Wheelchair & limited mobility advice needed for first-time cruisers

[MaryBethV]

My husband and I will be on the Escape next month celebrating our 25th anniversary and we are first time cruisers. My husband had four major hip surgeries in his mid-20's (he is now 44) and has been in physical therapy ever since. He has good days and bad days. When we booked our cabin a year ago he was doing quite well. Lately he has been walking with a cane every day - even around the house. Thankfully, I had read on one of the reviews here about Special Needs at Sea where you can rent wheelchairs and scooters. We are leaning towards a wheelchair because of price and since it is collapsable. (I'm pretty sure I read here that a scooter wouldn't fit in a regular cabin anyways.) We have a standard spa balcony cabin near the forward elevators on deck 15.

 

1. Does anyone know if Special Needs at Sea leaves the wheelchair in our room? Or do we pick it up at the terminal? Or do you have a choice?

 

2. Do we need to inform Norwegian about the wheelchair or plan anything with Norwegian in advance?

 

3. How much walking is required just to get on the ship? I've seen videos of the terminals and the ramps up to the ship... what if he isn't doing well and needs help onto the ship?

 

4. He wouldn't need to use it all the time - such as to sit in it at dinner. If we use it to travel to the dining room or specialty restaurant is there a place we could fold and "stash" it and he could walk to the table with his cane?

 

5. Side question: do ports offer golf-cart-style transport up and down the piers - especially Falmouth, Jamaica and Nassau, Bahamas? Can you bring a folding wheelchair with, if needed? (Great Stirrup Cay and George Town, Grand Cayman are tender ports and I'm assuming we couldn't bring a wheel chair with us.)

 

He can be relatively OK for half the day (a normal--not much walking day) and then his hips are just too fatigued/painful to walk more. We've never used a wheelchair or scooter before other than for brief periods right after surgeries.

 

ANY suggestions, information, and advice would be appreciated! :)

[xriva]

It may be too late, but if you will have a scooter or wheelchair, I would considering moving to a handicap cabin. They’re designed for wheelchair access. My wife has some mobility issues, and we get one because they also have a larger shower with a seat.

 

You should be able to get wheelchair assistance off and on the ship. Ports can be tricky if you are tendering anywhere, as you said.

 

Contact the Norwegian Special Needs desk and talk to them. They will direct you to Special Needs at Sea to rent equipment, but they can help with the other issues.

 

My sister-in-law rented a scooter onboard when she was with us but was lucky they had extras, so preparing ahead of time is best. She was told she could take the scooter off the ship in port, but she couldn’t take it on excursions as they had no way to transport it. Wheelchairs are a different story, but the Special Needs desk might be able to help with excursions - or if you book independently, check with the tour operator. If you have a collapsible wheelchair, there are probably tours that can accommodate it.

 

Because my SIL is even more mobility challenged than my wife, we just fit excursions to her. There are low-impact tours available in almost all ports. (You will learn a lot about making rum if you visit all the distilleries!)

 

Some of the ports have golf carts but it depends on the length of the pier. In Nassau, there was a bus but the schedule was very sporadic. (“Island time.”)

 

Enjoy the cruise!

 

 

 

 

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[ravenjls]

We just went thru this with my BIL last month on the Getaway. He walks with a cane. We called ahead of time to have him put on special needs list as we didnt think he could stand for a very long time. After traveling thru Miami Airport we realized we needed something more than the cane for the cruise. We took uber to terminal and was dropped off right where the luggage is handed in. Walked across the road and was maybe 5 minutes til we entered the bldg to go theu security. As soon as they saw the cane they had us go thru special line where we didnt have to wait at all. After security we walked a small hall where we were met by the special needs employee who had him take a seat to fill out paperwork. We asked about a scooter and they were able to provide us with one but we should have called ahead of time as we got lucky they had an extra one. There is a special checkin line and when it was our turn we got up and went to checkin, afterwards we could sit back down and wait for scooter. Once we were shown how to operate we were led thru special door to ramp to board ship. SOOOO EASY and not much standing. I was impressed! We are so glad we got the scooter over a wheelchair. He could venture anywhere he wanted to go without having someone push him. At dinner we would leave scooter outside and walk to table (as well as shows etc). We had regular balcony cabins and he was able to get it in his room to charge it but it was tight! Getting off the ship was a breeze too as you met in special area and were escorted off ship. No waiting in those long lines to punch out.

