Mobility scooter ok on HAL?

[Kingofcool1947]

 

I have a neighbor (age 77 young) who has never cruised before. She wants to join DW and me on a 15 day Caribbean cruise. We have never sailed with HAL, but have read the demographics of HAL PAX are of the older persuasion, and not a party ship. That is what she prefers.

 

Can she use her scooter aboard ship without restriction, and is she able to use tender service if necessary, to go ashore for bus excursions? Her scooter folds up easily, is compact, and we can carry it for her when necessary. Can she book a standard cabin, or must she book an ADA cabin? To assist her with her medical needs, CPAP, medications, and insulin injections, we are looking at sharing one room or looking for connecting rooms. What do you think?

Does she/we need to contact HAL in advance to request distilled water daily for her CPAP machine, and special sugar free and gluten free dietary needs?

Thank you for any advice, tips, or your own personal experience, and if HAL is ADA mobility scooter friendly. Are the HAL PAX OK with PAX's using mobility scooters and walkers? We read stories how,some PAX are rude and inconsiderate towards PAX's using mobility scooters or walkers to get around the ship. Like in elevators, passageways, and public areas. :mad:

 

Happy cruising and good health in 2017, if the Lord wills.

 

http://www.qvc.com/EV-Rider-Automatic-Folding-Scooter-with-Remote.product.V34813.html?cm_re=MH-_-SHOPQVCLIVE-_-ITEMONAIR&sc=IOA&UDC=ONAIR&channelCode=QVC

Edited January 26, 2017 by Kingofcool1947

[xlxo]

Thoughts...

• is she going into a regular cabin or an accessible cabin? A regular cabin can be 18" or narrower entrance way.... is she able to walk 10 feet into the room without the EV
  
• EV specs says that thing is 44 lbs... Not really light.
  
• where are you cruising to? I remember a Juneau tender where a note was left behind saying mom could not leave the ship.
  
• elevator congestion and food sometimes outside of cabins may be a challenge.
  

[Kingofcool1947]

Thoughts...

• is she going into a regular cabin or an accessible cabin? A regular cabin can be 18" or narrower entrance way.... is she able to walk 10 feet into the room without the EV
  
• EV specs says that thing is 44 lbs... Not really light.
  
• where are you cruising to? I remember a Juneau tender where a note was left behind saying mom could not leave the ship.
  
• elevator congestion and food sometimes outside of cabins may be a challenge.
  

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

15 day Carribean cruise.

If necessary, she can maybe do 10 feet with the help of a walker, and holding on to one of us for additional support. She is a bit wobbly on her feet, and prefers to ride her scooter whenever possible.

Thinking an accessible cabin with king and single beds? Or two connecting cabins?

Edited January 26, 2017 by Kingofcool1947

[Smart 4-2]

We just did a 21 day Caribbean cruise last November with my TravelScoot.

I just barely fit through the door of a regular room, and we took my scooter apart and stored it in a closet below clothes.It would fit on the far side of the cabin but would make the cabin very cozy for three. The only tender port we had was Half Moon Cay, and it had large easy to board tenders.HAL staff are very helpful on gangways. Elevators can be crowded but other folks are usually.considerate. Hallway laundry carts can be obstacles Insulin can be stored in the bar fridge if you have one in the room, or you can rent a small fridge (or "cooler") and stick it in the knee space of the desk. There are always sugar free options on the menue in DR.( watch out for those fruit soups) Sharps containers will be provided if requested. We had a great time.

Your neighbour would love the trip, and has very considerate friends.

[take us away]

Recommend you get her a handicapped room so there is no issues for her and less assistance would be needed. She can roll right into the shower - ask for a shower chair for her. The medical department will store her insulin for her - do not trust the in-room coolers for temperature control. You can request a sharp's container if needed. She will not have any problem with her diet as there are always options for both diabetics and gluten free diets but have your TA mention this to HAL as well as the need for distilled water, which your room steward will bring for her. There are sometimes rude people everywhere but scooters are common place on HAL ships so she should be okay. If you have tender ports, she may not be able to go ashore but check with the excursions office as they will know. There is a tender for handicapped people but HAL needs enough requests to use this - the people just scoot out the door on I think the 3rd floor right onto the tender. The real issue may be what is available shore side for her getting off the tender. If you dock in, the crew will assist with getting her down the gangway so no worries there. Also, ask the front desk for an extra key card for her room for your convenience. You 2 are so considerate - have a great trip!

[Krazy Kruizers]

If she decides to get her own handicapped cabin, remember that she will pay 200% fare as she will be alone.

 

Three in a cabin is quite close.

 

Many buses won't take scooters or even walkers. You have to check with the shore excursion people on that one.

 

I use a walker/rollator and on most ships there is an elevator that she can use to get down to the tender area of the ship.

