Travel Scooters

[DesrtDrmr]

I didn't want to hijack the mobility scooter thread, but am looking to buy a travel scooter, and saw that Iris mentioned her Go-Go, which is one of the ones I am looking at.

I have taken my larger scooter on ships, and been fine in H/C cabins, but this cruise, we have a regular cabin, and I need a smaller scooter.

The questions I have are

 

1. Have you had any luck getting a small scooter through a regular

cabin door? (We'll be on the Dawn Princess this time)

2. Have you had enough power to get around the ship, and poke around

a port?

3. Had any trouble getting up, or down, a large ramp.........as a

gangway into/off of the ship?

4. What brands have you found to work best for you?

 

Thanks for your thoughts on this matter.

[tlm]

I have a Pride Go Go scooter and I took it on an Alaskan cruise in September. We had a suite but the door was the same size as a regular cabin. The Go Go is 19.25" wide and if needed the chair arms can be removed to make it easier to get through the door.

 

Had lots of power to go around the ship and at the ports (Caribbean ports may be a little more difficult). You just have to be careful with some of the doorways that lead to the decks outside as they have a lip which can cause a bit of a problem.

 

The gangways can be rather steep depending on what port you're in. I had to have the crew push it up for me and I walked very slowly up the gangway.

 

We find this scooter works best for me because of the travelling we do. It comes apart and it's very light. With the battery, it's around 100 lbs. The guys at the airlines love it because of this.

 

Hope this helps.

Toni

[juliab]

I have a go=go and my experience has been the same as Toni's. Have used it in a non-handicapped room on several ocasions. Just remember that it really hampers moving about in the room.

[DesrtDrmr]

Thanks, folks, I appreciate your answers. It sounds like the only issue might be the angle of the ramps, and the lack of "movin' around" room in the cabin. Has anyone tried parking the scooter in the shower when neither is in use? It's been a year and a half since I cruised, so maybe I'm not visualizing the space properly........

Anyone else have any experience with Go-Go's or another brand?

[CaptData]

If you are in a regular cabin and want to park it in the bathroom you will block the tiolet and you have to life it over a 4-6 in lip. Plus the bathroom plug will not work to charge the scooter. Sorry.:( It would be ok in a H?C but then you would not need to do it.

 

I use a a Shoprite "Dasher". It weights 100 lbs. Comes apart easily and will fit in the trunk of a Kia. I used it on Freedom of the Seas 15-22 Oct and never had a problem. I have always had H/C cabins but on the Monarch I will be in a JS (reg room). They helped push me up ramps.

[DesrtDrmr]

Thanks, CaptData. I guess it's been a while since I've been in a regular cabin. I forgot about the lip around the shower............:o , and the small size of the bathrooms................wouldn't want to block anything important!!:( We always take a power strip, so I thought I could plug it in in the entry.......or just the battery pack, anyway.

Thanks for the name of the Shoprite Dasher. I'll take a look at those, too.

[JPO]

I didn't want to hijack the mobility scooter thread, but am looking to buy a travel scooter, and saw that Iris mentioned her Go-Go, which is one of the ones I am looking at.

I have taken my larger scooter on ships, and been fine in H/C cabins, but this cruise, we have a regular cabin, and I need a smaller scooter.

The questions I have are

 

1. Have you had any luck getting a small scooter through a regular

cabin door? (We'll be on the Dawn Princess this time)

2. Have you had enough power to get around the ship, and poke around

a port?

3. Had any trouble getting up, or down, a large ramp.........as a

gangway into/off of the ship?

4. What brands have you found to work best for you?

 

Thanks for your thoughts on this matter.

 

My wife can only walk very short distances so we have been taking a No Boundaries Featherlite Deluxe http://store.nbweb.com/fldeluxe.html . It folds up easily (takes me less than 60 secs to fold or unfold) so it can be stuck in a corner of the cabin. The battery is removable for charging so the scooter does not need to be parked near an outlet. It is narrow enough that it can (with great care) drive through a standard cabin doorway but it is much easier to simply fold it in the hallway and roll it in folded. It checks on the airplane easily in folded form (weighs about 66#). Batteries are legal and we have never had a problem with putting them in checked baggage. The Featherlite disassembles into two pieces (31# and 35# plus 17# battery) for ease in lifting into trunk etc.

 

If the user can get on/off and walk when in cabin and especially if the companion can bend at waist to fold/unfold I think this is a good choice. It can handle moderate slopes ... we did occassionally have a problem with gangways when slope was extreme ... but there was always one of the ship's company happy to give a push.

[jnickolite]

My father has the GOGO Pride Scooter with 4 wheels instead of three. He used it on the Carnival Pride out of LA and the Carnival Destiny out of San Juan. He had no problem with the regular cabin getting it through the door. During the daytime if they were in the cabin he would just park it outside the door and take the key and battery in the room to recharge it. At night when they went to bed they would bring it inside the cabin and back it up next to the closet and up to the entrance door this way they could get to the bathroom, take out the battery and charge it under the desk. In the morning they would put it back outside the door while they were getting dressed. There was plenty of battery life to get around the ship and in most ports. The only port we had a problem with was San Juan but we also walked probably 10 miles that day and alot of it was up hill. We just found and outlet and plugged it in while we had a drink or lunch. Also on the ship there are outlets around the ship that he would plug it on if it was running low. He did not have any problems getting on or off the ship. Even the tender ports he just got off the scooter got in the tender and they lifted the Scooter in the tender for him. He loves this scotter and plans on taking it on the Freedom in May of 2007 to see Europe.

