NCL not allowing Scootaround to deliver disability equipment to cabin; must now be picked up/returned outside terminal

[btc1951]

I just learned today, less than 30 days from our cruise, that NCL and Port Canaveral will no longer allow disability equipment rented from Scootaround to be delivered directly to your cabin (even though that is in your contract), and that now you have to pick up /return your equipment from the terminal. Which means you must carry whatever equipment you rented around from the time you embark until  whatever time you can get into your cabin. Has anyone heard of or encountered this issue? This is a problem for us because my husband travels with a collapsible, motorized wheelchair, which means I am responsible for everything else. Scootaround because we anticipate times where the wheelchair may not be an appropriate vehicle for him, such as if we need to tender, or for certain excursions where a wheelchair won't be allowed. So for me to have to pick up the rollator outside the terminal while I still have baggage to check in (for both of us), and then have to roll it around the ship all afternoon until we get into our room is an enormous inconvenience. Who in their right mind decided this this was a good thing for the disabled? I bet the ADA folks would love to hear about this!

[kitkat343]

Is that in your contract with NCL or your contract with Scootaround ?  If it is in your contract with Scootaround, I'd imagine they'd let you have a full refund (which probably wouldn't help you) but there's not much more they can do if the ship or port no longer grants them access to deliver their equipment to your cabin.  I'm assuming you can try to contact NCL's special services department to ask who is responsible for this change (it might be a governmental/port regulation or if it was NCL's choice) and appealing to NCL if this was their choice.  You can also consider filing an ADA complaint if you feel this situation would be covered.  

 

I don't really know why this happened, but on my last cruise, one of our suitcase handles was broken off by port or NCL employees delivering the suitcases to the room.

 

I do wonder if it is possible Scootaround  equipment was damaged in transit, with Scootaround  insisting NCL employees damaged it on the way to the room, and NCL insisting Scootaround was responsible for the damage, and there being no way to determine who is liable unless the equipment is handed directly to the customer by Scootaround .  

[shof515]

1 minute ago, kitkat343 said:

I don't really know why this happened, but on my last cruise, one of our suitcase handles was broken off by port or NCL employees delivering the suitcases to the room.

 

i had one of the wheels rip off of my suitcase by the port or the cruise lines. my suitcase now has 3 wheels instead of 4. still rolls around fine as long as it is perfectly balanced

[jennMillstream]

I am following this thread.  Just rented a scooter from the same place, and the ONLY place NCL deals with.  They explicitly told me over the phone that the scooter starts in the room and ends IN the room.  I hope they let us know if this changes.

 

I will post here if I find out this is true, and ask anyone else who knows to keep us updated.

Thanks

[Nilbog]

It may depend on the port.  I just cruised from Port Canaveral last month and they were at the terminal entry.  I'm cruising from Miami next month and when I called Scootaround they confirmed I would pick up the scooter at the terminal entrance there, too.  They may be doing it this way now to limit the number of people onboard.  This way they don't have to screen additional people for Covid vaccinations or anything.

[jennMillstream]

just one more thing to worry about.  It would be easier for me physically if I could get scooter right away instead of leaning on my cane.

 

[CrusinCyndi]

We are sailing out of NYC end of March. Wondering if the scooter we are renting will be in the room or at the terminal? 

 

[Nilbog]

2 hours ago, jennMillstream said:

just one more thing to worry about.  It would be easier for me physically if I could get scooter right away instead of leaning on my cane.

 

That's why I'll be glad to pick it up in the terminal instead of waiting until I'm onboard and can get to our cabin.

 

2 hours ago, CrusinCyndi said:

We are sailing out of NYC end of March. Wondering if the scooter we are renting will be in the room or at the terminal? 

 

Check with your scooter vendor to see where they deliver it.

[btc1951]

22 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

 If it is in your contract with Scootaround, I'd imagine they'd let you have a full refund.

 

No refund was offered, but because I paid extra for the ability to cancel, I could still do that but they deduct $25 from my refund. And if I cancel then we have no rollator for the cruise unless we bring one from home. And since we're flying to Orlando, staying in a hotel overnight, then taking the shuttle to the port, that's even more of an inconvenience. 

[btc1951]

This issue got resolved today. I contacted the Access Desk since they had us on file as needing assistance getting on and off the ship. I explained the whole scenario about why it was so inconvenient for me to have to pick up the rollator at the terminal and keep it with me until we were finally able to get our cabin. And since I had previously made a request for assistance to get him on and off board ship, I asked for further assistance to pick up the rollator from the Scootaround booth at the terminal, and store it for us until we were in our cabin later that day. The next thing I know I get an email from my contact at the access desk saying she had spoken to Scootaround, and that they would be delivering it to our cabin, and would also pick it up there at the end of the cruise. Shortly thereafter I received a call from the Scootaround rep confirming same, and then she sent me an updated contract also confirming these details. Something about the squeaky wheel comes to mind...

[Juncti]

When we cruised in the past with my mom and step dad it was delivered to the room, last month we did a Carnival trip and they had it now in the terminal. It worked out a lot better for us since her mom could use the scooter throughout the terminal.

 

It does seem like this is the new way, maybe NCL is starting it now.

[Georgia_Peaches]

On 10/27/2022 at 7:43 PM, Nilbog said:

This way they don't have to screen additional people for Covid vaccinations or anything.

Haven’t they stopped that sort of screening anyway?

[Nilbog]

3 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Haven’t they stopped that sort of screening anyway?

When checking in for a cruise they still ask passengers if they are vaccinated or not, then they have different handling procedures for those with vs. without vaccinations.  If the medical device technicians aren't delivering onboard, then the cruise lines don't need to worry whether they're vaccinated or not, or whether anything needs to be cleaned upon their departure.

[cruiseat50]

7 hours ago, btc1951 said:

This issue got resolved today. I contacted the Access Desk since they had us on file as needing assistance getting on and off the ship. I explained the whole scenario about why it was so inconvenient for me to have to pick up the rollator at the terminal and keep it with me until we were finally able to get our cabin. And since I had previously made a request for assistance to get him on and off board ship, I asked for further assistance to pick up the rollator from the Scootaround booth at the terminal, and store it for us until we were in our cabin later that day. The next thing I know I get an email from my contact at the access desk saying she had spoken to Scootaround, and that they would be delivering it to our cabin, and would also pick it up there at the end of the cruise. Shortly thereafter I received a call from the Scootaround rep confirming same, and then she sent me an updated contract also confirming these details. Something about the squeaky wheel comes to mind...

Glad that this got worked out for you and now you can relax and get excited for your cruise.  😊

[CruizinSusan70]

7 hours ago, btc1951 said:

 

No refund was offered, but because I paid extra for the ability to cancel, I could still do that but they deduct $25 from my refund. And if I cancel then we have no rollator for the cruise unless we bring one from home. And since we're flying to Orlando, staying in a hotel overnight, then taking the shuttle to the port, that's even more of an inconvenience. 

I would cancel and bring a walker from home which would be easier than a rollator to lug around.  I assume your DH is in the wheelchair all of the time on board and uses the rollator in the cabin or on excursions that are not wheelchair friendly.  A walker would save money anyway.  If you need to buy one it's probably cheaper than what scootaround is charging for the rollator rental.