Cruise ships and wheelchairs

I raised this question on another NG, and I was advised to bring it here.

There's a cruise on the MSC Orchestra in February that I'd like to take,
with the following ports of call: Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and
Cayo Levantado. The ship leaves from Ft. Lauderdale.

I'm wheelchair-bound, and I have no idea how feasible it is for someone
in a wheelchair to take a cruise. My sister warned me that even though
the ship claims to be wheelchair-accessible, the cabins would be
impossibly small for me to use.

I have called the cruise line, and was told that the accessible cabins
are 226 square feet in area, which would be roughly 15 x 15.

Also, tenders are used at Cayo Levantado.

Do any of you have any experience/knowledge of the particular ship, and
on taking cruises while in a wheelchair, and would be willing to share
it with me?

I appreciate any assistance.

--
D.F. Manno |
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man¹s oldest exercises in
moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification
for selfishness. (John Kenneth Galbraith)

"D.F. Manno" wrote in
:

I raised this question on another NG, and I was advised to bring it
here.

There's a cruise on the MSC Orchestra in February that I'd like to
take, with the following ports of call: Key West, Cozumel, Grand
Cayman and Cayo Levantado. The ship leaves from Ft. Lauderdale.

I'm wheelchair-bound, and I have no idea how feasible it is for
someone in a wheelchair to take a cruise. My sister warned me that
even though the ship claims to be wheelchair-accessible, the cabins
would be impossibly small for me to use.

I have called the cruise line, and was told that the accessible cabins
are 226 square feet in area, which would be roughly 15 x 15.

Also, tenders are used at Cayo Levantado.

Do any of you have any experience/knowledge of the particular ship,
and on taking cruises while in a wheelchair, and would be willing to
share it with me?

I appreciate any assistance.


Cayman is also going to be a tender port and Cozumel could be and
depending on your ability it is unlikely that a wheel chair will do well
on tender operations. The ship will be fine, there are very few
obstructions on modern cruise ships.

--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

In article
, D.F.
Manno wrote:

Also, tenders are used at Cayo Levantado.

You can certainly cruise if you are wheelchair bound. The newer ships
all have accessible cabins. Don't know anything about that particular
ship. I would not pick that itinerary if you want to get off the ship.
In addition to Cayo Levanado being a tender port, Grand Cayman is also
a tender port. Cozumel and Key West have docks. However I have been on
ships that tendered to Cozumel and Key West. Since MSC is not one of
the industry leaders they might not have docking priority and end up
tendering at Cozumel and/or Key West also. I suggest starting with one
of the major cruise lines for your first cruise.

--
Charles

D.F. Manno wrote:
I raised this question on another NG, and I was advised to bring it here.

You might want to go to the cruisecritic disabilities board at the link
below. You will have to register(for free) in order to post.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=190


I'm wheelchair-bound, and I have no idea how feasible it is for someone
in a wheelchair to take a cruise.

Are you using a manual or a power chair? Also can you take a few steps
if you need to.

I am not familiar with this particular ship, but most modern cruise
ships are very wheelchair accessible. If you are using a power chair
there may be a couple of areas on the ship that you can't get to, but at
least on Princess I know they go out of their way to help you get there.

We cruised on the Azamara Journey with a very close friend who is a
parapalegic and there were a couple of places on the ship she could not
get to. The Journey is an older ship, but from what I have heard the
newer ships are way more accessible.

My sister warned me that even though
the ship claims to be wheelchair-accessible, the cabins would be
impossibly small for me to use.

I have called the cruise line, and was told that the accessible cabins
are 226 square feet in area, which would be roughly 15 x 15.

As long as your cabin is an accessible cabin, you should have no
problems moving around the cabin. Also the bathroom should also be
accessible, but you might ask the cruise line about anything special you
need.

As I said above, you best souce of information would be the link I
posted above.

sue

Also, tenders are used at Cayo Levantado.

