Desperately need help........sail 7/23

[BJHOOSER]

Hi GI Janet, I did not ask for a handicap as i have a couple other family couples going too and we want to be togethe.r if i had one i would be at the stern of the ship and they could be anyplace, which would not be conveinent. That is why i said the doorways are wide enough to take the scooter with no problems, the doorway is 26" and the scooter is 19". I asked as i was worried about having to get a handicap cabin which is 30" wide. Hope this helps and Blue Skies. Abby:)

[BJHOOSER]

Hi, I went through my TA no problem at all. I do understand they have aprox 30 wheel chiars on board on a first come, first basis. I have a problem wheeling the chair and that is why i went with the electric. and yes bring a three prong extention cord.

Abby:)

[serendipity1499]

Hi, I went through my TA no problem at all. I do understand they have aprox 30 wheel chiars on board on a first come, first basis. I have a problem wheeling the chair and that is why i went with the electric. and yes bring a three prong extention cord.

Abby:)

 

HAL's wheelchairs are for On Board use only..We traveled with two other couples several years ago & one Lady used a HAL wheelchair, but was not permitted to take it off the ship for sightseeing..She had to use her walker which made it very difficult..She was not able to do all the things that the rest of us could do..If we had a wheelchair, we could have helped her DH push it about..Renting a wheelchair for use on & off ship is the best option..

 

Enjoy your cruise...:) Betty

[Copper10-8]

I was hoping that was the case! But what about the smaller boats used for the whale watching? Anyone gone who's in the know? Thanks again. J.

 

Janet, in the past we've used Juneau Wildlife Cruise by Allen Marine Tours on a 4-hour round trip from Juneau. (they're also in Ketchikan and Sitka) They use a large high-speed catamaran with wrap-around windows and a top-side observation deck. Stable ride with seasickness not being an issue! They guarantee wildlife sightings and I'm not talking about the dance floor in the Ocean Bar;) . They also use an on board naturalist who explains the habitat of the wildlife around you. www.allenmarinetours.com No 800 number, sorry, but try them at (907) 789-0081

[FoxyTerrier]

1) My dad has a really tough time walking very far. Should I rent a wheelchair and take it with us or try and get one through the ship?

 

Hugs. J.

 

Janet, My mom needs a wheel chair at times and I bought this one for her off of ebay. Since then we have done a Baltic and most recently a Med cruise. I don't think you can get a wheel chair directly from the ship. The nice thing about this chair is it is very light weight and folds to be really small. There is a 200 lbs weight limit though. If you order now I think you would get it in time.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/KM-TV10A-Travel-Chair-Lightweight-Transport-Wheelchair_W0QQitemZ300005678971QQihZ020QQcategoryZ75071QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

KM-TV10A Travel Chair Lightweight Transport Wheelchair

[SRVC]

I was hoping that was the case! But what about the smaller boats used for the whale watching? Anyone gone who's in the know? Thanks again. J.

 

Oh no, you would have to have a really, really horrible day weather wise to get seasick. Because most whale watching tours use good sized catermerans, they are pretty stable and a nice ride. But if you're really prone to seasickness or have a very sensitive inner ear I would recommend bringing ginger to chew on to help settle your stomach.

[MBeamTX]

Janet,

Don't rely on the availability of the ship's wheelchairs beyond embarkation and debarkation. The chairs are only for use on the ship and it would be much better to have your own. My dad can't walk very far and after our first cruise we decided we really needed to take a wheelchair for him. We rented from Care Vacations, which is a provider to Holland America. (I believe that only certain vendors can deliver oxygen, scooters, wheelchairs, etc. to their ships, but I'm not positive.) It was not inexpensive, but it was very easy to do even with only a week or 10 days advance notice in our case. They faxed me a form, I filled it out and faxed it back. The chair was waiting in our stateroom with a lock on it so no one else could wheel it away. As I recall, we were given a combination to unlock it. At the end of the cruise, we just left it in the cabin to be collected. Here is their web site:

http://www.carevacations.com/

 

Click on the big logo at the left of the screen and it will take you to their "cruise ship assist" site where they have info on various equipment. If you want to cut to the chase, here's the contact info:

CareVacations can be contacted via phone, fax, email or directly through our website below.

