BAYA

23 hours ago, Dunchues said:

I'm not up to links! This is inexpensive on Amazon and i have it as a spare in my truck, less than 30$;      

Drive Medical RTL10365-ADJ Adjustable Lightweight Folding Cane with Seat, Black.

 

I use this one most of the time as i am a pretty full size unit, around 50$;

Yayayo Hold 440 lbs Folding Canes with Seat Walking Stick Height Adjustment Cane Seat.

 

Really, none are comfortable for very long but for me the Yayayo one is best, then Tada, then the Drive one. [snip]

 

P.S. I tried several fold up tripod seats and all were a nuisance getting up from, uncomfortable and awkward to carry. I'd urge you to get one of the inexpensive ones above first and see how you get on, you won't regret it.

 

 

I think your idea of trying a $50 one first (Vayayo) to see how I like it is great. The stakes are low for my next Caribbean cruise in March so I can try it out then. If it works well then the next two cruises in Europe I'll be all set, otherwise I will splurge on the TaDa.

Thanks for the info!

On 1/1/2024 at 9:02 PM, Dunchues said:

I also bought a tada 2 seat by the same recommendation!  It is indeed a high quality item that is easier to use and more attractive than the three leg one I normally carry but it doesn't really work any better tbh. My original one is a lifesaver and at a third of the price is just as good in use, And oddly enough I will actually feel a bit guilty leaving it behind but having both I'll be taking the tada. My only point is that they do the same job equally well, and if price conscious or just a bargain lover the basic model really works as well as the tada. 

@Dunchues  would you mind posting a link to the one you own and like that was 1/3 the price of the TaDa2 cane-seat? I spent a lot of time reading reviews on Amazon yesterday of the TONS of cane-seats available and I am still unsure about which to purchase. The STEP2Gold Ta-Da series 2 is currently $139. I don't need it for the cane but for the seat. I'm not sure which product is best. I read reviews of the collapsible plastic stool that someone else posted on this thread but it sounds like it would be uncomfortable sitting on it for any length of time so I'm still "shopping".

TIA!

I agree with @Ashland. Book now. And if your route happens to be available from Breeze Airways, if the fare goes down you can rebook it at the lower price and get a credit for the difference. We found Breeze a couple of years ago and it has saved us a lot of money.

16 hours ago, calcar said:

How do I access the forum for disabled travellers?  I will be using a lightweight folding scooter. Hopefully when it is folder there will still be room for us in the cabin. I am not too concerned about getting about on board the ship but would like to know what specific excursions cater to someone with a mobility device. I can walk and do stairs for a short period.

 

Here is the link to the forum: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/

By the way, this topic belongs in the forum for disabled cruising.

We sailed on Celebrity Reflection in November 2023. The only port where we took the scooter off the ship was St. Martin and I was very happy that there were 2 crew members who assisted my sister to not go too fast down the gangway on her scooter. She sat on it while they kept it from going too fast by holding onto the steering bar and the back of the scooter. 

The incline at some ports is a bit steep on the gangway. If your wife is afraid to drive it off and no crew member will assist her then perhaps you can drive it off while she walks down the last part of the gangway? 

BTW, we did not ask for assistance getting the scooter off the ship. They must have decided it was unsafe for my sister to drive it off unaided.

20 hours ago, EatonDoolittle said:

This is the one I mentioned a few posts back. Made by HALO.

You can get basic one for about $100, but if you live in a storm prone area,  you can get a better model with USB, regular plug (so you can make coffee or plug in a lamp) and even an air compressor for flat tires. 

 

Amazon and QVC have them. I charge it up in the house a few times a year, it holds a charge very well. 

OMG you sold me at "make coffee". 🤣 

I do live in FL with hurricane power outages an occasional experience. After moving to FL in 2016 the power outage from our first hurricane left this caffeine addict begging for coffee from a neighbor with a generator. 

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

this was pre-covid.

i just checked and item is no longer sold.

 

Looked similar to this:

 

edit:

there might be a type now that plugs into your cigarette lighter instead of directly onto your car battery.

