Boarding with cane/standing limitations

[AgenderArin]

Hello,

 

I've recently started using a cane to get around because of severe fatigue and difficulty getting up and down stairs. I'm sailing RCI out of Vancouver in May and not concerned about getting around the ship with just the cane as there are plenty of places to stop and sit as needed (so not planning on wheelchair rental) but am concerned about extended periods of standing during boarding and disembarkation. Any experience with borrowing a wheelchair just for those periods to avoid extended standing, or other accommodations?

 

Thanks in advance,

Arin

Edited April 4, 2022 by AgenderArin

[ozscotart]

I’d recommend booking wheelchair assistance for embarkation and disembarkation, as far as I know they won’t lend you a wheelchair for this. I’d also keep in mind they won’t provide assistance at ports that you visit, so I always now take my own assistance devices, one cruise where things went badly for me , I was at that stage relying on a stick and getting the wheelchair assistance at embarkation and disembarkation, we were fortunate they had a spare wheelchair on the ship we could rent from them, but they didn’t routinely have spares. 

[lenquixote66]

Due to the fact that I am disabled and elderly I have always been offered the use of a wheelchair on selected NCL and RCI ships not only on boarding day but at other times on cruises.

[kokopelli-az]

We just got off the Jewel of the Seas yesterday.    Yes you can get wheelchair assistance (wheelchair provided by yourself or Royal) plus someone to push the wheelchair.    The wheelchair pusher may be two different people:   a port employee who will take you as far as they are allowed and then a Royal employee takes over.   This would be wheelchair assistance from where you drop off your luggage at the curb to inside the ship (these employees appreciate tips).   And as mentioned above, yes, Royal will provide a wheelchair for you but only for embarking and disembarking (which would be on your first day when you board and on your last day when you leave the ship for good).  

 

You will need to complete a Special Needs form for Royal.    Contact Royal's

Access Department at (866) 592-7225,  or send an e-mail to special_needs@rccl.com with additional questions.

 

Sometimes with all the activity it is not apparent when you get to the pier who can assist you with a wheelchair so ask the first employee (either Royal employee or port employee) you see so they can direct you to the right place/person.

 

Here are some helpful links:

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/experience/accessible-cruising/mobility-disabilities

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/experience/accessible-cruising/additional-assistance

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/topics/accessibility-disability-needs

[atexsix]

We have the same issue, Dear Dad needs a chair for boarding the ship only.  And there are never, I mean NEVER, places to sit in the lower level of the Seattle cruise terminal.  Usually they can find somebody to bring a chair down, and then someone else to wheel him onto the ship.  Once on the ship itself, he's fine.   

 

But we've never had to fill out forms in advance for the terminal side of the operation, which operates independently of the ship....issues crop up from time to time and the two don't know or seem to care what the other is doing.  But in all our years of cruising, nobody at the terminal ever asked if we filled out a mobility form for this very brief wheelchair need (we weren't even aware of it's existence until recently), we simply flagged an employee down upon entering the building and went from there.  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by atexsix

[AgenderArin]

Thank you so much for your help everyone, I appreciate it. My partner has a lot of experience cruising and I have some, but this is the first time we've had mobility issues, so I appreciate the info. We'll probably fill out the form for good measure but it's good to know it may not be necessary.

[Marie51]

 There’s no need to fill out a form ahead of time, just ask the first person you see for wheelchair assistance and they will take care of the rest. Same with getting off the ship. I’m just off a cruise last week and they took me all the way to my transportation back to the airport so not to worry about anything.  Also when we stopped in Cozumel it was quite a long walk from the ship to the end of the pier and they took me down there also in a wheelchair so I could be in the right place for my shore excursion to meet. This was on Celebrity but Royal Caribbean will do the same thing. 

[willoL]

I've been wondering about this exact topic for Boston, so I'm glad to read people's experiences in Seattle and elsewhere.

 

I've flown a lot more than I have taken cruises. I will add that, one reason I *always* request wheelchair assistance when I book flights is to keep airlines aware of the need for this service. My thinking is, probably more people could use this than are aware it exists! It's no problem when I arrive on a day when my needs are less (my condition flares and remits); I just walk to the gate if I can. Having requested a chair, though, means keeping the airlines/airport on alert that they should be prepared to offer the service... that's required by law in the USA.

 

For that reason, I think I should probably fill out that form for my upcoming HAL cruise. The best thing about the Americans with Disabilities Act is that we are all supposed to be equally able to access public spaces and services. It doesn't always work as intended, but keeping it at the forefront of providers' agenda seems important to me.

[kokopelli-az]

4 hours ago, willoL said:

For that reason, I think I should probably fill out that form for my upcoming HAL cruise.

 

The best thing about the Americans with Disabilities Act is that we are all supposed to be equally able to access public spaces and services. It doesn't always work as intended, but keeping it at the forefront of providers' agenda seems important to me.

 

I think completing the disability form is always a good idea.   In the event of an emergency, the ship personnel will know which passengers possibly need extra assistance.

 

The airlines (any airline arriving or departing from the United States) are actually governed by the Air Carrier Access Act.   Here is a good summary of it:

https://wheelchairtravel.org/air-travel/air-carrier-access-act-summary/

[rkacruiser]

I am not familiar with any forms that need to be filed, but, I have had my travel agent have the cruise line and airline to note on my booking that wheelchair assistance is needed.  That has worked well with HAL, Princess, MSC, and Delta.