Norway: Shoes, Accessaability, Rain Questions

[mlbcruiser]

We will  be cruising to a number of Norwegian ports in July. I realize it rains a lot in Norway and temperatures will likely average around 40 to 60F, or thereabouts in most areas.  Concerned about what we will need to bring and more.
 

My husband will likely use his  fold up mobility scooter at times when there could be plenty of walking, milling around, or standing. I imagine that would be usable within the towns, at least. What I’m concerned about is his getting caught in rain. This could damage the wiring and   battery power I’m afraid. Has anyone had experience getting caught in the rain there with a scooter?

 

Arr sidewalks and entryways generally fairly accessible?

People on the roll calls for Norway cruises often mention the need for good waterproof boots. If one is not hiking, would jogging shoes suffice? I understand in rain they can get wet, however, my husband is not going to be hiking for sure. I guess the worst that could happen is he ends up with soaking wet shoes. if you have visited Norwegian ports without having special footwear for frequent mud and lots of rain, how did you fare? My husband is very limited to the types of shoes he can wear, and for that matter,  we don’t want to bring heavy boots or any kind that would be difficult for him to wear. 
 

is it really necessary for someone not planning hikes or kayaking to use waterproof coverings over their clothing? of course I know things like raincoats or jackets will be needed. But what about waterproof pants  and other articles of clothing? 

 

Hoping others can share their experiences in these areas . Thank you for any helpful information

[Sucellos]

How concerned would you be weatherwise if you were going to Seattle and the surounding areas mid-summer? It's not neccessarily all that different. On a normal cruise you will disembark in a port in a small or medium sized town and if you stay there there will be paved roads. 

 

You probably don't need good waterproof boots if you don't plan to go hiking, jogging shoes will be just fine (although jogging shoes with a goretex layer can be a nice alternative). The reason many locals keep nagging about waterproof boots, layering clothing and wind- and waterproof shell clothing is that we have all seen so many tourists start to do often rather strenuous hikes in clothing better suited for indoor activities. Weather can and will vary and especially along the coast it might change several times per day (at least it feels that way). Are you going up in the mountains for a long hike, being unprepared might put you in danger. From what you are describing that will not be the case here. 

 

Depending on what tours you plan to do you might be spending a lot of time walking around outdoors, even if you're not going hiking per se. I truly enjoy being outdoors, but I have to admit I enjoy it even more when I'm dry and warm. For a normal day out however, you don't need the extremes like superduper waterproof expedition style gloves.  My simple advise is as follows; If you fear your shoes (or all of you) might be soaking wet during the day; Use wool socks (and wool base layer) that at least will keep you somewhat warm even when wet. Yeah, and one more thing; A wind- and waterproof hooded shell jacket might become your new best friend. 

[mlbcruiser]

Thanks so much for this helpful info, Sucellos. we were in Alaska once in May and once in July and didn’t need hiking or rain boots either time. While it rained a number of times in May, We were never in heavy rain long enough to become totally drenched. Have been to Seattle a couple of times and pretty much the same thing there, but no real need for any specialty items.  I plan to pack waterproof Jackets and clothing that we can layer for warmth or remove if it does get too warm. Appreciate that you took the time to post all of this for me. Very helpful.

[fabnfortysomething]

we live in UK so pretty used to wet weather and my husband also uses a mobility scooter

you can buy clear waterproof covers for the front console which will protect starter etc from rain

battery being under the seat is less likely to get a soaking but best to get waterproof covering for the rider which will also cover battery

my husband has a poncho type which covers his knees

waterproof trousers and overshoes which fit over his regular footwear

he uses a rucksack type arrangement which fits over back of seat to store all this stuff until required!

[mlbcruiser]

Would you mind sharing how you obtained the covering for the scooter? Were you able to purchase it in a brick and mortar store or did you have to order it online? I’ve never seen a screw with this type of protection on it. It certainly would alleviate a lot of worry about getting caught quite a distance from our ship in rain with the scooter. Very good to know these coverings exist! Thanks for sharing that.

