Princess onboard chair

[snowmen]

Going on the Princess Sun in January. Have booked a wheelchair from Princess. Was told we could take it off to use in the ports. Have read on here that is not necessaryily true. We will definately need one off of the ship as well as on. Should we just rent our own?

[shamrockace]

I had asked the same question on here about Princess and was told that they'll allow you to use it on board, but not on excursions. Not to mention, often wheelchairs that are available are in poor shape. So we've decided to take our own.

[CaptData]

Rent an ultra light or light wheelchair. But another suggestion is rent a scooter for on board so that the wheelchair person can get around on their own (less tiring for you as there is a lot of carpeting). do bring a folding wheelchair with big wheels (not Travel chair).

 

One other thing, wheelchairs will be accepted on all american/Canadian flights free of charge and is not counted as part of your 2 piecies of baggage. I travel with both my scooter and wheelchair plus I bring my canes with me too.

[Cruisin' Crazy]

My wife's wheelchair was stolen on the dock at St. Kitts in march 2006. We were off Sea Princess, and placed my wife in van and I got in, but driver did not take our chair. It was gone in a flash, as we found out later. We will never take our own chair again! It also is one less item to worry about on airlines, etc. and less to pick up in luggage. Our Princess insurance did cover some of the cost of the loss and replacement.

 

We find that Princess is quite amenable to using a ship's chair for touring. Just go to purser's desk when you board and ask for one to keep in cabin. They will generally require a $100 deposit on your credit card against any damage you might cause, so be sure to examine the chair and point out any deficiencies you find when taking possession. It is true that sometimes, the

mechanical quality of the chairs is not top notch, but they are free. The one they gave us on Sea Princess when we came back (and kept for the rest of the trip) had a front wheel that jammed on the frame when swivelling, due to a slight bend in the frame, and they had never bothered to fix it. It was annoying, but we did manage; the chair was otherwise okay.

 

In our early days of cruising back in 1989 - 1994 or so, they were quite strict about only using chairs for emergencies, but have since softened that stance and do now allow you to have one in the cabin. We have never been recently refused. Before the theft last year, we had gone without our own chair a couple of times and had no problem getting one on the ship. She has a scooter as well, so that is her mobility on the ship (ship only, never take it on tour) but sometimes in ports where she can ride off we go out just to local dock shops or vendors with the scooter.

 

So by all means, do just get there and immediately go for a chair, just in case of shortages; don't wait until the day you need it.

 

Keep on cruisin' regardless. Don't ever let anyone stop you. Ken.