Mobility Scooter for Mom's First Cruise?!

[angelsbaby1]

DP & I are taking my Mom (age 67) on her first cruise on the Emerald Princess in June. She is very mobile but because of some back problems and numbness in one of her legs, she walks with a cane (although not as much as she should :(). She has lost her balance and fallen a few times and I am concerned that if this happens while on the cruise, it will ruin her trip. I also realize that it is difficult to maneuver with a cane especially if you are trying to carry anything else (i.e. drink, snack, etc.). She won't have to worry about carrying a tray at the buffet because my sister, DP and I will all be there to help her.

 

She is one of those people who doesn't want to appear to be "old & helpless" (her exact words) so she has made is clear that she DOES NOT want a wheelchair! :eek: I talked her into getting one of those mobility scooters by telling her how nice and sleek they are now (as opposed to a wheelchair)! We booked it from (what we think is) an excellent company with a good price ($175 for 7 day sailing). They work with the cruiselines and will deliver the scooter to the cabin and pick it up at the end of the cruise. They also go by weight and since Mom is a small person (about 125 lbs or so) she can get the lightest one. She will not need to use the scooter while in the cabin so I don't think we will have to worry about having a wheelchair accessible cabin (she and my sister have a balcony next to ours).

 

Has anyone used these type of scooters? Are they as easy to handle as the brochure makes them sound? Are we getting a good price? Are these scooters ok to take into the ports which are St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Grand Turk? We will also go to Princess Cays and had agreed to get a cabana since she is not necessarily a beach person. But she declined stating that she would rather stay on the ship that day since Princess Cays is pretty much a beach day.

 

Any help/advice/experiences would be appreciated!

 

Angel :)

[Toto2Kansas]

One problem you are going to run into, if the scooter does not fit through the cabin door (which many do not), Princess no longer allows you to store it, or leave it in the hallway (same with wheelchairs). So, the stateroom will need to be an HC cabin if the scooter will not fit.

 

Princess Cays might need to be without the scooter, depending totally on the Captain's recommendation. Princess normally will not transfer scooters on the tenders now because of liability issues. You can check on that after you board.

 

One problem that occurs is that for someone not used to driving a scooter, it can be dangerous to them and other passengers until they learn how to operate it. I would try to find a way for your mum to 'practice' somehow, on someone elses. Otherwise you will be placing her into something she has no knowledge of and it would take her quite a while to learn how to operate it properly. Even some larger stores, like walmart supply motorized scooters, which might be an idea for a practice run. ;)

 

I would also suggest you check with the disabled cruisers board for tips and suggestions, you can locate it here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=190

[DonnasMom&Dad]

DP & I are taking my Mom (age 67) on her first cruise on the Emerald Princess in June. She is very mobile but because of some back problems and numbness in one of her legs, she walks with a cane (although not as much as she should :(). She has lost her balance and fallen a few times and I am concerned that if this happens while on the cruise, it will ruin her trip. I also realize that it is difficult to maneuver with a cane especially if you are trying to carry anything else (i.e. drink, snack, etc.). She won't have to worry about carrying a tray at the buffet because my sister, DP and I will all be there to help her.

 

She is one of those people who doesn't want to appear to be "old & helpless" (her exact words) so she has made is clear that she DOES NOT want a wheelchair! :eek: I talked her into getting one of those mobility scooters by telling her how nice and sleek they are now (as opposed to a wheelchair)! We booked it from (what we think is) an excellent company with a good price ($175 for 7 day sailing). They work with the cruiselines and will deliver the scooter to the cabin and pick it up at the end of the cruise. They also go by weight and since Mom is a small person (about 125 lbs or so) she can get the lightest one. She will not need to use the scooter while in the cabin so I don't think we will have to worry about having a wheelchair accessible cabin (she and my sister have a balcony next to ours).

