Mobility Scooter rental from Special Needs delivery at Port of Tampa for Royal caribbean

[torpeedo]

We've rented a mobility scooter in Port Canaveral and they deliver the scooter outside the terminal which makes it very easy to board the ship.  Sailing from Tampa in January and they informed us that they delivery to the cabin.  I had been told before that they meet you at the terminal in Tampa so we're confused.  Scootaround says they delivery to you at the port.  Anyone have experience renting in Tampa on Royal?

[kokopelli-az]

Your scooter rental place will tell you where to pick up your scooter.   It depends on where exactly the ship will be docked.  

 

If your ship's dock location changes, where you pick you your scooter may change too (ie, from outside the terminal to inside your stateroom or vice versa).

 

On Scootaround's website, it states (always subject to change, of course):

 

In Tampa, there’s something for everyone. And remember, if you struggle with mobility issues, call Scootaround or visit us online to rent a scooter or wheelchair in advance of your trip. We’ll deliver the mobility device directly to your hotel, residence, or cruise ship cabin – whatever is most convenient. The scooter or wheelchair will be waiting for you when you arrive, so you’re good to go as soon as you check in.  

 

 

[torpeedo]

41 minutes ago, kokopelli-az said:

Your scooter rental place will tell you where to pick up your scooter.   It depends on where exactly the ship will be docked.  

 

If your ship's dock location changes, where you pick you your scooter may change too (ie, from outside the terminal to inside your stateroom or vice versa).

 

On Scootaround's website, it states (always subject to change, of course):

 

In Tampa, there’s something for everyone. And remember, if you struggle with mobility issues, call Scootaround or visit us online to rent a scooter or wheelchair in advance of your trip. We’ll deliver the mobility device directly to your hotel, residence, or cruise ship cabin – whatever is most convenient. The scooter or wheelchair will be waiting for you when you arrive, so you’re good to go as soon as you check in.  

 

 

Ah! Thank you.  OK, that explains it.  In PC they are at the door to the terminal.  Boarding the ship is very difficult for mobility impaired people and it's so nice to get it at the door.  SO plan B is get wheelchair assistance at the terminal.  One thing to consider when the scooter goes to the cabin: We sailed out of NJ in September and we had a Royal UP and our cabin changed two days before boarding and the mobility scooter was to go to the cabin as per the port rules.  So we called Special needs and they changed it to the new cabin.   Unfortunately the ship did not so they put the mobility scooter in the original cabin.  I had to run all over the ship to try and find it.  Not good.  We have a Royal up on this cruise and I'm canceling it to avoid that nightmare again.  

[kokopelli-az]

Royal Caribbean's website says they use Terminals 2 and 3 at the Port of Tampa.   Here is a view of Terminal 3 FYI:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/815+Channelside+Dr,+Tampa,+FL+33602/@27.9459911,-82.4445586,3a,75y,52.91h,92.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s87o9ErE8t8oH_Kij7QgGlw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x88c2c4f0c9c89b7b:0xd1d0fd95b4341c0e!8m2!3d27.9454167!4d-82.4442159

 

If your scooter is in your stateroom, definitely request wheelchair assistance from Royal.   If you haven't already done so, also advise their Access Department about the scooter and any other special needs.   866-592-7225

 

PS:   You have an accessible stateroom, correct?

[torpeedo]

5 minutes ago, kokopelli-az said:

Royal Caribbean's website says they use Terminals 2 and 3 at the Port of Tampa.   Here is a view of Terminal 3 FYI:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/815+Channelside+Dr,+Tampa,+FL+33602/@27.9459911,-82.4445586,3a,75y,52.91h,92.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s87o9ErE8t8oH_Kij7QgGlw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x88c2c4f0c9c89b7b:0xd1d0fd95b4341c0e!8m2!3d27.9454167!4d-82.4442159

 

If your scooter is in your stateroom, definitely request wheelchair assistance from Royal.   If you haven't already done so, also advise their Access Department about the scooter and any other special needs.   866-592-7225

 

PS:   You have an accessible stateroom, correct?

