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I am thinking of booking a cruise on Celebrity Constellation. Can anybody tell me if they allow passengers with a small mobility scooter on a tender?

 

It says on Celebrity website that all stateroom doors are a minimum of 23” wide, so does that mean I don’t need to book an accessible cabin as my scooter is maximum 21”?

 

Any advice or tips would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

 

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Hi -

You might post this question on the "special interest" portion of cruise critic. Try the disabled cruising folder. We are booked on Millennium in September, and have an accessible cabin. My spouse doesn't use a scooter, but extra-wide doorways make it easier for both of us.

 

We see scooters parked outside many doors because most of the cabins (inside, oceanview and balcony) cannot be navigated on a scooter. You would need to book a "handicap accessible" cabin where some of the furniture has been removed to allow for scooters inside. Also, accessible cabins do not have a step-up into the bathroom nor the shower.

 

Hope this is helpful to you.

Liz

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Mostly scooters are not allowed on tenders. There are some very small scooters that might be allowed but remember that you have to get down steps to board the tenders.

 

You are not supposed to park them in the hallways. They block the passageways and make it hard for the stewards to do their jobs.

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On our last cruise on Constellation about a month ago there was a notification that scooters were not permitted on the Tenders. I did notice a couple passengers with collapsible wheelchairs make their way down the stairs to the tender and board, but they had enough mobility to walk up and down a flight of steps to the boarding platform.

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You do not get the full 23" door aperture as the door does not open flat. You should get 21" aperture, might get your scooter through if you can take the arm rests off, but I cannot guarantee it.

 

Even if you can get your scooter into the cabin, you will find yourself tight for space unless you have an accessible, or a larger than usual, cabin (such as a suite). P+O insists that anyone with anything other than a very small scooter must have an accessible cabin or suite, I don't know if any other lines take the same stance.

 

It is against SOLAS regulations to store a scooter or wheelchair in the hallway, that is aside from the fact that doing so prevents other wheelchair/scooter users getting through.

 

There are only a few tenders that can take scooters across all the cruiselines. Otherwise, you could use a manual wheelchair if you have one, but would have to be able to transfer yourself into the tender.

 

As has been said, the 'disability' section of this forum has very good information and people are very helpful if you post a question.

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We see scooters parked outside many doors because most of the cabins (inside, oceanview and balcony) cannot be navigated on a scooter.

This should be reported to Guest Services, because parking scooters in hallways is against SOLAS regulations, as they are a safety hazard in case of an emergency. Not to mention, not being polite to others who will not be able to navigate the hallways if they have walkers or scooters, but I guess some just don't care about others.
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Hi -

 

You might post this question on the "special interest" portion of cruise critic. Try the disabled cruising folder. We are booked on Millennium in September, and have an accessible cabin. My spouse doesn't use a scooter, but extra-wide doorways make it easier for both of us.

 

 

 

We see scooters parked outside many doors because most of the cabins (inside, oceanview and balcony) cannot be navigated on a scooter. You would need to book a "handicap accessible" cabin where some of the furniture has been removed to allow for scooters inside. Also, accessible cabins do not have a step-up into the bathroom nor the shower.

 

 

 

Hope this is helpful to you.

 

Liz

 

 

 

Thanks Liz. I don’t really need an accessible cabin as I can manage steps. On most cruises we have taken, including this year, we have had a standard cabin.

 

 

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Mostly scooters are not allowed on tenders. There are some very small scooters that might be allowed but remember that you have to get down steps to board the tenders.

 

 

 

You are not supposed to park them in the hallways. They block the passageways and make it hard for the stewards to do their jobs.

 

 

 

Thanks. I would never dream of putting my scooter in a passageway. The scooter is fairly small and is quite manageable without the battery and I can do the steps.

 

 

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You do not get the full 23" door aperture as the door does not open flat. You should get 21" aperture, might get your scooter through if you can take the arm rests off, but I cannot guarantee it.

 

Even if you can get your scooter into the cabin, you will find yourself tight for space unless you have an accessible, or a larger than usual, cabin (such as a suite). P+O insists that anyone with anything other than a very small scooter must have an accessible cabin or suite, I don't know if any other lines take the same stance.

