Wheelchair question

[angeleyez915]

I have been on mulitple cruises, not on RC yet, but I am looking at possibly going on a RC cruise in September with my mom.  My mom has not ever been on a cruise, but it was my dad's wish for her to go with me at least once.  My dad had been sick for a while, the past couple of years he had deteriorated very quickly.  He wasnt able to travel due to his condition and she was scared that if she left for a few days that something may happen when we were away.  He just passed away a couple of days ago and over the past week he had made her promise that she would go with me on a cruise once he was gone.  The issue is that my mom as fibromyalgia, chronic degenerative disk disease, and arthritis in her back and hips making standing, sitting and walking for long periods very painful and difficult on her.  The only way that she will be able to go on a trip like this is if we use a wheelchair so my question is this... We dont really need an accessible room because she isnt confined to a wheelchair, she can get up and walk. 
1.  Will RC provide a wheelchair for us to use for the entire cruise
2.  Will the wheelchair be one that can be folded/collapsed to fit into the room if we dont get an accessible room

3.  Will RC require us to have an accessble room (which is more expensive) for them to provide a wheelchair

[nascarcruiser]

You will need to bring your own or rent one from a rental company.  The cruise line won't provide one for the duration of the cruise.

[cruisinfanatic]

41 minutes ago, angeleyez915 said:

I have been on mulitple cruises, not on RC yet, but I am looking at possibly going on a RC cruise in September with my mom.  My mom has not ever been on a cruise, but it was my dad's wish for her to go with me at least once.  My dad had been sick for a while, the past couple of years he had deteriorated very quickly.  He wasnt able to travel due to his condition and she was scared that if she left for a few days that something may happen when we were away.  He just passed away a couple of days ago and over the past week he had made her promise that she would go with me on a cruise once he was gone.  The issue is that my mom as fibromyalgia, chronic degenerative disk disease, and arthritis in her back and hips making standing, sitting and walking for long periods very painful and difficult on her.  The only way that she will be able to go on a trip like this is if we use a wheelchair so my question is this... We dont really need an accessible room because she isnt confined to a wheelchair, she can get up and walk. 
1.  Will RC provide a wheelchair for us to use for the entire cruise
2.  Will the wheelchair be one that can be folded/collapsed to fit into the room if we dont get an accessible room

3.  Will RC require us to have an accessble room (which is more expensive) for them to provide a wheelchair

Best to rent your own and have it in your cabin when boarding. Royal does not supply chairs although there are many around the ship that you can use. All wheelchairs fold

Edited March 5, 2019 by cruisinfanatic

[Snit13]

58 minutes ago, angeleyez915 said:

I have been on mulitple cruises, not on RC yet, but I am looking at possibly going on a RC cruise in September with my mom.  My mom has not ever been on a cruise, but it was my dad's wish for her to go with me at least once.  My dad had been sick for a while, the past couple of years he had deteriorated very quickly.  He wasnt able to travel due to his condition and she was scared that if she left for a few days that something may happen when we were away.  He just passed away a couple of days ago and over the past week he had made her promise that she would go with me on a cruise once he was gone.  The issue is that my mom as fibromyalgia, chronic degenerative disk disease, and arthritis in her back and hips making standing, sitting and walking for long periods very painful and difficult on her.  The only way that she will be able to go on a trip like this is if we use a wheelchair so my question is this... We dont really need an accessible room because she isnt confined to a wheelchair, she can get up and walk. 
1.  Will RC provide a wheelchair for us to use for the entire cruise
2.  Will the wheelchair be one that can be folded/collapsed to fit into the room if we dont get an accessible room

3.  Will RC require us to have an accessble room (which is more expensive) for them to provide a wheelchair

Sorry for your loss.  I lost my husband of 39 years on February 13.  RC will not provide a wheelchair for use on ship.  They will transport you onto the ship and off the ship.  I took my husband's 'transport chair" on our final cruise and I also rented a scooter from Scootaround.  Loved the scooter as I too have mobility issues.  Enjoy your cruise with your mother.

[shippmates]

Sorry for the loss of your Father.  Once you book your cruise, contact the special needs department and they will give you a list of companies that rent wheelchairs.  The company will have the chair in your cabin the day you board and will pick it up in your cabin on the last day of your cruise.  I used Special Needs at Sea to rent a wheelchair several years ago.  Also if you use a travel agent, they will also be able to take care of this for you.  Hope you and your Mother get to enjoy your cruise.

