Scooter girl 58

Hi again Chippet.

Bruge is doable if you can find accessible transport, I did the "Bruge on your own trip, but I can manage the steps on the bus, but I sure there will be some suitable transport. Once there it is quite flat but a lot of Cobbles.

Ajaccio We docked so no problem I was using a wheelchair as scooter had broken!! We just went on the little train, but that may not be possible for you husband, but its nice just to have a wonder round, very pretty.

Barcelona no problems very wheelchair friendly.

Palma also wheelchair friendly still using wheelchair, it took us ages to find where the lift to the upper part of the city was and once up there decided to stay for the evening as we didn't sail to 1am , when it came to go back the lift wasn't working my friend and I had to find 2 strong men to help!

Cagliari We did a trip that just took you round to see the main sights, I think you can do the same trip with a fully accessible vehicle.. other wise you can spent a nice hour or two just strolling along the sea front where there is an old arcade of shops and restaurants. (don't miss the cat and mouse game, see youtube)

Rome 1st time I just did the easy Rome trip that takes you round the main sights you can also do this trip in a fully accessible vehicle. We are going back this year and I an hoping to see much more of Rome by using a private tour http://www.limousinecruservice.com. I am going to email them and see what they can do.

Villefrance tender. Still using wheelchair and went ashore but very hilly wanted to go to Nice but 2 hour wait for taxi so didn't bother.

Florence/Pisa been twice but docked at livorno If you can get transport there you will have no problems both very flat, and you have separate entrance to the Dommo so you skip the line.

Marseille, Going this year, looks quite doable.

New York. Fabulous First got met getting off Delta aircraft by a wheelchair and someone to push and fast tracked through immigration. I pre booked all our transfers with Dial 7 car service who would have suitable cars for you. Every where I went I was treated like royalty and fast tracked everywhere. I believe even the sub way is very wheel chair friendly but didn't try it. As it was our first visit we crammed as much as possible in. We the sailed on the Anthem of the seas to Bermuda and Boston both would be doable for you, but a lot of cobbles in Boston

Hope this helps

Hi Chippet

I have limited mobility and use a scooter. I have done 4 med cruises from Southampton, and one Baltic and 1 to Bermuda and Boston sailing from New Jersey after 5 day in New York. I have sailed with P & O Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. If you want to sail with younger people Royal Caribbean in July and August will have a lot of young people on board and be quite lively. I have found Spain to the best for accessibility, The Baltic is wonderful but the weather very changeable so if you want the sun maybe not the best choice, I also recommend Allla tours and agree that Tallin is doable but oh! those cobbles!! As for Valletta I have been to Malta twice once on a cruise and have holidayed there too. Take care in Valletta as some of the hills are very very steep and they don't seem to have heard of drop curbs! but it doable with care. Just for your future reference I was very worried about New York but it was so very, very easy and the best think I have ever done. I am doing another Med cruise this year with Princess from Barcelona to Athens with 1 extra day in both I think Athens might be a challenge. Hope this of some help. if you post any ports you are interested in I might be able to give you a few pointer.

On my last post I said my next cruise would be to Bermuda and Boston with 5 days in New York first. I had the best time of my life. New York was amazing and I saw as much as was humanly possible in 5 days. Many thanks to the people of New York for all their help. Bermuda was beautiful and Boston very interesting and the Anthem of the Seas was my favorite ship so far. I still can not believe I did every thing I did, it seems like it was a wonderful dream (I have to keep looking at all my photos) I am so very glad I took the plunge and went on this wonderful holiday. If you want to do something do it as soon as you can as no one knows what in in store.

I have a Pride go go travel elite (19.1) inches wide and have never had any problems getting through the cabin door. Some ships I have been on it has been a bit difficult finding somewhere to park the scooter in the cabin, but we have always managed ok. I have sailed on Independence and Explorer of the seas in a superior balcony cabin and there was plenty on room to park the scooter in front of the sofa, on the Anthem it was so easy to get into the cabin and loads of room to park up.

Thank you all for your replies,

Hi, I have been looking at cruises on the Royal Princess and was wondering if anyone has had a ordinary balcony or deluxe balcony cabin when traveling with a small mobility scooter. I have sailed with royal caribbean and celebrity in balcony cabins with no problems, but the ones on Royal Princess look to be smaller. I have a Go go Elite Traveller, which is only 19" wide. Thanks

Venice, the sail in and out is breathtaking.

Hi, We are on the May 14th sailing after spending 5 nights in New York. I booked online on the UK site and have received my Guest ticket book, which show all my DD bookings on my onboard confirmations. It seems strange to receive confirmation of my bookings if they are going to do away with DD. I hope they don't as we were very much looking forward to trying something new.

Thanks. I always inform any carriers of my scooter details, it breaks down into 4 parts which I can lift into my car myself, it is a small travel scooter, my friend's suitcase will be heavier!!!! I will always tip for helpful service even in the UK, where we do not tip the same as in the US.