 

It is against SOLAS regulations to store a scooter or wheelchair in the hallway, that is aside from the fact that doing so prevents other wheelchair/scooter users getting through.

 

There are only a few tenders that can take scooters across all the cruiselines. Otherwise, you could use a manual wheelchair if you have one, but would have to be able to transfer yourself into the tender.

 

As has been said, the 'disability' section of this forum has very good information and people are very helpful if you post a question.

 

 

 

I have been on cruises before, including P&Oand Cunard and yes, you have to have an accessible cabin. I don’t want to take the wheelchair as it is hard work for my partner.

 

The Disabled Cruising section of CC isn’t very active, that’s why I posted here. Thanks.

 

 

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My mother uses a GoGo Elite Traveller (“Rosie”) while on cruises due to severe arthritis. We have never had an accessible cabin as I feel these are for people who are wheelchair dependent not just to have the extra room. We manage just fine by tucking it under the desk or pushing aside the coffee table. Rosie is NEVER left in the hallway.

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My mother uses a GoGo Elite Traveller (“Rosie”) while on cruises due to severe arthritis. We have never had an accessible cabin as I feel these are for people who are wheelchair dependent not just to have the extra room. We manage just fine by tucking it under the desk or pushing aside the coffee table. Rosie is NEVER left in the hallway.

 

 

 

That’s helpful to know. My scooter I have now is about the same size as I had one of those before. I’m thinking of booking an ocean view cabin, so I imagine that will be fine? Thank you.

 

 

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My mother uses a GoGo Elite Traveller (“Rosie”) while on cruises due to severe arthritis. We have never had an accessible cabin as I feel these are for people who are wheelchair dependent not just to have the extra room. We manage just fine by tucking it under the desk or pushing aside the coffee table. Rosie is NEVER left in the hallway.

 

 

 

Did you take the scooter on a tender?

 

 

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I am thinking of booking a cruise on Celebrity Constellation. Can anybody tell me if they allow passengers with a small mobility scooter on a tender?

 

It says on Celebrity website that all stateroom doors are a minimum of 23” wide, so does that mean I don’t need to book an accessible cabin as my scooter is maximum 21”?

 

Any advice or tips would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

 

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I would make sure that my cabin has the bed near the balcony (or window) as you will never be able to get the scooter past the bed to the sitting area.

 

Steve

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I would make sure that my cabin has the bed near the balcony (or window) as you will never be able to get the scooter past the bed to the sitting area.

 

Steve

 

Sorry but bed position does not alternate on Millennium Class ships (Constellation, Infinity, Millennium and Summit) as it does on the five Solstice Class ships... On M-Class, the beds ( though I can’t speak to accessible cabins) are always nearer the cabin entry hall/bath...

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I agree it is unacceptable to leave scooters on the narrow corridors leading to the staterooms. However there is room out of the way of the elevator lobbies and I have left mine there. I try to have a room near the forward elevators for that very reason. Otherwise I would struggle in the stateroom with my walker and crutches. The scooter parked there would be quite a hazard for me to collide with or trip over.

I do not think you could take anything other than the very small collapsible scooters onto a tender - also it isn't fair to expect Celebrity staff to maybe carry it for you - so unless you have an able bodied helper with you - it probably wouldn't be possible. Remember that the tenders can be moving so any swell would provide a problem. There are also steps down from the ship and maybe at the port to negotiate too.

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I agree it is unacceptable to leave scooters on the narrow corridors leading to the staterooms. However there is room out of the way of the elevator lobbies and I have left mine there. I try to have a room near the forward elevators for that very reason.
This is still against SOLAS regulations and is a safety hazzard.
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I am thinking of booking a cruise on Celebrity Constellation. Can anybody tell me if they allow passengers with a small mobility scooter on a tender?

 

It says on Celebrity website that all stateroom doors are a minimum of 23” wide, so does that mean I don’t need to book an accessible cabin as my scooter is maximum 21”?

 

Any advice or tips would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Having recently purchased small mobility scooters for myself and my husband and planning to take them on our next cruise, I have been thinking about the type of questions you ask.

