nynewfies

Great!  Thanks so much for your reply. 

On 11/8/2023 at 1:37 PM, kokopelli-az said:

My husband has a collapsible transport chair and he rents a scooter for the cruise.  The transport chair is used at the airport, hotel and getting aboard the ship (usually his scooter is already in our stateroom when we get there).  

 

Depending on what type of vehicle your tour is using, it may be able to accommodate a collapsible wheelchair.  Very few excursions accommodate scooters (unless it's a small fold-up type).  

Read the "special notes" on your excursion description; some say "Not suitable for wheelchair guests because of the few steps and the gravel" or similar.  If it is unclear, contact Princess' Access Department or Shore Excursion Department.   

 

Do you have an accessible stateroom?   (Maximum width of a scooter for a non-accessible stateroom is 22".)  Your scooter will have to be stored in your stateroom when you wsre not out and about using it. 

 

Princess will need to know you are bringing mobility equipment and will have you complete a mobility questionnaire.   If you haven't already seen their accessible guidance, see here (scroll to Accessible Cruising).  https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise

Do you know if you can use a scooter to get on the ship?  Is the gangway accessible with regard to slope and width?  The transport chair I have is OK for me to push on relatively level ground, but with any kind of an upward incline I wouldn't be able to do it.  I'm hoping he could use his mobility scooter to get onto the ship.  Thanks!

We do have an accessible stateroom.  I just bought a collapsible transport chair/rollator combination that I think will solve most of our problems!  I might not even need the scooter if we have this.  It's a matter of how independently he wants to go around the ship. With this, he'd need me to push because he just can't go any tremendous distance walking. With the scooter he can get around on his own.  We'll have to decide.  But this collapses to a manageable size and only weighs around 22 pounds, so I think it will work really well. Thanks so much for your reply!

Thanks so much - same to you!

Thanks so much Idubs!  I will definitely look into the collapsible wheelchair, then.

Thanks so much, Capriccio.  Considering all the things I'm juggling, I'd much rather park at the pier than an off-site lot even if the cost is a bit higher.  The only thing putting me off was the inability to reserve a space.  I feel much better about it now!!

We have cruised many times, but at this point my husband has very limited mobility so for the first time we are traveling with a mobility scooter.  I know this isn't a problem on the ship (Ruby Princess out of Port Canaveral, partial Panama Canal transit leaving Nov. 20, 2023), but my question is how to handle shore excursions.  Hardly any of them are wheelchair accessible.  He can walk short distances and handle a few steps, but he could never walk hundreds of yards or more down a pier to get to the van or whatever is taking us on the tour we signed up for.  As you might imagine, we signed up only for "easy" excursions, which require little or no effort once you get to the conveyance you're taking - but I don't know if they could accommodate his mobility scooter.  So I was thinking I could bring a long a collapsible wheelchair to get him to the van or whatever, and perhaps there would be space to put that so we'd be able to go out on the excursion.  I'm hoping someone has some experience with this and could give me some advice.  There's no point in adding a collapsible wheelchair to our luggage if that wouldn't work either.  Thanks for any help you can give me!  

I am traveling with my husband on a Princess Cruise leaving Nov. 20 from Port Everglades.  I understand that you cannot reserve parking at the port.  He is somewhat disabled so I'll have to deal with a mobility scooter and a collapsible wheel chair in addition to luggage.  It would be a huge problem for us if there were no spaces available in that lot.  Have you ever found it full, or is that just not an issue?  Thanks!

It would be great if your explanation could be posted on the Princess site, or even if Princess just made sure all of their employees were aware of it.  So far three out of three (two in LiveChat and one on the phone) have told me that this was not possible and I'd have to purchase the package for multiple devices.  Hopefully they will straighten this out sooner rather than later even though they might lose a few dollars in the process when people stop purchasing unnecessary upgrades.

Thanks cavecreekguy and bubbaed.  The process you describe is exactly what I imagined it should be, so I'm really glad to know that it works very similarly to a hotel that limits devices.  You can have as many as you want, but you can only use one or two simultaneously.  This sounds even easier than that as it is so automatic, and it's really helpful to know that you can still use your phone to order things while on your computer.  Thank you so much for the detailed explanation!!

This is so good to know!  I have had two separate LiveChat agents tell me that you couldn't do this and I just had a hard time believing that it would be impossible.  It will save me about $400 for the two of us.to just switch devices rather than purchase the upgrade.  Thanks!

I apologize if this has been recently asked and answered, but I couldn't find it so here goes . . .

My husband and I are scheduled to sail on a Panama Canal cruise on the Ruby Princess in October, 2023.  If you select a package that allows you internet for one device does this mean that just a single device can be registered for the duration of the cruise, or that only one device can be on the network at a time?  For example, if I have internet on my smartphone but I want to use my computer, can I take the smartphone off the network and then, when I'm done with the computer, take that off the network and put the smartphone back on?  Or would that require that I purchase a package that allows multiple devices?  

I can't find the answer to this specific question written anywhere on the Princess site, and I have found this question answered both ways on other websites.  The multiple device package is a lot more expensive and I don't want to purchase it if I don't have to.  If you have direct experience with this, could you please let me know?

