Traveling with 89 and 90 yr old parents. Sorry it's so long.

[dvg1027]

I posted this on the 55+ board and received no response so will try here and at Royal Caribbean.

 

My mom says she wanted to go on a cruise. At 90 she has more energy then people 20-30 years younger. My dad & her have been on many cruises before. The last was 3 years ago when we all went on Splendor of the Seas and did the Mediterranean Cruise.

 

Here is the thing. They both look great for their age. Mentally and physically they are doing great. Live on their own. BUT.....my Dad had major heart surgery a few years ago. He is doing well health wise except he does get tired easily. He doesn't need a wheelchair/cane/walker normally. If he has to walk long distances though he does get tired out. I finally convinced them to use the airport wheelchair when they travel because before this he would look beat when he would get off the plane. Plus he doesn't have to stand and wait during security and other areas as he would if he was standing.

 

Now here is my many questions. This is still in the talking stage so I want to get my questions answered before discussing this with them. (I handle their travel arrangements for them whether they are traveling by themselves or with us)

 

1. Do we need to rent a wheelchair for the cruise or does the cruise ships supply one? Again they don't need it all the time. Most times they can go under their own steam. But I would want one available at all times. Never know when we might have to leave our room and go to the far end of the ship.

 

2. My husband and I usually cruise on RC. My parents were very impressed with the customer service on Splendor. When we went on it at the time we didnt' need wheelchairs but they were still up their in age and the staff would see them waiting to disembark and have us move to the front of the line and do other things to help out. BUT the one thing my parents and DH complained about was the food. On the Caribbean cruises my DH and I went on the food was fine but it definitely wasn't as good on the Mediterranean Cruise. Is the food on the Caribbean cruise usually better?

 

3. I have heard that Celebrity Cruises are good for seniors. Your thoughts?

 

4. I am trying to satisfy everyone. My husband wants to go on n RC's Allure or Oasis. If we choose RC has any one reading this had experience with more senior, seniors going on either of these ships? What was the experience? Also, how was the food?

 

I think I will need a vacation when this is over. LOL All kidding aside, I enjoy every minute traveling with my parents and appreciate the fact that I am lucky at the age of 55 to have both my parents alive, healthy in mind and body and still able to live on their own. Thanks for all you help. If you know of any resources to find more info about senior cruising , please let me know

__________________

[CaroleLee]

I posted this on the 55+ board and received no response so will try here and at Royal Caribbean.

 

My mom says she wanted to go on a cruise. At 90 she has more energy then people 20-30 years younger. My dad & her have been on many cruises before. The last was 3 years ago when we all went on Splendor of the Seas and did the Mediterranean Cruise.

 

Here is the thing. They both look great for their age. Mentally and physically they are doing great. Live on their own. BUT.....my Dad had major heart surgery a few years ago. He is doing well health wise except he does get tired easily. He doesn't need a wheelchair/cane/walker normally. If he has to walk long distances though he does get tired out. I finally convinced them to use the airport wheelchair when they travel because before this he would look beat when he would get off the plane. Plus he doesn't have to stand and wait during security and other areas as he would if he was standing.

 

Now here is my many questions. This is still in the talking stage so I want to get my questions answered before discussing this with them. (I handle their travel arrangements for them whether they are traveling by themselves or with us)

 

1. Do we need to rent a wheelchair for the cruise or does the cruise ships supply one? Again they don't need it all the time. Most times they can go under their own steam. But I would want one available at all times. Never know when we might have to leave our room and go to the far end of the ship.

 

2. My husband and I usually cruise on RC. My parents were very impressed with the customer service on Splendor. When we went on it at the time we didnt' need wheelchairs but they were still up their in age and the staff would see them waiting to disembark and have us move to the front of the line and do other things to help out. BUT the one thing my parents and DH complained about was the food. On the Caribbean cruises my DH and I went on the food was fine but it definitely wasn't as good on the Mediterranean Cruise. Is the food on the Caribbean cruise usually better?

 

3. I have heard that Celebrity Cruises are good for seniors. Your thoughts?

 

4. I am trying to satisfy everyone. My husband wants to go on n RC's Allure or Oasis. If we choose RC has any one reading this had experience with more senior, seniors going on either of these ships? What was the experience? Also, how was the food?

