flabuddy

My husband, who is unable to walk but can transfer in and out of a car or van (but would have difficulty climbing into into a bus) will be traveling with a mobility scooter. Any suggestions for the best way to get from the port in Bilbao to the Guggenheim Museum? Any public transportation or shuttle options that allow a scooter? Thank you!

We will end our cruise in Barcelona in September. My husband is disabled and will have a mobility scooter and manual wheelchair. (He can transfer to a regular chair but can't walk more than a few steps. He also can't climb stairs. ) We would like to take a tour of a market such as La Boqueria and visit several tapas places with a guide who not only can help us navigate all of the food options but can make sure all of our stops are accessible. Does anyone have any recommendations for a tour company or guide that can accommodate us? 

Thank you!

We will be cruising on the Celebrity Infinity soon. My spouse uses a mobility scooter. We will not be taking a shore excursion in Key West but want to visit the town on our own. Are the shuttles from the Outer Mole port into town scooter accessible? Are the shuttles operated by the cruise ship or the port, and do we need to make special arrangements ahead of time for accessible transport to and from the port? Thank you

We'll be cruising Celebrity for the first time soon (Infinity). Does the ship have any free onboard messaging apps (similar to Princess)? Also, if we purchase the two device internet package, can we use multiple devices over the length of the cruise (laptops, iphones, ipads etc) so long as no more than two devices are connected to wifi simultaneously? Thanks!

I would echo Katisdale on hiring private guides for ports where you're uncertain if you'll be able to get around.

My husband is disabled, but can walk a tiny bit and get in and out of the car himself. We just did a Baltic cruise, and hired private companies - TJ Travel for St Petersburg and Saku Travel for Tallinn (found the companies thru this site and TripAdvisor). We did extensive advance research, and learned ahead of time that neither city is particularly accessible/wheelchair friendly. We emailed our needs, limitations and interests to the private companies in advance, they were totally responsive, and mapped out wonderful tours where we saw all of the major sights firsthand (not just from afar on a tour bus). We used mostly the collapsible scooter in Tallinn (Saku guides helped find curb cuts and smoother paths in the Old Town, and drove us to other very interesting sights).

We mostly used the wheelchair in St Petersburg with the help of TJ Travel - they made sure we toured everything we wanted to see- the Hermitage, Amber Room, Peterhof and many other sites.

Both companies lifted the scooter (or wheelchair) out of the van and assembled it at each stop, and provided any other assistance we needed.

It was totally worth it and hassle-free. We were able to determine from our advance research that we could do Copenhagen, Oslo and some of the other ports on our own and we had a good time in those cities.

The accessible excursions offered by the ship in the various ports seemed to consist of bus tours, with very few opportunities to actually leave the bus and see sights firsthand. Some of these ports are once in a lifetime opportunities and we wanted to make the most of them, and private tours allowed us to do just that in cities that are not very accessible.

We rented the collapsible scooter from Special Needs at Sea.

After the cruise, we stayed at the Hotel Skt Petri in Copenhagen for 3 nights - we had an accessible room. It was very nice, had decent AC and was centrally located (right off the Stroget) and the hotel staff were very helpful. We made arrangements for Special Needs at Sea to pick up the scooter at the hotel rather than leave it on the ship - it cost extra, but it was worth every penny to have the scooter (rather than just a manual wheelchair) in Copenhagen.

Before the cruise, we stayed in the Hotel Neptun (just for one night). Not an accessible room, and there were several stairs from the front entrance to the lobby and to the dining room - they had told us ahead of time there would be no stairs, so we were very disappointed. Luckily, we had fellow guests/staff help us get the manual wheelchair up and down the steps - we didn't have the scooter before the cruise, which is just as well because we wouldn't have been able to get it inside the hotel without a ton of effort and help. The hotel did have an elevator to the guest rooms.

Just got back from a great cruise on the Regal Princess. Spouse rented a 3-wheel mobility scooter on board the ship (it was waiting in our cabin when we arrived) and we took a manual wheelchair. It turned out we needed both, depending on the ports. He's able to walk a bit and climb a few stairs too, which helped.

Copenhagen - We flew into Copenhagen and checked the wheelchair. When we retrieved the chair from baggage claim, one of the wheels wasn't working properly. The British Air/airport staff were incredibly helpful - they were even ready to loan us one of their own wheelchairs for the duration of our trip, when one of them figured out that our chair had been disassembled by the baggage crew and re-assembled incorrectly - they took it apart and fixed it and all was fine. They basically saved the first few days of our trip.

We spent a couple of days in Copenhagen before and after the cruise - We only had the wheelchair before the cruise (which is why it was critical that it worked!), but both the scooter and chair afterward. I would highly recommend the scooter for the city - It was tough pushing the wheelchair over the many cobblestones. Much easier to navigate with the scooter. The city is flat with plenty of curb cuts and most of the sights were very accessible. We even were able to do a canal boat cruise - We left the scooter next to the Netto ticket office (We covered the steering column with a raincoat to protect from rain) and my spouse was able to climb slowly into the boat.

