Power Chair: Bring on Plane or Rent?, and misc. questions

My mother is considering coming along with my family on RCI's Navigator of the Seas next fall. She is hemiplegic, able to transfer from chair by herself and walk very short distances, but relies on her power chair for getting around. She's 63 and in otherwise excellent health so I'm hoping that cruising would be a good choice of vacation for her.

She has a power chair which would be required to be dismantled for air transport. The thought of this makes my mother nervous, because she's very happy with the chair and doesn't want to have any issues with it not being put back together properly or with it being damaged.

On the other hand, she's afraid that a rental chair may not be as good. I'd love to hear from anyone who has had experience with transporting their own power chair by aircraft or with rental chairs.

I'm also curious if anyone has info about power-chair friendly tours or vans for hire in either Grand Cayman or in Cozumel. She really wants to go snorkeling so any info on that would be appreciated to for either of those two stops.

I called RCI just to make sure they still had handicapped cabins available and was told they had many left, but I didn't ask for pricing. Should I expect that the HC cabin pricing is in the same ballpark as other cabins of the same type category?

Thank you for any information anyone can provide.

Ok. One at a time. Transporting a power chair on airplanes. This can be a gamble as they are not experts. If you bring the booklet it is a help. have taken my scooter on all my trips. Only once was it broken to the point that they got Scootaround to loan me one while on board. One other time they broke a plastic part but it still worked. I got a new part after my return. Mobility aids do not count towards luggage but the airline must be informed ahead of time if she is taking it. She must give hight, width, weight and types of battiers.

I would recommend that you contact either Scootaround or CareVacations in what ever port you are leaving from. Unless her chair was built for her, they will have same model most likely. Phone and talk to them about specific model. It will meet you on theship. Bring an extention cord as the plug will not reach the wall socket. Also takea folding wheelchair with you for tours as they donot handle the powerchairs/scooters in some areas.

Grand Cayman is a tender port. Use folding chair here. I took a Native Way tour here. They helped me in and out of the boat. The first step is very hard and big. They provided snorkling gear and we played with the sting rays. Your mother due to disablity will be required to wear her lifejacket thewhole time. They are a blow up kind of vest. They were very helpful with me. I could not swim long or well so they gave me a float to hold onto forthe entire time I was in the water. I looked down and seen a lot of differt fish including a stingray. It was alot of fun for me. When I wanted to go back to the boat they pulled me back. I had rum punch well I watched the others swim for another 20-30 mins. I took pics from there and gave them out later. Most thought it was great that someone took pics and gave them out.

The cost of HC room is same as others in the same cat but they do not start at the bottom rate. The room is approx twice the size of a normal room. It has a wheelchair access washroom. The washroom has a pull down seat and handheld showerhead. The toilet is 18" high to aid in transfer. There are grab rails. There is a pull down bar in the closet so she can get her own clothes. There are emergency buttons in washroom and by the bed. If one is pulled you will get a phone call within seconds. I accidentlly pulled the cord in my sleep one night. They did not charge anything for it.

There is a lift at one pool but you have to request this before you go as they told me that it would take an hour to get the man who ran it to put it together.

The ship is easy to get around in as there are buttons on most doors. There are lots of elevators. She can go to the ice show too.

Others will have to tell you if there are actual tours for disabled but I think most just hire a taxi or van and go somewhere.

MS Maasdam 6 - 17 Feb 05

 Until I sail away on the ocean blue

Navigator of the Seas Western Crib 08/03

Dawn Princess - Eastern Carb 01/03

Dawn Princess Panamal Canal 11/02

[This message was edited by CaptData on 06-15-04 at 11:02 AM.]

[This message was edited by CaptData on 06-15-04 at 11:06 AM.]

Thank you CaptData!

Itoo recommend renting a wheelchair. i've received the best reports on Care Vacations. Here is some information about ways to protect your wheelhair when you fly and some other options:

http://emerginghorizons.com/book/sample.html

There is very limited accessible transportation on Grand Cayman (one company) and as somebody mentioned it is a tender port. There is one accessible taxi in Cozumel, but many of the dive operators just don't want to take wheelhchair-users there. Don't know why, maybe it's a cultural thing, but I've had lots of reports on that.

Candy

Candy Harrington

Editor, Emerging Horizons

www.EmergingHorizons.com

The only accessible travel magazine

We cruise two to three times a year with 2 chairs: my husband's power chair and his manual one. The power chair provides him with independence aboard ship while the manual one gives us more flexibility in port, many of which are not especially accessible.

Although his power chair comes apart and folds, most airlines prefer to keep it in one piece. He drives it to the door of the plane, I disconnect the batteries and they move it down to the luggage compartments. I take his gel seat and elevating leg rests aboard with me to reduce the possibility of damage. His chair has suffered nicks and scratches in the process, but has only twice been really damaged - both times to the battery cases. Both times, the chair still worked and the sirlines paid to fix the damage.

If you would prefer not to take a chance, we had a very good experience renting a scooter for my brother-in-law from CareVacations. Regardless, I would suggest bringing or renting a manual chair too. Not only does a manual chair adapt more easily to poor accessibility, it folds up so that you can use a regular cab if your mother can transfer.

As the other respondents have said, Grand Cayman is more difficult than Cozumel because it is a tender port. But the tender docks downtown and the sidewalks are in better shape so you can wander around downtown without taking a taxi.

Dale

A person with hemiplegia from a stroke may have a hard time learning how to use a different power chair. I would plan to take hers as long as it has gel batteries. Remove everything removable at the gate (armrests, leg rests, control box, cushion) and carry on the plane to avoid loss or breakage. Check the chair in all functions upon arrival. Take photos ahead of time for extra "insurance".

Also plan to take a manual chair. You will need this ashore as a power chair will not be carried onto a tender, and is not practical in foreign ports. In Cozemel there is a wheelchair accessible cab (see below about 10 posts). If she can walk short distances though it may be best to take a regular cab and her manual wheelchair. If she does not have one, rent it before you go. You can take both on the plane, and both can be gate-checked without any extra charge. You will need an accessible cabin as the regular cabin bathrooms are not safe for someone with this degree of disability.

HA Constitution 1986

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Grand Princess 1999

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