 

Has anyone used these type of scooters? Are they as easy to handle as the brochure makes them sound? Are we getting a good price? Are these scooters ok to take into the ports which are St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Grand Turk? We will also go to Princess Cays and had agreed to get a cabana since she is not necessarily a beach person. But she declined stating that she would rather stay on the ship that day since Princess Cays is pretty much a beach day.

 

Any help/advice/experiences would be appreciated!

 

Angel :)[/quote

 

From my experience I advice getting a HC cabin, as you are not supposed to park scooters outside your cabin, your price seems excellent, as for taking it ashore, that depends on the cruise line.

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Cato

[angelsbaby1]

One problem you are going to run into, if the scooter does not fit through the cabin door (which many do not), Princess no longer allows you to store it, or leave it in the hallway (same with wheelchairs). So, the stateroom will need to be an HC cabin if the scooter will not fit.

 

Princess Cays might need to be without the scooter, depending totally on the Captain's recommendation. Princess normally will not transfer scooters on the tenders now because of liability issues. You can check on that after you board.

 

One problem that occurs is that for someone not used to driving a scooter, it can be dangerous to them and other passengers until they learn how to operate it. I would try to find a way for your mum to 'practice' somehow, on someone elses. Otherwise you will be placing her into something she has no knowledge of and it would take her quite a while to learn how to operate it properly. Even some larger stores, like walmart supply motorized scooters, which might be an idea for a practice run. ;) Great idea...never thought of that! I will definitely have her do that before the cruise (which is in 55 days)! :)

 

I would also suggest you check with the disabled cruisers board for tips and suggestions, you can locate it here:

I went to this board and got great information!

Thanks for the help!

Angel :)

[Pam in CA]

Also, as Toto says, make sure you're in a handicapped cabin. You will have to park the scooter in your cabin and standard cabin doors are not wide enough to get it into the cabin. You cannot leave it in the hallway nor will they store it for you. Otherwise, you could have a problem and not be able to keep the scooter.

[Toto2Kansas]

I went to this board and got great information!

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Angel :)

 

Glad to be of assistance. But please read Pam's reminder, things have changed since a few years ago when scooters could be parked in the hallway. An HC stateroom is a necessity for anyone with a scooter, they just won't fit through the cabin door and they will not store it for you onboard when not in use. ;)

Best of Luck on this, but I would contact the cruise line quickly (since your sailing is not far off), to make sure there is an HC cabin available to change to before you make final arrangements for the scooter.

[angelsbaby1]

Pam & Toto,

 

Thank you both so much for the advice. Anita (DP) called both Princess and the scooter rental place. We were informed of the door width of Mom's cabin (we asked specifically for her particular balcony) as well as the dimensions of the scooter. The scooter that we are renting for Mom is 19" (it's based on the height & weight of the person using it) and (per Princess) the door width is 24". We also subtracted 2" on each side of the scooter to allow for the wheels (got this advice from the disabled passengers board thanks to Toto :)). So the scooter will have enough room to go into the cabin (thank God) and we have been assured by both Princess and the rental company that all will be fine! So, I guess we will have to trust that.

 

As far as getting a HC cabin, we checked and there are none available! :( The only cabin available that is wheelchair accessible is the penthouse suite :eek:! Unfortunately, we will not be able to upgrade quite that far! LOL!

 

Thanks again for your concern and advice. As I always say, I know I can count on my CC "family" for help! That's why I always start here when it comes to my cruise vacation!

 

Angel :)

[pjs9876]

I am so glad someone directed you to this area on the boards

Special Interest Cruising

Disabled Cruise Travel

 

 

because they have been wonderful and the information correct. These are the folks that deal with the issues day in and day out. I travel with in laws and my mom and all have different problems with mobility. They have helped make all our trips wonderful.

[Toto2Kansas]

Angel, I am so happy to hear that the scooter width will fit through the stateroom door, I honestly was very worried about that. Sounds like everything is set now, and you will have a fantastic cruise with your mum. ;)

[cruznliz]

My mother has her own scooter (that we got off of Craig's List for free) and she has brought it on a number of cruises. She has always gotten a mini suite (for bathtub use) and there has been plenty of room to park the scooter. If your mother is alone in her balcony cabin there should be room for the scooter, but it will be crowded.

