Need some help - last minute medical issue

[retireyet]

Hi - Wife and I are scheduled to leave July 3 on the Viking Rhine Getaway. Yesterday my wife broke her foot and we didn't get the insurance. Questions for all you Viking River cruisers..... If my wife can't get off the boat at a stop because of pain or steep walkways, etc., are there any daytime activities on the boat, such as talks or cooking classes or whatever, that we can do while others are onshore? I asked Viking and they said no idea you will be given the activity sheet on the boat.

 

Also, I asked them if a wheelchair was available for use so I could push her around town. The official answer was no, anyone have experience with this and getting one?

 

Thanks ~ Paul

[Host Kat]

25 minutes ago, retireyet said:

Hi - Wife and I are scheduled to leave July 3 on the Viking Rhine Getaway. Yesterday my wife broke her foot and we didn't get the insurance. Questions for all you Viking River cruisers..... If my wife can't get off the boat at a stop because of pain or steep walkways, etc., are there any daytime activities on the boat, such as talks or cooking classes or whatever, that we can do while others are onshore? I asked Viking and they said no idea you will be given the activity sheet on the boat.

 

Also, I asked them if a wheelchair was available for use so I could push her around town. The official answer was no, anyone have experience with this and getting one?

 

Thanks ~ Paul

 

Hello @retireyet and welcome to Cruise Critic and the message boards!

 

Thank you for your first new thread on the Ask s Cruise Question forum. However, it is the forum for general questions regarding cruising. Your inquiry is off topic there since your inquiry concerns a specific river cruise line. To help you out your first new thread has been moved to the River Cruising forum where it will be on topic. Perhaps someone there has had your experience and can help you. 

 

You may want to research the Disabled Cruise Travel forum and the Europe Disabled Cruising subforum. Your fellow Cruise Critic members with physical limitations share their advice and experiences there.

 

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[Nippy Sweetie]

On Viking there aren't usually onboard activities unless during sailing times. There are books and, I think, some board games.

I really think you need to reschedule.

[retireyet]

Unfortunately rescheduling is not an option as we didn't have insurance. The call reps say there is nothing that can be done and Viking Air wants penalties equal to the flight basically. We did get a doctors note today so just maybe if we catch a manager in a good mood it may be possible.

[LuAnn]

If you check on Amazon there are very lightweight portable wheelchairs that are not very expensive...there are also carrying cases and you could check it as baggage. And they fold up very nicely and could go in the cabin when you are not using it. That way you'll have your own and don't need to worry about them providing you with something. I believe you can also rent wheelchair for cruises...but I'm not sure if they are available for the river cruises..and the ones on Amazon are so inexpensive you'd probably be better off buying one. I was able to borrow a wheelchair once to take off on a port stop..but that was a long time ago and on Princess. Good luck!! 

[retireyet]

Funny you say that - I just ordered one!

[milling73]

Right now rivers are very high.  We have taken 8 Viking river cruises.  Unfortunately unlike an ocean cruise, river boats are really not geared for a wheelchair.  You access the boat by a ramp, which could be at a difficult angle to access via wheelchair.  Nor does the river boat have elevator to all levels.  Viking may be able to assist with a room change, but if you are on the lower level cabin, it is via stairs only.  same for accessing top of boat.  I would suggest a wheelchair alternative..such as a boot, or crutches.  As for tours, there are a few that are mostly by bus, but most require walking quite a lot.  Unlike a ship, there are few activities on board.  But lots of windows for viewing. 

Sorry about your luck, but hopefully a boot or crutches will allow her to enjoy at least some of the trip.

[screwsmcernst]

5 hours ago, retireyet said:

Unfortunately rescheduling is not an option as we didn't have insurance. The call reps say there is nothing that can be done and Viking Air wants penalties equal to the flight basically. We did get a doctors note today so just maybe if we catch a manager in a good mood it may be possible.

