Handicap boarding?

[LuvTheSea14]

Is there a special boarding for handicapped guests? Friend has a very hard time walking and uses cane and gets very nervous with crowds pushing around her.

[tempura]

Yes, they will board handicapped pax before regular pax, just after Latitudes... but that can still be a substantial wait. Your friend might wish to arrange for a wheelchair during the boarding process (this will allow her priority boarding) or bring along a cane that has an attached seat.

[SuzyLovesNCL]

There will be NCL stewards in the boarding area with wheelchairs and you can simply ask them for assistance. My DP has horrible knees so walking and standing for any length of time are very hard on her, so we always get wheelchair assistance.

 

As an FYI, and something your friend might consider, you can rent scooters or wheelchairs for use on board. We have arranged a wheelchair rental for our upcoming 12 day cruise. That way she can save her daily allotment of steps for fun things like getting on buses to tour new cities or on boats to go sailing!! Enjoy your cruise!

[LuvTheSea14]

Thank you. Good idea

[bakerintn]

However, if you get a wheel chair for onboard use, you may want to consider getting a handicap accessible cabin...these have wider doors, a bathroom that a wheel chair can enter and more room to maneuver inside the cabin.

 

If you get an electric scooter, you definitely will need to get a handicap cabin, since the scooter must be stored and recharged inside your cabin. (Not left in the hallway).

[SuzyLovesNCL]

However, if you get a wheel chair for onboard use, you may want to consider getting a handicap accessible cabin...these have wider doors, a bathroom that a wheel chair can enter and more room to maneuver inside the cabin.

 

If you get an electric scooter, you definitely will need to get a handicap cabin, since the scooter must be stored and recharged inside your cabin. (Not left in the hallway).

 

True enough if you need the wheelchair inside the room or if you get a motorized scooter. In our case, and it sounds like for the OP as well, the wheelchair is to alleviate the wear and tear of walking and standing for long periods, but otherwise able to move about with a cane.

 

In our case, we fold up the wheelchair when we get back to the room, so a handicap room is not necessary and we leave it for the folks that truly need it.

[qvenedandan]

However, if you get a wheel chair for onboard use, you may want to consider getting a handicap accessible cabin...these have wider doors, a bathroom that a wheel chair can enter and more room to maneuver inside the cabin.

 

If you get an electric scooter, you definitely will need to get a handicap cabin, since the scooter must be stored and recharged inside your cabin. (Not left in the hallway).

 

Don't know if there is exception on the Breakaway, but my neighbors across the hallway from my cabin left the electric scooter in the hallway overnight for recharging. Maybe they were not able to secure a handicap cabin for that specific week (as the ship was sailed at full capacity).

 

Regards,

Mandy

[Demonyte]

Don't know if there is exception on the Breakaway, but my neighbors across the hallway from my cabin left the electric scooter in the hallway overnight for recharging.

 

No there is not because going by the book, safety regulations strictly forbid storing anything in the hallways, that's a huge risk in case of a fire and/or electric blackout - especially on narrow hallways like on Breakaway.

[qvenedandan]

That caught me by surprise too, since we were on Deck 13 at internal corridor. :confused: Maybe the cabin steward moved it in crew (restricted) area by the later at nights my neighbors were back to their room for rest.

[Sequim88]

In the case of the OP's friend another reason to at least have a wheelchair available (even if folded in a regular cabin) would be for the chance of ship motion. My wife can use a cane but due to severe balance issues and right side paralysis uses her own wheelchair for distances and especially on rocking ships.

 

We book an accessible cabin for the grab bars and other features in the bathoom that make it safer for her. Especially the shower seat.

 

Sounds like the boarding procedure is pretty much the same as with RCI. We've always been pulled out of the line as soon as the wheelchair is seen and taken to a lower check-in counter. Then we get put into a waiting area with other wheelchairs and scooters to be taken as a group onboard - just ahead of the general boarding. I think they do this partly for saftety reasons and partly to get the slow movers out of the way of the crowd.