Wheelchair rental/borrow

[cruisinlawn]

We'll be on Star 6/1, not familiar with their wheelchair policy but we have always gotten a loaner on Carnival when parents came along. They'll be making this trip with us and I need to get something set up as I do not want to schelp hers cross country. If not available on board, also looking for rental option. THanks for the info.

[yaletown605]

wheelchairs are available on board. Just make sure when you fill out the cruise personalizer that you make that clear. The wheelchair from,previous cruise, are kept in the medical centre and the duty nurse will bring that to port for you. I would just call princess 1-800 to confirm but should not be a problem.

[Toto2Kansas]

I would check the appropriate board here on CC for advise. If I am not mistaken, Princess allows use of the wheelchair onboard the ship, but they do not allow you to take if off in port. I could be wrong about this, but I would definitely look into it further.

Here is the link to the site here on CC that might give you more answers: Disabled Cruise Travel

[Kaye from Chicagoland]

You need to reserve wheelchairs well in advance. There are a limited numer available - if memory serves me well. My mother needs one when she cruises.

[SeattleCruiselover]

Princess now has a DME (durable medical equipment) rental contract with www.cruiseshipassist.com and they will likely refer you to them to rent one. If you are going to need anything other than a standard collapsible wheelchair, or if your co-passenger is totally wheelchair bound, you will also need a handicapped/wheelchair accessible stateroom, because the doors to the regular staterooms are not wide enough to accommodate an open wheelchair. You should call Princess ASAP (or have your TA do if you are booked through one), in order to ensure what they will require you to do.

[Cruisin Sal]

You need to phone Princess Fleet Medical Dept. (661)753-2677.

We were unable to reserve a wheelchair for the Dawn in May, but one was available on the Star in Oct. We have used Princess chairs on several cruises. Problem come when your cabin is not close to the elevators - housekeeping carts block the passage way.

We had no problem taking a chair into Puerto Vallarta by cab.

[daveco58]

I am pretty sure you can't take a Princess w/c off the ship. You should probably contact cruiseshipassist, a.k.a. carevacations, as previous poster said, or specialneedsatsea, another company that provides w/c (and is usually a LOT cheaper). Either of them will deliver to your stateroom, and likewise pickup from the stateroom at the end of your cruise.

[hillylake]

In March we took a Panama Canal trip on the Regal,,,,there were plenty of wheelchairs and my husband was able to take it off in ever port we visited. I would still call the ship to make a reservation and check on their precdure for that cruise.

[SeattleCruiselover]

Dave, just FYI for your pax Princess bookings, they now have an exclusive contract with Care Vacations. If it is rental equipment, it has to be from them, or they won't allow it aboard. If it is owned equipment, no problem. Found that out when I requested a wheelchair for my own use on our upcoming September out of Seattle. They directed me to CV to get one.

[daveco58]

Dave, just FYI for your pax Princess bookings, they now have an exclusive contract with Care Vacations. If it is rental equipment, it has to be from them, or they won't allow it aboard. If it is owned equipment, no problem. Found that out when I requested a wheelchair for my own use on our upcoming September out of Seattle. They directed me to CV to get one.

 

I know better than to always trust the first answer, but I just got off the phone with Princess, and THAT person indicated that they will allow other rental companies to deliver, as they have in the past. In other words, they have a contract, but not an EXCLUSIVE contract.

 

I have another company which I prefer, and in fact they are supposed to be delivering some things for my cruise Saturday, so, I am kind of in a panic.

 

I am now emailing Fleet Medical, because, as I said, I don't always trust the first answer. I will let you know what I found out.

 

Or you might hear me screaming from LA on Saturday. LOL.

[SeattleCruiselover]

Fleet Medical is who I got that answer from. They know I am both an RN and a former Princess employee. But I won't tell which ship coordinator I got it from, and see what they tell you when you hear from them.

[daveco58]

Fleet Medical is who I got that answer from. They know I am both an RN and a former Princess employee. But I won't tell which ship coordinator I got it from, and see what they tell you when you hear from them.

 

Was it Barbara? I talked to her. She first indicated it was an exclusive, but assured me she would make sure my items got on Saturday, then she seemed less sure, (apparently there are other suppliers for items cruiseshipassist doesn't carry) and said she will get back to me tomorrow with a definitive answer.

 

So, there you have it....a definite maybe. LOL. Not the first time I have gotten that answer from a supplier.

[SeattleCruiselover]

I wouldn't be surprised if they have agreements with alternate suppliers, if there are items that Care Vacations don't have (because they would pretty much have to allow you to have whatever items you need, so long as they have given you permission to board the ship after reviewing your medical statement from your doctor).

