Boozebabe

First of all, I have gone back over the posts and copied and pasted hints and tips to wordpad to print out for reference later. Thank you ladies!

 

Second, I had an idea which may, or may not work. I don't know the opening size of the "desk" area of the built in unit. But if it is more than 20" we could take off the seat, loosen the part that steers it and fold it down, remove the armrests, put it in freewheel and push it under the counter. I would think about 1/3 to 1/2 would fit in there (if it's wide enough) That would open up some space. Just a thought, won't know if it will work until we get there! But if we could manage that we could still charge it at night because the batteries would be in place.

 

Since it comes apart I am no longer worrying about the wheelbase. We will make it work! We are determined to not let this phase us and to have a good time!

The stool they provide for the desk area is about 16-18 inches wide. Just about the same as a chair seat but it has no back on it. The opening allows about an inch or so on each side of the stool so its not very wide. But I still think you could put parts under there. You also mentioned in another post about keeping the beds in twin style. If so you could park the scooter at the foot of the bed closest to the window. Smeone else would have to do this for him as they will have to climb over the bed...LOL The person who sleeps in that bed would only be able to get out of bed on one side but I think it might work and you won't have to take it apart. Did this make sense? Ultimately you will just have to experiment once in the room.but you have some scenarios to work with.

First of all I am a 'cheap a$$'. I search for "THE BEST" deal out there. I am not restricted to travel at a particular time frame. I'm retired and we can go whenever we want. I have never, I repeat EVER, found a suite deal cheaper than Carnival. Laundry services are irrelevant to me as I would not use them on any ship. But I would probably drink more if it were included and maybe eat in a 'pay for' restaurant if it was free.

I sit at my computer sometimes all day looking for deals and have never found one that competes with a Carnival price. I find that people often claim they got a great deal but I have rarely seen anyone post exactly how much they paid for these fantastic deals.

As for me, a couple weeks ago I booked an ocean suite on the Conquest for $900. per person. Thats taxes and fees included.

Thanks, I had already looked at a video today about how to disassemble the Victory 10. It will work out.

 

Most businesses are closed on Federal Holidays, at least most that I usually need to contact. When I worked, most companies I worked for were closed. Hence my belief that they would be closed today as well. :)

 

We have been talking and plan on finding us a couple of our own scooters for the Feb '18 cruise. They would fit in the back of our van. Now that we know what to look for!

bunchesofun.......

I see that you are from Ohio too. I live in the Greater Cincinnati area. I bought my scooter at Medmart on Reading Rd in Sharonville. They were very helpful and all the scooters are there to try out. They let me zoom around the parking lot etc. I also got a lift for the back of my car. I love it. I can go anywhere I want by myself. Push a button and the lift lowers to the ground, drive the scooter up on it, push a button and the stabilizing arm comes down and secures the scooter. Then I get in my car and away I go. I can load or unload it in about one minute. We have driven to Florida 3 times with it and had no problems on the road. You can still get into the trunk etc. It's something you may consider if you do buy your own scooter. I did have to have a hitch put on the car to hold the lift. But it has been totally worth the investment especially because I will probably be dependant upon it forever. I can go anywhere I want alone.

Has anyone had any luck getting a shower seat that actually fits inside a tub on a Carnival ship? Last cruise they brought me a very nice shower seat but it is obviously only good for a shower and not a tub. The legs were angle too far out for it to fit IN the tub.

I am thinking of bringing a small aluminum frame with a plastic seat to use. It will fit in my luggage but I'd rather not take up the space.

I'll be in an Ocean Suite on Jan 29 on the Conquest. I'll try to remember to come back here and give a full report. We were in and Ocean Suite on the Glory last Feb 2016 and all we got was the bottle of water. We may have gotten a coupon for a free cocktail on the last night but I'm not 100% sure about that.

Thanks for the additional information. I didn't know if the seat was going to fall off and impale you if you used one not rated for your weight! Now that I know it's just the battery has to work harder I have some leverage when I call SNAS later today. I have a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese to attend this morning, and and another appointment later so if I don't call today I will try tomorrow and Monday if that doesn't work. I will get back to you all to let you know how it went.