Oslo - Very easy to get around town with the scooter on our own and most of the sights were accessible. The scooter collapses, so we hailed a cab and got the scooter into the trunk for the ride to museum island and the Viking Ships Museum (which was accessible for the most part).

Warnemunde - We rented a car and drove to Schwerin for the day - took the scooter only. We scooted/walked around the Schloss and visited the excellent Stasi Documentation Center, which had elevators.

Gothenburg - We only docked for a few hours, so spouse stayed on board.

Stockholm - We were concerned we wouldn't be able to visit Stockholm since it was a tender port (we docked about 45 minutes from the city center), but it was a pretty calm day and the crew helped get the wheelchair on and off board. We were told our tour (and probably the tender) couldn't accommodate the scooter. We went on a ship excursion - mostly a bus tour of the city with a few stops. The driver stowed the folding wheelchair. We did tour the Vasa Museum, which was completely accessible (but extremely crowded!).

St Petersburg - Took a 2-day private tour with TJ Travel -we highly recommend them. They went out of their way to be helpful and got us into all the sights using accessible entries, elevators, etc - In addition to our outstanding guide, they even provided a young man to push the wheelchair. We didn't really use the scooter much for this port. We were thrilled that we got to see everything we wanted to, and much more.

Tallinn - We took a private tour with Saku Travel - they, too, were outstanding and we highly recommend them. We primarily used the scooter -There are lots of cobblestones in the Old Town, but it would have probably been even tougher with the wheelchair. Our wonderful guide and driver helped find accessible entrances, smoother paths, curb cuts and parking right near the main sights. They tailored the tour to our interests and included several Soviet-era sights and the great Kumu Museum. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

Overall, Tallinn and St Petersburg would have been very difficult to do on our own, so the private tours were totally worth it and were much more reasonably priced than the ship's private excursions. Also, the ship's accessible excursions seemed pretty limited - mostly bus tours with very few opportunities to get out and see the sights firsthand. The private tours were perfect for our needs, hassle-free, completely reliable, and we saw and learned a lot in those two wonderful ports.

Oslo, Warnemunde and Copenhagen were very easy to do on our own with the scooter. We would have loved to do Stockholm on our own, but since we could only take the manual wheelchair on the tender, we opted for the pretty mediocre ship excursion. Next time, we'll try to find a cruise that docks in the heart of town.

We were just in Oslo a couple of weeks ago on our princess cruise and took a collapsible mobility scooter. Several of the sights in the city center were very easy to access - we went to the National Gallery to see Munch's "scream." Look for the wheelchair lift entry at the base of the museum's front steps - ring the bell and a guard will let you in and escort you up an elevator to the galleries - there were a couple of teeth-rattling high lips in doorways that took some navigating and help on the part of the guard. The Nobel Peace Center and City Hall were both close to port and accessible. We got lunch at a deli and ate in a little park close to the park. The Viking Ships Museum is a must-see, but it's about a 15-minute ride from the city center (along with other museums on Museum Island). We hailed a cab in the city center, took the scooter apart and put it in the trunk, and drove out to the museum, which was pretty accessible for the most part. Both the cab driver and helpful tourists helped us lift the scooter parts in and out of the cab trunk. When we left the museum, there were no cabs in sight, and we waited a little while - The other museums on the island seemed a bit too far to walk/scoot to, as it was the afternoon and we were worried about our battery. Luckily, we had asked our cab driver for a card, so we were able to call the cab company and they sent a cab pretty quickly to the Viking Ships Museum. We got back to the city center with plenty of time before we had to be back on board. The city center itself was pretty flat and there were plenty of curb cuts and smooth surfaces - very easy to navigate from the ship to downtown.

Good luck!

We'll be on the Regal Princess this summer on a Baltic cruise. My spouse will be in a mobility scooter and/or wheelchair. Are there staff available in Horizon Court to help carry his tray to a table (and from food station to station - does the buffet have food stations?) Also, how difficult is it typically to find a table during mealtimes? Is it always crowded?

Thank you!

Hello,

We will be docking in Nynashamn for the day. My husband will have a folding wheelchair but can walk short distances. Is the port wheelchair accessible? Is any of the public transportation to Stockholm accessible? Will we have any trouble getting a taxi - the wheelchair should fit in the car trunk/boot - We don't need a special van.

Thank you!

Thank you so much! This information is most helpful. We will be in Warnemunde on a Tuesday, so the Wobbelin Museum will be closed, but we could still visit the cemetery. Your website is wonderful - I never would have known about Wobbelin or Ludwigslust without it and your posts on Cruise Critic. It really opens up options for those of us who don't want to go to Berlin. We will plan our day trip further and contact you if we go to Ludwigslust. Thank you again!

