Requesting a wheelchair on the Anthem for May 2023 TA.

[ace2542]

I will need to request a wheelchair for my father on Anthem 2023 TA. He only needs the wheelchair (knee problem) so he can explore the ports in Azores, Cherburg and Le Harve. He DOES NOT need a special disabled access cabin. Trip is booked through Agent so I suppose we need to contact them

 

Will Royal bounce him if we request the wheelchair I have heard they can be a bit funny? Is there  a cost for the chair? And would what happened if we rocked up with the wheelchair WITHOUT declaring such need on the health form the will surely send out?

 

Thanks for the help in advance guys.

[megr1125]

You need to rent a wheelchair from an approved vendor.  Royal does not provide them as they don't have enough.  They have a few but if you need one all the time, you must rent it. Check with your agent as the vendor in the UK may be different.

 

They won't care if you have one.  A rented chair will be delivered to your cabin. If you need assistance on/off at the start and end that can be set up at the port but be advised that on boarding day, you will have to ask the porters, possibly a few times, to get someone outside if needed.

[ace2542]

29 minutes ago, megr1125 said:

You need to rent a wheelchair from an approved vendor.  Royal does not provide them as they don't have enough.  They have a few but if you need one all the time, you must rent it. Check with your agent as the vendor in the UK may be different.

 

They won't care if you have one.  A rented chair will be delivered to your cabin. If you need assistance on/off at the start and end that can be set up at the port but be advised that on boarding day, you will have to ask the porters, possibly a few times, to get someone outside if needed.

Or in place of renting we can simply purchase our own and just take it onboard I presume? And buying one would be cheaper than renting wouldn't it?

[cruisegirl1]

2 hours ago, ace2542 said:

Or in place of renting we can simply purchase our own and just take it onboard I presume? And buying one would be cheaper than renting wouldn't it?

You can take your own wheelchair on board. I have no pricing knowledge for a rental chair.

M

[Biker19]

6 hours ago, megr1125 said:

You need to rent a wheelchair from an approved vendor. 

Not sure that works with a TA.

[missaud]

Our TA rented a wheelchair for my husband.  It was in our cabin when we got there, and when the cruise was over, we left it in the room. Everything was taken of.  I believe our cost for the week was around 115.00. 

[brillohead]

Honestly, I would purchase and bring your own. 

That way you know you like it, you know how it works (folds), and you can customize it in advance (adding a backpack or drink holder, etc.).  

You would also have it available to use on your way to/from the ship (airports, etc.), if applicable.  You'd also have it available in the future, if he should need one around the house or for going on future trips. 

And yes, by the time you rent one for a week, you could have purchased one.  I don't know about your area, but in the USA you can find used ones in very good condition in places like Craigslist or FB Marketplace, etc., for about half of what it would cost to rent one for the cruise.

 

[ONECRUISER]

8 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Not sure that works with a TA.

 

 

1 hour ago, missaud said:

Our TA rented a wheelchair for my husband.  It was in our cabin when we got there, and when the cruise was over, we left it in the room. Everything was taken of.  I believe our cost for the week was around 115.00. 

Agree, not sure on a "TA"-Trans Atlantic you can rent one.

[Joseph2017China]

are you talking about a wheelchair or scooter?  Big difference....plus you said this is a TA, not a closed loop, also a big difference.  

 

The cruise line does not rent them, you must rent from approved vendors (TA will be the issue).

 

My suggestion, is buy a push wheelchair and use it.  They don't cost much, and you get to keep it for the next trip. 

[SilkySal]

I am taking a scooter with us on our upcoming October cruise. RCCL wanted to know the width, length and height of the scooter, along with its weight with and without the driver. The form is on their web site for "special needs". Hope this helps!

 

Here ya go if you need it:

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/resources/guest-special-needs

 

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by SilkySal
add

[brillohead]

Addendum to my post about buying and bringing your own:

Wheelchairs are considered medical equipment and are not charged luggage fees by airlines (at least in the USA).  You can take the wheelchair all the way to the door of the airplane and gate-check it there, and it will be returned to the jetway when your flight lands.

[Tee & Chilli]

Explore your options- scooter, wheelchair or transport chair.

 

Which will be easier to  bring with you and store in your cabin?

Will the chosen medical device fit through the cabin door?

Is this a one time use or multiple?

[Joseph2017China]

If you get a HA room, and have a scooter, than you should involve special needs.  If you travel with a travel scooter you don't need to let the ship know.  For example, my wife does not need a HA room, and sometimes they are tough to get anyway.  So, we have a normal room.  The scooter folds, and is only used off the ship, not on the ship.  So, although the door width is small, when folded, I can easily move into the cabin.  

 

We also use normal hotel rooms mostly.  Some European hotels are tiny.  However, whether it fits nicely or not is not an issue for a person that uses it.  It is just a fact of life that you will need to walk around it.  

 

The poster asked about a TA, which is not closed loop.  Outside approved vendors most likely won't rent scooters on those trips.  

 

Best bet is still bring your own, and it looks like the poster might only need a push chair.  

[brillohead]

Also important to note the difference between a "wheelchair" (with big wheels so the seated person can push themselves around) and a "transport chair" (with little wheels requiring someone else to push the chair.

Transport chairs are lighter and fold smaller.  

Wheelchairs are heavier and don't fold up as small because the wheels stick out more on the sides instead of underneath, and the wheels are huge compared to the wheels on a transport chair. 

[grovesteve]

On 9/12/2022 at 6:12 AM, ace2542 said:

I will need to request a wheelchair for my father on Anthem 2023 TA. He only needs the wheelchair (knee problem) so he can explore the ports in Azores, Cherburg and Le Harve. He DOES NOT need a special disabled access cabin. Trip is booked through Agent so I suppose we need to contact them

 

Will Royal bounce him if we request the wheelchair I have heard they can be a bit funny? Is there  a cost for the chair? And would what happened if we rocked up with the wheelchair WITHOUT declaring such need on the health form the will surely send out?

 

Thanks for the help in advance guys.

Purchase a companion chair. It’s cheaper than renting one. The airline will let you check for free