shelly222

7 hours ago, jpcello said:

I have cruised on RC, Princess, Celebrity and NCL with my sister. The only accessible cabin we ever had that had full lounge chairs was an Aft Accessible Concierge Level cabin on Celebrity. It was massive and had two full lounge chairs as well as a table and four chairs. Any other accessible cabin we've ever had was never big enough for a lounge chair. We typically cruise in standard balcony/veranda cabins - always accessible. For cabins along the port and starboard sides, the balconies tend to be wider and not deeper, which is what you need for lounge chairs. 

Thank you. Our friends have done well with putting a lounge chair for their son lengthwise instead of widthwise so we are going to be able to do that on our next two cruises.. 

1 hour ago, Id rather be diving said:

We used them last year.  My husband travels with a scooter.  I contacted them ahead of time and cleared that he had a scooter and that it would fit in the van.  Also, had them send me a picture so I could make sure my husband could get in.  They were wonderful both before and during the tours.

Thank you so much. Now, I feel better about booking them... 

Hello, 

Has anyone stayed in cabin #6304 on Royal Caribbeans Adventure of the Seas? Anything we need to know. I am hoping my sons' wheelchair will fit on the balcony? Access department couldn't confirm so now I am worried as we always spend a lot of time out on the balcony but have yet to sail on RC. 

We are sailing out of Fort Lauderdale to Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba? Have tours set up for Bonaire and Curacao, but nothing yet for Aruba. 

Thank you all.. 

Happy Cruising... 

Hi. 

Has anyone ever use The Native Choice tour company in Costa Maya? We are considering it for when we are there but wanted to make sure they are trustworthy and reliable. So far the customer service has been excellent.

Thank you so much. 

I have been in constant contact with them about a tour inquiry for this coming December. Excellent customer service. I would email them which is what I did using the email address on their website. 

Hi. 

Has anyone ever use The Native Choice tour company in Costa Maya? We are considering it for when we are there but wanted to make sure they are trustworthy and reliable. Thank you so much. 

Its a private tour for just my son (in wheelchair) and I. 

Hello, 

My daughter who is confined to a wheelchair and I are trying to figure out what to do in Costa Maya... We would like to go to Chacchoben Ruins and just read on a website that the grounds are dirt path and are wheelchair doable as long as they are not muddy. We are going in December so hopefully, they will be dry. 

We would like to do the ruins but also want to stroll through Mahahual Fishing Village as that sounds interesting. 

So my questions are: 

1. Is Mahahual Fishing Village walking/strolling distance from the port? 

2. Is the shuttle tram wheelchair accessible? That tour for scenic stops sounds interesting as well. 

3. What kind of vehicles are the cabs as I was thinking we could take a cab to the ruins and then the fishing village and then walk back to port if doable? My daughters' wheelchair comes apart in two pieces so it fits better in a van or suv as there are only a few cars the pieces will fit in. She can sit on a seat. 

Thank you all so much... 

7 minutes ago, SpencerNY1 said:

Is that a wheelchair van service in Mahogany Bay? In Cozumel I always use ThisisCozumel. This March I am just going to chankanaab park in Cozumel and on a drive around Jamaica.

Yes, I booked a private tour through Victor Bodden who just got a wheelchair accessible vehicle to transport wheelchairs. He was just waiting for it to clear customs. However, he was willing to work with me on putting my daughter in a seat and taking her chair apart to transport her and it for a tour in their regular vans/suvs. But I am so glad we were able to book the accessible vehicle - so much better for her. 

Oh I will check out ThisIsCozumel (Thank you for that suggestion). I would love to hear about your experience in Chankanaab park. Have a WONDERFUL cruise/trip. 

Ours isn't until December - wish it was sooner.. 

On 1/27/2019 at 7:04 PM, SpencerNY1 said:

I am a quadriplegic travel agent and I have had pretty decent experiences with all the cruise lines as far as wheelchair cabins. The freedom rooms should be great with roll in shower and everything. I mainly only choose Carnival for the price value and port. I prefer other cruise lines but would not pass up carnival if everything looks favorable. What ports are you thinking about visiting and are you planning on any excursion. 

