Scooter question

Does anyone know if it's possible to rent either a walker or a scooter onboard ?? With flying , would really like to avoid having all the problems of bringing our own one.

Thanks, in advance.

You can fly with a scooter, wheelchair or walker without it affecting your baggage allowance. Any medical device is exempt from the airline "nickel and diming" scheme.

You cannot rent one onboard BUT HAL has suppliers that they allow to rent to you -- the item will be delivered to your stateroom prior to sailing. Contact HAL's special needs dept and talk with them -- you can arrange wheelchair embarkation and such too (seeing as the RENTAL equipment will be in your cabin). You need to contact the approved rental company on your own and make the arrangements for the scooter.

There's another thread around here that I'll search for, that has info on purchasing inexpensive walkers -- apparently more cost-effective than renting, and I think it has the name of the rental companies, too.

Back in a bit :D

Before you go too far down the road of renting a scooter, you need to be aware that unless you have booked an accessible cabin, many scooters will not fit through the door of a regular cabin - too wide.

And cruise lines no longer allow you to keep the scooter outside in the hallway at any time since it is a potential hazard and an obstacle for another scooter or wheelchair:)

There's a company called Care Vacations that rents scooters and they will be waiting for you outside your cabin. Most cruise lines will take the scooter from you at night and recharge the battery and deliver it back to you in the AM. Check it out with HAL.

I believe there's also a thread called disabled cruising on these boards.

But be prepared, they are expensive. I researched for our Princess cruise to the Baltics, and the 1 week rental was going to be $300. We decided against renting one.

If you already have one, I would definitely rethink your plan of not taking it. The airlines are prepared for that need, you ride it to the ramp, and then they stow it.

Have a great cruise whatever you decide.

Does anyone know if it's possible to rent either a walker or a scooter onboard ?? With flying , would really like to avoid having all the problems of bringing our own one.

 

Thanks, in advance.

You can bring your personal scooter on board or rent one through HAL's approved rental company. You need to check with HAL as to who their approved rental provider is. The rental company has to have the proper security clearance both from HAL and the Port Authority to deliver the scooter on board ship to your cabin.

Have you booked a HC Cabin ? Scooters cannot be stored in the hallways ? Contrary to what was previously posted most cruiselines will not store and charge the scooter elsewhere on the ship for you. Nor is a good idea to let it out of your site and you honestly can be certain it's not being used by staff or even being charged for that matter. It must be stored in your cabin when not in use. Some cruise lines even state this on their websites.

Depending on the size of scooter needed it may or may not fit through a standard cabin doorway. Most standard cabin door opennings are 21"-22" from door molding depending on the ship. You need to deduct 2" for the depth of the door that cuts into the clearance when opened. Therefore the scooter needs to be 19"-20" depending on the door clearance. YOu should check with HAL and remember they will quote only the openning from door frame to door frame and will not have deducted the 2" for the depth of the door when opened. Which is why so many people run into problems with the scooter not fitting after they board the ship if they have not booked an HC cabin. .

Rental charges vary depending on the delivery port, size of scooter 3 wheels or 4 , weight capacity needed and length of cruise. On average a 3 wheel 19" wide scooter, with a 300Lb wieght capacity and for a 7 day cruise can rent for up to $295.00 for the cruise.

Important FYI : HAL generally has 1 tender on each ship that will allow scooters to be boarded. With that said, you can be denied boarding the HAL Tender if the seas are rough. It's totally up to the Captains descretion and it's for your safety if denied. . Also the tour excursion buses will not have lifts so that also becomes an issue . Collapsable Wheelchairs are best for tours unless you have prebooked private HC Accessible tours.

You can bring your personal scooter on board or rent one through HAL's approved rental company. You need to check with HAL as to who their approved rental provider is. The rental company has to have the proper security clearance both from HAL and the Port Authority to deliver the scooter on board ship to your cabin.

 

Have you booked a HC Cabin ? Scooters cannot be stored in the hallways ? Contrary to what was previously posted most cruiselines will not store and charge the scooter elsewhere on the ship for you. Nor is a good idea to let it out of your site and you honestly can be certain it's not being used by staff or even being charged for that matter. It must be stored in your cabin when not in use. Some cruise lines even state this on their websites.

 

Depending on the size of scooter needed it may or may not fit through a standard cabin doorway. Most standard cabin door opennings are 21"-22" from door molding depending on the ship. You need to deduct 2" for the depth of the door that cuts into the clearance when opened. Therefore the scooter needs to be 19"-20" depending on the door clearance. YOu should check with HAL and remember they will quote only the openning from door frame to door frame and will not have deducted the 2" for the depth of the door when opened. Which is why so many people run into problems with the scooter not fitting after they board the ship if they have not booked an HC cabin. .

 

Rental charges vary depending on the delivery port, size of scooter 3 wheels or 4 , weight capacity needed and length of cruise. On average a 3 wheel 19" wide scooter, with a 300Lb wieght capacity and for a 7 day cruise can rent for up to $295.00 for the cruise.

 

Important FYI : HAL generally has 1 tender on each ship that will allow scooters to be boarded. With that said, you can be denied boarding the HAL Tender if the seas are rough. It's totally up to the Captains descretion and it's for your safety if denied. . Also the tour excursion buses will not have lifts so that also becomes an issue . Collapsable Wheelchairs are best for tours unless you have prebooked private HC Accessible tours.

