HC rooms, scooters, what-to-do Help!

Our family of 4 is booked on the Vaandam 12/21-28. This is our first cruise. The only other vacations we've taken in years were to Disney, because I need a scooter to get around. We are not sure what to do about a scooter, and the cabin we are booked in now in now.

I don't need one at home - well that is because I stopped going to the mall, food shopping, taking a walk, going to the zoo.

I can walk for a good 15 minutes, once in a day, before pain starts. Can't do it days in a row. If I do it often my legs can just give out and I fall.

I have post-polio syndrome, though don't look it. Prior to finding that out I had 2 spinal fusions and a neck fusion. (plus some vision problems and dopey other stuff)

The PP institute director,PP friends and especially my family have pushed me to stop sitting home and buy a scooter-rejoin life in fact.

We are booked in an inside L room, all four of us. The HC rooms that will fit four are taken except for a Grand Verandah which sure sounds Grand and way out of our range.

I can book 1 HA room and a separate one for my girls (20 and 16), or stay where we are. I don't know what to do. The only reason to move to a HC room is that would allow me to look at scooters of different sizes. If I am going to spend that much money am I nuts to get a true folding one such as easy travel or featherlite that is less than 23 inches? A cheaper one that breaks down.I cannot get a car that will hold a scooter lift so I need to be able to deal with getting it in a trunk. Bending to the ground is very painful.

I know this is incoherent!! I am very worried about what to do. I am frozen on what scooter to buy.Without a HC room the scooter must be less than 100lbs and no more than 23 inches wide.

I do need to own one no matter what.

Even if you did not need the scooter, with two teenagers I would recommend two rooms. Cruise ship cabins are much smaller than hotel rooms. With teenage girls you would really need two bathrooms anyway. Do get yourself the handicapped room since you will need the "turn around" room for ease in using the scooter. I understand about the post polio and how your strength drains away. I'm still using a rolling walker(with built in seat) but will need the scooter one of these days. Have a great cruise.

Hi Susie,

We just bought our Pride Go Go today. This discussion helped us to decide which scooter to buy. Here's the link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=141323

I know it was a tough decision for us, but I think my husband will love to be able to zoom around again! We're going to Hawaii in Nov. and it will be the first time we've tried a scooter on a ship. We used a wheelchair on our last cruise. Go to a dealer and try riding them. Just get one and I'm sure you'll be thrilled to be able to move around again.

Good luck to you.

Take a look at the Featherlite Deluxe by No Boundaries. My wife just bought her second scooter of this type and the new deluxe is better than her first one. The best features:

1. It collapses like a baby stroller and is easy to wheel around and/or lift when collapsed.

2. It weighs just under 80 lb, including the battery. The battery is about 18-20 pounds and is easily removable, so you can take it off before you lift the cart.

3. It goes and goes. This was a problem with the older cart, which only went a couple miles before needing a recharge. My wife can go for much longer distances without recharging. You can recharge the battery when it's off the cart. You plug it directly into the charger and the charger into the wall outlet. If you have a second battery (which I recommend) you can leave one battery in your cabin charging while you use the second.

4. It has a large front wheel which makes it easier to go over obstacles/small curbs, and it is more stable when riding.

5. It is much easier to steer than her old one.

6.. Because it folds, you can ride it right up to the door of the plane where the baggage handler will take it from you and bring it back when you arrive. In your cabin, you can fold it up so it takes up less room.

Well since you said you can't get a lift for your car, and you can't lift much, then i think the folding scooter is for you. You will be able to get into the standard cabin with it, but you might want to think about bathroom access too so you might want to book that accessible cabin. The accessible cabins have a roll-in shower with a fold down shower seat, and if standing is a problem, then this might be a good choice for you -- especially since you will probably fatigue more on a cruise. You don't want to fall down in the shower and hurt yourself.

Candy

Hi Suzie, I too suffer from Post Polio Syndrom. What I did for my cruise is to rent a scooter from Scootaround. I find this easier than trying to have my regualar scooter taken with me ( Mine was built for a 450 lb person and is like a luxury car although I am not where near that weight ). The Accessible cabins should have doorways large enough for most scooters and have an area within the room to turn the scooter. If all goes well the scooter will be waiting for me either at the dock or in my stateroom.

I do have a few more questions. Are the folding scooters like Featherlight, Caddy, Amigo uncomfortable to sit in for long periods of time? They look like folding chairs on wheels. I last about a half hour on a folding chair before the pain is very bad.

I also would love to know how hard the go-go is to put together. Do you need to get down by the floor to take apart or put together any non-folding scooter?

We also looked at the pacesaver junior and the moxie. Both are sort of mini regular scooters. The moxie and go-go both look like your knees would be by your chest and your feet squished under you or hanging off the front.

Also ( boy oh boy she can't stop asking stuff!) anyone use a folding or small scooter on the sidewalks, in the mall, at the zoo etc?

I wish I had a place nearby that had the No Boundaries choices to try out.

If I get too dazed I shall rent one just for the cruise and buy what the heck I can deal with. I did discover you can buy a tiny Bruno lift for a compact car trunk. For 1500 dollars. agggggh. Anyone have one?

thank you, thank you! :rolleyes:

Hello Susie,

The go go comes apart in 4 pieces. You pull the seat off. Then you pull the battery pack off which is near the floor of the scooter. The front and back of the scooter come apart and you'll need to bend way over. Take a look at them at www.spinlife.com I think they even have a video. Can someone help you to take it apart? I think it's easier if you don't have to take the front and back apart. We are just starting to use ours. We got ours on Ebay for a good price.

