Port of Miami - Handicapped Assistance

[luv2sweat]

Good Evening,

 

I am just off Oceania Riviera today. There was no wheelchair assistance on the ship at all. Passengers had to walk off the ship and down the gangway and then pick up a wheelchair. In the past, ship's crew would take a passenger off the ship in a wheelchair and once in the terminal pass the passenger over to port staff. I was told by the cruise director that the port no longer allows crew to take passengers off the ship nor can port staff come on the ship.

 

Has anyone else heard of this? I honestly don't believe it. I think Oceania just did not want to assign crew to wheelchair duty. I think they wanted all crew cleaning so they would not be faced with the embarkation debacle of 10 days ago. If, however, this is true, I think it is the most ridiculous policy change I've ever heard of. It made for a very difficult and dangerous debarkation for my group.

 

Wendy

[raindropsalways]

I checked on the board for Disabled Cruise Travel and could not find any comments. I think the restrictions may have been just for that particular sailing because of the Norovirus on the ship.

 

I do not know anything about Oceania, however the other cruise lines make extensive notes about wheelchairs not being available for individual use on board. Thus the fact that they offer assistance getting on and off is just a courtesy. Just another way they protect the ship line.

 

Betty

[Keith1010]

Yes, the crew is not allowed to assist passengers off the ship or onto the ship. This includes assisting with the wheelchair or for that matter carrying a piece of your luggage (say a carry on) up the stairs in the terminal for you. This is not new. It's been like this at least for a few years as back then I needed wheelchair assistance for a friend that was visiting us on board the ship in Miami. Also a few years ago we needed assistance with luggage. The unions do not allow this. This is why even when you arrive to port if the union decides to put in place a work slowdown which slows down the time it takes to remove the luggage from the ship it can delay disembarkation.

 

Again, this is nothing new and has been like this for a few years.

 

To get you off the ship the ship must coordinate with the Miami grounds people.

 

Should you hear of any ship doing likewise they are breaking the rules. Not saying that none of them break the rules but that is the only way they can get around it. One mentioning this should someone say their ship did this for them because if they did they did it in violation of what the port requires of them.

 

Keith

[raindropsalways]

I really have to refrain from saying what I'm thinking about the Unions now. A polite comment would be that any organization or group that forces a hardship or pain on others should be forced to endure the same hardship or pain. When their greed causes others harm, it is wrong.

 

Betty

[LHT28]

Our last cruise out of Miami one of the shoreside people came onboard with a wheelchair for a man to take him off

this was a couple of years ago so things may have changed

Never have seen a crew member take someone off in Miami

when we docked in N.S. this yr one of the crew did take a passenger luggage off on the cart while his wife pushed the wheelchair

[Keith1010]

Our last cruise out of Miami one of the shoreside people came onboard with a wheelchair for a man to take him off

this was a couple of years ago so things may have changed

Never have seen a crew member take someone off in Miami

when we docked in N.S. this yr one of the crew did take a passenger luggage off on the cart while his wife pushed the wheelchair

 

Still the same.

 

The shoreside folks have to do the wheelchairs and really should have done the luggage too.

 

Keith

[LHT28]

Still the same.

 

The shoreside folks have to do the wheelchairs and really should have done the luggage too.

 

Keith

I think the luggage in Miami was taken off with the regular bags I did not see the man with any bags

The shoreside staff were the ones that check you in ( had a blue blazer on) not the baggage porters or longshoremen

 

In N.S. the passenger was getting off mid cruise should have clarified that :o

Edited December 13, 2015 by LHT28