Any Advice for limited mobility on Freedom

[Jenjer]

We have our familys big vacation booked on Freedom in May. Well I took a tumble and broke a bone in my foot. After seeing my Ortho. Its clear I will be in a boot, with limited mobility. He recominded renting a wheel chair, which I plan to do. Best case I will be able to put weight on it by then and no surgery.

 

Having never cruised with mobility issues before what can I expect? Of course no handicap rooms are avalable. We are in a D1. Hoping enough room to hop around.

 

I requested a dinner table near the door, what else should I look/ask for?

 

We are doing Easter Carribean. I figure I will stay onboard in St Tomas but would like to go to the beach with DH and DC on Cocoa Cay and St Martin.

 

Will Royal help me at all on thier island? I remember them having golf cart things.

[ryano]

We have our familys big vacation booked on Freedom in May. Well I took a tumble and broke a bone in my foot. After seeing my Ortho. Its clear I will be in a boot, with limited mobility. He recominded renting a wheel chair, which I plan to do. Best case I will be able to put weight on it by then and no surgery.

 

Having never cruised with mobility issues before what can I expect? Of course no handicap rooms are avalable. We are in a D1. Hoping enough room to hop around.

 

I requested a dinner table near the door, what else should I look/ask for?

 

We are doing Easter Carribean. I figure I will stay onboard in St Tomas but would like to go to the beach with DH and DC on Cocoa Cay and St Martin.

 

Will Royal help me at all on thier island? I remember them having golf cart things.

 

I will be on a Eastern cruise on Freedom April 22 - 29 and am a fulltime wheelchair user (paraplegic). i will be glad to report back my thoughts and opinions on both the ship and ports for you :)

 

I hear the elevators can be a real pain for those of us mobility impaired :o

[cb at sea]

If you can hobble for short distances and a folding wheelchair will be enough, a regular cabin should be fine. The HC cabins are bigger for scooters and such...and best for folks who really can't ambulate well.

 

Yes..in Coco Cay, they will assist you, if needed.

 

Just take it easy, keep your foot up as much as possible and hope for the best! (At least, with a boot, you'll be able to unstrap it and get some sun, unlike in a cast!)

[Jenjer]

I will be on a Eastern cruise on Freedom April 22 - 29 and am a fulltime wheelchair user (paraplegic). i will be glad to report back my thoughts and opinions on both the ship and ports for you :)

 

I hear the elevators can be a real pain for those of us mobility impaired :o

 

Oh yes please, any advice you have will be helpful.

 

Scrappingjen@hotmail.com

[NorbertsNiece]

Highly recommend renting a scooter. It will fit through the cabin door. Up to you whether or not you use it but you will have it in case. Depends where your room is in relation to the elevators. I can recommend http://www.cruiseshipassist.com/html/scooters.html

[SpeedGeek]

It can get severely crowded on the promenade, I'll tell you that much. Just realize especially in situations like that, it's going to take you a little while longer to get places on ship. If someone can walk with you at least they can "part the sea" of crowds so you can follow right behind them. That's just my suggestion from what I saw last October.

[reallyitsmema]

We have our familys big vacation booked on Freedom in May. Well I took a tumble and broke a bone in my foot. After seeing my Ortho. Its clear I will be in a boot, with limited mobility. He recominded renting a wheel chair, which I plan to do. Best case I will be able to put weight on it by then and no surgery.

 

Having never cruised with mobility issues before what can I expect? Of course no handicap rooms are avalable. We are in a D1. Hoping enough room to hop around.

 

I requested a dinner table near the door, what else should I look/ask for?

 

We are doing Easter Carribean. I figure I will stay onboard in St Tomas but would like to go to the beach with DH and DC on Cocoa Cay and St Martin.

 

Will Royal help me at all on thier island? I remember them having golf cart things.

Make sure you rent a wheelchair and not a transport chair. With a wheelchair, you will be able to self propel since it has the large wheels in the back. They are also better on uneven surfaces and are better at dealing with curbs.

 

Transport chair are lightweight and easier to pick up and put in a car but they have 4 small wheels so someone has to push it for you. They are also terrible on uneven surfaces and dangerous going down curbs. The "ride" is also not as comfortable as a regular wheelchair.

 

Check around, you will be surprised how many people you know that might have a wheelchair that you can borrow. Also, some organizations like the Elks and Lions have equipment they will lend. We even have a local hardware store that rents everything you can think of that has wheelchairs to rent for a week for $20.

