Independence Wheelchair/accessibility questions

[rimmit]

Been a bit since I’ve been on here.  As some in our roll call for the cruise we were we had to cancel this summer  know,  my wife was sadly run over by a an out of control car and sustained massive damage to her left foot when we were in Zimbabwe this summer on an African safari. After getting run over she was unable to get any decent medical care for over 24 hours until we were finally able to get med evacuated to Joburg, South Africa.  
 

It’s been a crazy long road of recovery that will continue for likely the next year that literally would take a novel to explain.  Thankfully, 31 hospital days and 13 surgeries, 62 days of IV abx and over 3 months later she is alive and still has a foot.  While not even close to walking she finally is able to have the stamina to potentially go on a vacation again.
 

While I have spent over 350 days on a cruise ship I have never done it with someone in a wheelchair or mobility limited. Any advice or tips, specifically, related to the Independence are welcome.  We will start out on a short cruise to get our bearings in this new wheelchair world.  We have a 7 year old coming as our 11 year old will be in school, so just one kid this time around. She will be in a standard wheelchair and not an ECV.  She can hobble around with a walker for short distances and a knee scooter as well for slightly longer distances.  Thanks for any tips.

Edited September 29, 2022 by rimmit

[cruisefan0110]

I have used an ECV on Indy. I could also walk short distances. I do not believe she will have any problems on the ship. Coco Cay has paved paths. My biggest areas of concern were the dining areas and Scooner bar. The staff in both the Windjammer and the main dining room were fantastic. 

[brillohead]

Royal's ships are very wheelchair friendly.  I've probably been on a dozen cruises with friends in either a standard or electric wheelchair.  

In the dining room, try to go check out your table assignment as soon as you board -- you'll want one on directly on an aisle, rather than trying to weave in and out of tables.  If she wants to transfer to a regular chair at the table, the assistant waiter will park the wheelchair for her out of the way and retrieve it at the end of the meal.  If she wants to just stay in her wheelchair, the staff will likely have the regular chair removed before you get to the table on subsequent nights.

Whether or not she needs an accessible stateroom is something you'll have to decide based on her mobility needs (no step up into the bathroom, wider doorways, no step into the shower, grab bars at the toilet, etc.).  

[rimmit]

39 minutes ago, brillohead said:

Royal's ships are very wheelchair friendly.  I've probably been on a dozen cruises with friends in either a standard or electric wheelchair.  

In the dining room, try to go check out your table assignment as soon as you board -- you'll want one on directly on an aisle, rather than trying to weave in and out of tables.  If she wants to transfer to a regular chair at the table, the assistant waiter will park the wheelchair for her out of the way and retrieve it at the end of the meal.  If she wants to just stay in her wheelchair, the staff will likely have the regular chair removed before you get to the table on subsequent nights.

Whether or not she needs an accessible stateroom is something you'll have to decide based on her mobility needs (no step up into the bathroom, wider doorways, no step into the shower, grab bars at the toilet, etc.).  

Thanks.   The staterooms are small enough that she can brace herself on furniture and the bed or use a walker.  We’ll just collapse the wheelchair, and stick it in the room.  She scoots around on her butt a lot too.  Lol.

 

How difficult is it to get a beach wheelchair at cococay?

[brillohead]

4 hours ago, rimmit said:

How difficult is it to get a beach wheelchair at cococay?

Not a problem at all -- there is a whole "parking lot" of them in the middle of the island, and the path is paved/bricked the whole way there.

[rimmit]

10 hours ago, brillohead said:

Not a problem at all -- there is a whole "parking lot" of them in the middle of the island, and the path is paved/bricked the whole way there.

So they never ran out?  Or did you have to get there early?

[brillohead]

5 hours ago, rimmit said:

So they never ran out?  Or did you have to get there early?

Always seemed to be plenty to spare.