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Alaska Cruise: Do I need to Bring my Walker Too?


Stevi
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In August I will go on my first cruise as an adult, (my first cruise was a Baltic cruise as a 12 year old in the late 70s). Last year I got my first scooter (a TravelScoot) which has changed my life. The 4 wheeled walker that I used to use almost all the time hardly gets taken out now. For those situations where a walker or scooter just won't work I have a cane for short distances. So my question is do I bother with bringing my walker on the cruise with me? I don't want to bring it if there is little chance I will actually need it.

Thanks,

Stevi

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In August I will go on my first cruise as an adult, (my first cruise was a Baltic cruise as a 12 year old in the late 70s). Last year I got my first scooter (a TravelScoot) which has changed my life. The 4 wheeled walker that I used to use almost all the time hardly gets taken out now. For those situations where a walker or scooter just won't work I have a cane for short distances. So my question is do I bother with bringing my walker on the cruise with me? I don't want to bring it if there is little chance I will actually need it.

Thanks,

Stevi

 

It is totally up to you, but DH travels with both his scooter and his rollator. This allows him to take part in excursions where he couldn't take his scooter, particularly if there are tender ports.

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Check and see if your planned excursions accommodate scooters - the ones I am planning to take don't. Also, the Alaska ports reportedly vary in their scooter-ability - someone recently wrote a very nice summary of her experiences in one of the threads, either here or in the Alaska forum. Personally, I am bringing both my folding scooter and my manual wheelchair - I love my scooter but it isn't comfortable to sit on for long periods, as at a show. I plan to ride the scooter at airports and load the luggage into my manual wc for DH to push.

 

Bottom line - I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. YMMV.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some of the ports sometimes end up being tendered- getting onto the tender often requires taking a step or two, and may not accomodate a scooter. My friend is going prepared- renting a scooter, bringing a portable wheelchair, and bringing her walker. As mentioned above- better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

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In August I will go on my first cruise as an adult, (my first cruise was a Baltic cruise as a 12 year old in the late 70s). Last year I got my first scooter (a TravelScoot) which has changed my life. The 4 wheeled walker that I used to use almost all the time hardly gets taken out now. For those situations where a walker or scooter just won't work I have a cane for short distances. So my question is do I bother with bringing my walker on the cruise with me? I don't want to bring it if there is little chance I will actually need it.

Thanks,

Stevi

 

I cruise with my Pride GoGo Mobility Scooter. I also have a collapsible cane, and a walker that I bring along as well. I have chronic mobility issues that can vary from minute to minute and day to day. I couldn't get around the ship with the cane or walker, however I can get some exercise by taking brief walks outside of the cabin with the walker. I don't need to use the cane/walker in the cabin, I just hang on to things walking around. Because I use the scooter pretty much all day going around the ship, I like to attempt some time to stretch and walk a little bit if I'm able.

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I cruise with my Pride GoGo Mobility Scooter. I also have a collapsible cane, and a walker that I bring along as well. I have chronic mobility issues that can vary from minute to minute and day to day. I couldn't get around the ship with the cane or walker, however I can get some exercise by taking brief walks outside of the cabin with the walker. I don't need to use the cane/walker in the cabin, I just hang on to things walking around. Because I use the scooter pretty much all day going around the ship, I like to attempt some time to stretch and walk a little bit if I'm able.

 

 

 

Great idea, I didn't even think about the lack of exercise I'd be getting because of the distances on the ship. This year I get to replace my walker and I'm looking for a light weight one and this confirms I should get everything I place to replace it before I leave.

 

Thank you to everyone who said best to have it than not. I carry so much medical equipment I was hoping to lighten the load a bit. My traveling companions will be lots of help but you don't want to take advantage of their goodwill.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I did a standard Alaska cruise as a solo in 2015 and because I was alone couldn't manage to wrangle both the rollator and scooter so just took the scooter. It was AMAZING to be able to actually get out and do things, I was so pleased! I could not, for example, have made it into Skagway with just the rollator. I did miss having it though, especially for use around the ship where the scooter sometimes felt like overkill.

 

Last fall my daughter and I did a Pacific Northwest cruise together so she carried the rollator on board for me. I used it once off the ship, just going to the little shopping area at the port in Astoria to make a purchase after our day in port. There is no way I could have used it all day in any of our stops, but it was nice to have it to go to the casino or the dining room while on board.

