Zuiderdam safe for Parkinson's?

I was planing to sail on the Zuiderdam in December, but was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's. I can walk with a four pronged cane and have heard various opinions about the safety of sailing. My doctor left it up to me. Any opinions or experiences?

I would say as safe for you as for anybody else. On the outside decks, there are , of course, handrails /guardrails. If you don't climb 'em.....

The hallways and publicrooms on the Zuiderdam are spacious enough to walk with a cane, there are folks with rollators and even wheelchairs who are able to move around onboard.

I would say : happy sailing !!

I have some balance issues after 8 spinal surgeries, but the ships are pretty stable with their stabilizers deployed. In rough weather it can get pretty sporty aboard any ship. Maybe a walker would work as a back up idea. They offer more stability and don't really slow you down. I've used them during recoveries and tend to walk at the whatever speed I can and use it for added stability. I love cruising too much not to find a way!

I have friends with Parkinson's, one of whom is well beyond the "just diagnosed" stage.

Both have been cruising for years, and have found ways to adapt. Sometimes that means not leaving the ship, taking shorter excursions, making sure to rest---even during the day.

Having a walker will give you more "points" of stability, so that may help. A rollator has the seat the walker lacks, so that may come in handy.

I wouldn't pick an itinerary with notoriously high seas for my first post-diagnosis outing, but so long as your doctor hasn't said "no", and you want to try, know that others have been able to do it.

Good luck to you.

My DH has Parkinson's but so far doesn't have a great deal of trouble walking -- doesn't need a cane or anything.

I would suggest that you rent a walker/rollator to get around the ship and ashore. I have bad knees and severe spinal stenosis. I rent one from Care Vacations.

Are the seas from Ft. Lauderdale to Panama in December likely to be rough? My primary concern with Parkinson's are balance and fear of falling.

We were on your cruise in January, 2014. We really only had one day/evening with rough weather. In 10 or 11 days, odds are you will have some sort of weather. The captain will do all he can to minimize the ship movement by changing his route/direction a bit. As Rotjeknor said earlier in this conversation, hand rails and staying put if it gets real rough may be needed, but it shouldn't spoil your trip.

Are the seas from Ft. Lauderdale to Panama in December likely to be rough? My primary concern with Parkinson's are balance and fear of falling.

That kind of depends on your definition of "rough", although I fully understand a fear of falling, and having a balance problem.

That's why a walker or rollator, or even two canes instead of one (when more points of contact are needed) would be a good idea.

The captain announces to all if he thinks the ship may hit some rough seas. You can then plan accordingly. I find the staff very helpful to those who have medical problems. Also Indonesians have respect for their elders and always want to make sure everything is okay for us. I think you should take the advice given to rent a walker or maybe even buy one as they are useful on dry land also.

I've a close friend with a different medical issue effecting his balance. Even on good days he'll use a rollator and outside a motorized scooter, but that hasn't stopped him from cruising.

How do you feel about it? If your doctor is leaving it to you to decide, he must think that you are medically capable. You'll face some challenges to be sure, but even looking for input here shows that you are interested in continuing with your plans. That demonstrates a pretty positive attitude, which in my books is more than half the battle.

Rent a rollator. Even if you find that you don't need it, it will give you peace of mind. Go, and enjoy your cruise.

You could also pose your question on the Disabled Cruisers board of CC. On that board you may find advice from people who have literally walked in your path and can give real life insight.

With Parkinsons there is a high probability that at some point you will benefit from (or need) a walker or rollator. Many insurance companies (and Medicare) will provide such equipment with a doctor's prescription. This information is secondary to your cruise question, but can be connected.

I personally think it would be wise to bring a good rollator with you on the cruise, for use on the ship if you have trouble - and for using on shore. On the ship if there is motion that makes things difficult for you, use it onboard. In terms of shore activities, it will provide more stability and will probably enable you to walk further with comfort and provides an instant seat to rest if you need it. Also, to some degree they fold up for storage and transportation.

IF you drive to/from the ports you can easily bring your own rollator with your, which might be a good investment that can be used in the years ahead. If you fly you might want to rent one from the company(ies?) that service cruise. I am sure someone in this thread knows the name of such. Many use them for mobility and personal care aids for cruising.

After several abdominal surgeries a rollator became my best friend! It enabled me to get outside and walk, walk, walk like never would have done without it. With that an my cellphone I could go off on my own and call for help if needed, which I fortunately never had to do. Thankfully in my cases as I healed I could store it away for future use. Never did I expect to use it so many times in the following five years. Now I store it and just hope that it is many years before I need it again.

Getting a rollator really helped my mom improve her health. I learned from that experience that it is very important to get the correct size and have it adjusted for your needs (she'd used my dad's old walker first and it was almost worse than nothing). So whether you use a cane, walker, or rollator, find out how it should "fit" you to help you with your balance. Then if you rent one, you can set it up correctly for your height.

I've been on cruises where we were all told to have three points of connection when moving about the ship. I hope you decide to sail and have a wonderful cruise.

" if you rent one, you can set it up correctly for your height. "

Even if you don't qualify for a rollator/walker under your health insurance plan, you may be better off purchasing a rollator. You can check with Amazon or your home-town stores. They are not terrible expensive and you can always use it at home. The rentals are a tad cheaper than buying your own.

Medical devices are not considered baggage by the airlines - at least the major ones. Check it in as baggage and let the airlines and ship know that you meed wheel chair assistance to get on and off

All the walker/rollators that I have rented also have a seat for whenever I need to sit down and rest for a few minutes.

OP, you may want to do some reading/posting on the Disabled Cruisers' forum too:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=190

Go on the cruise.

Enjoy yourself like the thousands of others do with medical conditions.

Can I use the rollator to get on and off the ship and into and out of the hot tubs?

Can I use the rollator to get on and off the ship and into and out of the hot tubs?

It's your choice if you want to push the rollator embarking, or be pushed in a wheelchair while someone takes care of the rollator for you.

The hot tubs are another matter. They are up a few stairs on the pool decking, and then down 2-3 steps into the tub. If you can walk, and do a few stairs when there is a railing, then you might manage the hot tubs.

Be sure to use the hand rails and stay off the stairs. Strongly recommend renting or taking a rollator. I speak from experience since my late husband had Parkinsons. Be sure to set your own pace and don't let people behind rush you. Enjoy your cruise..

How do you handle the life boat drill when they don't let you use the elevators?

Well, I have two thoughts on this - others probably have better ones.

1. Ask this question of the Special Services department of HAL before you sail. They have procedures in place on how to get to the lifeboats in a real emergency. It is my understanding that they also have ways to deal with the drills.

2. I once sailed with a knee problem that made it very painful and difficult to go up the steps. I felt that I could make it up the steps in a real emergency, but did not want to subject myself to this for the drill. (Not necessarily an attitude I would recommend.) So I simply took the elevator about 10 minutes before the drill and found a seat inside the ship to wait until drill time when I made my way to my station. If you do take a rollator, you can sit on it while waiting for the drill and even during the drill itself.

How do you handle the life boat drill when they don't let you use the elevators?

Not a problem. Disabled people are allowed to use the elevators. There is one elevator in each bank that is designated an "emergency" elevator, and remains in use under emergency conditions.

The elevators are not turned off during the drill.