Arcturus

it sounds like he's still in those first few months where the brain is making some rapid changes to compensate for the damage it sustained, so his mobility might improve a lot in the next couple of months if he puts in the effort. I'm not sure about a plane, but I can't think of anywhere on the ship where he'd have to do without his walker. DH has been in a wheelchair full-time since his stroke and uses his scooter at all times on the ship.

The more significant issue may be endurance. DH's first cruise after his stroke was a year later, and the noise, brightness, people, and overall activity of a cruise ship all overstimulated him to an extent that he spent most of the cruise in bed. It's awesome that your in-law wants to use the cruise as motivation to work on his recovery, but I think he needs to not underestimate the effort he needs to be putting in NOW in order to have a reasonably successful cruise. Take him to Wal-Mart or another busy environment for a few hours and see how he fares. As much as we enjoy cruising, they can be exhausting, and a test run now might reveal a lot about how it might go for him.

If he's allowed to go, I'd request wheelchair assistance for embarkation and disembarkation, even if he's capable of walking that type of distance. If nothing else, it will help normalize the experience for the rest of the family. If he wants to practice walking long distances, he can walk around the decks once he's on board. 😉

Good luck!

Three years ago, DH had a stroke the day before we were to begin traveling to the port for our cruise. We hadn't bought the insurance, so Carnival gave us a credit toward another cruise, minus $200?, I think. They requested a letter from his physician, and it was otherwise all pretty straightforward.

To the OP - I hope things go well for your MIL.

You state that the cost of 2 rentals will pay for buying one himself. Can you please tell me where you can buy a scooter for that price? Most travel scooters are around $3000 and up in Canada. If I can get one much cheaper, that would be awesome. Thanks.

I paid $679 for a Spitfire Scout 3 Compact Travel Scooter from mgmmobility for DH. They have a website and also e bay that will be the first few links if you do a web search for their name. (Sorry to be vague - seems this forum has some rules about links, but I don't remember precisely and don't want this edited.) They don't mention shipping to Canada, but you could always ask. But be careful because I think they shipped ours with UPS (I'm assuming their brokerage fees are still terrible).

We've taken it on two cruises now, so it's now paid for itself. ;) It has performed well and I'm thrilled to not have to push DH in his wheelchair all over the ship, so I get a little break during the week too. :)

My DH is one of those who went from perfectly able-bodied and employed full time to being on life support within a matter of hours. A year later, he can now use a walker around a room, but is otherwise confined to a wheelchair.

In a few weeks, we'll be cruising for the first time since his disability started. I've gotten him a scooter so that he can enjoy some independence, and I can hopefully have a little vacation too. :) Many thanks to whoever it was that advised practicing first! We will do that!!

I think common courtesy (which isn't too common these days, sadly) is the answer. When we were new cruisers, we saw a lot of people rush into the elevator ahead of someone using a mobility device, leaving them to wait for yet the next one. It became our practice to clear the way for the wheelchair or scooter user when it was their turn for the next elevator.

On the other hand, I've seen scooter users just plow through standing people to get on first. I now know after reading this thread that it's easier for mobile people to situate themselves around the scooter so maybe that was their motivation, but it really appears rude. I think a quick, "Hey everyone, it'll be easier - and safer for your toes! - if you'll let me get situated in there while it's empty. Thanks!" would help the average person learn how to better co-exist with their mobility-challenged cruise-mates.

I may totally change my mind about that after we cruise. ;p Seems a good many of you in this thread have been at this much longer than we have, and I appreciate your wisdom. I know that we're going to be happy being on a cruise, and we will make the best of it. I'm sure we're going to have some occasional elevator frustration, but I'm going to keep in mind another piece of advice in this thread (and I'm paraphrasing) - "We're on vacation. We're not in a hurry." (Also, "We're together and we're on a cruise. Life is good." :)) If I've learned anything this past year, it's that attitude matters muchly.