 

does she have a plaster cast or an air-cast boot?  I just got off an Alaska cruise where I had an air-cast walking boot.  There were about 10 different people who had various boots on their feet.  You may want to look into getting a knee scooter.  That may make the ports more doable.  good luck

[CPT Trips]

If she isn’t weigh bearing, then there isn’t much that will help mobility off the ship other than crutches. Even with a wheelchair rafting will require coping with stairs. The gangway could be quite steep and the safety cleats might be difficult with any kind of wheeled adaptive device. Then there are cobblestones, high curbs, steep stairs (possibly without hand rails), etc.

[Nippy Sweetie]

There's absolutely no comparison with ocean ships. 

Could you transfer the booking to a friend or family member? They might enjoy it and pay you something towards it?

Maybe write this cruise off to experience and get insurance next time? 

[CDNPolar]

16 hours ago, retireyet said:

Hi - Wife and I are scheduled to leave July 3 on the Viking Rhine Getaway. Yesterday my wife broke her foot and we didn't get the insurance. Questions for all you Viking River cruisers..... If my wife can't get off the boat at a stop because of pain or steep walkways, etc., are there any daytime activities on the boat, such as talks or cooking classes or whatever, that we can do while others are onshore? I asked Viking and they said no idea you will be given the activity sheet on the boat.

 

Also, I asked them if a wheelchair was available for use so I could push her around town. The official answer was no, anyone have experience with this and getting one?

 

Thanks ~ Paul

 

Paul, welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

I know you know this now, and no offence intended, but I have never purchased a vacation of any kind without some sort of cancelation insurance. We think we are of good health and then something like this happens out of the blue.

 

Just to clarify.... no, no activities on the ship during the day while others are on excursion.

 

I have seen many wheelchairs on Viking ships with individuals that are self-propelling in their chair to ones that had to have full assistance.

 

On these same cruises, I have seen the individuals in wheelchairs go on all excursions.

 

You may however have some difficulty as river ships "raft" at some ports and you could be walking through one, two, or three other ships to get on and off your ship.

 

My recollection is that the elevator does in fact go to deck 1 on Viking Longships.  It does not on any go to the sundeck.  Hopefully however your cabin is on deck 2 or 3?

 

Can your wife walk or use crutches at all to embark and disembark?

 

You may find that Viking crew will assist to some degree helping you with the wheelchair on and off the ship.  

 

For the tour busses, your wife will have to be able to mount the stairs to the bus on her own.

 

Good luck!

[retireyet]

Thank you all for the information. Right now she is in a hard boot so it's just wait and see if she can put weight on it and maneuver the crutches well enough, if not I will be a solo traveler. However, we are a group of 12 family and friends so it won't be that bad, even if she goes and hangs on the boat and only gets out at certain ports in a wheelchair.

 

Yes, CDNPolar sometimes one has to learn lessons the hard way. It will be insurance from now on and only booking air direct through the airlines. That's the part that gets me the most, cancelling the air and not being able to keep the e-credit!   

[CILCIANRQTS]

32 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Paul, welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

I know you know this now, and no offence intended, but I have never purchased a vacation of any kind without some sort of cancelation insurance. We think we are of good health and then something like this happens out of the blue.

 

Just to clarify.... no, no activities on the ship during the day while others are on excursion.

 

I have seen many wheelchairs on Viking ships with individuals that are self-propelling in their chair to ones that had to have full assistance.

 

On these same cruises, I have seen the individuals in wheelchairs go on all excursions.

 

You may however have some difficulty as river ships "raft" at some ports and you could be walking through one, two, or three other ships to get on and off your ship.

 

My recollection is that the elevator does in fact go to deck 1 on Viking Longships.  It does not on any go to the sundeck.  Hopefully however your cabin is on deck 2 or 3?

 

Can your wife walk or use crutches at all to embark and disembark?

 

You may find that Viking crew will assist to some degree helping you with the wheelchair on and off the ship.  

 

For the tour busses, your wife will have to be able to mount the stairs to the bus on her own.

 

Good luck!

Viking longship elevators only connect levels 2 and 3.

[pontac]

17 hours ago, retireyet said:

If my wife can't get off the boat at a stop because of pain or steep walkways, etc., are there any daytime activities on the boat, such as talks or cooking classes or whatever, that we can do while others are onshore?

