation. I have been told by the Access Department that the scooter will fit into the door, which is 23 inches wide and that the scooter rental companies they recommend are familiar with their cabins. Hopefully this is true but I am hoping to hear from someone who has had to store a scooter in a cabin like this. Or any of the regular balcony cabins of an Oasis class ship. I barely have my husband talked into using one for the first time and I’m already worried about issues like navigating through a hallway with steward carts in the way. While he can walk on his own, without a cane, he’s a bit slow and the amount of walking necessary on a large ship with repeated long distances Will tire out the good leg to an extreme. If the ship hits rough water would present problems, too. So a scooter, for at least part of the time, could help a lot.

 

If you did not require a full size or bariatric size scooter than the standard scooter from Scooteraround a

While I am thinking of it, has anyone ever had a problem with their rented scooter being taken while on a ship when they are in a show room or restaurant or anything?

 

Would be very grateful for any knowledgeable replies.

If you did not require a full size or bariatric size scooter than the standard scooter from Scooteraround and SpecialNeedsat Seas will just barely fit through a standard cabin door on the Harmary of the Seas. However the problem with a Harmony Balcony cabins is they have alternating configurations. Every other one has the bed by closest and the open based by the balcony than the one next door has the bed by the balcony with the open space as you enter the room. You need to make certain that you book a cabin that has the bed by the balcony and at that there will be limited floor space to store the scooter and move about the room. If you book a cabin that the bed is closest to the closet the scooter won't fit as the only place to store the scooter is in the cabin halwy entrance which blocks entry to the balcony and marks it difficult to leave the cabin in the event of an emergency.

Thanks for replying. I have contacted Royal Caribbean’s customer service and the agent I got was not knowledgeable about the cabin configuration. The accessible department, however, has made the effort to contact someone who would know via email. They said that I will be getting an email this week letting me know what the configuration of our cabin is. Somehow there must be people fitting scooters into the cabins fairly frequently because I’ve certainly seen people with scooters on many other ships. Just spoke to a man who was seated on a scooter on the Crown Princess back in October. The doors of that ship are losted as being more narrow than the doorways on the Harmony.

I guess we’ll find out how it’s going to work when we try it. My DH is barking over using one although he will benefit greatly I’m sure. I sure wish someone would post on here who has had a fair amount of experience storing a scooter in this type of cabin.

Thanks for replying. I have contacted Royal Caribbean’s customer service and the agent I got was not knowledgeable about the cabin configuration. The accessible department, however, has made the effort to contact someone who would know via email. They said that I will be getting an email this week letting me know what the configuration of our cabin is. Somehow there must be people fitting scooters into the cabins fairly frequently because I’ve certainly seen people with scooters on many other ships. Just spoke to a man who was seated on a scooter on the Crown Princess back in October. The doors of that ship are losted as being more narrow than the doorways on the Harmony.

 

I guess we’ll find out how it’s going to work when we try it. My DH is barking over using one although he will benefit greatly I’m sure. I sure wish someone would post on here who has had a fair amount of experience storing a scooter in this type of cabin.

For the record I have a lot of experience with booking standard cabins of all types on RCCL ships while using a mobility scooter so take insult with the fact that you imply that the information I've given you is questionable..

What the man on the Crown Princess told you about the Harmony is incorrect. Standard Balcony doors on ALL RCCL's ships are 23" wide from door frame to door frame. 2" than must be deducted as the door does not close flush to the wall leaving total clearance of 21". CareVacations Standard scooter and Midsize Scooter as well as SpecialNeedsatSea standard scooter will fit through a standard cabin door on RCCL ships. The problem as I previously posted will be is if your balcony cabin on the Harmony has the bed next to closet as you enter the cabin which will prohibit getting the scooter past the bed to the open area. Can't stress enough that you must have a balcony cabin that the bed is next to the balcony doors to make it work.

