Advice for cruising with a wheelchair on Allure

[bjlbbk]

We have never traveled with a wheelchair, but my MIL just confirmed that she will need to bring her collapsible wheelchair for our upcoming cruise on Allure in two weeks. She was hoping to manage without it but as our trip gets closer realizes she will need it. We are traveling with a large group (ages 18-79) so she will have plenty of help navigating and getting around once onboard. She is able to walk some for short distances, but will need the assistance for longer walks across the ship and while in port. Any advice for a wheelchair newbie? Are there places she can "park" her chair outside of venues (the dining room, etc.) so not to have her chair in the way? Any general do's and don'ts would be much appreciated!

 

On a side note, if anyone has any recommendations for any last minute wheelchair friendly things to try in Labadee, Aruba or Curacao please share. We generally plan our own excursions outside of Royal (private tours or taxi to a beach. etc.) but we hadn't been planning with a wheelchair in mind so are looking into other options. There is one Royal excursion still available for Curacao that might work (Panoramic Curacao Island Tour) but we are open to other suggestions if anyone has any experience or tried something different on their own. 

[rudeney]

It's been many years ago, but we took my MIL on Freedom in a wheelchair.  Like your MIL, she also was able to walk, but needed the chair for long distances or waiting.  We had no issues on the ship at all.  The crew was on top of helping us with her wheelchair, and other passengers were also very accommodating and understanding.  It was just no problem at all onboard, except it was just her, my wife, and me, so I got to do all the pushing 🙂. 

 

Our only challenge was in port.  We skipped Labadee altogether, and she skipped Jamaica and whichever one of the St. Virgin Islands we went to (don't recall now) because it was tendered.  She did get off in Cozumel, and it was a challenge.  We docked a mile from town so we had to take a cab, and so we crammed into a Corolla with her chair in the trunk.  Pushing her around town was a chore because the sidewalks were uneven and there were no ramps on the curbs (no ADA laws in Mexico).  But we made it work and all had a good time.  With your large group, I think it will be just fine.  

[bjlbbk]

18 minutes ago, rudeney said:

It's been many years ago, but we took my MIL on Freedom in a wheelchair.  Like your MIL, she also was able to walk, but needed the chair for long distances or waiting.  We had no issues on the ship at all.  The crew was on top of helping us with her wheelchair, and other passengers were also very accommodating and understanding.  It was just no problem at all onboard, except it was just her, my wife, and me, so I got to do all the pushing 🙂. 

 

Our only challenge was in port.  We skipped Labadee altogether, and she skipped Jamaica and whichever one of the St. Virgin Islands we went to (don't recall now) because it was tendered.  She did get off in Cozumel, and it was a challenge.  We docked a mile from town so we had to take a cab, and so we crammed into a Corolla with her chair in the trunk.  Pushing her around town was a chore because the sidewalks were uneven and there were no ramps on the curbs (no ADA laws in Mexico).  But we made it work and all had a good time.  With your large group, I think it will be just fine.  

Thank you! It is very reassuring to know you had a such a good experience onboard. And the bonus is there will be plenty of us to help with the pushing...more fun for everyone!

 

The port days are definitely my biggest concern. We've been to Labadee before, but we've never been to Aruba or Curacao so have no idea what to expect in those two ports. I'm sure we will find a way to make it work one way or another...we just don't want to learn the hard way!

[rudeney]

Since she can walk some, what you might do when you get to a place where it's a challenge to push the chair is to let her walk past that.  That's what we did in Cozumel.  Even though my MIL was having severe leg cramps and had to use a wheelchair 80% of the time, she still have a great time.  ironically, her problem was cramps due to a new cholesterol med and not her other health issue.  Had I even thought to ask about new meds, we'd have had her stop taking it.  That's what her doctor did when we got back home and her legs were fine by the next day.

 

I've not been to Aruba or Curacao so I can't help much there.  You might want to checkout the forums dedicated to those ports - you might get more info beyond just the RCCL cruisers in this one.

[Rubyfisch]

My mother uses a wheelchair and on Labadee we rented a clamshell. The staff pushed her over to it in one of the sand wheelchairs and we hung out in the clamshell for awhile, then walked around the paved paths with her normal chair, hand lunch, and then headed back to the ship.