Thank you Spencer... 

The same ports as mentioned in my OP.. Cozumel, Costa Maya, Mahogany Bay. 

We haven't decided what to do in Cozumel or Costa Maya but have a private tour set up already for Mahogany Bay (Roatan) with Victor Bodden. 

On 1/6/2019 at 4:01 PM, Kcheine said:

One correction, on the Freedom we were in room 1002 but all the other Carnival newer ships, we were in 10202.

 

Regarding Cozumel, there is plenty to do.  There are tons of shops right at the Port and a Margaritaville for food and drinks.  We have also gone to Chankanaab in the past.  We swam with the dolphins.  I held my son in the water and the dolphins came right up to us so we were able to touch it and stuff.  We didn't ride it or anything since I wouldn't be able to do that with my son.  They have a Sea Lion show, shops, beach, gardens, small version of Tulum, etc.  Plenty to do for an afternoon.  I think we took a taxi and used my sons folding stroller instead of the wheelchair.  I bring both on cruises because it's so much easier to use the folding stroller on excursions.

 

The pools are a bit colder than I like for my son but he does love the hot tubs.  The Freedom has a few of those so you should be able to get your daughter into that.

 

You both should enjoy the shows.  They have reserved seating for wheelchairs.  It is mostly singing and dancing.  The PG comedy shows are great too.  We have done the Dive In Movies to at the pool.

 

Let me know if I can help you at all.  I am a single mom who finds going on cruises with my 2 kids the best and safest way for me to go on vacation.  So many options...

 

Kelly

Thank you, Kelly.. Yeah, I am a single mom too and while we've been doing road trips for years, I have decided to venture out into the cruising world to see more. 

Thank you for letting me know about reserved seating for the shows. 

We are going to Curacao in 2020.. Can't wait. We are not big on cruise excursions either due to our situation so we always have to find our own things to do. I have been researching this port/city for the past two weeks and have come across so much info online via google (google is your best friend) that I wish I had a week to spend there.. There is also a lot within walking distance too, but we like to venture out and see as much as we can.. So I suggest start looking online via google search.. Good luck and you will thoroughly enjoy your research of this city/port as I sure have... 

7 hours ago, cb at sea said:

That's right...it's hot in the ABC's all year round.  Because of the breeze, you don't have that oppressive humidity that the East Coast of the US gets in the summer.

 

Whatever you choose, research your ports, so you'll get an idea of what you'd like to do in each place.  A guidebook is very helpful, or you can google your ports.  That way, you can make plans to suit what YOU want to do!

And the west coasts get... I'm grateful that another forum was able to actually answer my questions.. Thank you for trying.. 

Ummmm, of course, I am going to research each port thoroughly and base my decision on an itinerary off of my research ESPECIALLY in my situation. Done that several times already for our cruises and will continue. As a matter of fact, I do that with ALL my travels and have been for 40+ years. Anyway, I wasn't asking how to plan for or how to decide on a cruise itinerary - I was asking for personal experiences, opinions on a group of ports just to see what others felt about any or all of them, their experience there, recommendations, any that stood out over the other, any that someone wouldn't go to, etc, so if you have any feedback on that, I definitely welcome it and that would be staying on post topic. 🙂   Happy Cruising! 

On 1/24/2019 at 3:02 AM, Essiesmom said:

Reviewing your geography, you will see that the ABC islands are not that far north of the equator.  Therefore, temps will not vary much at all.  It's going to be very warm, and breezy.  You will be glad for the breeze.  Half Moon Cay will vary some with the seasons, as it is much farther north, in the Bahamas, not really Caribbean.  EM

Thank you so much. Correct, but its just nice to ask people that have actually been there what the weather was like to get personal experiences. I looked up the weather for dates from previous years to see how it average out for the time I am planning to go, but still, again nice to get personal experiences. 🙂 Breeze, yes is always nice as long as its not the kind that will affect my daughter's health in a negative way so all I can do is hope for the best and be flexible. 

