Worried might need a scooter

[tigercat]

I have done somthing to my leg and am having a lot of problems walking. My Dr. and husband want me to rent a scooter. What do I do? I really don't want to use one but will end up not being able to go very far on the ship. I am sailing on the CB Princess on the 22nd of Jan for 14 nights. Anyone have some suggestions.

tigercat

[2little time]

I have done somthing to my leg and am having a lot of problems walking. My Dr. and husband want me to rent a scooter. What do I do? I really don't want to use one but will end up not being able to go very far on the ship. I am sailing on the CB Princess on the 22nd of Jan for 14 nights. Anyone have some suggestions.

tigercat

I would rent a scooter. The walking can be excessive. Then if you do not need to use it all the time it will still be there for you.:)

[recyclelady]

My brother will be renting a scooter for the Feb. 27 cruise we are on. He and his wife had to book a handicapped cabin, however, to accommodate the scooter.

 

You will need to check with Princess to see what the rules are.

[paul929207]

You need to verify that anything you get can get into your cabin. Contact your TA or Princess before doing anything.

[Pam in CA]

You need to verify that anything you get can get into your cabin. Contact your TA or Princess before doing anything.

Right. You MUST store the scooter in the cabin and except for handicapped cabins, most scooters won't fit through the door. The scooter cannot be left in the hallway. As Paul says, check with Princess as to the width of the door and rent a scooter that will fit.

 

Oh, and practice, practice, practice before venturing into the buffet, lounges or other enclosed areas. The last thing you want to do is run over someone's foot. :(

[tigercat]

I have rented a scooter before and did okay. The only problem I had was people that would pass me, step right in front of me and then stop. I managed not to hit anyone, but it came close a couple of times. And then they turned around and got mad at me???? I will talk to my TA tomorrow.

tigercat

[2little time]

I have rented a scooter before and did okay. The only problem I had was people that would pass me, step right in front of me and then stop. I managed not to hit anyone, but it came close a couple of times. And then they turned around and got mad at me???? I will talk to my TA tomorrow.

tigercat

There are very narrow scooters that are designed to fit through a normal doorway. Check with your medical supply company to see if these are available. I saw several of them on my last cruise. On the other hand, if you can get a handicapped room it will be additional space as well as extra support rails in the bathroom.

[tigercat]

Now I am really screwed. Coming down the stairs tonight something popped in my leg. I can't move it at all. I will be calling my Dr. tomorrow. I would have to rent the scooter in San Juan and the hotel said to call tomorrow when there will be someone there to help me. I will also be calling my TA as well. What a mess.

tigercat

[Chunky2219]

If you are just looking for something to get around ship on, you can rent something quite small that will go through a cabin door. Or even better, many of the small ones split into smaller parts. That will work better if you have someone willing to help you do it.

 

Scooters parked in corridors are a no-no with all the cruise line and also a pet hate for those of us who can't squeeze a wheelchair past!

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[xxoocruiser]

except for handicapped cabins, most scooters won't fit through the door. . :(

 

Your statement that most scooters won't fit through the door unless it's a HC cabin is not an accurate statement.

 

I often have to book a standard cabin and have never had an issue getting my scooter in or out of the doorway . I use/own a Pride GoGo Elite Traveler and also rent the same scooter from CareVacations for cruises. This particular size scooter will fit through a standard cruise cabin doorway A standard Cabin doorway width is 21-22" wide from jam to jam. You than have to deduct 2" for the width of the door when open which reduces the overall door width to 19" - 20". That's one of the reasons that CareVacations rents this particularly scooter. Of course if the individua, due to height and weight requires a full size scooter or if they need the use of the scooter in the cabin will require a HC cabin will be required.

 

One option that no one has informed the OP is that they can ask guest services to arrange to have the scooter stored/charged each evening and returned in the morning when need if they are not able to get an HC cabin and the scooter does not fit through the doorway.

[xxoocruiser]

I have rented a scooter before and did okay. The only problem I had was people that would pass me, step right in front of me and then stop. I managed not to hit anyone, but it came close a couple of times. And then they turned around and got mad at me???? I will talk to my TA tomorrow.

tigercat

 

People who are not regular users/operatros of a mobility scooter fail to understand that mobility scooter do not stop on a dime. Mobility Scooters come to a rolling stop. Therefore it's very important , particularly in crowded areas such a cruise ships to always use the slowest speed and to be aware of your surroundings at all times . You need to watch out for others rather than depending on others watching out for you. Not to say that others were not wrong for stepping infront but you will still be responsible if that person gets hurt. Not unlike driving a car.