 

The main problem is waiting for an elevator that is empty or nearly empty. Allow plenty of time to get places. I honestly had nightmares about my mother backing out of the elevator and going straight down the stairs!:eek: Of course it never happened, but it did worry me. Be careful in crowds. I also put the speedometer on the very lowest setting. Practice would be a very good thing. At the very least, have her ride around on embarkation day before it gets crowded.;)

[angelsbaby1]

I am so glad someone directed you to this area on the boards

Special Interest Cruising

Disabled Cruise Travel

 

 

because they have been wonderful and the information correct. These are the folks that deal with the issues day in and day out. I travel with in laws and my mom and all have different problems with mobility. They have helped make all our trips wonderful.

 

Thanks pjs9876! You are so correct! I hadn't had the opportunity (or a reason) to go to the this section of the boards until today. One of the other posters suggested it and I am so glad she did! The people on that board were very friendly and the information was invaluable. I want my Mom to have the best possible cruise experience on her first (hopefully of many, if she likes it of course ;)) and with her mobility issues, I am glad that I booked a scooter for her!

Thanks again for the help and concern.

Angel :)

[angelsbaby1]

My mother has her own scooter (that we got off of Craig's List for free) and she has brought it on a number of cruises. She has always gotten a mini suite (for bathtub use) and there has been plenty of room to park the scooter. If your mother is alone in her balcony cabin there should be room for the scooter, but it will be crowded.

 

The main problem is waiting for an elevator that is empty or nearly empty. Allow plenty of time to get places. I honestly had nightmares about my mother backing out of the elevator and going straight down the stairs!:eek: Of course it never happened, but it did worry me. Be careful in crowds. I also put the speedometer on the very lowest setting. Practice would be a very good thing. At the very least, have her ride around on embarkation day before it gets crowded.;)

 

Hi Cruznliz,

 

Mom will be in the cabin with my sister next to ours (DP & mine) and I know it will be rather crowded for them...but they will manage somehow!

 

Thanks for the advice about changing the speedometer setting...great idea! I don't want Mom thinking she needs to speed around the ship :eek: especially with the limited scooter experience that she will have. I have already discussed this with her and she is going to go to one of the wheelchair sales places in her area (near Orlando) to "test drive" one of the scooters that is very similar to the one that she will be getting for the cruise. We will also take your advice and have her practice on embarkation day before the ship gets too crowded. We plan to board as early as possible (we do have priority boarding because DP & I are both Elite).

 

Angel :)

[Umbarger]

As far as getting a HC cabin, we checked and there are none available! :( The only cabin available that is wheelchair accessible is the penthouse suite :eek:! Unfortunately, we will not be able to upgrade quite that far! LOL!

quote]

 

I'm not surprised that a HC cabin wasnt available. The ship only has 20. Only around 8 being Balcony cabins. You usually need to book a year in advance to get one.

[2 to cruise]

My husband has used a scooter on our last two cruises. We were very hesitant to get one due to the doorway problem. After talking to Princess about it, the scooter could not be wider than 23" which it was not. My husband had one of the bigger ones and it was absolutely no problem. Not necessary for a handicap room.

 

We were in a mini-suite on the Island and the hallway right outside our room had a bit of an alcove where we could keep it. We brought it in at night to charge it and put it back out in the morning. It was never in any one's way.

 

On the Sapphire we had an aft mini and our steward told us we could keep it at the end of the hall which we did. There was a plug right there and we didn't even have to bring it in at night to charge it - worked out perfectly!

 

Remember to bring an extension cord just in case it's needed.

[angelsbaby1]

My husband has used a scooter on our last two cruises. We were very hesitant to get one due to the doorway problem. After talking to Princess about it, the scooter could not be wider than 23" which it was not. My husband had one of the bigger ones and it was absolutely no problem. Not necessary for a handicap room.