 

My mother can transfer without a problem, so at dinner we'd go to our table in the MDR, she'd sit in a chair, and then the waitstaff would whisk her wheelchair away.

 

I honestly can't remember if we asked for a shower stool, but that might be something they could provide you (we did our first cruise in a handicapped accessible cabin, but our second two in a normal one).

[bjlbbk]

14 minutes ago, rudeney said:

Since she can walk some, what you might do when you get to a place where it's a challenge to push the chair is to let her walk past that.  That's what we did in Cozumel.  Even though my MIL was having severe leg cramps and had to use a wheelchair 80% of the time, she still have a great time.  ironically, her problem was cramps due to a new cholesterol med and not her other health issue.  Had I even thought to ask about new meds, we'd have had her stop taking it.  That's what her doctor did when we got back home and her legs were fine by the next day.

 

I've not been to Aruba or Curacao so I can't help much there.  You might want to checkout the forums dedicated to those ports - you might get more info beyond just the RCCL cruisers in this one.

Good point on letting her just walk a bit if we encounter any rough spots. I know she would be okay with that if needed.

 

We are considering renting a car in Aruba which would hopefully give us a little extra freedom (and make it easier to transport the wheelchair). I've just started looking into those forums so will hopefully find some info there as well. Thank you!

[bjlbbk]

9 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

My mother uses a wheelchair and on Labadee we rented a clamshell. The staff pushed her over to it in one of the sand wheelchairs and we hung out in the clamshell for awhile, then walked around the paved paths with her normal chair, hand lunch, and then headed back to the ship.

 

My mother can transfer without a problem, so at dinner we'd go to our table in the MDR, she'd sit in a chair, and then the waitstaff would whisk her wheelchair away.

 

I honestly can't remember if we asked for a shower stool, but that might be something they could provide you (we did our first cruise in a handicapped accessible cabin, but our second two in a normal one).

Great advice! I hadn't even considered  a shower stool but will look into that. Thank you!

[Rubyfisch]

6 minutes ago, bjlbbk said:

Great advice! I hadn't even considered  a shower stool but will look into that. Thank you!

If you email the Special Needs department, they should be able to let you know what they and can't provide.

[Dett]

I have issues walking.  These ships are so big.  I have tried wheelchair, walker and scooters.  I got a combination walker and transport chair from Amazon.  I walk most of the time but when I get tired, my husband pushes me in the chair.  This combination chair works great for me. It converts real easily.

 

[bjlbbk]

1 hour ago, Dett said:

I have issues walking.  These ships are so big.  I have tried wheelchair, walker and scooters.  I got a combination walker and transport chair from Amazon.  I walk most of the time but when I get tired, my husband pushes me in the chair.  This combination chair works great for me. It converts real easily.

 

Thank you for sharing! We will definitely check this out...it might be perfect for what my MIL is needing!

[Dett]

1 minute ago, bjlbbk said:

Thank you for sharing! We will definitely check this out...it might be perfect for what my MIL is needing!

Hope it works for you.  Forgot to mention that it is collapsible.

[Bloodgem]

Hi, my son uses a wheelchair so I hope some of my points will be useful.

 

Embarkation Day: You can ask for wheelchair assistance ( this is where a staff member pushes the wheelchair user through check in and on to the ship) but consider if you need it. On our last cruise, May 2022, people were waiting up to 2 hours for wheelchair assistance.

 

Theatre: There is wheelchair places at the back of the theatre. These space are for people who are either wheelchair bound or just want to sit in their chair's. Normally only 1 person is allowed to sit next to the wheelchair user. If you all want to sit together the other family members can sit on the back row in front of the wheelchair space.

 

Port Days: There is always a staff member by the gangplank to push wheelchairs users on/off the ship.  Depending on the steepness of the gangplank we sometimes push the chair ourselves particularly if there are other chair users waiting. 

 

Lifts: You can struggle to get a wheelchair in to a lift/elevator at busy times (end of theatre shows etc). 

My advice is don't let anyone who gets impatient wait with the wheelchair uses.