Muster and Life Vest for wheelchairbound?

[Three Rings]

Can someone tell me how they handle muster and putting on a lifevest for someone who is a paraplegic and wheelchairbound? Will someone on staff help out?

 

We will be on Explorer of the Seas leaviing out of Bayone, NJ. Thanks.

[CaptData]

Yes, staff will help you. The lifejacket splits in the middle so it is easy to put on him/her with help from staff. You will be premitted to use the elevator to go to the station but others will not be allowed (w/c and one other person). You will have to direct staff who are helping how to do it, Ie clasp his/her left shoulder first then slowly move him/her forward.

[rfbdorf]

Thanks - we were wondering about that, too - DW is paraplegic with limited (and painful) arm motion.

- Richard

[Hebe]

Also in most cases -- you will not required to go outside for the drill so check with staff before you proceed outside. Also, we are normally allowed to leave early before the drill is over so you do not get run down by people trying to beat you back to the elevators.

 

Make sure your cabin steward knows that someone in your room needs assistance in the event of a emergency.

[Three Rings]

Thanks everyone for your responses. Traveling with someone in a wheelchair who cannot stand/walk/transfer always takes a lot more planning ahead of time. I'm sure I'll come up with more questions along the way, and I really appreciate having those who are more experienced cruisers give me answers and advice. :)

[QuickieGlenn]

I am a para and was on the NCL Dawn last March and I took the elevator and had to go out on deck and they showed me how to put the life jacket on. They told me they know what room I was in and in a emergency there will be help. My room was on deck 10 and they mustered on deck 7. I know if I had to I can get down stairs one way or another but up would be tough. Have a great time...

[Three Rings]

Glenn,

Thanks for the info. I see that you are in NJ, so are we. Have you sailed from Bayonne? Any tips for us?

Three Rings

[Splinter]

Since the life-boat drill is usually the first scheduled activity on the ship, as soon as we get to the cabin we check on the time and location, then go get something to eat. If we have time, we tour the ship, and my dad and my mohter (the wheelchair user) go the the muster location at least 15 minutes before the announced time (using the elevator as necessary). I go back to our cabin, collect our life-vests, and taking the stairs, meet them there.

 

Some lines have an indoor muster location, while others do it outside. It varies. I usually help my mother on with her vest (she is tetraplegic) because I know how to help her...the crew do not, although they are willing.

 

When we are done with the drill, some cruise lines (Celebrity) let the wheelchair users go first so that they can get the elevators. Others give no preference, so we just plan to stay on the deck with our muster station for at least another 15-30 minutes so we can let all the ABs hogging the elevators go ahead of us and not have to fight for the elevators....if we do that, I take the stairs and return our life-vests to the cabin during that time.

[QuickieGlenn]

Sorry. I only went out of New York and it wasn't to bad, since I drive it was a little crazy unloading and getting out of the way of 2000 people leaving and 2000 people coming, but once inside I was directed past most of the crowds and boarded