Thank you, will do!  Yes our stateroom is a GS.  We never book anything less than a JS because of the scooter.  

[Nilbog]

Just keep in mind that if your scooter is delivered to your cabin, even asking for wheelchair assistance through RC, you have to get through security first.  If there's a line at security, you'll stand there in line.  My last cruise out of PC they delivered scooters before you got in the terminal.  Two weeks ago in Miami, Scootaround said they were delivering outside the terminal, but they delivered to the cabin.  I had to stand for nearly two hours to get through security before I got to wheelchair assistance.

[torpeedo]

23 minutes ago, Nilbog said:

Just keep in mind that if your scooter is delivered to your cabin, even asking for wheelchair assistance through RC, you have to get through security first.  If there's a line at security, you'll stand there in line.  My last cruise out of PC they delivered scooters before you got in the terminal.  Two weeks ago in Miami, Scootaround said they were delivering outside the terminal, but they delivered to the cabin.  I had to stand for nearly two hours to get through security before I got to wheelchair assistance.

I wish it was standard, deliver at the terminal so it can be used to board the ship. Also for disembarking.  Getting the wheelchair assistance in NJ worked fine. We have a walker/rollator so that was fine.  Sorry for that 2 hr wait through security. Not acceptable for handicapped passengers. 😡

[Nilbog]

My fear is that when I choose Plan B and bring my wheelchair, they'll have the scooter where you drop off luggage, then I ride while my wife pushes an empty wheelchair.

[torpeedo]

10 hours ago, Nilbog said:

My fear is that when I choose Plan B and bring my wheelchair, they'll have the scooter where you drop off luggage, then I ride while my wife pushes an empty wheelchair.

 

We bring the rollator anyway and I just push it empty and put carryon luggage on it.  If no scooter at the entrance we ask for wheelchair assistance and the staff direct us from there.  Also having the rollator is insurance in case something goes wrong with the scooter.   Port Canaveral always has them outside the terminal.  NJ no, in cabin and now Tampa no in cabin also.  

Edited December 3, 2022 by torpeedo

[MrsP88]

WILL NOT USE SCOOTAROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

We just got back from Ft. Lauderdale, Caribbean Princess, Panama Canal. I contact SCOOTAROUND several weeks earlier to order an electric wheelchair for our cruise for Nov. 2022. Our last cruise, I found it difficult to wheel by myself with the carpeted floors and length of cruise ship. I was given a contract to sign and paid my fees. I even called them to confirm and to state our cabin was a new number. I was promised an electric wheelchair. They updated my contract and sent it to me. On the day of the cruise, hours before sailing my chair wasn't there. I called Scootaround and spoke to a rep. She said, that I was on the list to have the electric wheelchair delivered and they were running late getting them all on board. She told me not to wait inside our cabin, to go have fun and it would be there shortly. We came back to a scooter in our cabin- NOT what I ordered. I emailed the company ASAP multiple times, I even spoke w/ Princess Customer Service who contacted them. Princess said Scootaround couldn't do anything. There were no extras on board, we were already sailing, the islands we were going to had no Scootaround offices. I couldn't use the Scooter because controls were too far away and I was afraid I'd lose balance and fall out. So, I couldn't use it. NO ONE FROM SCOOTAROUND has ever contacted me since. I am waiting for a refund. I left messages via email and tried to call w/ no response during our cruise. And, I did everything the contract told me to do if there were problems. This was my first and only time I will never use Scootaround again! VERY UNHAPPY!

[torpeedo]

Service wise we’ve used Scootaround several times with no problems fora mobility scooter.  We use Special Needs at sea because it’s much less expensive, only reason 😊

[kokopelli-az]

15 hours ago, torpeedo said:

Service wise we’ve used Scootaround several times with no problems fora mobility scooter.  We use Special Needs at sea because it’s much less expensive, only reason 😊

We've used Scootaround many, many times and never had any issues.   We've also used Special Needs several times with no issues.    I always get a price from both companies and Scootaround has nearly always been less expensive for us.  

