Scooter question on Zuiderdam

[rkacruiser]

Just now, T8NCruise said:

Possibly. DH didn't need mobility assistance till around 2017.  Always booked through Special Needs at Sea 

 

Our experience was a couple of years before 2017.  

[RetiredRich]

I had a broken ankle bone and rented a scooter for our Panama cruise.  Cost over $400 but enjoyed it.  I cannot answer your question about it fitting thru the cabin door.  I always left it in the lobby over night and the crew would take it and charge the battery overnight.  Never had it in the room.  Had no trouble with it around on the ship and the crew was very helpful.  Once on a long off ship walk my wife climbed on and we both scooted away as others took our picture.  Sorry I couldn't answer your question but you will enjoy the scooter.

[rkacruiser]

11 hours ago, RetiredRich said:

Once on a long off ship walk my wife climbed on and we both scooted away

 

🤣

 

Never thought of this and wouldn't have done it if I thought I could do so!  My traveling companion was not the world champion scooter driver.  I left our cruise with bruised ankles because of her hitting them as I held the door of our suite open when she entered/left with the scooter.  

[Crew News]

29 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

.......  I left our cruise with bruised ankles because of her hitting them as I held the door of our suite open when she entered/left with the scooter.  

I remember those days as well!!!!! 

[RuthC]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

I left our cruise with bruised ankles because of her hitting them as I held the door of our suite open when she entered/left with the scooter.  

Easiest way to deal with keeping the door open is to ask the cabin steward for an extra rubber door stop. Keep it handy near the door, or even in the scooter basket. That way a companion can prop the door, then get out of the way. 
 

Just don't forget to return the hospitality and leave it behind when you disembark. 

[T8NCruise]

3 hours ago, RuthC said:

Easiest way to deal with keeping the door open is to ask the cabin steward for an extra rubber door stop. Keep it handy near the door, or even in the scooter basket. That way a companion can prop the door, then get out of the way. 
 

Just don't forget to return the hospitality and leave it behind when you disembark. 

I bought rubber door stoppers at Walmart - 2 in a pack.  I guess they are called wedges, really.  Handy for both wheelchair and scooter. 

[highscar]

On 7/11/2021 at 5:51 PM, RGEDad said:

We purchased a Luggie Scooter Elite Plus 4. It folds up extremely small in either a flat or Cube shape. It is only 18" Wide so it does fit through the door (we travel without the arm rests (Seldom use them anyway). Unit weigh only 70 lbs - so can be used on tenders (on HAL). 

I got their top end 4-wheel unit - primarily for a bit more stability than three wheel units (The two front are narrower than the rear) and the automatic speed control when cornering (Automatically slows down on sharp corners - prevents tip-over) - wife thought I was crazy to spend extra for unit with that - till she started driving it - Unit can make very tight corners - this automatically slows her down. Li ION batteries are removable (Needed to pull for transportation on airlines - and they are certified. )

I have the Luggie 4: Elite plus 4

• Weight Cap: 320 lbs

• Top Speed: 4mph

• Turning Raidus 36"-  Very tight corners - needed on narrow ship hallways

• Ground Clearance: 4.5"

• Range Up to 15 miles

Key Spec is 18" Wide - will get through any standard cabin door (Be very carful when you get to units that are like 22 " - the Cabin door size listed doe not usually account for the swung door (~2Inch reduction.) 

 

Hmmm: It appears they have made a change, the current Elite plus 4 units fold flat (which is what we use when putting into the car/airplanes. but no longer fold into Qube/luggage shape (for storage in a closet/taxi) so make sure you check that if it is important. the Plus 3 does still fold into the luggage shape. Also looks like the Plus 4 widened out the front wheels. Chargable in the scooter (Used for travel) or in a home docking station.

These units are not cheep - Like $3,500 but they are very narrow (18") with sharp turning, 

No- I do not have any involvement with Luggie - or dealership.

 

 

I realize you are in the us and I’m i am in Canada. The prize there please. 

