How do some of you get your walker to your room?

[atexsix]

Dear Dad is going to have the terminal staff wheel him through security and check in and then ship staff will take over, that's the only time he'll need a chair, for the rest of the trip he can use a walker, I can carry it on myself, but wondering if it can be checked?

[GUT2407]

7 minutes ago, atexsix said:

Dear Dad is going to have the terminal staff wheel him through security and check in and then ship staff will take over, that's the only time he'll need a chair, for the rest of the trip he can use a walker, I can carry it on myself, but wondering if it can be checked?

Yes they can be checked (not sure if every line allows it, but you may not get it till late in the day, how does he get by between boarding and luggage arriving?

 

[atexsix]

2 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Yes they can be checked (not sure if every line allows it, but you may not get it till late in the day, how does he get by between boarding and luggage arriving?

 

I found an older thread on cruise critic, it appears to depend on the port and the cruise line.  But you brought up a good point too so I've decided to just carry it.  Both my hands will be free anyway, my carry on with our meds and stuff will be a backpack, the big suitcase will be checked.  It's a good quality walker but not overly heavy and it folds up, so it won't be awkward.

[kokopelli-az]

I would not check it.    Keep everything with you that you can't get along without.

You don't want any of Dad's precious cargo to get misplaced.

[Firepath]

We purchased a soft bag for it on Amazon and checked it just like any other luggage. It was delivered to our cabin with the rest of the bags.

[Marie51]

When we boarded my sister had wheelchair assistance and I pushed her walker along with our carry-on bags on it so it actually came in handy.

[travelbug11]

I took my walker with me to South America in December. It’s large with a seat. At the airports, I sat in the wheelchair and pulled it along with me on the side. It folds easily.  I felt that if I checked it I may never see it again,  A little banged up when I got home but worked beautifully.

[travelbug11]

Oh, and I travel solo

[MississippiMom]

On 4/7/2022 at 7:09 PM, atexsix said:

I found an older thread on cruise critic, it appears to depend on the port and the cruise line.  But you brought up a good point too so I've decided to just carry it.  Both my hands will be free anyway, my carry on with our meds and stuff will be a backpack, the big suitcase will be checked.  It's a good quality walker but not overly heavy and it folds up, so it won't be awkward.

So glad I read your thread.  My mother will need a walker and it makes perfect sense for the person holding it to use a backpack.

[cactusrose]

I will be traveling with two people with rollators who each need a wheelchair to get them on and off the ship.  I will go with them one at a time so I can wheel their rollator on board but I'm now concerned about getting them both off the ship.  I don't think the ship will let me reboard once I've left the ship so any suggestions on how I get two rollators off the ship?  I don't want to check them becuase I've seen the way luggage is thrown around.  

[kokopelli-az]

1 hour ago, cactusrose said:

I will be traveling with two people with rollators who each need a wheelchair to get them on and off the ship.  I will go with them one at a time so I can wheel their rollator on board but I'm now concerned about getting them both off the ship.  I don't think the ship will let me reboard once I've left the ship so any suggestions on how I get two rollators off the ship?  I don't want to check them becuase I've seen the way luggage is thrown around.  

I assume you are having the ship's wheelchair service provide a wheelchair and pusher for embarkation and disembarkation?    You would have a wheelchair pusher for each person and then you could follow with the rollators.  In the event the two in the wheelchairs get separated (ie, a pusher comes and gets one person and then 5 minutes later another pusher comes and gets the other person), you might have an agreed upon ahead of time meeting place for the wheelchair users to meet and retrieve their rollators that you have waiting for them.    You also could ask when you are waiting in the area assigned for people waiting for wheelchair pushers if you could have two pushers assigned to your group at the same time so you could all stay together.   

 

Same with disembarking.  Have the ship's wheelchair service push your rollator users and you follow with the rollators.

 

Plan B might be to have the people embarking/disembarking with the wheelchairs carry their (folded up) rollators on their laps.

 

And no, once you debark the ship on your last day, you cannot get back on.   

[cactusrose]

30 minutes ago, kokopelli-az said:

I assume you are having the ship's wheelchair service provide a wheelchair and pusher for embarkation and disembarkation?    You would have a wheelchair pusher for each person and then you could follow with the rollators.  In the event the two in the wheelchairs get separated (ie, a pusher comes and gets one person and then 5 minutes later another pusher comes and gets the other person), you might have an agreed upon ahead of time meeting place for the wheelchair users to meet and retrieve their rollators that you have waiting for them.    You also could ask when you are waiting in the area assigned for people waiting for wheelchair pushers if you could have two pushers assigned to your group at the same time so you could all stay together.   

 

Same with disembarking.  Have the ship's wheelchair service push your rollator users and you follow with the rollators.

 

Plan B might be to have the people embarking/disembarking with the wheelchairs carry their (folded up) rollators on their laps.

 

And no, once you debark the ship on your last day, you cannot get back on.   

Thank you so much for your response.  It would be a bit unwieldy to push two rollators at the same time.  I might try tieing them together to see if I can do it if they are both folder.  They are too large and heavy to hold in the lap of a person in a wheelchair.

[kokopelli-az]

To attach a walker to the back of a wheelcheer, how about using:

 

Velcro straps in varying widths (1" is usually adequate) in rolls at fabric stores. It's self-sticking.

Buckle straps (different widths/lengths) at sporting goods or camping stores.

Bungee cords of various lengths at sporting goods, camping or auto stores.

[travelbug11]

I hold my closed walker on the side of the wheelchair. I did that as well at the airport and just wheeled it with me.

[GoHuskies!]

I would suggest using a rollator of the type that folds up side to side, becoming just a few inches wide when folded and can be pushed through narrow passages on all four wheels.  I have one, which is a Drive Medical Nitro rollator, and it folds easily by pulling up on a handle in the center of the seat.  My original rollator was given to me by the VA when I left the hospital.  It was fine when I did not need to either fold it up or get through a narrow space.  At those times it was useless; it folded front to back on unequal arms, meaning only two wheels hit the ground when folded.  And of course you had to pick it up folded and carry it sideways through any narrow spot, which I found when visiting my daughter whose parking space only allowed a narrow space between house and car.  But my Drive rollator is a wonderful tool in every way.  By the way, the picture shows spindly wires holding the front wheels, but these have been replaced by substantial strong armatures.

 

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[travelbug11]

On 6/12/2022 at 9:42 PM, GoHuskies! said:

I would suggest using a rollator of the type that folds up side to side, becoming just a few inches wide when folded and can be pushed through narrow passages on all four wheels.  I have one, which is a Drive Medical Nitro rollator, and it folds easily by pulling up on a handle in the center of the seat.  My original rollator was given to me by the VA when I left the hospital.  It was fine when I did not need to either fold it up or get through a narrow space.  At those times it was useless; it folded front to back on unequal arms, meaning only two wheels hit the ground when folded.  And of course you had to pick it up folded and carry it sideways through any narrow spot, which I found when visiting my daughter whose parking space only allowed a narrow space between house and car.  But my Drive rollator is a wonderful tool in every way.  By the way, the picture shows spindly wires holding the front wheels, but these have been replaced by substantial strong armatures.

 

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 This is mine but not in leather. 

[Nephite Beauty]

On 4/7/2022 at 5:57 PM, atexsix said:

Dear Dad is going to have the terminal staff wheel him through security and check in and then ship staff will take over, that's the only time he'll need a chair, for the rest of the trip he can use a walker, I can carry it on myself, but wondering if it can be checked?

You can carry his walker on, or have it checked at the dock.
It is a personal preference.
Have FUN on your cruise! 🙂