Using Celebrity wheelchair for boarding

[newbie202020]

Does anyone have experience with borrowing Celebrity's wheelchair to board the ship (Eclipse)? I've read that I can call to request one. Do I have to wait long to board or go to a specific area to pick up the wheelchair? Can I ask someone to help me push my dad in the wheelchair up the ramp. I have arm injury and can't do it myself.

 

Leaving Vancouver for Alaska on the Eclipse. Thanks very much 

[JintyGirl]

Hi - my husband has used the wheelchair service at ports to board celebrity. Please complete a special assistance form and send to celebrity in advance. This lets them know if there are passengers who require assistance emabarking/disembarking and tendering too.

Here’s how it has worked for us - arrive at port with luggage and drop off with porter. Alert a member of staff that a wheelchair is required and sit in seats to wait for one to arrive (usually only a few minutes). Wheelchair and staff member arrive and we are taken through check-in and security by them and (if boarding has started) on to the ship.
Earlier this year at San Pedro, LA, there was a delay in boarding, so all wheelchairs were parked in a separate area of the waiting area. Then we had to wait for staff to take each wheelchair onboard once boarding commenced. 
No need for you to push the wheelchair at any time.

Hope that helps and you have a great cruise! 

[newbie202020]

Thank you very much JintyGirl for the detailed response. I very much appreciate it.

[JintyGirl]

Should have said - for disembarking, we have received a letter in our cabin the day before advising us where to go at our allotted time to pick up our wheelchair and staff member to leave the ship. They have taken us off, through immigration, into the luggage hall to pick up luggage, and outside to taxi/bus pick up. 

[newbie202020]

If anyone has a picture of the boarding ramp, I would very much appreciate it. Depending on how long it is and the incline, we might / not need the wheelchair. Thanks

[cruisestitch]

The boarding ramp varies day by day and cruise by cruise, depending on the tides in the configuration of the terminal area.  

[gold1953]

It is common for folks who have no need of a wheel chair to book assistance when disembarking just to go to the head of the line. A worn out port employee talked to us about . She said once they get outside they are suddenly fit!

Contact special needs ASAP  and have fun with your dad!! Good luck!

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

59 minutes ago, gold1953 said:

It is common for folks who have no need of a wheel chair to book assistance when disembarking just to go to the head of the line. A worn out port employee talked to us about . She said once they get outside they are suddenly fit!

Contact special needs ASAP  and have fun with your dad!! Good luck!

 

Wow! That reminds me of many years ago when I was living in Nashville and still flew Southwest sometimes. They had so many people claiming they needed pre-boarding on flights to Orlando, Las Vegas, and New Orleans that on those routes they put a policy in place that if you needed pre-boarding you were allowed to select seats only in a certain section and you would be the last to deplane because of that same phenomenon. They'd limp onto the plane - or worse, use a wheelchair - but as soon as the plane landed they'd jump up, grab their bags, and dash off the plane.

 

It sucks when people abuse a service that others legitimately need.

[kokopelli-az]

4 hours ago, newbie202020 said:

Does anyone have experience with borrowing Celebrity's wheelchair to board the ship (Eclipse)? I've read that I can call to request one. Do I have to wait long to board or go to a specific area to pick up the wheelchair? Can I ask someone to help me push my dad in the wheelchair up the ramp. I have arm injury and can't do it myself.

 

Leaving Vancouver for Alaska on the Eclipse. Thanks very much 

You might want to hop on over to the Disabled Cruise Travel board with your question.   Many, many people on that board have first-hand experience boarding with the ship's wheelchairs.  

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/

 

Does Dad just need the wheelchair to embark (Day One) and disembark (Last Day)?   Or will he need one to use on the ship and also at port stops?   The Celebrity wheelchairs (and pushers) are only available to embark and disembark.   If he might need a wheelchair while on the cruise, they can easily be rented and the wheelchair will be in your stateroom when you board.   (Lots of walking on those huge cruise ships, not to mention walking on the docks to get to your port stop and then walking around the port stop itself.)