Hi, 

I saw pictures of Curacao while researching different ports in Southern Caribbean and fell in love. I was really wanting an itinerary with San Juan for this particular cruise as I really want to see it too and of course a few other ports, but that will be the next one. My daughter has a really hard time flying so its best we fly within the US after lots of research trying to figure out how to get to San Juan to start / end cruise there, etc. or even a week trip to Curacao. 🙂 

Back to my question: what month is best for Curacao, Grand Turk, Aruba, Bonaire, Half Moon Cay, La Romana - March, April, May, December? Warm is good, just not hot miserable as my daughter is sensitive to cold and hot and winds. Any month better for it not being windy? 

Oh, she is in a wheelchair full time (manual custom) so any of these ports listed I should reconsider or not do the itinerary its in? I am not considering the itinerary with Amber Cove as even though it looks like a neat place, it doesn't seem to be all that accessible outside the port. Should I reconsider? We are not laying around pool / beach people (me, yes, daughter, no).

Thank you so much.  

4 minutes ago, QuickieGlenn said:

We went to the fort you see on the way into the port (I forget the name) the trolleys are handicapped accessible but we waited for a while and they were all too full. You can push to the fort, San Juan is hilly so they way up is a struggle, best way is to head to the Red Door in the wall and go thru it an keep left all the way up to the fort. Most of the fort you can get around but there are some really steep ramps, Greats views. In town on the way back there are some nice shops but beware of where the curb cut-outs are and if not they are extremely high, I bet 10-12 inches in some spots and they sidewalks can narrow and they place street sign posts so half way down and you cannot pass by.... Good Luck

Awesome! Thank you so much.. I really appreciate it - this helps a lot. 

On 8/5/2013 at 3:50 PM, raindropsalways said:

Gary – According to Google, it is 4 km (approx (2 ½ miles) to the zoo. The round trip might be a problem for some of us heavy weights. Virtually all the scooter companies suggest their scooters will travel up to 10 miles depending on the weight of the passenger. A fact that I think we all know is a bunch of bull. I am a heavy weight and use a Golden Technology GB-101. Ruth is a feather weight and she uses a Phoenix Drive. Both are small scooters. Ruth could probably make the round trip without any problems. We both carry a spare battery pack and I usually plan six miles for our trips. That does take into consideration use of the second battery pack if required and unknown inclines, however we do not switch batteries unless necessary. Rough roads normally do not make any impact on the battery usage, just our butts. From looking at the maps and what I remember, it appears that it is level ground most of the way, thus we only have the distance to contend with. Instead of putting your scooter on full speed (4 mph), drop it down 2 mph, requires a lot less battery power. Also, we carry our chargers along with us. Nothing wrong with stopping for a cool drink or a bite to eat if the merchant will allow you to plug in. On the Dutch side, they use 110, so you would not have any problems. I guess in our case, with limited access, instead of saying we cannot, we try to figure out how. Result: We have seen a lot of beautiful things that others have missed.

 

 

One of our better accomplishments was making the round trip to Atlantis from the dock and we only took the ferry over. Toured every spot they would allow us in Atlantis, and lost a few dollars at the casino. Did plug in while playing the slots. We came back across Paradise Island Bridge and toured Potters Cay. Even after we made that trip and I posted detailed information, others still said it could not be done.

 

 

Guess it is all up to the individual as to what they are willing to do. But I sure would like to see more handicap enjoying more beautiful sites.

 

 

Betty

 

 

 

I know you might not see this as your comment is years old, but Betty, that is so awesome!! My daughter who is in a custom manual wheelchair (I push her) and I are just starting to cruise and I have been researching hours and hours on ports for our second cruise with determination to do as much sightseeing as possible. Your determination sounds like mine as I want my daughter to see as much as possible. I want to see too.. 🙂Our first cruise was a bit of a disappointment due to obstacles we encountered, but also not knowing what to expect etc. I did research the port a lot but just didn't still know. I took a lot of notes from that cruise to apply it to our second one and am already excited about some of the things I have found we will be able to do and see. I am trying to choose an itinerary for our third one which Ive hit a lot of people saying, "oh, none of our sites are accessible outside of the ship port but you can do this or that at or near the port". I have found over the years what most think are not accessible actually still are to us. We do a lot and people have a hard time believing I actually did this with my daughter or that, but yes, there are ways and it may not be easy, but its worth the work to make it an experience you will never forget. Happy Cruising and keep it up!!!! 

