Scooter Rental

[smalltowngirl504]

My mother whom is a lung cancer survior, is going on our cruise

with us this fall and while she doesn't normally use a scooter

to get around she felt more comfortable with one on our last

cruise because of the amount or walking around that you end up doing.

That being said, I cannot for the life of me remember which

company we used 4 years ago when we cruised with her.

If anyone has some suggestions, ones that rent nice reliable scooters for

an affordable price, I would really appreciate the input.

 

Thank you :*:hearteyes:

[Clarea]

http://www.scootaround.com

 

http://www.specialneedsatsea.com

[joey1]

Just from recent experience.(reserved-not sailed). Called Scootaround. We are doing a repositioning and were unsure of how this may work. We have never had to use this service and have no idea what to expect once on board, however this company was amazing to get things booked. I thought the price seemed reasonable. Good luck and enjoy the cruise!

[mets123]

I use special needs at sea for my wife. The cost was $308 for 8 nights, no taxes. It's in your room when you board and you leave it there when you're leaving.

[pizzalady1]

Where does the cruise start and end? Is it a round trip? Several times I was able to rent a scooter from a local company for way less than Special Needs at Sea or Scootaround. If not a round trip, Scootaround and may cities so maybe you can rent in your embarkment city and drop off at your disembarkmant city. This is sometimes also less than Special Needs.

[BopRN]

We recently were on a cruise and got to know a couple who used scootaround.com. They couldn't say enough good things about them. They cruise a lot and always use the same company. One thing they told us was that not all companies allow the scooter to leave the ship. But this company does.

 

For my husband, I purchased a light weight collapsible transport wheelchair which was a godsend to have with us. His condition is temporary but we decided if we had to do that again, we would consider renting a scooter.

 

The unanticipated problem we had on the ship with the transport chair (small wheels) was the metal thresholds and small metal strips on elevators, etc were an absolute nightmare! Some were fine to roll over, but many caused him to have to stand and pull the w/c over it causing him more back pain. So for that reason, a scooter would be the best choice.

[gerif]

Just make sure her cabin is either accessible or large enough to accommodate a scooter. If the bed is near the door, no way of getting a scooter into it.

[smalltowngirl504]

The cruise is round trip from Port Canaveral.

What local companies would you suggest calling

and pricing around.

 

We do in fact have an accessible stateroom booked for her.

Thank you for the heads up though, from past experience

I cannot imagine trying to get that scooter through a standard

stateroom door.

 

I am going to look at scoot-around and special needs at sea today.

I do believe that Special needs was bit cheaper, but that makes me nervous

is there a reason they are less expensive?

 

Also I know that the Scooter is left in the room, but rooms aren't available

until 1 PM, what is the solution until the scooter can be accessed. I know

they will give her a wheelchair to be wheeled onto the ship correct?

Sorry for all the questions just with her limited mobility I want to

make this as smooth as possible for her , because she already

feels like she is being a burden. :(:(

[gerif]

The cruise is round trip from Port Canaveral.

What local companies would you suggest calling

and pricing around.

 

We do in fact have an accessible stateroom booked for her.

Thank you for the heads up though, from past experience

I cannot imagine trying to get that scooter through a standard

stateroom door.

 

I am going to look at scoot-around and special needs at sea today.

I do believe that Special needs was bit cheaper, but that makes me nervous

is there a reason they are less expensive?

 

Also I know that the Scooter is left in the room, but rooms aren't available

until 1 PM, what is the solution until the scooter can be accessed. I know

they will give her a wheelchair to be wheeled onto the ship correct?

Sorry for all the questions just with her limited mobility I want to

make this as smooth as possible for her , because she already

feels like she is being a burden. :(:(

Yes, they will provide her with wheelchair assistance to get on the ship. Depending on how many people need this service and your time of arrival, there could be a wait for this as there are only so many available. If you arrive after cabins are ready, they will take her right to the cabin. Otherwise they will leave her at the WJ to enjoy lunch. By then, cabins should be ready and someone else can go fetch the scooter from her cabin.

[fridaythe13th]

 

I am going to look at scoot-around and special needs at sea today.