[gerif]

My boss had foot surgery a few months ago and used this scooter thing. It had a platform to kneel on with the bad leg and he propelled it with the good leg. It went amazingly fast. I think it folded up but wasn't very big anyway.

 

On Coco Cay there are sand wheelchairs available.

[Sequim88]

Regular wheelchair won't fit through D1 door. Not even smaller junior size like my wife uses. Folded it can be stored in he cabin but will be in the way a lot. The time we were in an non-accessible cabin we kept it against the door to hallway when not in use. we had to move to hallways to unfolded and sit in when going places.

[KG1924]

I will be on a Eastern cruise on Freedom April 22 - 29 and am a fulltime wheelchair user (paraplegic). i will be glad to report back my thoughts and opinions on both the ship and ports for you :)

 

I hear the elevators can be a real pain for those of us mobility impaired :o

 

Ryano-

I also can't wait to hear about how you liked the Freedom! We had talked (typed?) a while back and while being in a forward cabin, we had no issues w/ the elevators or long lines/waits. I wonder if its the same for the aft elevators. I hope you love the Freedom as much as we did!!!! :)

[Jenjer]

My boss had foot surgery a few months ago and used this scooter thing. It had a platform to kneel on with the bad leg and he propelled it with the good leg. It went amazingly fast. I think it folded up but wasn't very big anyway.

 

On Coco Cay there are sand wheelchairs available.

 

 

I am looking at one of these today. I have a seat walker that I prop my leg up on but the angles are all off and I hop a lot.

 

So happy about sand wheelchairs. I still want to go to the beach.

[sg1phileshipper]

I would go for the scooter, saw a lot of them parked in the hallways. And since they have a horn and people don't move for you on the promenade when you ask nicely, you can honk it. And if they still don't move, run over their feet :D.

 

Elevators can be a hassle for wheelchairs/scooters, but that's because some people are inconsiderate and don't make room for them. :mad:

 

Enjoy your cruise and I hope that foot will get better soon.

 

Cindy

[xxoocruiser]

We have our familys big vacation booked on Freedom in May. Well I took a tumble and broke a bone in my foot. After seeing my Ortho. Its clear I will be in a boot, with limited mobility. He recominded renting a wheel chair, which I plan to do. Best case I will be able to put weight on it by then and no surgery.

 

Having never cruised with mobility issues before what can I expect? Of course no handicap rooms are avalable. We are in a D1. Hoping enough room to hop around.

 

I requested a dinner table near the door, what else should I look/ask for?

 

We are doing Easter Carribean. I figure I will stay onboard in St Tomas but would like to go to the beach with DH and DC on Cocoa Cay and St Martin.

 

Will Royal help me at all on thier island? I remember them having golf cart things.

 

RCCL will only provide wheelchair assistance for on the days of embarkation and disembarkation. They will not rent or provide assistance at port other than to assist you down the gangway if needed.

 

If you need any further assistance you have to provide your own mobility equipment. To help with getting around the ship you can either rent a mobility scooter and or wheelchair. Since RCCL does NOT rent these items, you will either have to rent from a source locally near your home or rent them through an RCCL pre-approved vendor which will deliver the items to your cabin and you leave in your cabin on the day of disembarkation.

CareVacations :

Special Needs at Seas:

866 592-7225 (voice)

954 628-9622 (fax)

send an e-mail to special_needs@rccl.com,

 

Also contact the RCCL Special Needs Department and request a shower stool be delivered to your cabin. That way you will be able to sit when taking showers.

 

If you decide to rent a mobility scooter you need to be advised that if any ports are "tendered" you may have to stay on the ship. The cruiseline generally does not let mobility scooters on the tender for saftey reasons. However if you have a folding wheelchair and can walk a few steps the cruiseline will allow you to board the tender.

 

Re: Wheelchairs : do not rent or purchase a transport chair. It's very difficult to push on the carpeted areas and someone always has to be the pusher. If you rent a standard wheelchair it will be easier to use on board and give you a little more independence as you should be able to operate it on your own. It needs to be a foldable wheelchair , otherwise it wil not fit through the cabin door.

 

Re: Mobility Scooter : scooters are rented on the basis of weight capacity. If you're able to rent a portable or midsize scooter it should fit through the doorway of a D1 Cabin. The arm rests might have to be adjusted or even removed but that's just a simple adjustment. There's a pin in the back of the seat that just pulls out to release the arm rest. Just make certain you replace them before disembarking the ship. If you require a full=size scooter it will NOT fit through the cabin door. Depending on the location of the bed you may have to make some alterations to get the scooter into the room. It will be tight but is doable. The other other option would to contact Guest services and they will assist with storing the scooter each night and charging it. If you do this option make certain the key is returned to you each time. You will than have to make arrangements each morning to have the scooter delivered back to your cabin. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THE SCOOTER EVER BE STORED IN THE HALLWAY . IT'S BOTH A CRUISELINE AND COAST GUARD SAFETY REGULATION. YOU ALSO IMPAIR ANYONE ELSE ATTMEPTING TO MOVE THROUGH THE HALLWAY USING A MOBILITY AID.