On 2/22/2015 at 5:13 AM, QuickieGlenn said:

I just returned form a cruise on NCL Gem, went to San Juan, St Thomas, St Maarten & Tortola. I am a full time wheelchair use, cannot walk at all and I am a big guy and have done this cruise 3 times before. San Juan is doable, very hilly and narrow sidewalks. In St Thomas I tried to get a cab to coral world ,I was asking for a car or low SUV so I could transfer, but no good (funny how I had no problem getting a taxi 2 years ago), so we decided to push into town along the road, half way there the sidewalk slowly narrows until there was one spot like a funnel where the opening is approx. 31-1/2" wide and my chair is 32". One good shove and I made it. So if you have a wide chair I would not recommend it and it is a 1.3 mile trek. In ST Maarten we also tried to get a taxi, they looked at us like we had 2 heads so I pushed to town again. Tortola is fixing there pier so it is a tender port. I received many letters in my room that said this is a tender port and you need to be able to get out of your chair and walk onto the tender and your chair cannot way more than 100 lbs. So a nice day on the ship.

I know I could have booked transportation ahead of time, but from what I read this is expensive so I gave it a shot to see if I could make something happen.

Also we had heavy seas going down & coming back to NYC. I am a very capable wheelchair user and at times it took all I had to keep from being a pinball around the ship and in the bathroom, one minute you are at the sink shaving and the next you are in the shower.

 

Just be prepared

I know this was written in 2015, but am hoping maybe you will see this.. 

Could you please share with me if you can get to the Fort in San Juan via wheelchair? I know there are some steps and gravel and uneven grass land, but just wondering if you can get to it to at least see it? Is it doable to go through Old Town as well with a wheelchair? I am trying to decide if we want to include San Juan for a port on our next cruise. My daughter is in a custom wheelchair, manual mode so I push her. We can't get through a lot, but just can't figure out this port. I have seen pics of the fort and the grounds look doable (just not the stairs). Oh and is the trolley w/c accessible there? 

Thank you so much. Happy Cruising! 

On 1/5/2019 at 8:28 AM, Kcheine said:

My son is in a wheelchair also.  We did 3 Disney cruises then switched to Carnival.  Our first Carnival Cruise was on the Freedom.  We loved it.  Much cheaper than Disney.  We had the handicap accessible room 10202.  We have used that room on Carnival Breeze, Vista, and Horizon.  Its near the pool and the buffet.  Highly suggest that room.  Plenty of room and a window.

 

I agree that you do need to walk thru the Casino to get to some things near the back of the boat but I think you could also take the elevator at the AFT to skip the Casino.

 

Regarding Mahogany Bay, we loved this port since you could just get off the ship and walk to the beach and shops right from there.  My son used his wheelchair then I carried him to the water.  The water was warm and beautiful and you could just walk back to the ship when you are tired of the beach.  Also, we do not always get off the ship at some ports like Cozumel since we have been there so many times and my kids enjoy the ship more when everyone is off the ship.  They have the pools and waterparks to themselves.  My son can walk thru the waterpark splash area with his walker and its less crowded on port days.

 

I will say that I suggest going with the more updated ships in the future because they are even more handicap accessible and they have more things to do.  They have Imax Movie Theatre that my son loved going to, to watch just released movies.  There is also ropes courses and sky ride for other in your party.  My daughter loved both.

 

The Carnival Shows at night are great for the whole family and we highly suggest the comedy shows.

 

You can't beat the price of Carnival vs. Disney.  Hope you have a great time.  Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Kelly

Thank you so much Kelly for taking the time to share your experiences. It is so helpful and appreciated. 

