Obesity Disability - Need help with first time cruise..

[mosiegirl]

Hi, I have an obesity disability. I currently don't use a scooter or wheelchair, just yet.. as at home, I don't walk around very much. I'm usually good around the house and can stand and lean up on things for short periods of time.. I can't do stairs at all. My family and I are thinking of taking the Carnival Legend cruise next fall and this will be our first time. I'm worried ! Will the seating fit me? Will I find chairs that don't have any arms? (need these !) For the seating in booths, can I move the table so that I can adjust the distance between the table and me? On the pool deck, is there somewhere safe I can sit without fear of breaking a plastic chair or tearing the fabric on the loungers? If there is anyone out there who's over 300lbs and has taken ANY cruise... Please email me and we can talk.. thanks

[LesaL]

I am a sizable cruiser and could probably give you some advice. However, your profile does not allow email to be sent. Email me at lesaledbetter@sbcglobal.com. Change the .com to .net for the email to go through.

[kitty9]

On our last cruise on Celebrity Summit, there was a family of 7 at the table next to ours, and the largest person was well over 400 lbs and the smallest was probably near to 250lbs. They had no problem fitting at the table and they made sure that all the chairs were armless. You cannot move the tables as they are bolted to the floor for safety (don't want tables moving all over the place in rough seas). My only suggestion is not to cruise on the QM2, as their chairs are terrible and don't support the weight of anyone over 200lbs (that's the main complaint of the cruise line---Americans sitting in their precious chairs and breaking them---if the chairs weren't so delicate, there wouldn't be a problem).

 

I would highly suggest getting a scooter for your cruise. It will be nearly impossible for you to board the ship without one, as the gangway can be rather steep, with places that have what you can call speedbumps, and it would be difficult for anyone to push a manual wheelchair up the gangway.

[Cruiser@Heart]

I am overweight (when flying I need a seatbelt extender) and sailed on the Legend in March. She is a beautiful ship and my favorite "Class" of ships to sail on. Easy to get around on. I always request NOT to have a booth for my dinner table. The tables in the dining areas are anchored to the floor and can't be moved. They have a limited number of seats without arm rests. I have always just requested a chair without arms be available at my table. I normally do this shortly after boarding when you can meet with Maiter D to change table assignments or dining times. They have always been more than accomodating.

 

I have never had a problem using the pool loungers (other than trying to get up from one), but the plastic chairs ..... I avoid those like the plague. On one of my early cruises, I witnessed an overweight person fall after their chair gave way (a leg snapped off while they tried to scoot closer to an outside table on the Lido deck). It happened again on my cruise last Christmas, so I as a rule I don't use that area for dining, because I don't want to possibly end up on the ground! There are booths and tables (with real chairs) in the buffet area and you can sit there even if you have gotten food from one of the outside venues. I had no difficulty sitting in the booth seating here (I just made sure to look for booths that had booth seating on one side and chairs on the other side), but found the chairs to be a tight squeeze. NO armless chairs were available in this area during my sailing.

[KL&KR]

Mosiegirl--congratulations on your upcoming cruise! I am just over 300 pounds, and have managed to sit on everything Princess Regal and two Carnival ships have offered (although yes I sit down SLOWLY :rolleyes: on those silly plastic deck chairs!). I join Kitty in recommending a scooter, though -- my partner is larger than me, cannot do stairs at all either, and uses the Pride Maxima to get around. It is a large, heavy scooter; if you can rent something a little smaller and maybe foldable, I think that will give you enough mobility to have the time of your life! I suspect you'll finding the boarding ramps much less strenuous with a scooter. By the way, it is my experience that a "250-pound limit" scooter can actually carry a little more...

Where are you planning to go? Alaska and Hawaii (we're on the West Coast) are a lot more accessible than Mexico for example. And try to pick a cruise without "tendering" ports--you usually have to be very small (so they can carry you) or able to do stairs to take a tender to shore. We'd love to talk more to you; contact us at keloomis@webtv.com and like LesaL above, change the .com to .net to get the mail to go through! --Kristen & Kathy

[clknam]

My mom and I are booked for an Alaskan cruise this September on Royal (our first). My mom is in the same situation that you are in mosiegirl, in that she can stand and walk short periods but cannot do stairs. We're going to take a wheelchair with us. RCI has told us that they dock in all the ports. Should tendering be required, those are also handicap assesible now.

 

Ya'll mention using a scooter to get up the ramp. However, aren't there people from the ship around to help out? I'm not sure if the ramp is steep with bumps that I'm going to be able to wheel my mom and carry our carry-ons up the ramp by myself.

[KL&KR]

:) Clknam--yes, there's help; staff will help you get your mom up the ramp (no, I'l don't think you'll be able to do both, at least not if you carry stuff around the way we do). Have a great time!

[Civilwarbuff59]

I am quite a bit heavier than you and I was very nervous about my first cruising experience. I didn't have any real problems to speak of the first time, but I learned a few things that made my second cruise much easier. Both cruises were on the Carnival Glory out of Port Canaveral. Although the embarkation line moves fairly quickly, I wasn't able to stand long enough to make it through the line, and there wasn't anything to lean on. Fortunately there were others in the group with me who could and I joined them when they got to the front of the line. In the dining room, I did have to ask for an armless chair, which didn't seem to be a problem for them at all. The chairs on the lido deck were a problem, but I am sure if I had asked, they would have found something for me. I foolishly didn't want to be a bother. For the second cruise, I got a wheelchair since there were people going along who were willing and able to push me and things worked much better. I didn't have to stand in line anywhere, and although they were very considerate without the chair, they were much more so with it. It really does make things easier if you are concerned at all about your endurance - and you always have a chair on the lido deck! I am doing the wheelchair again on my next cruise this fall. I would be happy to visit with you more if you want to e-mail me.

[givingitatry]

What about the spa? Can the massage tables accommodate larger people?

[NorthernLite]

What about the spa? Can the massage tables accommodate larger people?

 

The Legend's spa cannot accomadate wheelchairs into the massage rooms. I was still using a smallish manual wheelchair on that cruise and am 5'8" and about 140 pounds. I'd say if all the tables are the same size you may have a problem. Ask to see a room soon after you board before making a reservation for services. I still can't believe they allowed me to reserve a room for a lay down facial while I was in a chair and not mention the door widths are like 22 inches. It is also the last time I let my DH carry me (he's getting up there...LOL).