Thanks @fstuff1

11 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

I then bought a lithium battery jumper about the size of 2 deck of cards side by side for $20 on Amazon. Charged it and placed it under the driver's seat.

A year later, I needed it. Power on the jumper was only 3 out of 5 bars but jumped my car on 1st try.

Fantastic tip. Any chance you can share a link to the exact little jumper on Amazon that you bought? I'm thinking of giving it to myself for Christmas. 😊

On 12/8/2023 at 8:49 PM, hasentreelake said:

This looks exactly like the one I brought onboard. It worked great for us!

23 hours ago, LHT28 said:

well before travelling make sure  your battery is in good condition

We parked  for over a month  while cruising    no problem then drove  all the way home  no issues

 

if your battery is more than 6 yrs old  keep a close eye on  it  have it checked out 

JMO

Sound advice. Thanks. Since moving to FL 7 years ago I've learned that the heat causes batteries to not last as long as up north. My battery was 4 years old. My sister has the same car as mine, same age (2019), and her battery only lasted 3 years.

... and don't get me started on what the FL hot roads do to tires! I had to replace my tires with only about 40,000 miles on them and was told to blame it on the heat in FL. The car is garaged at home but that makes no difference. ... but I digress. 😣

7 hours ago, nhraformula00 said:

This is better than cables. Keep it in trunk and it stays charged for 6 months. Can be recharged in a few hours with a usb cable. Will start your car. Do not need another car like cables.

Thanks for this info to all who recommended I buy a jump-start box. Since I usually cruise as a family with two vehicles, the jump start would have been from my BIL's truck if we had the cables. I do like the idea of the box, though.

I'm posting this as a public service 🙂 We just returned from an 8-night cruise to find my car's battery totally dead. Neither of our two vehicles had jumper cables and no one departing the garage stopped to offer a jump start. AAA was going to be a very long wait (at least an hour when I called for service). Luckily my BIL walked to the pay-booth and they directed him to the guy who walks around the garage with a portable device for jump-starting cars. By then we were drenched in sweat and had been waiting for 30 minutes or so to get a jump-start.

This dead battery issue is apparently a common problem. My lesson-learned is to buy jumper cables and keep them in my car when I cruise. I ended up needing a new battery (old one would not hold a charge). Even with a new battery I plan to carry the jumper cables--batteries do fail sometimes!

P.S. We were in the Palm Garage at Port Everglades.

On 11/12/2023 at 7:13 AM, StopTheWorld said:

I’ve taken a non surge protected multi socket adaptor (similar to this but with a UK plug) on board in my hand luggage and it has never been confiscated. 

I'm happy to report that I had it in my carry-on when I boarded the Reflection on Nov. 25th and they didn't even ask me to open the bag so they could examine it. Aside from 2 phones and an Apple Watch my sister and I had 2 medical devices and an electric scooter that had to be charged every night. The ship provided one 4-plug short extension cord so my multi-plug thing from Amazon really was needed and used! 

I couldn't tell from the ValueTrips web site whether I am able to book the pre-cruise stay and hotel parking during the cruise package through them. So I went and booked the Hyatt Place at 1851 SE 10th Ave. directly on the hotel site. I noticed that most of the park & cruise hotels no longer provide return shuttle after the cruise, and some do not include the parking in the price on their web site (e.g., Hilton Garden Inn at 180 SW 18th Ave, Dania Beach, FL 33004).

On 11/28/2023 at 7:49 AM, horseymike said:

Hi ,

You have a very valid concern.

 I would suggest calling the Port Everglades phone number and speaking with someone there directly. Hopefully they will be able to assist you with your situation.

954 468 3720

Thanks. By the time you replied we were already cruising.

For the benefit of others, here is the answer to my own question. Yes, my sister and her son had to wait outside the terminal with her wheelchair and our carry-on bags. There was shade, thank goodness. I'd estimate she waited at least 20 minutes for me to drive to the garage and take the shuttle back to her outside terminal 29. The shuttle drops you off where the huge buses discharge their passengers and bags. So an extra walk for me to get back to my sister. When our entire party was reunited we were able to go inside and check in. 

