Mobility Scooters on Hawaiian Cruise

I will be using a mobility scooter when our cruise stops at the various islands of Hawaii. Have you had any experience with local tours that would accommodate the scooter? I hate to pay for a private tour. I've been on some islands where they store my scooter on the bus. That's the type of tour I'd consider. Thanks in advance. Any info will help.

What type of scooter do you have? Does it come apart or have a fold down tiller? Can you manage the steps on a large bus or do you need a van type vehicle for a tour?

What type of scooter do you have? Does it come apart or have a fold down tiller? Can you manage the steps on a large bus or do you need a van type vehicle for a tour?

I have a scooter that comes apart and the tiller also folds down. I can walk and climb steps on the bus. I also worry about not being allowed to tender in Maui. Any thoughts about this?

I have a scooter that comes apart and the tiller also folds down. I can walk and climb steps on the bus. I also worry about not being allowed to tender in Maui. Any thoughts about this?

First off for the tender you need to be able to get on and off the tender on your own without the scooter. Otherwise, tendering in Maui is dependent on the cruise line, the weather and the type of scooter you have.

If the seas are rough they will not allow the scooter on the tender. This is for your safety. Also, if you have a heavy scooter the crew will have a difficult time getting it on the tender. If the scooter comes apart it sounds like it wouldn't be too heavy but it may be more trouble than it's worth, but I don't know your scooter. So, you really won't know if you can tender with the scooter until you get there as it is really up to the ship, the captain and the weather that day. I do remember asking on both NCL & Carnival if we could take my mom's light weight scooter on the tender and was told absolutely not. Thankfully, we had a collapsible manual wheelchair which they did allow.

I don't really think ship excursions will be a good idea. You need to get a scooter okay'd before hand by the excursion department. Sometimes this is difficult as the cruise ship does not operate the excursion they are just the middleman. I recommend independent tours and to make sure that you check before hand to make sure that they will accept your scooter. I would pre book this as to avoid disappointment if you are not able to find anything last minute on the pier.

Scooters are great for on the ship but sometimes off the ship can be difficult as you really don't know what to expect in terms of accessibility. Many of the ports in Hawaii are in industrial areas and you may encounter gravel, dirt paths, and uneven terrain. However, I must say Honolulu was excellent for accessibility.

Perhaps a collapsible wheelchair would be more practical for the tender, excursions and in port.

Have a great cruise. :D

So what type of mobility scooter do you have, MI mama? I would venture to say that Luggie would be the most suitable for a cruise because it is collapsible into one single piece, there is no hassle putting it back together and apart. It just folds into a box. You can also buy a shell for it so it really looks like a big suitcase when it's collapsed.

We traveled a few times with full mobility scooter (Golden) -- went on the bottom of luggage equipped rack buses -- in Kauai and Kona, Hilo (through RC). Or lift buses were available through them with prior notice in those two ports. In Mauai -- tendered with it and then used local transport to Ocean Museum which had lift service. In Lahana, as last tender was late, was able to attend Old Lahana Luau -- about 1.5 miles straight run on scooter (however dark coming back). If you call Honolulu -- accessible transport to Polynesian Cultural Center is available for cost -- watch timing however. All memorials are accessible. It is a fun port, you just have to do some planning. Vicki:)

We traveled a few times with full mobility scooter (Golden) -- went on the bottom of luggage equipped rack buses -- in Kauai and Kona, Hilo (through RC). Or lift buses were available through them with prior notice in those two ports. In Mauai -- tendered with it and then used local transport to Ocean Museum which had lift service. In Lahana, as last tender was late, was able to attend Old Lahana Luau -- about 1.5 miles straight run on scooter (however dark coming back). If you call Honolulu -- accessible transport to Polynesian Cultural Center is available for cost -- watch timing however. All memorials are accessible. It is a fun port, you just have to do some planning. Vicki:)

Do the Cruise Ship excursion buses have space to store a small mobility scooter (Travel Scoot). I am hoping they have the underneath luggage storage bins. DH can walk and board buses on his own.

Thanks for all the helpful information.

Oops, just noticed that this was posted a while ago. Hope OP had a great time!!

When we cruised to Hawaii, I had a scooter that came apart. We never were sure about buses, etc, so we rented a car everywhere. I made the arrangements at home before thecruise. Most car rental places had a shuttle bus meet the ship to take folks to their cars. I could not climb the stairs, so DH picked up the car and then picked me up. We did have someone pick us up with a car in Honolulu, but it took them forever to get to the port. We did tender in Maui and it was a bit rough that day so we made that laundry day and watched whales off of the ship. We had fun exploring on our own and I was surprised to see how many of our fellow passengers did the same.

Whatever you decide, have a great trip!!!