Boarding with disabled person. (Galveston)

[jwth2005]

In march 2017 I am taking my father on his first cruise on Breeze. He has Parkinson's and thankfully isn't confined to a wheelchair but does have mobility issues. He generally cannot stand up for more than a minute or two at a time.

 

I know he will be bringing his walker. Is there anything that can be done to help ease the process of boarding for him? Last time I cruises out of Galveston the line to board from the waiting area was pretty long. Thanks in advance.

 

 

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[SadieN]

Contact Carnival and request wheelchair assistance even if he has his own chair. The ramps are long and steep.

[RuthlessBoss]

Have you considered a scooter rental for on board use? Being on a ship is more challenging than at home.

[jwth2005]

We sure haven't. How could we find one for rent?

 

 

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[DrAstroZoom]

We sure haven't. How could we find one for rent?

 

 

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Here's the first Google search result. I'm a wheelchair user traveling out of Galveston in April.

Edited November 15, 2016 by DrAstroZoom

[Schoifmom]

Here is Carnival's information about people with mobility issues.

 

https://www.carnival.com/about-carnival/special-needs.aspx

 

There are a couple of things to note (DH has mobility issues, so I am speaking from experience here):

1. Get wheelchair assistance at the port. There is really no reason not to as your dad has mobility issues.
   
2. Being on a ship is NOT like being at home. If he does well with a walker at home, he may not do as well on a moving ship.
   
3. You can rent a wheelchair or scooter using one of the two companies that Carnival works with. It will be waiting in your room for you when you board, and you leave it there when you leave. OR, you can bring your own.
   
4. BE AWARE that scooters and wheelchairs cannot be left in the hallways. They MUST fit into your stateroom. Stateroom doorways are 22" wide, but you have to subtract 2" from that as they do not open flush. Your scooter must fit through a 20" space.
   

 

Most of all, make sure he has the best experience possible! Carnival is very friendly for those mobility issues. I hope you have a great cruise!

[jwth2005]

Thanks everyone! I will talk to him and see what he wants to do. Normally he gets around with a cane but does have a walker for the longs stuff. I will certainly be contacting carnival for wheelchair assistance.

 

 

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[marimojo]

We have traveled out of Galveston several times with a person in a wheelchair. Carnival uses CareVacation rentals - you call them before your cruise and reserve. On cruise day your scooter will be waiting in the cabin. I email icare@carnival.com for special services (i.e., refrig for diabetes meds). I agree with Sadie about getting a wheelchair when you get to the terminal. If you can get Faster to the Fun then you will not have to wait in long lines. I was mobility impaired for several years - I am glad to say that I am finally better. It was very hard for me to wait in a line, and several times I had to ask for a wheelchair. Carnival is always happy to help. One thing about the mobility scooter we rented - it had to stay in the cabin at night and it took up a lot of room, but it really was worth it. My nephew had a wonderful time on the cruise - and if he did not have that scooter - he would have been miserable.

 

Email iCare@Carnival.com and tell them your concerns - they will want to know your booking number and ship and date your are cruising.

[fair-winds39]

In march 2017 I am taking my father on his first cruise on Breeze. He has Parkinson's and thankfully isn't confined to a wheelchair but does have mobility issues. He generally cannot stand up for more than a minute or two at a time.

 

I know he will be bringing his walker. Is there anything that can be done to help ease the process of boarding for him? Last time I cruises out of Galveston the line to board from the waiting area was pretty long. Thanks in advance.

 

 

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I have limited mobility, and have taken my scooter on the Carnival Pride a couple of times. It's a Pride GoGo Elite Traveler Plus. We always book a standard balcony cabin and I drive right into the cabin while my DH holds the door. I think we remove the arm rests too. It does take up a little space, but it isn't in our way at all. I have MS, so my walking can be very limited one day, and the next day I might be able to go a very short distance with a walker/rollator. I can use my cane in the cabin, and I don't require an accessible cabin yet. I was dead set against ever getting a scooter, but I wouldn't go into a large venue now, without it. It has paid for itself many times over, and has allowed me to travel and see the sights.

 

I think the rental scooters are the same, or similar make as my travel scooter. The rental company will ask for certain information, i.e., weight, height, etc. so that they rent you the right scooter. If you should decide to rent a scooter for your father, I would just say that it would be a good idea to have him try one. If someone isn't experienced and never used a scooter, not only could they hurt themselves, they could hurt someone else. Better safe than sorry. Definitely get wheelchair assistance if he brings his walker, and if he brings the walker, keep in mind the ship sometimes shimmies just a little, and can knock a person off balance.

 

I can't say enough about the Carnival crew, at least on the Pride. They have always been overly helpful. I always notify Carnival Special Services prior to the cruise. They have your information so that when you get on the ship, they know that you might possibly need assistance in case of an emergency, you will have muster drill in an area where you can be seated (at least that's how they do it on the Pride), and, we were always seated in a separate area when boarding, and boarded the ship after the FTTF folks, any wedding parties, then those requiring wheelchair assistance, then scooters, and then the general public.

 

Have a great cruise.

[BallFour4]

Here is Carnival's information about people with mobility issues.

 

https://www.carnival.com/about-carnival/special-needs.aspx

 

There are a couple of things to note (DH has mobility issues, so I am speaking from experience here):

1. Get wheelchair assistance at the port. There is really no reason not to as your dad has mobility issues.
   
2. Being on a ship is NOT like being at home. If he does well with a walker at home, he may not do as well on a moving ship.
   
3. You can rent a wheelchair or scooter using one of the two companies that Carnival works with. It will be waiting in your room for you when you board, and you leave it there when you leave. OR, you can bring your own.
   
