What if my scooter won't fit thru the door?

People!

Thanks for all the help - now I will not hesitate on renting a scooter from one of the vendors next month. That long walk to the entrance of the Alhambra really had me worried!

Unless the cruise line gives you permission to park someplace safe, you need anaccessible cabin, Consider other scooter users trying to get around your scooter parked in a hallway.

My scooter is a four wheel Go Go Pride and I love it. I drive a good size car (Buick) and I can put the scooter in my trunk without taking it all apart. I remove the seat, fold the steering part all the way down and with help lifting it fits in the trunk with the lid closed. Be sure to set it so it won't roll.

I have driven right up to the door of the planes and it is a blessing on long distances in airports. Be sure to let your airlines know you are bringing a scooter as they have limited space for scooters.

I now need a way to bring my walker with my scooter. You can buy a special seat but it is just under $200. When I am home I have a wagon that hooks on my scooter and it is wonderful.

I would still book an HC cabin for the added safety features and ease of mobility if you can. The special needs departments are very helpful and I have never used a specialized agent.

Most important.....HAVE FUN and enjoy your travels.

 

4boysnana

Hi 4boysnana,

We have a go go 4 wheel also. What kind of wagon do you hook to your scooter and how does it attach to your go go?

Also, you can attach your walker to the back of the seat with some bungee cords. I'm assuming it will fold up. It can rest on the top of the rear wheels case. When you get to the door of the plane, take the walker off the scooter and send it with the scooter to the hold of the plane.

We also attach suitcases to the back of the scooter with bungees and it is easier to get through the airport.

I love to hear ideas about adapting the scooter so that it will carry more stuff.

People!

 

Thanks for all the help - now I will not hesitate on renting a scooter from one of the vendors next month. That long walk to the entrance of the Alhambra really had me worried!

Check at home before you rent with SpecialNeedsatSea. The place I bought mine said they rent my same scooter for $100. per week. SpecialNeedsatSea charges way over $200 per week. Carnival uses them exclusively. Find who sells them in your city and call them first.

BTW I have been using wheelchair assistance at the airport for a couple years. It has been a Godsend. Now with my scooter I won't need them any more.

Check at home before you rent with SpecialNeedsatSea. The place I bought mine said they rent my same scooter for $100. per week. SpecialNeedsatSea charges way over $200 per week. Carnival uses them exclusively. Find who sells them in your city and call them first.

 

BTW I have been using wheelchair assistance at the airport for a couple years. It has been a Godsend. Now with my scooter I won't need them any more.

Congratulations on solving a potential scooter problem. Hope all your cruises and expeditions are great.:D

Unless the cruise line gives you permission to park someplace safe, you need anaccessible cabin,

No. What you need is enough distance in the doorway to get the scooter in the cabin, and enough room in the cabin to store it, without it being in the way.

There are non-handicap cabins that fit the bill.

If you don't otherwise need a handicap cabin, and you can find a non-handicap cabin that will allow your scooter inside, there is no reason to deny a valuable handicap cabin from someone else who needs it.

In the UK, on P and O, another carnival brand , you cannot take a scooter on board unless you are booked into a suite or an accessible cabin.

Having spoken to someone in a scooter, they contacted p and o direct to get the dimensions of the door openings.

They do not allow you to leave scooters anywhere else.

When I decided I needed to move from my walker to a scooter I began my research and ended up buying a "Luggie Elite" for several reasons. It folds up like a roll on suitcase (hence Luggie), and when folded you can extend the handle and walk it behind you just like a roll on, it weighs just short of 60#, came with a lithium battery (great long range), has a weight capacity of 320#, has arm rests that are easy to attach/remove, and fits through most doors I have found, plus it has a forward and reverse power mode as well as a free-wheeling/power off mode. I can maneuver it in and out of lots of tight places

 

I have now used it for 8 months or so. I love it. It has given me back my mobility in the best way. I could recommend them to my friends who need a scooter. I am not employed nor do I have any connection to the company nor am I being paid anything for this. I just happen to like my Luggie a lot!

My husband also uses a Luggie. It came with a carrying suitcase for easy shipping on airlines.

Just off the Carnival Pride. I use my Pride GoGo Elite Traveler Plus Scooter (3 Wheel). This was my second time on Pride with the scooter. Both times, we had a standard balcony cabin, and because I can use a cane in the cabin, I don't require an accessible cabin. I drove my scooter in and out of the cabin with no problem. I think the first time, DH removed both arm rests, but this time I actually think we could have gotten in and out by removing just one of the armrests, since I'm a real pro with maneuvering the scooter (-: I was even able to turn around in the cabin, while seated on the scooter. As a previous poster mentioned, you need to take note of the doorway entry dimension for non-accessible cabins.

