Question regarding a handicap situation

[penwah2002]

Dear friendly and loyal cruisers. I will be taking my DS on the Breakaway in April. She has a situation where she can not walk long distances due to a bad foot. I worry about her ability to walk long distances and I have a couple questions and hope someone in a similar situation can help me. I have cruised 10 times with my DH but not with her.

Beginning with the port in NY, is there a handicap line that would allow her to move along faster?

Can I possibly rent a wheel chair on the ship if she needs it?

When disembarking and embarking the ship at port is there someone that could wheel her down the long dock to and from the ship?

Everyone is always so helpful on the boards, I'm just looking for some answers that can put my mind at ease. I'm not looking for any special privileges, maybe just a little help if she should need it.

Thank you all.

[gymbomb]

Wheelchairs are only available onboard for emergency situations. If you think she may want/need to use one, you will need to either take one with you or arrange a rental ahead of time through Special Needs At Sea. See here for details: http://www.ncl.com/about/accessible-cruising#guestmob

[Sparkygirl]

If you think you will require a wheelchair onboard the ship it must be rented or purchased. We ended up purchasing a transport chair, not a wheel chair for my 98 year old grandmother as it is smaller, lighter and more upright that a wheel chair.

 

Yes, crew members will help with getting on and off the ship. By the "long dock" do you mean the entire way from the ship along the dock to the taxi or shopping area? Crew members will help with getting on and off the gangway between the ship and the pier. Once on the pier the responsibility for pushing is the family or friends with the person in the wheel chair.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Dear friendly and loyal cruisers. I will be taking my DS on the Breakaway in April. She has a situation where she can not walk long distances due to a bad foot. I worry about her ability to walk long distances and I have a couple questions and hope someone in a similar situation can help me. I have cruised 10 times with my DH but not with her.

Beginning with the port in NY, is there a handicap line that would allow her to move along faster?

Can I possibly rent a wheel chair on the ship if she needs it?

When disembarking and embarking the ship at port is there someone that could wheel her down the long dock to and from the ship?

Everyone is always so helpful on the boards, I'm just looking for some answers that can put my mind at ease. I'm not looking for any special privileges, maybe just a little help if she should need it.

Thank you all.

 

There is a waiting area at the port (before security) you give your name and they will wheel her right up to your cabin. Same thing for getting off the ship. Meeting in the theatre to get a wheelchair escort off the ship. It is a far walk on and off. I actually used it to get off the ship due to back issues. Not sure about getting a wheel chair once on board. U may need to reserve it or a scooter before hand.

[FireEater]

I have read where Special Needs At Sea company does a great job on renting and delivering/picking up to/from the ship.

 

I did a check, and for a wheelchair for a week is $75. For an electric scooter, it is $175. I do not know where the Breakaway is ported so I chose Miami as the port. Price might vary, depending on port...I am not sure though.

 

I vote for the electric scooter. I have had to use both for my wife and trust me, a scooter is soooooooooooo much better. Your daughter can be more free and family/friends save a back...:)

Edited December 31, 2014 by FireEater

[cb at sea]

The ship has no wheelchairs for use during the cruise. Rent one, if you need it. They will assist you with boarding, but that's as far as it goes. A rental seems like a good choice, if walking is an issue...there is A LOT of walking on a ship!!!

[xlxo]

I worry about her ability to walk long distances and I have a couple questions and hope someone in a similar situation can help me. I have cruised 10 times with my DH but not with her.

Beginning with the port in NY, is there a handicap line that would allow her to move along faster?

Can I possibly rent a wheel chair on the ship if she needs it?

 

In Vancouver, you can rent a chair at the terminal. However their chairs are not meant to be taken off the ship. I went to a local medical store and just bought a transport chair.... it was not much more than the rental and I could take the chair anywhere I wanted.

 

When cruise and airport staff see a chair, they immediately put you in a priority lane for security searches.... sadly there might be additional delays as they also search the chair.

[sadiecat]

On our last cruise we rented a wheelchair at home and transported it with us. We went by train to New Orleans and it was great to have one during our precruise stay.

Edited December 31, 2014 by sadiecat

[deladypilot]

Contact the special needs desk. They will send you forms to fill out. Also get the phone number to the scooter rental place. It will be delivered and placed in the cabin for you.

 

If you let them know up front that you need wheel chair assistance to get on the ship they will have it waiting on her at the port. They will get her on the ship and then you can use the scooter once on board.

 

The scooter can be taken off the ship in ports but remember other countries do not have the laws the US has regarding sidewalks etc so it may not be easy to use in every town

[mdvlprof]

Manual wheelchair, that collapses......Special needs at sea is a good company. Used them for 1st time this year.

 

OR HC room. Standard scooters don't fit thru regular stateroom door. And rooms are small, anyway. Scooter in room would make getting around in room very challenging.

 

Leaving scooter in hallway is a safety issue, and makes it nearly impossible for others in mobility chairs to get around it, given in the narrow hallways.

[carol louise]

Another piece of advice: travel with as few pieces of luggage as you can manage. We sailed out of New York on Norwegian and HAL when my late husband needed wheelchair assistance (we had our own transporter chair, also an oxygen concentrator which I pushed because it was too fragile to check with our larger bags -- concentrators were bigger ten years ago than the little rechargeable ones nowadays). For embarkation and disembarkation, while cruise personnel pushed his chair for us, they were not allowed to carry any luggage (union rules, I think, to protect the NY-port-based porters). While porters can help, the less you have to carry/handle, the easier it will be navigating the terminal. Since then, I still use a backpack for my carry-on when I fly or cruise -- great to have hands free.

 

Modern ships are sooooo long, you will be glad to have a wheeled chair on board.

 

Have a great cruise.

Edited December 31, 2014 by carol louise

[penwah2002]

Thank you everyone for your help. I re-booked a handicap room and got in contact with Special Needs at Sea and rented a scooter. Thank you all again!!

 

My sister is so excited for her first cruise. She works very hard for the VA and deserves a great vacation!!

 

Thanks again!!