Parking electric wheelchair outside room?

[Texasbob]

There are no handicapped rooms available for the cruise my family wishes to take. The ship would be either RCCL Rhapsody or Carnival Elation. My wife is severly disabled with MS and on a catheter. A regular room would work for us except the door is too narrow to the wheelchair in.

 

Anyone left a wheelchair or scooter outside the room in a public space, corner or next to the elevator? If so, any problems with the crew?

[DEL67]

We have done so in the past with no problem, but many cruiselines no longer allow you to leave them outside your cabin. You would need to check.

 

In addition, remember there is a step up to the bathroom room and a very small shower. You also would need a long extension cord for recharging the chair.

[PiperMcB]

Call the cruise lines and talk to their special services department. They can give you the information you need and may be able to find a cabin that would work for you. Sometimes the people that are booking don't have access to all the cabins.....explain about the MS and see what they can do.......Hey, it's worth a try!

[Texasbob]

thanks for the insights and ideas!

[Ken]

Personally, I would never consider this. My son's chair is his key to independence, and the risk of something happening while the chair is out my sight is more than I am willing to run.

[Queenie2]

Carnival is probably the most lax about parking in the hallways, but i still wouldn't do it. It's not very secure and I've seen people just take (or try to take and break) unattended wheelchairs and scooters. Plus it's an obstacle for other wc-users. So call and see if you can get an accessible room. If not, my second choice would be to ask if they can store it in a secure location (like the pursers office) overnight. More hassle for you, but safer in the long run.

 

Candy

[Benita]

Please don't leave it outside the room. Those in wheelchairs would not be able to get by.

[Queenie2]

Also, be ready for some resistance from Carnival. They seem to be cracking down a bit to the scooters/wcs in the hallway.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=171313&highlight=carnival+special

 

Candy

[Splinter]

My mother also has severe MS. We would NEVER consider taking any cabin other than a fully accessible one. She cannot even get into the bathroom to brush her teeth, much less use the toilet for bowel care or to shower without it being an accessible room. The regular cabin bathroom door is very narrow (between 20-24"), with at least a 4-6" step, and very tiny. Most non-accessible rooms will not have doors wide enough for a wheelchair or scooter, and will have no room to maneuver to get the person to the bed. She would be miserable and you could get hurt trying to help her. I would suggest looking at other ships/cruise lines, or not going until you can get an accessible cabin. It is not fair to her or to you.

[Texasbob]

a handicapped room. I understand Grand Princess sails out of Galveston this spring, so I might try that.

 

Just for the record, I would NEVER park the chair in the hallway and in the way of traffic.:eek:

 

thanks.

[M&M CRUZERS]

are huge and very chair/scooter friendly. We alway try to get one of the four on Caribe deck because the balconies are huge and the cabins are larger than some of the smaller suites.:D We have had a regular BA category on the Island and on the Diamond and personally had NO problem getting my scooter through the door. It is a "tight" fit with the scooter stored in the cabin but I wouldn't leave it outside for sure.

 

Also having MS, it's the "bad" days that can cause a problem with the bathroom area in an non-accessible cabin - sometimes that step-up looks and feels like a mountain and not a "mole hill". :eek:

 

TexasBob, I hope you find a great cruise for your wife and your family.

 

We've booked the December 3 on the Grand to Western Caribbean, with one of the HC cabins on Caribe. We've always cruised Princess since I have had the scooter and we're cruising on the Celebrity Summit in March. Hopefully "X" staff/crew will be as helpful and understanding as Princess staff/crew.

 

Happy sailing!!

[DEL67]

TexasBob:

 

I would keep checking the Elation. The handicap cabins are not as large or up to date as on some other ships, but with 20 HC cabins, I think they are rarely filled until last minute except perhaps on holiday sailings.

 

We just booked a HC cabin on the Elation for an August sailing. We did have an issue with one on-line TA who said that no HC cabins were vavailable. However, I did not believe it since I had noticed online that some were available to select online. Therefore, I verified with Carnival that they were HC cabins and used another on-line TA.

[Benita]

We had a handicapped verandah cabin on the Jewel of the Seas. Not only was the cabin great for somebody wheelchair bound - I could do wheelies in the shower, but the ship itself was great - pneumatic doors everywhere, true handicapped public restrooms, not just a stall in the regular restroom, and special seating in the theaters. Now, if they only could put in more elevators.

[DEL67]

Benita:

 

The Jewel is very accessible because it is a newer ship while the Elation is about 10 years old. Unluckily the ships sailing from Houston/Galveston tend to be older. They are accessible, but they do not have true roll-in showers, automatic doors, etc.