 

Another option would be is to get a Knee Roller. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B003VMAKVS/ref=dp_image_0/177-6284584-0946428?ie=UTF8&n=3760901&s=hpc You place the bad leg on the knee roller and walkalong with it.

 

Cocoa Keys : there will be beach wheelchairs available on a first come first serve basis.

 

Here's the link to RCCL's accessibility webpages http://www.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/accessibleseas/home.do

[xxoocruiser]

CORRECTION ON PREVIOUS POST

 

Forgot some information and place some information in the wrong section. Past the edit time so had to repost. This is now the corrected version of my previous post.

 

We have our familys big vacation booked on Freedom in May. Well I took a tumble and broke a bone in my foot. After seeing my Ortho. Its clear I will be in a boot, with limited mobility. He recominded renting a wheel chair, which I plan to do. Best case I will be able to put weight on it by then and no surgery.

 

Having never cruised with mobility issues before what can I expect? Of course no handicap rooms are avalable. We are in a D1. Hoping enough room to hop around.

 

I requested a dinner table near the door, what else should I look/ask for?

 

We are doing Easter Carribean. I figure I will stay onboard in St Tomas but would like to go to the beach with DH and DC on Cocoa Cay and St Martin.

 

Will Royal help me at all on thier island? I remember them having golf cart things.

 

RCCL will only provide wheelchair assistance for on the days of embarkation and disembarkation. They will not rent or provide assistance at port other than to assist you down the gangway if needed.

 

If you need any further assistance you have to provide your own mobility equipment. To help with getting around the ship you can either rent a mobility scooter and or wheelchair. Since RCCL does NOT rent these items, you will either have to rent from a source locally near your home or rent them through an RCCL pre-approved vendor which will deliver the items to your cabin and you leave in your cabin on the day of disembarkation.

CareVacations : http://www.carevacations.com/cruiseshipassist/mobility-equipment/

Special Needs at Seas:

http://www.specialneedsatsea.com/index.cfm/reserve-equipment/

 

 

Also contact the RCCL Special Needs Department and request a shower stool be delivered to your cabin. That way you will be able to sit when taking showers.

866 592-7225 (voice)

954 628-9622 (fax)

send an e-mail to special_needs@rccl.com

 

 

If you decide to rent a mobility scooter you need to be advised that if any ports are "tendered" you may have to stay on the ship. The cruiseline generally does not let mobility scooters on the tender for saftey reasons. However if you have a folding wheelchair and can walk a few steps the cruiseline will allow you to board the tender.

 

Re: Wheelchairs : do not rent or purchase a transport chair. It's very difficult to push on the carpeted areas and someone always has to be the pusher. If you rent a standard wheelchair it will be easier to use on board and give you a little more independence as you should be able to operate it on your own. It needs to be a foldable wheelchair , otherwise it wil not fit through the cabin door.

 

Re: Mobility Scooter : scooters are rented on the basis of weight capacity. If you're able to rent a portable or midsize scooter it should fit through the doorway of a D1 Cabin. The arm rests might have to be adjusted or even removed but that's just a simple adjustment. There's a pin in the back of the seat that just pulls out to release the arm rest. Just make certain you replace them before disembarking the ship. If you require a full=size scooter it will NOT fit through the cabin door. Depending on the location of the bed you may have to make some alterations to get the scooter into the room. It will be tight but is doable. The other other option would to contact Guest services and they will assist with storing the scooter each night and charging it. If you do this option make certain the key is returned to you each time. You will than have to make arrangements each morning to have the scooter delivered back to your cabin. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THE SCOOTER EVER BE STORED IN THE HALLWAY . IT'S BOTH A CRUISELINE AND COAST GUARD SAFETY REGULATION. YOU ALSO IMPAIR ANYONE ELSE SAFELY MOVING THROUGH THE HALLWAY USING A MOBILITY AID.

 

Another option would be is to get a Knee Roller. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B003VMAKVS/ref=dp_image_0/177-6284584-0946428?ie=UTF8&n=3760901&s=hpc You place the bad leg on the knee roller and walkalong with it.