[xxoocruiser]

Now I am really screwed. Coming down the stairs tonight something popped in my leg. I can't move it at all. I will be calling my Dr. tomorrow. I would have to rent the scooter in San Juan and the hotel said to call tomorrow when there will be someone there to help me. I will also be calling my TA as well. What a mess.

tigercat

 

You can also contact CareVacations and Special Needs at Sea. Both companies have websites to obtain their contact information. Both are approved vendors of most of the major cruise lines.

[Arlened236]

The other problem that no one has mentioned is the shower...you can request a shower chair if you think you need it for the shower in a non-accessible cabin,

Also be aware that you cannot take a scooter off the ship to tender ports..a folding regular wheelchair is best for that. And many of the Caribbean ports are not as accessible as the US...they have poor side walks, no cut outs and steps into shops etc.

Even if you can get the scooter (providing you are small enough for a small one)into your cabin, it will be difficult to turn it around or even store it at night to charge it. One possibility is to have your steward take it at night and store and charge it and bring it back to you in the morning (always ask him to bring you the key so no one plays or uses it at night.

As someone else mentioned, you cannot store it in the hallway, there is no room with the linen carts and for others in wheelchairs/scooters to get by.

I would ask your TA to check with Princess and see if they upgraded anyone to an accessible cabin that does not need it...sounds like you do.

 

It also sounds like you need to contact your airline and see if you can get an isle seat on the bulkhead...they save these for people with mobility issues.

 

I am really sorry this has happended to you, and hope you find a solution.

[tigercat]

My TA has found out that the place that they deal with has a scooter that will fit through the door, however there really isn't any room to keep it. It would mean having to crawl across the bed to get to the rest of the room. Also, I am worried about driving it around the ship. People really don't see you when you are on a scooter or in a wheelchair. I am small (4' 8 1/2" tall) and am used to people not seeing me but when on or in a moving device it is a little more difficult. I think what we have decided to do is to rent a collapsable wheelchair for the times where my leg is just too sore to use my walker. I have been given a topical pain and anti inflamatory to use and hopefully be in better shape by next week. I have seen a Dr. and have had xrays taken. I knew that you couldn't keep the scooter outside in the hall and wouldn't have thought of doing that as I use a walker and if someone has their scooter outside I can't get by so wouldn't do that to anyone else. Thanks to everyone who has helped me and gave me some advice. I may be back for more though as this is new to me.

tigercat

[Chunky2219]

The other problem that no one has mentioned is the shower...you can request a shower chair if you think you need it for the shower in a non-accessible cabin,

 

Also be aware that you cannot take a scooter off the ship to tender ports..a folding regular wheelchair is best for that. ..................

 

One possibility is to have your steward take it at night and store and charge it and bring it back to you in the morning

 

The idea of ordering a shower stool is excellent. But do this as quickly as possible because they are in limited supply and once they are all booked, your only option is to take your own.

 

It may be different with Princess, in which case I apologise, but I've never come across a cruise line where the steward will take away a scooter to store and charge it. Not even in a high-end cabin with a butler. The lines are very clear about this. It's your problem. Expect to need something larger than the absolute minimum sized inside cabin if you want to handle a scooter.

 

You cannot take a scooter on a tender, but if you hire one of the small ones that takes apart, then providing no piece weighs more than X Kg (get your TA to check) it can follow you on to the tender the same way as a folding wheelchair will. However, you need to be able to step on to the tender yourself, with maybe a crew member helping to steady you. A break-down scooter will also fit under a tour bus.

 

The problem is that a scooter small enough to go on a tender or to go into a normal sized room isn't going to go very far once you are on shore before the batteries are flat.

 

Getting a wheelchair accesible cabin is a good idea, but unfortunately they usually tend to book up early at the full brochure prices before late discounts kick in. The cruise lines have an obligation to hold them for people with a genuine need, but there are so few cabins and so many people on wheels that if you are close to cruise date you might be too late.

