GGGrandma32

Have a few capable men or women in your group wait to check in and wait for you to arrive at port. Once at port they all take a couple of bags and bring them on the ship for you. Honestly I think this idea has the least amount of worry and they can all follow you with the bags directly to the stateroom.

 

 

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We arrive the day before we will have checked in as RCCL requested and have met with dining before any of them arrive in town.

As previously stated making sure your medical equipment gets to your room ultamintly lies with you and your family. The fact you say the others in your party can't help is selfish on their part. Have you even asked them of someone can meet you to help?

RCCL asked us to arrive early. We could not do as RCCL asked us to do if waited till much later time they come in. Cannot do as RCCL asked and wait for three different carloads of people coming in at very different times. What gives you the gall to judge my family. You know nothing. Every single one of my grandchildren has been praying daily just assure we get on this cruise with them (a medical crisis put a real scare in them last week). Had RCCL not requested we do differently we would not have planned as we did.

Got it guys. Before I felt like they might be trustworthy w/o asking one more special thing. Better safe than sorry though. On CC if a problem exists you usually hear complaints. I am well warned now. Very familiar with special needs dept but they also have been telling some incorrect info too. Ship will help us handle I am sure. DONE.

It concerns me that you feel Royal Caribbean " Has to come up with something." I honestly don't think they have to if they don't have a policy for what you are demanding.

 

The best solution is to arrive at the port after the cabins are open so you can perhaps get someone on the ship to help you once onboard. I realize there is a lot to this and I do feel sorry for your husband, but if as other mentioned, you are traveling with a lot of others, I can't believe there aren't people who are in your group that can't help as I'm sure they are aware of your husband's medical problems. If you get to the ship after the cabins are open, perhaps someone in your group can meet you when you board and take the medical equipment to the cabin.

 

I do hope there is a solution for you, but, honestly, I don't think it's all up to Royal Caribbean if you have others that can help and won't because they have kids etc. I don't know that the laws getting the medical equipment to your cabin would be the same as not paying fees to transport medical equipment on a plane. Those, to me, are two separate issues. JMO.

Just so you know, Royal is the one who asked us to arrive early so we are flying in the day before on their recommendation to see all gets in and meet with dining staff early as they asked us to come in to do. Our party will arrive later so cannot help. TA conferred with them prior to our booking. Airline doing things a little different than before so complicates things. They know about the luggage and how is coming I just trusted them before, so had not dealt with that extra issue but will do so now. I just know where there is legal obligation and a real need there should be a way to get it accomplished.

Once again I say contact Special Access. These people will bring a porter from onboard the ship and transfer your luggage directly to your stateroom. You can walk with them. We have done this for the last three cruises and it is pretty seamless. You just need to coordinate between Special Access and the Port Agents. We were assigned a porter who walked us through security and the luggage was transferred to a different type dolly so it would fit through the hallways and taken directly to our room. The cruise line wants you there and they will help. We have done this at both Port Canaveral and Port Everglades. Here is a link to the contact form:

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/guestSpecialNeeds.do

 

Good Luck! PS This has nothing to do with your group. It is between you and Royal Caribbean.

Thank you very much for the info. Your info really helped. I am glad I thought to double check because with airline insisting packing differently made unmanageable.

Have you even cleared all this with the cruise line?

Of course cleared with cruise line. Just like last X Cruise except AA is insisting we put the medical luggage in smaller carryon suitcases so three suitcases instead of one larger suitcase holding it all and now since the state of Allure beds requires mattresses and a pillow too. Of course my own personal, non official medical carryon we expected to lug around will have the meds for both of us we would not let out of our sight as well as valuables. RCCL will have to come up with something. If airline has to let the medical luggage fly free surely we can get some assistance to see that this medical luggage no one would want if knew what was in it should be an issue. But since will have a medical luggage tag on each might make someone curious. Much will be used up by end of the cruise. When I call they may act like I am worrying for nothing but now I am worried.

In your other posts, you have mentioned you are traveling with a large group. Can't some of the others help you bring on your vital medical equipment? Have you called the special needs department and asked if you can get access to your cabin early to drop off the excess luggage? I hope you are staying in an accessible cabin so that your scooter and equipment will fit in your cabin and still give you space to move around.