[mamaofami]

On one of my cruises, sorry but I don't recall which ship, the steward asked me to let them know when I was in for the night and they came and took the scooter away and charged it I know not where. In the morning, a call to the front desk brought the scooter back to me. I owned a Travelscoot junior which is smaller than a regular standard scooter that you would rent. I'm not sure that great service is available any more. When we had the rooms that led directly out to the balcony, I kept the scooter near the glass door, and went out that way and then would ride it back inside the corridor. I never had an accessible room nor a suite, but my scooter was smaller than the rental ones.

[Crew News]

5 minutes ago, mamaofami said:

On one of my cruises, sorry but I don't recall which ship, the steward asked me to let them know when I was in for the night and they came and took the scooter away and charged it I know not where. In the morning, a call to the front desk brought the scooter back to me. I owned a Travelscoot junior which is smaller than a regular standard scooter that you would rent. I'm not sure that great service is available any more. When we had the rooms that led directly out to the balcony, I kept the scooter near the glass door, and went out that way and then would ride it back inside the corridor. I never had an accessible room nor a suite, but my scooter was smaller than the rental ones.

Unfortunately, Ms Zuiderdam does not have Lanai staterooms opening onto the Promenade Deck but for those that do, sounds like a perfect solution to scooter storage for the night.

[RGEDad]

15 hours ago, highscar said:

I realize you are in the us and I’m i am in Canada. The prize there please. 

Prize??

I do not understand...

[StLouisCruisers]

Probably meant price.

[highscar]

Sorry. It is price.  Need new glasses. 

[LuAnn]

Well thank you all so much for all the great information!! I think I had thought of some of the associated "problems" trying to make a scooter fit in a standard room...but you helped point out some other concerns. 

 

Having the scooter taken away and "parked" elsewhere sounds like a great idea. I'll call HAL Accessibility Dept and see if that is doable at this point in time.

 

Another question..do you think a "Transport Chair" is a viable solution? I'm concerned it will be hard for me to push him over the metal strips in the hallways. But I think I can manage a standard wheelchair. 

[RuthC]

2 hours ago, LuAnn said:

Another question..do you think a "Transport Chair" is a viable solution? I'm concerned it will be hard for me to push him over the metal strips in the hallways. But I think I can manage a standard wheelchair. 

Don't transport chairs have small wheels? If so, you don't want to be pushing someone in such a chair over all the carpeting on the ship. It's tiring enough pushing a full size wheelchair with the large wheels! 
Plus, you have to consider the raised metal at various places on the ship. Does a transport chair have something for you to push your foot on to raise the front wheels? I don't remember them having that feature. 

A friend used to push her mother in a wheelchair all day, and collapsed into bed exhausted early every evening. 

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, RuthC said:

A friend used to push her mother in a wheelchair all day,

 

I pushed my Mother during a tour of Butchart Gardens one day.  I got my cardiac exercise for the week, I think!  But, the experience and the effort was well worth it for both of us.  

Edited July 20, 2021 by rkacruiser

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I pushed my Mother during a tour of Butchart Gardens one day.  I got my cardiac exercise for the week, I think!  But, the experience and the effort was well worth it for both of us.  

Definitely worth it, and a genuine act of love. But the poster was asking about a transport chair, which is even more difficult than a full wheelchair! 

[tallyho8]

My wife has a small fold up scooter that we take with us everywhere. We usually book a regular balcony but were able to get a handicap cabin on our last cruise which has plenty of room.

 

Two tips when booking a regular cabin: First, if you have them make the beds together instead of 2 twins you have more space for the scooter. Second, if you can choose a cabin that has the bed by the balcony instead of by the bathroom, you will have much more room to bring the scooter in.

 

Here is a photo of a handicap cabin we were just in:

 

 

[LuAnn]

On 7/19/2021 at 7:25 PM, RuthC said:

Don't transport chairs have small wheels? If so, you don't want to be pushing someone in such a chair over all the carpeting on the ship. It's tiring enough pushing a full size wheelchair with the large wheels! 
Plus, you have to consider the raised metal at various places on the ship. Does a transport chair have something for you to push your foot on to raise the front wheels? I don't remember them having that feature. 

A friend used to push her mother in a wheelchair all day, and collapsed into bed exhausted early every evening. 

I"ll have to check Ruth re the "foot push". I've pushed it around the house on carpeting and it's ok..but that's NOT the length of a ship right? 🙂 I'm still working on the various options but I so appreciate your input and the help of others too!