 

Phone: 780-986-6404

Toll Free: 1-877-478-7827

 

Fax: 780-986-6485

780-986-8332

Toll Free: 1-800-648-1116

 

Email:csa@carevacations.com

If you want a scooter, you'll likely be renting, but for a wheelchair you might want to consider buying. After renting once, I decided to purchase my dad a wheelchair for not much more than a one-week rental. We've now used it on four cruises. If you are interested in that option, I can share info on the eBay vendor I bought it from. (It was brand-new, high-quality, and shipped promptly. The same vendor, who happens to be in the Houston area, has this year's model for about $160, if you want a basis for rent vs purchase comparison.)

As you probably know, airlines don't count wheelchairs or other medical equipment as part of your baggage allowance and ship them at no additional cost. In fact, American allowed us to check a third bag for my Dad without charge, because it had his extra diabetic supplies, etc., in it. This may be useful to know if you have extra things you need to pack for your family members.

You can check the wheelchair at the main counter and get a skycap with a wheelchair to go to the gate, or you can take your Dad through security in your own chair, then gate check it. I would actually recommend using the skycap, especially at DFW (I'm in Austin and travel through there regularly). A skycap is allowed to jump the line at security and they take the people accompanying the wheelchair passenger through the line with them.

 

You asked about your staterooms, 7082 and 7084. I haven't stayed in those two, but we and our traveling companions have been in 7056 thgouh 7062 on two separate cruises and these are identical cabins. You'll love them. They are spacious and there will be no problem finding somewhere to put the folded wheelchair. It can easily fit through the cabin door also. My favorite feature of the HAL S suites is the separate dressing area just outside the bathroom.

 

I also wanted to mention that HAL has a Special Needs form that you can fill out to request a sharps container for needles and a mini-fridge for insulin. We found, though, that the mini-bar keeps the insulin chilled enough.

I didn't have time to read all of the replies to you, so I apologize if any of this is redundant. Figure out what you need to pack, gather together all of your documents, then relax and begin to enjoy the anticipation of the trip. You'll love Alaska and you'll find that a cruise is the BEST possible vacation for people who need to take things at their own pace.

Best wishes,

Susan

[MBeamTX]

Janet, My mom needs a wheel chair at times and I bought this one for her off of ebay. Since then we have done a Baltic and most recently a Med cruise. I don't think you can get a wheel chair directly from the ship. The nice thing about this chair is it is very light weight and folds to be really small. There is a 200 lbs weight limit though. If you order now I think you would get it in time.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/KM-TV10A-Travel-Chair-Lightweight-Transport-Wheelchair_W0QQitemZ300005678971QQihZ020QQcategoryZ75071QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

KM-TV10A Travel Chair Lightweight Transport Wheelchair

 

Joni,

I'd been advised to avoid the travel chairs with the small wheels because they are difficult to push over curbs or cobblestones. Did you have any trouble getting the chair up the little ramps at the doors to the outside decks or over some of the door sills on the ship?

Thanks,

Susan

[GIJanet]

You guys are amazing, and this forum is addicting. I just wish I had found it sooner........

 

John, thanks again for the info. You're a hoot, btw. We did manage to get on HAL's site finally and did book the Deluxe Misty Fjord floatplane excursion. I'm assuming that's the Promech one. Thanks again.

 

Everyone else, thank you so much for all the info, especially the input on the wheelchairs,scooter and the seasick thing. I have lots to check into.

 

Hugs. J .

[GIJanet]

If you want a scooter, you'll likely be renting, but for a wheelchair you might want to consider buying. After renting once, I decided to purchase my dad a wheelchair for not much more than a one-week rental. We've now used it on four cruises. If you are interested in that option, I can share info on the eBay vendor I bought it from. (It was brand-new, high-quality, and shipped promptly. The same vendor, who happens to be in the Houston area, has this year's model for about $160, if you want a basis for rent vs purchase comparison.)

