First time cruiser needs your help

[PalmBeachOrBust]

I would not even attempt a cruise, but my father is taking the whole family for his 70th birthday and hey will not go without me. We are booked on the 6/30/13 Breakaway sailing to Bermuda. I am an extremely large woman with limited mobility. I have rented a scooter and am in a handicapped cabin. Could you help me with a few questions

 

Will the room door open automatically when I inset the key

 

I will be in the room alone...how will I get out of the door

 

Will there be things to do in the dockyard area of bermuda

 

Will I be able to rent a private car to take me and a friend sightseeing around Bermuda.

 

Please offer me any advice, help and encouragement you have. I am very stressed about this undertaking.

[mickanddoe]

Maybe you should call NCL for the answers...

[mom2sons]

I have never cruised with NCL (looking at the Epic for spring break 2014) however having a husband with several disabilities I agree with the previous poster - call NCL to discuss the situation. Perhaps preface the conversation with your need to speak with someone who can answer questions related to the handicap accommodations and the guest's needs.

 

My experience is that once the operator (whether cruise ship, hotel, tour group, airline, etc) is alerted to the situation they will go above & beyond to assist you.

 

In our experience it has been much better to make the situation known to them in advance so that they may prepare than to ask for special accommodations at the last minute. You should also ask about dining arrangements and the best way to be accommodated in the restaurants with your scooter.

 

I suspect that if you call NCL and speak to a customer care member and go over each of your concerns they will be happy to annotate your reservation with all of your needs.

 

From my personal experience (again, not with NCL but with other carriers) I tip up front. When I meet the room steward or the waiter/bar tender or anyone who is in a position to make my travel a bit easier I let them know I'm on vacation, I want to have a great, relaxing time and then I tip them upfront.

 

You can believe that when someone who is working for shared tips receives a tip that is exclusively for themself, they will be at your service in hopes of receiving additional private tips. I'm not talking big money, either. A $20 upfront for the room steward and a few dollars each day for the wait staff if the service warrants it. But that's just me :)

 

I have never once regretted doing it that way. I also leave additional money at the end of the trip if the service was superior, again, not big money but a something. In general, by tipping up front, the service I receive is spot on. I also take the time to get to know the room steward/wait staff but that's just me. I believe I get better service because of it. It only takes a few minutes to ask basic questions.

 

With regards to how you will get out the door, unless NCL has already advised you over the phone of another remedy, when you initially meet your room steward explain that you will need assistance with the door (here is where I would probably tip something upfront).

 

Then, call your room steward when you are ready to leave (or 5 minutes prior) and ask them to open your door for you. Make sure you have everything you need before leave.

 

Check out the Bermuda board under the ports of call thread. There are probably many tour operators and suggestions there for a private tour.

 

Doubtful the door will automatically open for you but once you put the key in the slot to open it you may be able to push the lever down and use the scooter to press the door open. Address this with NCL first to see what solutions they already have in place.

 

If you're traveling with family is it possible that a family member could accompany you to your room to open the door for you?

 

I think it's great that you are already fore thinking the possible issues. You have lots of time to get a game plan in place so that when it comes time to travel you'll be able to relax and have a great time.

 

Don't pass up the opportunity to celebrate your dad's 70th birthday ;)

 

HTH,

Shara

 

 

P.S. if you do not initially receive the service you need from NCL ask to speak to a manager. Do not accept inferior or lazy responses.

[markf]

I was on the epic and booked a handicap room not knowing until i arrived.

There is anautomatic door switch both inside and outside the door.

In addition in the shower , there is no raised piece so theoritically you can put a wheel chair inthe shower.

By the way the room we had was in the Haven .

[peg013]

It is not possible to rent a car in Bermuda. You will have to either use their transportation system (I believe you can use your scooter on the ferry) or book a taxi tour to tour Bermuda.

[jdvmd]

Please also check out the Disabled Cruise Traveling board on Cruise Critic. Here is a link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=190

[RaMar]

I can understand your concerns, but if you are able to get a handicap stateroom you'll be o.k. I've never stayed in one but I know that they are very spacious. I'd contact NCL and talk to them, they'll be able to answer all of your questions. Enjoy the cruise, Bermuda is beautiful and enjoy Dad's birthday.

[trish1c]

We booked a guarantee cabin on the Gem for our last cruise & were assigned a handicapped cabin. I don't remember the cabin door being automated. I also remember thinking that a handicapped person alone may have some trouble opening the door from inside the cabin. Before they passed both of my parents had mobility issues so I am fairly in tune with the logistics. I do remember that the bathroom door had some automatic features so the cabin door must & I just don't remember.

