Mobility Scooters

[Schoifmom]

Just a note to all of those people who believe that it is okay to leave your scooter in hallways ... it is not. This is not a Carnival "rule." This is a SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulation, and is for the safety of everyone on board. If Carnival is discovered to have mobility devices in the hallways they can be heavily fined. I, for one, will and have reported every scooter that I see sitting in hallways to Security. It is always promptly dealt with. BTW, DH travels with a mobility scooter and we always make sure that we get a modified cabin.

 

It is possible to fit some standard-sized scooters in regular cabins. You will often need to remove the armrests to do so. If it does not fit then, you will need to dismantle it, take it into the cabin, and put it together enough to charge the batteries (some charge when dismantled, some require for the scooter to be put together to charge).

[Pyrate13]

The only issue was waiting for the elevator to board. There were a lot of people trying to get on the elevators who could have used the stairs. Although I understand that you can't always tell by looking, I don't believe there were that many people with mobility issues.

 

Not trying to start a big argument here but you sound a bit resentful and appear to feel that the elevators should only be used by those that need them. Sorry, but the elevators are for anyone and everyone to use, not just those with mobility issues. Not everyone wants to climb up multiple decks of stairs, whether they could or not. Just saying.

[Havingfun2010]

Has anyone ever had any problems taking their personal Mobility Scooter aboard a ship? In the past we have always rented a scooter for my DH but he now owns a new Pride, Victory 10, so we wish to take it rather than rent. He would want to drive it aboard. Do any of you think that this would be a problem?:confused:

 

You should bring it. Most scooters can be taken apart easily, or maybe with a little difficulty. What that means, if it can't fit into the door, be prepared to take it apart. I have always traveled with one. I take mine apart, and buy one I can take apart for my wife, to move into the room. My wife does not use it on the ship, because it is a pain to use on the ship. It's like using it in your house. If you don't need to, that's great. Most of them will charge on a US voltage, so that is why posters said, the plugs in the hallway will not work. They will work, but you need a converter. Since I travel internationally with it, I have what is necessary to charge it. Also, be advised that the "ramps" sometimes are steep, so make sure you can handle the breaks well, and they are strong. Also, some thresholds you can bottom out on. Be prepared to walk the scooter over certain areas.

 

Some posters feel the need to lecture everyone on leaving things in the hallway. Just ignore them, since you never stated you were going to do it.

 

Also remember that some ports, it can be difficult to drive around. Stores and sidewalks are not always easy to navigate. Just don't expect things to be the same in the USA, and go with the flow and adapt.

[deborahjo]

deborahjo,

The solution is to book an accessible cabin. More room for the scooter and no extra cost.

 

 

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We are in a full handicap cabin. He still has to walk down the hall to get to the elevator and to get around.

 

 

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[deborahjo]

I had a scooter on carnival and it didn't fit in the cabin. I had no problem leaving it near the elevator area around the corner. The one prob was that carnival has NO real plugs in the halls for charging. They are all those round industrial plugs. I had to get guest services to charge it for me. I went everywhere trying to find a plug! My friend has had one on other cruise lines and they had real plugs. I would think that there must be an adapter you could get to use the carnival plugs.

 

 

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Because you are a hazard when you leave them in the hallway. That is why scooters are legally to be kept in your cabin when not in use

 

 

 

 

 

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[Rala]

I would like to thank all of you for your responses. We are going to take it with us. We were not able to get an accessible stateroom and have some worries about it fitting into the cabin. But we will work it out. Thank you again. We will go with a smile and everything will be good :)

 

You can smile all you want , but that will not help you when you have no place to park/charge your scooter. Please contact special needs and make some sort of definite plan. Then and only then will everything be good. I hope your cruise is wonderful! :)

[ryano]

Some posters feel the need to lecture everyone on leaving things in the hallway.

 

.

 

Well maybe thats because SOME of us are actually affected by extremely rude people that disobey the rules and leave their freaking scooter out in the hall so it makes it darn near impossible to maneuver around it in our wheelchair or walker :rolleyes: Thats why, is my guess. As far as Im concerned, it cant be repeated enough around here.

 

Can you ever just answer a simple question without getting in your usual tired old digs in at the people here?

Edited January 24, 2017 by ryano

[crusinpsychRN]

Carnival says all scooters MUST fit in your cabin. The problem is this rarely happens. My husband has mobility issues and uses a walker. The people who leave the scooters in the hallway make it extremely difficult for him to get around. I wish people would listen and obey the rules.

 

 

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There were plenty in the halls last week on Pride. Many said property of Carnival Pride.

Edited January 24, 2017 by crusinpsychRN

[Computer Nerd]

Well maybe thats because SOME of us are actually affected by extremely rude people that disobey the rules and leave their freaking scooter out in the hall so it makes it darn near impossible to maneuver around it in our wheelchair or walker :rolleyes: Thats why, is my guess. As far as Im concerned, it cant be repeated enough around here.

 

Can you ever just answer a simple question without getting in your usual tired old digs in at the people here?