[loveaftcabins]

Hi MaryBeth. First, there is a forum for accessible travel. There is a lot of helpful info there.

 

I use a scooter to cruise, plus take my folding travel chair. These do not weigh as much as a wheelchair. You can pick up your rented item at either the check-in area or it is placed in your cabin. You make this choice when you rent it.

 

Cruise ships are huge, and have many carpeted areas. These make it harder to push a chair. You also do not say how much your DH weighs. If he is under 150, I suggest a smaller three-wheeled scooter. These fit a regular cabin without too much hassle.

 

You can take a transport chair on a tender providing your DH can manage a couple of steps down into the boat. It will be folded for you.

 

I have never had a problem with excursions as long as I use a private company. I can get on and off a minivan. I cannot manage a bus.

 

You must register with the Access Desk before your cruise. There is a form you complete and return. The steward will assist you to the muster station via elevator. Also, the restaurants will be happy to assist you in being seated and storing either the chair or scooter. (Bring a bow to tie on what you are using. You will not believe how many of them there will be. And, FYI, if its a scooter, one scooter key fits them all!)

 

There are two primary companies to rent equipment. Special Needs or Care Vacations. One of them adds on $25 for insurance. The other one builds that cost into their rate. They are less expensive, and my scooter was damaged one year, my fault. I was not charged. Either way, get the insurance.

 

You might also need an extension cord. Plug it in every night -- the scooter. Not your DH.

 

Good Luck, and enjoy your cruise!!!

 

Love aft cabins!

[fabnfortysomething]

my husband had his 3rd hip surgery last year and weren't sure how mobile he would be for cruise 6 months later

looked at prices charged by special needs at sea and decided to buy a collapsible travel wheelchair could use airports/getting on to ship/around it and excursions

He could use it as a walker if feeling OK or I would push him in it if not so good

 

In the end we didn't need it but have it for future and it cost less than £100

[shof515]

Some of the ports have golf carts but it depends on the length of the pier. In Nassau, there was a bus but the schedule was very sporadic. (“Island time.”)

the bus in Nassau is nice, be sure to tip the driver as a courtesy. the only problem i have with that bus besides the odd schedule is there is just tooooo many ships in port and only one bus. sometimes the bus gets filled up too fast stopping at pier that 2 ships are at and there is no room for the other 2 ships on the other pier or that the bus driver does not like going to the pier that is further out

[MaryBethV]

Contact the Norwegian Special Needs desk and talk to them. They will direct you to Special Needs at Sea to rent equipment, but they can help with the other issues.

 

Because my SIL is even more mobility challenged than my wife, we just fit excursions to her. There are low-impact tours available in almost all ports. (You will learn a lot about making rum if you visit all the distilleries!)

 

Thank you - I will look up and contact the Norwegian Special Needs Desk. I didn't know there was such a thing. We have looked at a ton of excursions and I think that with this being our first cruise, we are just going to keep it simple and not do planned excursions. This is kind-of a test run for a cruise later in the year with our four kids. That one is going to take some creative port planning!!!

[MaryBethV]

