Carnival Destiny- Motorized Wheelchair???

[PreciousJewel]

Hello All!

 

My family is booked on the Destiny in August with the following ports:

 

SanJuan-depart 10pm

St. Thomas- 7a-5p

Dominica 10a-6p

Barbados 8a-5p

St. Lucia 8a-5p

Antigua 8a-6p

St. Kitts 7a-4p

San Juan-arrive 7am

 

My Aunt has been cruising for years and most recently has found herself unable to walk long distances due to a spinal surgery. While she is happy about going this year (she did the Triumph cruise last year with her motorized wheelchair...no problems) but she is concerned a bit due to the port-intensive nature of this cruise. She's under the impression that she really won't get to do anything but enjoy the ship this year because she doesn't want to slow anybody down. Last year, she only got off once and my stepmom took her to a beach for a little while (by walking her off the ship and holding her up and using her walker), but she doesn't want to have to rely on someone to have to escort her. Does anyone know of any accessible choices in these ports that we could do without her feeling like she's a bother? I don't want her to stay on the ship the whole time, even if she insists she doesn't mind.

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[PreciousJewel]

57 views, no responses. I'm sure some of the differently-abled folks on this board have been to at least ONE of these ports and can offer some advice. :confused:

[Splinter]

There is a wheelchair tour company in San Juan. Best to book through the cruise line as they usually take up all their available slots. One tour only. We have not been to any of the other ports since my mother was still able to walk, so can't help you there.

 

I would definitely take a manual wheelchair though and leave her power chair on the ship. Can she transfer to a car? Renting a cab and doing your own thing might be best as I doubt you will find much in those ports that is wheelchair accessible (transportation wise).

[Umbarger]

Me and my mom did these ports last year. She used a walker at that time with some difficulty. Accessibility was extremely difficult. We even had some problems in San Juan and St Thomas. The other smaller islands don't have any curb cut outs if they even have a sidewalk or paved walkway. You will defiantly need a manual wheelchair for in port. We did a tour in Dominica. Excellent tour and the tour guide wanted to show my mom his island so bad he had to carry my mom piggy back to show her some sights. My Mom is one gutsy handicapped lady! The tour bus hardly had room for her walker. Bless that tour guides heart. We took some other independant tours as well but Mom was able with lots of help to get into the vans, buses and boats.

 

We love these islands and were going to go back this year but changed our minds due to accessibility. Mom has since lost most of her mobility so we switched to a Hawaii cruise.

 

If I can help you more in any way I would be happy to try to help.

 

Linda

[PreciousJewel]

Thank you Splinter/Linda for your replies. Yes she has limited mobility, she can walk (slowly) with assistance or with a walker. She can transfer into a car/truck with help. I guess the problem is that she doesn't want to do anything that would require us to cater to her too much and "slow us down". Speaking for myself, I don't mind. I spent time in nursing school and I just honestly don't mind, but my aunt is VERY stubborn, lol. She wouldn't just as soon stay on the boat and hang out in the casino with a drink than have us toting her around or hanging on our arm.

 

It's just a huge change from like 2 years ago when she was perfectly fine and I just don't want her to sit on the ship and get depressed or anything. Maybe I and her daughter just take it a little more personally than she does, because she doesn't show it.

 

Now I have another question, have you guys heard of beach wheelchairs? Like if we could get her a push chair and then transfer her to a cab, then rent a beach wheelchair maybe she could just hang out on the beach for a little while. Hmmm, as I'm typing, I'm guess that if the beach isn't too far, once we get to sand, we could escort her by arm and have one of the guys carry the push chair to wherever we're seated. That's a thought. :confused:

 

Linda that was an awesome tour guide you guys had in Dominica. Do you remember what company it was?

[vickila]

Go to Coral World in St. Thomas -- take a cab to get wheelchair in as ships use "island open air taxis" and put w/c in back. Mostly accessible and quite nice to see.

 

In St. Kitts there is a very nice train ride with very little exertion. The mini bus will take a fold up wheelchair used to get to the bus from the ship -- the mini bus stops right at the field where the train starts - they help passengers get on the 1st (higher) step -- then maybe 2 more steps and nice seats for about 2 hrs. Other passengers can go upstairs, but downstairs is air conditioned and scenery is fine. It mainly goes through small "real" (poverty) towns amd sugar cane. After that, you get back on mini bus which goes through local town for 15 minutes and off -- total time aroudn 3 1/2 hrs. Very easy and accessible.

[Umbarger]

Linda that was an awesome tour guide you guys had in Dominica. Do you remember what company it was?

 

It was Fredo from Fredo Tours. I tried to Google him but couldnt find anything.

 

Linda

[PreciousJewel]

Thank you guys!!!

[Umbarger]

Linda that was an awesome tour guide you guys had in Dominica. Do you remember what company it was?

 

Found it. Fredos Taxi and Tour Services

fredos40 at hotmail dot com

Linda

[PreciousJewel]

Thanks Linda!!:)