 

I really like this idea if your vendor thinks he can get it to us in time. Yes, I would very much like to have that info if you don't mind sharing. Daddy's got to face up to the fact that he just doesn't get around like he used to. He still thinks he can, but he can't, pure and simple. :(

 

As you probably know, airlines don't count wheelchairs or other medical equipment as part of your baggage allowance and ship them at no additional cost. In fact, American allowed us to check a third bag for my Dad without charge, because it had his extra diabetic supplies, etc., in it. This may be useful to know if you have extra things you need to pack for your family members.

 

 

No, I didn't know. Thanks for the tip. Katie has not been allowed to fly prior to her last heart surgery, so we have always taken the train for her surgeries at UofMichigan. It should have entered my mind, though, as Amtrak has never charged us extra for medically necessary stuff, like the ice chest we have to take to keep her captopril refrigerated. Not sure what we are going to do about that yet on this trip. I hate to lug an ice chest just to keep that one med cold..................:confused:

 

 

You can check the wheelchair at the main counter and get a skycap with a wheelchair to go to the gate, or you can take your Dad through security in your own chair, then gate check it. I would actually recommend using the skycap, especially at DFW (I'm in Austin and travel through there regularly). A skycap is allowed to jump the line at security and they take the people accompanying the wheelchair passenger through the line with them.

 

And thanks for the skycap tip. That does sound like it will be worth checking into. Hope to hear back from you soon. Hugs. J.

[scopewest]

Janet:

 

I hope you have a wonderful time, and here's my two cents. You won't know if you suffer from seasickness until you're on the ship, which I found out by personal experience, alas. I'd recommend you buy a box of Bonine, available at any drugstore type place, and this way you have it on hand if needed before your first port of call. I don't know if the ship's store carries this brand.

 

I never cruise without this and it works great. I wish I was one of the lucky ones who don't get seasick like my DH, but at least with Bonine I can cruise and eat and eat and eat.....

[FoxyTerrier]

Joni,

I'd been advised to avoid the travel chairs with the small wheels because they are difficult to push over curbs or cobblestones. Did you have any trouble getting the chair up the little ramps at the doors to the outside decks or over some of the door sills on the ship?

Thanks,

Susan

 

Susan, I will say the small wheels are a bit more trouble than the big wheel chair wheels, but in my Mom's case she can walk but tires easily. Some times she uses this chair as a walker and my father encourages to walk as much as possible to keep her strength up.

 

Cobblestones - quite hard, but I think that might be the case anywhere.

 

Curbs - For going up a curb DH or DS would lift the front up and then I would lift the back wheels. For going down I could do it backwards.

 

On the ship - The only real problem was going out for the fire drill. Had do the same kind of curb pickup thing.

 

Along the hallways we found some metal strips and I found that if I slowed down it was harder, but if I hit them at a normal walking pace it was a breeze.

 

Large wholes in the sidewalk are difficult, but if you watch out for them it wasn't a problem.

 

The really nice thing about this chair is the size it folds down to and it's so lightweight. The ad says it folds down to a couple of pizza boxes and that is true. Almost everytime we use it people ask us where we got it and lots of question about it.

 

I think if my mom wasn't as mobile as she is a bigger one would be in order and that might be coming down the way.

 

I did see some people on scooters - not sure how hard they are to transport on an airplane though.

[MBeamTX]

 

I really like this idea if your vendor thinks he can get it to us in time. Yes, I would very much like to have that info if you don't mind sharing. Daddy's got to face up to the fact that he just doesn't get around like he used to. He still thinks he can, but he can't, pure and simple. :(

 

No, I didn't know. Thanks for the tip. Katie has not been allowed to fly prior to her last heart surgery, so we have always taken the train for her surgeries at UofMichigan. It should have entered my mind, though, as Amtrak has never charged us extra for medically necessary stuff, like the ice chest we have to take to keep her captopril refrigerated. Not sure what we are going to do about that yet on this trip. I hate to lug an ice chest just to keep that one med cold..................:confused:

 

And thanks for the skycap tip. That does sound like it will be worth checking into. Hope to hear back from you soon. Hugs. J.