I'm not sure why you would need a "heavy duty" scooter. I would recommend that you meet with a physical therapist or seating specialist to assess your needs and they can help point you in the direction to meet your needs. I did a significant amount of research and determined that the scooter that best meets my needs is the Travelscoot. It is extremely light weight but will carry someone weighing 300lbs. There are many people in the 400-500 lb. Range that have found this scooter works well for them. I tried out the gogo and it was really neat but was still heavier even when broken down than the travelscoot. The heavest component of the gogo weighs 50 lbs. The heaviest component of the travel scoot is 24 lbs. It also folds down in a way similar to a baby stroller if desired. I love to cruise and I wanted a scooter that I could take with me down the gangplank to the tender in those ports where the port is accessed by tender and many scooters are not allowed in some of the tender situations. I am fortunate that I can walk down the gangway and carry the travelscoot if necessary. Even fully assembled it only weighs 35 lbs. I have been very pleased with my Travelscoot. I also don't have to worry about the doorwidth to a cabin because I can very quickly and easily take it apart. If I prefer not to take it apart I need a clearance width of 24". Again however I can walk just not long distances and I have enough upperbody strength and mobility to pick it up for a short distance.

You don't need to take the TravelScoot apart to get it into a regular cabin, you can just tip it on one wheel and push/pull it through. If that seems difficult, remove the seat and then do it.

M

I'm not sure why you would need a "heavy duty" scooter. I would recommend that you meet with a physical therapist or seating specialist to assess your needs and they can help point you in the direction to meet your needs. I did a significant amount of research and determined that the scooter that best meets my needs is the Travelscoot. It is extremely light weight but will carry someone weighing 300lbs. There are many people in the 400-500 lb. Range that have found this scooter works well for them. I tried out the gogo and it was really neat but was still heavier even when broken down than the travelscoot. The heavest component of the gogo weighs 50 lbs. The heaviest component of the travel scoot is 24 lbs. It also folds down in a way similar to a baby stroller if desired. I love to cruise and I wanted a scooter that I could take with me down the gangplank to the tender in those ports where the port is accessed by tender and many scooters are not allowed in some of the tender situations. I am fortunate that I can walk down the gangway and carry the travelscoot if necessary. Even fully assembled it only weighs 35 lbs. I have been very pleased with my Travelscoot. I also don't have to worry about the doorwidth to a cabin because I can very quickly and easily take it apart. If I prefer not to take it apart I need a clearance width of 24". Again however I can walk just not long distances and I have enough upperbody strength and mobility to pick it up for a short distance.

I'm not sure why you would need a "heavy duty" scooter. I would recommend that you meet with a physical therapist or seating specialist to assess your needs and they can help point you in the direction to meet your needs. I did a significant amount of research and determined that the scooter that best meets my needs is the Travelscoot. It is extremely light weight but will carry someone weighing 300lbs. There are many people in the 400-500 lb. Range that have found this scooter works well for them. I tried out the gogo and it was really neat but was still heavier even when broken down than the travelscoot. The heavest component of the gogo weighs 50 lbs. The heaviest component of the travel scoot is 24 lbs. It also folds down in a way similar to a baby stroller if desired. I love to cruise and I wanted a scooter that I could take with me down the gangplank to the tender in those ports where the port is accessed by tender and many scooters are not allowed in some of the tender situations. I am fortunate that I can walk down the gangway and carry the travelscoot if necessary. Even fully assembled it only weighs 35 lbs. I have been very pleased with my Travelscoot. I also don't have to worry about the doorwidth to a cabin because I can very quickly and easily take it apart. If I prefer not to take it apart I need a clearance width of 24". Again however I can walk just not long distances and I have enough upperbody strength and mobility to pick it up for a short distance.

As a long range investment a travelscoot or a luggie just would not cut it. For the time being I only need the scooter for travel. In the future I can see that I will need it on a more daily basis. So I wanted a more durable scooter. I guess "heavy Duty" was the wrong term to use. I did my homework before I purchased mine and feel that I made the best educated decision for my needs. I was also advised that a foldable scooter was not durable enough for my use. The foldable ones cost more than mine and they could have easily talked me into spending more money but they didn't. Each person has their needs and I'm sure yours fits your needs as mine does.

BTW I don't need to seek a therapist OR seating specialist (whatever that is) to help me decide my needs. And if it is being used by a person who weighs more than the maximum weight limits it will void the warranty.

Last June I was on the Caribbean Princess in a standard balcony cabin, and although my GoGo Elite Traveler plus just barely fit thru the door without armrests, there was no place to keep it in the cabin other than the narrow walk between the end of the bed and wall. This made it almost impossible to get between the bathroom and the other end of the cabin and balcony, unless you crossed over the bed each time. Solution: Our stateroom steward had me store it at night in a "Crew Only" elevator corridor just down the hall from our cabin. There was a convenience outlet for charging right next to the elevator. During the day I placed it in-between the 2 staircases in a small hall that led nowhere. Not sure that I would receive that accommodation on other ships. On Princess Grand class ships there was more room in the cabin to store the scooter. Other lines have usually been assigned a HC cabin.

Note of caution - check with the cruise line as some have recently changed their policy on mobility scooters. Requiring these to use an accessible cabin ( even if like the travelscoot/lugging these fold and will go into a non adapted cabin. I know that P and O and Cunard have changed to this policy and I dare say the others in the carnival group will follow suit shortly.