[TheCalicoCat]

3 in a room is tight without walkers &/or scooters. (We regularly sail with 3, but our 3rd is a child.) the 3rd bed may be a sofa with the back removed - which does have the benefit of being lower to the ground, & it ok in regards to comfort.

 

Also some ships have tubs, which would be an added difficulty as well.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I think you're going to have to do two cabins or a suite.

 

Triples can be crowded, as others have said. HC cabins typically have more space and/or less furniture in order to provide maneuvering room, plus they have the accessible shower. If your friend can't walk without assistance, she'd probably have a difficult time getting over the high side of the tub. Does anyone know if there are any HC triples?

 

A Neptune suite would probably give you the space you need to share. I don't know what ship you're looking at, but check the deck plans to see if there are any HC Neptune suites. That would let you share and have a cabin that would work for your friend.

 

I suggest you look at deck plans, see what kinds of HC cabins your ship has, and if any are adjoining. Make a list of what you think could work for you and then call HAL to ask for details.

 

Good luck in your planning. You're certainly a good neighbor!

Edited January 26, 2017 by 3rdGenCunarder

[RuthC]

I have rented a full size, non-folding scooter for my last several cruises, and have never taken an accessible cabin; I don't otherwise need the amenities those offer. However, I have always taken a cabin that's large enough to store the scooter inside, and has a very short aisle from the door to the main part of the cabin.

Since your friend's scooter folds up, and she can walk a bit, storage space would be less of a problem. But, as others have said, three in a cabin is tight under the best of circumstances; I would seriously consider two connecting cabins. And, depending on her stamina, she may want to leave the scooter open, and cut back on the walking.

 

Getting around in public areas while riding a scooter is relatively easy. There will always be people who cut right in front of a moving vehicle, but she is already aware to be on the lookout for that. Since you will be with her, she will have someone to reach the elevator buttons, and hold the elevator door for her; that's a big help.

Be aware that there isn't always a decent parking space for the scooter. When going to the show, there are a few places where a scooter can park (varies greatly depending on the class of ship), but sometimes people are using the nearby seats. You may not always be able to sit together. Also, finding a table in the Lido where she can park, then get to a chair, can be challenging. There are few decent parking spaces in the Lido on every class of ship.

 

The newer ships have an elevator that will take your friend to the tender deck. She would then have to walk a few steps to the tender, while you have it folded up, and carry it. Where the tender comes ashore can be a challenge, though, so do ask about the conditions at the other end before boarding. Also, weather/sea conditions can change greatly during your time ashore, making it difficult to return.

I would suggest an itinerary with few tender ports for just this reason. Keep in mind, too, that when tides change getting down/up a gangway can be dangerously steep. She may have to walk, while the stewards wheel the scooter down/up.

 

Absolutely have her look at a cabin with a shower; getting in/out of the tub is difficult under the best of circumstances. Add a rocking ship to that, and the fact that the bathroom floor is lower than the bottom of the tub, and you have the makings of an accident.

 

I wish you all the best in finding a ship, cabin, and itinerary that works. Being able to use a scooter on cruises has kept the world open to me, given me back the ability to travel while being independent.

[OlsSalt]

Interesting suggestion about a Neptune suite for three versus two adjoining cabins with a single supplement. Wonder how that costs out.

[Copper10-8]

OP, please be advised that the Maasdam, Veendam, Rotterdam, Zaandam, Volendam, Amsterdam and Prinsendam DO NOT have the "one deck" elevators that can take mobility impaired pax down to the ship's tender platforms.

 

If you choose any of those ships for your Carib cruise and your neighbor/friend wants to partake in a tender ride ashore, she will have to be able to walk down (and up, on returning) a set of stairs in order to be able to make it down to the platform. Staff will assist her in, and out of, the tender both on that platform and on the tender dock ashore

 

All the best!

[Micmac]

My friends travel with their daughter, a quad in a powerchair.

 

The 3 of them have functioned fairly well in the HC Verandah cabins on the Vista ships. Most of the extraneous furniture has been removed but that hasn't negatively impacted them.

 

They have room in the cabin for both the wheelchair as well as a hoyer lift. For the shower, they actually bring a folding wheelchair that they use to just roll her into the shower (or as others have mentioned, you can get a shower chair).

 

Hope it all works and you have a great cruise!

[wander]

In response to the OP's question about passenger treatment of others in scooters, etc. From a number of years and cruise experiences, I would say that the proportion of ambulatory passengers who are rude/inconsiderate of scooter users is about the same as rude/inconsiderate scooter users. The numbers are not the same, but the proportions are, in my subjective experience. The VAST majority of passengers are most considerate of each other, most of the time.

 

For 10 years I worked in Rehabilitation Medicine at a major teaching Medical Center. When we issued scooters to eligible patients, we always warned them that in their scooter, when it came to long lines, they had NO priority over folks who were standing. In their scooter they were just as able to wait as folks standing in the line. (In the vast majority of cases.) It was the folks standing in line with certain disabilities that deserved special consideration, not those on scooters. (Again, there are sometimes extenuating circumstances.)\\

[lazey1]

Regarding your friends special dietary needs she will definitely need to contact ship services before she cruises. HAL can accomodate but they need advance notice.