Thanks everyone for your replies all tips are very welcome.

Hi Carol,

Thanks for your reply. We intend to book a day room at the Millenium Hilton, and tickets for the New world trade center, go to the 9/11 memorial, see the new transport hub (if it's open by then) maybe see the Woolworth building if we have time. We will be staying in times square for 5 nights before our cruise, so thought we would spend the last day downtown. We don't fly until 11.00pm so it would be a shame to waist our last day. I am going to take your advice and get in touch with dial 7 as they have a free phone no. from the UK as I need to arrange 4 transfers and it will be easier to do by phone rather than email. We have never visited the US before, so everything is very new and very exciting. Thanks again for your help.

Hi,

My friend and I will be sailing on the Anthem in May. I was wondering how easy it is to get a cab at Cape Liberty back to Manhattan. We are from the UK and don't fly back until late evening. Our plan is to book a day room in Manhattan and go to JFK from there. Would you advise to book a car service or just get a cab, we will have two quite large suitcases and a small mobility scooter [pride go go]. I don't need an adapted car and it all fits in medium to large UK sedan trunk.

Thank you.

Hi, I use a mobility scooter and have been to Vigo. No need for a taxi get up the very steep hill in to the town, just go into the shopping centre as you get off the ship and take the lift to the next to the top floor and you are now at the top of the hill!!! It's very easy to get around.

Hi MyCatMischief,

I use a mobility scooter and have done St Petersburg. Before I booked my cruise I emailed Alla tours in St Petersburg to see if they could provide good tours as the ones provided by the ship did not suit my needs. Alla emailed me back and said no problem they would tailor made the tour for me. My friend and I had a two day tour with them and saw as much as it was possible to see in two days, we saw so much more than any one did who did the ships trips.

I can not recommend Alla tours highly enough. If you do go do not miss going in side the church of the spilt blood. If you have any questions I will try to be of help.

Hi Searoses,

Thanks for your lovely reply, I am very much looking forward to visiting the US the americans I have met on my travels have all been very helpful so I'm sure I will get plenty of help, I believe New York is very wheelchair friendly so should be ok. I have managed St Petersburg and Venice, they were a challenge but the cobbles of Tallinn will take some beating!!!

what a good post. I was born with a form of spina bifida and as I grew older it caused me more and more problems. I now can not walk far and suffer a lot of extreme pain. I had not had a holiday for 15 years, my sons had all left home and I wanted to travel, DH had no interest in holidays so 5 years ago I took the plunge and booked a cruise with a friend. I woke up night after night with panic attacks and very nearly cancelled my trip.

I went on my cruise and had the most wonderful 2 weeks. I have now done 5 cruises, 4 Med. and 1 baltic. I find the key is lots and lots of research, you can't do every thing but you have to make the most of what you can do (and I do)

Next year is going to be a new challenge, so far I have only cruised from Southampton UK, but next year we fly to New York for 5 nights and then having a 7 night cruise to Bermuda and Boston (very excited but starting to have panic attacks again) but nothing will make me cancel.

My advice for anyone thinking they can not manage a cruise is go for it. You only regret the things you don't do not the things you do.

Hi Peardrop,

Thanks for your reply.

Hi,

I noticed on your photos that you had a kettle in your room. I live in the UK and usually sail from Southampton and all rooms have kettles, I read that they had been removed now that the Anthem is sailing from Cape Liberty. I will be on the Anthem in May after 5 nights in New York (very excited as I have not been to the US before) My question is can you request a kettle for your room, it would be great if you could, (you know us Brits with our tea)

The photos are great, thanks.

Hi,

Does anyone know when the UK website will be up and running again, I can get on the US one (I can see why you all hate it) but no sign of the UK one back online.

Thanks for posting, I'm on the Explorer on the 26th, can't wait, look forward to more from you.

I note that there is to be 10 new kennels on the Queen Mary 2. Now many more kennels than disabled cabins!!!!

Hi,

I use a small mobility scooter and book a standard superior balcony cabin and there is plenty of room to get it through the door and to store it it the cabin. I live in the UK and have previously sailed with P and O but stopped cruising with them when they would only allow scooters in disabled cabins or in suites. Two reasons I did this was 1. I can't book far enough in advance to get one and 2. there are people who could not cruise without the facilities of those cabins, I just request a shower stool and I can manage fine. Also I was not prepared to be forced into paying much more for a suite. I am now looking forward to the Explorer of the seas in 11 days

Thanks for the video Melissa, it was great, you have gone to so much trouble. I have just watched it and can't wait to go on the 26th of this month.

I was the Indy last July and there were several men in kilts and very smart they looked too, go for it

Hi, I will be in Palma in early August and was thinking of the ho ho bus. I have two questions, can you pay on the bus or do you have to pre book and has any one used the buses with a small mobility scooter, I know they are wheel chair friendly so I am hoping it will be possible. Thanks.