We have a scooter for my wife couldn't get a handicapped cabin where can we charge it?

[dawcruiser]

My wife needs a scooter on the ship.   We need a place to charge it.  We couldn't obtain a handicapped  cabin.     Where can we charge it?

[FOPMan]

HAL requires that you store and charge your mobility equipment in your cabin. Scooters narrower than 23 inches should fit through a regular cabin's doors. If your scooter is wider, you may have a significant issue. Scooters left in passageways and lobbies create a safety hazard. 

 

See https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/about/our-company/accessibility#:~:text=Scooters and other mobility equipment,in hallways or elevator lobbies.

[POA1]

Call HAL and ask to speak to the Guest Access department, especially if the scooter is wider than 23 inches. Don't wait until you board.

[Seasick Sailor]

 

Currently on Rotterdam 

There are in fact scooters that line entry towards elevator banks. I just went to check for you and there are no charging outlets there. 

[Seasick Sailor]

Just now, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Currently on Rotterdam 

There are in fact scooters that line entry towards elevator banks. I just went to check for you and there are no charging outlets there. 

 

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Currently on Rotterdam 

There are in fact scooters that line entry towards elevator banks. I just went to check for you and there are no charging outlets there. 

I wonder if those are there with permission or not.  It has been quite a few cruises ago that I have seen scooters parked in public areas 

[Seasick Sailor]

13 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I wonder if those are there with permission or not.  It has been quite a few cruises ago that I have seen scooters parked in public areas 

 

Perhaps we see them on deck 5 due to having accessible cabins? I asked our steward this morning about them and he said the area does not block emergency exiting. 

[surfcitygirl]

Ours fits through the door and we charge it in the cabin.

[Heidi13]

15 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Perhaps we see them on deck 5 due to having accessible cabins? I asked our steward this morning about them and he said the area does not block emergency exiting. 

 

Those scooters will definitely impact a fire party responding to a incident in a dark and smoke filled alleyway. At least one of them could prevent the free movement of a fire hose, as an attack team moved down the alleyway.

 

Sorry, but I don't concur with your cabin steward's statement they don't block emergency exits. Every space on a ship must have at least 2 means of egress. Therefore, in addition to the primary route to the Assembly Stations, you must also consider the alternative options.

 

The scooters may not be impacting the primary evacuation routes, but the primary evacuation route could be blocked by fire, the response team, etc requiring pax to use an alternative route, which those scooters could be blocking.

 

You also need to consider that the scooters are restricting the egress into the stairwell. Computer emergency response simulations show these areas to be pinch points, where all the space is required to be free and clear. With a mass evacuation, the scooters also create a tripping hazard at the pinch point. 

 

In a seaway, one of them is blocking access to the handrail, which increases the potential for trips and falls.

 

Rather than asking a cabin steward, who has limited training and experience in these areas, I suggest asking the Hotel Manager why they are not following the cruise line's published policy and permitting these potential hazards. 

[Seasick Sailor]

7 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Those scooters will definitely impact a fire party responding to a incident in a dark and smoke filled alleyway. At least one of them could prevent the free movement of a fire hose, as an attack team moved down the alleyway.

 

Sorry, but I don't concur with your cabin steward's statement they don't block emergency exits. Every space on a ship must have at least 2 means of egress. Therefore, in addition to the primary route to the Assembly Stations, you must also consider the alternative options.

 

The scooters may not be impacting the primary evacuation routes, but the primary evacuation route could be blocked by fire, the response team, etc requiring pax to use an alternative route, which those scooters could be blocking.

 

You also need to consider that the scooters are restricting the egress into the stairwell. Computer emergency response simulations show these areas to be pinch points, where all the space is required to be free and clear. With a mass evacuation, the scooters also create a tripping hazard at the pinch point. 

 

In a seaway, one of them is blocking access to the handrail, which increases the potential for trips and falls.

 

Rather than asking a cabin steward, who has limited training and experience in these areas, I suggest asking the Hotel Manager why they are not following the cruise line's published policy and permitting these potential hazards. 

 

Personally Heidi, I don't really care about the rules, laws, what have you. . Just care about the now, actual, etc.. I was addressing the concerns of the OP.. my husband uses a wheelchair and I've had similar concerns in the past.

