Frustrated: was on a cruise with a dead wheelchair

[Cruiseboy06]

I want to blow off some stream. is that okay?

This is not Carnival's fault. I'm not blaming them... There was 6 of us, including me . I use a power wheelchair.. I was in a loaner chair while an authorization a new wheelchair for me is going through..

 

I went on 4 day cruise on Imagination Aug 23 to 27th

 

Everything was going great till 2nd day-- At Catalina Everybody wanted to go to Catalina. We have asked there was an accessible tender, and they said yes, and they needed to ask for it. They said, come back to the theater about 12:30 to get on the tender. So we got some drinks while we were waiting, and we went back at 12:30 as requested to. T here was some delays on Deck 3 while we waited there.. Cruise Director, Chole Loddo, was there to help with Debarkation to Catalina She was very helpful. Some of my friends thought she was over the top.. I thought to myself she is supposed to be like that way.. :-) So they were ready for wheelchairs. So I started to proceed to aboard the tender "Duke" with assistance with crew from the Imagination and the tender I started rolling up to get on the ramp and down, and suddenly my wheelchair stopped.. no reason and I looked at my joystick screen and said right break error. I thought one of crew accidentally hit the motor gear for manual drive. I wrote to them lock my breaks again. I turned off my wheelchair and turn it back on NOTHING. it had same errors...... I was thinking damnnn S%^%^% stuck on a ramp to the tender.. They pushed me down to the tender my friends and I tried to figure out whats going on.. I thought it was a simple error and I could have fixed it.. We called my friend is who an OT and know wheelchairs and we texted my wheelchair tech. They couldn't helped. I was in a ship wheelchair for rest of the cruise.. Chole was very helpful getting a manual chair. Rest of cruise went okay........I lost my Independence ....... Here Comes Tuesday night and Wednesday night. my friends keep on asking me what time my friend is picking me up from terminal. I told them about 10 FAIR RIght? They wanted to get off of the ship soon as 7 am..They are not into cruises after this (this is not reason--wheelchair problems)... I was thinking THATS IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!! They start the Debarkation about 8 for self assist and and then Zones- I knew the process on the morning of.. :-) This is my 5th cruise My friends thought we could have walked off soon as the ship docked....... I think we arrived in Long Beach about 5:45 I felt the ship docking The ship itself gotta go through Customs and security before general debarkation begins Night before they wanted me to call my friend to ask him to come earlier. Ship to land call..they said it was an emergency. nope it was not. It'd be an emergency if I was medically airlifted off of the ship for medical reasons not come earlier because we wanted to leave........ That was impossible because he had to get a truck about 9.......... we left the ship about 8:30 to 8:45, and we waited for my bag at one of the bays.. soon as we got my bag and they parked me in the parking garage (drop/picked up areas) to wait for my friend, which he was running late due to traffic and waited for a van instead of a truck. They left me there alone with no way getting around in case of I needed assistance if i need some like going to the restroom or anything like that..

 

One of my friends are giving me hard time without realizing hes making a fool out of himself-- he says I should have made other arrangements through shuttle or something like that or my other friends......... my friend was planning to pick me up because he knows my wheelchair and me. he has a ramp for my wheelchair.. If my wheelchair would not broken down I'd would not mind if they left earlier... I would have stayed on the ship till 10 or so (when my zone was called) my friends think they i'm blaming everyone......... oh pleaze......... Stuff happens on a ship :-) Yes, I cruise again and on Carnival..

[calicruz]

I am sorry to hear about your troubles with the wheelchair, but like you said, stuff happens. As far as your 'friends', I think I would find some different friends.

[elliair]

I am sorry to hear about your troubles with the wheelchair, but like you said, stuff happens. As far as your 'friends', I think I would find some different friends.

 

Yes, I agree with you, they are not friends, friends don't leave friends stranded.

[nflvikings1]

That's so funny.

[memecakes]

Did your friends have a plane to catch? If not then they should have stayed with you.

[Cruiseboy06]

Did your friends have a plane to catch? If not then they should have stayed with you.

 

 

no flights to catch. We all live in Southern CA

[maeormaenot]

That was a series of unfortunate events for sure! Glad to see you handled it like an adult and seems that Carnival did what they could to help.

 

As for your friends...I would drop that term...I've seen strangers treat strangers better.

[Boozebabe]

You need some real friends not the jerks who went on the cruise with you.

[clackey]

You need some real friends not the jerks who went on the cruise with you.

A friend will help you move.

 

 

A real friend will help you move the bodies.

 

 

I am serious.;)

[Cruiseboy06]

Oh, man. That sucks! Well, I guess it could have been worse, like no wheelchair available at all. It seems like you did our best to make lemonade out of lemons, but that still ended up being a less than perfect cruise experience for you. (((hugs)))

 

thanks

[OneLeggedCruiser]

Oh how I know the woes of a stranded chair. Im sorry this happened to you! I thought long and hard about whether to bring a manual or a scooter, and I think the manual is best . I'm bringing my daughter along this time ( I had two legs last time, lol) so she knows she won't be in the will if she leaves me stranded! (like I have anything..)

 

May your next cruise(and mine for that matter!) be easier, more fun, and all around better.

[gtouch]

Oh how I know the woes of a stranded chair. Im sorry this happened to you! I thought long and hard about whether to bring a manual or a scooter, and I think the manual is best . I'm bringing my daughter along this time ( I had two legs last time, lol) so she knows she won't be in the will if she leaves me stranded! (like I have anything..)

 

May your next cruise(and mine for that matter!) be easier, more fun, and all around better.

 

What a great attitude and funny post. Love your outlook on life. Have a great cruise.

[gtouch]

A friend will help you move.

 

 

A real friend will help you move the bodies.

 

 

I am serious.;)

 

Nice.....I always liked when someone knocks you down a friend helps you up a real friend says stay there I got this.

[SadieN]

Oh how I know the woes of a stranded chair. Im sorry this happened to you! I thought long and hard about whether to bring a manual or a scooter, and I think the manual is best . I'm bringing my daughter along this time ( I had two legs last time, lol) so she knows she won't be in the will if she leaves me stranded! (like I have anything..)

 

 

 

May your next cruise(and mine for that matter!) be easier, more fun, and all around better.

 

 

The oddest thing I've seen on a porter cart was a prosthetic leg.

 

OP-glad you we're able to use the tenders to Catalina. Too bad your equipment had major issues. Did you get it fixed?

[riclop]

They someone say new friends are needed.

[OneLeggedCruiser]

The oddest thing I've seen on a porter cart was a prosthetic leg.

 

hahaha! I bet! I don't wear mine, that sucker weighs more than the leg that's still attached to me!

[Nic6318]

Glad you were able to make the best of a bad situation..

 

It would seem like you need to change you travel partners.

 

Some people forget mobility isn't easy for everyone.

One time my wife's (manual) wheelchair broke a wheel on some cobblestones. We had to scramble a bit to get another chair, but we are lucky that she can manage for a short distance if necessary.

 

hope your next cruise works out better

Happy sailing

[RuthlessBoss]

What happened to the scooter once it broke down? How did you get to the pick up area? It's easy for people to say to get new friends but that's not possible usually. I think you'll still be friends on some level, but if it was me, I'd always have a bit of negativity because they were quite selfish leaving you stranded. Your true friend was the one who took part of his day to come get you.

[thrillfan]

I think you were being very nice by referring to the people that went on the cruise with you as friends. That's not how friends treat friends. Get you some new friends those people took advantage of you. So sorry for you wheelchair problems hope you got it fixed. ((( HUGS))):eek: