Excursion suggestions San Juan, St Maarten, Labadee for mobility challenged

[angeleyez915]

Hello,

I am looking for suggestions for excursions for someone who is mobility challenged and cannot tolerate much walking.  This is my moms first cruise and I would really like this to be a great experience for her.  She has Fibromyalgia, chronic degenerative disc disease, and arthritis in her hips.  So a lot of walking is not in our cards for this trip.  She has a Walker that has a seat on it so that she can stop and take breaks when needed.  She doesnt want to take her wheelchair or scooter with us because she doesnt want me to have to push her around everywhere (regardless of how much I have told her that I am perfectly fine with doing it) and she doesnt want the hassle of trying to transport the scooter so she has opted for using her Walker which has wheels and a seat.  We will want to do things that we can easily take a pedi cab or taxi to, and where she will be able to relax and enjoy things.  Food and drink excursions, or things with minimal walking.  Thank you in advance.

Edited May 7, 2019 by angeleyez915
Update title

[PelicanBill]

All three ports require a lengthy walk down a pier consistent with almost all ports.

Labadee has a tram that takes you to several points so that will be reasonable.

 

San Juan has a free trolley that lets you see the old city, and many stops to get off/on so you can get over to the west end of the shopping and restaurant area with less walking.  It is a quarter mile walk from the end of the pier to the east end of that area.

 

Saint Maarten has a pier shopping area and the excursion pick up area is to one side.  The walk to the excursion dock for the ferry to downtown or boat based excursions is very long.  very long.

 

My wife has bad knees and walks with a cane so we feel for you. The walks are always an issue.

[angeleyez915]

I know the piers are pretty long.  I was on a couple cruises last year where we went to Cozumel and Progesso.  Cozumel had pedi cabs that took us right up to the gangway, does anyone know if any of the 3 ports?

[PelicanBill]

Not in St. Maarten. There is a golf cart there but they pick up anyone and we could never get their attention to help people who needed it.

[CruiseMomTX]

We had the same itinerary in Jan on the Harmony, we also rented my dad a regular wheelchair for use onboard.  I'm not sure who my mom used by the wheelchair was in the room when we got onboard.  He used his walker to get from where the hotel shuttle dropped us off into the port terminal in Ft Lauderdale then we had to wait on a wc.  Someone then took him in the wc the whole way through checkin and up to security, we followed along and then another person took him right after security I think onboard the ship, we then had him and my mom sit at the Boot and Bonnet Pub while we went to their stateroom to get the rental wc.

 

In St Maarten we pushed him in the rental wc, it was a bit of a walk but was easy pushing him and then we found the line for a taxi to the airplane beach area.  They put his wc in the back of the van, you pay roundtrip and they gave you a wristband for the return.  We hung out at Sunset Beach Bar and grill.

 

In San Juan my parents decided to stay on the ship and he enjoyed hanging out in the hot tub.  I think the streets would be difficult to navigate with a walker or wc but you could use a taxi to get to places.

 

In Labadee they had people with these special beach wheelchairs with huge wheels that were waiting and actually ended up taking both my mom and dad down to the beach.  They were very nice and helpful in finding a place for us and gave my dad a ride when it was time to go back on board. 

[mets123]

You said your mom doesn't want to transport her scooter. But, would she

consider renting a scooter or wheelchair? With a scooter, you would probably need a accessible room.

[angeleyez915]

1 minute ago, mets123 said:

You said your mom doesn't want to transport her scooter. But, would she

consider renting a scooter or wheelchair? With a scooter, you would probably need a accessible room.

She rarely uses her own scooter because she says being on it is actually painful for her, so she wouldnt want a scooter either way.  I'm thinking about going ahead and renting a wheelchair.  Looked at the rates and they really arent very expensive.

[Snit13]

So glad you asked this question.  There will be 2 of us on Harmony visiting these ports in November.  Cousin plans to bring her walker and wheelchair and I will rent a scooter like I did for Enchantment.  At Port Canaveral I was able to pick the scooter up in the terminal and drive myself onto the ship and it was less expensive than having it delivered to the cabin.  Also, I did not have to have someone push me in wheelchair from terminal to ship.  I drove the scooter off the ship when we returned from cruise and drove it back to terminal entrance where I picked it up.  I can't convince cousin to rent scooter as she feels more comfortable in her own wheelchair.

We are wondering about Labadee and getting to Barefoot Beach.  Hope someone knows if I will be allowed to take scooter off ship and if it can be driven onto the beach.  Also, will she be able to take her wheelchair off ship and to the beach.  On previous stops at Labadee I was pushed in the beach wheelchairs for a distance and then I had to walk.

I wish all ports would have pedicabs or golf carts so cruisers with mobility issues could get off ship and enjoy the ports.  We could buy lunches and spend money with the vendors if we could get from ship to shore.

[mets123]

You will not be able to get any kind of traction with a scooter or regular wheelchair on the sand. You would have to stick with 

paved surfaces.

[tradercj]

I would definitely take a wheel chair. The walking is quite far. I take portable wheel chairs for my parents each time we go, they fight me each time but it makes the trip so much easier. San Juan is a challenge, i have pushed them around town, it is quite a workout. Cobble stone and always seem to be pushing uphill.

[angeleyez915]

On 5/7/2019 at 6:43 PM, mets123 said:

You said your mom doesn't want to transport her scooter. But, would she

consider renting a scooter or wheelchair? With a scooter, you would probably need a accessible room.

Our room is already booked and paid in full, we didnt get an accessible room because for the interior that we chose there were no more available, we would have had to have gone to a more expensive balcony cabin.  She doesnt like using the scooters anyway because she says after even a short period of time she is in a lot of pain.  We may just go with renting a wheelchair 

[Iamcruzin]

On 5/7/2019 at 6:47 PM, angeleyez915 said:

She rarely uses her own scooter because she says being on it is actually painful for her, so she wouldnt want a scooter either way.  I'm thinking about going ahead and renting a wheelchair.  Looked at the rates and they really arent very expensive.

My mother has mobility issues as well. Explain to your mother  that sometimes it’s easier to push her in a wheelchair than walking at the same pass as her while using a walker. Plus there is a less chance of her tripping on the uneven pavement. My mom fell while using her walker in Freeport.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Iamcruzin

[LeeW]

San Juan sidewalks are mostly broken and have lots of holes to step in, even if you are not using a walker.  And lots of cobblestone or glass brick streets.  Forts have steep rock stairs.  For this port you might want to pick a jungle or rum tour.