 

I think I will need a vacation when this is over. LOL All kidding aside, I enjoy every minute traveling with my parents and appreciate the fact that I am lucky at the age of 55 to have both my parents alive, healthy in mind and body and still able to live on their own. Thanks for all you help. If you know of any resources to find more info about senior cruising , please let me know

__________________

 

Wow, you are a great dgt & very lucky to have them both.

1. At their ages I would be sure to travel with them.

2. I believe that you would have to provide your own w/c ( there are DME -durable medical equipment that rent w/c.

3.I would look at deck plans to check layouts, resting spots ( bars, coffee shops, library etc). That way they could be independent but have a spot to sit & talk & people watch.

4.Would also check initeraries-you want to be docked as opposed to tendered in ports.

5.Check with their MD re restrictions, diet etc

6. It depends upon what time of year you travel. Summer & Spring Break, X-MAs etc the demographic is more kids. Celebrity is more mellow as opposed to Carnival but having cruised Celebrity the ages ranges from infants ( stollers) to 90+.

7. Food- everyone 's taste vary and what you like may not be liked by others.

Find a good travel agent, and discuss what you want to do etc. Review itineraries discuss with your family and go for it. It will be the trip of memories.

Carole

[JFontaine]

A few months ago I took my mom (in her 80s) on her first cruise. Perhaps some of my experiences might be helpful. I chose the Celebrity Century because I wanted a 'small' ship with less walking. I picked a mid-ship suite near the elevators (the suite gave her a butler for little extras, plus more room and a bathtub). The bathtub, which was important to her, was too hard to get in and out of on her own (too high, and the bars were not placed in the right place); in retrospect, she would have done better with a regular, step-in shower. I have cruised Celebrity more than 20 times (including on the Century), so that gave me the familiarity aspect, and I had hoped for no surprises, but still had them. For one, my mom isn't picky about food but didn't really like the dinners. We did have room service every day for breakfast and that was great - she was not rushed in the morning. Getting on the ship was challenging in that there is usually never a wait mid-day on the suite line, except this day - and getting on the ship took forever. We did not ask for a wheelchair, and she would have resisted it, but in retrospect there was a long time of standing around and walking from place to place (she wasn't tired because we stayed in a hotel 10 minutes away the night before). You need to opt for the wheelchair when you first get to the port for use in embarkation (they do have wheelchairs on board for emergencies - but if you think you will need one you need to make those arrangements in advance, don't count on getting one once there). We got to the muster station early so she would have a chance to sit in one of the few seats (casino) so that worked out fine. I used select dining so she was able to eat when she was ready; that worked out fine too (she has diabetes - I also brought some snacks and juice on board for emergencies). We had one rough (to her, not to me) day at sea, and she had a hard time walking around on that day. We had to tender at one port, and we were both a bit nervous about how she would do; we stood back for a half hour until the tender was ready to go, and then we got on board without incident. We (I brought my sister too, we had three suites) did everything at her pace (slow) and I made reservations at two resorts for the day - she was able to just sit and relax and that worked out great (taking any kind of excursion would not have worked). She didn't particularly care for the entertainment but did enjoy the casino (where she made some friends, and if you guys are reading this - thank you for being so sweet to her).

 

My mom had said no to the idea of a cruise for a while, until one time she said yes, and I booked it that day. I think we all had a good time, and I would like to do it again. I am not sure that I would do anything different.

 

All the best to you and your parents for a great cruise.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Call Celebrity because I think they will supply a wheelchair for your use. My mother injured herself on a cruise and they had to give her a wheelchair- so I know they have them.

 

I think picking a small vessel is a good idea- my father loved Amazara over Celebrity and I would explore this option. My Dad had bipass surgery before our Millenium cruise and he didn't like the size of the Millenium class ships.

 

My parents like that there aren't large groups getting on and off. The food was better and the ship layout really easy.

 

Given your parents ages- they may be better off on a smaller ship, especially on a port intensive cruise.

[deserttraveler]

Having been on both S class and M class ships, and loving them and the X brand, I am going to step out and suggest you consider Holland-America. They have ships in the 1200-1400 passenger range that are noticeably smaller than X's 2000-passenger M class ships. It just takes less time to get from one place to another. Because their demographic seems to be older than X, they are very, very accustomed to assisting older people with mobility issues. the HAL experience is overall excellent, the food is comparable to X (better meat, not as good ice cream) and they have the anytime dining option.

