NY port

[jm8280]

We are taking the Gem out of NY in July. My FIL has trouble walking and standing for long periods.just wanted to know if the port has wheelchairs for people to use from the street into check in and waiting area until we board the ship.

 

 

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[Peachypooh]

I did a quick search for the port of ny on cruise critic. According to the information there are no wheelchairs available from the actual cruise terminal but you can contact the cruiseline to arrange for one.

[kristy29]

I didn't see any. With so much walking on the ship maybe rent one for the whole week.

[pcakes122]

Yes, there absolutely are. First, you MUST arrange this directly with NCL in advance with the Access Desk. Next, the distance from the drop-off to the Accessibility Desk is approximately 40-50 steps. Your FIL's name will be on a list. Once you sign in there, you will need to wait for wheelchair assistance (could be up to an hour or so during busy times.) There are PLENTY of seats. Once in the wheelchair, your FIL will be wheeled throughout the entire check-in process (huge terminal - definitely not "walkable" for someone with mobility issues.) He will then be wheeled either to 1) the disabled waiting area (if you arrive before debarkation begins) or 2) directly onto the ship (if you arrive after debarkation begins.) Your entire party can join him (even if not needing assistance.)

 

Once ON the ship, there is no further wheelchair assistance, so if your FIL won't be able to navigate the ship comfortably, you may want to consider renting a wheelchair or mobility scooter. You cannot do this directly with NCL, you must use an approved vendor. www.specialneedsatsea.com is one of the approved vendors, and I have had excellent experience with them. If you do rent a scooter, you need to consider cabin door width since they don't fold and must be stored inside the passenger's cabin. (If you FIL is in an accessible cabin, this will not be an issue.) That said, if you DO rent a scooter, he will pick it up right at the Accessibility Desk in the terminal and will be able to drive himself through the check-in process & on to the ship. It is really so convenient!

 

On another note, not sure why folks jump to respond without having personal knowledge of the process.. I get that everyone wants to help, but if you truly don't know, please don't spread misinformation. Thanks!

[DuckTollerFans]

I have no first hand knowledge of the port (soon, but not yet!) ... but wanted to share this YouTube channel with you that I happened to find recently while scoping out the Gem. Turns out these guys are from my city (Rochester) and offer a lot of help, not only for this ship. And perhaps it would help your FIL feel at ease about navigating around the ships in the wheelchair.

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPdJZcTwRNLXmZKY-nc98rg

[esm54687]

Yes, there absolutely are. First, you MUST arrange this directly with NCL in advance with the Access Desk. Next, the distance from the drop-off to the Accessibility Desk is approximately 40-50 steps. Your FIL's name will be on a list. Once you sign in there, you will need to wait for wheelchair assistance (could be up to an hour or so during busy times.) There are PLENTY of seats. Once in the wheelchair, your FIL will be wheeled throughout the entire check-in process (huge terminal - definitely not "walkable" for someone with mobility issues.) He will then be wheeled either to 1) the disabled waiting area (if you arrive before debarkation begins) or 2) directly onto the ship (if you arrive after debarkation begins.) Your entire party can join him (even if not needing assistance.)

 

Once ON the ship, there is no further wheelchair assistance, so if your FIL won't be able to navigate the ship comfortably, you may want to consider renting a wheelchair or mobility scooter. You cannot do this directly with NCL, you must use an approved vendor. www.specialneedsatsea.com is one of the approved vendors, and I have had excellent experience with them. If you do rent a scooter, you need to consider cabin door width since they don't fold and must be stored inside the passenger's cabin. (If you FIL is in an accessible cabin, this will not be an issue.) That said, if you DO rent a scooter, he will pick it up right at the Accessibility Desk in the terminal and will be able to drive himself through the check-in process & on to the ship. It is really so convenient!

 

On another note, not sure why folks jump to respond without having personal knowledge of the process.. I get that everyone wants to help, but if you truly don't know, please don't spread misinformation. Thanks!