[atdahop]

Has anyone been on a Mexican Riviera cruise with a scooter? I was wondering about the ports.... are the sidewalks easy to travel on? Do the curbs have ramps? Do I need special permission from Princess to bring it onboard?

 

Thanks,

Carole

 

Any other helpful hints would be appreciated.

[DesrtDrmr]

Thanks, JPO, I have also looked at the Featherlite, and like the way it folds. Do they have a basket for the front of the tiller? I think I would miss that. Thanks, jnickolite, does your Dad have any problems with leg or foot space on his 4 wheeler? My knees don't seem to want to bend much anymore so that is an issue for me. I did see that on the Pride GoGo 4 wheeler, the center section could be removed to give more foot room.

Hi Carole, we also are cruising Princess, and have in the past. I did tell them I was bringing a scooter, and did on past cruises as well. We also take a folding wheelchair for ports, as my scooter was pretty heavy, and not to take on the tender. The last time we went to the Mex. Riviera I was on foot, so I don't really remember about curb cuts, etc. I have been going to read the Disabled Cruising section of this board, and the different ports threads on the Ports of Call board. Princess does not want anyone to park in the halls as the scooters and chairs can block other scooters and chairs from getting by, as well as the steward's carts. I think it also would be a safety concern in the case of an emergency. If you have a handicapped room, the door will be wide enough for any scooter or chair, but standard cabins have narrower doors. I called and asked the width and was told 24". I think that is the opening, but the door itself takes up some of that width........that's why I'm looking for a travel scooter. My regular scooter is 24" and will not fit through a door. We can, and have, taken it apart, and will do that again if we have to, but I'd rather not.............

[atdahop]

I just ordered the go-go pride scooter to take on our Mexican cruise. It will be narrow enough to navigate the ship and it comes apart for ease in traveling. I ordered it online at quite a savings.

Carole

[tlm]

I just ordered the go-go pride scooter to take on our Mexican cruise. It will be narrow enough to navigate the ship and it comes apart for ease in traveling. I ordered it online at quite a savings.

Carole

 

Carole

 

Please let us know how you make out. We are doing a Mexican cruise in 2008 and I'll be taking my Go Go with me. I would like to know how you make out in the ports.

 

Thanks

Toni

[jnickolite]

My dad used the GOGO Scooter on our Mexican Riveria Cruise and had no problem in the ports. Cabo was a tendered port. He just got off the scooter and they lifted the scooter in the tender and he walked onto the tender with help. We did find the taxi drivers were very helpfull in lifting the scooter in the taxis. The carnival sponsored tours were not as friendly or helpfull. They did it but acted like it was a problem. As far as leg room my dad rests his legs on the wheel wells so that gives him extra leg room. He really likes the 4 wheel because it is more stable and does not tip on rougher terrain.

[DesrtDrmr]

Thanks, all, you are the best!!!

We just had to cancel our cruise for the SECOND time (aren't you glad you are not our travel agent?????), and have now booked five months out, and were able to get an accessible cabin, so smaller scooter isn't quite the priority it was last week. I'll keep looking though, and when the stars all line up in the right order........................... :)

Thanks, again.

Laine

[Sashalanda]

Has anyone taken an extra battery with them incase trip runs battery down before return to ship? I am thinking that would be best so your fun isn't interupted by returning to a power source or is an extra battery difficult to take around with you?

[tlm]

Has anyone taken an extra battery with them incase trip runs battery down before return to ship? I am thinking that would be best so your fun isn't interupted by returning to a power source or is an extra battery difficult to take around with you?

 

No...the battery on my Go Go is far too heavy to be taking an extra...it weighs about 25 lbs! Also, I've never had a problem with the battery running down. It will go forever. Once in Las Vegas, we had been out all day and forgot to recharge overnight. No problem, it went all the next day for me.

 

Toni

[rascalrider]

I am using a Shoprider Scootie for my travel scooter. I recently returned from a European cruise where I learned that I could safely jump off many curbs, but had to be lifted back up. I recruited many passersby to assist. I ran short of power only once. I was about 5 blocks from my hotel in Lisbon. My companion rested her hand on my back and eased the load on the battery. We stopped every half block for a few minutes to give battery a reprieve. Recruited young man to push me up last half block incline and to lift me up curbs to cross two streets. Last two blocks were level and slightly downhill. Made it back to hotel and immediately plugged in to voltage converter.

 

Scootie performed well onboard HAL Rotterdam except for entrance / exit ramp. It hung up on the apex and had to be lifted over every time I entered or exited the ship. In tender ports they had to carry scooter down steps to the tender and then escort me down ... then reverse on return to ship.

 

Scootie has 17" wheelbase and will fit through the narrowist of doorways. I did use it in a standard cabin when no HC was available on Sapphire. With a little furniture rearrangement we were able to maneuver around it; only had to be careful not to trip over extension cord. Also had to bring small stepstool to split step height into bathroom. It worked when not in a extreme hurry to get into bathroom and had to use crutches to get into bathroom.

 

Ports in Mexico: Puerto Vallarta boardwalk and Cabo are fairly easy to negotiate ... cobblestones in PV near port are rough and shops behind port are up steps. Mazatlan boardwalk is great riding, Cathedral is accessible, but curbs in Old Town are quite high and not easy to negotiate.