[edinburgher]

42 minutes ago, mlbcruiser said:

It certainly would alleviate a lot of worry about getting caught quite a distance from our ship in rain with the scooter.

These are widely available in the UK as we often see riders on mobility scooters wearing them. They appear to come in different sizes to fit differently sized scooters, and styles can vary slightly.

 

You could try internet searching something along the lines of "mobility scooter waterproof rain covers" or try different combinations which are similar, because there is a high possibility they will also be sold in the US

Edited February 28 by edinburgher

[mlbcruiser]

Will do. Thank you! 

[gnome12]

3 hours ago, edinburgher said:

These are widely available in the UK as we often see riders on mobility scooters wearing them. They appear to come in different sizes to fit differently sized scooters, and styles can vary slightly.

 

You could try internet searching something along the lines of "mobility scooter waterproof rain covers" or try different combinations which are similar, because there is a high possibility they will also be sold in the US

 

2 hours ago, mlbcruiser said:

Will do. Thank you! 

Take a look at this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Nomiou-Mobility-Scooter-Waterproof-Material/dp/B08JTKDXZJ/ref=sr_1_11?crid=1FFD6G8F00U5W&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.v3BjFWy-HS9S9q5FxUJUpS55WxDcjk8zfj7Fg2VQWkdC5Ah7ZmMT3RyER8P9YyUb-gnVt1xfVjuiE58I-QcduSzFIicsukWHapTnLeOuwvbCopJz7oeGfK_xCEwbr3mp8iPjE4RysBbdNcSQcpQVhmWwweGJ560p4aCwP5xLi_9X0uli4PQEfHB4kRfTfFwpjhCuZ8_-RaehH8A9QuwFCD1x5Mpl4P2GPwGFzY4TLMr-P0Im19fzgIMpX0uQZakz4CQefLXlIP2334ctAxrf9Rf4JmlxLiN-EhVR_VKuUx8.P_PWMSvH8vudJoGi1KUmWeUxW-wbGT6XDh_13XD-BuE&dib_tag=se&keywords=mobility+scooter+cover+waterproof+outdoor&qid=1709172107&sprefix=waterproof+mobilit%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-11

[mlbcruiser]

I found that one right after my last post. But thank you for the link anyway. I noticed that there were others that looked similar, but they were quite a bit more. Like three times as much. However, I don’t know that they had Velcro closures. The Velcro Supposedly tends to allow leaks a bit. I haven’t shown these to my husband because he will definitely say he doesn’t need it. I may buy this one anyway just to take it along for some sort of protection. I don’t think I’ll have too much of a problem getting him to use it if it’s pouring down rain , and he’s on the scooter, lol! I think the other difference may be in the ones that look almost identical to this is the heaviness of the fabric, and what it is made of. I’m sure they come in very handy for people! 

[kaisatsu]

I would not recommend boots if you’re not planning to hike. However, I do always recommend water-resistant footwear if you expect to do a lot of walking. I would usually wear GoreTex hiking shoes (not boots). If that’s not an option, you’ll probably be fine in tennis shoes, but they may get wet.

 

Accessibility can be a challenge in some places, because a lot of older buildings aren’t set up for it. Just getting around should be fine as long as you’re okay with some uneven surfaces like isolated patches of cobbles, tram tracks, etc.

[dronnygirl]

Don't forget the weather can go either way, we were in Norway July 2018 and it was very hot the whole time.  Shorts and t.shirts all the time.   Best to take layers to cover any type of weather

[kitkat343]

I had kids in a stroller, and was very impressed with how accessible everything was, especially in the popular ports.  There are a lot of travelers with disabilities on cruises so when they designed recent tourist attractions they did so with accessibility as a goal.  At the Loen Skylift, I was really impressed that not only was it possible to use a stroller to access the skylift, but they had a stair chair in the restaurant so a person with a disability could go all the way down to the bottom of the restaurant, where the beautiful floor to ceiling windows were and could fully appreciate the view.  A lot of places in the US would have just designed their spaces so people with disabilities could reach some tables in the restaurant and not worried about getting everyone to the best view. Please note that if someone disagrees with me to listen to them because pushing a stroller is different since my kids can walk short distances and I might miss something someone else experienced.  