I do believe that Special needs was bit cheaper, but that makes me nervous

is there a reason they are less expensive?

 

Also I know that the Scooter is left in the room, but rooms aren't available

until 1 PM, what is the solution until the scooter can be accessed. I know

they will give her a wheelchair to be wheeled onto the ship correct?

Sorry for all the questions just with her limited mobility I want to

make this as smooth as possible for her , because she already

feels like she is being a burden. :(:(

 

We used Special Needs with no issues.

 

You could either ask if they can deliver it to Guest Relations and grab it when you board. Or as another person posted, have them wheel you to lunch until the cabin is ready. Not sure they serve lunch in the dining room on boarding day, but that may be easier than the WJ.

[Havingfun2010]

The cruise is round trip from Port Canaveral.

What local companies would you suggest calling

and pricing around.

 

We do in fact have an accessible stateroom booked for her.

Thank you for the heads up though, from past experience

I cannot imagine trying to get that scooter through a standard

stateroom door.

 

We booked a standard inside cabin on Empress of the Seas. Our scooter fit fine, but it is designed for international travel, and folds up to a size of a piece of luggage, without any tools, or disassembly.

 

I am going to look at scoot-around and special needs at sea today.

I do believe that Special needs was bit cheaper, but that makes me nervous

is there a reason they are less expensive?

 

Scooters can be bought for under $700.00 if you shop. I saw a quote above for $308.00. Just saying, if this is going to happen a lot, you might want to buy one. (The scooter I mentioned above cost $1600.00 but it usually sells for $2500.00.)

 

Also I know that the Scooter is left in the room, but rooms aren't available

until 1 PM, what is the solution until the scooter can be accessed. I know

they will give her a wheelchair to be wheeled onto the ship correct?

Sorry for all the questions just with her limited mobility I want to

make this as smooth as possible for her , because she already

feels like she is being a burden. :(:(

 

Didn't you say she doesn't use one at home? Just go to lunch on the ship, and than find a place to sit afterwards. Most of the time, that's all we do anyway if we get to the ship early. You might be able to get the scooter, but it shouldn't be a big deal.

[smalltowngirl504]

Didn't you say she doesn't use one at home? Just go to lunch on the ship, and than find a place to sit afterwards. Most of the time, that's all we do anyway if we get to the ship early. You might be able to get the scooter, but it shouldn't be a big deal.

 

 

She does not use one at home, but she also isn't able to walk long distances, even Windjammer to

her room would be a huge deal for her. She had part of her lung removed when they took

out the cancer. I think we will just board once the rooms are ready for her sake, so they

can just roll her to the room and she can pick up her scooter, if not what the other poster

suggested just going to lunch and then having someone fetch the scooter from her room

and bring it to her!

 

Thanks for the review on both companies I am going to call this week and see

what their guidelines are as to taking the scooter off the ship as she will need to.

[wendychloecruiser]

I agree with a previous poster. For the price of 2 rentals, I bought a Pride GoGo Elite Traveller for my mom. She doesn’t use it a lot at home but we have been on at least 8 cruises with it. Just FYI, airlines are very specific as to what is permissible so I researched scooters ad nauseum to determine which would be the best and we’ve never had a problem.

[smalltowngirl504]

I am going to look into purchasing one as well, That is a great idea!

I see that the ones they rent sell for as little as $700

[kruzinkel]

used Scootaround last minute for Liberty last year- my daughter broke her ankle a week before sailing. They were great- even though it was very last minute and i was freaking out a little.

[pizzalady1]

The cruise is round trip from Port Canaveral.

What local companies would you suggest calling

and pricing around.

 

Just do a google search and start calling for prices. I am always open about going on a cruise. I have rented scooters many times, and no vendor has ever said a thing about not taking it off the ship.

[mtnbikermom]

Just last month, a couple from my church took a RC cruise with their daughter. As they are in their 90s, one of them needed a scooter. They looked in to renting, but their daughter who lives near the port found one for sale for only $20 more than a rental would have been! This may have been a very lucky case, but it is worth a check. He was able to bring it back home on the plane for free. Perhaps you might find one for sale wherever you live and she could also bring it on the plane for free (if you're flying).

[Margy23]

I am going to look into purchasing one as well, That is a great idea!

I see that the ones they rent sell for as little as $700

 

We rented a scooter from Special Needs at Sea for my husband before the time he needed one full time. We were very happy with their scooter and their service.

 

However, the advantage of having one's own scooter is that now he has it from the time he gets out of the van and doesn't have to worry about getting up to the terminal and perhaps waiting for a wheelchair for boarding.

 

I'm glad you have an accessible cabin - we didn't the first time we rented a scooter, and making the sharp turn to get it into and out of the cabin was an adventure. With an accessible cabin it's easy peasy.

 

Margy

[xxoocruiser]

The cruise is round trip from Port Canaveral.

What local companies would you suggest calling

and pricing around.

 

We do in fact have an accessible stateroom booked for her.

Thank you for the heads up though, from past experience

I cannot imagine trying to get that scooter through a standard

stateroom door.

 

I am going to look at scoot-around and special needs at sea today.

I do believe that Special needs was bit cheaper, but that makes me nervous

is there a reason they are less expensive?

 

Also I know that the Scooter is left in the room, but rooms aren't available

until 1 PM, what is the solution until the scooter can be accessed. I know

they will give her a wheelchair to be wheeled onto the ship correct?

Sorry for all the questions just with her limited mobility I want to

make this as smooth as possible for her , because she already

feels like she is being a burden. :(:(

 

 

Renting from a local company might be cheaper but it's not necessarily the most practical choice. Reason being only SpecialNeedsatSea and Scootaround are approved vendors of RCCL that can deliver to and pick up directly from the ship. If using another company you will have to make arrangements to personally meet the vendor somewhere outside the port area to pick up on embarkation as well as personally meet the vendor to return it on disembarkation. IMO he cost savings isn't worth the hassle.

 

There's al lot more to know about renting a scooter other than what company to use.

 

The cost of rental varies and is based on the following factors :

• Number of days
  
• Embarkation Port
  
• Disembarkation Port
  
• Weight and Height of end user
  
• Weight capacity of the scooter required. ( Rental company determines is a standard , full-size or bariatric scooter is required)
  
• If having delivered to a pre-cruise hotel
  
• If have to have it picked up from a pre-cruise hotel and taken to the ship on embarkation day
  
• If having it delivered to a post-cruise hotel and requiring the rental company to pick it up at the port to transfer to hotel
  
• If purchasing insurance.
  

You should check pricing from both companies as sometimes one is offering a special for that port which could make a difference in vendor selection. Both are very reputable companies.

 

Additional information :

 

Embarkation Day: The rental scooter will be deliver to the cabin on embarkation day and must be left in the cabin on disembarkation day. If you use the ship's wheelchair assistance on embarkation day note that you will be dropped off in a public area . If not taken directly to your cabin and dropped off in a public area than once cabins are available to passengers someone from your party will have to go to the cabin to get the scooter if you're unable to make the walk. The scooter rental contract states that the scooter will not be delivered until 2:00 PM . It's also important to note that rental equipment delivered to the ship is not given priority loading by the cruise line as ships supplies take precedent. Therefore the scooter might not appear in the cabin until closer to the sailing time though it was deliver tot he port by 2:00 PM. If it's not there let the cabin Stewart know you're looking for a scooter to be delivered and check back a little later. If the scooter still hasn't arrived by 2:00PM there's an emergency number for day of embarkation listed on the rental agreement that you should contact.

 

Disembarkation Day: The rental scooter must be left in the cabin on disembarkation day. The cruise line will not provide wheelchair assistance/pickup from the cabin. The night before a location for wheelchair assistance for disembarkation will be published in the daily cruise newsletter. You can ride the scooter to that location but than someone from your group must than take the scooter back to cabin for pickup from the rental company.

 

All scooters and wheelchairs MUST be stored in the stateroom. Due to the safety and escape way requirements established by SOLAS (Safety of Lifeat Seas) regulations, it cannot be stored in the hallways, stairways, or anyother public area. Ignoring these regulations can and does impede the safety of others whether disabled or abled bodied moving about the hallways not to mention impedes the safety of all on board the ship in the event of an actual emergency. Even if the cabin attendant tells you it's Ok it's NOT !I for one will contact the ships security to have the scooter removed if one is observed left in the hallway.

