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Transport Chair or Scooter


fair-winds39
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I have mobility issues, and I use a mobility scooter in large venues. I usually bring my scooter on our cruises, get a standard balcony cabin, and we never have any issues with the scooter. I'm thinking for our next cruise of just bringing my transport chair, and cane. I use my cane in the cabin, and I can easily stand or walk a short distance with my cane if I need to. DH has no problem pushing the chair, and he doesn't mind it because it's very light.

We've been on many cruises, so I'm not usually going too far without him. My concern is at Embarkation; even though the chair is light, and easy to push on a flat surface, would the fact that the ramps can be steep, make it more difficult to push? and, if I decide to use the transport chair, could I have DH fold up my chair, and request wheelchair assistance just to get up the ramps? I don't want to take up a standard, heavier wheelchair or put a crew member to any trouble just to push me up the ramp. Also, if you have used a transport chair, were you able to do any excursions? As I mentioned the chair folds up and isn't too heavy. We were just thinking that we could possibly do a few excursions with the chair since excursions are really not an option with the scooter. Thanks for responses.

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I use the lightweight collapsible Travelscoot brand scooter. I use it on excursions and on the ship. I had a travel chair (I have since given it away) which was horrible. First it was hard for my husband to push on carpet which is all over the ship. Second, the small wheels transferred every bump into to body. Not only did my bottom hurt but so did my teeth. I was miserable.

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Why not take both? I'm sure your wheelchair folds. Just have DH push it onto the ship while you ride your scooter. That way you will have it for excursions. DH takes both his scooter and rollator on cruises, so that he will have the rollator for excursions.

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I used a transport chair on our last Allure of the Seas cruise. It didn't work on the gangway ramp on boarding day. The bumps were too big while turning to access each ramp. I ended up just using the chair as a rollator and made it up that way. Otherwise the chair worked well for me. I was with my husband most of the time and he could easily maneuver the chair as needed. We didn't get off the ship, so I'm not sure how well that would go. But the few times that I have used the chair outside on sidewalks and uneven pavement, it hasn't gone very well. This next trip on Allure (leaving 3/25!) I am taking my wheelchair, but my walking has deteriorated quite a bit since then. I considered renting a scooter, but my head doesn't seem to be ready for that step.

 

Paula

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I have mobility issues, and I use a mobility scooter in large venues. I usually bring my scooter on our cruises, get a standard balcony cabin, and we never have any issues with the scooter. I'm thinking for our next cruise of just bringing my transport chair, and cane. I use my cane in the cabin, and I can easily stand or walk a short distance with my cane if I need to. DH has no problem pushing the chair, and he doesn't mind it because it's very light.

We've been on many cruises, so I'm not usually going too far without him. My concern is at Embarkation; even though the chair is light, and easy to push on a flat surface, would the fact that the ramps can be steep, make it more difficult to push? and, if I decide to use the transport chair, could I have DH fold up my chair, and request wheelchair assistance just to get up the ramps? I don't want to take up a standard, heavier wheelchair or put a crew member to any trouble just to push me up the ramp. Also, if you have used a transport chair, were you able to do any excursions? As I mentioned the chair folds up and isn't too heavy. We were just thinking that we could possibly do a few excursions with the chair since excursions are really not an option with the scooter. Thanks for responses.

 

My husband has a transport chair that we take on cruises. He also rents a scooter for the cruise. On ships where he picks up the scooter in the room, he always has wheelchair assistance from the ship to get up the ramps, plus it speeds up the process of getting on board (since they know where they are going and which line to get in). He uses the ship's wheelchair and is pushed by ship personnel and I take his transport chair, put our under-the-seat travel bag in the seat and push it, following the person pushing my husband.

 

On some cruises, the scooter is waiting for him outside the terminal (at Mobility at Sea's kiosk) and he doesn't need wheelchair assistance since he has the scooter from the beginning.

 

The big bonus to having the transport chair is that we can go on many shore excursions that can accommodate a fold-up wheelchair/transport chair. Check with the cruiseline's access department about available excursions that can accommodate the transport chair. We have found very few, and usually no shore excursions that can accommodate a scooter.

 

And for us, if we stay over night in a hotel precruise, he has the transport chair and I can push him.

 

I vote for the scooter AND transport chair.

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My husband has a transport chair that we take on cruises. He also rents a scooter for the cruise. On ships where he picks up the scooter in the room, he always has wheelchair assistance from the ship to get up the ramps, plus it speeds up the process of getting on board (since they know where they are going and which line to get in). He uses the ship's wheelchair and is pushed by ship personnel and I take his transport chair, put our under-the-seat travel bag in the seat and push it, following the person pushing my husband.

 

On some cruises, the scooter is waiting for him outside the terminal (at Mobility at Sea's kiosk) and he doesn't need wheelchair assistance since he has the scooter from the beginning.

 

The big bonus to having the transport chair is that we can go on many shore excursions that can accommodate a fold-up wheelchair/transport chair. Check with the cruiseline's access department about available excursions that can accommodate the transport chair. We have found very few, and usually no shore excursions that can accommodate a scooter.

 

And for us, if we stay over night in a hotel precruise, he has the transport chair and I can push him.

 

I vote for the scooter AND transport chair.

 

 

Yes, that sounds like a good way to go. Thanks for the info.

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On some cruises, the scooter is waiting for him outside the terminal (at Mobility at Sea's kiosk) and he doesn't need wheelchair assistance since he has the scooter from the beginning.

 

 

.

 

No such scooter rental company. Believe you mean Special Needs at Sea's Kiosk.

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No such scooter rental company. Believe you mean Special Needs at Sea's Kiosk.

 

Yes, I believe you're correct. When you type "mobilityatsea.com" into your search bar up comes the Special Needs at Sea website. There is a mobility at sea company that rents scooters and other equipment in Europe.

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