Electric wheel chair users be very careful

[Sarahsmom85]

Just back from a RCI cruise we went to Cozomel. Just want to warn power wheelchair users to use the airjet tender and not the small boat.

We went over to the island on the airjet which was a chalenge. We asked if they could take a power chair. Of course we do it all the time. It was rough going over. Lots of bounching and carring. Not at all what I would call wheelchair friendly.

Well, on the way back we where in pouring rain, and got on the small boat. Glad to be getting back to the ship since we where dripping wet.

Tender docks, and everyone goes to the back of the boat. The exit is up a flight of stairs. If we had no been so wet I would have gone back to the shore and transfered to the airjet. I told them they could not carry a power chair plus my DH up a flight of stairs. The weight most have been 300 plus lbs. they said they do it all the time. Luckly we had someone in a manual chair also on the tender and I transfered my DH to the manual chair and let them carry the power chair up them my DH. Still it took lots of struggling and huffing and puffing to get the power chair up the flight of stairs. There is no way I would have let them carrry it with him in it.

Even then when we got back to the room my DH's knee is swollen twice the size. He must have hit it during the struggle up the stairs.

I made sure I asked if they could take a power chair I even showed it to them. Had I known the difficulty I would have one stayed on the ship, or two taken the manual chair we brought with us.

I'm waiting one more day to see if the knee goes down if not we are off to the doctors. It might be broken.

[DEL67]

I am sorry to hear about what happened and hope you DH's knee is okay.

 

On our first cruise after my husband became disabled, the gangway in Ocho Rios had small steps. When the crew saw my husband in his power chair, they asked us to borrow a manual chair from Carnival instead of taking his power chair because it was too heavy to lift.

 

Ever since then, we have taken two chairs when we cruise: his power chair for aboard the ship and his manual one for on shore. Not only is it lighter if he has to be carried, but we do not have to depend on curb cuts and we can get over other obstacles more easily than in his power chair. Regardless, my husband often choose tnot to go ahore at tender ports because he does not like to be carried up/down steps. Your experience proves why.

[Sarahsmom85]

Returned from the ER., my husbands leg is broken above the knee. They splinted it and it should be ok after about 3 months.

 

We too brought a manual chair with us. After being told when showing them the powerchair that they had no problem getting on tender, we took them at there word. From now on we will take the manual chair. I also brougth a fold up ramp that I used at a few curbs that we encountered.

[muskrat897]

Power chair users, be sure to use your seatbelt when going up or down a gangway. Many are not evely sloped and you can lose control and get jarred out of position.

[cusyl]

Returned from the ER., my husbands leg is broken above the knee. They splinted it and it should be ok after about 3 months.

 

We too brought a manual chair with us. After being told when showing them the powerchair that they had no problem getting on tender, we took them at there word. From now on we will take the manual chair. I also brougth a fold up ramp that I used at a few curbs that we encountered.

 

How horrible! That had to be a really big wallop to break the thigh bone!

[Splinter]

No, many full-time wheelchair users have severe osteoporosis, and it does not take much force to break a leg, esp. the distal femur. My mother has broken both femurs (in one minor fall) and both tibias and both fibulas in the last 15 years...all with relatively minor trauma (full time wheelchair user for nearly 15 years too due to MS).

 

Although you are unlikely to get any compensation for this injury, your TA should still contact the cruise line's customer relations department and complain about the treatment you had that caused this injury.

[Sarahsmom85]

Spliner is right, although Martin has never broken a leg before, a few fingers and a toe. The doctor said this bones are very thin and easy to break. He has been WC bond for 31 yrs.