We are in accessible cabin. Did not ask about special arrangement for luggage wanted to ask here first as had not heard about an issue. Had to make all those arrangements for flight TSA etc... We are only ones flying in. They are driving and small children in tow and timing will not sync up. I had not heard issue with luggage.The Vital medical equipment will not be needed till later at night. The items needed before we will keep in luggage DW has with him. Guess another call to RCCL to see they can help treat specially. There is no way DH can lug around that much w/o porters cart.

After getting of it all there through flights and through TSA is hard enough, and airlines are famous for misplacing luggage. Since never heard about luggage misplaced from pier except luggage with lost luggage tag issue. Just wanted to be reassured. NOT REASSURED!

We will have 2 carryon suitcases with super vital medical equipment IVs and other stuff a 3rd with comfort medical equipment (I am not as worried about) and then DH will have the carryon suit case with reg meds and valuables as well as our 2 personal items. He cannot wheel 3 carry on suitcases and carry his backpack, I can carry my smaller personal bag. Our luggage has to get on or I have to off.

May seem like a stupid question. Soon on Allure -once luggage is checked in at pier, is any lost before gets to cabin?Is there any extra precaution we can make? We will be flying in with not only our regular luggage but bags with much vital medical equipment that we must watch like hawk on flight and till we get to pier. I know we need to keep Reg meds and valuables with us till get into cabin. But DH cannot carry around all the medical equipment luggage till get into cabin. If they did not we would be in crisis as are necessary. I will be on a scooter so cannot assist. We will have our luggage tags securely affixed with an extra copy in the bag. I had not seen any complaints but just wanted to ask.

It is part of my pretty strict health diet. They are able to get me both daily greek yogurt and berries to have in my cabin when needed I mix medication with it.

RCCL states that they do not say the mini fridge already in cabins is not cool enough to keep food or medicine safe. If you want that you will need to bring a cooler and use ice, or go through special needs and request a mini fridge for your cabin. I am very aware of this because needed for meds and special foods and my TA had to go through this for us for Allure. Say it was intended only to will keep drinks cool not cold and they are not regulated. RCCL is giving us the mini fridge.

Pre-existing medical is important to me and has to be purchased within I believe 14 days of booking cruise though you can up coverage to include flights and other things later. But for us, having elderly parents, ability to cancel for their emergencies as well as ours is important as well. We had a parent pass the day we would have left on a 2012 cruise. We knew in the week leading up to it she was likely to pass during the 11 day cruise. Of course, the other medical and evacuation benefits are always important as well. I would not buy from the cruise line.

Just felt you needed to be warned. Had we not double checked it would have been a catastrophe. Do remember to go back into everyones account and check each persons reservations list after you have made them with RCCL. I hope you have better luck than we did, but she always has this problem with RCCL. Just worse this time because so many different reservation numbers. Forewarned is forearmed. One of my least favorite phrases is "I wish I had only known" Have fun!

I was warned that there would be no chance allowed to leave a scooter outside in the hall and that would be removed.

My daughter in law had to do this for our family group of 7 adults and 7 children in multiple cabins. In 2 cabins a small child was a different reservation number than others in the cabin. I warn you when you call (or make your many calls to them about this). Have cabin and reservation numbers and names in front of you as well as list of shows and times you want. Even then you will call and think all is set up, they will read it back to you to confirm what you have scheduled, then you will have to go to each persons reservations to check and I bet there will be multiple mistakes and leave people out or have wrong show days. My daughter in law (no dummy) had to call them at least 10 times to fix their mistakes and probably spent 25 hours on the phone with them. There is still a mistake (but only 2 of us scheduled for the same show twice in one night so she will not call back for that).

It was a nightmare. Go over the reservations after the call and have the others in your party do so too otherwise you likely will miss that a name has been left of someone in party by RCCL. The more calls she made the more mistakes they made. This was before the new website launched, so that had nothing to do with it. Just a warning! Hate you to miss any mistakes they make by feeling after calling them it is all taken care of, then find out too late after all seats are filled. She called the first few days that reservations were able to be made. They sail RCCL several times a year so she is used to the system which she agrees is CRAZY and inefficient and staff is very poorly trained. Why, when you phone them back to fix just one thing wrong in reservation and they supposedly do it. Then after you hang up you find they messed up other reservations for several in your party they should not have even touched during that phone call.The Best Of Luck! Have a very patient but organized person in your group who also has much free time do this for your group.