 

As a novice, I think with a lightweight scooter you would your biggest problem wold be the weight of the door of any stateroom, accessible or not. Unless you have an assistant with you at all times, you may find it difficult to open the door and get the scooter through it. Our scooters are automatic-folding ones and we believe that we would need to fold ours to enable either of us to pass through the door unassisted.

 

By folding our scooters, they will take up a great deal less stateroom space than a normal scooter, however small. When we took our first cruise before we had our mobility problems in a Concierge Class stateroom on Constellation (slightly larger than a balcony stateroom) we found the lack of space challenging without a scooter taking up room.

 

As for tendering, in many situations access to a tender is difficult for even the able-bodied. I cannot recall one where crew members did not have to assist everyone on board. There may be tenders that are more accessible in some ports but, in most places, the ships lifeboats are used and we would not be able to get our folding scooters onto them. If your scooter is essential for your mobility ashore, I would plan to stay on the ship in any tender port.

 

I am not sure where you are thinking of cruising but area of the world should also be a consideration. The ports used by cruise ships are very different. In somewhere like the Caribbean, most are dedicated cruise ports accessible from the end of the pier. In Europe, many ports are for commercial shipping and you are not permitted to walk from the pier to the town. Shuttle buses are provided by the port and most would not be accessible by scooter. You would also have to stay on board in these ports. This point had not occurred to us until we considered taking our scooters on the ferry to Dunkirk. Although cyclists are allowed on those ferries, foot passengers and mobility scooters are not.

 

There is a great deal of port information on the Internet - just google: "Port Name" cruise port. Also make use of Google Earth to see the terrain for yourself to make your own judgements.

 

Having said all that, please do not let me put you off cruising. Think about the situations I have mentioned and your strategies for coping with your particular mobility. It may be that purchasing a folding scooter would solve some of the issues. Certainly ours may be taken on flights and will serve to allow us to continue travelling for longer. We are looking forward to our new adventures with them.

 

Best if luck.

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It is also discourteous to other passengers and crew.

 

Accessible rooms exist for a reason!

 

I booked my upcoming cruise well over a year ahead (I wasn't able to take out travel insurance for a good while til it hit the 12 months ahead!) and there wasn't an accessible room available and from doing a little research re that..... it would appear quite par for the course. So... what is one supposed to do? As for positioning a scooter right against a wall away from doors - corridor accessing ones or elevator doors in the roomy area by the forward elevators.... I do not see an issue and it certainly isn't in the way as it would be left on a corridor. I have never seen that either on a cruise.

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Project Gals advice to research all ports to be visited is key....Having done three cruises in Europe and the Caribbean in a wheelchair pre and post op tenders were not the only barrier to getting on/off the ship.

 

For example, in Lisbon the angle of the ramp meant guests with wheelchairs and scooters were not allowed to disembark until after lunchtime. Then in Bergen there was one minibus only shuttling wheelchair and scooter guests from the container port to the town, you couldn’t prebook it at a specific time you had to queue in the cold!

 

Re tendering I can only say like Wendychoecruiser I have never seen scooters on tenders although I have seen a lightweight folding wheelchair....

 

For our three cruises with me with mobility issues we spent hours researching and at some ports we decided simply to enjoy the ship. A good tip is to street view on google the pavements in any towns you plan on just getting off the ship and scootering around...you can plan to avoid cobbles, steps and other obstacles.

 

I was quite upset about the Bergen situation....better organisation could have made life better for disabled guests but have no issues with being prevented from using a tender or a steep ramp....the crew always has to put safety of guests and crew first.

 

I suggest you list the ports you are planning on visiting and ask again about how accessible they are to scooter users (unless of course you have done them all before).

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Having recently purchased small mobility scooters for myself and my husband and planning to take them on our next cruise, I have been thinking about the type of questions you ask.

 

As a novice, I think with a lightweight scooter you would your biggest problem wold be the weight of the door of any stateroom, accessible or not. Unless you have an assistant with you at all times, you may find it difficult to open the door and get the scooter through it. Our scooters are automatic-folding ones and we believe that we would need to fold ours to enable either of us to pass through the door unassisted.