Yes, I have found other ways to not have to walk through the casino or near it to get from point A to B. 🙂

Do you have any recommendations on what to do on Cozumel as we have never been and would like to get off the ship? We were thinking of a partial beach day and walking around maybe some shopping, etc. Are there things in walking distance or is a taxi necessary? Thank you so much. 

It is just my daughter and I so we are very limited in what we can do on the ship. We are hoping that there will be a few shows we can go to that my daughter will enjoy. 🙂 But we both really enjoy the ship when its more empty than full too. We spent a lot of our later evening times walking the ship on Disney. She loved it as did I as it was so quiet and hardly anyone out, plus the weather was so nice. We hope to be able to do that on this cruise too. 

I am hoping to be able to take her swimming on this cruise. I wasn't able to on Disney (not warm enough) so we shall see. 

Thank you again,

4 hours ago, Schoifmom said:

 

It doesn't sound like Carnival would be a good fit for you.

(1) They don't have many "hot" options on the room service menu and none that really could be considered to be actual meals, they are more like snacks and a few sandwiches.

(2) Most, but not all, of the balcony rooms will not accommodate a lounge chair.  They simply aren't large enough.

(3) The only rooms with tubs are suites.

 

Having said that, Carnival is very accessible.  Almost every deck is accessible by wheelchair and there are a ton of places to use lounge chairs that are out of the way and quiet.

Thank you so much for the info. I appreciate it.. 

6 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Ask on the HAL, Princess and Celebrity boards here about ordering room service from the MDR menu at dinner time.  I think you used to be able to do that on HAL if you ordered in the first half hour after it opened.  I think Princess may be only in suites...Hazy about Celebrity.  On most lines, if you want a tub, you will have to book a suite.  HAL has tubs in most OV and balcony cabins, but they wouldn't be large enough to maneuver the w/c nor have a balcony large enough for a lounger.  A mini-suite on Princess would give you a tub and larger balcony.  EM

Thank you for the info. Luckily, we don't need to maneuver w/c in a bathroom so any size is doable. 🙂

On 1/2/2019 at 5:16 AM, spookwife said:

all things considered, the public areas on all the lines are more alike than not.

 

 I am personally not a fan of Carnival, have never sailed Princess or HA and have many cruises on Royal.

 

standard balconies on Royal will not have loungers.  and no room for the most part unless you snag an aft facing one.  BUT:  

 

 Royal  suite class has tubs( Junior suite on up)  if you sail on one of the  newer ships, the higher level suites have Genies which act as personal butlers( each Butler only has a couple of cabins they are responsible for so you get very personalized attention. )  Crown Lift suites have stairs, so avoid those.  furthermore on those class ships suites have a private dining room for meals.  or,  you can order from the MDR menu for room service and( I THINK, but don't quote me) genie class cabins also get to order from specialty dining restaurants for RS  

 

how old is she?   the Solarium is 16 and up and will have  lots of the loungers in both shade and sun and should be a quieter poolside experience 

 

I am not sure how many HA suites there are but they do go fast.  

Thank you for the info... I will be adding it to my notes.. 

23 hours ago, Splinter said:

Traveled with my mother on many cruises (she was a full-time wheelchair user), and our favorite cruise lines were Crystal, HAL, and Princess, although we also did well on Celebrity and a couple of RCCL cruises. One reason we like HAL is the option for traditional dining, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, in the dining room, with crew who are adept at meeting the special needs of a person with a disability. We avoided going to buffets if at all possible because although most often a crew member assisted my mother with her tray, that was not always the best experience for her.  Room service varies on the different lines, and often has a limited menu or incurs an extra charge, especially on the cheaper cruise lines.

 

Keep in mind the regular cabins may not have sufficient room for maneuvering wheelchairs around the beds nor have ramps to access the balcony, and may have such narrow doorways that getting through the door to the bathroom or even the room can be difficult unless you carry her through out of her wheelchair.

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. It helps. I had never heard of Celebrity, so will look them up.  