We just went thru this with my BIL last month on the Getaway. He walks with a cane. We called ahead of time to have him put on special needs list as we didnt think he could stand for a very long time. After traveling thru Miami Airport we realized we needed something more than the cane for the cruise. We took uber to terminal and was dropped off right where the luggage is handed in. Walked across the road and was maybe 5 minutes til we entered the bldg to go theu security. As soon as they saw the cane they had us go thru special line where we didnt have to wait at all. After security we walked a small hall where we were met by the special needs employee who had him take a seat to fill out paperwork. We asked about a scooter and they were able to provide us with one but we should have called ahead of time as we got lucky they had an extra one. There is a special checkin line and when it was our turn we got up and went to checkin, afterwards we could sit back down and wait for scooter. Once we were shown how to operate we were led thru special door to ramp to board ship. SOOOO EASY and not much standing. I was impressed! We are so glad we got the scooter over a wheelchair. He could venture anywhere he wanted to go without having someone push him. At dinner we would leave scooter outside and walk to table (as well as shows etc). We had regular balcony cabins and he was able to get it in his room to charge it but it was tight! Getting off the ship was a breeze too as you met in special area and were escorted off ship. No waiting in those long lines to punch out.

 

You have us re-thinking a scooter over the wheelchair. Thank you so much for taking the time to give all that info on boarding, etc. - incredibly helpful!

[MaryBethV]

Hi MaryBeth. First, there is a forum for accessible travel. There is a lot of helpful info there.

 

I use a scooter to cruise, plus take my folding travel chair. These do not weigh as much as a wheelchair. You can pick up your rented item at either the check-in area or it is placed in your cabin. You make this choice when you rent it.

 

Cruise ships are huge, and have many carpeted areas. These make it harder to push a chair. You also do not say how much your DH weighs. If he is under 150, I suggest a smaller three-wheeled scooter. These fit a regular cabin without too much hassle.

 

You must register with the Access Desk before your cruise. There is a form you complete and return. The steward will assist you to the muster station via elevator. Also, the restaurants will be happy to assist you in being seated and storing either the chair or scooter. (Bring a bow to tie on what you are using. You will not believe how many of them there will be. And, FYI, if its a scooter, one scooter key fits them all!)

 

There are two primary companies to rent equipment. Special Needs or Care Vacations. One of them adds on $25 for insurance. The other one builds that cost into their rate. They are less expensive, and my scooter was damaged one year, my fault. I was not charged. Either way, get the insurance.

 

You might also need an extension cord. Plug it in every night -- the scooter. Not your DH.

 

So much help - thank you! The many many hours on CC here and I never even thought to look for an accessible travel forum! :rolleyes:

 

My husband is 6'4" and in the 240-250 range. According to Special Needs at Sea, he can just get into the smaller scooter which is good up to 249 lbs. We are considering it over the wheelchair if it works well at the top end of the weight range. If we go the scooter route - we will definitely bring an extension cord - great tip. And we will make sure to check on insurance!

[MaryBethV]

my husband had his 3rd hip surgery last year and weren't sure how mobile he would be for cruise 6 months later

looked at prices charged by special needs at sea and decided to buy a collapsible travel wheelchair could use airports/getting on to ship/around it and excursions

He could use it as a walker if feeling OK or I would push him in it if not so good

 

In the end we didn't need it but have it for future and it cost less than £100

 

Interesting - I will look into that as an option. Thanks!

[RMoscon]

We just went thru this with my BIL last month on the Getaway. He walks with a cane. We called ahead of time to have him put on special needs list as we didnt think he could stand for a very long time. After traveling thru Miami Airport we realized we needed something more than the cane for the cruise. We took uber to terminal and was dropped off right where the luggage is handed in. Walked across the road and was maybe 5 minutes til we entered the bldg to go theu security. As soon as they saw the cane they had us go thru special line where we didnt have to wait at all. After security we walked a small hall where we were met by the special needs employee who had him take a seat to fill out paperwork. We asked about a scooter and they were able to provide us with one but we should have called ahead of time as we got lucky they had an extra one. There is a special checkin line and when it was our turn we got up and went to checkin, afterwards we could sit back down and wait for scooter. Once we were shown how to operate we were led thru special door to ramp to board ship. SOOOO EASY and not much standing. I was impressed! We are so glad we got the scooter over a wheelchair. He could venture anywhere he wanted to go without having someone push him. At dinner we would leave scooter outside and walk to table (as well as shows etc). We had regular balcony cabins and he was able to get it in his room to charge it but it was tight! Getting off the ship was a breeze too as you met in special area and were escorted off ship. No waiting in those long lines to punch out.

