Dunchues

Who are you to say the rollator person doesn't need an accessible cabin? You know nothing of their disabilities but Princess do and they completed their mobility questionnaire to Princess's satisfaction. They just booked earlier than you did and got one of the limited number of rooms while still available. You could do the same but prefer not to and then moan about your greater right to it. I have a vested interest I admit, I book early enough for the type of cabin I need and if I'm too late then move on to an alternative option or cruise line but I've never sat in judgement as you do. I'm sure your son is as burdened as you say, but most people with experience like yours show rather more understanding than you do. Fwiw, I think Princess are fairly picky about who they allow into accessible cabins, and a lot more so than many lines.

Must be a travelscoot at that weight I agree. Obviously you won't have any time to get used to it, and being 3 wheels you must be careful when learning to corner and manouver! There'd loads of videos on YouTube to help, and on Facebook there's Elizabeth's travelscoot and travelscoot owners club that will help prepare you! Often people wondering whether to buy one or not ( they arent inexpensive) will be offered a test ride by someone living locally, they are a very friendly bunch over there. Its not at all difficult to ride, but they do take a little bit of getting used to.The Battery life is fantastic and the machine really is going to make you want one!

We were on the same cruise and I would agree with everything you've written. Main buffet was really a war zone at times but Europeans look at things differently I suppose. I used different bars than you most of the time although I did try your orange southern comfort arrangement as I stumbled past caffe Italia out of respect, enjoyed it too! I agree the food in the black crab is really excellent, I am a fairly adventurous eater and found almost every day was tough decisions, we did have an Indian meal one evening (there are so many Indians in the crew they have their own cooks, and originating from UK curries are in our dna) that demanded respect, and I meant to see how the big crew groups from Indonesia, Phillipines etc were catered for and jump on the back of that but was sidetracked by the excellent regular menu. That Aruba farce I think was caused by trying to get 3 boats into a narrow channel with only two tugs but knowing we were leaving by two it's a shame we couldn't jump the queue though. We enjoyed Divina in Feb 23 and 24 but plans clash for the next year or two so don't know when we'll be back but hope it's not too long.

I've used Victor Bodden ( http://www.boddentours.com/) In Roatan twice before. He has a variety of vehicles that can carry different mobility equipment and helpful drivers. In fact I was with him yesterday so I know my info is up to date! I use a collapsible scooter but am pretty limited in range of movement, he has always been very helpful with ideas, is very fast at communicating and is priced very very reasonably for a private tour. And he has some nice rescued sloths that can't be re released into the wild but for a limited time first thing in the morning are happy to be hung on humans for a short while. In Cozumel today; its not difficult to get around on a scooter although sometimes a bit of a distance to a drop kerb and some pretty funky side to side angles to keep 3 wheeler operators honest. Noticed a lot of taxis thatc are small van type and would have room for scooters/ folding chair or rollator. Then again a Mexican taxi driver isn't going to let the unsuitatability of his vehicle stop him carrying a paying client if it can physically fit. I was in Costa Maya last year and again it's not bad for a scooter. The roads are a bit more broken up but the ride down into the town is ok just dodge the atv driving tourists! I doubt you'll have any issues on the boat although sometimes people just don't notice you! Folding equipment is easy to fit in and even if you choose a cabin that's really too small for a scooter Your cabin attendant will know somewhere close by in their section where it can be parked and charged without blocking the corridor. I think all lines look after you well when they see you're heading to get on or off the boat, and will make it as easy as they can.

We had a bit of an issue with a cabin door on this ship last week. I must admit my first thought was not to share my problems on this forum but to rely on the staff to put us right ( it's a recurrent problem with door sensor design it appears). I am admittedly pretty forceful when I imagine I am slighted, but I didn't take your high ground of electing a sum that would be the amount I would be refunded, but I felt losing some use of our balcony deserved a sorry be shown rather than stated. I left it with the guest services team and I must say after 24 hours consideration they were very generous to us, and I was more than pleased with their attitude. I have no doubt if I'd taken a more confrontational stance, I would not have been so generously treated.

We're having a great time so far on the same boat. We were here last February also, and I'm not sure if this is a new crew or not as they're sort of racing to catch up but definitely getting there. I did have a weird experience at lunch today, no religious effigies or anything but there's definitely a pig in my fish and chips!

They fit in pretty easily on MSC Divina.

I didn't read all the posts, but you have plenty of time to check with Ottawa and if necessary apply for exemption from inadmissibility if indeed you even need to, which I doubt. It's certainly worth doing that rather than hoping you get the right border guard on the day, it is not an expensive exercise at all.

You'll be pleased and surprised at how well it does its job.

Duplicated

I'm not up to links! This is inexpensive on Amazon and i have it as a spare in my truck, less than 30$; Drive Medical RTL10365-ADJ Adjustable Lightweight Folding Cane with Seat, Black. I use this one most of the time as i am a pretty full size unit, around 50$; Yayayo Hold 440 lbs Folding Canes with Seat Walking Stick Height Adjustment Cane Seat. Really, none are comfortable for very long but for me the Yayayo one is best, then Tada, then the Drive one. They are all built well, the cheaper ones will last a very long time but it doesn't take long to wear out the little rubber foot. There's only one contact point while walking of course so you can swap them from the other feet but you'll need replacements pretty fast. I too don't need a cane for support, it's just a seat when I need it which tends to be pretty often, and I need it right then so these are life savers for me. Essentially the only difference is style, the Tada looks better probably but the others are not hard to open and are probably easier to walk with as the handle and contact point is smaller. Incidentally , there is a 4 leg style available, I tried one as I assumed it would be more stable in use as you sit on it like a chair. It isn't, and its a nightmare to travel about with also. The tripod designs are perfectly stable as long as you sit on them facing the stick. In a long queue for a cruise or airplane check in etc you will be surprised at the longing looks you’ll get using one. An entrepreneurial idea for you, like selling umbrellas on a rainy day you could clean up buying a few drive units and selling them for double to worn out travellers and get a Tada for nothing! But honestly, in use, it isnt better than a Yayayo and if you're of a slighter build the Drive will be as good as any. P.S. I tried several fold up tripod seats and all were a nuisance getting up from, uncomfortable and awkward to carry. I'd urge you to get one of the inexpensive ones above first and see how you get on, you won't regret it.

My flights were with Virgin, they allowed me to choose seats but they had to be paid for right then, although like you the cruise payment date is early Aug. I did originally choose a B.A. flight operated by American and that got so confusing using two different booking numbers where neither would allow me to choose luggage or seats I cancelled and went for the direct option ( direct to London, then on to Italy a week later)

Incidentally, if you pay with a credit card that has cdw protection and choose no additional coverage you'll only pay the base cost that is a big saving, but always take a video when you pick it up, ask me how I know! A European suv is a good idea, but the very small ones are so close to the ground with small doors they can be difficult to get into for me.

That's excellent, although it's not cheap it will save so much aggravation having to cross borders with all your luggage and no car it's almost worth twice the price! Sixt is a large German company well represented in Europe who are reputable and reasonablypriced, but if you pay at the time of booking Avis give a large discount that usually makes them a great deal.

I'm sure there would be great interest here, I'd certainly look forward to hearing about the experience. I've never managed to drop a rental car off in Europe unless in its country of registration, and actual experiences of how to do things like that would be appreciated by many people, not only those of us with physical challenges but of great general interest too. I'm actually a bit envious already!