[angeleyez915]

2 minutes ago, Snit13 said:

Sorry for your loss.  I lost my husband of 39 years on February 13.  RC will not provide a wheelchair for use on ship.  They will transport you onto the ship and off the ship.  I took my husband's 'transport chair" on our final cruise and I also rented a scooter from Scootaround.  Loved the scooter as I too have mobility issues.  Enjoy your cruise with your mother.

I am so very sorry for your loss as well.  My parents would have been together 42 years on the 11th of this month.   
I knew that they would transport on and off ship as I went on a cruise with a friend who needed assistance on and off ship, i just wasnt sure about the rest.  I appreciate your response and the information.    You mentioned that you took your husbands chair.  Did have to fly to your port or did you drive?  We will be flying since we are in Ohio and and the cruise we are looking at will be out of Fort Lauderdale.  If you flew, how is the chair stored on the plane?  does it have to be checked?

[Foodluvr]

Sorry for your loss.  Agree with scootaround.  I had ankle surgery before our Oct cruise and they made sure my knee walker was in the cabin and everything was set up for me!  I also recommend contacting your airline for airport assistance, it makes a huge difference but be sure to tip your assistant! 

[Grandma Dazzles]

RC will only provide a wheelchair too and from the ship, e.g. to get your mom on board, push up the gangplank, etc.  If she needs to use a wheelchair on board you will have to rent or take your own. It’s best to contact the Special Needs Department. They can direct you on how to go about renting a wheelchair, or scooter. They can also provide other assistance - things like a chair for the shower.  

 

Incidentally, handicapped cabins are the same price as a regular cabin, as long as you are looking at the same type/class of cabin. They do, however, sell out quickly; if you thought the one was more expensive it was probably a different class of cabin. 

 

Airline will ill assist with boarding the aircraft. You can request wheelchair assistance at the airport and they will immediately get her in a wheelchair when you check in and wheel to the gate.  If you choose to use your own wheelchair you will probably have to gate check and they will have it for you when you land at the door of the jet bridge.  If you use the airline’s wheelchair to board they will meet you at the jet bridge on landing.  Again, you have to request ahead of time. 

Edited March 5, 2019 by Grandma Dazzles

[GUT2407]

A power wheelchair (my personal preference, but a bit harder to master) or a scooter will be your friend you probably need an accessible room, as most wheelchairs won’t fit through the door of a standard cabin without being folded or dismantled.

[Grandma Dazzles]

42 minutes ago, cruisinfanatic said:

Best to rent your own and have it in your cabin when boarding. Royal does not supply chairs although there are many around the ship that you can use. All wheelchairs fold

 

There are not chairs around the ship for passenger use.  Medical facility will provide if you have an accident on board, but definitely not around the ship for passenger use. 

[angeleyez915]

18 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

A power wheelchair (my personal preference, but a bit harder to master) or a scooter will be your friend you probably need an accessible room, as most wheelchairs won’t fit through the door of a standard cabin without being folded or dismantled.

the one we have at home does fold easily which is fine since she isnt confined to the chair just needs it more for times when she will have to do a lot of walking.  Walking through the grocery store can be difficult even for her so she usually uses the motorized carts provided in the stores.

[Snit13]

29 minutes ago, angeleyez915 said:

I am so very sorry for your loss as well.  My parents would have been together 42 years on the 11th of this month.   
I knew that they would transport on and off ship as I went on a cruise with a friend who needed assistance on and off ship, i just wasnt sure about the rest.  I appreciate your response and the information.    You mentioned that you took your husbands chair.  Did have to fly to your port or did you drive?  We will be flying since we are in Ohio and and the cruise we are looking at will be out of Fort Lauderdale.  If you flew, how is the chair stored on the plane?  does it have to be checked?