Thanks very much!

faucet - thanks very much for the heads up!

Mancunian - your reply was extremely helpful!!  I am 67 and in quite good physical condition.  But I do have my limitations, as he outweighs me by 50 lbs.  I completely agree with you in terms of not holding anyone else up!  We experienced some of this on our last cruise and I never want to feel that again.  As much as he doesn't want to admit it, he just can't keep up and we have to be mindful of that in choosing what we do and how we do it.  I do wish Silversea provided more options for people with physical limitations.  There are two ports on this trip that have options that they say are appropriate, but none of the others.  When I spoke to one of their representatives he suggested that we contract for a private car in all the other ports.  That would be a lot less upsetting if we hadn't already paid for excursions in all the ports as part of the fare.  As much as I love Silversea perhaps it is time to look at Oceana or another line.  

My husband is 90 years old.  He broke his back a few years ago and since then he has trouble walking quickly, and walking over long distances.  I am purchasing an ultra light wheelchair so that I can help him keep up with the group when on walking parts of excursions.  I can easily push him on flat and mild uphill slopes, but I could not handle more of an incline than perhaps the average wheelchair ramp.  I'm wondering if anyone who has taken this cruise or is familiar with these locations (Trieste, Opatija, Sibenik, Split, Hvar, Dubrovik) and what kind of terrain we're really talking about.  I know that cobblestones are mentioned, but I'm assuming that I can get him over that surface.  There must be wheelchair bound people living there who have to deal with them, so unless you tell me they are insurmountable I'll think they are one obstacle we can overcome.  Any advice you can give will be most appreciated.

Alithecat, gui218 and jillyf - thanks so much for the information!  We are getting more excited by the day!!  Except for the fact that he will need every day beforehand to keep working on his conditioning, I wish we were going tomorrow!  He has been through the ringer, and this trip has been the goal that has kept him focused and working.  I am sure it will be worth all of the effort he is putting in and it will be an unforgettable experience!

RachelG - I was wondering about shorts vs. pants.  Good to know!!

Thanks Sugar.  It's looking good for the trip and I will definitely write a review when we return!

Thanks so much gui218!  We are really looking forward to it!  Did you ever wear shorts or was it always too cool?  Did you find the shorty wetsuits that they provide enough to keep you comfortable when you're snorkeling?  It really is a bucket list trip and we are so excited!

He is getting stronger every day.  I think he'll find enough to do to make it worthwhile for him.  And getting in shape for this cruise has been invaluable as a goal to motivate him to work hard with his physical therapy.  At the rate that he is improving, I think he will be fine.  Thanks again for the information!

I understand.  He's about 5'10".  I'm curious as to why being shorter made the wet landings more challenging. Is it because the water was deep enough that you couldn't stand on the bottom with your head above water when you were trying to get in?  From a video I saw I was thinking that there were times when you got into the Zodiacs when they were in deep water and you had to swim up, grab the ladder and climb on.  Is that wrong?  On every other cruise (I've never been on an explorer or expedition cruise before) I've ever been on, some crew member always grabs your arm whenever you are entering or exiting a tender or a gangway.  I just assumed that they would be equally solicitous here.  If that's not the case, I'm glad to find that our now!  

There is no question that some of the hikes and other activities will be beyond what he can do.  I'm counting on the evening briefings being explicit and asking a lot of questions if we have doubts.  As long as he can do enough to make the trip worthwhile, then it's all good.  If he can even do half the excursions, I think he'll be very happy.  Neither he nor I want to be in a situation where he is a burden to others on the cruise, which is why we're asking so many questions right now.  Thanks!

Thanks Sugar!  I did watch a video that showed someone exiting the water into the Zodiac up what looked like a 3-step swim ladder thrown over the side.  Is that what you experienced?  Do the crew members at least offer a hand up?  Not to fully lift you out of the water, but to give you a bit of a boost and help you keep your balance?  If they do that, then I think he'll be fine.  All on his own, perhaps not.  He is definitely not going to be jumping from rock to rock any time soon.  I think the beach snorkeling will be the thing he likes most as well.  It will certainly be the easiest for him!

Thanks Nanci!  My husband is in PT twice per week and working hard every day of the week to prepare for the trip.  I am glad to hear that the gentle walks were generally flat.  I don't believe he could possibly do the more strenuous hikes, and depending upon how far the gentle walks go and how long you're on your feet, they could be a challenge for him as well.  I'm also concerned about the pace.  I'm hoping it's more meandering with stopping to see things than power walking.  He would have a hard time keeping up if that were the case.

Thanks so much for the information!  We'll be sure to sign up for any kayaking excursions that are offered.  I think my husband will be much more comfortable doing anything in the water than anything on land.  Can you tell me - is the terrain often very hilly for the hikes, or is it sometimes more level, like on the beach?  I am thinking that uneven, rocky inclines would not be a good idea for him, but a sandy beach would probably be OK.

Thanks for the information.  I am surprised that there was limited space for kayaking.  I imagined that whatever they were offering would be open to anyone who wanted to do it, so I really appreciate the heads up about this!