You cannot store it in the hallway regardless of what the cabin attendant tells you. It's a violation of SOLAS (Safety of Life at Seas Regulations) that nothing can be stored in the hallways as it impairs the safety of everyone in the event of an emergency. It also prohibits others who wo use any type of mobility equipment from saftely

First of all, I think you take offense and insult much too easily. My intention was not to discredit you, nor did I say I did not believe what you had posted. Although I think it is perfectly normal to try to gather the most information one can and not to automatically accept as 100 percent correct all info posted on a message board.

Additionally, I did not post that the man on the Crown Princess said anything about the cabin doors on the Harmony. He was speaking about the size of the doors on the Crown Princess, which we were on at the time. He also indicated he had been on a number of different ships and was able to get his scooters into his cabin (although I did not mention that until now). I don’t know for sure what other ships he had been on. And of course I guess that really doesn’t have a bearing on the Harmony’s doors. However I felt it was safe to assume the Harmony doorways would be likely at least as large as most other ships’.

I also never expected to park the scooter in the ship’s hallway nor ever spoke to a steward about that. Perhaps you were just volunteering that info.

Additionally, there seems to be an insertion of a comment you made re a bariatric scooter and Scootaround that showed up on your repost of my OP. I assume by some strange quirk. Anyway, my husband will be using a regular sized scooter assuming he uses one at all.

Here i will admit that I did make a mistake in my OP. . I typed that the RCCL Access department told me the Harmony doors are 23 inches wide. Actually, they told me that the cabin doors are 25 1/2 inches wide. In fact, they told me that twice on two different telephone calls. Once was about two weeks ago when I had called with some general inquiries and the second time was when I called about the configuration issue. If they are wrong, i dont think it’s intentional. I absolutely took heed of what you had said about the bed placement and my second call to them was to try and find out what hours would be. (For the record, I was told the Crown P. Doors are 23” wide, and have also read 22” wide! So?)

While I appreciate the info you provided, the fact remains that many people are able to get scooters into their cabin, tight sqeeze or not. So I have faith that we will, too. Take that however you want but it is not meant as a slight against anything you have posted.

 

I also never expected to park the scooter in the ship’s hallway nor ever spoke to a steward about that. Perhaps you were just volunteering that info.

Being that it that it appeared from OP that this was the first time having a scooter on board is the reason I advised the information regarding not parking it in the hallway. Also called this to your attention because the cabin attendants are quick to tell passengers to park it overnight in the hallway knowing full well it violates SOLAS regulations. Most first time scooter users on cruise are not aware of this.

Additionally, there seems to be an insertion of a comment you made re a barbaric scooter and Scootaround that showed up on your repost of my OP. I assume by some strange quirk. Anyway, my husband will be using a regular sized scooter assuming he uses one at all.

The insertion regarding regarding a barbaric and or full size scooter was stated for information purposes only , There was no mention of the type of scooter you were renting in the OP and certainly did not have to state it . Rather the statement I made was in the event such a scooter was required that you'd be aware that it wouldn't fit and possibly had time to make changes if needed.

There have been postings though the years of people renting a scooter and than posted on CC complaining it did fit into a standard cabin only to find out that per weight capacity of the scooter that had to rent a full size or barbaric scooter. Such scooters generally do not fit through a standard cabin door. This was not inserted as a quirk but rather information purposes.

 

While I am thinking of it, has anyone ever had a problem with their rented scooter being taken while on a ship when they are in a show room or restaurant or anything?

 

Would be very grateful for any knowledgeable replies.

Being that all rental scooters look alike and the keys are not unique like car keys the possibility does exist that scooters could be mistaken. For this reason it's recommended that you print out an extra luggage ,write your name on it and attached it to the basket or tiller of the scooter. It's also recommended that whenever you park it to remove the key . When a waiter parks it for you in the dinning room asked them to remove the key and bring it back to you. I personally go one step further and tie a neon green scarf to the basket that immediately flags it being different from all the other rental.