There are safety / call buttons in multiple locations around the cabin. If you push one, NCL will call your room on the telephone to ask what you need. If you don't answer the phone, somebody shows up. I hit one by accident while I was sleeping which is how we learned how it worked.

Inside the cabin there is plenty of room to move around. There are no barriers in the bathroom but the water does leak out of the bathroom door & gets the carpets wet. For your sake, I hope they fixed that on the Breakaway.

The doors throughout the ship are either automatic with sensors or have the buttons you can push to open them.

Overall the rest of the ship is very accessible & you should have no trouble.

I can't answer your Q about private car & driver in Bermuda as I have never been there. It sounds like an easy request but I would check out the Bermuda ports of call boards. Also many ship sponsored excursions are designated handicapped accessible. I'm sure if you call NCL & discuss your particular needs, they can help you pick the ones that work for you.

Overall, I think that once you get aboard, your fears will dissipate. There is also a handicapped board here on CC so people who share your limitations should be able to give you better insights.

[lanceholt]

I can't add any details, but can tell you that there are a lot of disabled people on most cruises, disabled in many many ways. So NCL is used to dealing with these issues, and the suggestions above are all excellent. Talking to them prior to your cruise is the best idea.

[Sequim88]

Nice to hear Epic has door opener - would expect a new ship like Breakaway to be same. We've seen a video if HC cabin on Star and there was none so it likely varies from class to class. One reason we prefer Radiance class on RCI is the door opener. My wife uses manual wheelchair and due to right side paralysis finds it very difficult to pull the door inward while pushing backward with her good leg.

 

Dockyard area at Bermuda is pretty wheelchair or scooter friendly. There is a sort of shopping mall there and the Frog & Onion bar/restaurant was at level with sidewalks. Might be a little hard to get to the snorkeling cove beyond where path turns to sand.

 

They had a ramp to roll on to the ferry to Hamilton so that was no problem although there was a lack of curb cuts in the town. At the time (2008) the bus system was not wheelchair accessible but I have heard it now is.

 

My Dad & Mom took me & my two brothers and our wives on cruise for their 60th anniversary and it was a very special time. Dad said they plan to spend it all before they go and leave us with only memories of time together. Be together all you can while you can.

[Mysticks1]

There is a separate board for information that might help you. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=190

[delily]

Yes, definately check out the forum for "disabled cruisers." They can answer all sorts of questions for you and I'm sure will also give you confidence.

[PalmBeachOrBust]

Thnk you all for your thoughtful responses. By private car, I meant a car and driver (taxi?) who we can hire or a few hours to drive us round Bermuda

[WaldosPepper]

Thnk you all for your thoughtful responses. By private car, I meant a car and driver (taxi?) who we can hire or a few hours to drive us round Bermuda

 

This will be no issue at all. There will be cabs in a queue right at the pier, and you can simply describe what you would like to do/see, and they will be happy to oblige. There is a wealth of information available on the Bermuda forum in the Ports-of-Call section of this site, which can help you determine what you would like to see. Also, be sure to look for the "Certified Bermuda Tour Guide" emblem on the cab, so you can be assured that you will be paying the fixed-fare rates. ;)

[jdvmd]

Thnk you all for your thoughtful responses. By private car, I meant a car and driver (taxi?) who we can hire or a few hours to drive us round Bermuda

Yes, this is possible. Keep in mind taxis are very expensive in Bermuda, however.

[oLEEander]

You might find the info at this site helpful :

 

http://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda_00029c.htm

 

Hopefully the wharf work will be complete when you sail, otherwise tendering would severely impact your port experience.

[Gilligan777]

If you will be docked at the Dockyard in Bermuda you may not need to rent a car. There is a shopping mall, beach and smaller stores within easy walking distance of the ship. The pathways around the dock area are paved and rather wide so this should help you get around fairly easy. There is also an open tram at the dock to take you to and from the shopping area if need be.

 

My father walks with a cane and found Hamilton's shopping area much too difficult to navigate, uneven sidewalks, lots of traffic and so forth. If you are bored at the dockyard you may want to consider taking a bus or ferry to see the island. Perhaps you will get to see Hamilton and decide for yourself if you feel you can navigate your way around. When you think of Hamilton think city, Dockyard suburbs.

 

If you are docked at the Dockyard the ferry is right at the ship location and easy to access. My husband has MS and we rarely leave the dockyard area due to the heat and it's impact on his well being. We walk to the beach, the stores and so forth but this way if he is not feeling well we can easily get back to the ship and air conditioning quickly. Another reason to love the Bermuda cruise, the ship is always close by regardless of where you are in the area.