 

A couple of notes on the scooter use in Alaska: Many (most) of the walkways are made of timbers and it's a jarring, clattery ride. I ended up most nights feeling bruised from head to toe, but OMG it was worth it. You CAN get the scooter into the funicular in Juneau and also the one in Ketchikan that goes up to the inn (I highly recommend it for a cup of coffee and incredible views). You can take it onboard the Skagway rail trip but depending on where you're docked and how far a walk to the train, the rollator would be a better choice.

 

If you're going to a port that requires a tender you can't take your scooter.

 

Have a great time!

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You can plan things out so your travelling companions aren't overburdened. For instance, I plan to bring both scooter and wheelchair, so I'll be riding the scooter in the airport to the gate, while my DH is going to load the suitcases into my wheelchair to make it easier to get them to checkin (where the wheelchair will be checked in too). He'll get to maneuver them all again from luggage claim to cruise checkin, but then he is free for the cruise (except for a couple of excursions where my scooter is not allowed or just inconvenient, so he'll be pushing me in the wheelchair). I can do my own arrangements in our room, and with the scooter won't need his help around the ship. He isn't wild about the hassle but he loves me and knows having both items with us will make the cruise much easier. I also make sure he goes to things I know he will enjoy even if they aren't my "thing" - sometimes I go with him anyway and sometimes I don't. So we both end up having a wonderful time.

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  • 1 year later...
I did a standard Alaska cruise as a solo in 2015 and because I was alone couldn't manage to wrangle both the rollator and scooter so just took the scooter. It was AMAZING to be able to actually get out and do things, I was so pleased! I could not, for example, have made it into Skagway with just the rollator. I did miss having it though, especially for use around the ship where the scooter sometimes felt like overkill.

 

Last fall my daughter and I did a Pacific Northwest cruise together so she carried the rollator on board for me. I used it once off the ship, just going to the little shopping area at the port in Astoria to make a purchase after our day in port. There is no way I could have used it all day in any of our stops, but it was nice to have it to go to the casino or the dining room while on board.

 

A couple of notes on the scooter use in Alaska: Many (most) of the walkways are made of timbers and it's a jarring, clattery ride. I ended up most nights feeling bruised from head to toe, but OMG it was worth it. You CAN get the scooter into the funicular in Juneau and also the one in Ketchikan that goes up to the inn (I highly recommend it for a cup of coffee and incredible views). You can take it onboard the Skagway rail trip but depending on where you're docked and how far a walk to the train, the rollator would be a better choice.

 

If you're going to a port that requires a tender you can't take your scooter.

 

Have a great time!

 

thank you for the scooter info. i am so afraid that i wont be able to get around the town w/a scooter. and yet i cant get around w/o one. i can walk for a bit but then i'm done. were there any excursions you took? thank you

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You can plan things out so your travelling companions aren't overburdened. For instance, I plan to bring both scooter and wheelchair, so I'll be riding the scooter in the airport to the gate, while my DH is going to load the suitcases into my wheelchair to make it easier to get them to checkin (where the wheelchair will be checked in too). He'll get to maneuver them all again from luggage claim to cruise checkin, but then he is free for the cruise (except for a couple of excursions where my scooter is not allowed or just inconvenient, so he'll be pushing me in the wheelchair). I can do my own arrangements in our room, and with the scooter won't need his help around the ship. He isn't wild about the hassle but he loves me and knows having both items with us will make the cruise much easier. I also make sure he goes to things I know he will enjoy even if they aren't my "thing" - sometimes I go with him anyway and sometimes I don't. So we both end up having a wonderful time.

 

thank you also for your posting about getting around w/a scooter. i could have never gotten around w/o a scooter on the breakaway or any large ship for that matter. just getting to the dining room is a hassel for me. i also am preparing to go on some excursions w/him. if i cant go, he will go alone. i dont expect him to only go shopping w/me. what are your recommendations for excursions or getting around the different ports. tx.

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I’m the OP and I did take both my scooter and walker and honestly I only used the scooter for the whole week. I used my scooter in every port and didn’t have any trouble getting around. Often the ports required quite a bit of walking just to get into the tourist area. It might have been ok for someone without a walking problem but it would have worn me out had I tried walking it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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