Advice for first time scooter user.

I'm taking my aunt on a cruise in a few weeks. Unfortunately last month her bad knee decided it could no longer wait for knee replacement surgery in

October. I've arranged for a scooter for her to use onboard as I was afraid without it she would just sit in the room and do nothing (typically what she does at home because it hurts to walk more than a bit). I've also arranged for wheelchair assistance boarding and on the planes.

Just wondering if anybody has hints for maneuvering around the ship and if possible in ports. Ship is Jewel of the Seas out of San Juan to St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Curaçao, and Aruba.

She can still walk, very slowly with a cane and not for long distances but I wanted to give her options (especially if it got worse). Also, she did occasionally use a scooter when her other knee went bad so she is not completely unfamiliar with using one, just never on a ship.

Did you book an accessible room? If not she may have trouble getting tyru the cabin doors.

All of the ports that you mentioned are fairly easily maneuvered using a scooter. It's a long way (in Curacao) from docking to downtown so the scooter will definitely be a godsend.

As far a around the ship, being courteous and driving slow is the best advice. The elevators are the toughest part especially after the muster drill, around dinnertime and getting ready to get off the ship at the different ports. In the dining room, you can drive to your table and the wait staff will park the scooter in another area then bring it back to you when your dinner is over. Most people are courteous and helpful to those that need a scooter but you will find a few who think only of themselves. And please, watch out for people's feet. Take it from someone who's required a scooter for years.

• Depending on the type of scooter rented she may have difficulty getting the scooter into the room.
  
• Carevacation Light-weight and Mid-size rentals as well as Specianeedsatsea standard scooter rental are typically Pride Go-Go Elite Models which will fit through the door of most standard cabins. Sometimes the arms rests must be removed or adjusted so the scooter will fit through the doorway.
  
  
• Carevations Full-size scooter as well as Specialneedsatseas Heavy Duty and Bariatric scooters require an accessible cabin.

  
  

• Per Maritime Law (Specifically SOLAS - Safety of life at seas), Coast Guard regulations and Cruise Line regulations require that the scooter MUST be stored in the cabin when not in use. The scooter CANNOT be left out in the hallway as it impairs the safety of other passengers and cruise staff.
  
• Scooters DO NOT STOP ON A DIME. Instead it's a rolling stop . The length of the roll depends on the speed at which the scooter was being driven prior to stopping so this must be taken into account otherwise your Aunt could crash into objects or worse injure another passenger.
  
• The speed dial on the scooter will have a Turtle for slow and Rabbit for Fast. On the ship the scooter should be driven at the slow (Turtle) speed.
  
• Scooters are generally not allowed onto Tenders unless the tender has roll-on capabilities. So if there is a tender port on your itinerary your aunt may have to stay on board. Even if the tender has roll-on capabilities due to weather and sea conditions the scooter still may not be allowed onto the Tender.
  
• Depending on the incline of the gangway and height of the gangway joints scooters can get hung up particularly the Pride Go-Go models due to having only a 2" or less under clearance. When this happens the crew's instinct is to give the scooter a hard push . DO NOT ALLOW THE CREW TO DO THIS as it can damage the scooter. Though there is a reset button on the battery case this does not always solve the problem when the motor locks. Therefore it's recommended that your Aunt get off the scooter and walk up/down the gangway. The scooter can than be placed in freewheel mode by moving the Yellow lever located on the back wheel casing behind the seat to the Unlocked position. The scooter can than be manually rolled down/up the gangway. The yellow level MUST BE RETURNED TO THE LOCKED POSITION BEFORE YOUR AUNTS SITS BACK ON THE SCOOTER.
  
• Elevators at times can pose a problem as able body passengers occasionally jump in front of the scooter thus not allowing it on the elevator. When with your Aunt you need to be mindful of this and run interference for her. When your Aunt is by herself it's sometime best to just go to the farthest elevators not located in the direct path of the pool or the buffet. Peak times for elevator use to be aware of are dinner time, show times and the muster drill
  
• The scooter can be driven directly into the MDR and the staff will than park it. Since all rental scooters look the same suggest that you bring an extra luggage tag to place on the tiller to identify your Aunt's scooter. Also suggest going to the MDR after boarding to check your table location. If there is not a sufficient path to the table than you probably should talk to Matre'D to have it switch.
  
