Tendering with a TravelScoot

Help wanted! Just got my new TravelScoot and am planning a cruise on the Holland America Ryndam which entails tendering at the port of Almeria, Spain. Has anyone done this? Did you fold and pack the scooter before disembarking or did they take it on the tender set-up ready to roll on the dock. Did you get any help getting off the ship? Any helpful hints will be appreciated greatly.

Thanks in advance.

gwshark

They will help you on and off the tender but they will not assemble your scooter. That will be up to you. And if it's a rough tender, they have the right to deny the ability to tender. They might not allow you to bring an assembled scooter on board especially if it's rough.

I use a travelscoot and have tendered many times. First, I try not to surprise the crew. I go to the purser's desk and talk about tendering and let them see the scooter. I also tell them it only weighs 35 lbs. and that I will get off the scooter and walk onto the tender (slowly and with difficulty but walk nonetheless).

Second, I know I won't be going if it is not calm. Finally, when I get to the tender area I am the last one on the boat. The crew loads the scooter after me and then we are off. Usually once we reach land they take the scooter off first and then I follow.

Hello there, Kate..

I have followed your posts for many years and l truly admire your spirit!

I am thinking about getting a m.s. for my next cruise (Austrailia/Diamond), but hesitated because l thought they would be too bulky and diifficult to handle...but having read some only wiegh 35 lbs. promped me to get more information. So..would you be kind enough to answer the following questions?

1) where do you buy them...does Medicare cover the cost..what brand

2) do you have to take them apart for airplane travel..how easy would that be

3) CAN you take them on an airplane...extra charge?

4) would there be room enough to carry things on you lap..e.g. suitcase

As you can tell, I am a complete novice on this subject and will appreciate any info you can give me.

Thank you so much!! :-)

1.You can buy a travelscoot from the manufacturer. The website is travelscoot dot com. I bought mine without the help of insurance. I believe medicare only pays if you need a device at home (not an expert in medicare) but it is expensive. I use a rollator around the house.

2. The travelscoot folds down into a duffel bag that comes with the scooter. I purchased a golf bag and use that instead for air travel as it is hardsided.

3. You have choices for air travel. You can put the scooter into the bag and check it through to the destination using an airport wheelchair to get to your gate. A different option is to take the scooter to the gate and have them gate check it from the door of the plane. I have a difficult time deciding which to do but have done both and been OK either way. Medical equipment flies free so there is no extra charge for the scooter

4. The travelscoot has a detachable canvas carry piece under the seat. You can put stuff there or on your lap. There are only two negatives to the travelscoot scooter in my mind neither of which really affect me. First the scooter has no reverse gear so you have to use your feet to back up but since I rarely back up I don't find that a problem. Second the seat is not comfortable. I had my seat reupholstered with extra padding and now I am 100% happy with it.

Good luck with choosing a scooter. I like having one that is light enough my husband can easily lift it into the back of our car so it is good at home as well as on vacation.

Hi katisdale.

I have a question about the travel scoot, could you please email me at sue dot young at earthlink dot net?

Thanks

Janet, my dad was able to get a scoot only with a doctor's prescription. Medicare then paid part of it. You can't just buy it and submit it to Medicare.

I decided against the travelscoot because of the no reverse issue. My legs can't handle having to physically push myself backwards. Plus, I've found that Pride scooters are a lot less costly.

Good luck with your decision.

Hello there, Kate..

 

I have followed your posts for many years and l truly admire your spirit!

 

I am thinking about getting a m.s. for my next cruise (Austrailia/Diamond), but hesitated because l thought they would be too bulky and diifficult to handle...but having read some only wiegh 35 lbs. promped me to get more information. So..would you be kind enough to answer the following questions?

1) where do you buy them...does Medicare cover the cost..what brand

 

Thank you so much!! :-)

Medicare has very strict requirements in order to be reimbursed and Medicare will NOT assist in paying if it's not required to assist you with your daily living inside your home. Medicare provides no coverage if it's soley needed for doing activities outside your home such as cruising. Most reputable doctors are very carefull in giving anyone a RX and completing the Medicare "Ceritficate of Medical Neccessity" if the scooter is NOT required for use inside your home to assist with your dailiy needs as otherwise it would be considered Medicare Fraud. This is the shorten version of the requirements http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/11046.pdf

However another route to consider would be to ask your Doctor for a RX so that you can apply it towards qualifiying for the medical deduction on your federal tax return. You should consult with your tax advisor first.

I think it's clear how to go about getting one's TravelScoot on to and off of a tender. I appreciate the advice.

Cheers,

gwshark

My husband has rented a scooter for our last 3 cruises. We have 2 planned for this year-our next one in a month is out of San Juan and our second in August is out of Harwich. He is unable to rent on these due to the lack of supply of a scooter for someone over 400 lbs. in these ports. This led us to looking into the travel scoot after reading Elizabeth's blog. We will bite the bullet and buy. But, since the cost to rent is high (over $1200 for the 2 listed cruises for this year) by taking a third cruise next year, we will be breaking even. We have read everything we can find on the scoot and are hoping it will work out for us. Thanks to everyone who has posted.

My husband has rented a scooter for our last 3 cruises. We have 2 planned for this year-our next one in a month is out of San Juan and our second in August is out of Harwich. He is unable to rent on these due to the lack of supply of a scooter for someone over 400 lbs. in these ports. This led us to looking into the travel scoot after reading Elizabeth's blog. We will bite the bullet and buy. But, since the cost to rent is high (over $1200 for the 2 listed cruises for this year) by taking a third cruise next year, we will be breaking even. We have read everything we can find on the scoot and are hoping it will work out for us. Thanks to everyone who has posted.