 

Maybe folks who find one in the hallway should just start taking them apart and moving the parts to one side of the hallway so others can get by. ;)

[Computer Nerd]

There were plenty in the halls last week on Pride. Many said property of Carnival Pride.

 

While those scooters may be owned by Carnival, they were being rented by someone in a cabin who is responsible for storing them properly.

[Appalachian Mountain Mama]

I travel with a Pride Traveler Elite and a collapsible walker. My travel companion also has a walker. We booked a Neptune suite on HAL, plenty of room for us, the scooter and both walkers.

 

 

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[Schoifmom]

I travel with a Pride Traveler Elite and a collapsible walker. My travel companion also has a walker. We booked a Neptune suite on HAL, plenty of room for us, the scooter and both walkers.

 

 

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I know that it is really hard to tell when you are using an app to read these forums, but this is the Carnival forum, so the questions are directly related to accessibility on a Carnival ship.

 

Glad HAL worked out so well for you. It's hard to get all of that gear into one room :) DH travels with a scooter to use on the ship and ashore when he can, and a rollator for when he can't. He's a big guy so that's big gear ;)

[tigercat]

I took my personal scooter in Oct. and found that it fit through the door fine but I needed to push it not drive it as the lip at the door ment that I had to make a run for it to get over it. I had called the special needs dept. as well s looked at the web site to make sure that it was the size that would fit through the door. It then came apart in the room and we were able to store it under the bed and in the closet until I needed it.

 

I do agree though when people leave things in the hall it means that I have problems with either my walker or my scooter.

 

tigercat

[AHS123]

There were plenty in the halls last week on Pride. Many said property of Carnival Pride.

 

Well, it was a journeys cruise.

[Computer Nerd]

I travel with a Pride Traveler Elite and a collapsible walker. My travel companion also has a walker. We booked a Neptune suite on HAL, plenty of room for us, the scooter and both walkers.

 

 

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I know that it is really hard to tell when you are using an app to read these forums, but this is the Carnival forum, so the questions are directly related to accessibility on a Carnival ship.

 

Glad HAL worked out so well for you. It's hard to get all of that gear into one room :) DH travels with a scooter to use on the ship and ashore when he can, and a rollator for when he can't. He's a big guy so that's big gear ;)

 

To be fair, a suite on a Carnival ship would probably have plenty of room as well. ;)

[mosiegirl]

Has anyone ever had any problems taking their personal Mobility Scooter aboard a ship? In the past we have always rented a scooter for my DH but he now owns a new Pride, Victory 10, so we wish to take it rather than rent. He would want to drive it aboard. Do any of you think that this would be a problem?:confused:

 

I have a Pride Victory 10 also.. and I love it. For years I rented one for onboard from Special Needs At Sea at $250 each time. My husband had built a trailer for my scooter so that I can take it around our hometown and go shopping etc and on road trips. So one time we decided to sail NCL out of Boston a few years ago.. and we thought we'd try bringing the scooter with us. When we got to the port parking, we were told we had to put the trailer in one parking spot, and the car in another parking spot as they didn't have one spot long enough to keep the trailer attached. They charged us TWICE the parking as we took up two spaces..

 

Long story short, I was able to take my own scooter into the cruise port, and up onto the ship... and had my own all week.

 

So.. if you can figure out how to take your scooter with you to the cruiseport then you should be fine.. if you are going to take a car and trailer attached, be prepared for double the parking costs.. Just a heads up. Enjoy your cruise!

[mosiegirl]

No, it is the 3 wheel model.

 

 

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I love my 3 wheel Pride Victory 10 !!! Best investment I ever made.. love love it!

[mosiegirl]

I have a mobility scooter, and I have taken it and ridden it onto the ship, (Celebrity & Royal) and kept it in an ordinary cabin without any problems. the ship has been notified before we travel that I am bringing it, and I've also been able to use their transfer bus from the ship to airport with it too, just let them know you have it.

 

I also have a friend who has been using her's onboard cruises a lot longer then I have. So there is no problem with the cruise lines mentioned

 

Margaret

 

Ps My friend has also travelled with MSC and hasn't had a problem either

 

 

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However here.. sorry to interject on this one.. but the Pride Victory 10 is a wider body scooter.. it will NOT fit inside a normal cabin.. anyone with the Pride Victory 10 WILL need the mobility cabin..

 

Margaret, you personally, might have had a smaller scooter.. the Victory 10 is for anyone up to 350 lbs. I don't want the original poster to be misled in thinking it will fit in a standard cabin.. as it will not.. :) Just saying from many years of experience and cruising with a Victory 10 scooter..

[luvbluseas]

You are NOT supposed to leave your scooters or wheelchairs in the halls. If you need those devices, then they need to be in the cabin with you. You need an accessible cabin, if you want space for it...and plugs to charge it.

