Wheelchair, power chair or scooter?

[PMT51]

DH will be getting both of his hips replaced AFTER our cruise in Feb 2024 on Celebrity Constellation. He can get around a bit with crutches, but can't really go more than 100 ft. at a time. We do not have an accessable cabin

We are thinking or renting a mobility aid for the cruise. 

What would be best, wheelchair, power chair or scooter?

[kokopelli-az]

My first choice would be a scooter.  However, it needs to be 23" or less wide to fit through the door of a non-accessible stateroom.   Check with your rental company to inquire about the width of their rental scooters.   (Are there any available accessible staterooms on your ship that you could change to?)

 

Some power chairs are collapsible but again check with your rental company about the width and also if they have collapsible ones.  

 

Wheelchairs are fine but someone might need to be available to assist with the pushing.  

 

Ships are huge, many piers are very long and then there's your port stop.  There will be a lot of territory to cover.  

 

PS:   Celebrity will need to know you are bringing/renting mobility equipment.  Have you seen their accessibility brochure?

https://secure.viewer.zmags.com/publication/94b2c9f8#/94b2c9f8/1

[suramom]

i recall you cannot rent a power chair unless you currently have one, but you can rent scooters or wheelchairs (but you have to push it).  My DH got a scooter last time that worked well.  but they are large and we had an accessible cabin, so it fit in.

[Bob++]

I don't know about the hire situation, but I would go for a power chair.

 

My wife, who can walk short distances, uses one and it is a lot more versatile than a buggy or scooter. This is most noticeable on the lifts where she can drive in a turn round ready to leave. Buggies have to either reverse in or out, and this often takes time and can be annoying to other passengers.

 

Some ports of call are more accessible than others and it's true that buggies (so long as they are not the small folding type) cope better with rough paving and kerbs. You will need to do your own research and accept that your options will be severely limited.

 

On board, do not hesitate to play the disability card. You will normally get priority boarding and if the ramp is steep, there are always staff to help. There are reserved spaces for wheelchairs and carers in the theatre. We often found ourselves moving furniture around in the dining room and the staff there bent over backwards to accommodate our needs (my wife prefers to stay in her chair).

 

With some forward planning and a relaxed attitude to the obstacles you encounter, it can work very well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[prudence passenger]

I think it also depends on where you are going,  We just returned from Japan.  I was unable to rent most equipment and have it delivered there.   I ended up purchasing a small narrow manual wheelchair from amazon.jp. and had it delivered to our first hotel before we boarded our cruise.  It still did not fit through the doorway.  The wheelchairs the cruise line had onboard also did not fit through the doorway.  There is a small threshold at the doorway.  Our problem was a huge step to get into the bathroom, which we had been told was also just a threshold.  If we had known that we would have had to get the accessible suite, or cancelled our trip.  Somehow, with my husband's ingenuity and McGiverism, with the wheelchair and my walker he assisted me to get it to work.  In two weeks, we only had one port where the tide changed so much I needed 3 staff to carry me up the ramp in my wheelchair.  Japan is a very accessible country, with clean bathrooms everywhere.  There is a great website, accessible Japan, it was very helpful to me in picking places to visit and those to avoid.  The airport personnel go beyond in assistance.  Do your homework, and with extensive preplanning, your trip will be great.