Mobility Scooters

[jdsuth]

Hello fellow cruisers.   My wife is at the point where she needs a mobility scooter or wheelchair.  We can get a scooter for the ship, but i received a notice from Celebrity that the crew WILL NOT assist with getting the scooter down to the dock at ports of call.  I understand this at tender ports, but it doesn't seem right at ports with a gangway.

Does anyone have any information on this situation, or should we just use a wheelchair while on shore?

 

[BAYA]

We sailed on Celebrity Reflection in November 2023. The only port where we took the scooter off the ship was St. Martin and I was very happy that there were 2 crew members who assisted my sister to not go too fast down the gangway on her scooter. She sat on it while they kept it from going too fast by holding onto the steering bar and the back of the scooter. 

The incline at some ports is a bit steep on the gangway. If your wife is afraid to drive it off and no crew member will assist her then perhaps you can drive it off while she walks down the last part of the gangway? 

BTW, we did not ask for assistance getting the scooter off the ship. They must have decided it was unsafe for my sister to drive it off unaided.

[BAYA]

By the way, this topic belongs in the forum for disabled cruising.

[jdsuth]

Thank you for your response. I'll try to get the post moved

 

[BlueRiband]

If there is a steep incline when getting on or off the ship, you might want to consider "walking" your wife's empty scooter up or down the ramp. (Of couse this presumes that you yourself still have the agility to do this.)   From what I've observed in these situations,  mobility impared passengers will be placed in a wheel chair and assisted by a crew member.   Once she is ashore she can then get on the scooter.  You both will have a lot more independence ashore if she can use a scooter rather than have to be pushed in a wheelchair. 

 

If this is your first time renting a scooter please check if you will be restricted to booking only certain cabins.  Getting a scooter through a cabin door is only 1% of the problem.  Where you will park it once inside is the other 99% if the problem.  Many cruise lines have become very strict because too many passengers will try to leave them in a hallway.  This is a serious safety problem and blocks the path of other mobility impared passengers. 

[calcar]

On 12/30/2023 at 6:03 PM, BAYA said:

By the way, this topic belongs in the forum for disabled cruising.

 

On 12/30/2023 at 6:03 PM, BAYA said:

By the way, this topic belongs in the forum for disabled cruising.

 

[calcar]

How do I access the forum for disabled travellers?  I will be using a lightweight folding scooter. Hopefully when it is folder there will still be room for us in the cabin. I am not too concerned about getting about on board the ship but would like to know what specific excursions cater to someone with a mobility device. I can walk and do stairs for a short period.

 

[BAYA]

16 hours ago, calcar said:

How do I access the forum for disabled travellers?  I will be using a lightweight folding scooter. Hopefully when it is folder there will still be room for us in the cabin. I am not too concerned about getting about on board the ship but would like to know what specific excursions cater to someone with a mobility device. I can walk and do stairs for a short period.

 

Here is the link to the forum: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/

[Moondogy]

On 12/30/2023 at 11:54 AM, jdsuth said:

Hello fellow cruisers.   My wife is at the point where she needs a mobility scooter or wheelchair.  We can get a scooter for the ship, but i received a notice from Celebrity that the crew WILL NOT assist with getting the scooter down to the dock at ports of call.  I understand this at tender ports, but it doesn't seem right at ports with a gangway.

Does anyone have any information on this situation, or should we just use a wheelchair while on shore?

 

My DW now uses a scooter, last cruise was on princess. We had an accessible cabin which we could not only park the scooter inside but also turn it around. We was able to get it up and down the ramps on docked ports. One of the ports was a tendered port and she didn't want to get off, but the cruiseline used locals to tender to the island, when a scooter came down the crew from the boats helped the person aboard and then carried the scooter aboard....first time I have ever seen that. Most cruiselines now have you fill out a form for the scooter, I guess so they know how many will be on each sailings. The hallways are to narrow and is worse with scooters sitting there blocking them.

Edited January 2 by Moondogy