Mobility Scooter/Collapsible Wheelchair

[nynewfies]

We have cruised many times, but at this point my husband has very limited mobility so for the first time we are traveling with a mobility scooter.  I know this isn't a problem on the ship (Ruby Princess out of Port Canaveral, partial Panama Canal transit leaving Nov. 20, 2023), but my question is how to handle shore excursions.  Hardly any of them are wheelchair accessible.  He can walk short distances and handle a few steps, but he could never walk hundreds of yards or more down a pier to get to the van or whatever is taking us on the tour we signed up for.  As you might imagine, we signed up only for "easy" excursions, which require little or no effort once you get to the conveyance you're taking - but I don't know if they could accommodate his mobility scooter.  So I was thinking I could bring a long a collapsible wheelchair to get him to the van or whatever, and perhaps there would be space to put that so we'd be able to go out on the excursion.  I'm hoping someone has some experience with this and could give me some advice.  There's no point in adding a collapsible wheelchair to our luggage if that wouldn't work either.  Thanks for any help you can give me!  

[ldubs]

Our good friend uses a collaspsible rollator.  She is looking at a hybrid that can be used as either a rollator or a wheelchair.  It folds up like a regular rollator walker.  Do a general google look for Rolls Motion 2.1 to see an example.   They also make some very lightweight folding wheelchairs.  

 

We have traveled all over with our friend and her rollator.   So far everyone has been very accommodating about finding space for it.  I don't think a lightweight folding wheelchair would be any different.  

[nynewfies]

Thanks so much Idubs!  I will definitely look into the collapsible wheelchair, then.

[Host Kat]

8 hours ago, nynewfies said:

We have cruised many times, but at this point my husband has very limited mobility so for the first time we are traveling with a mobility scooter.  I know this isn't a problem on the ship (Ruby Princess out of Port Canaveral, partial Panama Canal transit leaving Nov. 20, 2023), but my question is how to handle shore excursions.  Hardly any of them are wheelchair accessible.  He can walk short distances and handle a few steps, but he could never walk hundreds of yards or more down a pier to get to the van or whatever is taking us on the tour we signed up for.  As you might imagine, we signed up only for "easy" excursions, which require little or no effort once you get to the conveyance you're taking - but I don't know if they could accommodate his mobility scooter.  So I was thinking I could bring a long a collapsible wheelchair to get him to the van or whatever, and perhaps there would be space to put that so we'd be able to go out on the excursion.  I'm hoping someone has some experience with this and could give me some advice.  There's no point in adding a collapsible wheelchair to our luggage if that wouldn't work either.  Thanks for any help you can give me!  

 

Hello @nynewfies

 

Thank you for your new topic on the Ask a Cruise Question forum! However, it is the forum for general questions regarding cruising. Your inquiry concerns cruising with a collapsible wheelchair and really should be on another forum for replies from other cruisers using collapsible wheelchairs.

 

To help you out, your new thread has been moved to the Disabled Cruise Travel forum where it will be on topic. It is where your fellow Cruise Critic members with physical limitations share their advice & experiences. Hopefully, those that have used collapsible wheelchairs will reply. 

 

Hope this will be helpful!

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat

[kokopelli-az]

My husband has a collapsible transport chair and he rents a scooter for the cruise.  The transport chair is used at the airport, hotel and getting aboard the ship (usually his scooter is already in our stateroom when we get there).  

 

Depending on what type of vehicle your tour is using, it may be able to accommodate a collapsible wheelchair.  Very few excursions accommodate scooters (unless it's a small fold-up type).  

Read the "special notes" on your excursion description; some say "Not suitable for wheelchair guests because of the few steps and the gravel" or similar.  If it is unclear, contact Princess' Access Department or Shore Excursion Department.   

 

Do you have an accessible stateroom?   (Maximum width of a scooter for a non-accessible stateroom is 22".)  Your scooter will have to be stored in your stateroom when you are not out and about using it.  

 

Princess will need to know you are bringing mobility equipment and will have you complete a mobility questionnaire.   If you haven't already seen their accessible guidance, see here (scroll to Accessible Cruising).  https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise

[nynewfies]

We do have an accessible stateroom.  I just bought a collapsible transport chair/rollator combination that I think will solve most of our problems!  I might not even need the scooter if we have this.  It's a matter of how independently he wants to go around the ship. With this, he'd need me to push because he just can't go any tremendous distance walking. With the scooter he can get around on his own.  We'll have to decide.  But this collapses to a manageable size and only weighs around 22 pounds, so I think it will work really well. Thanks so much for your reply!