 

Celebrity will need to know about Dad's mobility limitations in advance (not only for the wheelchair but also in case of an emergency).  

 

Assistance at the pier:  https://www.celebritycruises.com/special-needs/accessibility#:

 

Special Needs form:  https://www.celebritycruises.com/special-needs

 

PS:   I don't know how it is at the Port of Vancouver, but at many ports the first people you encounter will be the porters who actually work for the Port.   They typically have people who will push you to as far as they are allowed and then a Celebrity employee takes over (so there would be two separate pushers in this case).    The Celebrity pusher can push Dad to nearly any public area in the ship (or possibly your stateroom, if ready) and the pusher will leave Dad where he drops him off and will take the wheelchair .  Tips are appreciated.   

Edited May 27, 2023 by kokopelli-az

[newbie202020]

Thanks very much for the detailed and helpful response koko. I sincerely appreciate it 

[kokopelli-az]

3 hours ago, newbie202020 said:

If anyone has a picture of the boarding ramp, I would very much appreciate it. Depending on how long it is and the incline, we might / not need the wheelchair. Thanks

I don't know what ship this is, but here's an example of a boarding ramp in Vancouver.  

[newbie202020]

My dad will need the wheelchair at port stops as well.

 

Now I am getting worried about the excursions I wanted to book for our Alaska trip - the skyglider gondola at icy strait and the Ketchikan duck tour. Is there a lot of walking on these excursions? Thanks 

[Ferry_Watcher]

13 minutes ago, kokopelli-az said:

 I don't know how it is at the Port of Vancouver, but at many ports the first people you encounter will be the porters who actually work for the Port.   They typically have people who will push you to as far as they are allowed and then a Celebrity employee takes over (so there would be two separate pushers in this case).

 

This is the way it works in Seattle as well.  First wheelchair pusher works at the pier and this service is complimentary (no tip expected).  This pier employee will get the passenger all the way thru the check-in process.  The passengers will be taken to a waiting area, where a ship crew member will transfer the passenger to a ship wheelchair and push this wheelchair on to the ship.  A tip for this wheelchair pusher would be appropriate   

[Ferry_Watcher]

7 minutes ago, newbie202020 said:

Now I am getting worried about the excursions I wanted to book for our Alaska trip - the skyglider gondola at icy strait and the Ketchikan duck tour. Is there a lot of walking on these excursions? Thanks 

 

There could be considerable distances from where the ship is docked to the port-of-call tourist / retail area.  Can your dad walk up steps (like to get on a bus?).

You might consider renting an electric scooter to help him get around the ship, as well as the port-of-calls.

[kokopelli-az]

4 minutes ago, newbie202020 said:

My dad will need the wheelchair at port stops as well.

 

Now I am getting worried about the excursions I wanted to book for our Alaska trip - the skyglider gondola at icy strait and the Ketchikan duck tour. Is there a lot of walking on these excursions? Thanks 

For a wheelchair at port stops (and to use on the ship during the cruise), you will either need to rent one for the cruise or bring your own.    scootaround.com is one of the companies mentioned frequently that rents wheelchairs (and lots of other equipment).   The wheelchair would be in your room when you board and you would leave it in your room on the last day.   If you happen to rent from scootaround, mention discount code USCRUISE for a discount (this code is from United Spinal Members).  Dad will either have to navigate using the wheelchair or you will have to push him.  There will be no Celebrity wheelchair pushers available once you're settled on the ship.  

 

The descriptions on Celebrity's website of the excursions you are interested in will describe whether there is lots of walking, steps, etc.   Contact Celebrity's Accessible Shore Excursion Department for more information:  https://www.celebritycruises.com/special-needs/accessible-shore-excursions

The website for the excursion you mention at Icy Straight says it can accommodate wheelchairs and scooters.

[newbie202020]

You all have been so helpful. Thanks very much