 

We were in a mini-suite on the Island and the hallway right outside our room had a bit of an alcove where we could keep it. We brought it in at night to charge it and put it back out in the morning. It was never in any one's way.

 

On the Sapphire we had an aft mini and our steward told us we could keep it at the end of the hall which we did. There was a plug right there and we didn't even have to bring it in at night to charge it - worked out perfectly!

 

Remember to bring an extension cord just in case it's needed.

 

Thanks...I am relieved to hear that Mom will not need an HC cabin (since they are so limited :eek:). I will also remember to bring an extension cord!

Do you know how long the charge lasts on the scooter (it's the smallest/standard sized one)? If it charges overnight, should that be enough for the entire day or will she need to go to the cabin a few times during the day for more charging?! :confused:

Thanks for any additional information!

Angel :)

[pegpowell]

My husband rented a scooter for a cruise last summer on the Pacific Princess. It would fit through the door, but not past the turn from the entryway and the bed. We could not get it into the room. The steward took care of it every night for us. The other thing to note is that the contract on the scooter said that it couldn't be taken ashore!

[angelsbaby1]

My husband rented a scooter for a cruise last summer on the Pacific Princess. It would fit through the door, but not past the turn from the entryway and the bed. We could not get it into the room. The steward took care of it every night for us. The other thing to note is that the contract on the scooter said that it couldn't be taken ashore!

 

Thanks for your input Pegpowell! ;) Hopefully, Mom's cabin steward will be as accommodating as yours was. On a positive note, I just found out that the cabins that we have on Riviera deck are layed out differently than the standard balconies and are quite a bit larger...so hopefully that will help also!

We will read the contract carefully to be sure whether we can or cannot take the scooter ashore. My mom is not completely immobile, so if it cannot be taken ashore, she will use her cane and we will just have to cut down on any extensive walking tours. Maybe even cut the days short and stay closer to the ship. We (my sister, DP & I) don't mind...we just want her to have a great first cruise! :D

Angel :)

[Toto2Kansas]

Thanks for your input Pegpowell! ;) Hopefully, Mom's cabin steward will be as accommodating as yours was. On a positive note, I just found out that the cabins that we have on Riviera deck are layed out differently than the standard balconies and are quite a bit larger...so hopefully that will help also!

 

We will read the contract carefully to be sure whether we can or cannot take the scooter ashore. My mom is not completely immobile, so if it cannot be taken ashore, she will use her cane and we will just have to cut down on any extensive walking tours. Maybe even cut the days short and stay closer to the ship. We (my sister, DP & I) don't mind...we just want her to have a great first cruise! :D

 

Angel :)

 

The Riviera deck balcony cabins are larger? Now you really have me confused on that one. A standard balcony cabin is the same no matter what deck you book it on. Now the Caribe Deck balcony is 9X9 ft, but on the Riviera deck, the balcony will be 9X5 ft, and the interior of the stateroom will be the same as other balcony staterooms. You have me totally puzzled. :confused: Would love to know where you got the information that the cabin itself is larger. Not saying there might be a slight difference in layout, but if this is true, it is the first time I have ever heard of one balcony stateroom (that is not an HC) is a different size than the next.

I remember there are a few that have an entrance and twins (one on each side of the entrance that can't be made into a queen), but as to size of the stateroom itself, I have not heard of any larger than the next.

[angelsbaby1]

The Riviera deck balcony cabins are larger? Now you really have me confused on that one. A standard balcony cabin is the same no matter what deck you book it on. Now the Caribe Deck balcony is 9X9 ft, but on the Riviera deck, the balcony will be 9X5 ft, and the interior of the stateroom will be the same as other balcony staterooms. You have me totally puzzled. :confused: Would love to know where you got the information that the cabin itself is larger. Not saying there might be a slight difference in layout, but if this is true, it is the first time I have ever heard of one balcony stateroom (that is not an HC) is a different size than the next.

