Cruise Power chair rental

Anyone ever rent a power chair on a cruise line? I am headed through the Panama Canal for 2 weeks cruise January 1st and was wondering if anyone had any luck renting power chairs? I am a para t4/t1 and use a manual chair but with all the wheeling around I wanted to rent a power chair, but the only response I got was they can only give me a power chair with a seat already on it. They didn't have anyone you could talk to, to give them measurements of what you wanted so I wasn't able to order rehab seating.

For those of you that are not paralyzed and dont understand. People that are paralyzed can not sit on regular seating, we have to sit on special cushions that have close to zero pressure on our bottoms otherwise we end up with pressure ulcer or what some people call bed soars. And the last thing anyone wants is to be in the hospital for a year or two well it hopefully heals.

So when we rent wheelchairs they have to have rehab seating which usually means they just have a metal plate on the bottom with strips of Velcro on it so we can place our own special cushions on it. And have pretty much a regular back.

I have also read stories where people had there power chairs wrecked from bringing with them on different planes so they had rented power chairs for different destinations and cruises so they wouldn't have to bring their own expensive chair along.

Anyone have any suggestions please?

Nasty :)

I have post polio and use a scooter not an electric chair so these suggestions are not based on personal experience. I have a friend who is paralyzed and uses a standard electric chair with additional cushions on the seat. She uses gel cushions. Would this work for you? She does not need a reclining chair. I do know that the chair rental companies primarily look at your weight and then deliver a standard chair. Could you rent in your home town and travel with a chair from there that meets your needs?

Unfortunately no as I live in a small town, I thought about renting from the City I fly out from but the prices here are a joke they would want a fortune as there isnt much competition. Also my biggest obstacle is I dont have a Van so I couldn't pick it up or bring it back. With those cruise rental companies they drop it off right in your cabin and pick it up at the end which is very nice.

I thought about putting a pad on it as my legs are so long the extra height would work well for me. Unfortunately i have to use one of two specialty cushions one has to be lined up perfectly (Ride cushion) so that one wouldnt work. If I put my Roho cushion on top it would be like adding 4 inches of an air mattress on top of the seat. I am sure it might work but it would be fairly unstable. It just seems strange that no one else has been is similar circumstance as myself and that there would be more demand or service for power chairs suited to my needs.

Unfortunately I definitely can not sit on any gel products too hard for myself, would cause problems.

Nasty :)

I take it you have called the companies that work with the cruise line you're interested in, to see if indeed they can't modify the seat for you? The power chairs do come with cushioned seating that may in fact work for you. Presumably you've gone to rehab stores in your area to see what kind of seating comes with power chairs?

I have rented a power wheelchair to be delivered to my cabin before I get there (I travel in a manual chair), and then it's picked up when I end the cruise..but I haven't had to deal with special seating. I don't have special seating on my own wheelchair..just a hard rubber seat.

Lots of people do travel with their power chairs. It is risky to be sure, but many more people make it through without difficulty than those that have problems.

Check a company called Care Vacations, located in Vancouver. They rent scooters and power chairs. Also, Special Needs At Sea might be able to help.

Hi Kitty9,

I phoned Special needs at Sea a few days back as they are the ones that NCL suggested but they dont have a clue about specialty seating so they can't help. I also phoned a few others. I did deal with Care Vacations this last July as they dropped off exactly what I needed at a hotel in Victoria for me, it worked perfectly. They had let me talk to the actual people that were bringing the chair and I gave them all my particulars. Maybe I will try them again and see if they can help me on this cruise ship.

Thank you,

Hi Uppitycats,

Of course I phoned a few companies before I came here, I just figured there would be other people that would of went through similar circumstances and might be able to help me out why reinvent the wheel if you don't have too. When you spend $12,000 to $40,000 for your own power chair some people don't want to bring them on a airplane when they travel with all the horror stories of broken chairs. Some friends I know that can, take their manual chairs only on planes because of their own or friends bad past experiences.

I dont need to go look at seating styles as unfortunately I have very few choices in this world for zero pressure and I have them already. Unfortunately for people that are paralyzed it is all ABOUT THE SKIN, being paralyzed is one of the least of the problems that we deal with. But the number one issue is skin if you dont sit on a proper cushion you can end up in a hospital for a few years and even dead. So for me it isn't about taking a chance to "make it through".

Nasty :)

Uh....nasty...just so you understand....I also am a full-time wheelchair user. Full time. Paralyzed. I do understand your concerns. I also know how expensive power wheelchairs are..which is why I don't have one. I also know that folks do come here and haven't done the obvious..which is why I asked.

But have a nice cruise anyway.

I've learned that when dealing with Customer Service departments of companies that it often pays to telephone again with the hope you will talk to a different person, especially when there are time zone differences. Some companies use answering services over lunch hours or for very early or very late telephone answering.

Quite often a different person can answer your questions and correctly.

It doesn't hurt to try.

NP Uppitycats I agree some people don t do the research first, sorry if I came off grumpy. I think I am just a little frustrated with the lack of knowledge out there.

I agree with you PennyAgain some customer service people seem to know more than others. I usually end up talking to their manager or getting patched to the actual company they hire for that area. I will keep trying thats for sure.

Thanks,

Nasty :)

I have been in a powerchair for over 20 years. I still have feeling and my greatest fear is to end up with a pressure sore. I have two gel seats. A JAY2 and a JAY3 and a JAY 3 back. I switch between the 2 seats. I also havea jay basic for my manual chair. I am fortunate enough to have an accessible van with a 6 way seat so I can transfer to the drivers seat. I understand your dilema. You can't pick up a power chair and bring it to the airport. My daughter has a doctorate in physical therapy and specializes in wound care.They are almost impossible to cure. I can't reccomend a travel agent but can suggest that you google certified travel specialist and interview them. I know at least 1 or 2 of them are familiar with that special need. I wish you the best of luck and know that cruising is the way to go if you have special needs. I find that the bigger RCCL ships are the most w/c friendly. Good luck.