Wheelchair usage

[midnblue]

Hi,

My DH needs to use a wheelchair for our trip on the Allure. Does anyone have any experience with using one? Does the cruise line supply them or do I need to order one off ship? What about the muster, I know everyone needs to use the stairs, what do people in wheelchairs do? Any other help would be welcomed as well. Thanks, Jan

[TEXASMUNK]

Yes, the ship will have "several"... they are first come, first served, and you cannot keep it for the duration of the cruise.

Contact special needs and they will provide a list of suppliers who will rent you one for your cruise.

There are multiple "horror" stories of people expecting RCI (and other cruise lines) to provide wheelchairs and they all begin with....I cannot believe..."______ cruise line did not provide me with a wheelchair"

and they all end with CR advising that the cruise lines are not responsible.

 

Good luck, enjoy and Bon Voyage

[pcur]

We have cruised several times with a transport chair of our own. Much lighter weight and easier to handle and store. You just have the airline gate check it after you get your husband seated. Then, it's waiting for you when the plane lands and you bring it right on the plane to put him in it.

 

The two we have (one for my Dad and one for my MIL) were purchased online for $99 with free shipping. We keep my MIL's in the trunk of our car since she uses a scooter at home.

 

I really recommend you get one of these. No worries ever, and it goes where you go.

 

http://www.1800wheelchair.com/asp/view-category-products.asp?category_id=498

[woehwdy]

You will also need to advise the cruise line, with a special needs form.

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/guestSpecialNeeds.do

[jmf123]

midnblue, I would suggest checking out Care Vacations. They are contracted with Royal Caribbean. Go to carevacations dot com, or give them a call at (877) 478-7827. Depending on your DH's needs, you may want to consider renting a lightweight scooter instead. Click 'Products', then 'Mobility Scooters' on Care Vacation's website.

Also, the Disabled Cruise Travel forum may be of some help to you: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=190.

Edited February 16, 2014 by jmf123

[midnblue]

Thanks, the use of this chair was not in my plans. So your suggestions are extremely helpful.

[laurac22]

All great suggestions above, just wanted to add that a standard wheelchair will not fit through regular cabin doors, so if your DH is not able to get out of it and walk through the door, make sure you have an accessible cabin. Also one thing about the transport chair, it is not a regular wheelchair with the big wheels in the back, it has four small wheels. Your DH will not be able to propel himself at all, so you or someone else will have to push him where he wants to go. Have a great cruise!

[midnblue]

All great suggestions above, just wanted to add that a standard wheelchair will not fit through regular cabin doors, so if your DH is not able to get out of it and walk through the door, make sure you have an accessible cabin. Also one thing about the transport chair, it is not a regular wheelchair with the big wheels in the back, it has four small wheels. Your DH will not be able to propel himself at all, so you or someone else will have to push him where he wants to go. Have a great cruise!

 

That's good to know too. He will be mobile, but he will be having knee surgery when we get back home and will just need the chair assistance while we try to navigate the ship and any long term walking. (unfortunately, not the right ship for a limited walker, but did not know this was coming when I booked it.) :(

[reallyitsmema]

That's good to know too. He will be mobile, but he will be having knee surgery when we get back home and will just need the chair assistance while we try to navigate the ship and any long term walking. (unfortunately, not the right ship for a limited walker, but did not know this was coming when I booked it.) :(

If you decide on a transport chair, realize that with the small wheels, they are much harder to push over uneven surfaces, especially curbs and doorways. You will need to be stong enough to muscle him over things. If he is a big guy or if you are a little lady, might be worth a regular wheelchair so he can self propel and they move much better over uneven surfaces.

[Hypo]

We get a scooter from Care Vacations for DW to use during our cruises.

Care Vacations will deliver it to the ship and it will be waiting in your cabin. Alternatively, do as we do. We have it delivered to our pre cruise hotel and DW has use of it there. When time to go to the ship, the valet's just put it in the back of the van with the luggage and off we go to the cruise. The nice thing about this arrangement, is that we do not have to wait prior to boarding the ship to find some assistance to push her up the boarding ramps like we would have to do if we were using a wheelchair.

 

Whichever means you use to get on the ship, be extremely careful on the boarding ramps. The turns can be tricky and you can turn over. Be particularly careful of the last, small ramp before you actually go onto the ship. It is steeper than the rest of the gangway ramps, and if you try to just drive a scooter up you can tip over backwards. DW did this on our last cruise, fortunately she was not hurt. Just stop at the top of the gangway, before the small ramp, and ask whomever is attending for some assistance.