 

Cocoa Keys : there will be beach wheelchairs available on a first come first serve basis.

 

Here's the link to RCCL's accessibility webpages http://www.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/accessibleseas/home.do

[gerif]

The knee roller thingy is what I was referring to. I believe they can be rented. A regular scooter wouldn't work for the OP as HC cabins are not available.

[RLM77]

I requested a dinner table near the door, what else should I look/ask for?

 

I hear the elevators can be a real pain for those of us mobility impaired :o

 

First thing when you get on board go see the maitre d'. There will be many people wanting to see him after they've eaten....beat them to the punch. I recognize that you've put in a request but the chances of that being passed along and/or acted on is slim. I've always been assigned a table by the door when I show up in person in my scooter.

 

Although my experiences with the elevators has generally been good, when there are crowds waiting it can be, um, challenging. My best advice is to go against the flow. If everyone wants to go up, get on a down elevator...it will eventually get to your deck.

 

Have a great time and feel better!

Marlee

[ryano]

Ryano-

I also can't wait to hear about how you liked the Freedom! We had talked (typed?) a while back and while being in a forward cabin, we had no issues w/ the elevators or long lines/waits. I wonder if its the same for the aft elevators. I hope you love the Freedom as much as we did!!!! :)

 

I will let you know as soon as i get back! :) I will use the forward elevators as much as possible! Thanks for the info.

[luvstwocruise]

Just off of FOS. I traveled with my disabled husband, who needs assistance.

I rented a scooter from Special Needs at Sea....It was the best money I could have spent.

I made a call, pd..it was waiting for him in our stateroom. When we left, we left it in the stateroom. No fuss at all.

Some of the companies I called wanted me to meet them somewhere, or in the parking lot..then return it... Hello, Im traveling with my disabled husband I dont want to be trapsing all over the place and looking for people. As a matter of fact a friend traveling with us fell the upcoming week of the cruise an they called the very very last minute and they rented a scooter. Again no problems..

People on board were, people..some very very nice..and some that couldnt wait that extra minute to get to the Windjammer before they ran out of food. All in all, it was the positive experience. We are booked on Allure for February an I will be calling them again.

Good Luck,

Relax ..your going on a Cruise

[travelin_nat]

My boss had foot surgery a few months ago and used this scooter thing. It had a platform to kneel on with the bad leg and he propelled it with the good leg. It went amazingly fast. I think it folded up but wasn't very big anyway.

 

On Coco Cay there are sand wheelchairs available.

 

My daughter had foot surgery last year and she ended up in a boot. She had one of these - some people refer to them as knee scooters, or knee-up scooters. They can be rented. We bought one on Amazon since she will have the other foot operated on this summer. The doctor wanted her on the scooter as opposed to crutches since it is much more stable. I think this would be much easier than a wheelchair if it will work for you. Check local DME rental companies, or talk to your doctor....

[dep]

We have our familys big vacation booked on Freedom in May. Well I took a tumble and broke a bone in my foot. After seeing my Ortho. Its clear I will be in a boot, with limited mobility. He recominded renting a wheel chair, which I plan to do. Best case I will be able to put weight on it by then and no surgery.

 

Having never cruised with mobility issues before what can I expect? Of course no handicap rooms are avalable. We are in a D1. Hoping enough room to hop around.

 

I requested a dinner table near the door, what else should I look/ask for?

 

We are doing Easter Carribean. I figure I will stay onboard in St Tomas but would like to go to the beach with DH and DC on Cocoa Cay and St Martin.

 

Will Royal help me at all on thier island? I remember them having golf cart things.

Ask for" pier assistance" ,and a "special needs cabin" they will provide a wheel chair for boarding and you can request it to be left in your cabin , we do and they will leave it with you for the cruise.Also make sure you find out where meet the last morning they will escort you off the ship , no lines you go to front of the lines so they can get the wheel chair back for the next person in need of one.

[gerif]

Ask for" pier assistance" ,and a "special needs cabin" they will provide a wheel chair for boarding and you can request it to be left in your cabin , we do and they will leave it with you for the cruise.Also make sure you find out where meet the last morning they will escort you off the ship , no lines you go to front of the lines so they can get the wheel chair back for the next person in need of one.

 

Do not depend on them leaving a wheelchair with you. They are meant to be used for helping people get on and off the ship and for those injured during the cruise. If you need one for the cruise, you should rent one or you could be very disappointed when told no next time. OP's cruise is only a month away. Little likelihood of getting a HC cabin now.