[Valley Girl of VA]

Just a quick note - I would look into Holland Americacn which has so many seniors and works well with them. The entertainment is geared more toward the older clientel as well. For seniors, I would recommend HAL over Celebrity, which I was on this winter as well as HAL.. On HAL, get a room by the central elevator to save some walking.

[fleckle]

...........1. Do we need to rent a wheelchair for the cruise or does the cruise ships supply one? Again they don't need it all the time. Most times they can go under their own steam. But I would want one available at all times. Never know when we might have to leave our room and go to the far end of the ship.

They will provide a wheelchair for embarkation and disembarkation to anybody who needs one at no charge. If you want to have one available for the entire cruise, you need to rent it from a company that provides them. You can find out which company Celebrity is using from special_needs@celebrity.com

or call 1-800-722-5472

or Special Needs 1-866-592-7225

(Not sure which is currently their correct number.)

 

The wheelchair will be on board in your cabin waiting for you when you arrive and you just leave it behind when you disembark so you have no hassle whatsoever about getting it on or off the ship.

 

If there is any doubt, personally I would rather order and pay to rent a wheelchair, even if it is not needed, than take a chance on needing one and not having it. Also, IMO it is worth the extra cost to get a power chair or scooter rather than a manual one.

 

Also, consider booking a centrally located handicap accessible cabin for your parents close to the elevators. It would give them space to maneuver a wheelchair plus having extra stability bars in the bathroom and a large, easy to enter walk-in/roll-in shower with a shower seat.

 

If you can afford a suite, the extra services of a butler would be a nice plus.

 

2. My husband and I usually cruise on RC. My parents were very impressed with the customer service on Splendor. When we went on it at the time we didnt' need wheelchairs but they were still up their in age and the staff would see them waiting to disembark and have us move to the front of the line and do other things to help out. BUT the one thing my parents and DH complained about was the food. On the Caribbean cruises my DH and I went on the food was fine but it definitely wasn't as good on the Mediterranean Cruise. Is the food on the Caribbean cruise usually better?

Also contact Special Needs in advance with your dietary requests. They are very good about accommodating any special dietary restrictions. Then once on board be sure to speak with the Maitre D' who will take very good care of seeing that your parents get the kinds of food they want/need. Overall we find the service on Celebrity to be excellent.

3. I have heard that Celebrity Cruises are good for seniors. Your thoughts?

I totally agree.

4. I am trying to satisfy everyone. My husband wants to go on n RC's Allure or Oasis. If we choose RC has any one reading this had experience with more senior, seniors going on either of these ships? What was the experience? Also, how was the food?

We have not been on either of those ships as we dislike the large, monster ships with the atmosphere of an amusement park. Celebrity offers a more serene, laid back, less crowded, elegant ambiance on smaller ships, which we love, but your husband may find disappointing.

 

Another thing to consider is that Celebrity does not allow smoking in cabins or on balconies or in the casino, which may be either a plus or minus for you and your husband depending on your smoking habits.

 

I envy your good fortune in having both parents alive and healthy at their ages. Only wish that we had been able to take our own parents on cruises while they were still alive.

 

Hope you and your parents have a wonderful cruise, whichever ship you pick!

[coopers14]

I have travelled with my mother now 88 on nine cruises RCI .We have been on Freedom ,Independence,Brilliance Grandeur Oasis.She has loved them all,my mum has mobility problems,we take her electric scooter with us and it is very handy for getting round the large ships.

 

We have cruised with and without it,at the port I get wheelchair assistance,the gang planks are long and steep.

On Oasis I could not fault the service my mum received from the staff ,they really looked after her ,bringing her food and drink if she was sat in Park Avenue allowing me to have a little down time, nothing was too much trouble.

 

They have wheelchairs you can take ashore with you but you have to reserve through guest relations.

you can also hire chairs, scooters that are delivered to the ship (I have done that too)Oasis is huge ,but the food and service can't be faulted.

 

My mum enjoyed the shows and sitting in Park Avenue.

 

I think any RCI ship would be suitable ,just plan the itinerary, Europe isn't very wheelchair friendly,the Caribbean is flatter.

 

If I can help at all please ask.

[kitty9]

Personally, I think Oasis and Allure are far to big for people the age of the OP's parents. A smaller ship would be better.

 

My mom loved cruising on Celebrity. The size of the ships were perfect for her, she loved the food and the pampering service.