If you are in a power chair forget about going ashore on any tender
port. If you can take a few steps the crew would help you onto the
tender and then bring your manual chair aboard. One gal we cruised with
was in a manual chair and she was a small person, the crew carried her
in her wheelchair onto the tender. Of coursee you can forget about any
tender if the seas are rough.

"D.F. Manno" wrote:

I raised this question on another NG, and I was advised to bring it here.

There's a cruise on the MSC Orchestra in February that I'd like to take,
with the following ports of call: Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and
Cayo Levantado. The ship leaves from Ft. Lauderdale.

I'm wheelchair-bound, and I have no idea how feasible it is for someone
in a wheelchair to take a cruise. My sister warned me that even though
the ship claims to be wheelchair-accessible, the cabins would be
impossibly small for me to use.

I have called the cruise line, and was told that the accessible cabins
are 226 square feet in area, which would be roughly 15 x 15.

Also, tenders are used at Cayo Levantado.

Do any of you have any experience/knowledge of the particular ship, and
on taking cruises while in a wheelchair, and would be willing to share
it with me?

I appreciate any assistance.

I had a wheelchair accessible cabin on the NCL Jade and it was huge (I
don't have a wheelchair, I just use a cane). The greatest difficulty
ON the ship is that you have to take an elevator between levels and at
peak times the elevators may be crowded. There are also thresholds on
some of the deck access points IIRC.

Will you be traveling with someone who can help push and carry
luggage?

As others have mentioned, I would not do that itin in a wheelchair
because at least two of the ports are tender ports. I have seen
people do tenders in wheelchairs, but looked very uncomfortable for
them, as the chair and person had to be moved from the ship to the
tender by muscle power, with both the ship and the tender bouncing up
and down, but not together.

Occasionally, even in the non-tender ports, the ramps are too steep
for the wheelchair and the wheelchair bound pax could not get off.

Also you have to consider what you will be able to do if you do get
off. I don't think the streets of Cozumel are very wheelchair
friendly. I don't know how accessible the cabs are. If you dock at
the RCI dock you are quite a long distance from town.

On Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:40:52 -0400, Charles
wrote:

In article
, D.F.
Manno wrote:

Also, tenders are used at Cayo Levantado.

You can certainly cruise if you are wheelchair bound. The newer ships
all have accessible cabins. Don't know anything about that particular
ship. I would not pick that itinerary if you want to get off the ship.
In addition to Cayo Levanado being a tender port, Grand Cayman is also
a tender port. Cozumel and Key West have docks. However I have been on
ships that tendered to Cozumel and Key West. Since MSC is not one of
the industry leaders they might not have docking priority and end up
tendering at Cozumel and/or Key West also. I suggest starting with one
of the major cruise lines for your first cruise.

This cruise that D.F. mentioned was specifically for a support group
cruise. The point is not which cruise line is best to start with, it's
that he wants to go with this group, and he doesn't have a choice of
cruise lines, and he is worried about getting around in a wheelchair
if it is required.

--
Neal

Real programmers don't document-if it was hard to write,
it should be hard to understand.

D.F. Manno wrote:

There's a cruise on the MSC Orchestra in February that I'd like to take,
with the following ports of call: Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and
Cayo Levantado. The ship leaves from Ft. Lauderdale.

I'm wheelchair-bound, and I have no idea how feasible it is for someone
in a wheelchair to take a cruise. My sister warned me that even though
the ship claims to be wheelchair-accessible, the cabins would be
impossibly small for me to use.

Welcome to the group, D.F.

If you can get a handicapped cabin, and you have a power chair or a
scooter, then you should have a wonderful time cruising with your friends.

Many of us, here, have cruised with Lori K., who travels alone and she
uses a wheelchair (ditto with Mary F.). If Lori can not get off the
ship, she enjoys the swimming pool, the hot tub, she plays trivia games,
she watches the ocean go by as we sit around and chat.

If you want to go, you should book the cruise ASAP, because they only
have a few handicapped cabins available. Make a list of questions to ask
your travel agent, they should be able to advise you.