 

No, because most passengers will have gone on the excursion. There is a good library on board, drinks stations, nibbles, and the bar. If she's a reader, it's a good chance to sit in the lounge and catch up.

[ljandgb]

If she can safely get up and down at least one set of stairs, and is ok perhaps spending time with herself during the day in ports where there is too much walking, she may still have a good enough time to warrant taking the trip.  Especially since you have a big family group going.  Her staying back may be a perfect excuse for one of them to take a break and stay with her.  River cruises can be exhausting.  Depending on where you're docked, she may also feel comfortable enough getting off the ship and doing a short wander to a cafe and people watching on shore.  Or the ship could call a taxi for her to deposit her somewhere to do the same.  It may not be the trip she planned, but it could still be a good and memorable trip.

 

As for not having insurance, we never do.  Playing the odds that the cost of insurance for every trip we've ever taken would be more than missing one trip if something came up.  I lost the lottery this summer as I had emergency surgery and a lengthy hospitalization this spring, making 2 upcoming trips impossible.  We were able to recoup airline credit, but one trip was otherwise a total loss, the other we just lost the smallish deposit.  I suppose now that we're getting older, the odds may not be in our favor so much!

 

I hope she does well.

[Nippy Sweetie]

We were very grateful for our insurance after testing positive for COVID (like half the boat) on a french river cruise. Viking was magnificent and transported us up to Paris and isolation for 5 nights before flying us home. The insurance company was all set to pay but Viking took care of the bill and gave us a large cruise voucher as compensation. Enough for a complete Northern Lights cruise for us both. As if that wasn't enough, the insurance company paid a good amount for 'loss of enjoyment' of our cruise. 

 

[jsn55]

If you're going to 'lose everything', and if she can weight-bear, and you have a cabin with elevator service, I urge you to buy a chair and crutches ... and take the cruise.  The challenges will be numerous and sometimes really difficult.  Both of you can make up your minds that you'll have the best time you possibly can.  There will be lots of opportunities for her to get out and do things.  And being on a river boat all day would not be the end of the world; assuming she has books and can watch a movie, use her tablet/laptop.  I'm sure your family members will pitch in to help her.  It's rotten luck, but please don't give up until the very last minute!

[retireyet]

Thank you all for the great suggestions!  The current game plan is that she will be coming. Our schedule was to fly direct to AMS, tour Amsterdam for a few days prior to the cruise, then take a small KLM plane to Basel to get on the boat. As we booked all our air with Viking nothing is able to be changed at this point so that's what we're going with. She can get around on crutches but only for short periods, however, we plan on bringing a foldable wheelchair so we can get a bit further from the hotel in AMS for sightseeing and off the boat when possible.

 

For anyone that's been on this itinerary, what ports is the ship directly at town center (or no more than 5-10 min walk so she can crutch off the boat and then get in the wheelchair and be at shopping/main area? I did google and chart the Viking docking places but I'm unsure if that's accurate. I'm thinking Breisach - yes, Strasborg - stay on board, Speyer - at least get off and go for a walk but won't reach city center, Rudesheim - yes but not sure we can reach center, Koblenz - get off but walk locally only, Cologne - walk locally only / no center, Kinderdijk - off but walk locally only. 

 

Also, am I correct to assume that the docks that are not within walking distance to city center a shuttle bus is provided to reach the main hub?

 

Last question - if the river boat is rafted to another, is it usually another Viking ship so entrances and exits line up or could it be a random ship so a gang-plank and hopping over stuff is necessary?  

 

Thank you for your time and input!  

 

 

[Nippy Sweetie]

Can't say for certain exactly where a ship will be located. May vary depending on other ships. 

In my experience we always ended up having to climb up to the top deck and clamber across to the next ship(s) along ridged ramps then a steepish descent to the quayside. 

Onshore there are generally more steps or ramps. In the towns there may be high kerbs and cobbles. Very stout wheelchair would be necessary and consider the physical effort required of the person pushing. Disability access may not be much of a local priority. 