 

You need to bring your own wheelchair with you. It's different if someone is injured on the ship, and of course they will give you a wheelchair in that instance, but if you need one for the entire cruise, rent one. They're not that expensive and the chair will be waiting in the cabin when they arrive and you just leave it in the cabin when you depart.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Sorry I was thinking you were doing Europe again. I have talked to many season cruisers at this point and one thing seems to be true of all of them- they tend to gravitate to smaller ships as they get older.

 

I think some of it is getting confused about their surroundings. I haven't sailed on Oasis or Allure but my friend has (she's 47) and she said she prefers ships the size of Enchantment or Splendor of the Seas. She said that you had to pre-book show times and that she didn't get the individual attention on such a big ship. She said it would be great for kids though.

 

I did the Caribbean with my parents and Aunt and Uncle on Oceania a few years ago.. they were all in their 70's and they fell in love with these smaller vessels. When I took my Dad on Millenium he hated it in comparison to the smaller vessels. So even though I enjoy all the entertainment, pools, nightlife, etc. on the larger ships... that wasn't the case with the 70 somethings.

 

The OP said her parents are mobile but that the Dad in particular sometimes uses a wheelchair. On the smaller ships like Amazara- everything really isn't too far away, which will allow them to be independent.

[miched]

One thing I would seriously do is to research for a cruise medical policy. We have sailed over 20 times and during every cruise someone had to be evacuated or taken off the ship for medical reasons.

 

Granted it is not always the older passengers either. One time was a worker that had to be air lifted for appendicitis. There were others that were taken off the ship while in a port.

 

I understand that evacuation by helicopter is very costly and due to the age and heart condition of your father it could happen. I would make sure that the policy covers that.

[bklun]

It may vary from ship to ship, but my DW has MS and frequently has difficulty walking and runs out of energy quickly. We have had wheelchairs provided for our use for the entire cruise many times. It is best to request them from special needs (the phone number is on the celebrity site.) They do have a limited number of wheelchairs. You may also want to consider a handicap room as they are much easier to navigate and the showers have fold down seats which my wife really appreciates. You will find the staff extremely helpful and they seem to pay additional attention to those with special needs.

[Denny01]

Fleckle is right, the useful phone numbers are:

 

 

Access Dept - Special Needs

866-592-7225

 

Special Needs - Private Co

800-513-4515

 

I'd recommend Celebrity, we took our folks on Celebrity cruises and they loved the lower key approach and Celebrity common areas just don't seem as crowded.

 

One heads up. If you are looking at S-Class, don't go with aft/stern cabins. The elevators are more mid-ship and forward. Other than that, I think S-Class would be fantastic for all of you.

 

Good luck planning and very impressed you are doing this for your folks. More than very nice.

 

Den

[floridatravelersforlife]

As one who has been there and done that, all good advice. With cardio challenges, be prepared that the octogenarians may not make any land excursions ( or they may be harmful) or get off the ship. The ship's motions as well as the daily on board activity (incliding shows) may wear them out. Either be prepared to stay on board or make arrangements for yourselves. Also make sure any seasickness drugs don't counteract with their heart medicines. That could be deadly.

[bmather]

I am taking my parents (88 & 85) on a their first cruise this fall and faced the same mobility issues for my dad. Decided to take the transport chair route since the are light (22 lbs) and very inexpensive $160. That way I can easily store and move the chair. The plus is that it now lives in the back of their car and even my mom can handle it.

 

Took them down to the port on Saturday to see the Celebrity Century, which is the ship we will be cruising to Hawaii this fall on. This was the trail run for the chair and my dad thought it was great. Link to some pictures.

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/mb.mather/CenturyInSanDiego5142011?authkey=Gv1sRgCOfy84mG5se12AE&feat=email#

 

Ben

[Nebr.cruiser]

I agree about having a wheelchair available and most of the other suggestions, especially purchasing good insurance.

 

Another possibility to help out with mobility problems is bringing along one of the canes that also has a fold-down seat. To me it looks very awkward to handle, but I have been told by more than one person with mobility and especially with stamina problems that it is really great to be able to sit down when needed on excursions, in lines, etc., without taking a wheelchair everywhere.

 

I know it's one more thing to drag along, but you already know that this cruise will be about being with and helping your parents most of the time.