Hi Dot

I am a woman of substance :p and giving some thoughts as well to a travel scoot based on the same reasoning. I like the idea of it being light weight and convenient...can go anywhere . The cost is something that I highly doubt my extended medical will cover...but all I can do is try. I know the larger scooters are covered, but not convenient. I have read the blog as well and still hard pressed to believe that they indeed support the weight of us much heavier folks..but sure seems that many have used them sucessfully. I do agree though...seat will need to be re uphostered !!!

I have read that there is a location near Seattle that I could go to test drive one...let us know if you indeed go ahead and get one and how it works out for you and hubby !! I have a rental for my upcoming cruise and no cruises booked for a while ...as I face another total knee replacement and then go back and have the one I had replaced re done as it did not work out very well..........yes, I am terrified of having another one, but have to take the chance..otherwise I will not be able to walk for much longer and I am too young to give that up !! But a light weight scooter on stand by sounds like a good idea !

Sue aka Huggs

Pam takes her travelscoot on cruises because she can't walk any substantial distance. When we tender, she rides it to the tender boarding area and I pick it up and carry it onto the tender, fully assembled, sometimes going up or down a flight of stairs as required. Usually, the crew offers to help.

We have also flown with it. I'm worried about the airline damaging it, so I have broken it down and carried it right into the passenger cabin. It can be stored either in the wheelchair closet or in the overhead bin. I did get a letter from the airline stating it was allowable under FAA rules (it is) and brought a copy of the letter as well as a copy of the FAA rules. I re-assembled the scooter on the jetway.

The LI-ION battery (which is the issue) is designed to meet the FAA rules. There is a discussion of that on the travelscoot website, as well as a link to the FAA rules.

http://www.travelscoot.com/tips.htm

I am considering a travelscoot as well...would love to hear more from users, please.

I am considering a travelscoot as well...would love to hear more from users, please.

My husband just ordered one-due to arrive in one week. He will be using it on our next cruise in 3 weeks. I will let you know how things go.

Dot

Hi Dot,

Have a great cruise! I to will be looking to your report. I am also trying to see if we should rent or purchase. Mostly want to see how the scoot works for your husband, as I need a heavy duty scooter as well.

Thanks

One thing you may want to consider if you buy a travelscoot.

"Heavier individuals may opt for the lower gearing, which provides increased torque for the above conditions. However, this gearing will slightly reduce the top speed and range.

TravelScoot provides this option at no additional charge. Changing the gear is a simple task"

http://www.travelscoot.com/faqs.htm

If I was ordering one, I'd get the lower gearing for more torque. The top speed is really more than we need.

we just got our scoot - have 31 day cruise in spain and norway in 2 weeks - wondering if we will be ok with just ONE lithium ion battery? and has anyone used it in spain ports ? thanks

Your battery use is very dependent upon how far you wish to go. I wasn't using a scooter the last time we were in Spain so can't comment on that. I find I can go somewhere between 5 and 8 miles on a charge depending on how much up hill travel I am doing. When you completely exhaust the battery you need to figure it will take 6 to 8 hours to recharge. I do have two of the lithium ion batteries and on two occasions (once on a land trip and once at home) have had the first battery expend all of its juice before I was back at home base. I keep both batteries on the scoot (I velcro them together) and simply unplug one and plug in the other.

thanks Katie , do you have any trouble with the charger in europe or on the ship? Did you purchase your second battery directly from travel scoot - or find it less expensive somewhere else? thanks we are really excited to have it with us on this long trip.

I got the second battery from travelscoot when I originally purchased the scooter. The charger is dual voltage and works well in Europe as long as you have a plug converter. I bought my converter from Magellans. I have found that recharging on a cruise ship takes a bit longer than at home but my DH thinks it is because the current varies a bit due to the electricity being generated on the ship.

Hi Thanks again - just wondering - I think Tony from Trav scoot told me NOT to leave it plugged into itself (battery to Scooter) if it is not in use - is this correct? also if you charge it overnight - is it ok to leave it plugged into charger past the time it reaches full charge? He indicates that it should be unplugged right away - but that is tough if you are sleeping.

thanks again - we leave in 10 days!! yeah

Hi Thanks again - just wondering - I think Tony from Trav scoot told me NOT to leave it plugged into itself (battery to Scooter) if it is not in use - is this correct? also if you charge it overnight - is it ok to leave it plugged into charger past the time it reaches full charge? He indicates that it should be unplugged right away - but that is tough if you are sleeping.

 

thanks again - we leave in 10 days!! yeah

On a cruise (which is when I use my TravelScoot most) I routinely leave the battery connected to the scoot all day long, and routinely charge it overnight every night. I have not noticed any bad effects, but then I only very seldom have pushed the battery close to its limits. Tony is probably right for maximizing battery utilization, but for my purposes what I do is working well fo me. Enjoy your cruise:).

David

I am not an expert but I think it could be different rules depending on which battery your are talking about, the Lithium-Ion or the SLA. I think most users have the Li-Lon...I have both (SLA as a back-up). On a cruise I usually only charge my Li-Lon every-other day at night. I don't worry about unplugging it from the charger as soon as it is fully charged...in fact, I have left it as long as a day to the charges but for the most part I do disconnect as soon as I see that the green light is indicating a full charge. I don't think anyone is going to get up and down all night waiting for the green light :eek: And I definely remember reading that frequest recharge does not hurt the LiLon. As for the SLA I believe I read it is best to get the charge as low as you can before re-charging those. I've been using the Travelscoot for almost 3 years.

On a cruise (which is when I use my TravelScoot most) I routinely leave the battery connected to the scoot all day long, and routinely charge it overnight every night. I have not noticed any bad effects

This is just exactly what I do with my Li-Ion battery and Travelscoot, with absolutely no problem at all.

Marlee

Thank you - just what I thought we should do - happy cruising!