[sharkster77]

If I recall, in Speyer we walked across a busy street, through a park and reached the cathedral (main square) in maybe 15 minutes?   In 2019 there was no excursion in Speyer but the cruise director walked us into town around 4:30, after the day's excursions.

 

Our memory of crossing rafted ships (including another Viking) is similar to that of @Nippy Sweetie---up, across, and down, including several flights of stairs.

[TN_travels]

The cruise director or front desk should have the precise docking location each day which you can then use to order an Uber if the walk into town is too much. Crutches are much more exhausting than you think. I would probably want to spend my energy on being in town rather than getting to town, so perhaps a quick ride to a site you really want to see is the way to go, even if the walk is quick for the rest of you. Good luck!

[notamermaid]

2 hours ago, retireyet said:

For anyone that's been on this itinerary, what ports is the ship directly at town center (or no more than 5-10 min walk so she can crutch off the boat and then get in the wheelchair and be at shopping/main area? I did google and chart the Viking docking places but I'm unsure if that's accurate. I'm thinking Breisach - yes, Strasborg - stay on board, Speyer - at least get off and go for a walk but won't reach city center, Rudesheim - yes but not sure we can reach center, Koblenz - get off but walk locally only, Cologne - walk locally only / no center, Kinderdijk - off but walk locally only. 

 

This sounds about right from what others have said of their docking locations. One note: in Rüdesheim as far as I know Viking docks too far away from town, the area is not picturesque. For once, other companies have the better locations there. However, Rüdesheim being so touristy it may be accommodating with wheelchair use. If the CD cannot help you could ask the tourist information centre: https://ruedesheim.de/en/contact-tourist-info/

From Rüdesheim to Koblenz you will have the scenic sailing, try and get onto the sun deck if you can, otherwise ask the CD for a perfect spot for your wife to sit and see the castles, before those seats are taken. In Koblenz you normally only raft with another Viking ship unless you are pushed out to the not so good dock at Ehrenbreitstein. It is only a few minutes into town from Deutsches Eck, but if that is too much she can take the wheelchair around to the Moselle embankment. All flat and tarmacked. There is a small tourist train in Koblenz, likewise in Rüdesheim. Do inquire if this could help with sightseeing. Koblenz tourist information centre: https://www.visit-koblenz.de/en

You can see the Viking ships right there on the webpage, perfect location!

 

24 minutes ago, TN_travels said:

order an Uber

For Germany you need to know that Uber does not operate there.

 

Hope all goes well and you can all enjoy the cruise together.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

 

[pontac]

3 hours ago, retireyet said:

I'm thinking Breisach - yes, Strasborg - stay on board, Speyer - at least get off and go for a walk but won't reach city center, Rudesheim - yes but not sure we can reach center, Koblenz - get off but walk locally only, Cologne - walk locally only / no center, Kinderdijk - off but walk locally only.

 

Breisach - small town, short distance from mooring

Strasbourg - coach ride to city

Speyer - short distance from boat to city centre

Koblenz - basically you will be in town, but it's big.

Cologne - basically you will be in town, but it's big.  

Kinderdijk - boat moors right by the windmills. You have to cross a dike carrying a road, up a slope to the road, down a slope on the other side. If you change wheelchair pushers it should be possible.

4 hours ago, retireyet said:

if the river boat is rafted to another, is it usually another Viking ship so entrances and exits line up or could it be a random ship so a gang-plank and hopping over stuff is necessary?  

 

It's impossible to say. The boat has to moor where the harbour-master specifies.

[Roz]

What does your wife's doctor have to say about all this?  

 

I don't mean to scare you, but I would be concerned about blood clots in her leg with the broken foot from flying.  Honestly, I can't imagine navigating steps, curbs, cobblestones, hills, etc. with crutches and/or a portable wheelchair that's not very sturdy.  It's going to be exhausting for both of you.  

[JordanF]

Bummer!  Good for the two of you for being troopers!  Hope that you have as good a time as possible.  Even if she stays on the boat some of the times, they are very pleasant.