Shuttles and Scooters

[SMN73]

Hi all,

 

Couple of quick questions. I apologize if they have been discussed before.

 

Do the Ft. Lauderdale hotel shuttles that go to the ports run into the afternoon, say 1:00 or so, or do they stop at a certain time? My sister has mobility issues and it would be hard for her to be on the ship for very long with her carry on so I thought we might get to the port about the time the rooms were ready.

 

She will be renting a scooter and has booked an accessible balcony room on Independence. I have read they deliver to the ship, but can anyone tell me specifically where they deliver? To a place outside of the ship/in the port or will it be waiting on her in the room?

 

Thanks for any info!!

[Hypo]

When the scooters are delivered to the ship, they are usually placed in the cabin. If you need the scooter before 1 PM when the cabins are available, we have just opened the closed hallway door and asked the nearest room steward that is working in the hallway if I can go to the cabin and get the scooter for my wife.

 

We alleviate this problem by having the scooter delivered to the hotel for our use pre cruise. We always fly into FLL two days before the cruise and stay at Embassy Suites. We have the scooter delivered to the hotel, and they keep it in the back office at checkin until we arrive. DW can use the scooter around the hotel and to go over to the shopping center behind Embassy Suites. We arrange for transfers to the ship with the hotel concierge (in the lobby by the front desk) I believe, IIRC, that the charge for the shuttle is about $20.00 total. When they load the luggage, the bellmen just pick up the whole scooter and put it in the back of the shuttle. At the port, the porters and the shuttle driver just unload the scooter and we are off to check in.

 

One word of warning if you use this method, when you are actually boarding the ship and going up the ramps, at the very end of the ramp before you get on the ship there is a small, very steep ramp. Do not try to drive up this ramp with the scooter as it will tip over backwards. Ask the crewman that is at this point to assist, or make sure someone that is strong is assisting by supporting the scooter from behind while driving up this last short ramp.

 

After the cruise we have been directed to leave the scooter in the cabin and get wheel chair assist off the ship. In the past, we have left the scooter (on Oasis and Allure) in an area of the promenade near the Starbucks coffee shop, which is where they take you by wheelchair off the ship. Our supplier of the scooter, Care Vacations, has requested that we start leaving the scooter in the cabin as they have recently had some scooters stolen off the ship from the area near Starbucks. What I plan to do is have her ride the scooter down to the assembly area, wait there while I return the scooter to the cabin, and then we will go off ship with her in a wheelchair.

 

If you have any more questions please ask and I will try and answer them.