Cruising on Royal Caribbean with MS....

[ToddinVA]

So we're doing a big family cruise with my side of the family at the end of June on the Freedom to the eastern Caribbean. My mom is going and she has MS and somewhat limited mobility. She normally uses a walker (with a built-in seat) and will be renting a scooter for the cruise as well. I have some questions though:

 

1) We are going to Coco Cay. Is there any chance that she could get off the ship there? I've been there several years ago, but don't remember the particulars with tendering and wasn't exactly paying attention to handicapped accessibility. She can get up and down steps, but it's not easy. If she is able to get to the island, are there wheelchairs that can be used to get around in the sand? I know Disney's Castaway Cay has them...

 

2) How about getting off in St. Thomas? Is it possible to take a scooter off at the pier? If she got off with the walker, is it relatively easy to get onto a taxi (one low to the ground) to go into town?

 

3) I see there are a couple of handicapped accessible island excursions on St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Are these any good?

Edited May 11, 2014 by ToddinVA

[MedicKen]

My wife uses a scooter as well. We have had vey little issue getting off, and back on, any port that we docked at. A minor issue we did have, however, was on Freedom of the Seas. Every time we went to re-board we had to wait while the scooter was swabbed for explosive residue. I found this out in conversation tihe the Deputy Chief of Security on a "wait" for an OK to board. You, or rather she, will have a crew member escort her up and down the gangway. (For her safety)

 

I'm sorry I van't give you a definitve answer about Cocoa Cay, we decided to stay on the ship and enjoy our balcony.

[xxoocruiser]

 

1) We are going to Coco Cay. Is there any chance that she could get off the ship there? I've been there several years ago, but don't remember the particulars with tendering and wasn't exactly paying attention to handicapped accessibility. She can get up and down steps, but it's not easy. If she is able to get to the island, are there wheelchairs that can be used to get around in the sand? I know Disney's Castaway Cay has them...

 

In Coco Cay, the tender is like a barge which a wheelchair or mobility scooter can roll directly on board. However be advised due to water/weather conditions it's at the Captains discretion if she will be able to board with a scooter and or wheelchair and states so on RCCL's website. Also not that Coco Cay in general is often a missed port all together for the ship due to water/weather conditions.

 

2) How about getting off in St. Thomas? Is it possible to take a scooter off at the pier? If she got off with the walker, is it relatively easy to get onto a taxi (one low to the ground) to go into town?

 

There should be no problem with taking a scooter off the ship at the pier. However the taxi's in St. Thomas are open air safari like buses that are not wheelchair accessible. Believe Grumbs is the only taxi service that has a wheelchair accessible lift on one of it's safari taxis. Here's the link http://www.gumbstaxi.com/about.php

 

Not certain where the FOS docks. If at the Havensight pier that you are pretty much right in the thick of things with plenty of shops and restaurants. If it docks at Crown Bay there it's a little more limited but still has plenty of shops and restaurants. Regardless of the location you will experience that stores and restaurants may have a step up into the store not allowing a scooter or wheelchair to enter. Also you might at times have to search for curb cut-outs.

 

3) I see there are a couple of handicapped accessible island excursions on St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Are these any good?

 

Having MS I prefer to not to do accessible tours and often want to return to the throughout the day to get out of the heat and relax . Many people with MS are heat sensitive and fatigue easily so please take that into consideration if these issue apply to your Mother when planning port days.

[firerunner]

Having MS I prefer to not to do accessible tours and often want to return to the throughout the day to get out of the heat and relax . Many people with MS are heat sensitive and fatigue easily so please take that into consideration if these issue apply to your Mother when planning port days.

 

Like xxoocruiser I too have MS, and have to agree about the excursions. We do not book any thru the cruise line for they are non refundable if I'm too weak, tired, sick to go.

 

Many local vendors will allow you to book with no deposit, pay when you go, and if i have to cancel the morning of the excursions I just call them and let them know. (if you do this please do call so they don't wait for you or refuse others )

 

we also like to just come and go based on the heat and how I feel.

 

Go slow, relax and have fun!!!

[sdschwrt]

 

2) How about getting off in St. Thomas? Is it possible to take a scooter off at the pier? If she got off with the walker, is it relatively easy to get onto a taxi (one low to the ground) to go into town?

 

3) I see there are a couple of handicapped accessible island excursions on St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Are these any good?

 

My wife has MS and we travel with a transport chair. We normally walk from the pier, either one, to downtown St. Thomas and take a cab back. At least downtown, we find van type cabs, and my wife can get into the front seat next to the driver. They drop us at the pier so I would think that the same type of van, dodge caravan style, would be available to go to town. The walker would fit right into the van. The problem may be how far your mom can walk once in town. Perhaps a transport chair rather than the scooter would meet your needs. If there is a pusher available, you would have much more off shore access than with the scooter. Between the walker and the transport chair on ship you should be able to get everywhere.

 

My wife walks short distances and with assistance raising her legs can get onto and off tour buses. We travel extensively and have never booked an accessible tour. If she can get the first seat on a bus or front passenger seat in a tour van we can manage. She is heat sensitive and sometimes this involves having the tour guide or taxi driver assist me in helping her on and off vehicles. Crew have carried her wheelchair or just lifted her onto excursion boats. My wife is not embarrassed by having strangers lift her if necessary onto vehicles so we are not restricted in what tours we take.

 

When the heat gets to her, ice water, if outside and a cooling cloth for evaporative cooling helps her cope. About an hour in air conditioning restores her to normal function. The heat at times makes it almost impossible for her to walk or even stand but we mange to get her into a taxi and back to the ship where she cools down and regains her mobility.

 

Succinctly stated, we travel extensively in Southern climes throughout the summer and plan to do what we want to do. If MS presents problems we find solutions. We don't curtail our activities assuming MS will rear its ugly head and ruin our plans. This attitude has allowed us to successfully travel throughout the world for more than 40 years.

[Fat Paul]

I have secondary progressive MS. I have lost a bunch of weight and have become very fitness conscious. My walking has improved greatly. I however have cognitive impairment, extreme fatigue and heat sensitivity. Our strategy when cruising is to stay rested, hydrated and cool. Also we try to be flexible in our plans (zig when we need to, zag when we must). I wish your family a GREAT cruise.

[autismail]

We loved Cococay, but like a poster said, the weather there make s it hard for the seas and the tenders, so it can be rough there i hear, it was last time we went. Make sure the seas are calm before you tender on over.

[jpcello]

My sister has MS and we have cruised on RCI and Celebrity every year for the past 8 years. She uses a scooter (she owns) and walks with a cane. She can walk short distances. We always get an accessible cabin.

 

We were on Oasis of the Seas last year and this summer sailing on Allure. Probably the most frustrating part were the elevators. Because the ship is so big, everybody uses the elevators. There were several times where I literally had to push thru the crowds that had gathered as we waited for elevators to actually get us on an elevator. People can be very rude.

 

All the public bathrooms on Oasis had excellent accessibility. All doors have buttons that open the main doors and then buttons to open the accessible stalls in the bathrooms themselves.

 

We even went to the beach on St. Maartin last summer. I worked things out ahead of time and the excursion people were fabulous. I helped her walk to the beach and the attendants made sure we were close to the wooden walkways. They even found a parking spot for her scooter.

 

Fortunately her scooter folds up (Luggie) and she's able to walk short distances so steps to a bus aren't a problem.