Overnight Scooter Charging/Storage

[Lyndisty]

We all know the boilerplate warning from every cruise line that scooters must be overnighted in your stateroom. However, I’ve been pleasantly surprised on a couple of recent cruises (NCL & Disney) to find that, at least sometimes, the ship will provide an out of the way place to overnight and charge your scooter. Then, the next day, you may pick it up (if able) or have it brought back to you. This was on larger ships, which I imagine have a bit more space for that kind of service.

 

Does anyone know if there are any other lines/specific ships that do anything like this? I’d like to know in advance if at all possible. Particularly interested in HAL Koningsdam and RCL Mariner, but any info would be useful.

[1025cruise]

The rule is that the scooter must be in your cabin. Anything happening to the contrary is on a case by case basis. 

[FOPMan]

Disney’s Know Before You Go explicitly states that devices are to be kept in your cabin or designated public areas. HAL

states that devices must be kept in the cabin.

 

See https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/guests-with-disabilities/wheelchair-mobility-devices/

[kokopelli-az]

Book an accessible stateroom, which has plenty of room, and then there is no issue with where to park or charge the scooter.

[Essiesmom]

Paging @RuthCto the white courtesy phone on HAL….
I believe people used to be able to plug their scooters in in the elevator lobby on vista class, but it was unofficial.  EM

Edited October 17, 2022 by Essiesmom

[RuthC]

5 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

I believe people used to be able to plug their scooters in in the elevator lobby on vista class, but it was unofficial.  EM

That's possible. 

I am sure that was done on the Prinsendam as I used to see a parking lot of them near the aft elevator. But there was a large area there that was out of the lanes of anyone walking. 

There was also good reason to need a parking lot for scooters on that ship as cabins were at the end of a short passage which ran off the main passageway; one on each side of the corridor about half the length of the cabin (made for very quiet cabins). There was no way to turn into the cabin even if you could turn in to your semi-private passageway. 

[GUT2407]

Our early cruises they took scooters to a cage near the lift lobby and locked them up and charged them, but that was on a smaller ship. I think it would be a great option for those who only need a scooter for longer distances, freeing up accessible cabins for those needing full features.

 

Once I could have easily got by in my cabin, no longer unfortunately.

[Joseph2017China]

Curious....will anyone answer the posters question?

 

[FOPMan]

On 10/17/2022 at 9:35 AM, FOPMan said:

I did earlier, but here is the text directly from HAL’s Know Before You Go site:

 

For the safety of all guests and crew, scooters and other mobility equipment need to be securely stored and charged in the guest’s stateroom and not in hallways or elevator lobbies. Scooters left in these areas could restrict people needing to travel through these areas in an emergency, particularly other guests using mobility aids, since they would have no way of getting by a scooter left in a hallway. For this reason, Holland America Line has size and weight guidelines for scooters. 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq/know-before-you-go.html

[Lyndisty]

Thanks to everyone who managed to pass along their knowledge without just repeating the parts I made clear I was already aware of.

 

Our issue is that we booked late in the game, on a wing and a prayer, well after all the accessible cabins were already gone. Seems it'll be a bit of a gamble, but I reckon we'll just see how it goes.

 

Fingers crossed.

[Schoifmom]

16 hours ago, Lyndisty said:

Thanks to everyone who managed to pass along their knowledge without just repeating the parts I made clear I was already aware of.

 

Our issue is that we booked late in the game, on a wing and a prayer, well after all the accessible cabins were already gone. Seems it'll be a bit of a gamble, but I reckon we'll just see how it goes.

 

Fingers crossed.

We always book a regular cabin and manage to fit DH's scooter inside to store/charge.  He really doesn't require the fully handicapped cabin facilities, so we like to leave those for people who do. 

 

It would be really smart of cruiselines to construct designated scooter storage/charging rooms (maybe one on each stateroom deck) for those who have scooters and standard cabins.  Given the large number of people these days who require a scooter and the small number of fully handicapped cabins available, it would certainly be helpful.

[silversurf]

On UK ships only manual wheelchairs or folding power chairs are allowed in standard cabins. All powered scooters, even folding ones, need an accessible cabin for health and safety rules.

[Bloodgem]

14 hours ago, silversurf said:

On UK ships only manual wheelchairs or folding power chairs are allowed in standard cabins. All powered scooters, even folding ones, need an accessible cabin for health and safety rules.

I'm curious are you referring to UK cruise companies or any ship that sail from the UK.

[Essiesmom]

3 hours ago, Bloodgem said:

I'm curious are you referring to UK cruise companies or any ship that sail from the UK.

I’m thinking they are referring to P&O, which comprises the majority of their cruises, and does have that regulation.  They sail Saga, too, but I’m not familiar with their policies.  EM

[silversurf]

Yes P and O, possibly Fred Olsen.

Saga have stricter rules, so even folding manual wheelchairs can only sail in an accessible cabin.

[mexico8]

Hope the OP can get the answer before the cruise.   I guess the worse case scenario is wait until they board and ask at the desk if there is someplace to bring the scooter for charging.   You would think there would be somewhere for a scooter - hope so.   I will be in the same position someday because we are finding it difficult to get an accessible cabin even one whole year before the cruise.   

[JoyFrances]

I had an issue on the Nieuw Amsterdam a few years ago.  We booked what HAL called an accessible stateroom.  However, it was a very strange shape and we could not get the scooter into the cabin.  The bathroom was accessible (walk in shower with grab bars).  Our cabin steward instructed us to park the scooter in the elevator lobby 2 cabins away with the charging cord.  He took the scooter away every night and charged it for us and then brought it back to the elevator lobby at 7 am every morning.  Moral of the story:  they try to accommodate you to the best of their ability.  However, it is true that Maritime Law prohibits parking scooters and wheelchairs in the halls for safety and evacuation purposes.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

On 10/24/2022 at 2:03 PM, silversurf said:

On UK ships only manual wheelchairs or folding power chairs are allowed in standard cabins. All powered scooters, even folding ones, need an accessible cabin for health and safety rules.

Sounds like they need to update their knowledge of folding scooters!  Mine is 19 inches wide and when folded will sit on end taking up less space than a suitcase!