Help a cruising junkie

[ergator]

Four Carnival cruises in the last four years. All a lot of fun until the last one on the Destiny out of San Juan. Difference being DH is now wheelchair dependant for other than short ambulations(40-50 feet) and I found embarkation and debarkation a total nightmare. I would love some feedback on other cruiselines and how user friendly they are.

[Valentine's Mom]

Ergator, I have used a motorized skooter for about 8 years give or take a year. I have never found any embardation or debarcation that goes smoothly. They tell us all to go to these little areas that we can't all fit into and deal with unwanted smoke and such. And we wait. (if we are lucky we can sit) Then they say we can leave and a mass of people AB as well as those using canes, wheelchairs, walkers and skooters as well as all of those people who have early flights or are going on an excursion. What I have found is that if you don't go with the color that you are given and have a nice breakfast and wait for the ship to empty out a little, things will go a little easier. The problem ,at least for me being on a skooter plus carrying luggage is the crowd. They don't tend to look down and see me and so I get pushed, pulled and almost flattened. If I wait a little while it goes much better for me. Less crowd and ealier to find your luggage in that massive terminal. Hope that I helped. Never give up cruising just because he is in a wheelchair. I don't know about him but my skooter looks like a pack mule when we cruise. I can carry a lot of luggage!:D

[ergator]

Thank you so much for the reply. You described my experience totally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. As a matter of fact, I just tole DH if we cruise again he is getting a scooter. We rented a manual chair in San Juan which was too small for DH's derrier and the feet kept falling off. :). Substandard for sure. Yes, I know my wheelchairs. I work as staff education coordinater in a long term care facility. :) The trouble came when after a long wait in San Juan's terminal I was able to get my husband through the crowd and to the ramp which is where the trouble started. Having limited mobility myself secondary to bad knees I had to push him all the way up the ramp. The story goes on an on but I bet you already know all the chapters.

Where have you traveled? Do you have a cruiseline preference? DH and I thought for awhile about a resort but have decided we would probably get bored. Guess we are truly hook line and sinker addicted.

Have a great day and looking forward to more advice.

[ergator]

Would a megaphone or airhorn help? Wake up the crowd a little anyway.

[muskrat897]

I have been on 3 cruises since I became disabled 3 years ago, The first, I used a scooter on Carnival and it was "OK". The second was on a large RCL ship with a scooter. Embarkation was great. The minute they saw a disabled person, I was hurried through the check-in lines. Contrarily, getting off was a nightmare: jammed elevators, rude prople and extended waits. My last cruise (in a power chair) was on RCL in January out of Port Of Miami. For Embarkation, I was treated like royalty. For debarkation I was given an early time and was swept off the ship and through customs at lightning speed.

David

[DEL67]

Could the issue have been in part San Juan? I have found San Juan to be more difficult to deal with than most other ports.

 

My husband uses a power chair. We have sailed on many cruise lines including Carnival and have actually found them to be one of the most helpful cruise lines. However, this may be due to the fact that I have become more forceful. When we arrive at the terminal I immediately ask where wheelchair passengers go. If I am pointed to the regular line by ground personnel, I ask someone else since there has always a special line or desk for the disabled.

 

Like Valentine's Mom, we have found disembarkation more difficult so we go to the general area of the lounge where they asked the disabled to gather, but do not necessarily go into the lounge. That way we can hear if they release the disabled as a group. And, if they do, we are not stuck in the back of the room and not able to get around people who have to wait for ship wheelchairs.

[CruisinMK]

I recently embarked on Pride of America (Hawaii only cruise), had one in a wheelchair.