 

I JUST addressed the question with guest services 15 minutes ago as I needed cash for tips and YES there are in fact areas where scooters are allowed to be stowed outside the staterooms. She said there are multiple outlets on board to charge. Lido pool area has outlets along the walls. We will be onboard til Jan 14th if there are further questions. 

[Heidi13]

11 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Personally Heidi, I don't really care about the rules, laws, what have you. . Just care about the now, actual, etc.. I was addressing the concerns of the OP.. my husband uses a wheelchair and I've had similar concerns in the past.

 

I JUST addressed the question with guest services 15 minutes ago as I needed cash for tips and YES there are in fact areas where scooters are allowed to be stowed outside the staterooms. She said there are multiple outlets on board to charge. Lido pool area has outlets along the walls. We will be onboard til Jan 14th if there are further questions. 

 

In the event of an emergency, I'll suggest you should be caring about the rules, laws and the ship's safe operating practices. Some day, your life and those of other pax could be impacted, a fact sadly proven in previous incidents.

 

I have no doubt they have places on the ship where scooters can be safety stowed outside the cabins, but in the photos posted above, I identified numerous hazards with those locations.

[tscoffey]

33 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Personally Heidi, I don't really care about the rules, laws, what have you. . Just care about the now, actual, etc.. I was addressing the concerns of the OP.. my husband uses a wheelchair and I've had similar concerns in the past.

 

 

Your 'now, actual...' thankfully doesn't include an emergency situation (fire, etc).

But that isn't the point. The rules about clear egress are for when the 'now, actual' does include some kind of emergency.

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by tscoffey

[Seasick Sailor]

4 minutes ago, tscoffey said:

Your 'now, actual...' of course doesn't include an emergency situation (fire, etc).

But that isn't the point. The rules about clear egress are for when the 'now, actual' does include some kind of emergency.

 

 

Whatever. I asked the steward and the front desk , with pictures above and those scooters are approved. They do not block emergency exits. Don't shoot the messenger!!!!!!

[MikeD4134]

I would call HAL and inquire about getting an access cabin.  Regrettably, people who do not need an access cabin take them to enjoy more room, HAL does warn people if they do that, they will be removed if someone who really needs the cabin asks for it. 

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

You also need to consider that the scooters are restricting the egress into the stairwell.

As you know, Andy, the width of the fire door opening shown in the photos, is required to be sized for the number of people expected to use the stairwell, and both scooters shown reduce that width, so that is a SOLAS violation right there, unless the ship can show proof that the opening is oversized per the requirements, the calculations of which are not commonly available to shipboard personnel.  Not only is one scooter blocking access to a handrail, but the other scooter is restricting access to a fire alarm manual call point (break glass in case of fire box).

 

I cannot believe that HAL approves of this, nor that it is allowed under SOLAS and ISM.  Frankly, I would not even go to the Hotel Director about this, but would ask to speak to the Staff Captain about your personal safety due to a SOLAS violation.  Frankly, unlike the poster above who states that they are not blocking emergency exits, my 46 years of professional opinion is that this is a gross violation of SOLAS, and a danger to everyone onboard.

 

And, as you also state, if my fire teams found those scooters during an ingress to a fire zone, I would have to detach a technical response team to remove them, endangering those crew, and would not treat those scooters with any care, and disregarding any damage to the scooter that happened during their removal.

Edited November 30, 2023 by chengkp75

[dawcruiser]

3 hours ago, surfcitygirl said:

Ours fits through the door and we charge it in the cabin.

I have a Golden Buzzaround XL what kind do you have?  Is your cabin for handicapped people?

[OlsSalt]

Are not rental scooters available that do meet the ship size requirements? 

During cruise travel, one might need to accept they cannot bring their own oversized equipment.

[surfcitygirl]

46 minutes ago, dawcruiser said:

I have a Golden Buzzaround XL what kind do you have?  Is your cabin for handicapped people?

My husband's is a Super Handy. Just a regular cabin, not handicapped. We have taken it on quite a few cruises and it has always fit through the door. 