[sealover155]

My Mother and my FIL were both in their late 80's when we cruised to the Mediterranean, separate trips. Both cruises were memorable and very special times for all. Neither had serious mobility issues, but my FIL had a then, undiagnosed heart valve problem which created slight out-of-breath moments. We did learn a lot, though, so I have a few tips:

 

Definitely choose a smaller (less than 2000 passengers) ship preferably with 3 banks of elevators. A stateroom location somewhat close to the elevator is ideal but you will still find yourselves at the front and rear of the ship for dining, shows, etc. The long walks were challenging after a big day touring the ports. We were on Century with my FIL but he would have been fine on any M-class X ship. Save Oasis, Allure and the S-class X ships for other trips.

 

I'd choose a ship and itinerary known for smooth sailing - some itineraries are famous for unpredictable sea conditions. Some smaller ships have more movement.

 

The bathtub in our suite on RCI proved to be a huge problem even for my Mother who really had no mobility issues. I'd definitly opt for a shower.

 

On Century, we had connecting rooms which gave my FIL a level of comfort and security. His pirmary issue was impaired hearing so it was a relief him to know we were close by.

 

On one instance, the ramp to the ship from the dock was very, very, steep. It was a struggle getting back on the ship so that required a lot of patience and good humor. Just make sure they don't get frustrated and take their time!

 

We found that having a written daily schedule of our plans and activities eliminated some of the confusion. Both parents were quite alert and had few cognitive challenges but the written agenda was a godsend.

 

I believe that everyone over 85 should have a "ride" through airports. I knew my Mother would be a "hard sell" but she loved it. And, it makes going through security, at most airports, less of a hassle - usually shorter lines. Additionally, it really helps to make sure they have no contraband in their carry-ons. My FIL had long tweezers and scissors that were confiscated. Seniors are just not quite as savvy or up-to-date on TSA regulations even if you think you've covered it all with them.

 

We had excellent travel insurance. Your policy should cover medical care as well as medical evacuation. We use a private company, not the cruise line's, which we feel is inadequate.

 

Here is the review I wrote after the Century cruise: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=22227

 

All of these cruises were trips of a lifetime for all of us. You will have no regrets.

[JFontaine]

One of my biggest concerns (I had many) was that my mom would get the norovirus, which while I would shrug off in a day or two, I was afraid she wouldn't. She's an RN and knew all about hand washing, but I made sure that I touched the elevator buttons, all door handles, most serving utensils, etc. I also told her that I avoided public restrooms. It wasn't a problem, thankfully.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

My mother hurt her foot when she was on a cruise and required a wheelchair (she was 65 tops). A couple years later we were waiting forever to get on the Sapphire Princess (word of warning- Seattle is a horrible port for lines!) and she said... "next time I'm getting a wheelchair". She was 67! I looked at her like you lazy thing! But having said that, with 80 and 90 year olds- I'd definitely do the wheelchair at the airport and boarding the ship because they do get preferential treatment and why shouldn't they? They deserve it.

[Crusing Nut]

Personally, I think Oasis and Allure are far to big for people the age of the OP's parents. A smaller ship would be better.

 

My mom loved cruising on Celebrity. The size of the ships were perfect for her, she loved the food and the pampering service.

 

You need to bring your own wheelchair with you. It's different if someone is injured on the ship, and of course they will give you a wheelchair in that instance, but if you need one for the entire cruise, rent one. They're not that expensive and the chair will be waiting in the cabin when they arrive and you just leave it in the cabin when you depart.

 

 

I agree with the Allure/Oasis being to big for her parents. Those ships get real crowded in the Royal Promenade during events. Remembering to book shows is a pain. They are beautiful ships though.

[amusea]

My mom cruised until age 94, even with some difficulties. The year she and my dad were booked into a Celebrity Suite we had the bathtub problem. She just could not raise her legs high enough to step over the lip of the tub for either a bath or shower. I contacted the front desk and they were very helpful. Since the ship was not quite full, they were able to allocate a cabin that was empty just for her use of the bathroom since it had a stall shower.

The easiest cruises for my parents were on small ships. On both the Regent Mariner and Cunard Caronia/Vistafjord the staff were superb by providing exceptionally personal service for any problems that arose. I realize these ships are more expensive but in the case of elderly parents with some difficulties it was really worth the extra expense. In fact when embarking the Caronia in San Diego my mother who was seated in her wheelchair was lifted up the gangplank by two of the crew.