 

Scooters or any personal items for that matter CANNOT be stored on balcony.

After you obtained the scooter you should go to the dining room to check the location of your assigned table if traditional dining has been chosen. Reason you need to check that there is a good path to drive the scooter to the table. Once at the table you can transfer to a chair and the wait staff will than park the scooter in area that will not hinder others in the dining room. If there's an issue than go to the Matre'D and request a change in table location.

 

Scooter keys are not unique as car keys. Scooter keys are universal and a scooter can easily be mistaken. Therefore I suggest you bring an extra luggage tag for the scooter to identify your rental scooter.

 

The most common scooters rented by SpecialNeedsatSeas and Scootaround (formerly CareVacations) are the Pride Go Go Elite Traveler or the Pride Go Go Sport which both have a very low under clearance of 1.5". Therefore it's not unusual that the scooter will get hung up on the gangway joints. Under no circumstance should you allow the ship's personnel to force push the scooter over the joints which is the crews first reactive response. The scooter needs to be placed in freewheel mode and then rolled over the joints. To place in freewheel mode there is a yellow lever on the rear wheels directly under the seat. When the lever is in the Locked Icon Mode the scooter is able to be driven. If in the Un-Locked Icon mode the scooter will be in Freewheel mode. If you aren't able to walk down/up the gangway than a person from the ship's crew must guide the scooter up/down the ramp while another pushes the scooter up/down the ramp while. If you're able to walk up/down the ramp it's recommended that you do so while the scooter is than freewheeled pulled up/down the ramp. If the scooter isn't placed in freewheel and the crew force pushes the scooter over the gangway joints the scooter can be permanently damaged and since it's a rental you will be responsible for the repair costs or possibly the complete replacement cost.

Reset Button:The Pride GoGo Elite Traveler and Pride GoGO cannot handle steep inclines. When the incline is too much for the scooter to handle the motor is designed to shut down the scooter automatically. Should this occur there is a reset button on the battery casing below the seat. There’s a rubber bubble cover it. Turn the scooter off. Press the bubble thus pushing the reset button back in to place and then restart the scooter. If after doing this a couple of times and the scooter does not reset than that an indication that the motor has been damaged by forcing it to exceed its limitations. Note : Some people will tell you the bubble lights up but it doesn’t as it does not contain a light.

 

If there are any tendered ports you will only be permitted onto the tender if the tender has roll-on capabilities. Also note regardless of whether it's a docked or tendered port Captain has the discretion to not allow wheelchairs and scooters from exiting the ship as safety of the passengers is always the utmost concern.

The scooter does not stop a dime. It has a rolling stop… the slower the speed prior to stopping the shorter the roll… the faster the speed the longer the roll. Therefore you need to always be aware of this so as not to run into other passengers and or objects.

You may encounter thresholds going to and coming from an outside deck that the scooter can get hung up on which makes it difficult to clear. You at times will have to scout out other routes that have a better leveled doorway threshold.

 

Elevators will also be an issue with scooters as able-bodied passengers will jump in front of you to get into the elevator first no matter that you were there first. It's not just kids. I have found that adults are often worse than the lids on-board. At peak times you're best to take the elevator that's further from your destination as it will be less congested.

Get on the first elevator that has open space for the scooter regardless if it's going the opposite direction of what you want. What goes up must come down and vice versa.

 

Arrive at the muster drill early to avoid all the crowds getting onto elevators.It's recommended that you remain at the muster drill location for at least 15 minutes if not more after it's ended to avoid the congestion at the elevator. It will be impossible to get onto an elevator until the crowds have cleared.

 

Expect that there will be obstacles such as room service carts as well as inconsiderate passengers that have intentionally left their wheelchairs, scooters , other mobility equipment as well as baby strollers in the hallway of where you cabin is located. For any mobility equipment left in the hallway which blocks you passage don't think twice about calling the ships security to have it removed immediately. As far as the room service cart there's usually a cabin steward nearby so just yell out for assistance and it will be repositioned so you can pass.