 

By folding our scooters, they will take up a great deal less stateroom space than a normal scooter, however small. When we took our first cruise before we had our mobility problems in a Concierge Class stateroom on Constellation (slightly larger than a balcony stateroom) we found the lack of space challenging without a scooter taking up room.

 

As for tendering, in many situations access to a tender is difficult for even the able-bodied. I cannot recall one where crew members did not have to assist everyone on board. There may be tenders that are more accessible in some ports but, in most places, the ships lifeboats are used and we would not be able to get our folding scooters onto them. If your scooter is essential for your mobility ashore, I would plan to stay on the ship in any tender port.

 

I am not sure where you are thinking of cruising but area of the world should also be a consideration. The ports used by cruise ships are very different. In somewhere like the Caribbean, most are dedicated cruise ports accessible from the end of the pier. In Europe, many ports are for commercial shipping and you are not permitted to walk from the pier to the town. Shuttle buses are provided by the port and most would not be accessible by scooter. You would also have to stay on board in these ports. This point had not occurred to us until we considered taking our scooters on the ferry to Dunkirk. Although cyclists are allowed on those ferries, foot passengers and mobility scooters are not.

 

There is a great deal of port information on the Internet - just google: "Port Name" cruise port. Also make use of Google Earth to see the terrain for yourself to make your own judgements.

 

Having said all that, please do not let me put you off cruising. Think about the situations I have mentioned and your strategies for coping with your particular mobility. It may be that purchasing a folding scooter would solve some of the issues. Certainly ours may be taken on flights and will serve to allow us to continue travelling for longer. We are looking forward to our new adventures with them.

 

Best if luck.

 

 

 

Thank you for your comments. I have a small scooter which breaks down into 5 pieces. My partner would be travelling with me, so opening doors etc would not be a problem as he is strong and able bodied.

 

I am very well travelled, so the cruise we are thinking of doing, I have visited all the ports before, but on a land based holiday. We have also cruised in the Caribbean.

 

I have taken my scooter to loads of destinations throughout Europe, so I’m aware of the difficulties and accessibility of ports. Therefore, I was more interested in the ship facilities.

 

The only tender port of the cruise is Kotor, but we spent a week there a few years ago, so could stay on the ship.

 

The only real challenge I can see is finding a suitable hotel in Venice which doesn’t involve in crossing lots of bridges at a reasonable price. I will look on Sage Traveling and Google Accessible Venice.

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

 

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I booked my upcoming cruise well over a year ahead (I wasn't able to take out travel insurance for a good while til it hit the 12 months ahead!) and there wasn't an accessible room available and from doing a little research re that..... it would appear quite par for the course. So... what is one supposed to do? As for positioning a scooter right against a wall away from doors - corridor accessing ones or elevator doors in the roomy area by the forward elevators.... I do not see an issue and it certainly isn't in the way as it would be left on a corridor. I have never seen that either on a cruise.

 

We've travelled with scooter and wheelchair users a few times now and have never experienced issues obtaining an accessible room for those who required one.

 

As has been pointed out you are still breaching SOLAS regulations by abandoning your scooter in a public space. The crew have to clean the carpet and walls regularly so you are also inconveniencing them and it is possible that an individual could walk into or trip over your scooter, so my comments stand. I appreciate the challenges faced by wheelchair and scooter users, people reading this may well need one themselves at some point in the future but it's simply wrong to leave them in a public space.

 

 

 

To the OP, I don't know what the exact rules are for taking a scooter on a tender but common sense and a pragmatic approach would suggest that it is highly unlikely Celebrity or anyone else would want to take them on a tender. They can't guarantee the weather conditions and definitely will not want to risk damaging or dropping your scooter in the sea!

 

I'd also recommend researching ports and pick an itinerary with minimal or better still no tendering.

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I know that there are a few (very few) cruise ships with wheelchair accessible tenders but cannot find out which they are! This article shows one and explains how it is used, but does not mention which ship it belongs to :(

 

https://www.sagetraveling.com/cruise-tender-accessibility

 

Even then, everything is very dependent on weather conditions.

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