[prudence passenger]

We just returned from a 2 week cruise and 2 week land portion in Japan.  I brought a small manual collapsible wheelchair.  Our cruise line had included tours at each port.  I could not get up stairs at all at this point in time, even onto a bus.  It was really difficult to even get up the step into a van.  We ended up cancelling all the included tours and had our own car with driver and English speaking guide pick us up at the ports we decided to get off.  Sometimes a half day, sometimes a whole day.  This made it so much easier for us.  We could leave when we wanted, return if I got very tired.  We visited accessible places and avoided inconveniencing anyone else.  It did turn out to be a very unexpected and expensive solution.

[nynewfies]

On 11/8/2023 at 1:37 PM, kokopelli-az said:

My husband has a collapsible transport chair and he rents a scooter for the cruise.  The transport chair is used at the airport, hotel and getting aboard the ship (usually his scooter is already in our stateroom when we get there).  

 

Depending on what type of vehicle your tour is using, it may be able to accommodate a collapsible wheelchair.  Very few excursions accommodate scooters (unless it's a small fold-up type).  

Read the "special notes" on your excursion description; some say "Not suitable for wheelchair guests because of the few steps and the gravel" or similar.  If it is unclear, contact Princess' Access Department or Shore Excursion Department.   

 

Do you have an accessible stateroom?   (Maximum width of a scooter for a non-accessible stateroom is 22".)  Your scooter will have to be stored in your stateroom when you wsre not out and about using it. 

 

Princess will need to know you are bringing mobility equipment and will have you complete a mobility questionnaire.   If you haven't already seen their accessible guidance, see here (scroll to Accessible Cruising).  https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise

 

Do you know if you can use a scooter to get on the ship?  Is the gangway accessible with regard to slope and width?  The transport chair I have is OK for me to push on relatively level ground, but with any kind of an upward incline I wouldn't be able to do it.  I'm hoping he could use his mobility scooter to get onto the ship.  Thanks!

 

 

[kokopelli-az]

11 hours ago, nynewfies said:

 

Do you know if you can use a scooter to get on the ship?  Is the gangway accessible with regard to slope and width?  The transport chair I have is OK for me to push on relatively level ground, but with any kind of an upward incline I wouldn't be able to do it.  I'm hoping he could use his mobility scooter to get onto the ship.  Thanks!

 

 

You can use a scooter to board the ship (assuming it's your own or a rental you bring or pick up outside the terminal).   People do it all the time.   

it's a rental scooter that you pick up in your stateroom you would not have it to board the ship. 

 

If you end up pushing your husband in the transport chair, have one of the ship's pushers do it while you follow.

[nynewfies]

Great!  Thanks so much for your reply. 

[Moondogy]

DW used her scooter back in May for our cruise. During embarkation they had her use the elevators in the building. at the port of calls she was able to drive it down and up the gangway. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to use the tenders so she didn't try, but I went without her and the tender crew was having the passengers walk onto the tender, then they would lift the scooter over to the tender.

[cruisinsince75]

On 11/8/2023 at 1:11 PM, nynewfies said:

We do have an accessible stateroom.  I just bought a collapsible transport chair/rollator combination that I think will solve most of our problems!  I might not even need the scooter if we have this.  It's a matter of how independently he wants to go around the ship. With this, he'd need me to push because he just can't go any tremendous distance walking. With the scooter he can get around on his own.  We'll have to decide.  But this collapses to a manageable size and only weighs around 22 pounds, so I think it will work really well. Thanks so much for your reply!

We have a mobility scooter that is really lightweight and durable.  The frame only weighs 22 lbs and overall weight is 33, and the width is 21.5 in.  You might want to check it out.  https://travelscootusa.com/the-escape/

 

[happy42cruise]

At the embarkation port you can ask for wheelchair assistance & someone will bring a wheelchair & push him up the ramp onto the ship.  The batteries on your scooter may not like too much of an incline depending on how much he weighs.  I ended up putting our scooter in free wheel mode & pushed my husband up the steep parts.  If you have time & a shop near you with different mobility devices available, I would suggest you go check out some of the different options out there.  Have a great trip!

[Odin's Raven]

I’m very interested to know how you got your private hire at the Japanese ports? Did you book in advance or just find someone at the port