FLL handicap Taxi service

Hi all,

My step-father uses both a scooter and Oxygen. We are going on a cruise in November out of FLL. We had planned on staying at Courtyard Marriott as we have stayed in past there, but when I called the shuttle isn't accessible.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with taxi services in the area that had accessible transportation so I can plan ahead.

Or, if anyone know of hotels that would be comparable to Courtyard with accessible shuttle, that would be great.

Thanks so much in advance!

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Hi all,

 

My step-father uses both a scooter and Oxygen. We are going on a cruise in November out of FLL. We had planned on staying at Courtyard Marriott as we have stayed in past there, but when I called the shuttle isn't accessible.

 

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with taxi services in the area that had accessible transportation so I can plan ahead.

 

Or, if anyone know of hotels that would be comparable to Courtyard with accessible shuttle, that would be great.

 

Thanks so much in advance!

 

 

 

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There are wheelchair accessible taxi's in Fort Lauderdale. Just do a GOOGLE search using the key phrase "Wheelchair Accessible Taxis in Fort Launderdale"

If flying to FFL once at the airport if you have have not prearranges accessible transportation all you have to do is speak to the taxi dispatcher curbside.

If the Hotel provides shuttle service for abled bodied guests than per ADA it must provide accessible services for your step-father. However it's important to note that if the Hotel charges for shuttle services it must charge the same fee for the accessible transporation regardles of what it costs the Hotel. If the shuttle service is provided free of charge than it has to provide accessible transportation free of charge regardless of what the it costs the hotel. You're best to speak directly to the Hotel Manager rather than the a hotel phone rep and or front desk personnel.

Yellow Taxi. Just tell them you need a wheelchair accessible one. Have used them many times and find the drivers rude every time but it does get you where you need to be

We just told the airport cab director that we needed an accessible cab and he called a cab that the wheelchair can roll right into and be tied down for the trip. Just note the company name and number of whoever takes you to the port so you know who to call to get back to the airport. One caveat, we also took a cab to a restaurant to kill some time, and when I called to get an accessible cab, I was told they were backlogged and it would be several hours. So I went with a regular cab, which was a little uncomfortable but manageable for me as I can get into and out of a regular back seat and my wheelchair folds.

I'm travelling with a dear friend who uses a four-wheel walker and believes that packing light means _only_ two suitcases plus her tote bag; I'll have my little duffel that rides on the wheelie bag. I'm 5 foot tall; schlepping bags just isn't going to work. And this is our first cruise.

It looks like the options for managing this are

1) Use Bags VIP Luggage Delivery to deliver bags to her cabin plus Accessible-Uber to the ship.

2) HAL's airport transfer ... will someone else deal with the bags? We're willing to pay for convenience, even slow convenience, but it sounds like the Transfers might not be the best choice.

Thank you!

We used an accessible taxi. While there was plenty of room (a minivan), you would still have to get the bags to the taxi pickup area. My husband schleps around our bags so I don't remember if porters are available at baggage claim. (They usually are at most airports but you never know!) There were porters at the Royal Caribbean terminal to take the bags from the cabdriver, so if you can get that far, you will be set (assuming HAL has them too).

It would probably be worth a phone call to HAL to see what baggage services the transfer can handle.

2 weeks ago there were porters who would have taken our luggage out and down the side of the terminal to the waiting shuttle busses. My husband and I have no problem with our stuff but our friends were to stubborn (cheap) to pay the guy a few bucks for the convenience It's the price one needs to pay when they have mobility issues. They were miserable trying to schlep their stuff along. One day they will learn to take my advice about travel.

So yes there are porters to help at both the airport and the ships in FLL.

Thanks for chiming in. I couldn't remember.

Thank you both! I haven't needed a porter myself so knowing they are findable makes this much easier.

There are wheelchair accessible taxi's in Fort Lauderdale. Just do a GOOGLE search using the key phrase "Wheelchair Accessible Taxis in Fort Launderdale"

 

If flying to FFL once at the airport if you have have not prearranges accessible transportation all you have to do is speak to the taxi dispatcher curbside.

 

If the Hotel provides shuttle service for abled bodied guests than per ADA it must provide accessible services for your step-father. However it's important to note that if the Hotel charges for shuttle services it must charge the same fee for the accessible transporation regardles of what it costs the Hotel. If the shuttle service is provided free of charge than it has to provide accessible transportation free of charge regardless of what the it costs the hotel. You're best to speak directly to the Hotel Manager rather than the a hotel phone rep and or front desk personnel.

I know this is correct, but personally, I have not found any Hotel Manager willing to make this service available. In Washington D.C., we were flat out told that the hotel is not obligated to provide this service. Short of getting into a debate, I'm at a loss as how to react.

All my friends keep getting older ... and so do I. Knowing about ADA issues has become more important each year. Thank you all!

One caveat about the accessible taxis in FLL that we ran into; we didn't have to wait for one at the airport or the cruise terminal, but after we had checked our bags for the flight home we took a taxi off to a restaurant. When we called for one to get back to the airport, we were told to expect a 2-hour wait for an accessible taxi or we could simply take the closest one. We finally took a regular cab, which I had to struggle to get into and DH had to struggle to get my wheelchair into the trunk. It never occurred to me that demand was that disproportional to supply.

I know this is correct, but personally, I have not found any Hotel Manager willing to make this service available. In Washington D.C., we were flat out told that the hotel is not obligated to provide this service. Short of getting into a debate, I'm at a loss as how to react.

Sadly same Managers are ignorant of the ADA regulation and sometime they just don't want to be bothered.

If its a major chain than contact the corporate office. If it's a small independent local hotel than contact the state's attorney's office in that day. I would tell the manager exactly what my next plan of action is as it often gets them to do the right thing before a complaint is filed with corporate or the states attorney's office. I for one would not take no for an answer if the service is provided to able body guests whether for a charge or free .

The desk clerk at our motel (Hampton Inn) called a taxi for us. She made the call the night before the cruise as she said they can be very busy during the embarkation hours. I think it was yellow cab. Our taxi was a mini-van with a ramp. My husband drove right into the back of the van where his chair was securely tied down. Our driver was not at all rude.

The desk clerk at our motel (Hampton Inn) called a taxi for us. She made the call the night before the cruise as she said they can be very busy during the embarkation hours. I think it was yellow cab. Our taxi was a mini-van with a ramp. My husband drove right into the back of the van where his chair was securely tied down. Our driver was not at all rude.

Thank you for the information. I'm sure that is the route we will go. [emoji846]

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