 

Boozebabe, I was having the same thought--that I hope we run into one another onboard some day! I think we could have some fun together. :)

I DO appreciate your taking the time to measure your scooter to put my mind at ease. I am forever in your debt.

 

I just thought of another question. Having watched the above video on how to disassemble the Sport, is it possible to charge it disassembled? With four of us in the cabin, we could disassemble it for the night for more room in the cabin. Is that possible?

My scooter needs to be fully assembled to charge. The batteries are under the seat and the charging plug is on the tiller.

xxoocruiser made a very good point when they said DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO PUSH THE SCOOTER. There is a disengage lever on mine that does allow it to be pushed. Otherwise the motor can be ruined. I have never rented a scooter on a ship but have rented them other places. There is USUALLY a card with it that gives step by step instructions on how to quickly dis-assemble it. Now that I think of it that may be a better idea for you to give more room inside the cabin. You can also ask the cabin steward to remove the coffee table if there is one. The beds also raise up so you can put your emty luggage under there for more added room.

Actually a heavier person can ride on a "smaller capacity" scooter just fine. It just won't go as far on a charge. I know a lady who was given a used one that has a lighter capacity than she would have purchased and she needs to charge it more often. They also don't have a lot of power to go up hills. I considered buying the smaller capacity one but the salesman also explained to me about battery power etc. which I already knew from a friend.

bunchesofun....I appreciate your realizing I was a little tongue in cheek. I hope our paths cross on a ship someday. I'll be the wide load on the blue scooter......ya can't miss me.

Hi,

I'm thinking we're good with this as Special Needs at Sea says the scooter needs 21" clearance, and Carnival sent me info saying standard cabins are (apx)22" wide.

 

Has anyone rented the heavy duty scooter from Special Needs at Sea and used it with a standard cabin?

 

We have two cabins who now need mobility scooters who didn't when we booked originally. That plus one cabin has 4 people and don't see any accessible cabins for 4. Plus we are Easy Saver, so no changes without big penalties. :(

 

So if anyone has successfully used the Heavy Duty scooter in a standard room I'd be grateful if you would reply. Thanks!

When are you going on your cruise? I am going on the Carnival Conquest on Jan 29 sailing. I will have my scooter with me and will take my small tape measure and measure some doors for you. I think you said you have a balcony room so I'll be sure to measure a couple of them. Hope this helps.

OK I just took my fat ass to the garage and measured my Pride Victory 10. The rear wheelbase is 21" wide. The specs say it is 22.25" wide. So the specs are WRONG. I amd telling you that my scooter fit thru the doorway of a Carnival cabin. I did not or never have I had a HC cabin.

I don't know how wide it is with the armrests since I haven't had them on it since I bought it.

You also will not need to charge but maybe once during the cruise. Mine went thru 3 days of travel to Florida, a day of sight seeing in Ft Laudedale along the River Walk and 3 days on the ship before I lost even one light on the gauge. They are good for about 15-16 miles before needing a charge. You don't need to charge it every night.

That's a good idea too, managing the speed. I know I've read about the problems of getting on and off the elevators with a scooter. I hate walking behind women with strollers. They tend to use them as battering rams...

I hope I'm not sounding like a 'know-it-all' by giving so many tips. But I just thought of another one. When entering an empty elevator I try to pull straight in the middle. People can then fill in on both sides. When leaving the elevator I let everyone else off first then slowly back straight out.

We've read the suggestion of backing the scooter INTO the room so you can just drive it out, so I think that is what we will do. Marking the scooter to identify it makes a lot of sense and is something I hadn't thought about. Thanks! Feeling more at ease about this whole thing.

As I remember they all have numbers on them but if it were me I'd probably forget my number. LOL

Another thought I just had is that if its like mine it will have a small dial on the control panel that allows you to increase speed. When on the ship I dial mine down toward the turtle. Otherwise one could accidently lunge the scooter into someones ankles. (Not good) People move kind of slow on the ship. But when off the ship I dial it up and it will go faster.

