Scooter for mom..:)

Hey All,

My mom recently hurt her foot and has one of those plastic boots. She can't walk much and we have a cruise next month of of Miami on NCL. I'm thinking it might be best to rent her one of those scooter machines where she can sit and be able to be mobile on the cruise.

What's the best way to do this? We will be flying down from Atlanta. Do I rent it locally and take it on the plane or just have a company deliver it to the ship? I'm a total novice in the options available but would like mom to have a good cruise and not spend a fortune as well.

Thanks,

Yes, there are a couple of companies that rent mobility scooters. I'm not sure of the companies, but you can find them on these boards. These companies will require certain info like your mom's height, weight, etc., so that they can provide the correct size scooter. They will deliver the scooter to your mom's cabin; it will be there when she boards. If she requires assistance to board the ship, you can arrange for wheelchair assistance to take her onto the ship.

BUT, VERY IMPORTANT, before you consider this option, has your mom ever operated a mobility scooter?? She will need practice with one, so that she doesn't injure herself or some else. It's not something you can just jump on and operate. I use my own scooter on the ship, and I've had my scooter for a couple of years, so I know how to maneuver in small places, i.e. hallways, elevators, etc. It may take her some time to become familiar with a scooter.

My DH purchased my scooter for me, but before he purchased it, I was able to try it out in the store, and I practiced on it for a while before we traveled anywhere with it.

Whatever you choose, have a nice cruise.

P.S. I started to post this response earlier, and I hit a button...my half-finished response disappeared; I think I deleted it, but if my first message appears, please disregard it.

Hey All,

 

My mom recently hurt her foot and has one of those plastic boots. She can't walk much and we have a cruise next month of of Miami on NCL. I'm thinking it might be best to rent her one of those scooter machines where she can sit and be able to be mobile on the cruise.

 

What's the best way to do this? We will be flying down from Atlanta. Do I rent it locally and take it on the plane or just have a company deliver it to the ship? I'm a total novice in the options available but would like mom to have a good cruise and not spend a fortune as well.

 

Thanks,

There is company that rents scooters and wheel chairs for cruise ships. Unless it's a custom unit , you just order what you want and it will delivered to your room or dockside. I can't remember the name but I've seen it on many cruises.

Hey All,

 

My mom recently hurt her foot and has one of those plastic boots. She can't walk much and we have a cruise next month of of Miami on NCL. I'm thinking it might be best to rent her one of those scooter machines where she can sit and be able to be mobile on the cruise.

 

What's the best way to do this? We will be flying down from Atlanta. Do I rent it locally and take it on the plane or just have a company deliver it to the ship? I'm a total novice in the options available but would like mom to have a good cruise and not spend a fortune as well.

 

Thanks,

Renting her a scooter is a great idea. We rented one for a road trip last summer and it worked out great for my husband. In two weeks we'll be on the Veendam to Bermuda and have rented from Special Needs at Sea. They will deliver it to our cabin and pick it up at the end of the cruise. It may not be in the cabin as soon as we arrive due to all the luggage to be delivered.

The other company that specializes in cruise ship rentals is Care Vacations. I believe NCL only works with one of the two companies. Might be with a call to NCL to ask that question. HAL works with both companies. They will need to know height and weight so that they send the appropriately sized scooter.

DH didn't found it easy to operate on our first rental, although the place we rented from showed him how to operate it and, since it was a standard sized scooter, how to disassemble it for transport in the trunk of our car and reassemble it.

If you decide to rent the scooter, ask what model you'll be renting and find a dealer near you so your mom can try it out ahead of time and learn how to properly operate and transport it.

Have a great time on your cruise!

Clarification....DH did find it easy to use during our first rental. Didn't was a typo. They can be put in "turtle" mode which limits the speed and helps in crowded or tight spaces.

Easiest is to just rent a mobility scooter from the cruise line's pre-approved vendor. It will be delivered directly to and picked up directly from the cabin.

NCL only has one approved vendor that you can rent from and here's the link.

http://www.Specialneedsatsea.com

A couple of points. Be sure to let the airline know that your mother will need assistance. They will wheel her to the plane, down the jetway, and help her to your seat. If you fly SW, you will even get to board first. Make these arrangements for both departure and arrival. Then, arrange for wheelchair assistance for embarkation and debarkation. NCL will be glad to do this. And lastly, Carevacations is more expensive than Special Needs. About 25 more for a week.

When we got one for my father in law I rented it locally so he'd be able to get through the airport comfortably. Since I own my own I am used to navigating airports with it all the way to the gate so felt comfortable doing this for him. It's also cheaper to do it that way if you do not need delivery and can pick it up yourself. We rented the scooter for about $100 for 9 days total.

If you do rent a scooter please be advised you will need a handicapped cabin as you must put the scooter in your cabin overnight, and to recharge the batteries. MOST scooters will not fit through the standard cabin door and if they do, may take up more room than you have to spare.

There are scooters that are narrow enough to fit thru regular cabin doors.

Would a knee walker work instead?

Be sure to tell special needs at sea that you do not have an accessible cabin. If your mother is not a large person, I mean less than 250 lbs, you can rent the small scooter, and they might even have ones that come apart. If you have an inside cabin, get a sideways one. They have plenty of room for a scooter.

She won't need a scooter...really. The "boot" is made to walk with.