• Important that the scooter be charged every night. Though the battery gage may show that it doesn't need charging depending on the age of the batteries the gage can go from showing Green to Yellow or even red when least expected.
  
• Vehicles used for ship excursion generally cannot accommodate a mobility scooter due to the lack of an accessible lift. If she's wanting to go on tours you will have to search out private accessible tours if there are even any available for the ports involved. Remember ADA Law only applies to the USA.
  

Please advise if you need any other information.

Thanks guys this is exactly the kind of tips I needed.

We have verified that the scooter will fit in the room.

We aren't doing any ships excursions. In fact we are only doing one excursion total and it is independently arranged. The rest of the time the plan was to go with the flow and take it easy - it really will just depend on how her knee is doing.

The scooter is ok in most of the places without any issue

Lifts work well but it doesn't like the stairs :)

It won't be do bad and staff are great to help

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If your Aunt has never operated a scooter before might I suggest you take her to a grocery or other store that has scooters and let her get used to them. One point here. The scooters at the stores go at "turtle" speed and non-store scooters have a speed control that can get the scooter going a a pretty good clip. She needs to feel confident driving the scooter before you are in a small space like a cruise ship. Have a great and safe cruise.

If your Aunt has never operated a scooter before might I suggest you take her to a grocery or other store that has scooters and let her get used to them. One point here. The scooters at the stores go at "turtle" speed and non-store scooters have a speed control that can get the scooter going a a pretty good clip. She needs to feel confident driving the scooter before you are in a small space like a cruise ship. Have a great and safe cruise.

 

Good idea

You could get in an awkward position quickly otherwise

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If your Aunt has never operated a scooter before might I suggest you take her to a grocery or other store that has scooters and let her get used to them. One point here. The scooters at the stores go at "turtle" speed and non-store scooters have a speed control that can get the scooter going a a pretty good clip. She needs to feel confident driving the scooter before you are in a small space like a cruise ship. Have a great and safe cruise.

While she was waiting to get her other knee replaced, she used a scooter occasionally.

I meant the first time scooter as in first ftime she's used one on a cruise

my mother has a go go scooter and was in a regular room. The door frame has a lip which was a little trouble getting the scooter over. In a regular balcony there was just enough room to get it through the door and park. Also she has a bad knee and because it was a regular room the step up going into the bathroom took a few days to get use to. Next time we will get her an accessible room.

To OP:

Being that your Aunt is booked in a standard cabin she might want to consider requesting a shower chair/stool . If will provide her more safety and comfort when showering. To order you need to contact the Cruise Line's Special Needs Department and it will be provided free of charge.

My husband and I just returned from the Celebrity Summit to Bermuda. We both used scooters. My biggest concern was the 2 scooters in an elevator, but it turned out not to be a problem at all. People were the greatest and the staff was wonderful. Unfortunately, unless I can get a new back, this will probably be our usual procedur from now on.

When you say the scooter will fit in the cabin, do you mean fit through the door, or completely inside the cabin without obstructing your ability to get to the beds and bathroom? Most scooters will fit through a cabin door, especially if the scooters arms are removed. But, the problem starts once you get the scooter in the cabin. Unless you're in a larger cabin, you could experience major space problems in the cabin. Just getting the scooter close enough to charge could be a problem, depending on where the outlet is located. Then there's the problem of the scooter taking up a lot of floor space, and maybe blocking access to the balcony, if you have one, or even making access to the bathroom difficult.

Hi all,

I am taking "Tommy Truck" with me next year on the Anthem of the Seas, it's the first time I will be taking it and having read the tips above (which are excellent) it has put my mind at rest.

Thanks

Pete

I cruised for the first time with my scooter in February. I did not need the scooter around the ship, but I had to use it in the ports. During these times, my husband would direct traffic for me getting in and out of the elevators. It is a great option for those of us who cannot walk long distances.

Hi all,

 

I am taking "Tommy Truck" with me next year on the Anthem of the Seas, it's the first time I will be taking it and having read the tips above (which are excellent) it has put my mind at rest.

 

Thanks

 

Pete

What is "Tommy Truck" -- something new on the market ? Thanks

Tommy Truck is just my name for my mobility scooter.

Pete

If needing ice packs do not forget they need freezing. Last cruise, after knee replacement, I was directed to guest services where they took very good care of me. Left the packs each AM and picked them up each night.

The cruise lines are very good if you ask

Will usually help in every way possible

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