The rental scooters all are assigned a unique number by the rental company and it's clearly marked on the rear of the scooter.. It's the scooter number that gets logged when the scooter is returned and not the cabin number that it was picked up from. There has been one reported incident on CC of a scooter being mixed up. The rental company was holding the individual responsible for replacement cost as the assigned was not the one that the passenger left in its room for pickup. Never did hear hoe this matter ended.

Good tips. Thanks! Very practical things I probably wouldn't have though of. O.K., we will definitely do those things you recommend. I haven't rented the scooter yet but plan to when it's a bit closer to our sailing. Only because there is a charge for cancelling. One co. charges $10 for cancellation ins. but I'm not sure the other one does. Besides, I'm interested and seeing how my husband likes using one. He is going to have an opportunity on a short trip soon to try out using a scooter just for a day. A hotel will rent it out so who knows what type it will be, but it will be good practice just the same. I'm really hoping he ends up being happy he used it because I am about to REQUIRE he use it on the Harmony! If he wants to skip it now and then, o.k. But in order to move about more quickly and without a risk of wearing out and tripping or falling, he should have it most of the time. He has used an automatic wheelchair that belonged to a relative to attend an NFL game a few times . This relative needed it for a while and had a lift on the back of his SUV to haul it around. Fun to drive but different than a scooter. (Though it was very useful to my dh, he even balked at using that!)

Thanks again for the info. (For the record, I still have not rec'd. an email from RCCL regarding our cabin layout. May have to look into that.)

Thanks again for the info. (For the record, I still have not rec'd. an email from RCCL regarding our cabin layout. May have to look into that.)

Suggest you go to the RCCL forum and asked the question by saying " Can anyone tell me if my cabin (insert number) on the Harmony has the bed by the closets or by the balcony? "

If you're lucky someone on the forum will have already sailed on the Harmony on your deck and may be able to give you a cabin number and configuration. You can than figure it out yourself.

If you end up renting a scooter come back and post. I than will post other information you will find helpful. Don't want to overwhelm you if not renting a scooter.

I’m already worried about issues like navigating through a hallway with steward carts in the way.

Would be very grateful for any knowledgeable replies.

He won't have a problem getting down the hallway even if there is a steward cart. The main problem he'll have is elevators. First, getting an elevator that is empty enough so the scooter can maneuver into it, and second keep in mind that either getting on the elevator or getting off the elevator he'll be going in reverse and trying not to run people over. The worst time is trying to get the scooter onto an elevator when it's really busy, like right after a show ends.

Despite these problems, having a scooter will make all the difference in the world, the cruise will be much more enjoyable without having to walk around a huge ship.

He won't have a problem getting down the hallway even if there is a steward cart. The main problem he'll have is elevators. First, getting an elevator that is empty enough so the scooter can maneuver into it, and second keep in mind that either getting on the elevator or getting off the elevator he'll be going in reverse and trying not to run people over. The worst time is trying to get the scooter onto an elevator when it's really busy, like right after a show ends.

 

Despite these problems, having a scooter will make all the difference in the world, the cruise will be much more enjoyable without having to walk around a huge ship.

Hallways on all ships including the Harmony vary in width. Therefore there can be times that getting through a hallway with a scooter, walker, or wheelchair with carts in the hallways can be problematic. FYI -I've been on every class of RCCL ships and can say with certainty that I have encountered hallways with carts in which my scooter could not get past the cart.

I'm a full time scooter user and have cruised many times on RCCL, and can tell you that many times I've had problems getting past the carts in the hallways, so much so that I've had to turn around and find a different way to get to where I was going. There have also been times when people HAVE parked their scooters in the hallway, and again, could not get past them.

OP, just for information purposes, even if you get a cabin with the bed by the balcony, your space will be tight with regards to getting into the bathroom. Your cabin is really quite small and a scooter takes up a lot of space in it. And, make sure to take an extension cord with you, as you might need it to plug in your scooter and it's too far from the outlet.

As for XXOO's comments, you have to realize that many people come here and read every post to get information, so she puts in additional comments that might have relevance for others who are facing the same situation. XXOO is one of the most experienced cruisers on this board and has a wealth of information.