6 hours ago, SRF said:

I agree that it could help.   But you stated they could not continue your meds without info from your doctor, which just is not true.

 

 

 

 

Where did this occur?

 

You could have a simple written list of your meds and dosages, and they would have been just as happy.

 

I just happen to not take that many, so can remember the drugs and dosages, and nothing is so critical that even if I did get them that there would be a major issue.

 

But again, there is no requirement that you have letters from your doctor or such to get a hospital to continue your normal daily meds.

Geez! You are something else. 

Yes, some of the meds would not have been continued until they verified through her doctor that prescribed them if we didn't have the doctor signature/note and or original current container. On a weekend that is nearly impossible to do same with a holiday so I always come prepared so make things run smoother! Its no big deal and its just a piece of paper to carry. I'd rather be prepared for problems to prevent them than NOT. I have been doing this for so long now that I know how to be prepared and prevent issues that could arise to make it as smooth as possible. I have also heard where people have so many issues not being prepared and having as much documentation as possible which is also always a good idea to carry medical reports (I don't but many do these days as well).  But like I SAID, YOU DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU and WE WILL DO WHAT WORKS FOR US! I shared our experiences as you did you. Not everyone is going to have the same experience as YOU and just because YOU don't have issues does NOT mean others won't either! Everyone's situations are DIFFERENT. Everyone is on DIFFERENT medication! ETC. Hospitals, ERs, Clinics are getting more strict.  Happy Cruising! 

On 1/1/2019 at 9:31 AM, SRF said:

I have been emergency admitted to hospitals several times.  And also gone in for scheduled procedures several times.

 

I have NEVER had to come up with anything more than telling them (or having a family member tell them in the case of a accident) what my medications were and the doses.

 

And for most common drugs, if they know you are taking something for say high blood pressure, they can look at the pills and figure out the drug and dosage.

 

Yes, if you cannot remember what you are taking, have it written down.  But I have never heard of having to have a letter from your doctor to continue any common drug treatment.

I was only saying what works for us. It has nothing to do with memory or anything. It just made things go much smoother in a hospital or clinic that was hundreds or thousands of miles away. Without such papers, original containers, etc it would not have been as smooth and a lot of time would have been wasted. I have had several doctors tell me thank you for being so prepared and providing those papers and how much easier it made things.  What works for one may not for others. I have heard a lot of horrid stories about peoples experiences and it was also recommended by one of our doctors to do what we do, so we do it this way and have been for over 20 years!. I never said anything was "common". Anyway, we do what is best for us, you do what is best for you and again, I was only sharing what our experiences have been. 

Hi, 

We have four cruise lines to select from besides Disney and would like to know everyone's experiences that use a wheelchair at least 3/4 of the time that has been on one or all of these cruise lines. I have a daughter in a wheelchair with medical needs who loves to travel. We have only been on one Disney cruise. We can deal with a lot of issues / challenges that we encounter but would like to make it as smooth as possible. We only need an accessible room for space maneuvering her wheelchair around the stateroom, a nice balcony that is wide enough for her to have a lounge chair to lay on (can't sit in regular chairs and loves to lay down on lounge chairs outside in the fresh air). Why not give her another option besides wheelchair and bed to hang out on like all of us. We do spend a lot of time in the room for downtime / quiet time so we will be using the balcony a lot if weather is nice. She doesn't need an accessible bathroom and we actually prefer a tub if possible but not required.  Have access to as many decks as possible as we like to take late night strolls outside. I do try to keep her away from as many crowds as possible so she doesn't get too overwhelmed often. Dining is difficult as she doesn't always tolerate dinner in a restaurant (for me to eat - she is tube fed) so I might have to do room service for some dinners. She does better with breakfast eating in restaurants. I was really disappointed with Disneys' room service menu so a healthier menu with better options is a plus.  Anything else you would like to share about your wheelchair accessible experience with us is welcomed! Hope others can benefit from this post as well. 

Oh the cruise lines are: Princess, RCL, Holland, Carnival... 

Thank you so much!