Disembarkation day was a total s***-show. Hundreds of people and their big bags were lined up across the entire front of terminal 19 (where we returned at the end of the cruise). I couldn't tell why so many people were hanging around there but it was difficult to get through them all to reach the Palm Garage, which was right next to Terminal 19. At least I didn't have to leave sister there while I took a shuttle again to a garage to retrieve the car!

On 11/15/2023 at 6:40 PM, Tayana Freedom 45 said:

You park in the Palm Garage and they have shuttles that take you to terminal 29. 

Handicapped Drop-off Port Everglades Terminal 29

I will be driving my sister to our cruise departing on 11/25/23 from Terminal 29 (Celebrity Reflection). She uses a wheelchair and has a Handicapped hangtag which I will use in my car. My question is regarding how does the shuttle work for wheelchair users. I'm guessing I will be dropping her and our luggage at Terminal 29 and she'll be waiting possibly a long time for me to park and get back to her using the Palm Garage shuttle. Will she be able to wait inside out of the sun for me to return?

I am stressing out over this on her behalf. I hope someone can answer me.

Thanks.

I recently bought a non-surge protected extension cord on Amazon for home and (hopefully) cruise use. It has USB outlets in addition to plug outlet on it. If I bring it in my carry-on in the original packaging that states non-surge protected will it be confiscated anyway? This is the one I bought: Power Strip with USB C - Extension Cord with 3 Outlets 4 USB Ports (22.5W/4.5A), 5ft, Addtam Flat Plug Desktop Charging Station, Non Surge Protector for Cruise Ship, Dorm Room Office Home Essentials.

I'd appreciate any responses even though they may be opinions. 😊

12 hours ago, SusieAV8R said:

That has been my experience also; with my latest completed request being 3 or 4 weeks ago.

The next day after the auto-reply I received an updated booking confirmation showing the shareholder OBC in email. Hooray. 😊

10 hours ago, TommyD3 said:

We sent email twice over the last week and have not even received the automated response.

Maybe RCL / Celebrity has eliminated the stockholder credit ????

I sent the requisite email and completed request form to shareholderbenefit@rccl.com and got the automated email response 5 minutes later. 🤞

Never see a button to allow file upload of proof of share ownership. Cannot go past the second screen below with the error on it.

2 minutes ago, Texed said:

 

We had no problem submitting our shareholder form a couple of weeks ago.  😊

Lucky you. 👏

On 12/21/2022 at 3:00 PM, CaribbeanBound said:

Has anyone successfully applied and received the "Shareholder Onboard Credit" for your Celebrity cruise for being an RCL shareholder?

Every time I try submitting my information at Shareholder Benefit Request | Online Survey Software (questionpro.com) the website fails.   Been trying for 3 weeks.

That website is still broken 9 months later. I just tried it 5 different times today. Giving up and switching to email. I knew RCL's web department stunk but now it seems they subcontract to other lousy web providers too!

On 7/5/2023 at 9:26 PM, soniam said:

If the submission site isn't working, just send an email to RCL. They let me submit via email. I got some error message about no space or something full, even before I tried to attach the documents. It's like their voicemail box filled up😂

It's ridiculous that the online site to apply for the shareholder OBC is still broken over 3 months later (today is Sept. 20th). I'm going to fill in the PDF form and scan it and email it to them.

On 6/27/2023 at 2:49 AM, sunfan03 said:

 

Traveling with my dad and his siblings (14 pax) - looking for recommendations for private mini-bus hires (with drivers) for when we disembark Lisbon for one night post cruise. Would like to visit Fatima + ??

 

We don't need luxury transportation, but I think it just might be easier to have our own transportation. I'm just getting started so I don't know exactly where we'll go yet, so any advice is welcome. 

You might want to contact Spain Day Tours because they offer both private tours and shared small group (minimum 14 passengers) tours in Lisbon. 

Good luck!