 

If you don't intend to go on excursions than suggest you wait to get off the ship until the masses have gone. Reason being that security and gangway personnel generally have to shut down the process to make certain you get off safely with scooter. Other passengers waiting in line get restless particularly if they're on a time restriction to meet up with an excursion.

Edited April 24, 2018 by xxoocruiser

[LeeW]

Last cruise there were lots of suitcases in the halls when cabins were opened. Several scooter folks had to find an alternate path to their cabin.

[carolitis]

The cruise is round trip from Port Canaveral.

What local companies would you suggest calling

and pricing around.

 

We do in fact have an accessible stateroom booked for her.

Thank you for the heads up though, from past experience

I cannot imagine trying to get that scooter through a standard

stateroom door.

 

I am going to look at scoot-around and special needs at sea today.

I do believe that Special needs was bit cheaper, but that makes me nervous

is there a reason they are less expensive?

 

Also I know that the Scooter is left in the room, but rooms aren't available

until 1 PM, what is the solution until the scooter can be accessed. I know

they will give her a wheelchair to be wheeled onto the ship correct?

Sorry for all the questions just with her limited mobility I want to

make this as smooth as possible for her , because she already

feels like she is being a burden. :(:(

 

This was a big concern for me also getting scooter before1 pm. Hate to be dropped somewhere by a wheel chair and be stuck there. Special needs at sea (special needs group) in many ports Miami and Port Everglades( Ft Lauderdale) has a Kiosk right at pier after Security. So wheelchair assist at pier or walk to pick up scooter and wheel yourself on ship and enjoy yourself till cabins are open. If special needs at sea (special needs group) doesn't have a kiosk at that pier maybe some other company does. I know different companies are official providers for RCCL at the different ports. I have used them before and did great. Some people have said that on debarkation day might be best to do wheelchair assist out and leave scooter in cabin as when first began some had trouble with finding where to leave scooter if left the ship with it. Make sure to take a paper copy of scooter rental with you. For the small scooter I needed their price was only $185 for a seven day cruise. Do not rent before final cruise payment if might cancel cruise. One person on in the forum was upset because they have a very clear non refundable $50 rental deposit when you reserve. It is in the contract, so do not know why people would complain. Price quote was so much lower than scootaround and you do not have to reserve that far in advance. They even informed me that on the Allure they actually rent scooters onboard as well as at the kiosk. But I definitely would reserve one in advance. My larger one from home not best size for narrow halls and small elevators. It makes all the difference in the world.

[TimeToGetNauti]

I was on a cruise last week with my mother in law who needed to rent a scooter last minute due to some health issues. I believe she used special needs at sea. She had never driven a scooter before so she purchased the insurance. Good thing she did because she ripped off a fender and left a dent in one door. She also drove hard into the back of the elevator but left no damage. And those are the only things I know of. So I would recommend purchasing that if you've never driven one.

Getting around the ship is not an issue. But getting off is. As mentioned, you can't take the scooter with you. So you have to wait outside of the ship for a tram to come around to drive you to the other end of the pier where the excursions and such meet. And then there may be additional walking there also. That was the biggest hassle. I wish we had thought to rent a wheelchair for her also as that would have been so much easier getting off and on the ship.

[pizzalady1]

I As mentioned, you can't take the scooter with you. So you have to wait outside of the ship for a tram to come around to drive you to the other end of the pier where the excursions and such meet. And then there may be additional walking there also. That was the biggest hassle. I wish we had thought to rent a wheelchair for her also as that would have been so much easier getting off and on the ship.

 

Who is saying that you can't take the scooter off the ship? I have rented from Special Needs and local companies and nothing was said or written that you can't take it off the ship.

[TimeToGetNauti]

Who is saying that you can't take the scooter off the ship? I have rented from Special Needs and local companies and nothing was said or written that you can't take it off the ship.

 

My mother in law was told that when she rented the scooter.

[gerif]

My mother in law was told that when she rented the scooter.

Perhaps she misunderstood and was actually told she had to leave it on the ship at the end of the cruise?