Mobility scooter or electric wheelchair? Pros and cons?

[Nora86]

I've been getting great advice here for my upcoming Cruise so I thought I'd ask another question. I'm not sure if I should bring my electric wheelchair or mobility scooter. The mobility scooter is more comfortable but it's so big. I'm not a great driver on the electric wheelchair and may not be as comfortable sitting for long spans of time. But the size and being able to pull up to a table would be very nice. For reference I can walk unaided about 10 to 30 ft (sometimes) and I can stand for a few minutes at a time. And we're in an accessible (woohoo) mini suite so space in the cabin isn't a problem. Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Cruz4Sun]

My DH can also walk short distances (with my help for balance) and he takes his mobility scooter onboard.  It is very comfortable and easy to drive. At the dining room he drives up to the table and after he is seated the staff drives the scooter away.  They happily bring it back to him when we are done eating. At the lounges we generally find a wall to park against and he walks to a seat.  At Crooners he walks into the lounge leaving the scooter against the railing separating the lounge from the hallway.  I hope you will find the solution that works best for you.  Enjoy your accessible mini suite!

[2 cruises a year]

4 hours ago, Cruz4Sun said:

My DH can also walk short distances (with my help for balance) and he takes his mobility scooter onboard.  It is very comfortable and easy to drive. At the dining room he drives up to the table and after he is seated the staff drives the scooter away.  They happily bring it back to him when we are done eating. At the lounges we generally find a wall to park against and he walks to a seat.  At Crooners he walks into the lounge leaving the scooter against the railing separating the lounge from the hallway.  I hope you will find the solution that works best for you.  Enjoy your accessible mini suite!

If you travel a lot, look into the Luggie. It is a travel scooter, so it is compact and light. My wife has one and it is perfect on a cruise ship. It is narrow and fits between the walls and room service carts with out having to move them around.

[Nora86]

Thanks! Both great tips and I feel better about a scooter now

[2 cruises a year]

19 hours ago, Cruz4Sun said:

My DH can also walk short distances (with my help for balance) and he takes his mobility scooter onboard.  It is very comfortable and easy to drive. At the dining room he drives up to the table and after he is seated the staff drives the scooter away.  They happily bring it back to him when we are done eating. At the lounges we generally find a wall to park against and he walks to a seat.  At Crooners he walks into the lounge leaving the scooter against the railing separating the lounge from the hallway.  I hope you will find the solution that works best for you.  Enjoy your accessible mini suite!

I do have to comment about the staff taking care of your scooter for you, they LOVE it.  They have way too much fun driving around. (I mean this in a good way, we have fun seeing them "play" a little bit) My wife also parks her scooter at Crooners. When we are ready to leave, the bartenders can't wait to "bring her scooter around". 

[kokopelli-az]

@Nora86  You might do a search on this forum for "elevators" and "scooter".   There are lots of conversations regarding getting on elevators with scooters (or any mobility equipment for that matter).  You will get some handy tips.   

 

PS:  Never use the gangway at ports with your scooter without assistance from the ship personnel.  (They will be watching for and helping passengers with mobility devices.)    

[VirginiaIsForCruisers]

19 hours ago, 2 cruises a year said:

I do have to comment about the staff taking care of your scooter for you, they LOVE it.  They have way too much fun driving around. (I mean this in a good way, we have fun seeing them "play" a little bit)

The last cruise I rented a scooter (I now own a powerchair), the scooter was like a Cadillac. It was beautiful and brand new, with turn signals, a headlight, and a rear view mirror. . It was a bariatric (extra large) scooter and could go super fast. Well, I would go up to the buffet after the late show to grab a quick bite. There was an employee who bussed tables who kept looking longingly at the scooter, which I'd park and transfer to a regular chair to eat. I told him to go ahead and he said he shouldn't. I told him, "oh, just go ahead". He got on it and jacked up the speed, flying out of the buffet and all the way down the pool deck. I could hear him laughing the whole way. He brought it back a few minutes later and thanked me. Every night, we had a repeat. I figured I could let him have a little fun.

 

 

[VirginiaIsForCruisers]

7 hours ago, kokopelli-az said:

@Nora86  You might do a search on this forum for "elevators" and "scooter".   There are lots of conversations regarding getting on elevators with scooters (or any mobility equipment for that matter).  You will get some handy tips.   

 

Biggest tip about the elevators is to always take the first elevator that arrives, even if it's not going the "right" way. It will eventually go where you're going and you'll already be on. On disembarkation day, always take the elevator going up, pressing the top deck button, you'll get on and be in the elevator before the crowds trying to get on from each cabin deck with tons of luggage.