"Leftover booze"..."do not drink it all"????

 

Not understanding this concept

What I was thinking. You can't kill a bottle in a week? hell, even I am a lightweight drinker (in spite of my name) and I could polish off a whole bottle in a week on a cruise. But I don't cheap out and bring it or buy it. I let them do the mixing and serving. "Woo Hoo, waiter. Another Hurricane please."

Ok, will be prepared to remove the armrests.

As for the other, it will be difficult, but we will manage. We also got permission that with the bed as a king, to move the night stand near the window to the other side, or remove entirely to free up additional space in the main part of the cabin. We only have a french door interior, so can't go outside of the cabin, but it will just function as a window. Hopefully that 18-20" of extra space will help us.

 

There is not much choice at this point. DH's knees have gotten so bad he can hardly walk with two canes. If he is going to enjoy this trip the scooter is now mandatory. We'll just have to deal with it. I don't expect we are going to spend a lot of time in the cabin anyway. The third and fourth people are my 16 (will be 17) year old daughter, and her 18 year old friend. They will be out most of the time I would imagine.

I wouldn't be cruising (or shopping) if it weren't for my scooter. I can and do park my scooter near the entrance to the dining room and can walk to my table, but thats about it. They will let your hubby ride to the table and they will take it and park it. Take a piece of ribbon or something to tie on it to recognize your own. All the ones I saw onboard were red and mine is blue so I can always spot mine. Moving or even removing the night stand is a good idea. the rooms are tight and you probably won't be able to turn the scooter around in there. But he could just back it out the same way it came in. By the way mine gave me so much freedom. I was able to buzz up by myself to get a snack at the deli, or go back to the cabin by myself if necessary. Don't forget to request a shower chair.

I own what I would call a heavy duty scooter. It is a Pride Victory 10 and it is what I saw other passengers use who rented them from Special Needs at Sea. I was able to fit mine through the cabin door but it was a tight squeeze. I had already removed the armrests because they bug me. But I could get it through the door OK. Assuming they are still using the same scooters you should have no problems. If you do have a problem just remove the armrests. I think they just pop off and on without using tools. I'm not certain of that since I haven't used them since I've had it.

Just booked today and we only have 51 days to wait. It'll fly by. Christmas, New Years Eve, start packing and then GO GO GO.

Anyone know a shuttle service for ship to airport that will accomodate a scooter? Previously we drove our own car and didn't have a need for a shuttle but this time we are flying in. My scooter can be disassembled but it is a larger one and I'd rather not do that. Any suggestions?

Interesting that you were able to get the Pride Victory 10 which is 22.25" wide at the wheelbase to fit through a Carnival standard cabin door since Carnival states the following on its website :

"Your personal scooter should be able to fit in a standard stateroom with a 21" entry doorway. If your scooter is larger than 21", you must purchase a modified stateroom or rent a smaller scooter."

 

Though you saw rental scooters that were a Pride Victory 10 all lined up in alcove assuming you don't know if they were assigned to passengers that booked accessible cabin vs. a standard cabin. Generally if a passenger is booked in a standard non accessible cabin both CareVacations and SpecialNeedsatSeas will only rent the Pride GoGo Sport (formerly the Pride GoGo Elite Traveler HD Plus) Both companies are well aware of Carnivals scooter size requirement for standard cabins as well as the SOLAS Regulation that requires all mobility scooters to be stored in the cabins so perhaps what was all lined up in the alcove were Pride GoGo Sports.

Now that I think about it I did have my armrests off. They bug me and I took them off when I first got it. It would have never fit with those on.

Interesting that you were able to get the Pride Victory 10 which is 22.25" wide at the wheelbase to fit through a Carnival standard cabin door since Carnival states the following on its website :

"Your personal scooter should be able to fit in a standard stateroom with a 21" entry doorway. If your scooter is larger than 21", you must purchase a modified stateroom or rent a smaller scooter."

