Need help with your expertise

[sashas_mom]

We are scheduled to go on a cruise in 3 weeks. My husband has not been well which is making him weak and very tired and I have a foot injury. We have debated about cancelling the cruise but I have commented so many times on previous cruises how much I admire those who travel with disabilities and health problems and how it doesn't prevent them from enjoying their life. Sooo.......If we do the cruise I need to know all the info I can gather to make it possible. I've borrowed a wheelchair from a friend. It's very lightweight and folds very flat. We use it for very short distances (from the car into the house, etc.) because I can't wear out my DH too much by pushing me (I am hoping to have one of those "boots" also that might help me walk without my crutch). These are my questions, but if you have any suggestions that would help I would be greatly indebted.

 

1) I'm concerned about the luggage/airport trek. Will they assist you if you are in your own wheelchair? Where do they start with helping you? Will they assist us with luggage? Who do I call, and what can I expect?

 

2) How do you manage with your luggage? Is there any help when you get off the plane over by the carousels? I'm afraid pulling the luggage from the carousels and then walking with them will wear him out.

 

3) Do I need to notify the cruiseline that I will have a wheelchair?

 

We keep going back and forth about whether we should just cancel the cruise and hope for better times next year. One day we think it will be just too much, the next day we think it's just what the doctor ordered. I know I will benefit from your imput.

 

Thanks.

sasha'smom

[Splinter]

I think you should go. I assume you do not have an accessible cabin, but it sounds like you both can walk and can manage to step up into the bathroom, fold the wheelchair outside your cabin to get it inside, etc.

 

For your questions:

 

1) I'm concerned about the luggage/airport trek. Will they assist you if you are in your own wheelchair? Where do they start with helping you? Will they assist us with luggage? Who do I call, and what can I expect?

 

You did not say where you are cruising, or where you are flying out of/into, but if in the USA, you should have no problems. Use curbside check-in if available. If not, you can get a Skycap nearly always at the curb who will take care of the luggage and push the wheelchair. Unload at the curb and wait until you can get help to the counter and then through security into the gate. You don't need to call ahead (if you do, no one ever gets the message so it is a waste of time). Be sure to tell the gate agent that you need early boarding to make it easier. Check your wheelchair at the gate (this is called "gate checking") and then either walk down the aisle of the plane or ride in their aisle chair.

 

When you get about 30 minutes from your destination (if changing planes OR final destination) ask the cabin attendant to call ahead to have your wheelchair brought ot the gate AND get a Skycap or other employee to assist you to your next gate or to the luggage carousel. Tip well (all those who assist you except the gate agent and cabin attendant).

 

2) How do you manage with your luggage? Is there any help when you get off the plane over by the carousels? I'm afraid pulling the luggage from the carousels and then walking with them will wear him out.

 

The assistant helping you off the plane should either take you to the carousel or turn you over to a person who will take you and your luggage to the carousel. There you can find Skycaps who will take the luggage off the carousel for you, put it on a cart, and take it to the curb for you for your transportation. If you need a wheelchair for your husband too, ask the cabin steward to be sure there is one waiting at the gate. They may need two people to assist the two of you. Again, tip well.

 

3) Do I need to notify the cruiseline that I will have a wheelchair?

This is usually a good idea, although technically not required by most. When you arrive at the port, there are nearly always plenty of helpers there to push the wheelchair and help with your luggage, and most have expedited check-in for those in wheelchairs. They should take you all the way to your cabin.

[sashas_mom]

Hi again Splinter,

 

I think you were answering my post while I was writing to you on another one. Thank you for all our helpful tips. Will it matter to them that I am in the wheelchair and my husband isn't? Will they be wondering why is isn't handling the luggage, etc? What is a "good tip"? Is $5.00 enough or more?

 

We are flying to Vancouver and the cruise is a repositioning one down to L.A. so we are only flying one way. I was reading other posts and am wondering about him pushing me on the carpet on the ship. I know the ship has wheelchairs you can "rent" because I inquired about it from Princess. Do you know if they are electric? I'm sure it would be easier on him if I could be "self propelled".

