fluffyclouds

Yes, accessible cabins fill up quickly. For what it’s worth, and I know these ideas may not be feasible, the only options I can see are: — Change your cruise to one that has an accessible cabin available. — If possible, use a foldable scooter, wheelchair, or rollator/wheelchair combo rather than a full size scooter. Travel scooters tend to be smaller than ‘regular’ scooters, but they do have size limitations and I am not sure how available they are from the rental companies. — If you are willing to pay a significantly higher price, the layout of a full suite will accommodate a scooter in that you will have enough space to store and get the scooter in and out of the cabin. You will still need to lift up one of the arms to maneuver through the cabin door. As someone who also has mobility issues I can relate to your situation and think it is good that you are seeking information about what to expect on a cruise. The more information you have the more comfortable you will be going into the cruise. I should mention that all of my comments are based on Princess ships. The cabins on other lines may be different with regard to accessibility. Also, you can look at the Enchanted balcony diagram on the Princess website to get a better idea of the layout. Good luck to you! I hope you have a wonderful cruise.

The 22” scooter will fit through the door although you will likely have to lift up the arms or remove one of the arms to get it in and out easily. The larger issue however is if your room is configured with the bed closer to the entry door (I.e. not by the balcony), you will not be able to get the scooter past the bed and there is no place to store it in the entry/closet area. If a regular scooter (versus a foldable scooter or foldable wheelchair) is necessary, I recommend getting an accessible cabin.

We are still being charged too and yes, we have the Plus Package. Frustrating.

Thank you @FOPMan I spent about a half hour with Alamo this morning. Unfortunately I was only able to reach the corporate office and not a local branch. The representative could not suggest which of their several locations would be closest to the port. I’m guessing the airport, but not sure. I will try again tomorrow. Thanks for the information.

Does anyone know what car rental companies are closest to the Princess dock in Honolulu? Due to mobility issues we want to rent a standard SUV as we cannot travel in cars with low seats, e.g. a sedan. Cruise excursions are either sold out or will not accept a mobility device (rollator). Ideally the rental car company would pick up or shuttle from the port, but I know that is wishful thinking. Any information you can provide would be much appreciated. Actually, we would also appreciate any information of this type for Kauai and Hilo. Thank you. FYI, I also posted this question in the Hawaii section.

Does anyone know what car rental companies are closest to the Princess dock in Honolulu? Due to mobility issues we want to rent a standard SUV as we cannot travel in cars with low seats, e.g. a sedan. Cruise excursions are either sold out or will not accept a mobility device (rollator). Ideally the rental car company would pick up or shuttle from the port, but I know that is wishful thinking. Any information you can provide would be much appreciated. Actually, we would also appreciate any information of this type for Kauai and Hilo. Thank you.

Thank you everyone for your responses. We thought it came with the Plus Package (which we have), but when ordering the medallions on the app it shows a $10 charge. This didn’t happen on our last cruise so we wondered if there was a policy change.

Is there currently a shipping charge for the medallion if you are at platinum level or in a suite? Last cruise we were not charged, but for an upcoming cruise there is a $10 fee. Thanks in advance.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I have received different opinions on what will happen so I was looking for information from people with firsthand experience. We are leaving soon. Hope it goes well. I would prefer the rollator be kept in the cabin, but will go with the flow. Glad to hear a storage bag is not necessary.

For those of you who travel with a rollator, when traveling on a plane have you been able to store the rollator in the cabin of the plane or do you have to gate check it and have it stored in the cargo area during the flight? We are flying on an Embraer 175 which is not a huge plane, but not tiny either. I called the airline, but they are not able to tell me where the rollator will be stored. They just tell me that it is ok to travel with the device. If you have had to store (gate check) the rollator in the cargo area, do you first cover it with a travel bag or just fold it and store as is? Thank you for any insight or advice you can provide.

I am told that the Princess Transfers from LAX to San Pedro are done via a shuttle bus and that a mobility assistive device can only be accommodated if it can fold small enough to fit in the luggage compartment of the shuttle. We carry a heavy duty walker rollator that can be folded, but is still somewhat large and bulky. If you have taken this shuttle have you noticed how large the luggage compartment is and do you remember if the shuttle has a ramp to enter or only stairs? If it has stairs/steps only are they high or low? I have tried to find out this information from Princess, but they do not have specifics as transportation services to and from the airport are apparently farmed out to a third party. I have e-mailed the Princess Accessibility Department and have not yet received a response. Thank you for any information you can provide. FYI, I have also posted this topic in the disabled board.

I am told that the Princess Transfers from LAX to San Pedro are done via a shuttle bus and that a mobility assistive device can only be accommodated if it can fold small enough to fit in the luggage compartment of the shuttle. We carry a heavy duty walker rollator that can be folded, but is still somewhat large and bulky. If you have taken this shuttle have you noticed how large the luggage compartment is and do you remember if the shuttle has a ramp to enter or only stairs? If it has stairs/steps only are they high or low? I have tried to find out this information from Princess, but they do not have specifics as transportation services to and from the airport are apparently farmed out to a third party. I have e-mailed the Princess Accessibility Department and have not yet received a response. Thank you for any information you can provide.