 

Also, pack your patience, people can be rude or at least oblivious, cutting in front of you to get on an elevator first. After shows or anything that would stress the elevators, I just sit in the theater for 10-15 minutes to let the crowd disperse.

[happy42cruise]

We have both a scooter & an electric wheelchair for my husband.  He can also walk short distances but not very far.  He prefers the wheelchair because it is more maneuverable.   I have a cushion that he uses on both seats for comfort.  If your scooter arms raise up you can still pull up to the table.  I would let him drive up to the table, put it in manual mode, raise the arms & push him closer to the table.  Actually that's for both of them, it's the arms that get in the way at the table.  The more you use the wheelchair the better you will become at driving it. With the wheelchair he can turn around in some of the elevators if we're alone.  Both work so whichever you choose you'll be fine. I've found that the glass elevators midship tend to be ignored by most people who rush the doors so I tend to watch them & get in to hold it for my husband to get in.  If you're blocking the door & point to the person on a device people back off. The accessible cabins are roomier than regular cabins with wider doors. Have a great time!

[2 cruises a year]

2 hours ago, VirginiaIsForCruisers said:

The last cruise I rented a scooter (I now own a powerchair), the scooter was like a Cadillac. It was beautiful and brand new, with turn signals, a headlight, and a rear view mirror. . It was a bariatric (extra large) scooter and could go super fast. Well, I would go up to the buffet after the late show to grab a quick bite. There was an employee who bussed tables who kept looking longingly at the scooter, which I'd park and transfer to a regular chair to eat. I told him to go ahead and he said he shouldn't. I told him, "oh, just go ahead". He got on it and jacked up the speed, flying out of the buffet and all the way down the pool deck. I could hear him laughing the whole way. He brought it back a few minutes later and thanked me. Every night, we had a repeat. I figured I could let him have a little fun.

 

 

Great story! Good for you. 

[Ozark_Kid]

On 12/3/2023 at 10:20 PM, happy42cruise said:

He prefers the wheelchair because it is more maneuverable.

I rented a wheelchair for our last cruise and loved it.  I liked that I could pull into the elevator and turn around in it to face the door for easy exit.  I liked it enough that I am renting another for our next cruise in January. 

[TXAV8R]

Hi Nora86,

My wife uses a moterized wheelchair on cruises and since it folds we can usually arrange an excursion either through the cruise line or on our own. She uses a Eagle HD which weighs around 50 pounds  and folds to the size of a medium to large suitcase. It is approved for airline travel and she has used it all over the world.  There are similar folding power wheelchairs out there and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. One of the reasons we chose a folding wheelchair is because we can take it on excursions and even put it in the back of a taxi which is difficult to do with most scooters. We have discussed the relative merits of scooter vs W/C with many mobility impaired cruisers over the years and we feel that we have the best fit for us. That said, what works for us  may not work for you.  Some folks bring ar rent a scooter for use on the ship and borrow a manual wheelchair from the ship at no cost for excursions etc. Another thing to consider is a gell or air cushion for the W/C to make it more comfortable. Either way you'll have to workout what works best for you. BTW, I have noticed recently that on some "Accessible excursions" they state that folding W/Cs are acceptable but not scooters. 

Good luck and safe travels, 

Patrick and Joan 20220411_112305.heic

 

[LuckyDuckCanuck]

On 12/2/2023 at 9:13 AM, 2 cruises a year said:

If you travel a lot, look into the Luggie. It is a travel scooter, so it is compact and light. My wife has one and it is perfect on a cruise ship. It is narrow and fits between the walls and room service carts with out having to move them around.

I second this scooter.  I have 2 scooters and Luggie (elite) is my favourite for cruising, for the same reasons given.  The 4 wheels give great stability and it folds like a charm.

 

[Viggie]

Hi there. New to the forum and a new mobility scooter user. I have a northern European cruise scheduled for the summer. I've been reading a lot of info on scooters and wheelchairs. My question is this - should I actually bring both on the trip? The mobility scooter and a manual wheelchair? I've used the mobility scooter on a ship before but I'm looking at the ports of call and wondering if it would be better to use a wheelchair off the ship. Any opinions? Thanks.

[TXAV8R]

Hi Viggie,

I wouldn't bring a manual wheelchair because you can borrow one from the ship in most cases. You probably need to confirm that with the cruise line, but we have always been able to request a wheelchair for an excursion. As an alternative,  you can bring a manual W/C and rent a scooter for use on the ship.  We've seen it done both ways.

The latter option is great if you have difficulty transporting the scooter via the airlines.

Best of luck to you, and safe travels!