[cusyl]

I agree with the poster who suggested that perhaps both of you should ask for wheelchair assistance. It was so much easier for us coming into NYC customs and immigration from Europe with both of us in the wheelchairs. The porters are there to help with your luggage, bring plenty of tips as it is well worth the extra help.:D

On the ship you can arrange to rent electric scooters to be left in your room from carevacations, but if you don't have an accessible cabin they can not be left in the corridor.

[DEL67]

Since you are flying into Vancouver, you probably can not curb check your luggage; however, you should be able to find a skycap to take your luggage to the counter. The tip is usally based on the number of bags you have. I figure $2 a bag and round up. I also usually tip the skycap or airline personnel if they push the wheelchair to/from the gate. Some will not take it, but most appreciate it.

 

One clarification about renting. Cruise lines do not rent electric wheelchairs or scooters. If you want to do so you need to arrange it as soon as possible from a company that delivers to ships like CareVacations. They are expensive, but they always gave us good service and, in your case, I think it would be well worth it. The one downside is that, as Cusyl said, most ships do not allow them to be left in the corridor. However, on the Sun Princess, I noticed one chair in the alcove next to the stairwell. If you do rent one, do not forget to bring an extension cord for recharging the scooter.

 

One more thought. If you do decide to rent a scooter, you might want to see if there are any handicap cabins available. Given that you are leaving in 3 weeks, any that were left probably have been assigned, but its worth a try.

 

Good Luck!

[sashas_mom]

Hi again,

 

I didn't think I would have much chance of getting an HC cabin at this late date and frankly would feel bad about taking one if someone else needed it since I can hobble around and step up in the bathroom, etc..

 

I have read many posts on this section and am so confused about what to do next. I was going to bring the chair I've borrowed from a friend which folds up flat and is lightweight but after reading all the threads about how hard it is to push on the carpet, I've decided to just use it to get myself there and back through the airport, etc. With your help I now know what to do at the airport, with our luggage, etc. BUT....some people have desribed renting scooters from the travel rental companies and some say they put them in the hallway, others say you can't, some say you can put it behind the pursers desk....I would like to rent something electric since that will be easier for my DH since he's not well right now. Do I just get what I want and take my chances the cruise staff will figure something out to do with it? Should I rent a chair with large wheels in the back? Is it easy enough to push on the carpet that Mark can handle it or I can scoot myself in it (I can scoot myself around in my transport chair, I just can't step down on my foot)? I need to know what to rent, preferably electric. Your help would really be appreciated since I have to get something.

[cusyl]

This won't help you three weeks out, but I have found that any unsold HC cabins are put on sale to the public about 99 days out. My Dec. 9th cruise on the QM2 still has 2 open HC cabins available just checking on one deck.

Perhaps if you keep checking one will open up.

[sashas_mom]

Rented a scooter from carevacations today. They assured me it will fit through the door of a regular cabin. Thank you for all your help.

sasha'smom

[CaptData]

I'm glad you are still going. There is a service that picks up bags right from the ship to the airport for US people from Vancouver. It is only on trial right now but you may want to check it out with your cruiseline. You pay so much per person. put your bags out the last night then pick them up from your home airport. No need to carry them off the ship or to the airport. You must use their transportation but it is while worth it for you as you will only need help when you get back to LA.

 

Sorry miss read your post.

[sashas_mom]

Just wanted to stop by to thank Splinter and all other posters who helped me figure out what to do on our cruise.

 

We took a wheelchair as suggested to the airport. The staff there were wonderful. So was the staff at the dock when we got on the ship. The scooter was waiting for us at our cabin from carevacations and yes, it is very expensive, but it made the trip wonderful for me. There is no way I could have walked around the ship or my husband push me around the ship all day, every day. I found the scooter very easy to handle and it fit in the closet area of our regular cabin. My husband would pull the battery out each night to charge it in the area by the desk in our cabin. We found the electricity in the bathroom was not a high enough voltage to fully charge the scooter.

 

For fun, I made signs for the front and back of the scooter that said: Warning, Student Driver. This made people aware of my lack of expertise and gave everyone a good chuckle.

 

Thank you so much again for all your advice. Don't know what I would have done without it (cancelled the cruise, that's what).