As far as I know, DCL is the only line to have a designated "parking area" for scooters. All other lines will require the scooters to be stored in the cabin.

xxoocruiser: I really appreciate your insight into many aspects of disabled cruising, and defer to you on many things. Just to pick a couple of nits, while you are absolutely correct in stating that SOLAS regulations apply, no USCG regulation applies to any cruise ship except NCL's POA. USCG inspect the vessels to determine if SOLAS regulations are met, but cannot enforce their own, more stringent, regulations.

Anyone know what will happen if my own scooter won't fit thru the cabin door? Can we leave them in the area where they are parked near the elevators? My last 2 cruises we saw all the rented scooters parked in a secluded area near the elevators. I am capable of walking that short distance (depending on where my cabin is) to my cabin. I need the scooter for getting around the ship and definitely on shore.

 

I plan to purchase my own scooter and will need a heavy duty one which is usually wider than cabin doors openings.

 

Has anyone ever not been able to get their scooter thru the door?

Strongly recommend the Shoprider Hero. Check out the measurements. Approx $600 from Amazon! An HC helps, otherwise you are at the mercy of the ship!

We've found the challenge is not that the scooter won't fit the door width, the challenge is that the hallways are so narrow that there is not enough room to swing the scooter into the room. We've left the scooter in the open area near the elevator (where there is often an ugly statue) on RCCL, HAL, and Carnival with no problems. It is not blocking anything. In a location where it blocks passage, it would be an issue. We've also had occasion where the steward takes it and puts it somewhere, then brings it back for us. Most recently, we get a room near a big door opening so we know we have the "swing" room to get it through the doorway.

I've been on 6 cruises, 5 with Carnival and 1 with NCL and I always rent a scooter from Special Needs At Sea.. they have it ready in your room waiting for you when you arrive.. fully charged up battery good to go. for only $250. I strongly recommend you get the handicapped cabin. The door frame is wider. Standard door frames are 21 inches I believe? and a standard scooter will not fit in your cabin. Don't make the mistake of thinking it will be "okay" to leave it in the hallway.. because it is not ok.

I've been on 6 cruises, 5 with Carnival and 1 with NCL and I always rent a scooter from Special Needs At Sea.. they have it ready in your room waiting for you when you arrive.. fully charged up battery good to go. for only $250. I strongly recommend you get the handicapped cabin. The door frame is wider. Standard door frames are 21 inches I believe? and a standard scooter will not fit in your cabin. Don't make the mistake of thinking it will be "okay" to leave it in the hallway.. because it is not ok.

I have already purchased my own scooter. I bought the same model that SNAS rents. Only thing I need to do is remove the arm rests. They are kind of a pain in the butt anyway.

Also we always book on short notice so there are no HC cabins available. We have booked a suite so we have plenty of room for the scooter.

We've found the challenge is not that the scooter won't fit the door width, the challenge is that the hallways are so narrow that there is not enough room to swing the scooter into the room. We've left the scooter in the open area near the elevator (where there is often an ugly statue) on RCCL, HAL, and Carnival with no problems. It is not blocking anything. In a location where it blocks passage, it would be an issue. We've also had occasion where the steward takes it and puts it somewhere, then brings it back for us. Most recently, we get a room near a big door opening so we know we have the "swing" room to get it through the doorway.

SOLAS requires that paths of exit travel be kept clear of obstructions - including corridors, stairways, stairway and elevator lobbies, fire doors, etc. There are no exceptions for one scooter, two, scooters, or more. Parking a scooter in a corridor or stairway/elevator lobby should not be allowed and if it is being allowed, the cruise line is being negligent regarding fire safety.

Fire safety requirements are for everyone's protection. If your cruise line is being negligent regarding your safety by allowing others to obstruct your path of safe exit travel while using your mobility device with their improperly parked/stored personal mobility devices, it should be reported to the guest relations desk immediately and if corrective action is not forthcoming, report it to the corporate level.

As a former professional firefighter who has zipped more than one fire victim into a body bag, I can safely say that it's the seemingly innocuous things that cause loss of life and/or disasters.

When I decided I needed to move from my walker to a scooter I began my research and ended up buying a "Luggie Elite" for several reasons. It folds up like a roll on suitcase (hence Luggie), and when folded you can extend the handle and walk it behind you just like a roll on, it weighs just short of 60#, came with a lithium battery (great long range), has a weight capacity of 320#, has arm rests that are easy to attach/remove, and fits through most doors I have found, plus it has a forward and reverse power mode as well as a free-wheeling/power off mode. I can maneuver it in and out of lots of tight places

 

I have now used it for 8 months or so. I love it. It has given me back my mobility in the best way. I could recommend them to my friends who need a scooter. I am not employed nor do I have any connection to the company nor am I being paid anything for this. I just happen to like my Luggie a lot!

We bought the same scooter for my husband. It is a lifesaver and allows us to continue to travel the world!