Traveling with handicapped mother

[lovestogarden]

My family and I (husband, daughter, son-in-law, 2 grandbabies, mother-in-law, sister-in-law) will be on Liberty of Seas in May. My husband and I have cruised several times and always do early disembarkation. With my mother who can walk but it is very slow, can I get a wheelchair to do the early disembark? Also, if we cannot manage her luggage, can I get a porter? We've just always found that early departing is quicker, but this may not be possible. Any info is appreciated.

[Clarea]

You can get a porter once you are off the ship, but you cannot get a porter to help take bags off the ship. I suggest you forego self-assist disembarkation and let the ship take your bags off.

[reallyitsmema]

My family and I (husband, daughter, son-in-law, 2 grandbabies, mother-in-law, sister-in-law) will be on Liberty of Seas in May. My husband and I have cruised several times and always do early disembarkation. With my mother who can walk but it is very slow, can I get a wheelchair to do the early disembark? Also, if we cannot manage her luggage, can I get a porter? We've just always found that early departing is quicker, but this may not be possible. Any info is appreciated.

 

If by early disembarkation, you mean self disembarkation, then, no, you can't get wheelchair assistance and porters are only available after you are off the ship. To self disembark, you have to be able to manage your own luggage or someone in your party needs to.

 

You can request an early number to get off the ship but if you are going to require wheelchair assistance, that will slow you down as you wait your turn for a wheelchair and a pusher.

[MommaBear55]

Part of the rules of self disembark is that you need to be able to carry your luggage unassisted. Some ships I have been on require that you do that down two flights of stairs. It does not sound like you could do that with someone in a wheelchair. You don't say how young the grandbabies are, but if you have to carry them and strollers, etc, it just sounds difficult.

 

If you need to be off early, say for an early flight, you can discuss this with guest services and get a low number for disembarkation.

[Spurschick]

When we travelled with my DM in a wheelchair, she rented a chair for onboard. those chairs cannot be taken off the ship so we had to arrange a time for her to be switched into a chair to be wheeled off. She was wheeled off by a ship employee. That left us enough hands to do self disembark.

[Dinkachu]

We cruised on Allure Dec. 2015 and Vision March 2016. Wheelchair help upon boarding: Once we cleared security we were assisted by RCI staff - who pushed my wheelchair onto the ship.

 

On both ships: We were instructed to go meet at a special location for wheelchair assistance disembarking.

 

Wheelchairs were provided along with assistance to get off the ship and on Allure they took me to baggage claim. On Vision, I was taken all the way out to my van.

 

In both cases, my family members and traveling companions carried my luggage. No problems at all.

[Havingfun2010]

My family and I (husband, daughter, son-in-law, 2 grandbabies, mother-in-law, sister-in-law) will be on Liberty of Seas in May. My husband and I have cruised several times and always do early disembarkation. With my mother who can walk but it is very slow, can I get a wheelchair to do the early disembark? Also, if we cannot manage her luggage, can I get a porter? We've just always found that early departing is quicker, but this may not be possible. Any info is appreciated.

 

First, do you have a real legit reason to get off the ship early? Such as early flight? Someplace you need to go? IF not, than why bother. It appears you have 2 babies, plus, you need to handle the luggage of a 3rd person, your mother-in-law. Take you time in the morning. Get the kids ready. Bring off only a carry on bag. Once in the terminal, gather your bags, find a porter to take the bags to the car. Make it as simple as possible! Why rush?