I remember there are a few that have an entrance and twins (one on each side of the entrance that can't be made into a queen), but as to size of the stateroom itself, I have not heard of any larger than the next.

 

Got the info here (as usual ;))! Please read below...

 

Shhh! These cabins were top secret, and now you've opened them to the world. :mad:

 

Yes, they are larger. They are also a much better layout.

Lets just try to keep this between thee and me.

 

Board monitor - please delete this thread after shoafmom has read it.

 

The standard cabin configuration will not work here. These cabins are on either side of the pool wall. You can hear the pool water sloshing st times. You will also notice that all II cabins, including these, have become about 300 - 400 dollars more than cat I.

 

Angel :)

[Toto2Kansas]

Got the info here (as usual ;))! Please read below...

 

 

 

 

 

Angel :)

 

Except for a few balcony cabins (on some ships) that have the layout mentioned (twins on either side of an entrance way that don't comform to a queen), I have never heard of a larger balcony stateroom on any of the Princess ships. Sounds a bit strange to me without a better idea of what it being discussed in that thread IMHO! Good Luck though!

(someone posted a picture a while back of the configuration I was refering to, but I can't seem to find it. If I do, I will post it). That could possibly what they are talking about, but these are not larger sq footage, just a different layout.

 

OK, finally found the thread I was referring to. It was on the Baja Deck of the Grand Princess (not the Riviera Deck). You can see a picture of it here in post #46 of the thread. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=998633&highlight=queen+bed+balcony+stateroom&page=2

[DonnasMom&Dad]

I went to this board and got great information!

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Angel :)

 

As a good TA (Travel Agent) which I think you must be, you should have had this on hand long ago, or are you tying to make a point.

 

Cato :D :rolleyes:

[angelsbaby1]

As a good TA (Travel Agent) which I think you must be' date=' you should have had this on hand long ago[/b'], or are you tying to make a point.

 

Cato :D :rolleyes:

 

Hi there Cato,

I'm not sure to what you are referring :confused:. What point would I be trying to make? I was getting information on a mobility scooter for my Mom who is going on her first cruise and has issues with mobility. Another poster referred me to the disabled travel boards here (which I had never been to before). Thanks for the compliment but I am not a TA.

Angel :)

[DonnasMom&Dad]

Hi there Cato,

 

I'm not sure to what you are referring :confused:. What point would I be trying to make? I was getting information on a mobility scooter for my Mom who is going on her first cruise and has issues with mobility. Another poster referred me to the disabled travel boards here (which I had never been to before). Thanks for the compliment but I am not a TA.

 

Angel :)

 

Sorry if I offended you, but your profile listed your occupation as "TA", so I figured it stood for "Travel Agent"

 

Cato :cool: :)

[angelsbaby1]

Sorry if I offended you' date=' but your profile listed your occupation as "TA", so I figured it stood for "Travel Agent"[/font']

 

Cato :cool: :)

 

Not offended...DP is a travel agent (and a very good one)! ;) We use the same Cruise Critic username. I'm just a regular traveler that sometimes likes to get advice/experiences from other travelers. CC is a wealth of information for everyone!

Angel :)

[HomelessBear]

Hello Angel,

 

I hope that you are your mum have a fantastic cruise. My mum once said to me that she would love to "go on one of those big ships". Sadly I was not able to take her before she passed away, but I am sure that she comes with me now on my cruises in spirit!

 

I don't know if I am off base here but do you need insurance for the scooter? - I was thinking of insurance just in case your mum ran into someone and caused them injury perhaps? I am not implying that your mum would have any accidents, but I remember when my mum talked about having a scooter, she was advised that she should get insurance - just in case! I was in a supermarket with her once and she was using one of the supermarket scooters to get round to do her shopping, but she accidentally took a corner too "fast" and ran into a display. No one was hurt (except my mums pride!), and I did find it quite funny.

 

I'm sure that you will have a brilliant time. I wish I had had the opportunity to go with my mum - she would have loved cruising!