Cayo Levantado and Grand Cayman are tender ports. Depending on
circumstances, the other ports could possibly be tender ports too, but
let's hope not. On cruises, you never know. After you settle in (the
next day?), you will have to ask at the desk, if you will be able to
tender at Cayo Levantado and Grand Cayman.

Keep reading the group and feel free to ask questions. You will love
cruising.

Becca

"D.F. Manno" wrote in message
...
I raised this question on another NG, and I was advised to bring it here.

There's a cruise on the MSC Orchestra in February that I'd like to take,
with the following ports of call: Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and
Cayo Levantado. The ship leaves from Ft. Lauderdale.

I'm wheelchair-bound, and I have no idea how feasible it is for someone
in a wheelchair to take a cruise. My sister warned me that even though
the ship claims to be wheelchair-accessible, the cabins would be
impossibly small for me to use.

I have called the cruise line, and was told that the accessible cabins
are 226 square feet in area, which would be roughly 15 x 15.

Also, tenders are used at Cayo Levantado.

Do any of you have any experience/knowledge of the particular ship, and
on taking cruises while in a wheelchair, and would be willing to share
it with me?

I appreciate any assistance.

--
D.F. Manno |
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man¹s oldest exercises in
moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification
for selfishness. (John Kenneth Galbraith)

There are always wheelchair passengers on board cruise ships. I have taken
several cruises with my electric scooter and have had very few problems. I
generally choose to stay on board at tender stops, but the staff has offered
to help me if I choose to go ashore. There are always inconveniences if you
have mobility problems, but you will not have much trouble enjoying whatever
you want to do. Make sure the ship knows your needs when you book if you
need special aids in the bathroom. I have never had a room that was too
small, but some are easier than others.

Harry Cooper



Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
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Becca wrote:

Many of us, here, have cruised with Lori K., who travels alone and she
uses a wheelchair (ditto with Mary F.). If Lori can not get off the
ship, she enjoys the swimming pool, the hot tub, she plays trivia games,
she watches the ocean go by as we sit around and chat.

Both ladies are class acts, as you say. We also use a 3-wheeler for
Mrs. Nonny and I agree with much of what's been posted. I have a few
thoughts that might be of direct or indirect benefit to the person
making the inquiry. Of course, these are just my opinions, so others
might disagree.

The lightest, safest and most maneuverable device is the 3-wheeler.
It's far handier than even a wheel chair. You can buy a darned good,
rugged, dependable and functional 3-wheeler for $530 on Amazon.com. The
one we have, after having had several, is the TRAVEL PAL. I could go
into my reasoning for this specific recommendation, but suffice to say
we like it enough that we just bought a second one to keep as a spare
for if/when the first one dies and in the meantime, to keep in the other
car for lunches out.

With a wheel chair, many people require someone to push them. With a
3-wheeler, you are independent except for times that would require help
despite the method of conveyance. If you are totally bound to the
wheelchair or 3-wheeler, then you will have very limited opportunities
going ashore. Yes, tender ports present more problems than docked
ports, but even docked ports have steep gangways on occasion or gangways
that are not smooth, but like stairs that have treads that flatten out
as the slope decreases. Even with the smooth gangways,, the ramp up to
it or at the shoreline might present problems.

What I strongly suggest you avoid (assuming that you can from a medical
standpoint) are the big scooters, motorized chairs or devices requiring
wet cell batteries. Get gel cells at the minimum and NiCd or Lithium
ion or Lithium Polymer batteries. They're light, hold one heck of a
long charge and the battery doesn't have to be disassembled and packed
away when traveling by air. The larger chairs can turn on a dime, but
unless there's a medical necessity for one, I'd sure save the weight,
add maneuverability and safety by going with a 3-wheeler. If you Google
about them, you'll find a lot that Tobie and I have written in the past
that might be of use.

If your conveyance can turn sharply and is 22" wide, then the chances
are good you could get by with a regular cabin. Mrs. Nonny can move
about some by holding onto furniture, walls etc., so the smaller size of
a non-handicapped cabin can sometimes be a benefit with closer access to
things like the bath. If you require a roll-in type facility, then you
obviously need the handicapped cabin.