[FOPMan]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

As you know, Andy, the width of the fire door opening shown in the photos, is required to be sized for the number of people expected to use the stairwell, and both scooters shown reduce that width, so that is a SOLAS violation right there, unless the ship can show proof that the opening is oversized per the requirements, the calculations of which are not commonly available to shipboard personnel.  Not only is one scooter blocking access to a handrail, but the other scooter is restricting access to a fire alarm manual call point (break glass in case of fire box).

 

I cannot believe that HAL approves of this, nor that it is allowed under SOLAS and ISM.  Frankly, I would not even go to the Hotel Director about this, but would ask to speak to the Staff Captain about your personal safety due to a SOLAS violation.  Frankly, unlike the poster above who states that they are not blocking emergency exits, my 46 years of professional opinion is that this is a gross violation of SOLAS, and a danger to everyone onboard.

 

And, as you also state, if my fire teams found those scooters during an ingress to a fire zone, I would have to detach a technical response team to remove them, endangering those crew, and would not treat those scooters with any care, and disregarding any damage to the scooter that happened during their removal.

Not to mention a tripping hazard that would be amplified if the passageway were encumbered by smoke. Furthermore, in response to an emergency, there is no convenient place to get them out of the travel corridor (not that that extra task should be put on the crew, especially when in response mode.

[TiogaCruiser]

2 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

Are not rental scooters available that do meet the ship size requirements? 

During cruise travel, one might need to accept they cannot bring their own oversized equipment.

Of course,  the pax would have to be able to fit into non-oversized equipment.
 

Many scooters have a weight capacity limit that allows only a subset of the scooter community to be able to use them.

[RuthC]

I've been renting a scooter from the HAL approved companies for years. Until my last cruise, I have also booked cabins that are not accessible; I have just chosen cabins that will fit inside. 
The scooters do fit through a normal door. It's once you get inside that the problems start. 

Is there storage space? Not in most cabins. Is there room to turn around? Again, not in most cabins. 
I have found inside cabins on every class of ship, except the Pinnacle class), that will accept a scooter with plenty of room. A regular Neptune Suite on a Pinnacle class ship will accept a scooter with plenty of room for storage and to turn around; I've done it. 

To answer the OP's question, if the scooter will not comfortably fit in the cabin, then, when you go go the cabin, you can call the Front Desk, and they will send someone to pick it up, store and charge it overnight. Then, call again in the morning, when you are ready to leave, and it will be brought to you. 

Even better, if this is not for a solo, and one person in the party is mobile, then that person can drive the scooter to the Front Desk, and pick it up when needed again. 
The scooter will be stored and charged, but this will eliminate the wait until a staff person can attend to it. 

[highscar]

I have a 3 wheeler and have on trouble turning in a regular balcony cabin. Also helps is no armrests. 

[highscar]

Sorry ment to say NO trouble 

[TiogaCruiser]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

To answer the OP's question, if the scooter will not comfortably fit in the cabin, then, when you go go the cabin, you can call the Front Desk, and they will send someone to pick it up, store and charge it overnight. Then, call again in the morning, when you are ready to leave, and it will be brought to you. 

Even better, if this is not for a solo, and one person in the party is mobile, then that person can drive the scooter to the Front Desk, and pick it up when needed again. 
The scooter will be stored and charged, but this will eliminate the wait until a staff person can attend to it. 

I wish I had known that when I was on Veendam in 2015. My neighbor had a very large scooter which took up about 3/4 of the hall. (We were in the bow.) It was doable for me to get past, but anyone using a walker, chair or scooter would not have been able to get past. And I think the door was actually smaller than the width of his scooter.  Had there been an emergency…..🥴
 

I didn’t say anything because I was pretty sure he was solo.

[RuthC]

17 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

I wish I had known that when I was on Veendam in 2015. My neighbor had a very large scooter which took up about 3/4 of the hall. (We were in the bow.) It was doable for me to get past, but anyone using a walker, chair or scooter would not have been able to get past. And I think the door was actually smaller than the width of his scooter.  Had there been an emergency…..

That scooter never should have been left in the hall by the passenger. If any HAL staff had seen it (and I am having trouble believing no one did), then it should have been reported to someone with authority to have the scooter removed and the passenger spoked with. 

I couldn't agree more with your last statement about a potential emergency, but just the inconvenience to other passengers is shameful enough.