 

No, Barbara Quam is not the one that told me. She used to be the supervisor of Fleet Medical, but I understand that she may not be any longer. She is also an RN. It was one of the other ship coordinators, and I also got an e-mail from Princess to the effect that it was an exclusive contract some weeks back. Of course, silly me, I read it and deleted it, or I could quote it for you here. :confused:

[dcsam]

We just purchased a 'transport', collapsible wheelchair for our upcoming cruise with my mom. She's 82. She's fairly active but tires easily. I did a lot of research on which chair to purchase. We plan to do a lot of walking in San Juan and St. Thomas, so she'll have this when she gets tired. Also, it will be nice to have on those long walks to and from flights in the airport. We paid around $200. At first she was a bit reluctant, but I told her it really is for all of us. We'll all have a more enjoyable time now.

[SeattleCruiselover]

dcsam: If what you bought is the standard transport chair (the one with four small wheels, rather than two very large and two small ones), they are not intended for use outside (other than possibly from the front door to the car), because they are not stable on rough terrain. They also generally don't have tilt bars, so that you can tilt them backwards to go up and down "non-cut" curbs and over things like the low bumps in cruise ship companionways.

 

In the hospitals and SNF's, they are used to move patients from bed to bath, or down non-carpeted tile halls, so that they don't have to walk with cane or walker if they tire easily. It will be good for the airport, but be REALLY careful with it outdoors if you intend to use it that way.

 

BUT, if you found one with the two large and two small wheels for that price, please tell me where, because we are in need of something like that, but did not want to spend the $1K plus to buy for just such a short usage. Thanks.

[newmexicoNita]

Princess now has a DME (durable medical equipment) rental contract with www.cruiseshipassist.com and they will likely refer you to them to rent one. If you are going to need anything other than a standard collapsible wheelchair, or if your co-passenger is totally wheelchair bound, you will also need a handicapped/wheelchair accessible stateroom, because the doors to the regular staterooms are not wide enough to accommodate an open wheelchair. You should call Princess ASAP (or have your TA do if you are booked through one), in order to ensure what they will require you to do.

I wasn't sure about this but I know most other lines no longer loan out the chairs. They will assist anyone in need if we are talking about just getting on and off but not to be used thoughout the cruise. They rent for anywhere from about $150 a week up to $175.

 

Nita

[daveco58]

Okay, Seattle - Apparently you are correct. Providers have to be on the list. No more locals, which I think is a bummer. I have several really good companies I have used in Florida, San Juan and Honolulu/Maui, and one world wide, all a LOT cheaper, but who probably can't/won't get thru the Princess approval process.

Since this is my niche, and I deal with it a lot, I am, frankly, perturbed.

Oh, well.......

[SeattleCruiselover]

Being a rehab nurse, I suspect that I know why they did it and, of course, it all comes down to the bottom line, as well as the fact that Care Vacations has a lot wider availability than the smaller independents.

 

And, unfortunately, I, too, doubt that the others will ever make the list.

[dcsam]

The transport chair has two large wheels in the back and medium/small in the front. Seems fairly solid. No problem tilting it back.

[SeattleCruiselover]

Where did you find it for that price?

[cruisinlawn]

Where did you find it for that price?

 

 

yes, I would like to know as well.

[dcsam]

I'm heading off to work right now, but I'll get that info later. The back wheels are not the type where the person can wheel themselves around on their own (almost). I can touch them, but the lock system gets in the way (otherwise I could).

[SeattleCruiselover]

Thank you so much. I seriously don't want to pay $1K for something that I'm going to use (maybe) for a week, but I would pay the price that you mentioned.

[dcsam]

Here's the info on the transport chair:

 

It's made by 'Invacare' model ALR 19HBFR

I just saw the same one I purchased for a price of $149 and no shipping, so that's a better deal than what we bought ours for. There are several places that sell them, but I saw the $149 at medicalsupply4u

I'm sure it's not perfect, but it's just what we need to help with vacations. We ordered the dark red and it's nice looking. By the way, I don't think these would do well for a large person.

Good luck

Caroline

[cruisinlawn]

Here's the info on the transport chair:

 

It's made by 'Invacare' model ALR 19HBFR

I just saw the same one I purchased for a price of $149 and no shipping, so that's a better deal than what we bought ours for. There are several places that sell them, but I saw the $149 at medicalsupply4u

I'm sure it's not perfect, but it's just what we need to help with vacations. We ordered the dark red and it's nice looking. By the way, I don't think these would do well for a large person.

Good luck

Caroline

 

Great, Thanks for the info. Looks like it may just fit the bill. Thanks Caroline