 

Finally Tigercat, don't let anyone put you off with the thought that you are going to run rampant and hit half of the passengers on board. Most scooters stop on a dime - as soon as you release the "go" button" a brake clicks on immediately. You can turn the speed right down and, with the smaller versions, even when set at full speed you would be hard pushed to hit a brisk walking speed. My 85 year old mother-in-law, who has never driven a car or even ridden a bike manages a small scooter without any problems. I'd just recommend that you have a bit of reversing and turning practice to avoid looking a fool initailly, but otherwise it's easy!

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[xxoocruiser]

It may be different with Princess, in which case I apologise, but I've never come across a cruise line where the steward will take away a scooter to store and charge it. Not even in a high-end cabin with a butler. The lines are very clear about this. It's your problem. Expect to need something larger than the absolute minimum sized inside cabin if you want to handle a scooter.

 

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Actually this is a very common practice with most cruise lines. Been on 3 cruises with a large group that most use and need scooters due to MS. All three times on RCCL and all three times guest services and or the cabin stewards arranged to have the scooters that were not able to get into the cabins safely stored, charged nightly and returned as needed. In fact you can do a search on the disabled board regarding this very subject as it has been discussed a lot.

[xxoocruiser]

The problem is that a scooter small enough to go on a tender or to go into a normal sized room isn't going to go very far once you are on shore before the batteries are flat.

 

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Most travel scooters will operate up to 8-10 miles depending on weight capacity and speed. Some even further if they can accomodate a larger battery. I always keep in slow speed ( Turtle) unless I need to go uphill and have never ran out of power on shore when using a Travel size Pride Go Go Elite Traveler scooter. Which is what I use everytime I cruise. Even through the course of the day riding the scooter all over the ship , I've never run out of power.

[Chunky2219]

Actually this is a very common practice with most cruise lines. Been on 3 cruises with a large group that most use and need scooters due to MS. All three times on RCCL and all three times guest services and or the cabin stewards arranged to have the scooters that were not able to get into the cabins safely stored, charged nightly and returned as needed. In fact you can do a search on the disabled board regarding this very subject as it has been discussed a lot.

In that case, you have my apologies as promised originally. I've never travelled RCI. Kudos to them any any other company who will do it. All I can say for sure is that it isn't provided on any line I've been with.

 

I looked on the Princess website and it says, "Passengers utilizing mobility devices with batteries are advised that the batteries must be a dry cell type, and must be stored and recharged in the stateroom. Mobility devices of any kind, like any other items, may not be left outside the stateroom. Because of staffing limitations, we recommend you be accompanied by someone who is physically able to assist you both onboard and on shore"

 

At the very least I wouldn't take a risk and would want to contact the line and get a firm commitment to do it for me.

 

 

Most travel scooters will operate up to 8-10 miles depending on weight capacity and speed. Some even further if they can accomodate a larger battery. I always keep in slow speed ( Turtle) unless I need to go uphill and have never ran out of power on shore when using a Travel size Pride Go Go Elite Traveler scooter. Which is what I use everytime I cruise. Even through the course of the day riding the scooter all over the ship , I've never run out of power. .

I have a massive cross country scooter that can do 1:4 slopes and gets me a good 10-12 miles before I need to recharge. But it has to go on a trailer behind my car.

 

I've never securely and confidently managed much more than about 2-3 miles away from base with an ultra mini-scooter. A little less for my bolt-on power wheels on my chair and that is with me doing some of the wheeling. But then I have, as my old Dad used to say, "a lot of timber on me". I'm guessing the OP isn't anywhere near as weighty.

 

Of course, the ship is all on the flat whereas on land there are hills, more often than not going uphill from the harbour to the town. Hills chew through battery power much faster, as you clearly know.

 

I can't imagine anyone running out of juice on board ship.

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[xxoocruiser]

 

 

I have a massive cross country scooter that can do 1:4 slopes and gets me a good 10-12 miles before I need to recharge. But it has to go on a trailer behind my car.

 

I've never securely and confidently managed much more than about 2-3 miles away from base with an ultra mini-scooter. A little less for my bolt-on power wheels on my chair and that is with me doing some of the wheeling. But then I have, as my old Dad used to say, "a lot of timber on me". I'm guessing the OP isn't anywhere near as weighty.

 

Of course, the ship is all on the flat whereas on land there are hills, more often than not going uphill from the harbour to the town. Hills chew through battery power much faster, as you clearly know.

 

I can't imagine anyone running out of juice on board ship.

