Do you take your scooter out onto the sundeck or near the pool? On an upper sun deck

My husband may try using a scooter for the first time due to mobility issues when having to walk long distances. Going to be on a very large ship and I know he will want to sunbathe and just access the outdoor areas on the upper decks. While he would be able to walk from the scooter to a lounge chair, I’m worried about a place to park the scooter - perhaps somewhere not too far from an elevator lobby. Or anywhere out of the way on such a deck where he would still be able to access it to get to another venue or our cabin. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed anyone using a scooter on an upper sun deck or pool deck. Perhaps I just wasn’t paying attention. Anyone have experience with this?

Just put it near your lounger. Not an issue unless it’s huge

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Also have mobility issues but does not use scooter. Have had some acquaintance on sailings who went on deck with a scooter.

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I transfer to a chair (not a lounger for me as I find them too low) and keep the scooter beside me. I have seen others also keep theirs near them while they sat in a lounger.

you cannot just park it any old place. accessing the pool deck is no issue and even some of the areas above the deck that are full sun. just park the scooter beside next to the lounger

there may be like a small section of the uppermost decks that are accessible by staircase only.

Yes, on many ships the top-most deck (often called the Sports Deck) has no elevator, so those who cannot do stairs cannot access that area. This is an issue for those wanting to use the tennis or basketball courts which are often on those decks. If parking your scooter someplace be sure to check with crew that you are not blocking emergency exit areas, and take the key...kids have been known to play with unattended scooters!

This is good news. My husband can use the stairs. Guess he could park it somewhere out-of-the-way one deck below to access the very top deck. He may not be able to use the larger although he has any few times since his mobility issue began. He has had difficulty though depending on the type of lounge chair and if there is anything nearby he can grab onto.

Splinter, your comment about the key brings something to mind. Does anyone know if it is very common for a scooter to be stolen? Seems like I read something on one of these boards not too long ago about a case in which someone‘s scooter was taken while they were in a show or something. The ship personnel thought someone did it by mistake but I got impression that the passenger felt they weren’t very concerned. I can’t remember the end result other than I don’t believe the scooter was found. I believe some rental companies charge five dollars a day for insurance but $10 a day if theft is included. This can add up over number of days. Guess this topic should have been a new post but I’m giving it a shot on here anyway.

Thanks for all the helpful information!

My husband may try using a scooter for the first time due to mobility issues when having to walk long distances. Going to be on a very large ship and I know he will want to sunbathe and just access the outdoor areas on the upper decks. While he would be able to walk from the scooter to a lounge chair, I’m worried about a place to park the scooter - perhaps somewhere not too far from an elevator lobby. Or anywhere out of the way on such a deck where he would still be able to access it to get to another venue or our cabin. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed anyone using a scooter on an upper sun deck or pool deck. Perhaps I just wasn’t paying attention. Anyone have experience with this?

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I don’t think your husband would have any problems on sun decks. I go anywhere with mine and just stay on scooter or sit in chair with scooter right next to it.Have a great cruise!

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My biggest problem getting outside on a sun deck on a scooter is getting through the doors. If there is one set of doors, then they are usually heavy, and need someone to hold them open; I am alone.

If going out on the Lido Deck, there are usually two sets of doors. The inner set has an electric eye, so that door 'sees' me, but the outer doors do not.

Thank God the smoking area is out one side, as there is always someone going in/out who can help with the doors.

If you are with your husband to help with those kinds of impediments, then he should be able to get to at least some of the outside decks fairly easily.

Do be aware that some doorways have a lip, and the scooter can get hung up on it.

RuthC, good point about the lip. However we will be on a Royal Caribbean ship that is very large and from memory the doors will open for us automatically as we exit from an elevator bay to the decks where the pools and open decks above the pool are located. I could be wrong on that but I’m pretty sure several classes of their ships are like that. Maybe a door here & there you must push or pull, though.Thanks for the heads up though!

I have taken my Travelscoot on about 5 cruises with very few problems but my latest cruise on the MSC Poesia was a real challenge. There was only one automatic door on the whole ship and it was usually broken on most days.

Getting out some doors I needed someone to open the door for me and there were often big lips that were very bumpy to go over and I sometimes got stuck and needed a "push".

The accessible washrooms were not accessible at all. If someone opened the door you could go in but then you were stuck inside unless you could stand up and open the door and try to get your scooter out!!

I use my scooter on the open decks or near a pool but I try to cover the seat if the scooter is in the sun so the seat does not get too hot to sit on! I also find it easier to get in and out of a chair rather than a low lounger. Parking is not usually an issue.

Definitely a good point about covering the seat, mexico8. One thing that I think would be very helpful is if every ship had a booklet with deck plans for each deck that showed weather doorways and things were automatic or required pushing or pulling, and noted areas we are scooters or wheelchairs might have issues passing or going over lips on door frames or other possible problem areas. My husband isn’t very much for the idea of the scooter, but even in our day to day lives, his ability to stay on his feet for long periods of time, or repeatedly walk long distances throughout the day. Or even if he is just having one of those days where his leg won’t cooperate well, It will be a huge help for him to have the scooter.

Thanks for your input.