Oceania Med cruise w/ scooter??

[anchorman]

OK, shoot me. About a week ago I was asking about Alaska, but now my wife and I, (sorry, should I be using DW?), are changing directions and taking a very hard look at an Oceania cruise in the Med in October. Specifically, it's the Oct. 16th Barcelona to Venice cruise.

 

I have MS and usually just use a cane. However, I have trouble walking more than a couple of blocks or climbing more than one flight of stairs. So, I intend to take my Pride Sconic onboard. If we continue as planned, we'll have a non-h/c, veranda stateroom on the Regatta (which is supposed to be refurbished this coming April). So, my questions are:

• Is there going to be room in the stateroom for the scooter? (I saw a four-year old posting that questioned that).
  
• Will I be able to bring the scooter on board the tender, for ports where a tender is used? (I've asked Oceania, but would like to hear from someone who has tried to do it).
  
• Are there so many obstacles on shore that it's not even worth trying to bring the scooter?
  
• Any concerns I'm not thinking about?

I've been to Rome, Venice and other European cities in healthier days and know that getting around in Europe can be challenging. I'm prepared to stay on board at some ports, (since I'm happy reading, eating and relaxing through the day), and I can't imagine how to do Amalfi/Positano on a scooter. However, I don't want to be locked out of ALL of the shore excursions.

 

Thoughts???

 

Ed

[leoandhugh]

ed thoughts: we did Istanbul Venice Barcelona last year on RCCLs Brilliance of the Seas with both a scooter and manual wheelchair. the saving grace for shore excursions was the manual wheelchair. with the exception of Barcelona which is probably the most accessible European city, a scooter ashore with no cored curbs and cobble stones just does not work.

I am sure you have done your homework, but Oceania is not known for being handicapped friendly - we have not cruised that line because of that . There are only 4 handicapped cabins onboard - all inside. The regular cabins are not large by today's standards so a scooter in the cabin could be a problem IF you could get it in the doorway. with the exception of accessible cabins, most cabin doorways are not wide enough to get a scooter in. maybe Oceania can give the cabin door width.

you ask about scooters on tenders at such ports. to us, it is a moot question because even assuming you could get the scooter ashore, it is doubtful you could go far. Even european taxis seldom have trunks large enough for a scooter unless you can get a mercedes.

our cruise went to Kusadasi, Mykonos, Santorini, Dubrovnik, Venice, Naples, Rome, Livorno and Villefranche and I can say the only way we got around was with a manual wheelchair. and even that was a problem in Venice although we did manage by doing advance research. we have been cruising with scooter and wheelchair for 15 years now, and the manual has meant the difference between staying onboard or getting ashore in countries other than the US - wish we could be more positive; just trying to be realistic.:) one further thought found a a thread on this board dated august 2006 about accessibility on Oceania just a few hints of what you might expect

[anchorman]

Thanks. I had heard that Oceania was less than h/c friendly and I appreciate your candid response. Though I think I can deal with the boat, you confirmed my assumption that it would be difficult getting around by scooter in most of the ports. I'm not sure my wife would appreciate, (or be able), to push me around in a chair, so we're going to have to think long, and hard, before we sign on for this trip.