Cruising with mobility problems

[madmedic]

Hi we are planning to take my elderly in-laws on a cruise next summer from Southampton. Previously they have sailed on RCCL and although they don't use wheelchairs my mum in particular has mobility problems. She needs help with carrying plates and trays in the buffet and cannot do stairs at all. Has anyone had experience of Celebrity with mobility problems and how easy was it to find the help you need particularly in the current covid climate?

[WestLakeGirl]

Mostly easy to find help in buffet but sounds like she would be better off with MDR lunch on the sea days when it is offered.

[mom says]

I'd guess that about 99% of public areas are Accessible,  so avoiding stairs isn't much of an issue. When in doubt, ask the nearest crew member how to access your destination. You can request wheelchair assistance for embarkation and disembarkation. For port visits,  I will assume you could assist her on and off the gangway. Tenders may be a problem, though, since they invariably require negotiating a few steps.

 

I use a cane, and can usually handle carrying a plate in the buffet. But I usually will encounter a crew member offering to carry it for me. Or my DH will carry it for me. Do you anticipate that they will spend most of their time independent of you and your spouse?

[RichYak]

Some suite class staterooms have combination tub/shower which are difficult to get into and out of if one has mobility issues. Take this into consideration when booking.

 

Aside from that, Celebrity is a good choice for people like your mother.

[madmedic]

47 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Some suite class staterooms have combination tub/shower which are difficult to get into and out of if one has mobility issues. Take this into consideration when booking.

 

Aside from that, Celebrity is a good choice for people like your mother.

They will be in a standard balcony so there will be no tub to worry about. We will mostly be with them to fetch and carry etc but wanted them to feel independent of us rather than reliant on us. I forgot about the tenders, I will have to choose an itinerary carefully. Hopefully they will be able to use the disabled seating area at the back of the theatre rather than going down the steps to the seating.

[5waldos]

Request a cabin designed for those with mobility issues. And one midship so no activities are any further away than necessary. And consider renting a scooter for her onboard- and they can usually be taken off for excursions. Ships are big and people with mobility issues will often limit their activities if they have to walk far to get to there. Even people without mobility issues will sometimes skip something if it means walking the length of the ship. 

[madmedic]

3 minutes ago, 5waldos said:

Request a cabin designed for those with mobility issues. And one midship so no activities are any further away than necessary. And consider renting a scooter for her onboard- and they can usually be taken off for excursions. Ships are big and people with mobility issues will often limit their activities if they have to walk far to get to there. Even people without mobility issues will sometimes skip something if it means walking the length of the ship. 

Good idea about the scooter although not sure she would be confident using one, or safe!🤣. Thanks for all the suggestions. 

 

[Surfguyxxx]

We just finished a number of cruises on RC and husband uses a cane (4 back surgeries).  No problems at all.  We've an Equinox journey coming up and feel very confident that he'll do fine.

[kearney]

My husband has bad knees and issue resulting from quad detachment (surgery only partially successful). So we rent a scooter for him. If more than 2 of you are in a stateroom... parking in a stateroom can be a problem unless you get an accessible cabin. There are a few spots around the ship were you can park it and it does not interfere with hall traffic... those spots are near elevators. Like Royal.. regular cabins have a step up into the shower..and no real grab bars.. FYI.  My husband has never had problems getting help in the Ocean View cafe..usually someone will approach him..but you can always ask one of the managers hovering around the area. You might want to study the deck plan in selecting cabins. We tend to pick one near the elevators in the mid section of the S class ships. The idea is that if something happens to the scooter... walking is minimized. For this reason we usually go on deck 6. The area around the elevators is surprisingly quiet except periodically there might be music from the atrium. You might consider getting wheelchair assistance for getting on and off the ship at the end of the cruise. It is a long walk even if you are mobile. (there is a form for this... not sure how critical it is). If you use wheelchair assistance you will need to flag down a chair at the port..or ask the luggage porter... at the end of the cruise, they usually ask you to meet at a place like Sushi on 5 to get a wheelchair off the ship...  I also suggest that the first night on the ship you ask the host for a table not far from the entrance... usually we end up at the same table each night (select dining). There are two groups that rent scooters... special needs at sea and Scootaround.. look for them online.. Special needs site will walk you through the different options so you can see how much it will cost.

 

You might want to look on FB there is a group "Royal Caribbean Accessible Cruising" where people discuss issues associated with travel..

[5waldos]

10 minutes ago, madmedic said:

Good idea about the scooter although not sure she would be confident using one, or safe!🤣. Thanks for all the suggestions. 

 

Do your local grocery stores have scooters to use while shopping? good place to practice although they really are quite easy to use. The biggest safety issue usually comes when she decides to speed down the hall!😜

[Essiesmom]

They could look online at the types of scooters for rent, then go to a medical supply store that rents/sells scooters and see if they can try one out, see how it works.  Also, if she is chunky and needs a bark attic scooter I don’t think it will fit through the door of a regular cabin.  EM

[Firepath]

I took a celebrity cruise this year and booked a handicapped room(needed for the size if you have a scooter, wheelchair, or walker). I travel with a walker and a transport chair. The chair comes in handy, even if you can walk, for those long distances on the ship and on excursions. Celebrity staff was very helpful and proactive.