Checkin took 5 minutes. 30 feet to elevator, push a little while, then to gangway. The gangway ramp into ship was steep, but I am a strong wheelchair pusher. Debark was just as easy, just had to be careful not to let the wheelchair loose on the steep downhill gangway ramp :)

[Valentine's Mom]

I don't find getting on the ship as much a challenge as getting off of the ship. The only problem that I have getting on is really with the other passengers. While staff is telling me to go to the front of the line I hear every remark imaginable. Why does she get to bring her dog with her? I'm going to get me a skooter and pretend to be disabled next time so that I can go first. I have a very small service dog that goes everywhere with me. She is so quiet that if you didn't see her you'd never know that she was there. I do always let my fellow tablemates know that she is down there for her safety and incase THEY want to change tables. I have multiple sclerosis and any kind of stress makes matters worse so I tend to wait until some of the people are gone to make it easier for me. We do tend to travel quite a bit and cruising is the easiest way to do so, so if we have to over look those very few places that aren't exactly perfect we can either try to change it or go with the flow. I'm with you about the bull horn. My husband and son have been trying for years to get me to get one. How red would my face be!:o If you ever see a lady on a red skooter with a little hairy dog riding in the basket, that will be Valentine and I will be Valentine's Mom. (Barbara) By all means stop by for a gab fest and we will block all those people that have been mean all week. LOL

[RevSmith]

My hubby has been disabled for 6 years now...we have traveled on both Royal Caribbean and Princess and have found both to be very good. You have to use common sense...no more tenders...very dangerous...and the risk is all yours. Insist on your rights! Be gracious but firm! As far as other people remarking...just keep in mind...everyone has their own private agenda...so do you. I am always patient with getting on and off the ship...it is best not to be demanding, but insistant and gracious! This attitude goes a long way! Have a wonderful crusin' career!

[AAAAmerican]

Wiull you ask the Cruise lines as well your elected officials one question?

 

Which is:

Will they ue one lift to service the Wheel Chairs in Disembarking ?

 

That way they are able to control the flow traffic as well expedite the disembarking causing less grief and passenger resentment too...

 

 

The US Laws while in US Ports helps this go foward...:D

[AAAAmerican]

We have the Fourth Largest AKC club in America and test the dogs at our facilities for CGC/TDI as well. People come to us from all over the US for this.

 

:D

 

Having a Working Dog halter on her may help show people the bitch is doing well too.

 

 

 

I don't find getting on the ship as much a challenge as getting off of the ship. The only problem that I have getting on is really with the other passengers. While staff is telling me to go to the front of the line I hear every remark imaginable. Why does she get to bring her dog with her? I'm going to get me a skooter and pretend to be disabled next time so that I can go first. I have a very small service dog that goes everywhere with me. She is so quiet that if you didn't see her you'd never know that she was there. I do always let my fellow tablemates know that she is down there for her safety and incase THEY want to change tables. I have multiple sclerosis and any kind of stress makes matters worse so I tend to wait until some of the people are gone to make it easier for me. We do tend to travel quite a bit and cruising is the easiest way to do so' date=' so if we have to over look those very few places that aren't exactly perfect we can either try to change it or go with the flow. I'm with you about the bull horn. My husband and son have been trying for years to get me to get one. How red would my face be!:o If you ever see a lady on a red skooter with a little hairy dog riding in the basket, that will be Valentine and I will be Valentine's Mom. (Barbara) By all means stop by for a gab fest and we will block all those people that have been mean all week. LOL[/quote']

[QuickieGlenn]

I have been a chair for 14yrs and I can push just about anywhere i need to go. But when you try to be nice and ask people to move they move over about 1 inch I am sorry my chair is 32 inches wide. I have learned to try to be nice once and if not a good shove with my legrests does the trick. I dont want special treatment, but I want to be able to go where I can... My chair does not normally have push handles on them but I think I am going to install them for my upcoming trip on the DAWN, just in case the ramps are a bit to steep

 

Glenn

[dlbutler5]

My dog wears a working vest but is too small to wear the typical harness the you usually see with the large handle on it. She is a toy breed. She weighs about 10 pounds. She is a medical response dog so she doesn't have to be too big.