 

 

Sometimes it is impossible to get an accessible stateroom! The ships have very few of them and they do not require a signed statement that you honestly require one. We have been able to switch to one thanks to our GREAT Travel Planner! She called Carnival and called them on giving accessible cabins to those that are not handicapped and they admitted that 'maybe' they did. SO someone was moved and DH (with 1/2 of a foot) and his scooter that is too big to fit into a regular door are now in an accessible stateroom. We are sorry that someone had to be moved. But folks should not lie about being handicapped. I am sure that my DH would be thrilled to trade places with them, health wise. On Celebrity we always book Aqua and they only have 4 Aqua staterooms that are accessible. They are VERY hard to get!! If we cannot get one, we cannot cruise. Then we finally get on the ship and fellow pax can be very rude. NO one wants to let him on the elevator with his scooter. Do they think he is contagious? He can NOT do the stairs - he has no choice. In the past I have been forced to get on the elevator, hold the door and insist that they move back so that he can get on also. I can see that there is plenty of room - they just do not want to move for him - WHY?:confused:

[Appalachian Mountain Mama]

Sorry schoifmom, I was browsing and thought this was just a general discussion of mobility scooter issues on cruise ships since the OP said "a ship" generic and several other posts mentioned different cruise lines.

 

 

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[Schoifmom]

Sorry schoifmom, I was browsing and thought this was just a general discussion of mobility scooter issues on cruise ships since the OP said "a ship" generic and several other posts mentioned different cruise lines.

 

 

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No need to be sorry!! I know how hard it is when you are using the app to know exactly where you are :)

 

So glad you had a great experience with your scooter. I know from personal experience how challenging it can be.

[Computer Nerd]

Sometimes it is impossible to get an accessible stateroom! The ships have very few of them and they do not require a signed statement that you honestly require one. We have been able to switch to one thanks to our GREAT Travel Planner! She called Carnival and called them on giving accessible cabins to those that are not handicapped and they admitted that 'maybe' they did. SO someone was moved and DH (with 1/2 of a foot) and his scooter that is too big to fit into a regular door are now in an accessible stateroom. We are sorry that someone had to be moved. But folks should not lie about being handicapped. I am sure that my DH would be thrilled to trade places with them, health wise. On Celebrity we always book Aqua and they only have 4 Aqua staterooms that are accessible. They are VERY hard to get!! If we cannot get one, we cannot cruise. Then we finally get on the ship and fellow pax can be very rude. NO one wants to let him on the elevator with his scooter. Do they think he is contagious? He can NOT do the stairs - he has no choice. In the past I have been forced to get on the elevator, hold the door and insist that they move back so that he can get on also. I can see that there is plenty of room - they just do not want to move for him - WHY?:confused:

 

What lying??? Both myself and my friends have stayed in an HC cabin before and neither one of us lied about anything because we were never asked if we were handicapped. My cabin was given to me as a GTY cabin and my friends booked an HC on a different cruise to be next to us and were told they could be moved if someone needed the cabin. No one needed it so they sailed in it. Don't blame us for the policy Carnival has in place! :mad:

Edited January 27, 2017 by Computer Nerd

[ryano]

What lying??? Both myself and my friends have stayed in an HC cabin before and neither one of us lied about anything because we were never asked if we were handicapped. My cabin was given to me as a GTY cabin and my friends booked an HC on a different cruise to be next to us and were told they could be moved if someone needed the cabin. No one needed it so they sailed in it. Don't blame us for the policy Carnival has in place! :mad:

 

And Carnival's policy when it comes to HC accessible cabins sucks to be honest. For one, you cant select a handicap room on the website when booking a cruise. You have to call in to book. Secondly, they let ANYONE book them it seems even months before the cruise sails and dont even require proof of need. All they tell you is you will be moved if the cabin is needed yet I never hear of anyone being moved :confused: I think they just tell people "sorry all handicap accessible cabins are booked" and be done with it.

 

I think what the OP is referring to though is able body people purposely book these cabins months in advance just so they have more space and that is just wrong! I dont think they were calling someone in your situation a liar ;)

 

Id like to see Carnival use a policy like Royal Caribbean does. Allow us to book them online and then require a special needs form listing why you need the cabin. Once final payment date arrives, if there are any HC cabins left, they are released into general booking. Its really a simple problem to fix!

Edited January 27, 2017 by ryano

[Buckimion]

And Carnival's policy when it comes to HC accessible cabins sucks to be honest. For one, you cant select a handicap room on the website when booking a cruise. You have to call in to book. Secondly, they let ANYONE book them it seems even months before the cruise sails and dont even require proof of need.

 

...

 

Id like to see Carnival use a policy like Royal Caribbean does. Allow us to book them online and then require a special needs form listing why you need the cabin. Once final payment date arrives, if there are any HC cabins left, they are released into general booking. Its really a simple problem to fix!

 

I'm not sure of your personal experience, but I DID have to submit a report on why I needed a HA cabin and the dimensions of my scooter for our first cruise. I just booked our second cruise (HA again), and I was told that our previously submitted report would be accepted as "proof" of need.

 

Edited January 28, 2017 by Buckimion

[mistshar]

I'm not sure of your personal experience, but I DID have to submit a report on why I needed a HA cabin and the dimensions of my scooter for our first cruise. I just booked our second cruise (HA again), and I was told that our previously submitted report would be accepted as "proof" of need.

 

 

I also had to complete a form for my HA cabin. I assume it is standard procedure.