Bypassing check-in cue

[Kuffam]

I have a back injury and standing in a line for more than 15 minutes is painful and a half-hour is unbearable. We are sailing NCL Joy out of Seattle this summer. Is there a disability checkin or a way for me to sit while my wife stands in line? 

[SargassoPirate]

I had a similar situation several years ago.  I could walk ok, but standing for any extended time was painful.  I used a wheelchair throughout the check in process and once we allowed to board, I walked right on with no trouble. I'm sure there were some wondering about my miracle cure.

[mlbcruiser]

You might want to contact the accessible department of the cruise line and alert them to your need for a wheelchair boarding. That may or may not have any bearing on how quickly someone with a wheelchair is available when you reach the port. However they could make a note of it on your reservation and hopefully that might help them plan. There will be cruise line personnel at the entrance and you should tell them Right away that you need wheelchair assistance. I have rented a scooter for my husband for our last three cruises. Twice the scooter was waiting in the cabin. Once it was waiting outside the check in area (in Vancouver). Someone can push the wheelchair all the way to the cabin. Kind of like at an airport, minus bypassing to the front of the lines. You can ask for this assistance when you disembark as well.  Hope this helps! 

[kokopelli-az]

On 1/12/2020 at 8:43 PM, Kuffam said:

I have a back injury and standing in a line for more than 15 minutes is painful and a half-hour is unbearable. We are sailing NCL Joy out of Seattle this summer. Is there a disability checkin or a way for me to sit while my wife stands in line? 

 

It sounds like you need wheelchair assistance.   NCL has wheelchairs to assist people embarking and disembarking and they have people who will push the wheelchairs to a certain point (ie, like when embarking, they will push you to your room, if available, or to the buffet or another public area).   The wheelchair pushers take the wheelchairs with them after they take you to your drop-off point so you won't have the wheelchair to use thereafter.     When you are waiting to check in, there typically is a special line for people with wheelchairs, canes, walkers, etc and you would be directed to this line.  

When you get to the pier, advise every NCL employee you encounter that you need a wheelchair; sometimes they will tell you to keep going because the wheelchairs are available further along, or sometimes the wheelchairs are very close to the entry into the terminal.

If you have this much difficulty standing, consider renting a wheelchair for the cruise (assuming your wife can push you).   There is a lot of walking on ships, the docks and at port stops.   A wheelchair for your use might make all the difference in your enjoyment of the cruise.  A scooter is another thought; however, you may need an accessible room for it to fit through your room door.   A final thought would be a walker with a seat where you could sit down when necessary.  

Unless you rent something from home and bring it with you,Scootaround is the exclusive provider of rental equipment for NCL. 

In any event, you will need to advise NCL of your needs.   See the link below:

 

https://www.ncl.com/about/accessible-cruising

Edited January 14, 2020 by kokopelli-az