Can’t speak to the Chef’s Table, but I can tell you that the 360 experience was wonderful. The service, “show,” and quality of food was excellent. The service in particular was personal and exceptional. That being said, the type of food served may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s not the typical steak and potatoes. You are contacted in advance to see if you have any dietary restrictions, which does help tailor the menu somewhat to your taste. There are alcoholic drinks served before and after dinner. The wine was good, but we did not care for the pre-dinner drinks. I don’t remember exactly how long the experience was, maybe 90 minutes. If you are in a full suite there is no charge, but I have seen mentioned on this forum that Princess now offers attendance to everyone for a $149/pp charge.

In August some people wore dressy (not formal) clothes, but most were casual with jeans or slacks and a nice blouse or shirt. It’s an elevated experience, but not stuffy. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Discovery does not have Let It Ride.

You folks are so awesome, so helpful! I’m hoping the beds are firm because of my difficulties getting out of a low chair or bed (dislocated kneecap). Will play it by ear and keep my fingers crossed keeping in mind there is always the sofa in our room or bundling a topper or towels to raise the height. I have requested a bed rail via the app. This request shows on the app, but not on our trip summary on the web account. Hope there is not a problem. Thanks again!

Have you been on the Discovery and if so, how are the beds? I have a significant (issue it’s pretty much impossible) getting out of a bed or chair that is low to the ground. Are the beds hard, firm, or soft and cushy, cloud-like? I saw on another thread that it may be possible to request a board from the steward that will actually make the bed harder and higher. I have not heard this before and wonder if it is true. Anyone have information or thoughts? Thank you very much for any and all information.

@casaloma Did you take a tender when you mentioned that you ‘scooted to the deck they boarded?’ If so, what ship were you on and were you able to take the scooter on the tender? Thank you.

Hello. Does anyone know what the current hours are on embarkation day for the Concierge Lounge on Discovery? We are especially interested in knowing when they open. Thanks in advance.

We have rented from Scootaround several times with no issues. I placed the order over the phone rather than online, but you can do either. As the above posters mention, do pay attention to the dimensions of the scooter relative to the door dimension of your cabin. While some scooters can fit in a regular cabin it may be very tight, especially with the arms down. The Scootaround website has dimensions for the equipment they carry. FYI, the scooters we rented were at the Loa Angeles and Seattle ports. We picked up the scooter just outside of the main entry and it was therefore available to ride up the gangway. The scooter is returned to the same location at the end of the cruise. Please also know that depending on the cruise line, ship and port, the scooter may not be able to tender. The Carnival Panorama has the ability to ride a scooter directly onto the tender, but I don’t know about other ships. As catwoman mentioned, if your MIL has never used a scooter before, it is an excellent idea for her to take a few test runs at a local store. Without a doubt, a scooter will be a big help to your MIL assuming she has mobility challenges.

Thanks to everyone for the information. Our fellow cruisers on this site are always a wealth of information. My husband is going to look into a back-up battery for his cpap machine that he would use instead of having to plug the machine into an outlet. If possible, we would like to avoid running an extension cord across the floor as we also use a rollator.

Thank you everyone for your responses. @cr8tiv1 Actually, we will be in a window suite and are very much looking forward to the experience. In the window suite is there an outlet close to the bed that does not require an extension cord?

Does anyone know if there is an electrical outlet on or near the nightstand on the Discovery?

Hello! We have cruised to Alaska several times although not on the Crown. A few comments to help you get ready: Check the weather before you go and dress in layers. We have experienced both cool weather and warm weather in Alaska. Dressing in layers is helpful, as is bringing a hat and gloves (just in case). We have found the entertainment on Princess to be pretty good with some of the production shows and comedians excellent. Princess often has live music in the piazza and the pool areas, which is nice. There are also a few venues with live music for dancing and if the Crown has Skywalkers that is basically a late night club with a dj. Alaska cruises are casual. No need to wear a suit unless you enjoy doing so. No need to dress up; wear clothes in good repair that you find comfortable. As for excursions, that depends on what you and your family enjoy doing. We loved the dog sledding ride and enjoyed a through the Yukon and the railroad excursion (White Pass?). The tram ride in Juneau is ok, the Mendenhall Glacier is a good trip, the whale watching excursion we went on was fun, the lumberjack show so-so. Walking around the port areas is also interesting, especially on your first trip. I did major planning for a trip to Disney World a long time ago and it paid off to a certain extent. On your first cruise I suggest taking a low-key approach. Some things will need to be planned/scheduled in advance, but try to save some time to explore the ship and get a taste of the various venues, restaurants, and entertainment activities. Daytime on a ship can be a bit quiet, but there is always something to do and a fun place to hang out. On our Alaska cruises there was very limited or no use of the pool as it was too chilly. Try the gelato at the International Cafe and some of the specialty coffee drinks if you like coffee. If you like your coffee strong ask for a ‘black eye.” There are many varieties of martinis at Crooners and other bars, and if you are in the mood for a boozy milkshake try a dirty banana, it’s yummy. Have a fantastic time doing as much or as little as you want!

Thanks everyone. I know that the cruise line does not offer physical assistance, I was hoping Princess would have the same type of tender available on the Carnival Panorama where you enter via a ramp and there were no stairs to climb or obstructions to climb over to enter, it made access to the tender very easy for those with a wheelchair, scooter, walker, cane, etc. I sent Princess an e-mail asking the same question but have not received a response yet.