4. BE AWARE that scooters and wheelchairs cannot be left in the hallways. They MUST fit into your stateroom. Stateroom doorways are 22" wide, but you have to subtract 2" from that as they do not open flush. Your scooter must fit through a 20" space.
   

Most of all, make sure he has the best experience possible! Carnival is very friendly for those mobility issues. I hope you have a great cruise!

 

We haven't seen this enforced the past nine cruises. In September our lido deck balcony cabin had three neighbors them lined up in the hall.

 

.

Edited November 15, 2016 by BallFour4

[fair-winds39]

 

We haven't seen this enforced the past nine cruises. In September our lido deck balcony cabin had three neighbors them lined up in the hall.

 

.

Wow, that's unusual. For safety reasons alone, a scooter or wheelchair should never be allowed to be left in the corridors. I wasn't on every deck on the Pride, but I never saw any parked scooters on the deck we were on. Maybe the Pride enforces it more than the others.

[mosaic_mom]

I started out cruising on Carnival with full mobility. My condition has deteriorated over the years and I went from normal walking to a cane to a walker and now a wheelchair. It is tough to walk on a moving ship if you have limited mobility. He may enjoy himself more with a scooter or wheelchair.

 

I can't say enough good about the crew onboard the Carnival ships. They are very helpful and accommodating to those with limitations. The ramps at some ports are very steep too, so the crew goes out of their way to help. Hope he is able to have a great time on his cruise.

 

I use a Fold & Go electric wheelchair that folds up small enough to easily fit through a regular cabin door. I think it is like 13 inches when folded. I charge it in my cabin overnight. (I don't work for them. I just like my chair and bought it specifically so we could keep cruising in regular cabins.)

[jwth2005]

I'm working on convincing him to rent a scooter. If anything my mom will talk him into it. This will be his first cruise and my 3rd. I certainly don't want it to be his last because he couldn't get somewhere that he wanted to be or keep up.

 

 

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[easyboy]

I'm working on convincing him to rent a scooter. If anything my mom will talk him into it. This will be his first cruise and my 3rd. I certainly don't want it to be his last because he couldn't get somewhere that he wanted to be or keep up.

You can definitely request wheelchair assistance for boarding and disembarkation like I do. You may also want to check how to operate a scooter and determine if it is proper for your father, or just a wheelchair while on board. I hope the scooter will work for your father as it will really make his cruise enjoyable.

[riclop]

In march 2017 I am taking my father on his first cruise on Breeze. He has Parkinson's and thankfully isn't confined to a wheelchair but does have mobility issues. He generally cannot stand up for more than a minute or two at a time.

 

I know he will be bringing his walker. Is there anything that can be done to help ease the process of boarding for him? Last time I cruises out of Galveston the line to board from the waiting area was pretty long. Thanks in advance.

 

 

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Just request a wheel chair.

[isaiahsnana]

In Galveston, wheelchair assists board right after Faster to the Fun, so unless you need the other benefits of FTTF, it is not necessary for faster boarding. In Galveston, in the area where you pull up to drop off luggage there are benches every 25 feet or so, so after dropping off your luggage there will be a place to sit while the porter sends for wheelchair assistance and all will be smooth sailing after that!

[jwth2005]

In Galveston, wheelchair assists board right after Faster to the Fun, so unless you need the other benefits of FTTF, it is not necessary for faster boarding. In Galveston, in the area where you pull up to drop off luggage there are benches every 25 feet or so, so after dropping off your luggage there will be a place to sit while the porter sends for wheelchair assistance and all will be smooth sailing after that!

 

 

Awesome! I'm actually very glad to hear that he can get assistance when we get dropped off. Thank you! He has decided to rent a scooter also!

 

 

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[Schoifmom]

 

We haven't seen this enforced the past nine cruises. In September our lido deck balcony cabin had three neighbors them lined up in the hall.

 

.

 

That's really terrible. It's not a Carnival "rule," but a SOLAS regulation and for everyone's safety. FWIW, if I see them parked in the hallways (not just for a few minutes while the owner runs into their room for something), I always alert the staff. There could be significant fines imposed on Carnival for allowing this to happen. This would impact our cost of cruising.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Schoifmom

[A&Jfamily]

In march 2017 I am taking my father on his first cruise on Breeze. He has Parkinson's and thankfully isn't confined to a wheelchair but does have mobility issues. He generally cannot stand up for more than a minute or two at a time.

 

I know he will be bringing his walker. Is there anything that can be done to help ease the process of boarding for him? Last time I cruises out of Galveston the line to board from the waiting area was pretty long. Thanks in advance.

 

 

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My MIL had Parkinson's and sadly passed away before we could get her on a cruise. But, having cruised a lot, we had concerns for her stability. At a minimum, I would take a walker with wheels and a fold down seat. You can sit them down and push them if need be, and in the cabin it fold neatly out of the way. You are going to also want this for shore adventures.

 

Many ships, especially the first and last nights can have some rock and roll to them until you get into the calmer waters of the Caribbean. We have zigged and zagged up and down the halls and often commented that there was no way she could navigate them on her feet.

 

I would also plan, if you have rougher seas, for a sponge bath to clean up. On multiple nights on our last cruise to Canada, while showering the water was forming waves and crashing over the side of the shower. I would not want a Parkinson's patient trying to stand in that. The good news, is if you don't mind getting the bathroom wet, you could close the toilet lid, sit them down and use the hand held sprayer, which raises and lowers. There is a drain in the floor outside the shower drain so it can handle this.

 

Also, depending on the level of tremors, you will want to bring anything that you use at home to assist with eating. We always had covered cups with straws to minimize spills, and things with larger handles. We particularly found the chinese soup spoon to be very effective for independent eating of many things like soups, cereal etc that would make a mess with a smaller traditional spoon. Also have a plan, if he takes meds every 3-4 hours for water at the bedside.

 

Hope that helps!