 

Though you saw rental scooters that were a Pride Victory 10 all lined up in alcove assuming you don't know if they were assigned to passengers that booked accessible cabin vs. a standard cabin. Generally if a passenger is booked in a standard non accessible cabin both CareVacations and SpecialNeedsatSeas will only rent the Pride GoGo Sport (formerly the Pride GoGo Elite Traveler HD Plus) Both companies are well aware of Carnivals scooter size requirement for standard cabins as well as the SOLAS Regulation that requires all mobility scooters to be stored in the cabins so perhaps what was all lined up in the alcove were Pride GoGo Sports.

Yeah I had no problems on the Breeze or Glory. Did NOT have a HC cabin. There was about 8 or so scooters in that hallway and I don't even think there are that many HC cabins on the Glory. In fact I became friendly with someone on the ship who rented a scooter and gave her tips on getting it thru the doorway the first time. She was in a cabin down the hall from us in an inside cabin. She had them re-arrange the beds in an L fashion so there was room in the middle of the floor to turn around. So yes it is possible.

Though the Pride Victory 10 disassembles and is certainly a very good scooter , it's important for the OP to know that this particular model is classified as a "Full Size" Scooter and not a travel portable size. The Pride Victory 10 will not fit through a standard cabin doorway.

Mine fits through the doors of a Carnival ship. It was a tight fit but it made it just fine. I had to maneuver to get it straight but by the second day I made it the first try. My scooter is the exact scooter that others on the ship had rented. When we entered the ship they were all lined up in the alcove by the mid-ship stairs.

I also use a scooter. I take a bicycle cable lock with me. It is very heavy duty. I have been able to secure my scooter to a pole or bench with the cable and was able to get on a bus or trolley for a tour. Thats just a thought for you.

I am thinking of buying a travel scooter(I have MS) and seem to have narrowed my choice between Pride Go-Go Ultra X 3-Wheel and Drive Medical Spitfire Scout 3 Wheel. They seem to be good choices at a reasonable cost. Does anyone have any comments on either of these scooters? Assembly/disassembly? Reliability? Comfort? Other factors? Or is there another travel scooter I am missing out considering?

 

Thanks for your help.

I have a Pride Victory 10. It comes apart easily but I wouldn't want to take it apart every time I went somewhere. So we bit the bullet and bought the lift for the back of the car. I can go ANYWHERE by myself. I can't walk very far and I have to lean on something so taking it off and on the lift is super easy as I can lean on the car while doing it. It takes about 1 minute to unload it and put the lift back up. If you can afford it you may want to consider the lift. Sorry I can't help with the scooter choices you offer. My advice would be to go and try them out first if you are considering purchasing online. The sales people there can help with your needs.

To others who may be reading this thread:

Please check your final bill before leaving the ship!!

That is the best time to get mistakes fixed!!

Please don't wait until several weeks later to try to change your bill.

It sounds like the OP did check it on the last night.

I wonder if it could have been gratuities?

I doubt you'll find a rest room close to where you exit or enter the ship in port. Yes there can be a very long line getting back on (usually closer to sailing time) and definitely no restrooms there as you are outside. Once back on the ship it may be a 5 minute walk to the closest one.

I agree. I'd drive to the port and park free. Also the day you debark you can get on the road faster by avoiding the shuttle etc. HC parking in Florida is a blessing.

Just an FYI all states require that the person to whom the placard is registered to MUST be entering or existing the vehicle from the Handicap Parking Space in order for the vehicle to be parked there. Being that your husband dropped you off and picked you up from the curb outside the terminal I hope he did not permitted to park in an accessible parking space if the placard used is not register to him.

 

BTW I do have a parking placard and when dropped off curbside anywhere my car parked in a non handicap spot. My family knows better as most work for a police department. Personally when I witness abuse of HC parking space I don't think twice to call the police dept. and have the vehicle ticketed.

Since I wasn't with him when he parked the car I decided to ask him where he parked. He said he was directed to a spot that is larger to accommodate the extra length due to the lift on the back. He followed their directions. OK with you?