 

Janet,

Here's the link to the wheelchair I mentioned:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wheel-chair-Lightweight-Excel-3000-Wheelchairs-New_W0QQitemZ220006800811QQihZ012QQcategoryZ19265QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I'm almost positive this is the same chair we bought two years ago, although it may be a newer model year. The listing says delivery in 2-5 days, most in 2-3 days. I would think it could get from Houston to Dallas in the shorter time. You may want to call and ask to have it express shipped if possible.

 

As for your daughter's medicine, you may want to request the mini-fridge if you think the mini-bar won't keep them as cool as necessary. (The mini-bars are those chillers that cool down cans but never really seem cold inside. Not sure if that's adequate for your medicine.) Maybe you can use a small collapsible cooler with freezer packs until you get to the ship. I recall you saying that you are flying into Seattle a day early, so just request a fridge from the hotel and refreeze the cool packs overnight.

 

Lastly, are you flying American? Their web site has this information on wheelchairs:

Mobility Devices

Wheelchairs/scooters, braces or other assistive devices are accepted free of charge as checked baggage and are in addition to the normal checked baggage allowance. There are special handling procedures for motorized equipment. Please contact an American Airlines representative at 1-800-433-7300 for detailed information.

 

There is nothing about medical supplies, but the skycap checking us in at San Diego asked if our additional bag was medical items (it was), and he checked it free of charge. I've assumed this is standard practice, but we've only been over the limit that once as we returned from a two-week cruise. You may want to phone the airline in advance if you will need to take an additional bag.

 

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions. You can reach me by email at moonbeam@austin.rr.com.

 

Susan

[MBeamTX]

Thanks for the info, Joni. On our last cruise, I think Dad spent too much time in the wheelchair and we should have encouraged him to walk more. I was concerned how he'd manage the stairs at home after 10 days without much walking!

 

The folding chair might be good for my mom, who can walk but only for short distances because of asthma. I'm not sure how we could manage transporting 2 chairs when I'm the only family member traveling with them, though. So we check Dad's chair at the counter, and then get 2 skycaps to take them to the gate. I may have to look into having a folding chair for mom at some point, though, so thanks for the input.

 

Happy cruising,

Susan

[arabrab]

Be sure to very visibly mark your wheelchair as your personal wheelchair, since some folks think that a wheelchair that is momentarily unoccupied is available for anyone's use. At a minimum, put one of your luggage tags with name and cabin number on it.

 

Also, we found that the tide state made a big difference in the steepness of the gangplank in the Alaska ports -- more so than in the Caribbean. Please insist on getting at least two helpers (from Holland America) before trying to go down a gangway with much pitch. We saw a lady on a wheelchair in Alaska nearly plow down quite a few people when the single attendent holding her chair couldn't control it on a steep pitch. :eek:

 

Have fun.

[GIJanet]

We saw a lady on a wheelchair in Alaska nearly plow down quite a few people when the single attendent holding her chair couldn't control it on a steep pitch. :eek:

 

Have fun.

 

Is that watching daddy plow down people while he's careening down the plank? or for the cruise? :D

 

Seriously,thanks for the tidbits. I was wondering about marking the wheelchair. Great idea about the luggage tag. And the other wouldn't have occurred to me ...........until it was too late. Thanks. Hugs. J.

[GIJanet]

Thanks y'all again for all of the tips. They are appreciated. Will check into the Bonine. I would much rather have it and not need it than the other way around.

 

Susan, you are a wealth of info. Thank you so much for checking all of this out for me. We looked at the wheelchair on e-bay. Looks great. My husband went and priced a similar model at a local medical supply. $400. Ouch! So this looks great. We just have to .........well, how do I say this discreetly..........ker-humph.......measure his butt tomorrow (this ought to be fun! :D ) I think 18" will be fine, but I don't want it to be a tight fit. We are going to contact the vendor and see if Don can just swing by and pick it up as he has to make a run down to Crystal Beach Monday and will go right through Spring. Dunno if they will or not, but I don't know why they wouldn't. IF not, we will have to order it ASAP. Will keep you posted. Thanks so much again. Hugs. J.

