Limited walking/standing

Hello! My husband and I are 60 and thinking of a first cruise, likely Carribean? I think this forum might be the best bet, as the over 55's are pretty energetic it seems!

I have a very bad back, can walk short distances, but need to sit frequently, standing (in line for example) is very painful. My hubby had both ankles fused, and similarly cannot walk far distances.

The furthest thing from our mind is excursions. We would like to relax and sit in the sun, be pampered and eat well.

We have no idea where to start, and the few hours I have spent researching adult only etc cruises, senior cruises, is exhausting!

Thank you for any help, even baby steps!

First thing to do is pick a reputable travel agent. They can assist you in choosing the ship and itinerary. One thing to remember, if you think either of you would require a handicap accessible room, you almost always have to book them a year in advance.

You can definitely relax in the sub, be pampered and eat well....

I have bad arthritis and can only walk short distances and can't stand for long. However, I find cruises very suitable. I don't need an accessible cabin, just one that has a shower rather than a bath.

I do plenty of research before we go, so we very rarely take any cruise excursions as they are overpriced. In the Caribbean there are always taxis or mini buses at the port offering cheap excursions or transport to local beaches or beauty spots. Quite of ten you can share with other passengers to make the price even cheaper.

We tend to cruise on smaller ships, so I can manage to get around easily on board. I probably wouldn't manage so well on those huge ships, so maybe also be something to consider.

You didn't indicate in your OP that you had cruised before. If you prefer senior cruises then you might want to research Holland America.

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Oops. Sorry. I didn't read who posted following me. They are right however.

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Cruise lines offer wheelchair assistance for embarking and disembarking. They provide the wheelchair and pusher so you would not need to stand or walk during the process.

This information is very helpful, thank you all. I will likely have to put everything on hold a bit for now, as, of course, I received the first call regarding my upcoming back surgery this morning....

Emily, I also am disabled with a bad back....when you are ready to cruise consider the following.

Renting a scooter...I rented a scooter for our Alaskan cruise out of Vancouver in 2013 for $175 for the week. It was waiting in my accessible cabin for me. It made a great deal of difference when we had to cross the length of the ship for various reasons. By evening I still felt good enough to enjoy the evening festivities.

Beware the Vancouver port...As stated above, most cruise lines offer wheelchair assist for embarkation/disembarkation. However, in Vancouver they process everyone on all the different ships leaving port that day through the same customs area. Though I had requested assistance in advance, we still would have waited 45 minutes or more for a wheelchair. The line was unbelievable, so I found a chair near the end and just sat and waited for my group to weave through the line and then boarded with just my cane as assistance.

Be aware that not all "accessible" excursions live up to their name....we took an "accessible" excursion booked through the cruise line in Curacao that was only accessible in that the bus had a spot to load my wheelchair. Once we arrived to our destination, a botanical garden of sorts, the paths were NOT accessible at all.

Consider a cane or walker with a seat....this way you can walk and sit as needed. Or if you must stand in a line you can do so while seated.

Safety drill...do NOT stand in the crush! There are always seats available for those who cannot stand.

If you decide to use a scooter...book on ships that have the large promenade type open decks. This way you always have a rather open area to cross the ship. Nothing worse than trying to get past throngs of people in a convoluted deck design that makes you either go past the narrow shops area or maneuver the casino on your scooter to get from the dining room to the theater.

Finally....have a blast! Cruising is actually one of my favorite vacations as a disabled traveler! Yes, there are always some rude comments or looks from a few the able-bodied...but most fellow cruisers are kind and gracious. ;)

~Marla

Hello! My husband and I are 60 and thinking of a first cruise, likely Carribean? I think this forum might be the best bet, as the over 55's are pretty energetic it seems!

 

I have a very bad back, can walk short distances, but need to sit frequently, standing (in line for example) is very painful. My hubby had both ankles fused, and similarly cannot walk far distances.

 

The furthest thing from our mind is excursions. We would like to relax and sit in the sun, be pampered and eat well.

 

We have no idea where to start, and the few hours I have spent researching adult only etc cruises, senior cruises, is exhausting!

 

Thank you for any help, even baby steps!

I cannot walk long distances or stand very long. I have a scooter that I use when I go shopping at home. I use it for boarding an disembarkation. I also use it to get off the ship at the different ports. One thing to keep in mind is that some of the pier's are quite long - I used to be in pain by the time I got to the end of the pier before we could actually do anything. On board I do not need my scooter as we take our time getting to wherever we are going and I just sit and rest along the way. There is always some place to sit.

Please do not hesitate to cruise. I have a spine fusion and other issues that make standing and walking more than a few steps difficult. I use a scooter on cruises and get an accessible cabin. I need the shower chair and handrails. I do not know if you need one of these cabins, nor if you need a scooter. I would suggest that at least you each get a rollator walker with a seat. Cruise ships are three football fields long! I have also found that cruises longer than a week in winter months have an older crowd. I feel safer when fewer children are around -- even though I love kids. I am fearful of being knocked over, that is all. I do not think the cruise line makes that big of a difference. Anyway, good luck with your surgery. And enjoy your cruise!

As my mother's health declined, we purchased foldable, a walker/wheelchair. With that, she was able to enjoy a bit of walking, and then we she became tired, we changed it over to the wheelchair mode. Now my husband uses it for any trip we take (balance/walking difficulty due to stroke). It's called the Hugo. And cruising is our favorite mode of travel now. We don't feel compelled to get out and do very thing. Sometime, just enjoying the scenery and an easy walk in town is great.

Caroline

Safety drill...do NOT stand in the crush! There are always seats available for those who cannot stand.

This is going to depend on the cruise line. I had to go to the outside muster on my scooter with Holland America. The was no alternate location nor places to sit. Since I was on my scooter it wasn't an issue for me, other than admitting kids who think it's okay to lean on the back of my seat to rest.

I cannot walk long distances or stand very long. I have a scooter that I use when I go shopping at home. I use it for boarding an disembarkation. I also use it to get off the ship at the different ports. One thing to keep in mind is that some of the pier's are quite long - I used to be in pain by the time I got to the end of the pier before we could actually do anything. On board I do not need my scooter as we take our time getting to wherever we are going and I just sit and rest along the way. There is always some place to sit.

Having a scooter on our last cruise made me life so much easier. I highly recommend having one to use for longer walking distances or activities that require lots of standing.

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I also have a back condition that makes sitting, standing and walking difficult. At the moment, cruises are about the only kind of holiday that I can take. Once aboard, the ability to do as much - or as little - as I like, and to rest when I need is perfect for me.

One thing I have learned is to take plenty of rest breaks right from the start, it's no use waiting until I am already tired and sore as it takes so much longer for me to recover. Fortunately for me, hubby is still reasonably fit and well so I use a wheelchair, which he pushes, rather than a scooter. Scooters are difficult because I can't sit for long either so we would have to problem of what to do with it when I need to get out and walk awhile.

As was said earlier in the thread, don't rely on other country's ideas of what is 'accessible', they can be very different from what is available even here in the UK.

I have the same problem. If I just walk short distances or stand for a couple of minutes, I'll be okay. Don't have a wheelchair. But I can't walk the distance of the pier without being wiped out. I do have wheelchair assistance at the airport. A big problem for me is standing in line waiting to get on the tender, which can take forever. Or after muster drill. everyone in the elevator just looks at me and nobody will move. It can take over 20 minutes to get get back to our cabin. Just odds and ends that makes things difficult. Any thoughts?