Anyone every traveled with a power wheelchair on a cruise ship?

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tech_fanatic

I have never been in or taken someone that needed an electric wheelchair, however, I've seen many passengers use these over my years cruising. Fortunately, a lot of people that are in a situation where they need a power wheelchair have been kind enough to write reviews of ships and give information on traveling with wheelchairs, which can be really useful in planning.

I'm including a few links for you to look over. The one is just on cruising with a disability and the other is a message board. You can look around and probably find the answers to a lot of your questions. I recommend posting questions on their message boards, they are very friendly at Cruise Critic and especially helpful. They will be more than happy to help you with your planning and give you any information you may need.

When you are looking into ships, be sure to look for newer ships. Most ships that are at least 10 years old and even some that aren't quite that old, aren't quite as easy to get around in as some of the newer ships, especially when it comes to hallways and things like that. I know of one gentleman than basically has made it his job to go on cruise ships and review them and how they are with wheelchairs, being constrained to a wheelchair himself. I know he has said that on some of the older ships there is barely room for him to get down the halls, and if someone else is coming they have to get out of the hallway and let him pass before they can get through. I believe one time he had to back out of a hallway when he was not able to get to where he was going and couldn't turn around, so a newer ship should really help with this. And the links have info on some of the best cruise lines when it comes to traveling with a disability.

My biggest suggestion is to avoid ports that will require a tender. This is when you aren't able to dock right at the port, but rather you put your anchor down in the middle of the water and take boats to land. It difficult enough getting onto a tender boat when you aren't in a wheelchair, but if you are it can be even worse and in many cases wheelchairs are not able to get off at tender ports. So be sure to look into this before you plan your trip.

Hope this helps, good luck with your planning!

globalguy93

It is fine to go with one. I beleive on some cruise lines the wheelchair guests get cards that give them Elevator privilige. Also most lines are handicap accessible. He will be fine!!!

Every Carnival cruise I have been on, in Caribbean and Bahamas, Carnival actually had electric wheelchairs available for the passengers and seen many people in them on every cruise.

Don't let that discourage your father from thinking he can't enjoy a cruise. The only disadvantage will be he may have to take the elevator up to places like on the sun deck where they're usually tiered with steps so he'll just have to go back into the ship and take an elevator up to the deck vs. just taking the steps. But that's easily solved too with the rest of the family deciding to stay on the main deck area around the pools.

Electric wheelchairs aren't a problem at all. I would suggest that your travel agency make a note to the cruise line when setting up your reservations that he has a wheel chair and they will make any accomodations.

Cruise ships have lots of experience with people in wheel chairs so tell him the only worry he'll have is not eating too much with all the food available and not being able to fit in his chair and that will be the only obstacle he'll have in getting around.

Forget the worries about the wheel chair and enjoy the cruise like everyone else! He'll find many others in wheel chairs having fun as he will.

sharpeiluvr1127

My mother in law took a cruise with her chair and she loved it, everything was handicapped accessible. When booking your cruise look for that, but most of the cruises these days take that into account and will tell you so when booking. What you can't predict is if you go on a cruise with stops... never know when you get off. He should have a blast

meg91084

The answers provided are all true but everyone forgot one big piece of information--the width of the bedroom door verse the width of the power wheelchair. Make sure you call the cruise line and ask them what size width YOUR cabin door is, and make sure your father's wheelchair will fit. As for getting around the ship, it is not a problem, there are plenty of elevators; only problem you will run into is the one I mentioned above.

fnnypp

yea, my gramdpa did and we just made sure he didn't fall down.

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