You'll find that on most ships, nowadays, the inside corridors, cabins
and public areas are flat and accessible. The only times we've had some
problems is when Mrs. Nonny goes from inside to outside. There, you
might find steep ramps, thresholds or heavy non automated doors.

In a dining room or even the buffet area, there are plenty of staff to
move the wheelchair or scooter to a nonobtrusive area once you dismount.
Most cruise lines will also volunteer (or you can request) that
steward accompany you at the Lido buffet to get food, carry it to your
table, and to help you into your seat. . . or move aside a chair so you
can wheel to the table.

--
Nonny

Nonnymus
I'm not who you think I am. I'm not who
I think I am. I am what I think you think I am.

Nonnymus wrote:
Becca wrote:


Many of us, here, have cruised with Lori K., who travels alone and she
uses a wheelchair (ditto with Mary F.). If Lori can not get off the
ship, she enjoys the swimming pool, the hot tub, she plays trivia
games, she watches the ocean go by as we sit around and chat.


Both ladies are class acts, as you say. We also use a 3-wheeler for
Mrs. Nonny and I agree with much of what's been posted. I have a few
thoughts that might be of direct or indirect benefit to the person
making the inquiry. Of course, these are just my opinions, so others
might disagree.

The lightest, safest and most maneuverable device is the 3-wheeler.
It's far handier than even a wheel chair. You can buy a darned good,
rugged, dependable and functional 3-wheeler for $530 on Amazon.com. The
one we have, after having had several, is the TRAVEL PAL. I could go
into my reasoning for this specific recommendation, but suffice to say
we like it enough that we just bought a second one to keep as a spare
for if/when the first one dies and in the meantime, to keep in the other
car for lunches out.

With a wheel chair, many people require someone to push them. With a
3-wheeler, you are independent except for times that would require help
despite the method of conveyance. If you are totally bound to the
wheelchair or 3-wheeler, then you will have very limited opportunities
going ashore. Yes, tender ports present more problems than docked
ports, but even docked ports have steep gangways on occasion or gangways
that are not smooth, but like stairs that have treads that flatten out
as the slope decreases. Even with the smooth gangways,, the ramp up to
it or at the shoreline might present problems.

What I strongly suggest you avoid (assuming that you can from a medical
standpoint) are the big scooters, motorized chairs or devices requiring
wet cell batteries. Get gel cells at the minimum and NiCd or Lithium
ion or Lithium Polymer batteries. They're light, hold one heck of a
long charge and the battery doesn't have to be disassembled and packed
away when traveling by air. The larger chairs can turn on a dime, but
unless there's a medical necessity for one, I'd sure save the weight,
add maneuverability and safety by going with a 3-wheeler. If you Google
about them, you'll find a lot that Tobie and I have written in the past
that might be of use.

If your conveyance can turn sharply and is 22" wide, then the chances
are good you could get by with a regular cabin. Mrs. Nonny can move
about some by holding onto furniture, walls etc., so the smaller size of
a non-handicapped cabin can sometimes be a benefit with closer access to
things like the bath. If you require a roll-in type facility, then you
obviously need the handicapped cabin.

You'll find that on most ships, nowadays, the inside corridors, cabins
and public areas are flat and accessible. The only times we've had some
problems is when Mrs. Nonny goes from inside to outside. There, you
might find steep ramps, thresholds or heavy non automated doors.

In a dining room or even the buffet area, there are plenty of staff to
move the wheelchair or scooter to a nonobtrusive area once you dismount.
Most cruise lines will also volunteer (or you can request) that steward
accompany you at the Lido buffet to get food, carry it to your table,
and to help you into your seat. . . or move aside a chair so you can
wheel to the table.

Dear Nonny,
You wrote - "If your conveyance can turn
sharply and is 22" wide..." I hope you mean "22"
wide. [Less than 22" wide].
Cheers,
John in LALALand (On the Left Coast)