We drove from West Coast of FL to East Coast for cruise and I found a parking company that had a van to lift him and the chair to the van.  I just booked Harmony for a burial at sea and one cousin coming from Phoenix to join the cruise has MS and will be bringing her wheelchair on plane.  She does it frequently.  I guess she arranges it with the airlines.  There were no HC cabins available so I booked her in a junior suite.  I picked my scooter up in the terminal as opposed to having it waiting in cabin and then drove it off ship to return it.  There is a discount for doing so.  I will be booking a scooter for Harmony since it is such a huge ship.  Have sailed on Allure and Oasis and will need the scooter to scoot around ship.

[angeleyez915]

9 minutes ago, Snit13 said:

We drove from West Coast of FL to East Coast for cruise and I found a parking company that had a van to lift him and the chair to the van.  I just booked Harmony for a burial at sea and one cousin coming from Phoenix to join the cruise has MS and will be bringing her wheelchair on plane.  She does it frequently.  I guess she arranges it with the airlines.  There were no HC cabins available so I booked her in a junior suite.  I picked my scooter up in the terminal as opposed to having it waiting in cabin and then drove it off ship to return it.  There is a discount for doing so.  I will be booking a scooter for Harmony since it is such a huge ship.  Have sailed on Allure and Oasis and will need the scooter to scoot around ship.

 

The ship we are looking at is the Allure

[Snit13]

8 minutes ago, angeleyez915 said:

 

The ship we are looking at is the Allure

Scooter is your best bet if you book a cabin that is big enough.  Never book lower than balcony but have been booking suites the past few years.  I called and talked to agent and he advised which scooter to book as some will fit thru cabin door and some will not.  Unless you are younger and stronger you do not want to be pushing a wheelchair on Allure.

The Harmony will be my 13th RCCL cruise and my first was on Allure when she was new.  We sailed Celebrity for years but no longer cared to drive to south FL.

[Bloodgem]

Sorry  about your loss.  Accessible cabins are the same price as a normal cabin in the same class.  The bathroom in the accessible cabin might be better for your mum.  My dad has arthritis of the hips and knees, he struggle on bad days to get off the toilet in a normal cabin.

 

[JamesEM]

As an alternative, what I did was purchase a transport port chair, worked great. 

[wendychloecruiser]

I highly recommend renting a scooter.   You do not need an accessible cabin.  The scooter gets delivered to the cabin which is where you leave it at the end of the cruise.  The ones they rent (usually Pride GoGo Elite) fit through the doors just fine.  Yes, you do need to find a place tuck it in.  I have found you can push it under the desk a bit.  I rented one for my mom and after the first rental I ended up buying her one as it made such a difference for her.   We have never needed an accessible cabin. 

 

Remember that renting a wheelchair is OK, BUT IT NEEDS PUSHING and that would be you.  It gets very tiring on carpet and it limits independence of both people.  

[angeleyez915]

3 hours ago, wendychloecruiser said:

I highly recommend renting a scooter.   You do not need an accessible cabin.  The scooter gets delivered to the cabin which is where you leave it at the end of the cruise.  The ones they rent (usually Pride GoGo Elite) fit through the doors just fine.  Yes, you do need to find a place tuck it in.  I have found you can push it under the desk a bit.  I rented one for my mom and after the first rental I ended up buying her one as it made such a difference for her.   We have never needed an accessible cabin. 

 

Remember that renting a wheelchair is OK, BUT IT NEEDS PUSHING and that would be you.  It gets very tiring on carpet and it limits independence of both people.  

 

do you know what the typical rental rate is?

[wendychloecruiser]

1 minute ago, angeleyez915 said:

 

do you know what the typical rental rate is?

 

I cannot remember as it was really priceless, but  maybe around $200. 

[waterbug123]

3 hours ago, wendychloecruiser said:

 The ones they rent (usually Pride GoGo Elite) fit through the doors just fine.  Yes, you do need to find a place tuck it in.  I have found you can push it under the desk a bit. 

 

And as a courtesy to others, please don't leave it in the hallway to keep it from taking up cabin space.  Someone down the hall from us did that last week, and a number of times I saw others in scooters/wheelchairs/pushing strollers struggle to get past it, especially at times of day when housekeeping carts were also lining the hallway.

[mets123]

the price varies by port, length of cruise, and type of equipment, and whether you want insurance. Figure at least $300 for a scooter. It is best to check the web site or call for a quote.