Whether against the law or not, there have been several scooters left in the hallways at all hours of the day. I have seen this on all of my last few cruises. It did make it more difficult for those of us also in wheelchairs to get by.

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Whether against the law or not, there have been several scooters left in the hallways at all hours of the day. I have seen this on all of my last few cruises. It did make it more difficult for those of us also in wheelchairs to get by.

 

 

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I have been known to call security regarding scooters that I see in the hallway more than once. Perhaps you should consider the same?

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First off, I did hear back from RCCL just a few days ago. Our cabin did NOT have the configuration I'd hoped. :( However, the access dept.contacted me when they finally received notice that there was one cabin still available with the beds by the balcony in our category on the same deck. They were able to switch us to that cabin. However, our other cabin was a lot closer to the aft elevators. Unfortunately, we'll be about equidistant from both elevators at the ends of Central Park and no doubt will run into the problems with the carts. (I hadn't even thought of anyone leaving their scooter in the hallway! Guess because I've personally never seen one but sure hope we don't have to deal with that, too. (I can see someone possibly just stopping by their cabin for something and leaving their scooter in the hall thinking they'd be gone a second. Sounds like it's usually for a lot longer!)

After getting the cabin changed, I am for sure getting the scooter for DH. While I can see remaining cabins on the deck, there is no way to quickly find out the configuration of a cabin quickly. The person I was dealing with at RCCL said she would email the ship again and ask about the configuration of a particular unbooked cabin I'd asked about. (I will be a bit surprised if even she gets contacted back this time.) At any rate, parking inside the cabin should be a bit easier at least.

Good suggestion re: the extention cord!

Does calling the pursor's desk to ask that someone remove the steward's cart help at all? (I'm sure the wait would be annoying even if it works.)

I'm wondering about DH going back to the cabin alone and needing to get into it. While he could get off to open the door, he'd need to be able to keep it open, then remount the scooter and drive it in. Any tips on how to do this?

Going back to the cabin alone will be difficult. Those doors are heavy and can shut quickly. The other problem I've experienced is having to head the scooter straight through the doorway, rather than turning in on an angle. If you don't maneuver it in just the right way, you will either get stuck or scrape the scooter on the doorjam.

What I do is get the scooter as straight as possible, perpendicular to the door. I put in the key card, and open the door, leaning as far forward as I can, and pushing on the door while moving forward on the scooter.

(I can see someone possibly just stopping by their cabin for something and leaving their scooter in the hall thinking they'd be gone a second. Sounds like it's usually for a lot longer!)

Doesn't make a difference if it's a short stop or noo it must be stored in the cabin at all times when not in use.

After getting the cabin changed, I am for sure getting the scooter for DH. While I can see remaining cabins on the deck, there is no way to quickly find out the configuration of a cabin quickly. The person I was dealing with at RCCL said she would email the ship again and ask about the configuration of a particular unbooked cabin I'd asked about. (I will be a bit surprised if even she gets contacted back this time.)

The configuration alternates. Your cabin now has the bed by the balcony the cabins to the left and right of it have the bed by the closet. Knowing this it's easy to determine which cabins have the bed by the balcony on your side of the ship. The cabins in your tier on all floors above and below have the bed by the balcony so the same can be done for those floors.

Does calling the pursor's desk to ask that someone remove the steward's cart help at all? (I'm sure the wait would be annoying even if it works.)

From experience Guest Services does nothing to rectify the matter. If it's an attendants cart call housingkeeping. If its a passengers personal item such as scooter, wheelchair, stroller I first knock on the cabin door if it's in reach . I always have a foldup cane in my basket that works great for that. If the passenger refuses to remove the item in question than call security.

I'm wondering about DH going back to the cabin alone and needing to get into it. While he could get off to open the door, he'd need to be able to keep it open, then remount the scooter and drive it in. Any tips on how to do this?

Agree with Kitty9 as to lining up the scooter is important. Ask the room attendant for a door stop. When your husband is by himself he can than get off the scooter, open the door place the door stop to keep it open and he will have an easier time getting in/out of the cabin. The room attendants have access to plenty of door stops.