Hello,

We will be renting a car for the day in Warnemunde. We would like to visit Rostock, including the Stasi Museum, as well as Schwerin and the memorial at Wobbelin, with lunch and a stop for a beer at some point. We'd like to return to Warnemunde by about 6 pm or so. Do you have any suggestions for what order to visit these towns - Would it be better to visit Rostock first or last? How much time would you allot for the memorial and museum at Wobbelin? Is there a World War 2 memorial or exhibit in Ludwigslust? Also, my husband is disabled - we will have a wheelchair or folding mobility scooter with us. (He can walk a little if necessary and climb a few stairs.) I understand the Stasi Museum in Rostock is not very accessible (he's willing to give it a try), but do you happen to know if any of the other sites or towns would be especially difficult? Thank you for your very helpful information!

Thank you. Sounds like a manual wheelchair would be a lot of effort but not impossible (my husband would do most of his own pushing, but would need help getting up inclines, which I am unable to do). We don't currently own our own scooter, although that may change by the time of our trip this summer if his mobility continues to decline - my husband likes the four-wheeled gogo. If we did buy a scooter, we would be concerned with checking it on the plane and having it get damaged, which we've heard is not uncommon. Sounds like you haven't run into problems with flying with your travelscoot though.

We are taking a Baltic cruise that departs from Copenhagen. My husband has very limited mobility - he can climb a few stairs and maybe walk a half-block or so. We are planning to rent a mobility scooter on the ship. It's much more expensive to have the scooter rental company pick up or drop off the scooter in Copenhagen (as opposed to the ship), so we're debating whether to take a manual wheelchair for our initial overnight in Copenhagen and the few days we're spending in the city after the cruise. How easy is it to navigate a manual wheelchair around Copenhagen? Are there lots of cobblestones and uneven terrain? It will be extremely difficult for me to help push my husband up or down any inclines. Thanks

We're docking in Warnemunde and plan to spend the day there and in Rostock. (We've already spent a substantial amount of time in Berlin.) My husband will be using an electric mobility scooter that disassembles and the pieces can fit into a car trunk. He can climb some stairs and walk a short distance if necessary. We'd like to visit the Stasi museum in Rostock and have a good lunch, either in Rostock or Warnemunde. Also, my husband is a beer lover and would also love to go to a brewery or bar to sample German beers. Any suggestions for a scooter-friendly itinerary? What's the best way to get to Rostock from the port- could we take the scooter on a train? Should we catch a cab? Are there restaurants or bars within scooter distance of the Stasi museum, or will we have to get taxis to and from the museum, to and from restaurants, etc.? Or should we plan on just going to the Stasi museum in Rostock, and eating/drinking back in Warnemunde? (We know the Stasi museum is not necessarily accessible, but my husband is prepared to leave the scooter at the door and use a cane/portable seat to get thru the museum.) Thanks for any advice!

Thanks! I've heard good things about the travelscoot. If we end up with a larger take-apart scooter, I'm wondering if staff would help carry the separate pieces of a disassembled scooter aboard a tender (assuming the weather is OK and my husband can walk on with a crutch). Or if they would only help carry a folding wheelchair, or not help at all.

Thank you for all of the advice - the picture is extremely helpful.

We need a wheelchair accessible cabin, midship, for a baltic cruise. We've currently reserved an Aloha deck starboard balcony cabin, by the panorama lifts. I've seen in other posts that Sea Walkers can see onto the balconies/cabins below - Is the Aloha deck far enough below the Seawalk so privacy won't be an issue? If not, is there any downside with the view, location, in this location on the Aloha? Our other choices are similar cabins near the panorama lifts on the baja and caribe decks - we might be able to get a port side cabin on those decks (only starboard was available on aloha). I'd love to hear about any pros or cons between these decks/locations/views or other considerations before we finalize. Thanks!

We are going on a Regal Princess Baltic cruise. My husband has MS and will be renting a portable mobility scooter. He can walk very short distances with a cane/forearm crutch and climb several stairs. I'm trying to convince him that we should also bring or rent a folding wheelchair for back-up in the various ports, but he thinks it will just be an unnecessary expense/burden. What do you all think? (Since he can only walk for brief time periods, a walker wouldn't help.) For Stockholm, we will be docking at Nynashamn, a tender port, rather than close to the city. Looks like we can't take the assembled scooter into the tender, but I'm wondering if staff would help carry the pieces of the disassembled scooter onto the tender. Princess says "Princess staff will make every effort to assist but are not allowed to individually physically lift more than 50 pounds." Each piece of the scooter is under that weight limit - do you think staff would help? Or, would a folding wheelchair make more sense? (He's thinking that if we can't board with a scooter, we could still get around the city without any mobility aids, via taxi, borrowing wheelchairs at museums, and spending time sitting in cafes/restaurants, etc.) I"m not so sure, and are there other ports where a folding wheelchair would be helpful? Also, would staff forbid him from boarding the tender if he walks slowly with the crutch? Thanks!!