 

 

 

We are scheduled to be on the getaway on the 25th of this month. My husband has pretty bad knee issues so I figured it might be good to go ahead and rent him a scooter. I reserved one a couple months ago. However, it just dawned on my tonight that we are in a regular mini suite not an accessible one. You say that you were able to fit the scooter through the doorway in a regular balcony cabin right? I'm getting a bit worried!!

 

 

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[kitkat343]

I'm not actually qualified to help you, so hopefully someone else will post here, or you can confirm if my guess is correct on the disabilities forum. I've traveled on several cruises with small children. We've found private tours for just our family to be enormously helpful. They have smaller vehicles that can bring you right to the entrance of the attractions, and we get to maintain control over the itinerary, and can take breaks or leave immediately if a place isn't working out. We didn't need to stand around and wait for anyone like on a cruise line excursion, which would have been difficult on my kids. Obviously, you'd need to contact the provider to find out if they can transport your scooter (and I don't know anything about whether or not private excursions generally have vehicles large enough to fit scooters). Obviously, please ignore my advice if travelers with disabilities can point out ways in which I am wrong. I hope you have a wonderful time.

[newmexicoNita]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!

 

My husband is similar to yours OP but we are a lot older. On our last cruise here is what we did: We actually borrowed a walker, a small folded up one for using in the airports, etc and before we left for our cruise we notified NCL special needs about the need for a wheel chair to get from the terminal to the ship. We did not need the chair for the actual cruise. He just used the walker which worked well. There is no charge for the wheel chair just for boarding and debarkation. IF you feel he will need one for the entire cruise you can rent one. We also kept the tours down to a minimum and made sure they were designed for those who have limited mobility.

[cruisinreunion]

I also just called about renting a wheelchair for my daughter. Was quoted $158 for our cruise. I can buy a similar one at Walmart for about $85. Only reason we didn’t want to bring our own is because we do not want to lug it in the rest of our journey but I guess we will. Or we will donate it to someone who might benefit from it

[loveaftcabins]

If you are within the weight restrictions, rent a 3 wheel scooter. These models are easy to get into a regular cabin.

[Boat Drinks56]

Hi. My husband had a stroke/and has a portable Go-GO scooter - we rented a wheelchair to use on the excursions, just because I would rather a wheel chair to get in and out of vans/taxis and easier - even though his scooter comes apart for transport - plus I would rather if anything got taken - a rented wheelchair with insurance instaed of his scooter!! lol...Accessible by Sea - will have the chair in our cabin when we get there and we just leave it there, and they will get it when we dock. That is what they told me.....hoping to only use it on our two excusion days ..hope this helps. Have fun on your trip!!! (We have an accessible room - they are beautiful)

[cincicruisers]

For what it's worth here is what we do.

 

I use my rollator walker for shorter walks, a rented scooter for when we are doing a lot of walking. Some days I am great, others it just a struggle. It's a small price to pay to be able to get around on my own. At the airports they will meet you with a wheelchair. The same holds true for Cruising (RCCL, new to Norwegian). As soon as you get past security you will be able to get wheelchair assistance.

 

As others have mentioned take a moment to talk to special needs with your situation. One more thing,, put a ribbon or other marker on your scooter. All the keys are the same. Enjoy your cruise.

[lisakoivu]

FWIW, I really think you should investigate whether a handicapped cabin is available. It will make showering and moving around so much easier....

[newmexicoNita]

I also just called about renting a wheelchair for my daughter. Was quoted $158 for our cruise. I can buy a similar one at Walmart for about $85. Only reason we didn’t want to bring our own is because we do not want to lug it in the rest of our journey but I guess we will. Or we will donate it to someone who might benefit from it

this is why we choose to borrow a friends walker. the price they are charging just seemed high to us. Since then we have purchased one (walker, that is) that folds up and is perfect for the times hubby needs one. We do use a wheel chair for him in the airport and getting on the ship. So far he doesn't need one for getting around the ship or on tours. His walker works just fine.