ordering a wheelchair for the cruise

[disneyholic family]

has anyone ordered a wheelchair to use on the cruise?

i'm planning on ordering a wheelchair for my mom and i've been wondering how it works.

is it at the port when you get there, so that you can already start using it in the terminal?

my mom always uses airline wheelchair services, but i don't think DCL has anything like that...

but i don't know if the rental wheelchair will already be available.

Anyone know how it works? when it's delivered? where it's delivered? how it's returned at the end? etc etc

 

[mdvlprof]

I think if you rent one, the wheelchair should be at your room. DCL has wheelchairs to help with boarding, but you may have to wait a few minutes if someone else needs one, too.

 

[Jackson's grammie]

I am renting a motorized scooter from a company who delivers to the ship before you board and will pick it up from the luggage area when we return. If you look up wheelchair rentals at the port area they will list different companies

 

[Itinkso]

I have ordered the ECV electric scooters through medical supply businesses when a disabled friend traveled with us to Disneyland. They would deliver to the hotel prior to our arrival and the scooter would be waiting for us in the lobby. Your best bet is to call the wheelchair rental business and ask if the chair will be available curbside, in the terminal, or in the cabin. At the end of our vacations, all we had to do was park the scooter in the lobby and leave the keys at the front desk.

 

[mmouse37]

When I rented a wheelchair for a Wonder cruise out of PC it was waiting for us in the terminal...NOT ON THE SHIP. The rental companies are not allowed onboard as far as I know. When we got to the terminal I asked a CM and she looked around and found where it was.

After the cruise we left it in the luggage area and was told it would be picked up from there. It had my aunt's name on it and the name of the company.

We rented from one of the rental agencies in Florida...sorry I can't remember the name as it was a few years ago.

MJ

 

[Coconuts]

I just rented a scooter for our upcoming NYC cruise from Scootaround. They told me that it would be delivered to our room.

 

[disneyholic family]

I think if you rent one, the wheelchair should be at your room. DCL has wheelchairs to help with boarding, but you may have to wait a few minutes if someone else needs one, too.

i was told they didn't have wheelchairs in the terminal - i'll have to check that again!!

When I rented a wheelchair for a Wonder cruise out of PC it was waiting for us in the terminal...NOT ON THE SHIP. The rental companies are not allowed onboard as far as I know. When we got to the terminal I asked a CM and she looked around and found where it was.

After the cruise we left it in the luggage area and was told it would be picked up from there. It had my aunt's name on it and the name of the company.

We rented from one of the rental agencies in Florida...sorry I can't remember the name as it was a few years ago.

MJ

thanks for the info! i'm hoping it's delivered to the terminal not the ship....

 

[kcashner]

Well...for starters, it depends on which ship/port you will be using.

At PC, Brevard Medical does a great job and delivers to the TERMINAL routinely. While the ships sometimes have "loaner" wheelchairs available, you can't count on this. There are a few for rental in the medical center for someone who may suffer an injury while on board, but these are not available in advance for reservations.

Another thought that might work for you....I have a friend who walks short distances with braces and crutches but uses a chair for distances. She is a huge believer that public places should have loaner chairs for those who might need them (even though she owns a couple). She scours Goodwill and buys chairs, typically for $15 which she then donates to churches, libraries, or other places that she feels should have them. My point here is that if you can purchase one for $15, it might be worth your while to do this before the trip. It does not count as luggage and will be handled by the airlines for you.

 

[Four Bears]

Well...for starters, it depends on which ship/port you will be using.

At PC, Brevard Medical does a great job and delivers to the TERMINAL routinely. While the ships sometimes have "loaner" wheelchairs available, you can't count on this. There are a few for rental in the medical center for someone who may suffer an injury while on board, but these are not available in advance for reservations.

Another thought that might work for you....I have a friend who walks short distances with braces and crutches but uses a chair for distances. She is a huge believer that public places should have loaner chairs for those who might need them (even though she owns a couple). She scours Goodwill and buys chairs, typically for $15 which she then donates to churches, libraries, or other places that she feels should have them. My point here is that if you can purchase one for $15, it might be worth your while to do this before the trip. It does not count as luggage and will be handled by the airlines for you.

Walmart.com (note: website, not the store) sells wheelchairs for $125. I don't know how much a rental costs for a week, but if it around $125, then purchasing one may make sense. Of course, you would have to get it to and from the Terminal. They also have transfer chairs for $99. (A transfer chair has 4 small wheels and is meant for the user to be pushed by another person. A wheelchair has two large wheels and two small wheels and can either be pushed by another person or self-propelled by the user.)

 

[pepperpike]

Brevard Medical Supply will have whatever you need at Disney Cruise Terminal if you make reservations. Their Website has varying rates depending on length of cruise. At this moment an electric scooter is $260 per 7 day cruise, a wide wheelchair is $155. They have this waiting in terminal for you. If you have difficulty in walking from the bus to the Terminal, ask a CM to retreive it for you. There is a bench to sit where the bus drops you off. I have used them on several cruises. Byh the way if you need a cane holder, one can be attached to a scooter.

 

[canopynut66]

EVC is the best and then no one has to be pushing a wheel chair can rent off site if in Orlando have walkers and apple scoters and others to chose from and they will be there when you arrive until the day you leave it back at terminal or where ever they tell you to. is much easier on every one. we had to have one for Mother and we took her to Target and grocery store and had her learn to drive one and it took a few times but she learned..and we found best to leave and go walk around ourselves and then check back and see how she doing.... the ones you rent they will ask (or walker does) how tall you are and weight so then they send a scooter for your size and the have a way smaller basket on them and are much easier to drive. Mother was 88 and she felt pretty spiffy that she could get around on her own in WDW

 

[disneyholic family]

Well...for starters, it depends on which ship/port you will be using.