Whether against the law or not, there have been several scooters left in the hallways at all hours of the day. I have seen this on all of my last few cruises. It did make it more difficult for those of us also in wheelchairs to get by.

 

 

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Parking mobility devices of any kind, including baby buggies, in the corridors and elevator/stairway lobbies is in violation of cruise line policies and Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) standards.

If you do not report the offender to the ship's safety officer or captain, you are enabling the offender to put your life and the lives of others at risk by blocking paths of exit travel.

See something, say something.

We are booked in a Central Park view balcony cabin on Harmony of the Seas. I think the cabin is about 182 sq ft, but layout will figure into the equation. I have been told by the Access Department that the scooter will fit into the door, which is 23 inches wide and that the scooter rental companies they recommend are familiar with their cabins. Hopefully this is true but I am hoping to hear from someone who has had to store a scooter in a cabin like this. Or any of the regular balcony cabins of an Oasis class ship. I barely have my husband talked into using one for the first time and I’m already worried about issues like navigating through a hallway with steward carts in the way. While he can walk on his own, without a cane, he’s a bit slow and the amount of walking necessary on a large ship with repeated long distances Will tire out the good leg to an extreme. If the ship hits rough water would present problems, too. So a scooter, for at least part of the time, could help a lot.

 

While I am thinking of it, has anyone ever had a problem with their rented scooter being taken while on a ship when they are in a show room or restaurant or anything?

 

Would be very grateful for any knowledgeable replies.

Hi mlbcruiser,:)

While I have not sailed on Harmony, I did use a scooter on Freedom on the Seas. I cannot answer about Harmony's specific cabins but can share my experience onboard FOTS. I have a brittle bone disease and also have a good and a "bad" leg so I understand the need for a scooter. I did not have any issues navigating hallways in the scooter. Stewards were very helpful and would move their carts if they were in the way. Most other passengers were very helpful and would step back and/or allow me to go through whatever area I was in. While leaving the scooter in the WindJammer, by the pools/hot tubs, or in a show I never had any issue with anyone trying to use my scooter or mistaking it as theirs. I did tie a blue ribbon on the basket so I could identify mine. This isn't much info but I do hope it helps. I just joined cruise critic and this is my first reply to a post. I hope I've done it correctly. I hope you and your husband have a wonderful time on your cruise. :)

RachaelBelle, I was VERY happy to hear of your experience on the Freedom using a scooter! I hope things go as well for us. Also, I hope you continue to find this site helpful and please don't hesitate to share info. whenever you can on here. Some very helpful things can be learned and shared on here. Thanks for replying. :)

Hi mlbcruiser. I think you're on my roll call. We've got an accessible cabin. We originally had a boardwalk balcony, but due to health reasons, my friend now needs a scooter for longer walks, and when I called Royal, to see if our particular cabin had the bed by the balcony and if a scooter would fit, I was advised it would be best to move to an accessible cabin. We now have a ocean balcony for the same price. A couple of weeks ago, another friend was thinking of coming along and since our cabin was specified for two only, I called and at that time there was an accessible boardwalk balcony available. Unfortunately, it would cost way too much to add a person so we're staying where we are.

Long winded post to say have you tried to maybe change to an accessible cabin? I was told that as long as it's not an upgrade in category, the can't charge you more.