Edited March 1 by kitkat343

[mlbcruiser]

If you have contributed some good information. A little surprised to hear of the heat in 2018. Interestingly, I am worried about all the things we need to pack. Or I should say I will need to pack since I pack for my husband. Likely be hot where we live and then we have to go South to Texas for a wedding in route to Amsterdam. That means extra stuff to have to bring and especially hot weather clothing. It will likely be very hot where we are going in Texas. I have to agree that chair lift is a great idea. With regard to what countries provide such amenities, and what countries don’t, we’ve traveled to a lot of places in the world, and I have never ever seen one of those  in a restaurant. What you generally will see are elevators, which work well and come in handy for different types of reasons. But I admit it is a wonderful amenity! I think a good layer of Scotchgard is going to be our shoe water protection, lol. And more than one pair of shoes for when we are out and about on land. I appreciate all the information and advice.

[orangedec10]

Hi! My family took a Norway cruise last May, including my 5 year old son and my father in law who is a wheel chair user. The trip was great for all and we found a way to meet everyone’s needs.

 

My father is laws wheel chair is not electronic, so I can’t speak to what the elements would do but I can tell you we found way to make the trip accessible. You don’t mention what ports of call you’ll be visiting but just an example, we explored Bergen on our own. The port is quite a bit of a haul from the city center and Bergen provided a free shuttle to the center. In Grainger fjord we found an accessible boat tour and in Haugansand we did a “hop in and hop off bus.” We also visited Olden and my father in law had no problems finding an accessible tour. 
 

I realize this may not be a concern with a scooter but it’s worth mentioning that most of the cities include very steep streets. It may be worth taking that into consideration.

 

If you look back on old posts, you may find a few of mine inquiring about what to pack, so I certainly understand! I wore a long sleeve top, fleece vest and rain jacket everyday. Some days I also wore a hat and gloves! We did not go hiking, but I did wear fleece lined “sneakers” and sprayed boot protectant and my feet stayed dry. In June you may not need all of the cold weather gear. 🙂

 

Enjoy the trip! Norway is beautiful!

[Capt_BJ]

we were in Norway July 2018 and it was very hot the whole time.  Shorts and t-shirts all the time.

 

US TOO ..... record heat in much of western Europe that year. Even at NorthCape ...  shirt sleeves! post cruise we sent a few days in Bergen, Flam and Oslo and the nights were miserable ...95 degrees and a/c is very uncommon in hotels in Norway.  Went again this past July and while temps were more normal we again experienced nothing more than light rain one day in Bergen . .  

 

>>>>>>>>>

The port is quite a bit of a haul from the city center and Bergen provided a free shuttle to the center.

 

welllll ... maybe ..... there are TWO docking locations for cruise ships and one (my 1) is a short walk for the main tourist area and fish market (my 3) while the other is buried in the cargo port (my 2)

Edited March 4 by Capt_BJ

[gnome12]

41 minutes ago, Capt_BJ said:

we were in Norway July 2018 and it was very hot the whole time.  Shorts and t-shirts all the time.

 

US TOO ..... record heat in much of western Europe that year. Even at NorthCape ...  shirt sleeves! post cruise we sent a few days in Bergen, Flam and Oslo and the nights were miserable ...95 degrees and a/c is very uncommon in hotels in Norway.  Went again this past July and while temps were more normal we again experienced nothing more than light rain one day in Bergen . .  

 

>>>>>>>>>

The port is quite a bit of a haul from the city center and Bergen provided a free shuttle to the center.

 

welllll ... maybe ..... there are TWO docking locations for cruise ships and one (my 1) is a short walk for the main tourist area and fish market (my 3) while the other is buried in the cargo port (my 2)

There are more than 2 cruise ports. There is actually a dock between your 1 and 3 which would be the most convenient. There is also a dock (probably 2) at the top end of the trapezoidal piece of land just to the right of your 1.