I think people were answering the OP's question which was if the port had wheelchairs..... the answer is basically still "no". The OP cannot get out of his car and grab a generic wheelchair that they have off to the side. As you stated, if one is required then a person must follow a process to get one reserved. You gave great information and helpful to a lot of people but those people who did "jump to respond" were actually very helpful to the OP by letting them know that there weren't any available on a first come first serve basis (in fact post #2 clearly directed the OP to the cruise line which is what you did)

[pcakes122]

I think people were answering the OP's question which was if the port had wheelchairs..... the answer is basically still "no". The OP cannot get out of his car and grab a generic wheelchair that they have off to the side. As you stated, if one is required then a person must follow a process to get one reserved. You gave great information and helpful to a lot of people but those people who did "jump to respond" were actually very helpful to the OP by letting them know that there weren't any available on a first come first serve basis (in fact post #2 clearly directed the OP to the cruise line which is what you did)

Read ALL the responses. Trust me, as a disabled person, if I asked that question and folks responded "No, none available." I would probably move on and reconsider my trip. Even you misread my response. There ARE wheelchairs available RIGHT INSIDE THE ENTRANCE for use IN THE TERMINAL. You just have to reserve them in advance. They are PORT wheelchairs, NOT NCL. That's why you can't use them on the ship. But you reserve them THROUGH NCL so that they give your name to the port folks. The people who work at the port Accessibility Desk are PORT employees, not NCL employees. I have dealt with them on probably 30 cruises from NYC. I am very familiar with the process.

 

Think of it like booking an air flight. You tell United Airlines you need wheelchair assistance, but the people who take you in the wheelchair work for the airport, not United.

Edited April 14, 2018 by pcakes122

[esm54687]

Read ALL the responses. Trust me, as a disabled person, if I asked that question and folks responded "No, none available." I would probably move on and reconsider my trip. Even you misread my response. There ARE wheelchairs available RIGHT INSIDE THE ENTRANCE for use IN THE TERMINAL. You just have to reserve them in advance. They are PORT wheelchairs, NOT NCL. That's why you can't use them on the ship. But you reserve them THROUGH NCL so that they give your name to the port folks. The people who work at the port Accessibility Desk are PORT employees, not NCL employees. I have dealt with them on probably 30 cruises from NYC. I am very familiar with the process.

 

Think of it like booking an air flight. You tell United Airlines you need wheelchair assistance, but the people who take you in the wheelchair work for the airport, not United.

I know.... sooooo MANY responses to read through before you accused people of giving misinformation..... #1: Original question #2: giving pretty much the same info you gave (minus the exact details of the process) #3: suggesting to rent one because they didn't see any available wheelchairs and then #4: yours! Where are ALL the misinformation responses?

 

I clearly read your post and understood that I cannot walk in to the cruise terminal and ask a porter for a wheelchair because they don't have a first come first serve pool.... they are all reserved through the cruise line...... which I said

 

And it's NOT like an airport..... I've walked into Logan, BWI, Dulles and LAX and spoke to a porter (not an airline employee) who made a call for transportation to the checkin counter and then the gate....... without ever engaging the airline.

[pcakes122]

I don't see that the OP asked if there are "first-come, first-served" wheelchairs. The question was is there wheelchair service at the port. The answer is YES.

 

And whether you agree or not, the fact is that these forums are filled with misinformation. Even on threads where the original posters specify "Please let me know if you have PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with such & such issue or situation", many folks jump in who are just "guessing." As I stated in my first post, I get that people want to help, but it leads to confusion. Not sure why you took offense to that & felt the need to chastise me, but I guess you are having a rough day. Hope it gets better! :)

[jm8280]

Thank you for the answers. Wife and myself have been on the gem a few times. Just asking because FIL can’t walk long distances and stand for a long time and the wait times were long to check in ( not looking to jump line) Last time we sailed in Gem there were not many chairs to wait in until boarding. He will be able to move about the ship as there are multiple places to sit and rest. Again thanks for your response

 

 

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[esm54687]

I don't see that the OP asked if there are "first-come, first-served" wheelchairs. The question was is there wheelchair service at the port. The answer is YES.

 

And whether you agree or not, the fact is that these forums are filled with misinformation. Even on threads where the original posters specify "Please let me know if you have PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with such & such issue or situation", many folks jump in who are just "guessing." As I stated in my first post, I get that people want to help, but it leads to confusion. Not sure why you took offense to that & felt the need to chastise me, but I guess you are having a rough day. Hope it gets better! :)

My day was good (Red Sox won) and getting better (Bruins winning) so not having a rough day.... but thank you for the well wishes. ☺

 

I apologize if you felt chastised way back in post #5 when I pointed out that this thread had not included any misinformation when you made a reference that it did. Yes, Cruise Critic is filled with misinformation, guesses, assumptions and the like but I was just pointing out that the 2 answers prior to yours was good information.

 

When the OP asked if wheelchairs were available, I interpreted that as similiar to an airport where they are first come first serve and the answer is "no" but if you coordinate through the cruise line then it's a "yes". It's similiar to "can I bring water on board" the answer is "no" but if you reach out to the cruise line it can be a "yes"

 

You provided great info that clearly explains the process is not simply getting out of the car and asking a porter for one