:):) Contact www.carevacations.com and www.specialneedsatsea.com - both great companies. We

rented a scooter for our 30 day Around the Horn cruise (RCCL Mariner of the Seas) last Jan.'09 and were very pleased. We started the trip in Florida and left the ship in Valpariso, Chile. Scooter was IN our cabin and we just left it there at the conclusion. (We started the trip in Florida and left the ship in Valpariso, Chile. As the ship continued on to Los Angeles, the scooter was just

stored by the crew. Care Vacations assured me that my responsibility ended when we left the ship - no problems at all). Plus

we were able to keep it in the hall during the day -- but

that depends on where your cabin is located. My husband is a large man - 300 lbs - and we had no trouble taking the scooter in and out through the cabin door. (We did have the coffee table removed for more

room, though).

Thanks for all your advice...after reading everything, think we'll forget the scooter and just go with a folding walker. DH can get around a bit but needs either a cane or walker, both sound like a better option. We'll be away 30 days, so think the cost may be a bit much, as well.....we have a standard balcony room and have booked all our excursions, so will just go as planned. Thought the scooter might be something to think about.

Anyhow, thanks for all your help...may need to remember it for future cruising !

Lee

Does anyone know if it's possible to rent either a walker or a scooter onboard ?? With flying , would really like to avoid having all the problems of bringing our own one.

 

Thanks, in advance.

Hi there, from my own personal experiences.

I've used both Care Vacations http://www.carevacations.com/ and Special Needs at Sea http://www.specialneedsatsea.com/ for my scooter rentals. They are the only 2 suppliers that HAL will allow to be used for their ships. You can contact them via their web site which has their contact info and other info you will need, to include weight, height and width of the scooter/medical equipment. You will need that info for HAL when you contact HAL's Access and Compliance Department at: 1-800-547-8493. Fax 800 577-1731 or Email halw_access@hollandamerica.com .

There is a form you must fill out and have a doctor's prescription/signature that must be faxed to HAL's Access and Compliance Department.

You can have a regular stateroom, but be aware that many of the doorways will not be wide enough to get the scooter into the room, unless you are in a Handicapped room. On our last cruise we were in a VA Deck 8 on the Westerdam. There was no room to park my scooter in the room at any time. During the day I would park it just outside my door if I was only going to be a few moments or if more than that I would park it in the elevator lobby nearest our room and take the key with me to my room. At night the Stewards would come when I called and take the scooter down to Housekeeping and store and charge it there until I called for it the next morning. There were many times when I would call for it at 2 or 3 a.m. and it was to me within 10 minutes.

I will tell you that Care Vacations was more expensive than Special Needs at Sea was. It cost me $75.00 US more for 1 week rental with them than it did for me to rent a scooter for 2 weeks with Special Needs at Sea.

Also, you pick the scooter up at the terminal just as you enter the building and drop it off at the same place.

I just travel vai plane with my walker and cane and use those until I get to the terminal.

Hope this info helps..

Joanie

When you check in at the airport you can check the walker with your bags or ask for a gate check. I would do the gate check They will tag the walker and you will use it up to the doorway of the plane. You should also board first which can be a big help. They will store the walker and get if for you as soon as they land. You might be one of the last off the plane (they have to get the walker) so consider that if connections are tight. Also ask for a wheel chair to meet you if you are changing planes.

Thanks for all your advice...after reading everything, think we'll forget the scooter and just go with a folding walker. DH can get around a bit but needs either a cane or walker, both sound like a better option. We'll be away 30 days, so think the cost may be a bit much, as well.....we have a standard balcony room and have booked all our excursions, so will just go as planned. Thought the scooter might be something to think about.

 

Anyhow, thanks for all your help...may need to remember it for future cruising !

 

Lee

Since you have decided to forget the scooter, suggest that you bring a 4 wheel rollator with a seat. Not a standard walker. This way when in port he will always have seat availalbe to rest if needed.

Don't know what a rollator is ?? His walker is a 4-wheeler with a seat...it collapses for storage in car ....is this what you mean ? This is what we'll use.

Thanks for the advice.

Lee

Joannie, thank you for that post. I was quite sure that HAl would take the scooter and keep it for you overnight and return it in the AM. Glad that worked out for you.

Leeh, what you are describing is called a rollator.

Joannie, thank you for that post. I was quite sure that HAl would take the scooter and keep it for you overnight and return it in the AM. Glad that worked out for you.

Leeh, what you are describing is called a rollator.

Okay...that looks exactly like ours except for the colour. Have never heard the name "rollator" before.....maybe an American name??? Up here in BC we just call it a "walker"....I'm assuming your walker would be without wheels ???

In any case...that's the item we'll be taking, whatever it's called ! Think it will probably work out fine..and shouldn't hamper our tours at all.

Thanks for the info.

Lee

Our walker would have wheels but no seat. Some have only one set of wheels and people put tennis balls over the other legs to make them moe easier.

Don't know what a rollator is ?? His walker is a 4-wheeler with a seat...it collapses for storage in car ....is this what you mean ? This is what we'll use.

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

Lee

Perfect he does have a rollator ! FYI generally anything with 4 wheels and a seat is referred to as a rollator.