Rhine River with a scooter?

[Boozebabe]

Has anyone been on a Rhine River Cruise with a scooter? Just wondering about on and off the boat. I'm sure navigating around towns wouldn't be too bad. My sisters and I are considering this trip.

[Slugsta]

When we did a Rhine river cruise, we sometimes had to cross other boats to get ashore (and vice versa). Heaven knows how you would manage that with a scooter!

[Langoustine]

I'm sure navigating around towns wouldn't be too bad.

 

Well, getting from the docks to the towns themselves can sometimes involve steps, and then you are possibly faced with uneven cobble-stoned streets, inclines, etc. The towns on the Rhine are often very hilly. You really need to investigate the particular cruise you are contemplating (and the towns where it stops) very thoroughly before you invest money in what could be a very expensive disappointment; this is one case where I would recommend talking to a travel agent who is very experienced in these river cruises and ports. And as the previous poster noted, you may have to cross several boats just to get from yours to the dock. I hope you can work this out, because the Rhine (especially between Bingen and Koblenz) or up the Moselle is spectacularly beautiful. But like Venice, it's not easy for the mobility-impaired.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Langoustine

[Enforcer]

Hi,

 

Most of the river boats don't have lifts/elevators so your sister would have to be able to use stairs.

 

Pete

[daju22]

Just saw this article on river cruising and thought of your question:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1959&UTM_Source=Social&UTM_Medium=Facebook&UTM_Campaign=Cruise+Styles&UTM_Content=River&UTM_Term=A_Guide_to_Accessible_River_Cruises

[Going Coastal]

These days I believe most of the familiar brands do have boats with elevator. Just go to the web sites of the ones you are considering and look at their deck plans. On all I have been on the elevators are in the stairway area. When I was on a Viking Rhine cruise four years ago there were a scooter, as well as several wheelchairs and rollators. Happy cruising!

[Boozebabe]

Just saw this article on river cruising and thought of your question:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1959&UTM_Source=Social&UTM_Medium=Facebook&UTM_Campaign=Cruise+Styles&UTM_Content=River&UTM_Term=A_Guide_to_Accessible_River_Cruises

 

Interesting that they appeal to older cruisers yet aren't very accessible.

[Boozebabe]

My issue isn't so much the ship since they are much smaller than traditional ocean sailing vessels. I would be able to walk up a flight of stairs and get around a ship that size. My issues are on land. Getting around there may be a problem if we have to get across more than our ship to get off with a scooter. Sounds like this type of cruise won't work for me.

[capriccio]

Has anyone been on a Rhine River Cruise with a scooter? Just wondering about on and off the boat. I'm sure navigating around towns wouldn't be too bad. My sisters and I are considering this trip.

 

You should post your question on the River Cruises Forum too. Right now there is a current thread going on about wheelchairs (which has included some talk of scooters): http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2264986. Posters on that board have cruise experience with just about every cruise line that has that itinerary.

[searoses]

One of the major river lines no longer accepts scooters....I can not remember which one but it was discussed here....be sure you know so you don't waste time on a line that won't take you....hope you can work it out....

[kitty9]

My friends recently returned from a river cruise and they told me it wouldn't work with a scooter or a full time wheelchair user. In most ports, the river is far below the city area, and to get up to the road level from the shore, you either have to go up steps or negotiate a rough, uneven path. He said that in two ports, they had to "climb over" two other river boats just to get to shore.