Buying vs renting a scooter for cruising

In your experience, would you buy your own scooter or rent one for cruising. I am using a manual wc at home when we go the mall, and using the carts at Walmart and Sams etc.

Unfortunately, the drs are not expecting my medical conditions to get better, plus I need a knee replacement too. On our last cruise, it was tough, but I made do with walking, just pacing myself. I now use a cane to walk a majority of the time, due to the knee.

I would rent. I would not buy until you see how it goes after the knee replacement. EM

If the knee replacement would mean that you are no longer in pain and would-be able to walk long distances easily then I would definitely rent. The cruise will be much more enjoyable if you don't have to dread those long walks to the theater from the dining room,. However, if the underlying need for the scooter will not be changed by the knee replacement, I strongly encourage you to consider buying. When my husband finally decided to buy it changed both of our lives. In addition to enjoying cruising and another travel, we also now can visit museums, go to the zoo, go shopping anywhere not just in places that have those amazingly slow scooters. We can walk the dogs together. As I said it gave us our lives back.

Good luck with the knee replacement!!

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The knee replacement should help some, but the diabetic neuropathy and residual neuro effects fromm IIH are not going away. When I get tired my leg starts dragging.

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In your experience, would you buy your own scooter or rent one for cruising. I am using a manual wc at home when we go the mall, and using the carts at Walmart and Sams etc.

 

Unfortunately, the drs are not expecting my medical conditions to get better, plus I need a knee replacement too. On our last cruise, it was tough, but I made do with walking, just pacing myself. I now use a cane to walk a majority of the time, due to the knee.

Though everyone on this forum is extremely helpful and will certainly recommend scooters, no one on this forum is able to assess your medical condition in rellative to your personal need. . Therefore prior to considering buying one (or any other mobility equipment it's best to have an OT and PT accessment to determine what features are better suited for your condition. Such as but not limited to the following:

• Do you need a scooter with a flat foot bed like the Pride GoGo series or are your able to manage to hold and control your foot placement on a foot bar such as found on the Travelscoot and SmartScoot ?
  
• To you need a Delta Tiller control or a standard tiller control sufficient ?
  
• To you require a seat that swivels 360 degress or is a fixed position seat as found on the Luggie workable for you ?
  

AFter renting for two cruises at $275 each time (total of $550), we have just bought a used, like new scooter for $500. We have one cruise booked at the moment so it just made sense. Plus it can be used for other trips.

We rented three times and just purchased.

Could have purchased one for what we have paid for the rentals and then some.

The big advantage of renting is that the equipment will be in your cabin when you arrive and you leave it behind when you depart, so no need to worry about how to get it to and from the port. If you choose the right one, you won't need a disability cabin.

If you ask for wheelchair assistance when boarding, someone will push you up the ramps to your cabin.

If you will need it long term, even if only on bad days, buy it.

I ended up purchasing one before I truly had to depend on it. All I can say is that although it cost me a little over $2k (SmartScoot) it has improved my quality of life, my accessibility, and urges to go on more cruises in the future!

Buy, Buy. BUY. Its the best thing I ever did. I rented one at a casino for the day $15. and the next day I went and bought my own along with a lift on the car so I can go places (the mall) without hubby. We've driven from Ohio to Miami twice with it on the lift with no problems.

DH uses a scooter for mobility and we sail out of Seattle for Alaska as it doesn't involve any flying. We have our own scooter at home and it's great for the increased independence it gives him. It fits in the trunk of my Toyota Corolla and we go all over the place. However, when it comes to cruising, it's either the scooter or the luggage but not both. We rent each time and have it delivered to the cabin. DH is wheelchaired on and off. He also asked to rent a walker this time and his mantra was "walker on the ship, scooter off" but made an exception for the dining room as it was at the other end of the ship! I also insist he use the scooter is in rougher waters just to prevent falling. It's an expense but I cost it into the price of the cruise. Also, if something goes wrong, the ship helps with contacting the rental company and we get it taken care of so I'm not left high and dry.

Karen

From what I understand, I was told that a rented scooter cannot be taken off the ships. Is this true?If you need a scooter for an extended period of time, buy a used one and sell it if you no longer need it.My scooter has more than paid for itself.

We take our rented scooter off the ship all the time on the Alaska cruises. The scooter even fits in the bay under the Grey Line style buses if you are doing excursions. In Sitka, which is now a docking port, you have to be bused into town and they have buses that the scooter fits underneath.

Karen

We take our rented scooter off the ship all the time on the Alaska cruises. The scooter even fits in the bay under the Grey Line style buses if you are doing excursions. In Sitka, which is now a docking port, you have to be bused into town and they have buses that the scooter fits underneath.

 

Karen

Good to know. Thanks for the info.