So yes to all of the above, and also, sometimes they mess up. On the old "Spice" menus, one of the cold soups wasn't marked vegetarian, and I asked, so my server asked the chef and it was - it was a mistake and they didn't want to re-print all the menus. There was also a scallop or shrimp dish that WAS marked with the V or leaf on those, and clearly that isn't.

 

Make sure you tell your server you are vegetarian (and if you are strict, make sure to ask about gelatin in the desserts), and they can always ask about the kitchen about something for you.

That is going to make desserts trickier for you! Both RCCL and X over use gelatin in their desserts. I do not like gelatin and this is a major complaint about the desserts. I have never seen so many desserts that are filled with gelatin. Seems like using it to replace more expensive cream etc...

Now that fact in itself would encourage me to book a higher level cabin (In an Accessible OV Balcony). For the number of scooters and wheelchairs on all cruise ships these elevators are a joke. If I could, I would be taking the stairs much of the time. Most of my party does unless a really long distance and I encourage them to do so and leave me behind to deal with elevator on my own. I tell them if they do not see me in an hour- send help.

Yes you can. Follow the white highlights. There is a ramp on either side of the ship from deck 15 up to deck 16.

 

Thanks so much! May seem silly to ask in advance but others with me will not be dealing with the issue, and I am happier when prepared. Some of my grandkids have gotten so good on flow rider due to repeat trips so I really want to watch some.

If you have a young one and do not bring a stroller you will be miserable. Unless both of you can have fun carrying the extra load. Plus a tired child can nap or play in a stroller.

Can you get close to the surf area of flow rider on Allure to watch. If not how far or how many steps to watch.

No limits- I assume you booked before the start of non refundable bookings started. There is a charge of $100 per person each time you move them, No charge for a refundable one

Question: I must buy travel insurance w/i 14 days of booking cruise due to preexisting medical conditions clause. Do you know if you move a booking whether insurance can be moved too or you lose what you paid for this insurance. That would limit my moving as I need to buy really good travel insurance.

This method of cooking is called Sous Vide. It uses an Immersion cooker to heat and circulate water that cooks food in vacuum sealed bags. We are using this method for Steaks, Chicken and Fish. I can honestly say that it is not reheating prepared food at all. When I want a medium steak I set the temp and withing 45 minutes to an hour I have a perfect medium steak through out. Then I can either sear it on a grill or frying pan and it is perfect every time.

Thanks could not remember what it was called.Thought it was very interesting.

On Allure in May with family. Is there anywhere onboard I cannot go with scooter. I have grandchildren who will want me to watch them do things such as flow-rider, zip line etc... I can walk but not distances. I am compiling a cheat sheet of places I cannot get to or I need to get to differently with a scooter. I will be stuck using the elevators while know most of my party may use the stairs much of the time. I am fine with that. I am not the best at picking up on some of the finer points of maps. I figured an organized cheat sheet would come in handy. Do not want to wait till onboard to scribble out one. If organized and have info neatly typed out will be smaller and I can relax rather than spending so much time figuring things out. Don't laugh. Overpreparing works for me. :o

I always wanted to know why a person needs a wheel chair getting on the ship and the next 7 days they manage without it? My wife will s disabled and we have a scooter, a wheelchair, a transport chair and crutches to walk in the ship. Instead of being dependant on others buy the tools you need. A transport chair is only $125.00

In San Juan I would agree need to plan better. Some of us already flying in with 3 suitcases just of medical equipment may make arrangements to leave our larger wheel chairs and scooters at home if we can walk some. Have wheelchair assist at airport and pier. Pick up scooter at kiosk at pier, use scooter everywhere onboard, disembark by wheelchair. If already bringing 3 suitcases of medical devices and some med equip must fly with this is enough. Someday may not be able to get away with a short time w/o the scooter or wheelchair that will not fit through door of cabin. But till then, We look at the situation and plan accordingly as is our responsibility It gets crazy trying to transport so much stuff on a flight. My husband can only handle so much. If we ever sail out of PR I am forewarned. I do believe it is pier staff who help at pier. RCCL crew cannot leave ship but take you inside once get to ship itself. I was told that family cannot wheel a RCCL or Pier wheelchair inside on to the ship it must be personnel. If rental scooter was picked up prior to entering ship, you can ride on as I am planning to do.

Yuk! No telling what might be in it.