 

We made the mistake of renting a scooter once. It was to wide to fit through the door of our cabin. Crew stored it for us but it was certainly not convenient. When calling ship services your friend should ask what the width of the door is.

 

Suggest either you or your travel agent compare the price of seperate cabins, one being a HC cabin with the price of 1 Neptune HC cabin for 3 (if they have such on the ship you want) and with the price of a Pinnacle Suite.

 

My personal opinion, not that it is worth anything, would be that having 2 cabins, therefore having 2 bathrooms would be priceless.)

Edited January 27, 2017 by lazey1

[BBT]

I was recently on Koningsdam. Quite a few scooters and chairs and walkers aboard. We had two tender ports, Half Moon Cay & Grand Cayman. Not sure how tendering to Half Moon Cay was handled but mobility impaired people were using beach wheel chairs with big wheels out on the sand. Lots of help from friends and family moving them around.

 

At Grand Cayman there was one passenger using a scooter on my tender. She did have to walk to get on/off tender but Koningsdam crew took care of her scooter at the ship and the pier. The tender crew didn't touch the scooter.

 

My bus excursion in Grand Cayman had two people with walkers. The driver handled them with no problem.

 

The Lido pool on Koningsdam even had a lift to access the hot tubs.

 

HAL does seem to make an effort to accommodate those with mobility issues.

 

Hope this helps a little.

 

Hope you can get it worked out. Some good advice here.

[Kingofcool1947]

I was recently on Koningsdam. Quite a few scooters and chairs and walkers aboard. We had two tender ports, Half Moon Cay & Grand Cayman. Not sure how tendering to Half Moon Cay was handled but mobility impaired people were using beach wheel chairs with big wheels out on the sand. Lots of help from friends and family moving them around.

 

At Grand Cayman there was one passenger using a scooter on my tender. She did have to walk to get on/off tender but Koningsdam crew took care of her scooter at the ship and the pier. The tender crew didn't touch the scooter.

 

My bus excursion in Grand Cayman had two people with walkers. The driver handled them with no problem.

 

The Lido pool on Koningsdam even had a lift to access the hot tubs.

 

HAL does seem to make an effort to accommodate those with mobility issues.

 

Hope this helps a little.

 

Hope you can get it worked out. Some good advice here.

 

 

Thanks.

Your reply is a great help to us.

[Appalachian Mountain Mama]

I travel with both scooter and collapsible walker, my traveling companion also uses a walker. We have booked a Neptune suite, extra room for all the equipment as well as priority disembarkation to give us a bit of a head start for shore excursions. We looked at the accessible cabins but they just didn't appeal to us, we like having a whirlpool tub in our bathroom as well as the extra shower stall and you can get a seat to put in the shower.

 

For cost comparison I believe a Neptune would be on a par with 2 "regular" cabins. As several people mentioned your friend would be stuck with paying the single supplement if in a cabin by herself. Depending on when you book you might also score a 3rd pax sails 50% off or even free, that would cut your cost considerably and possibly make the Neptune cheaper than 2 separate cabins. I concur with those suggesting storing insulin with the medical department, in any emergency they will be one of the priority areas to receive power.

 

Hope everything works out for you, you are great neighbors!

 

 

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[LadyVol1]

My parents (dad has very limited leg mobility and uses a wheelchair, rolling walker or rented scooter depending on situation on the ship but has all three on every cruise) and sister always book a handicap Neptune Suite so that there is no little step up to the bathroom or out to the balcony. The entirely flat floor (with minimal ramping at the balcony door) made it much easier for him to get around in the cabin. The roll-in shower was a necessity since neither my dad nor elderly mom could step into a tub. I'm no good with the names of the various HAL ships we've been on but each handicap Neptune Suite had similar ADA features although some had smaller square footage than others. We've been on at least five different HAL ships and had the handicap Neptune Suite. If you can swing the price, definitely go for a handicap Neptune Suite for 3 adults. Plus the concierge in the Neptune Lounge will gladly help your friend when she's in the lounge in getting her a (cold) breakfast or light snacks. The wait staff in Lido buffet will do the same since you can't drive a scooter while holding a plate or cup but the Neptune Lounge Concierge will be right there ready to assist and won't have crowds of other passengers to help. Also, for three adults you'll be much more comfortable space wise in a Neptune Suite.

 

 

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[2ptu/000]

Please check with your pharmacy but I'm sure the "cooler" in the room will be fine for insulin. It keeps canned sodas cool enough to suit most people.

[2ptu/000]

Again, check with your pharmacy but I just Googled how long can insulin be out of the refrigerator and the response was that insulin can be kept for 28 days at room temp. Certainly longer in the cooler.