Travelscoot cruise review 1st time user

I promised when I got back from my 48 day cruise with my Travelscoot I would let you know how I did. I was on Carnival Splendor around South America. I have to say up front I never fell off, knock on wood. It was my biggest fear. Whenever I came to anything with an incline I leaned over my handle bars as far as I could, looking like speed racer. I still am fearful of falling with it so I am not bragging but just want you to be aware to lean over those handle bars no matter how crazy it looks when going uphill.

Also 6 people test drove my Travelscoot and were planning on buying one when they got home. Many others talked to me about it and I gave out lots of Travelscoo dot com addresses. I was even offered to sell it but no way! It didn't bother me to talk to people about it because it has made my life so much fuller that I want to share. I have had it almost a year and when I look back at the things I have been able to do...... another story!

I was worried about traveling for the first time with my Travelscoot but it really was easy. I did all the things I was told to do, staying on it all the way to the plane's entrance, taking off the battery and storing it in it's bag. Leaving it for them to take below.

Getting off last my Travelscoot was waiting for me and putting the battery on was a breeze. It really is as easy as everyone says it is.

The only thing I did differently on my return flight was I got to the security check point and told them I could stand and walk the short distance. Going the first time I stayed on my Travelscoot the security and personal body and Travelscoot check was way to long. When I did my own walk through it took one forth the time. They checked the Travelscoot and gave it back to me.

I took it right onto the ship with no problems. The halls/walkways in the cabin area are wider than Princess and I was able to go past housekeeping carts without a problem. They never had to move a thing and I never had to get off. It would not have been the same with Princess as their halls are smaller. I only have Princess to compare to, sorry.

We had a balcony, non handicap. I was prepared to break down the Travelscoot or tip it if I had to to get it into the cabin. I don't know if I was just lucky and had the only cabin on the ship that had a door this width but my Travelscoot would slide, sometimes with some help, into the room and out without having to tip it. It took several times to figure this out but my cabin mate pointed out if I took it into the cabin handles first and took it out of the cabin handles first, holding the door as open as possible it would just make it through.

Once inside it stored assembled sideways next to the couch and wasn't that much in the way.

When I used it on the ship I could always find a place to store it out of the way. I am able to walk just not long distances and the length of the ship was to far for me or the pain would start so I rode.

I did run into a problem early on that the brakes wouldn't work, they seemed to be stuck. Ship personal came to my aid and between us we realized that the handlebar was twisted around and around. Once I unwound it the brakes worked. I don't know why but a heads up on that one.

I never took it on a tender because we were told on several of our tender ports wheelchairs and scooters were not allowed. After seeing the very steep, long ramp at the dock I can see why. The other times I had tours scheduled that didn't require me using my Travelscoot.

Getting off the gangway posed a problem for me in that it would have a short, steep ramp to get up to the gangway usually. In that case I would ask ship personal to take it down for me and when I came back I would sit at the bottom of the gangway and they would send someone to take it up for me.

Off the ship when my friends would be walking the areas I would be riding and when they finished looking in shops they would sit on the Travelscoot and I would go look in. Or they would see that I would be fine inside so I would just ride around in the shop, store, etc. I would turn the seat sideways to make it easier for them to sit. I had taken a lock that was suggested on CC but I just couldn't leave it alone while off the ship. On the ship of course no problem it was always safe.

I traveled on good sidewalks and very bad side walks. When it got bad I usually could go into the street a distance. I found all kinds of handicap cut outs on corners of streets. Some were just fine and some were not any better than the curb. I used my judgement and sometimes got off and lifted it up first the front wheel then the back ones.

It was stored on buses below in the luggage area with the seat on and with the seat off. I broke it down once for the trunk of a car but found I really didn't have to and after that the driver would find a way for it to work in the trunk with the seat off or in the front seat. Yes in the front seat not even broken down but with the seat off.

In New York we did the Hop on Hop off bus and it would store where they have a place for wheel chairs. Just make sure you lock the brakes. We took a ride on a horse drawn carriage in Central Park and it sat right up in front on the seat with the driver!

The hotel we stayed in ordered us a car to take us to JFK and a 10 passenger limo showed up. After the suitcases were put into the trunk he put my little Travelscoot down the middle of the limo between the seat and the bar. My Travelscoot had earned the ride!

Congratulations on your successful trip! It is amazing what an ice-breaker the TS is with folks wanting to know all about it :)

That is a good tip to remember to share with folks about the brakes...the same thing happened to me when I first got mine and I just have never thought about sharing that foward! (sorry).

And the next time I cruise Carnival I will have to carefully try getting it through the door like you did. As for getting a TS down the hallways on Princess I've never experienced a problem getting it down the halls of the Diamond or the Grand Princess....or any Royal Caribbean ship for that matter as long as the housekeeping cards were flush to the wall. It might be tight but I always got through with no problem.

Sounds like a wonderful trip! Thanks for the info

Thank you to the OP for a fantastic review of the Travelscoot. We have just returned from our first short cruise near Amsterdam, and the trip made me realise just how much I needed something like this. I saw a few good reviews and so ordered one yesterday! (CAN'T WAIT!) It was lovely to find this review this morning....:) Thank you

so glad my review helped. You will not regret your purchase. I wish I had not waited so long and my doctors are thrilled I am getting around and enjoying life.