Can you embark in a scooter?

[Marie213]

My FIL, age 93, will be taking his scooter on the Grand Princess in Galveston with my DH and I. This is our first time to take the scooter. Will he be able to use it to get on the ship? Or do you need to use a wheelchair to embark? If so, what happens to the scooter and how soon do you get it back? We have previously taken a wheelchair and this will be our first time with the scooter. Thanks for any ideas on how it will work.

[Splinter]

No problem. He should be able to embark in his scooter. I assume you are also taking a manual wheelchair for port excursions, correct? In the Caribbean you will so better with a manual chair in port since many locations are not accessible (no curb cuts, often a step or two to bump up or down). Cabs can be an option with a manual wheelchair, but may not be able to take a scooter, even if it comes apart.

[Marie213]

Thank you. I'm glad to hear that a scooter won't be a problem at embarkation. I will talk to him about leaving the ship. I think he plans to stay onboard at the ports and in that case we won't take the wheelchair. Maybe he can use the scooter to get onto the dock just to say he was on land. But if I remember Roatan port, it was very rocky and really no place easy for a scooter or a wheelchair to go.

[CaptData]

I use my scooter all the time. He can board with it and there is a separate line for H/C. Please, ensure that he has an H/C room so that his scooter will fit in the room.

[Marie213]

Yes, he does have a H/C room. We have pushed him around in the wheelchair enough to know that the hallways are a big problem if not kept clear! He decided to try the scooter after seeing someone like CaptData going around on the ship alone. He is going to love the independence to go to the casino anytime he wants to!

 

We are a little concerned about the unloading process at the dock. We will be driving to Galveston and the scooter does take a little while to put together. I hope people will be patient as we park and get him on it. Does anyone know if there is a handicapped loading space at the pier?

[msraye]

Don't know if you are still waiting to cruise but re; putting together the scooter. Just put it together when you park the car and he can "scoot" to embarkation.

[OldinJersey]

I just went on a cruise out of Brooklyn NY on Crown Princess. They have the most amazing setup for getting on and off the ship. I never had to get off the scooter, and it was all done at "warp speed". We had no wait time at all.

I'm hoping some other poster will know if that is because it was Princess or because it was Brooklyn.

[mlbtange]

I just went on a cruise out of Brooklyn NY on Crown Princess. They have the most amazing setup for getting on and off the ship. I never had to get off the scooter, and it was all done at "warp speed". We had no wait time at all.

I'm hoping some other poster will know if that is because it was Princess or because it was Brooklyn.

 

When you say Brooklyn - do you mean Cape Liberty Port? That's where we'll be leaving from on RCCL's Explorer of the Seas in August. I use an ECV (scooter) and my son uses a wheelchair. I would love to hear that it will be easy for us to board.

 

Thanks - mlbtange

[katisdale]

The crown princess goes in and out of the port at "Red Hook" so I don't think it is the same one RCCl uses. Regardless, I agree it was an easy walk for boarding.