[Joseph2017China]

15 hours ago, angeleyez915 said:

I have been on mulitple cruises, not on RC yet, but I am looking at possibly going on a RC cruise in September with my mom.  My mom has not ever been on a cruise, but it was my dad's wish for her to go with me at least once.  My dad had been sick for a while, the past couple of years he had deteriorated very quickly.  He wasnt able to travel due to his condition and she was scared that if she left for a few days that something may happen when we were away.  He just passed away a couple of days ago and over the past week he had made her promise that she would go with me on a cruise once he was gone.  The issue is that my mom as fibromyalgia, chronic degenerative disk disease, and arthritis in her back and hips making standing, sitting and walking for long periods very painful and difficult on her.  The only way that she will be able to go on a trip like this is if we use a wheelchair so my question is this... We dont really need an accessible room because she isnt confined to a wheelchair, she can get up and walk. 
1.  Will RC provide a wheelchair for us to use for the entire cruise
2.  Will the wheelchair be one that can be folded/collapsed to fit into the room if we dont get an accessible room

3.  Will RC require us to have an accessble room (which is more expensive) for them to provide a wheelchair

You gave a lot of info, but there is always more.  Example.  Age?  Some elderly, who never used a scooter, will find it really hard to control (personal experience with this one).  Imagine trying to get into doors, and elevators etc. if you have poor coordination.  It can be very frustrating. 

 

Wheelchairs that are pushed "when needed" are sometimes better to use.  How willing are you to be the pusher?  Over carpet it can be hard.  You can buy a wheelchair, especially if you think in the future you will need it.  Like going shopping.  Next, consider a transport chair.  If it will be "barely used" on the ship, these are ideal for travel.  You can buy it for less than $100.00

 

So, I have a scooter, a travel scooter (Tzoro), a wheelchair, and a transport chair for my wife.  Each item is for specific reasons and each one gets used.  We travel around the world.  The cost of the "right" mobilitity devices are priceless when it allows freedom.

[gerif]

1 hour ago, waterbug123 said:

 

And as a courtesy to others, please don't leave it in the hallway to keep it from taking up cabin space.  Someone down the hall from us did that last week, and a number of times I saw others in scooters/wheelchairs/pushing strollers struggle to get past it, especially at times of day when housekeeping carts were also lining the hallway.

Did you call security to have it removed? Next time, please do. 

[angeleyez915]

On 3/6/2019 at 9:04 AM, Joseph2017China said:

You gave a lot of info, but there is always more.  Example.  Age?  Some elderly, who never used a scooter, will find it really hard to control (personal experience with this one).  Imagine trying to get into doors, and elevators etc. if you have poor coordination.  It can be very frustrating. 

 

Wheelchairs that are pushed "when needed" are sometimes better to use.  How willing are you to be the pusher?  Over carpet it can be hard.  You can buy a wheelchair, especially if you think in the future you will need it.  Like going shopping.  Next, consider a transport chair.  If it will be "barely used" on the ship, these are ideal for travel.  You can buy it for less than $100.00

 

So, I have a scooter, a travel scooter (Tzoro), a wheelchair, and a transport chair for my wife.  Each item is for specific reasons and each one gets used.  We travel around the world.  The cost of the "right" mobilitity devices are priceless when it allows freedom.

she is 69,  she has a wheelchair and a scooter at home but just trying to see which is more cost effective as well as determine how difficult it may be to transport a wheelchair and/or scooter since we will be flying to the port location.  I figured that it would be easier to deal with the wheelchair than it would be a scooter in regards to getting it on / off the plane?

as for pushing her in the wheelchair, i have no problems with that at all, I was actually doing that for both my mother and father when they needed help going to the hospitals for tests or anywhere else.  The wheelchair that she has is very easy to push and navigate. 

[angeleyez915]

On 3/6/2019 at 7:43 AM, waterbug123 said:

 

And as a courtesy to others, please don't leave it in the hallway to keep it from taking up cabin space.  Someone down the hall from us did that last week, and a number of times I saw others in scooters/wheelchairs/pushing strollers struggle to get past it, especially at times of day when housekeeping carts were also lining the hallway.

I wouldnt even dream of leaving it in the hallway, i've seen too many kiddos (and some adults for that matter) running wild on the ships who feel like they can do whatever they want and I would be worried that someone would mess with it that shouldnt