[MBeamTX]

Hi Janet,

That's very good advice about tagging your wheelchair (we used a bright, distinctive luggage tag) and getting help in embarking and disembarking. I learned that the hard way. As we left the ship on our last HAL cruise, I'd expected that my BIL-to-be would take Dad's chair. But I forgot that he and my sister had bought some huge handpainted china sink in Mexico. So I wheeled Dad off. Bad idea. The gangplank was one deck higher than when we had embarked and I was leaning back and bracing with my feet to keep the chair from running away. Thank heavens I'm no lightweight. My BIL-to-be stayed beside us and would have dropped the sink and grabbed Dad if necessary but it was a scary few moments.

 

As for the chair - well, Dad is not ...ahem... small-boned. He wears XL shirts because he needs them, not because he likes the huge and baggy look. (Okay, his waist size in pants is 42 or 44, but don't tell him I told you that.) The wheelchair is quite sturdy and roomy. Believe it or not, 18" is wider than the average airline coach seat.

 

Good luck with arranging the delivery.

Susan

[arzz]

GIJanet -- if you are not totally frazzeled or have not already left I thought you would like to know that our Blue Cross/Blue Shield medical insurance accepted the paperwork provided by HAL and covered the cost of the doctor visit and my husband's INR while on board the Westerdam. We are in a PPO and the rate at which they paid the claim is as a service provided by a doctor/hospital that is "out of network". We really could not have asked for more!

 

You only have a few days and I know that you will have a great time on your cruise. Relax and enjoy!

[GIJanet]

GIJanet -- if you are not totally frazzeled or have not already left I thought you would like to know that our Blue Cross/Blue Shield medical insurance accepted the paperwork provided by HAL and covered the cost of the doctor visit and my husband's INR while on board the Westerdam. We are in a PPO and the rate at which they paid the claim is as a service provided by a doctor/hospital that is "out of network". We really could not have asked for more!

 

You only have a few days and I know that you will have a great time on your cruise. Relax and enjoy!

 

Thanks so much. I wasn't ignoring you - just couldn't get into the boards! :mad: Anyway, thanks so much for letting me know. Coincidentally, we also have BCBS PPO! Sounds good to me! :D And, yes, I am frazzled! Thanks again for getting back to me~ Hugs. J.

[GIJanet]

Hi Janet,

 

As for the chair - well, Dad is not ...ahem... small-boned. He wears XL shirts because he needs them, not because he likes the huge and baggy look. (Okay, his waist size in pants is 42 or 44, but don't tell him I told you that.) The wheelchair is quite sturdy and roomy. Believe it or not, 18" is wider than the average airline coach seat.

 

Good luck with arranging the delivery.

Susan

 

Thanks again. After "we" :D did all of this research, a friend of the family gave daddy a very gently used wheelchair - folds great, fits great, no deposit, no return..............sigh! Guess we were spinning our wheels - wheelchair wheels, that is. Anyway, thank you again for all of your help and for generously sharing your knowledge and time. Hugs. J.

[Copper10-8]

Hey Janet; have an awesome time with your family on your cruise in beautiful Alaska. Let us know how it went when you return!:)

[Lefty Bob]

GIJanet,

If you are leaving from DFW - a lot of the west coast flights leave from the new terminal D. It is different from the others. Curbside checkin is on the upper level. Have a great trip and cruise.

Lefty Bob

[GIJanet]

I'll be sure to do that, John, and Bob, thanks for that tip. No, haven't flown in quite some time, so will check into it. Thank you all again so much. Got to get back to my running and packing. Hugs. J.

[MBeamTX]

Hi Janet,

I'm glad you've got a wheelchair now, however it was acquired. :) It will make the trip much easier and more enjoyable for everyone. Have a great cruise!

 

Susan