Hi Wyknott, and yes we are on the same roll call. Thanks for the suggestion. However, by the time I got word from RCCL that the cabin we had booked was not the right configuration (as well as being offered the last remaining cabin overlooking Central Park that did have the beds near the balcony), there were no accessible CP balcony cabins left. In fact, I don’t think I even saw any accessible CP balcony cabins pn the deckplans, but maybe i just missed them. We didn’t particularly want an accessible cabin anyway. When in the process of choosing a cabin initially, I had looked up the remaining accessible cabins at that time. I think i saw 2, but they were pretty far forward and not anywhere we would prefer to be located. The Wednesday after Christmas is when I found out we needed to switch cabins. RCCL told me to have my TA go through RCCL’s group department to fbe switched to what they said was the last properly configured cabin available and they advised me to take it. When my TA called them, she was alarmed thinking I had thought it was an accessible cabin. She initiated a three-way call in which the Royal Caribbean rep told me the cabin they offered was not accessible. I told her I was fine with that. Incidentally, I had double checked remaining cabins before I had called my TA that morning. I just wanted to see if maybe there was a good oceanview or even a boardwalk balcony cabin available for the same price. There were some that were more expensive, and then I figured I would be in the same situation with having to figure out if those cabins had the right layout. I figured that would take another couple of weeks and I didn’t want to waste anymore time. ( Do I have you confused enough yet? ) I have no doubt it will be easier for your partner to fit a scooter in an accessible cabin. Still, I wonder if you were told to get an accessible cabin because whoever you spoke to did not want to have to go through the extra detective work, having to Email the ship find out the cabin configuration as they had to fo in my case. I really appreciate that they went to that trouble. Being a newbies, as this will be the first time my husband has had to use a scooter, we could end up regretting the fact that we didn’t try harder for an accessible cabin. We will have to compare notes once on the ship, so I hope you and your partner will be at the meet and greets. It would be interesting to find out how you like the accessible cabin.

Do you think your partner will try taking the scooter off of the ship? I have asked some questions about that with regard to Saint Maarten and Puerto Rico. With the hurricane damage to those islands and the main commercial centers being near our docks and in the best shape (as far as being up and running), I think my husband might consider it.

Thanks for the suggestionsand see you back on the roll call!

Do you think your partner will try taking the scooter off of the ship? I have asked some questions about that with regard to Saint Maarten and Puerto Rico. With the hurricane damage to those islands and the main commercial centers being near our docks and in the best shape (as far as being up and running), I think my husband might consider it.

 

Thanks for the suggestionsand see you back on the roll call!

Yes, I think she will take the scooter off the ship. I found this thread on what it's like at those ports: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2581383

Thanks Wyknott . I was actually the OP on that thread, LOL! hope it was of interest to others who will be using scooters. Perhaps some will see it via the link you have posted.

Mlbcruiser and Wyknott, I see where you've talked about taking the scooter off the ship in ports. On our first and only cruise we had no idea what we were doing so...we took the scooter off the ship in St Marten, Coco Cay and St Thomas!;p:')

At Coco Cay it probably wasn't the best idea due to all of the sand, lol, but the crew was very accommodating and got me onto the island. St Thomas and St Marten were both easier. For both ports, we had previously booked excursions - Magen's Bay Beach in St Thomas and Maho & Orient Beach, shopping and a tour in St Marten. Because we had no clue what we were doing ;p we did not inform the excursion operators about my scooter ahead of time. I needed the scooter even though I can walk - just not long distances and I get tired quite easily. At each port and with each driver/guide they bent over backwards to make sure my family and I were taken care of. In St Thomas my husband and the driver literally picked up my scooter and put it on the bus so I would have it. And carried it back off at every stop. In St Marten they made sure to put our group on a bus with a lift for the scooter. At EVERY SINGLE STOP they made sure to get me out and would constantly check on us to make sure everything was ok. We were just thrilled and amazed at the service and kindness that was shown to our family during these excursions. The companies just knocked it out of the park. We used Royal Caribbean excursions for one and Viator for the other and made sure to tip our guide/driver very well and also called the companies to make sure they knew how much we appreciated the service.

My husband and I are going to Labadee, Falmouth and Cozumel on our next cruise in September. 15th Wedding Anniversary!!:D We are hoping to be able to take the scooter off ship this time but are not expecting to. I will bring my crutches as a back up, if needed. This is our second cruise ever and because of the service and kindness we were shown by RC on FOTS - RC has us for life. We are Loyal To Royal! And mlbcruiser thank you for your kind words earlier about my first post - I was a bit nervous & not sure if I had done it correctly! :D