Kate45

I read somewhere that handicap vehicles equipped with a ramp can park for free. Can anyone tell me about this? I believe our ship will be at pier 2. Can we drop off our bags and the wheelchair person and then park the van? Any info on this would be great

Leaving and returning to Ft Lauderdale in November. Driving home to Canada and would really like to get an early start. What are our options, how soon can we disembark and how long will it take us to get to our van parked at the pier terminal parking lot?

Can someone explain to me how this works? I get how it will open my cabin and that it can replace my ID card for embarking and disembarking, paying for onboard purchases etc. But anything else will required the Internet to use, will it not? Not every passenger is "elite". I will not be purchasing an Internet package so unless Princess is giving this for free...which I doubt...this will be unavailable for many passengers, right?

Okay. Good. Thanks. That means we can go a little early so she can actually get in and park her wheelchair

Going on Crown Princess in Nivember after 8 year absence from Princess. I know each cruise line does muster drill different some have you report on deck at lifeboats, other require you to attend an inside venue for a demonstration. How does Princess do this? Our travel companion is in a motorized wheelchair and cannot walk. What will be her procedure for muster?

going on the Crown in November with a travel mate who is confined to a wheelchair (motorized). She is paralyzed from the waist down and in the chair from when she gets out of bed until she goes to bed. I have read that Ft Lauderdale has free parking for vans that are converted with ramps for wheelchairs. Is this correct and do we need to notify them in advance? I understand Crown Princess docks at pier 2 normally. Will we park close to here or should we drop her off and then park the van? Is this even a possibility? Thanks

So what if you don't want the *****? Do I even have a choice? What if I lose it? I just got my first cellphone a year ago! Too much technology for my county, rural mind to comprehend!

tried to call Princess this afternoon to book shore excursions for upcoming cruise in November. I need to do this by phone because of issues with hacking on my computer. I was on hold for 10 minutes so I finally hung up. Does Princess have a special line for shore excursion bookings or do I have to go thru main phone number? Thanks

Does anyone have any experience with renting a lift? Our wheelchair travel companion's husband (who is driving us all in his accessible van) wants to rent one here (Canada) and take it with us. I know you can rent them from various places and they will even have it assembled in their cabin for arrival. Anyone ever do this.

He is taking a lot of s*#t with him. Is their a limit as to how much you can take onboard. He has two large suitcases, a lift, a cammode and a large bag of camera equipment.

It's been 10 years since our last Princess cruise. If I remember correctly, all the food here is included but you pay for the drinks. Is this still the case? Also, they used to go around the ship in the afternoon with cookies and milk. Do they still do that? Loved that!

Thank you soooo.... Much for all your info. You have given the best advice. This is why I go to cruise critic! Thanks again and any other useful tidbits is greatly appreciated

I thought you could bring a case of water onboard with you. Why preorder it then? Convenience?

I've already checked our shore excursion for accessible tours and since we booked so late, they are all gone. She is okay with that but would still like to at least get off the ship. She is in a motorized wheelchair. Will she be able to get off? Are the ramps equipped to take that large of a wheelchair? I asked about a lift in her cabin to get her in and out of bed. Any experience with that?

Has anyone ever had any experience with a lift in their cabin. Our travel ate is paralyzed from the waist down, has a motorized wheelchair and is in need of a lift to get her in and out of bed. We will either be renting one from Special Needs At Sea or bringing one with us on our drive from Canada. What is the procedure for this both with Princess in advance and at the pier? Anyone?

For embarkation there are ramps into the terminal. Once checked in there is a elevator to the second floor and ramps from there onto the ship. Lots of staff around to ask if help needed. Besides your cabin, there area a few accessible washrooms on the ship - you get a mini, folding guide of the ship when you check in.

 

The worst thing is the lack of space in the theater if someone can not get out of a wheelchair and go down stairs. Basically you will be at the back of the theater. No problem with access in dinning areas.