[Arlened236]

Hi we just got home from a 10 day cruise on the Dawn Princess. My experience with being in a w/c or using the rented scooter was excellent. We got to the pier in SF at 11:00am and immediately at the curb there was a Princess crew member with a vest on(with the w/c logo on it) to take us inside and a porter to take our luggage. We were asked to wait for about 5 minutes, in an area with other scooter and w/c users, and then I was pushed to the check-in desk. My husband walked along with our carry on luggage. I had pre-registered on line and check in took all of five minutes to sign our cruise card and for them to take an impression of our credit card. The pusher then took us up the ramp and up the elevator to our cabin....smoothest imbarkation I ever had.

Getting off the ship was not much more trouble...the ship asked everyone that would need assistance getting off the ship to sign up at the purser's desk the day before we got to port. We did, and that night got a letter telling us where to meet in the morning to disembark. When our color was called there was a pusher to take us down to get our luggage in the pier building, and he waited until we got all of it..he even got us a porter which took our luggage outside where we waited to be picked up.

As far as using the scooter I rented for ship use....we used it only once on the tender...they waited till the tender was loaded and asked me if I could walk on the tender...it was not too wavy so I did, they then carried on the scooter (a Pride Revo) I was last on but first off . There was another woman that could not walk on so they carried her and her w/c on together before me. When ever we got off the ship in my w/c there was always a ship's person that took me down and up the ramp..my husband never had to push me. Princess was wonderful. I would highly recommend them....now if they could just get automatic door openers for the cabins and public bathrooms...but that is another topic.

[ergator]

All your advice is great. I think we definitely go with our own scooter next time instead of renting a substandard wheelchair. I do try to keep a positive attitude and a sense of adventure, so I am happily looking.

It may have just been San Juan because it was all a little harried. We have had no problems in the other ports we embarked from.

Well, am off to check out what Princess has to do offer in ports we haven't been too.

[packercruising]

Costa Magica was absolutely fabulous for someone with a disability. For embarkation we got sent to the front of the line. We had a handicap cabin with a terrific bathroom, and getting of a tender they had a lift to use instead of the steep steps.

[gooselace]

Princess was wonderful. I would highly recommend them....now if they could just get automatic door openers for the cabins and public bathrooms...but that is another topic.

 

Glad to hear about Princess as I am traveling with a friend who can walk, but has bad knees and can't walk far or stand long. On HAL she was able to reserve a wheelchair for getting on and off the ship, which worked well,

 

My question is for anyone who has traveled to the Baltic. Most of the ports are major cities, Copenhagen, Stockholm etc., but I've been unable to find out much about the accessibility of major attractions, in case we decide she should rent a chair or scooter, or rolling walker to take along. I'm especially concerned about St. Peterburg, where there appears to be a lot of walking just to reach some of the museums and palaces, in addition to once one is inside.

 

I've posted on the Baltic board but no one seems to have the experience that you have on this board. I'd really appreciate any information, advice, websites that would help facilitate this trip for her.

[gooselace]

I've posted on the Baltic board but no one seems to have the experience that you have on this board. I'd really appreciate any information, advice, websites that would help facilitate this trip for her.

 

Posted this before I noticed the sticky that has so much of this information. Thanks to all who contributed.

[woodofpine]

My mother is a double amputee with advanced MS who can not assist in wheelchair transfers. On the last two cruises she has had a Hoyer lift onboard.

 

We actually shipped a Hoyer to Barcelona and back from Venice Italy. These were personal freight arrangments. That said, Princess has been outstanding accomodating my mom. They transferred the Hoyer onto Golden Princess from a Barcelona hotel with a lot of smile and "can do" attitude, did the same getting it to the hotel in Venice. That's no mean feet given the fact the dang thing boxed was the size of a small refrigerator! (no exaggeration)

[Splinter]

The only Hoyer brand lift I would recommend is the new Hoyer Advance (70 lb.) which folds fairly compactly. There are many better lifts for travel...the Liko Light and the Molift Smart are two of the best. We use the Take-Along lift but this would probably not work well for a double AK. We own our own lift and take it with us on the plane (gate checked just like the wheelchairs).