 

When the cruise is over, you just leave the scooter in the cabin and Care Vacations will pick it up from the ship. On Allure and Oasis it was done in a slightly different manner. We were directed to take the scooter to just outside the On Air Club, where DW transferred to a regular wheelchair that an RCCL employee will push into the terminal. The scooter was left at the On Air Club for Care Vacations to pick up. Be sure to bring the battery charger and cords with the scooter, and leave the key in it.

 

Once inside the terminal they will seat you in a waiting area and leave you there. Another shoreside employee will come with a wheelchair to assist you in getting your luggage, going through Customs, and out to the curbside transportation.

Edited February 16, 2014 by Hypo

[psupa]

This is a very good thread with very good information. Thank you for sharing.

[TravelerThom]

Fortunately I have not needed a wheelchair - yet. But I do know that they make special provision for the limited mobility during muster drills - ask about this when you check-in, ask your room steward and check with Guest Services (Reception). [Okay, I'm a belt and suspenders guy:o]

 

If your Allure cruise stops in Labadee there are beach wheelchairs [tires big enough to handle sand] to transport you from the dock when you exit the ship to a desired beach location - these come with people who push them (so a tip is in order). It is not yours for the day, but to get you there and back. Labadee did not used to have much hard surface, but there are now concrete sidewalks covering much of the area, so a regular wheelchair can cover quite a bit.

 

Thom

[megr1125]

A scooter will NOT fit in, nor through the doors, or a regular cabin. And technically they are NOT to be stored in the corridors as it's a safety hazard...(that said, it happens often, but really they block the corridors..)

 

Wheelchairs, when folded, will fit through a regular cabin door. They WILL fit through doors on JS cabins ...just a little info. Care vacations is very good...used them about a half dozen times...

[xxoocruiser]

A scooter will NOT fit in, nor through the doors, or a regular cabin.

 

 

Actually your post is not 100% correct. Whether or not a scooter will fit through a standard cabin doorway depends on the actual width of the Scooter. RCCL's standard cabin doorways are 23" wide from door frame to door frame. 2" must than be deducted for the depth of the door as it does not close flush to wall. Therefore if the scooter is 21" wide or less than it will fit through the doorway.

 

Many travel size scooters are 21" or less in width. Carevacations.com Lightweight scooter rental and Mid-Size Scooter rental along with Specialneedsatsea.com Standard Scooter rental will fit through most Cruise lines standard cabin doorways. The issue is that there is not enough room to maneuver the scooter in the cabin if the individual is not ambulatory. If an individual can move about the standard with a care or even a walker than a standard cabin can generally accommodate a travel size mobility scooter by having the coffee table removed.

 

FYI - I always rent the Mid-Size scooter from Carevacations.com, which is a Pride GoGo Elite Traveler HD Plus, and have been able to get it/out of RCCL's standard inside cabins very successfully.

Edited February 16, 2014 by xxoocruiser

[pcur]

All great suggestions above, just wanted to add that a standard wheelchair will not fit through regular cabin doors, so if your DH is not able to get out of it and walk through the door, make sure you have an accessible cabin. Also one thing about the transport chair, it is not a regular wheelchair with the big wheels in the back, it has four small wheels. Your DH will not be able to propel himself at all, so you or someone else will have to push him where he wants to go. Have a great cruise!

 

However, the transport chairs DO fit through the cabin doors!

[seeshore]

I sailed on Allure last year and rented my chair through Special Needs at Sea.

The chair was in the room when we boarded. It arrived in good condition and worked very well.

 

Our experience waiting for wheelchair assistance at the pier was horrible. There seemed to be a battle going on between the pier employees and ship employees which which caused the passengers to wait for inexcusable lenghts of time. I've used wheelchair assistance ot other ports and never encountered the mess that I did in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[Donut23]

The last few cruises we have rented a Pride Revo EVC/Scooter.

 

We are aft-cabin people (not Oasis or Allure) and the GREAT news is this scooter is MADE FOR ROYAL CABINS!! It squeezes through the door, you can turn around at the bed and it tucks in alongside the sofa (3 seater) with plenty of room to walk about.

 

I have a heart problem so I'm not handicapped. I have no need for a special room and would never want to leave the scooter in the way in the hallway when it easily fits in the room.

 

 

My suggestion......take a bike bell and a screw driver. Attach the little bell to announce your arrival. By the end of a cruise people are asking me to ring my bell and we ALL smile.

 

If you are stuck in a scooter, you might as well smile!