Cruise tour with scooter

[boewok]

I am planning to do an Alaska cruise/tour in May. Does anyone have experiences to share? I've taken my scooter on many cruises but never on a several day tour. Can the tour bus handle the scooter without disassembly?

 

Thanks for any input

 

Barb

[xxoocruiser]

I am planning to do an Alaska cruise/tour in May. Does anyone have experiences to share? I've taken my scooter on many cruises but never on a several day tour. Can the tour bus handle the scooter without disassembly?

 

Thanks for any input

 

Barb

 

No one can really give you an answer to that question as it's all dependent on the type of tour bus. Though Alaska is in the USA and ADA law applies, it still not a gaurantee that the tour bus will have a wheelchair lift.

 

Depending on the the size/weight of your scooter, the amount of people and luggage involved in the total tour group, if the tour bus has a dedicated luggage hold below the seating level, the scooter can sometimes be loaded into that section. This is also dependent on whether or not you are able to walk up the stairs of the bus.

 

Someone I know is doing the same type of cruise/tour. She spent months researching and planning the entire trip by contacting the tour company before she ever booked it as she is confined to a wheelchair and must have tour bus with a lift. You really are better off speaking directly to the tour company to have your question properly answered.

[katisdale]

We did a Princess tour in Alaska prior to a southbound cruise three years ago. We traveled on a train from Anchorage to two lodges close to Denali and then took a tour type bus to Copper River and from there to Valdez to board a boat to Whittier where we boarded the Island Princess. The train was completely accessible with a ramp to board, a lift to the seating level, and a fully accessible toilet. The scooter was placed in a hold while I was on the train and I used my walker. The bus was not accessible and did not have toilet facilities at all although we stopped frequently enough. There were 4 or 5 steps up into the bus. My scooter had to be disassembled to fit with everyone else's luggage under the bus. It was last on and first off so I could use it in the lodge. All lodges were accessible. That was my only experience in Alaska. I loved it but felt the bus tour portion would be impossible if one was unable to walk a little and do some steps.

[kle50]

My friend and I did the northbound Alaska cruise on Radiance of the Seas in 2010. We both use scooters. We found most everyone was very accommodating.

 

The one exception was in Ketchikan. We were scheduled for the totem and city tour. The bus driver was a woman and when she saw our scooters she asked us if we would be able to load them onto the bus's cargo hold. Really!?? Fortunately, some of the lumberjack show guys came and rescued us. When we got to the totem park some of the men on the tour were very kind and helped load and unload our scooters. This was the only problem we had.

 

In Juneau we toured the fish hatchery and Mendenhall Glacier. Our driver was a strapping young man and had no problems loading and unloading scooters. Icy Strait was a tender port but again, we had no issues. We just left the scooters at the start of the rain forest tram tour and got them when we got back.

 

In Skagway we did the motor car tour (one of the highlights of the trip) and the lovely ladies who were our guides each took a scooter and drove it from the cars to the "tour booths" on the pier. They were quite a sight racing each other down the pier with their petticoats flying. We followed that up with the summer camp dog sledding tour. The mushers took us from the parking area to the sleds in a little Kubota so we wouldn't have to walk.

 

We had a wonderful time and managed to do everything we wanted to do. I do recommend contacting the excursion desk, or tour company if you know who they are, ahead of time.