The new seat seems very comfortable with alot of padding. My husband is 5'11" and his legs aren't squished. Find a Pride dealer and try one out.

Good luck to you.

Judy

I think I shall hyperventilate for a bit now. We tried the Pride Go-go and the Solo. I rode them around, then squatted down next to the salesman to be at the same height as I would need to be to take it apart. Then I lifted the four pieces (only on the go-go). We left the store and my left leg was spasmed all around the hip, nerve pain and leg dragging-from squatting down once I think, though perhaps lifting 4 things in a row. I came home called around everywhere to find a Featherlite we could try but it is three hours to the nearest store with one. I then decided to try the ultra-light "Easy Light Deluxe" on planetmobility. They are offering no-risk 30 day trial-no charges if you return it. I switched the free ramp for a free extra battery.

Now to see how I do getting it in and out of the trunk or even putting it across the back seat.

Barbara looking for a paperbag to breathe into ( not really but getting there-giggle):) :)

Hi Susie, I am an amputee so I need my w/c in the evening when my prostheis is off. I rent a scooter from Cruiseshipassist.com. I am tall (5'10" and way under the weight limit)so I use the Revo Pride from them...it is very good for getting aound the ship. I looked into getting a light weight scooter for travel, but I found them not to be very comforatable with my above the knee prosthesis. I was also worried about the way the airlines handle scooters. So I bought a Pride Sundancer 3 wheel scooter for home and have a Bruno lift for our mini van. I have only had it for a few months...it takes some getting use to, but works very well.They were an excellent company to deal with. The store I bought my scooter at installed the lift. I don't know how you managed to use a w/c on the ship...I found the carpet very difficult to travel over and very exhausting.

I would highly recommend that you get a w/c accessible cabin if you can. there is more room for the scooter and a w/c if you take your own, plus the bathroom has safety bars near the toilet and shower and a pull down seat in the shower. I understand that some ships will provide a shower chair for a regular shower...but the showers are so small that part of the chair is outside the shower. I also do not know of any cruise line that will let you keep the scooter in the hall at night plus you need to charge the battery every night.

Good luck...a cruise is a wonderful way to travel if you have any kind of problem...plus your girls would love it.

I would suggest that you try a rental one before you purchase one...it takes time to find the right one for you.

good luck.

Arlene

I think I shall hyperventilate for a bit now. We tried the Pride Go-go and the Solo. I rode them around, then squatted down next to the salesman to be at the same height as I would need to be to take it apart. Then I lifted the four pieces (only on the go-go). We left the store and my left leg was spasmed all around the hip, nerve pain and leg dragging-from squatting down once I think, though perhaps lifting 4 things in a row. I came home called around everywhere to find a Featherlite we could try but it is three hours to the nearest store with one. I then decided to try the ultra-light "Easy Light Deluxe" on planetmobility. They are offering no-risk 30 day trial-no charges if you return it. I switched the free ramp for a free extra battery.

Now to see how I do getting it in and out of the trunk or even putting it across the back seat.

Barbara looking for a paperbag to breathe into ( not really but getting there-giggle):) :)

Hi Susie,

Glad to hear you've solved your problem and ordered the scooter. Looks like a nice one! My husband tried his out at the mall. What a wonderful day we had! He could go anywhere and quickly. Plus we got it in and out of the car easily. You will love having one.

Good luck and have a super cruise!

Just poking my nose in here about a way to transport scooter with your car if you don't have a lift equipped van, and need to be thrifty about it.

We bought a ramp that folds onto a platform. We had to have a hitch put on our car, and this fits into the hitch. It is not mechanical or hydraulic, just manual. It is flat until I unfold the ramp. This will only work if you can stand and walk a few steps, or have someone with you that can. I stand beside my scooter and walk it a few steps up the ramp. Close the ramp up behind it and put the pin in to hold it up. I then use a nylon strap and hook it onto the platform, over the base of the scooter, and hook it onto the other side of the platform, diagonally. It ratchets tight in the middle. I can do this by myself, and can now go to the Mall, the store, a casino, wherever, by myself. I could not lift all the parts of my scooter by myself........wimp that I am! :) I was pretty much stuck at home if my DH was traveling.

Anyway, we purchased this scooter carrier on EBay for $250.00 and it is very handy.........have had it for several years.

If you want to see one, you can put the following in the search box on Ebay: Electric wheelchair scooter rack carrier That is not the person I bought mine from, but the rack looks identical.

That will be on my list of things to try next. Is it harder to drive a car with a scooter attached to the back?

I see online that Bruno makes a lift for smaller trunks, and the scooter dealer had a go-go lift from pride. however you have to take it apart and put it back together every time you use it, since it is too tall to fit in the trunk. I think I need to win that powerball game pretty darn soon!

With a mini van type back storage area - has anyone ever tried just using a ramp to move a scooter up, or is it too high and too dangerous to do that?

It is not difficult to drive a car with the scooter on the back, as the rack is not very wide.

I think that one of the posters on this board does use a mini van and a ramp..........perhaps you could post under that subject title and anyone who does use a mini van will answer.

We have rented mini vans at various airports, and the scooter does fit inside the back. We usually either lift it in, or disassemble it and put it inside. The ones we've rented were not very high, not like an SUV or pick up, and I think could be used with a ramp quite easily. I don't know how the ramp attaches, but someone will. :)

Have a great trip!