 

We have driven down from Toronto several times and have found hotels have a great range of definition of what an accessible room is - some have one or 2 grab bars and that is it but very hard to get a wheel chair into the washroom so be careful when booking hotels.

You're telling me! We spent six hours trying to book hotels for our drive to Florida. I think we have accessible rooms but quickly discovered the USA do not have the same requirements as Cdn hotels. Do you have experience with a wheelchair accessible cruise? I would love to talk to you about it if you do.

So if smoothies are included in the soda pkg, how much do they cost? Again, I'm trying to determine if the soda pkg is worth it

Trying to decide if this will be worth it for our upcoming Crown cruise in November. Can only one person in the cabin get this (just me, not hubby)? Can I book this on the ship the first day? Is there a limit? Are all the bars able to provide everything incl in this pkg? What is the cost of a soda if purchased and is it a can of Coke or a fountain drink? Do you still get an insulated container for them to fill-up? Thanks

On the Crown in November. Travelling companion is in a motorized wheelchair (she has NO use of her legs). We got the last accessible cabin left on Riviera deck inside. Anyone know anything about this cabin R312? Any info on accessibility onboard, embarkation (we are driving from Canada)..... Really anything would be so appreciated.

So where on the Princess website does it tell you that you can bring soda and water on board? Where does it tell you what you can and can't bring on board in general? I'm finding it very difficult to navigate the Princess site. Took 2 hours to do checkin as it kept saying "incomplete" even though I was entering everything! Frustrating!

We are returning to Princess after 8 years and 2 NCL, and 1 each HAL and RCL cruises so I feel like a "newbie" again!

trying to find out how to arrange for a bottle of Crown for our cabin. Anyone? can only see how to do this for soda, water and beer but no packages for liquor.

Also, we have a perk from our TA for a dinner at one of the specialty restaurants. On other lines we were asked which restaurant and a reservation was made for us. Didn't know which nite but it at least was made. Princess has given us a confirmation of the dinners but nothing else. Do I have to wait and do this onboard? Thanks for your input and I'm sure I will be asking for more help as we get closer to departure.

I'll try to offer some help based on what I remember from these ports which we have been to many times.

Antigua: The ship docks right in town. There is a main street with all kinds of stores. There is also another street which she may be able to get to.

Barbados: You can get from the ship to the pier side shopping building. You can also leave the area and go along the pathway where there is a park area along the ocean. I don't remember if you can get into town. There may be curbs.

Martinique: This town is wheelchair accessible, wide sidewalks with ramp areas to get up curbs, and two large parks.

Grand Turk: There is a beach side mall and a Margaritaville store, restaurant and large pool all of which you can get to by wheel chair.

St. Kitts: Pier side mall easy to get around, has ramps.

St. Thomas: Pretty easy to navigate around Havensight which is next to the pier and some other store areas at the head of the dock area. Getting into downtown could be difficult and downtown is not very wheel chair friendly, very narrow sidewalks, lots of one step stairs and curbs, heavy traffic in the streets.

Thanks.very helpful!

Have not cruised Princess since 2010, can we bring soda and bottled water on board? Never done it before (usually have the beverage pkg as a perk-but not this time). How does it work?

one of our travelling companions is in a motorized wheelchair. Getting out of it is not an option. Looking for things in ports of call for her to do. She is okay with just checking out what is at the pier itself but was hoping she could do more. Anyone with any suggestions? Also, are they accessible? We are on the Crown Princess on Nov 17th visiting Antigua, Martinique, Barbados, St Kitts, St Thomas, Grand Turk. Thanks

dont know a thing about St Kitts. Need suggestions about what is available to do in a wheelchair. Okay with just checking out the pier area as long as it is accessible. Getting out of the wheelchair is not an option. Anyone?

is there anything someone in a motorized wheelchair can do here? Is there anything accessible in the port area? Are the stores wheelchair accessible. Getting out of the wheelchair for ANY reason is not an option. Thanks