Ccl Conquest- Western Carib - Please Help With Shore Excursions W/scooter!!

[pjfnme]

Please Help!! I Am Taking My Parents On Their First Cruise Aboard The Ccl Conquest In May. My Mom Has Trouble With Walking And Can Only Stand For Short Periods Of Time...she Normally Uses A Folding Wheelchair, Crutch, Or Her 3 Wheel Scooter. She Is Very Concerned About What Excursions She Will Be Able To Take And I Honestly Have No Idea What Would Be Best To Recommend For Her. We Wanted To Go Ahead And Book The Excursions..but, I Have No Idea What She Might Be Able To Do. Can Someone Out There Give Me Some Ideas Of Good Shore Excursions For Her? She Would Like To Do The Stingray City Tour On Grand Cayman And The Tulum Ruins At Playa Del Carmen, But, I Know She Could Not Take Her Scooter On The Tender...oh, One More Thing, She Does Not Like "beach" Only Things As She Does Not Tolerate Long Periods Of Direct Sun Very Well.

Any Help Anyone Out There Could Give Would Be Sooo Much Appreciated! Thanks!

[CaptData]

You tender at Grand Cayman. I would take her folding wheelchair for this tour, you meet tour on pier and they will take her chair with them. Can she manage a very large step (two foot)? I found if I use my wheelchair and bring a cane I can do anything. The ruins, however will be virtually impossible unless she just wants to sit and see the ruins from a distance, with not shade (stones lying all over the place, can't not get a wheelchair around). Scooter will be great on ship but wheelchair off of ship as ADA does not apply in Mexico.

 

I did Sting Rays with Native Way, they were very good with me. They met us on the peir, drove us to their boat and aided me getting on and off the boat. They had a shaded area on the boat so I did not get burnt. They got me into the water and back on to the boat.

 

When you do the tender make sure all of you go on the same boat with her or you will get separated.

[Splinter]

Unless she can get up and down the steps (and aisle) of a regular tour bus, you would be much better off not taking ships tours. Either rent a car or hire taxis so she can easily get in and out. Be sure that any cab has a trunk large enough for her wheelchair. 2-3 people in a cab can nearly always beat the prices of a ship's tour anyway, and this way you won't have so many lines to wait in, and can go (and come back) when you want.

[pjfnme]

Thank you for this information..! She has decided not to attempt the tour at Tulum..but, we are having a hard time finding anything else that she thinks she can do. We will do the Stingray Sandbar and Turtle Farm at Grand Cayman..but, other than beaches, we cannot find anything that seems accessible for her at Cozumel or Jamaica. Any ideas for these places??? She is saying that she will just stay on the ship so that we can all go do our own thing..but, she has never cruised before and I really want her to enjoy herself.

Thanks again.

[DEL67]

First of all, I suggest that your mother use the manual, folding wheelchair whenever you go ashore. It is much more manuverable than a scooter in case you encounter one or two steps or sidewalks without curb cuts.

 

Secondly, like one of the other posters, I would suggest going independently rather than on cruiseline tours. Doing so not only elimated the need to climb bus steps, but it also allows you to tailor where you go, and how long, to both your mother's needs and all of your interests.

 

There are several things you can do in Cozumel. While not exciting, a tour of the island by taxi is interesting. Chakanaub Park is reasonably accessible. She could see the "ruins" and the sea lion show. In addition, there is some shade on the beach and a covered, outdoor cafe near the beach area where she could sit for the price of a drink or snack if the sun is too much for her. You do have to traverse a little sand to get to the cafe, but I was able to get there by wheeling my husband's wheelchair backwards. She could also go shopping. Aside from some that are being torn up, the sidewalks on the harbor front are in reasonably good shape and most shops have primitive ramps.

 

She could also do a tour of Grand Cayman. I have some concerns about Sting Ray City. First of all, you would need to check if the boat has a covered area where your mother could get out of the sun. Also, unless she just plans to watch, she would probably have difficulty getting out of the boat and once you are out, you are told to drag your feet to avoid stepping on one of the sting rays. Shopping here is also a possibility. When we were there a few months ago, they were still repairing hurricane damage, but the downtown area is very compact and most stores do not have any steps at the entry.

 

We've never been to Montego Bay so I have no suggestions there.