[beachchick]

Ask for" pier assistance" ,and a "special needs cabin" they will provide a wheel chair for boarding and you can request it to be left in your cabin , we do and they will leave it with you for the cruise.Also make sure you find out where meet the last morning they will escort you off the ship , no lines you go to front of the lines so they can get the wheel chair back for the next person in need of one.

 

How is it that you get them to leave one of the limited number of the ship's wheelchairs for your exclusive use? They normally only provide wheelchairs for boarding, disembarkation, and emergencies. It's generally pretty clear that passengers who require full time use must bring their own or rent from the approved suppliers.

 

However, it might explain why, when I broke my ankle and couldn't get back onboard the ship without a wheelchair, all of the ship's emergency use chairs were unavailable and I had to sit on a bench in the boarding area with my ankle swelling and in extreme pain for nearly 30 minutes while a crew member hunted one down to get me to the medical center.

 

beachchick

[HokiePoq]

My daughter had foot surgery last year and she ended up in a boot. She had one of these - some people refer to them as knee scooters, or knee-up scooters. They can be rented. We bought one on Amazon since she will have the other foot operated on this summer. The doctor wanted her on the scooter as opposed to crutches since it is much more stable. I think this would be much easier than a wheelchair if it will work for you. Check local DME rental companies, or talk to your doctor....

 

 

I cruised with the knee scooter and it worked very well for a foot injury. Would leave it at the gate of the plane as I could walk a bit in the boot and it was always waiting for me when I got off the plane. Appreciate the info about the scooters as I have knee surgery this time and this might be a big help. Hope you have a great cruise in spite of your injury!

[dep]

How is it that you get them to leave one of the limited number of the ship's wheelchairs for your exclusive use? They normally only provide wheelchairs for boarding, disembarkation, and emergencies. It's generally pretty clear that passengers who require full time use must bring their own or rent from the approved suppliers.

 

However, it might explain why, when I broke my ankle and couldn't get back onboard the ship without a wheelchair, all of the ship's emergency use chairs were unavailable and I had to sit on a bench in the boarding area with my ankle swelling and in extreme pain for nearly 30 minutes while a crew member hunted one down to get me to the medical center.

 

beachchick

 

 

Very easy ,we are not taking advantage, they have asked EVERY TIME , do you want us to leave the chair with you for use on the ship.

[hmkenn0]

Wow this post is just like my situation. I fell and broke my foot in three places four weeks before my freedom cruise (got off last Sunday) I was in a boot and stayed in a d1 cabin. I got off crutches hours before we left (drove down Friday right after my ortho visit from Georgia). I have a 2 year old and a 6 year old and strongly considered renting a wheelchair and have to say I am glad I didn't! The elevators on freedom (as reported often) are terrible! You get to know this pretty fast as all of the crew and the cruise director jokes about them consistently. With a wheelchair it would have been much harder to get on and off the elevators and sometimes when I was just going up one deck (sounds weird but you will learn soon that going up stairs is easier and safer than going down stairs in a boot (I had a high one- to my knee- I hope you get a short one)) I could just take the stairs. That would not have been possible in a wheelchair.

I found the layout of the cabin perfect for hoping around- the bottom of the bed and the desk were in just the right places to lean on. I will suggest that you move the little table out to the balcony, it gives you a bigger table out there and also more room to get around. My husband did this and my stateroom guy had no problem with it. Also the aft placement of our room was really helpful in that I almost never had to cross the ship. I found the solarium whirlpools were the easiest to get in an out of with minimal hopping- there were chairs right by the stairs and I would just sit there and take off my boot and then hop in. Although, the hot water wasn't great for my ankle so I didn't stay in long .

Finally get ready to tell your story a million times, every crew member from the captain down asked what I did and I think I told half of the passengers by the end of the week!

We were also on eastern and though we missed coco cay, st Thomas and st Maarten were great and very accessible. We did the st. John on your own and went to trunk bay which is the most amazing beach I've ever seen- but there were no chairs there so u basically just laid on a towel and built sand castles with the baby. At st.maarten we did the orient bay beach break and that was great because there were chairs and an umbrella (for $3) and lunch, but there were a ton of people and the beach was not nearly as pretty (much more like Daytona or cocoa beach in Florida) and yes, we saw some nudity- but only 3 women and it wasnt at all a huge deal.

In the end I have to say I was devastated when I broke my foot (literally my second thought after I did it, after this really hurts, was I am going on a cruise in a month!) but I had a great time anyway! And now I have an excuse to go back because I really did want to ice skate in the ocean and try the flow rider! Have a great time and PM me if you have any other questions!