Looking for General Advice for Wheelchair cruiser

[Yellowlily]

Hello all!

My family and I are going on NCL Sun in December.  My husband is partially disabled due to multiple failed total knee replacement surgeries (he walks with a knee brace and cane...mind you he's a tall man at 6'6").  *side note....he is getting re-constructive surgery shortly after we return from our sailing, which we are hopeful.... We have thus purchased a foldable wheelchair for this trip in particular, as he cannot walk - even with the cane and brace - very far or for very long. 

I am looking for any general advice (I have gone through many threads as well as youtube videos to try to familiarize myself with what is to come).  He is filling out the mobility form for Norwegian as well.  I'm wondering in particular the following....

 

1. Embarkation & Debarkation - will NCL provide disabled cruisers a different line and/or boarding time and how does this work?

 

2. In specialty restaurants & dining rooms - do we just wheel up to table, etc? Will maitre d assist, how does this work?

 

3. Cruise excursions (we are doing an Eastern Caribbean itinerary) - there are limited excursions specific to disabled travelers - any advice on booking a taxi, etc. that will be able to transport our family (4 people plus a wheelchair - it does fold)?  Ports are San Juan, Puerto Plata - DR, St. Johns Antigua, St. Thomas, St. Martten, St. Kitts & Tortola.  I believe we should be able to dock in all of these ports (crossing fingers for no tendering)

 

4. Any other general tips?  We are driving to the port, which is great.  Last vacation, we did fly American Airlines and they were wonderful with my husband and provided a wheelchair every step of the way.  Hoping to have a smooth and relaxing cruise!  Thanks in advance!

[FOPMan]

For embarking, assistance in pushing your husband through at least part of the process may be available, depending on staffing levels.

 

On board ship, your family is responsible for pushing your husband. Ship’s staff will be more than happy to move chairs from tables in any dining room or the lidio so that the wheelchair can be used at the table.

 

Ship’s staff will help your husband in the wheelchair up and down the gangway in ports. They cannot usually provide any assistance off the ship.

 

St. Thomas VI does NOT have sedan taxis. They use large trucks with bench seating in the bed. Rides are shared. On occasion, a driver may let someone ride in the cab, but the cabs are quite high. There are a couple of wheelchair transportation services on the island that use minivans. They can be booked either for the day or scheduled point-to-point transportation. Expect point-to-point to be at least $75 each way. Some stores are wheelchair accessible-many are not. Maegan’s Bay Beach has had a beach wheelchair available in the past, first-come, first served. The bar at that beach is accessible.

 

You should be able to arrange for a taxi on Antigua. Again, building accessibility may vary significantly. Most people will help or make any accommodation they can, such as bringing merchandise or food outside.

 

Take a comfortable cushion and gloves for the people pushing your husband. 

 

If you are in a regular cabin, you should expect a tub/shower combination, I think. There may be cabins with other configurations. Wheelchair accessible cabins decided DONT have tubs.

[kokopelli-az]

You probably already saw this, but check out NCL's accessibility link.

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

 

NCL needs to know about the disability.  The employees, as you weave your way toward security and check-in, will see your wheelchair and guide you to a special line for assistance.  NCL (and possibly a Port employee, too) will provide wheelchair assistance by pushing the wheelchair through security, check-in and on to the ship to either your stateroom (if it's available) or a public area of your choosing.  (If a Port employee assists with the wheelchair, they can only go so far and then a NCL employee will take over.)   Start asking for a wheelchair pusher once you drop off your luggage with the porters (in case they think you are going to push your husband).   Make sure that you get help with pushing the wheelchair (there can be some pretty steep ramps getting on the ship).  

 

Like @FOPMan said, the ship employees will assist at ports with him getting up and down the gangway.   If there is not someone there to assist, do not attempt the gangway by yourself.  Wait for assistance.   They will be there pronto as they are always checking for passengers who need assistance.   

 

In the dining rooms (specialty or otherwise), you can either take the wheelchair to the table to use at the table, or NCL will stow the wheelchair once you're at the table and bring it back to you when you're ready to leave.  The employees are very good at making sure you are situated at your table.  

 

For disembarking the ship on the final day, watch the daily newsletter for wheelchair assistance to disembark.  Passengers needing wheelchair assistance will meet in a designated area and the NCL employees will push the passengers (either in NCL's wheelchairs or in personal wheelchairs) to get off the ship.   

 

You will see many passengers in wheelchairs, with canes/walkers or with mobility scooters on the ship. 

 

 

PS:   Tips are appreciated by the wheelchair pushers.  

[VirginiaIsForCruisers]

In St. Thomas, I have used It Could Be Worse transportation. They have a wheelchair accessible van. Larry and Atanya are terrific and will take you wherever you want to go on the island.

[Yellowlily]

Thank you all for very helpful tips, I truly appreciate it!

[carol louise]

A general comment about cruising with a wheelchair:

 

Modern ships are long with endless corridors. Allow yourself sufficient time to move from place to place on board. You may be dining at an aft dining room, and have to walk the entire length of the ship after dinner to get to the theater all the way forward for the show afterward. If room stewards are cleaning cabins, their equipment carts may block your way and have to be moved into a cabin to let you pass.

[misguy]

My wife traveled with a wheelchair for a number of years, and we started renting mobility scooters because it gives her independence.  She can go where she wants and I no longer have to push her wheelchair around.  Special Needs group and Scootaround both provide rentals for the duration of a cruise.  She has a Whill Ci2 that works best for her, very maneuverable, and that comes from Scootaround.

[gluecksbaer]

16 hours ago, misguy said:

My wife traveled with a wheelchair for a number of years, and we started renting mobility scooters because it gives her independence.  She can go where she wants and I no longer have to push her wheelchair around. 

I second this.  You may want to bring a transport chair that folds small for ports, but renting a scooter or electric wheelchair on the ship will give your husband much more independence.  I bought a lightweight folding scooter before my most recent cruise and it's been very freeing.

[Yellowlily]

this is wonderful advice, I'm very grateful, thank you all so much!

[kokopelli-az]

14 hours ago, gluecksbaer said:

I second this.  You may want to bring a transport chair that folds small for ports, but renting a scooter or electric wheelchair on the ship will give your husband much more independence.  I bought a lightweight folding scooter before my most recent cruise and it's been very freeing.

I third this.   My husband has a transport chair that we use at the airport and to the pier.  But for on the ship (and getting off at some port stops), he rents a mobility scooter.   He thinks that the best part of the cruise is getting his scooter after we board.   The freedom obtained with a scooter is priceless.  

[sailtex]

I will clarify up front that my cruising experience amounts to one cruise. A year ago we cruised on Oceania in the Mediterranean. I use a wheelchair full time, 100%. I was told up front that the wheelchair couldn't be wider then 22 inches, though many phone calls and emails through my TA and Oceania couldn't give me a reason for that. To be safe, I made a series of modifications to my 27" wide wheelchair to get it down to 22.5". We figured out the first day of our cruise that 22" is how much clearance is left in the corridor when a housekeeping or room service cart is parked there, which they usually are. I could just squeeze by. I don't know if Regent corridors and carts are the same dimensions but if they are, relying on a wheelchair that doesn't fit by them would be a huge hassle. The staff using the carts may not be nearby.