 

Just a note, if you book from Scootaround on-line, equipment protection and cancellation coverage is added to your price and (assuming you don't want it) you have to remove it to not be charged.   Scootaround also has some good promo codes (such as USCRUISE from United Spinal Association) to bring your cost down (if you can't get the promo code to work booking on-line, just give them a call and they will add the code). 

[torpeedo]

1 hour ago, kokopelli-az said:

We've used Scootaround many, many times and never had any issues.   We've also used Special Needs several times with no issues.    I always get a price from both companies and Scootaround has nearly always been less expensive for us.  

 

Just a note, if you book from Scootaround on-line, equipment protection and cancellation coverage is added to your price and (assuming you don't want it) you have to remove it to not be charged.   Scootaround also has some good promo codes (such as USCRUISE from United Spinal Association) to bring your cost down (if you can't get the promo code to work booking on-line, just give them a call and they will add the code). 

Thank you for that info.  The price difference between Scootaround and Special Needs was over $100.  You have to pay extra for the insurance with Scootaround and it's included with Special Needs so when we found that out we switched to Special Needs.  I'll check out using the promo code.  We just reserved a scooter for our next cruise Jan 7  seven night  with Special Needs and it was $194.  We have another cruise in Feb so I'll check out getting a promo code reduction.

Edited December 5, 2022 by torpeedo

[BecciBoo]

On 12/2/2022 at 8:18 PM, torpeedo said:

I wish it was standard, deliver at the terminal so it can be used to board the ship. Also for disembarking.  Getting the wheelchair assistance in NJ worked fine. We have a walker/rollator so that was fine.  Sorry for that 2 hr wait through security. Not acceptable for handicapped passengers. 😡

Doesn't Royal have their own wheel chair assistance for boarding the ship?  Carnival does.  You request the service before you board and the wheel chair is waiting along with an employee to wheel you up those long boarding ramps.  We are just considering taking my rollator instead, but would prefer to rent from Scootaround.  But this last cruise was really hard on me boarding Odyssey.  The longest ramps we've ever experienced in Ft. Lauderdale.

[torpeedo]

1 hour ago, BecciBoo said:

Doesn't Royal have their own wheel chair assistance for boarding the ship?  Carnival does.  You request the service before you board and the wheel chair is waiting along with an employee to wheel you up those long boarding ramps.  We are just considering taking my rollator instead, but would prefer to rent from Scootaround.  But this last cruise was really hard on me boarding Odyssey.  The longest ramps we've ever experienced in Ft. Lauderdale.

Yes they do!  Several ports delivered scooter to the cabin.  We use the rollator to get to the terminal and ask for wheelchair assistance. Those ramps are horrible if you’re handicapped.

[BecciBoo]

1 hour ago, torpeedo said:

Yes they do!  Several ports delivered scooter to the cabin.  We use the rollator to get to the terminal and ask for wheelchair assistance. Those ramps are horrible if you’re handicapped.

Absolutely... had to make several pit stops for breath on the way up, this one was murder!

[kokopelli-az]

3 hours ago, BecciBoo said:

Doesn't Royal have their own wheel chair assistance for boarding the ship?  Carnival does.  You request the service before you board and the wheel chair is waiting along with an employee to wheel you up those long boarding ramps.  We are just considering taking my rollator instead, but would prefer to rent from Scootaround.  But this last cruise was really hard on me boarding Odyssey.  The longest ramps we've ever experienced in Ft. Lauderdale.

Royal has its own wheelchair assistance.  However, if you get wheelchair assistance beginning outside the terminal, the pusher will be one of the port employees.   That person will push you as far as they are allowed to go and then a Royal pusher takes over.   So you may in fact have two different people pushing you.   (Tips are appreciated.)    You may also have to wait in a seating area for the Royal pusher as it is pretty much first come first served.  

 

The pushers know all the short-cuts to take.   In November the Equinox was docked at a different location than its usual dock and the ramps were the worst I've ever seen.  However, the (Royal) wheelchair pusher took a different route, through the cargo loading area and missed the ramps entirely.