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On my Allure cruise this last November with my fellow MS Cruisers, there were occasions that several people had to stop for a recharge. It's a very large and active ship.... but sooooo much fun ! RCCL is also so much more accomodating in general than most other cruiselines ( IMPO) when it comes to treatment of the disabled. and I have traveled other cruises lines .The Sport Staff on the allure made fulfilled dreams of several peoiple in group. A dream my friends all thought was impossible because of their disability .... to ride a zip line. RCCl's Allure Sport staff worked very hard , even though it required a bit of time that the zip line was shut down for us but 3 people were able to go on the zip line. One person was even confined to a wheelchair and after accessing that RCCl could safely make his dream come true they let him on the zipline. It took 45 minutes to gear him up , have the people in place at the end, along with his wheelchair and service dog waiting for him. But they accomplished it. Those waiting in line really didn't mind once they realized what RCCL was doing. In fact all the other passengers were very supportive and encouraging. The man was like a rock star the rest of the day. Everyone on the ship heard about the disabled man confied to wheelchair that rode the zipline. Even if other cruise lines had a zip line I still think RCCL is the only one that would go the extra mile. This extra effort that RCCL does is one reason our group regularly cruises on their ships.

 

Re: Scooters : Over all when going ashore I'm well aware of how much time I have in relatvie to my weight and speed being used , I'm very carefull to watch the power gauge so that I have enough power to get back to the ship. Even if the power goes out, mine breaksdown into 4 peices and fits into the trunk of any car. So if needed I'll call a cab but have never had to do this.

[Chunky2219]

I think there's a risk we're going to have a noisy agreement!

[xxoocruiser]

I think there's a risk we're going to have a noisy agreement!

 

Suggust you check out RCCL and give it a try. You might like ! Oh another good point about RCCL is that there is chiar lift into 1 pool and 1 hot tub per ship fleet wide. Most of the other cruise lines can't make that claim. Another reason our group uses RCCL. By the way I used to be a real HAL and Princess diehard when it came to cruising but my disability has changed all that.

 

Have a good week. Maybe I'll see you sometime on RCCL.

[raindropsalways]

Tigercat –

 

 

A small scooter on a cruise is a blessing. Most will fit in a standard cabin. To eliminate space problem, just have steward remove excess furniture and arrange things to fit.

 

 

To my knowledge, all cruise lines except Carnival will take small scooters on the tenders. If you have a tender port, just ask if it would be possible to go ashore and I sincerely believe the crew will assist you and put the scooter on the tender. HMC and one port on the Mexican Riviera has ramps for loading wheelchairs on tenders and I would assume there are others. We have taken our scooters on all the lines listed in my signature below, except Carnival.

 

 

Lines and crowds will always be a problem. All I can say is “be careful”. And at elevators you will find a combination of the most polite and rudest people.

 

 

Take a small scooter, use common sense and you will have a great time.

 

 

Betty

[tigercat]

My TA talked to Princess and we looked at our cabin. The only place we would be able to get the scooter into the cabin is at the bottom of the bed. There is no way the furniture can be moved in order to make more room for the scooter. The cruise is also sold out (both cruises) so we can't be moved. My leg is coming along as they have now found an anti inflamatory (topically) that I can use and it also has pain medicine in it as well. Physio is helping. I will have to take it a lot more easier than I had planned but I think I will be okay. I think for my next cruise though I think I will look at planning for a scooter. We have ordered a wheelchair for me and it will be in our cabin when we get there. That way at night if I am just not up to any walking my dh can get some exercise and push me. LOL. They think that I have torn some cartiledge(sp) in my knee and that is the problem. They hop that it will heal itself and I will just take it easy. Actually the cruise will cause me to slow down and heal more than if I am at home so that is good. I look after 2 of my grandchildren (1 1/2 and 3) while my daughter and son in law work. So sitting on my balcony ordering room service will be a piece of cake. I will take all your comments in for my next cruise and thanks for all your help.

tigercat

[nieciez]

Tigercat, would either of these scooters work for you.....they both fold up very small. I use the Travelscoot and it has bit through the door of a number of cabins and those that I can't "drive it through" my hubby just tips the rear wheels and it can get through the door way. I don't even fold it once in the room as it does not take up a lot of space.

 

http://www.scootanywhere.com/

[raindropsalways]

Tigercat – Sounds like you found a solution that would work for you. Have a great cruise.

 

 

Betty