Pushing a Transport Chair

[blazerjan]

We have just decided this morning to purchase a transport chair for my DH for our upcoming cruise. He too can walk short distances and we only plan on using it for getting on and off the ship or maybe to get from one end of the ship to another. He is 5'9" and weighs 220 pounds. I was planning on being the one pushing him... I am a short plus size women in my early 60's... can anyone tell me if this is going to be too much for me? I've read all the posts in this thread and now I'm getting worried. I will not be pushing him over rocks, sand, etc etc...

[theldaken]

Far too much,believe me,a transfer chair is just that,designed for short distances.On board,there seems to be an awful lot of carpet,which unless you are fit can be hard work.Why not get a scooter of some kind?I think you may find it,impossible at times to push the chair,where you want or need to go.

[GHDPeter]

I work a part time job at my local cruise terminal providing assistance with embarkation and disembarkation to passengers in wheelchairs.

 

The distance from bag drop to cabin is about 1km and I can assure you that a "normal" wheelchair is much easier to push and control than a transit chair both on and off the ship.

 

Other things to consider are cabin location and type, type of port access ( gangway vs tender ), and port of call facilities.

 

On a recent transit visit the ship provided their own staff and wheelchairs but they finished an hour before departure and half an hour before the last passengers returned who required assistance.

 

On embarkation day and on the last night you might have trouble getting down corridors with luggage being in the way.

[terrierjohn]

I am a bit confused with all the negative comments about transit/transport wheelchairs on this thread, and how these might influence less experienced wheelchair users.

 

In the UK there are 2 main types of manual wheelchair, self propel which have large rear wheels and an outer ring that is used to propel the chair by the user, or transit/transport that have smaller rear wheels and are propelled by a carer. In a lot of cases suppliers will offer both types under the same model type and these will be identical except for the rear wheel size, and as such their use and general characteristics are also identical. Although I would agree that the larger rear wheels are easier to manoeuvre over kerbs, but they are also slightly heavier.

 

So from my perspective the choice of chair will be dependent on the users needs, and how well the chair fits into the families car boot/trunk. My wife has no use in her left hand or arm following a stroke so has no need for a self propel chair, and her transit chair fits better in our boot because of the smaller rear wheels.

 

There are of course many different makers offering many models with varying weights, strengths and comfort styles, so it is important for any user to do as much research and testing as they can before buying or even hiring one for a cruise.

 

We are certainly very happy with the chair we chose, which is toward the lighter end of those available, it has a slightly padded and shaped seat, and even without any other cushioning my wife assures me is very comfortable. It is about to be taken on its 6th cruise where it will be navigated all around the ship, and ashore in all the ports we visit and I hope on many more cruises before it is worn out.

[sdschwrt]

I am a bit confused with all the negative comments about transit/transport wheelchairs on this thread, and how these might influence less experienced wheelchair users.

 

I too am confused as I have stated previously on this board. The only qualification to my comments is that a transport chair is the only type of chair we have used for over 10 years of travel so I can not comment if a big wheel chair is easier to use.

 

My wife can spend 8 hours sitting in the transport chair and has no complaints about comfort. Many times she prefers remaining in the transport chair rather than transferring to a chair in a restaurant. We can use the chair over all types of terrain just this weekend exploring a local fair on a fairground composed of gravel and grass. I push the chair long distances without any problem. Just this summer we have walked from the pier in Cozumel to the Zocala, approximately 3-4 miles on the Malacon from the Golden Zone of Mazatlan to El Centro and from Millenium park to the Sears tower in Chicago along Michigan Avenue. These walks are in addition to the time spent exploring the areas we went to. Probably do 3-5 miles a day. My wife was completely comfortable during these excursions. These are just our typical activities.

 

We have never encountered problems navigating most of the ship or passing through the hallways even when luggage is present. There are some areas of the ship such as parts of the dinning room where furniture is too close together to pass. This would be a problem with any mobility device. On some ships, the transport chair actually can pass through the door of a regular cabin. I have little trouble with most gangways on ships although there is the occasionally steep gangway which on our last cruise I got halfway up before I needed to call for help. I probably would have needed help regardless of the type of chair. The chair also folds down to a small enough footprint that if necessary it can be kept next to the driver of a tour bus and it fits in the trunk of any size car. Finally, an advantage I have found of the transport chair which could in fact be a reflection of their difficulty to push is that on our cruises and land vacations I can eat twice as much as I do at home while actually losing weight. Much more fun to spend time traveling with my wife than going to a gym to lose weight.

 

I do qualify my comments by stating that we buy what at least on Amazon is the most expensive transport chair they carry, a Nova 300 I believe. We have also gotten chairs through medical supply companies which are also more expensive than the chairs commonly seen in drugstores.

 

Obviously what works for me may not work for everyone. They do work for some of us and I think the strong dismissal by some posters of transport chairs is totally uncalled for. Just because they have not worked for a specific poster should not be generalized into a general condemnation of their suitability for travel.

[Leesie6351]

I may have a possible solution. We bought a rollator that converts to a transport chair by just flipping the handle. It's great for people who have some mobility but need to rest periodically (the rollator) and possibly be pushed (the transport version). I plan to take it on our upcoming Century cruise to Hawaii. I feel this is a great solution.

 

Good luck and enjoy the cruise

[carol louise]

We have just decided this morning to purchase a transport chair for my DH for our upcoming cruise. He too can walk short distances and we only plan on using it for getting on and off the ship or maybe to get from one end of the ship to another. He is 5'9" and weighs 220 pounds. I was planning on being the one pushing him... I am a short plus size women in my early 60's... can anyone tell me if this is going to be too much for me? I've read all the posts in this thread and now I'm getting worried. I will not be pushing him over rocks, sand, etc etc...

 

I am just coming back to this thread today, and maybe you already bought a chair, but in case not or for others reading the thread, I just wanted to mention I agree with sdschwrt that buying quality is important. If the wheels/axels are properly designed, then after your initial push, momentum will help move the chair along. I also recommend you buy one with hand-brakes: helpful in a downward incline, and also you can "lock" the wheels when waiting somewhere so the chair won't drift when the rider shifts his weight.

 

Happy cruising.

[Putterdude]

DW uses a lightweight folding wheelchair when we travel as she has MS. This month British Airlines left her chair in London while we were on our way to Rome.:eek: BA's agents at FCO loaned her a transport chair and if she never sees one again it will be to soon. They are designed for use on hard surfaces in hospitals not on cruise ships or for touring ashore.

[sdschwrt]

BA's agents at FCO loaned her a transport chair and if she never sees one again it will be to soon. They are designed for use on hard surfaces in hospitals not on cruise ships or for touring ashore.

 

As I stated in post 30, our experience is exactly the opposite of what you have stated. The transport chair is suitable for the ship and touring ashore. With over 15 years of traveling with a transport chair, I can count on my finger the sites we could not access. I should stress that we get a high end chair with brakes and perhaps the one you were given was a cheap chair with small back wheels which I agree is not suitable for touring.

[Putterdude]

As I stated in post 30, our experience is exactly the opposite of what you have stated. The transport chair is suitable for the ship and touring ashore. With over 15 years of traveling with a transport chair, I can count on my finger the sites we could not access. I should stress that we get a high end chair with brakes and perhaps the one you were given was a cheap chair with small back wheels which I agree is not suitable for touring.

 

As I stated in post 33, our experience was exactly the opposite of yours...my wife ached after 2 days of trying to get around in Rome and on the carpet of our hotel and I hurt pushing her, this is not the purpose of a transport chair. However, I should stress that I am delighted that you are happy with yours.