At PC, Brevard Medical does a great job and delivers to the TERMINAL routinely. While the ships sometimes have "loaner" wheelchairs available, you can't count on this. There are a few for rental in the medical center for someone who may suffer an injury while on board, but these are not available in advance for reservations.

Another thought that might work for you....I have a friend who walks short distances with braces and crutches but uses a chair for distances. She is a huge believer that public places should have loaner chairs for those who might need them (even though she owns a couple). She scours Goodwill and buys chairs, typically for $15 which she then donates to churches, libraries, or other places that she feels should have them. My point here is that if you can purchase one for $15, it might be worth your while to do this before the trip. It does not count as luggage and will be handled by the airlines for you.

Brevard was one of the two companies recommended by DCL - so i'll give them a call today to see what they say.

Walmart.com (note: website, not the store) sells wheelchairs for $125. I don't know how much a rental costs for a week, but if it around $125, then purchasing one may make sense. Of course, you would have to get it to and from the Terminal. They also have transfer chairs for $99. (A transfer chair has 4 small wheels and is meant for the user to be pushed by another person. A wheelchair has two large wheels and two small wheels and can either be pushed by another person or self-propelled by the user.)

yes, i was wondering how difficult it is to push one of the transfer chairs...they seem a lot more compact - an important point considering we'll have to store it in the cabin when she's not using it.

Brevard Medical Supply will have whatever you need at Disney Cruise Terminal if you make reservations. Their Website has varying rates depending on length of cruise. At this moment an electric scooter is $260 per 7 day cruise, a wide wheelchair is $155. They have this waiting in terminal for you. If you have difficulty in walking from the bus to the Terminal, ask a CM to retreive it for you. There is a bench to sit where the bus drops you off. I have used them on several cruises. Byh the way if you need a cane holder, one can be attached to a scooter.

thanks. I'm going to call Brevard today and see what they say. I'm debating between a transfer wheelchair and a regular one - i'm wondering how hard the transfer chair is to push around the ship.
That's great that she'll be able to use it in the terminal.

EVC is the best and then no one has to be pushing a wheel chair can rent off site if in Orlando have walkers and apple scoters and others to chose from and they will be there when you arrive until the day you leave it back at terminal or where ever they tell you to. is much easier on every one. we had to have one for Mother and we took her to Target and grocery store and had her learn to drive one and it took a few times but she learned..and we found best to leave and go walk around ourselves and then check back and see how she doing.... the ones you rent they will ask (or walker does) how tall you are and weight so then they send a scooter for your size and the have a way smaller basket on them and are much easier to drive. Mother was 88 and she felt pretty spiffy that she could get around on her own in WDW

she can't use a scooter as she's going blind. Well, she could use it, but she'd probably run people over
Best to stick with a manual chair, with me providing the horsepower...

i was thinking of calling walker, since we'll be in orlando first...but she'll only need a chair for the halloween party at MK...
and then i wouldn't know how to get the chair back to them as we're going straight from the Dream to the airport (where the airline will take responsibility for wheeling her around)..

 

[Minnie Monellen]

I bought a fly lite transport chair from a vendor on the internet. The cost was $150.

 

[disneyholic family]

I bought a fly lite transport chair from a vendor on the internet. The cost was $150.

how was it to push around the ship?
i'm wondering if it gets stuck on carpets with those small wheels...
of course, i could get her to walk on carpets....but i have to hold her hand when she's walking becuase she can't see very much anymore...
i'm her leader dog... so i wouldn't be able to both push an empty chair and hold her by the hand...

 

[Minnie Monellen]

how was it to push around the ship?
i'm wondering if it gets stuck on carpets with those small wheels...
of course, i could get her to walk on carpets....but i have to hold her hand when she's walking becuase she can't see very much anymore...
i'm her leader dog... so i wouldn't be able to both push an empty chair and hold her by the hand...

I bought the chair for my DM. It's very easy to push. Sometimes on the ship you need to go backwards over the thresholds of the entrances/exits. It folds up very compact. It comes assembled, accept for the foot supports, which attach easily. Spiffy looking, we got it in black plaid. We've used it on two recent DCL cruises (Magic & Dream). It's in the trunk of the car now. We use it when we go to the mall.

 

[Cinderelley]

I was on the Dream in March. I had broken my foot Irish dancing (I'm 22) and was not allowed to walk so I was confined to crutches and/or a wheelchair. It was too expensive to fly one from PA to Florida so my dad rented one for $100 something and it was onboard in the stateroom. When I got to the cruise terminal, two different employees asked me if I needed a wheelchair. I declined both times stating there was one onboard for me and that someone else would need it more than I. Oddly enough, we had to get a wheelchair that was extra large since I'm 180 pounds and 5 foot 10. The wheelchair was twice my size!!! Make sure you have a wheelchair accessible stateroom, otherwise, she won't be able to move about in the stateroom in it.

 

[Minnie Monellen]

I was on the Dream in March. I had broken my foot Irish dancing (I'm 22) and was not allowed to walk so I was confined to crutches and/or a wheelchair. It was too expensive to fly one from PA to Florida so my dad rented one for $100 something and it was onboard in the stateroom. When I got to the cruise terminal, two different employees asked me if I needed a wheelchair. I declined both times stating there was one onboard for me and that someone else would need it more than I. Oddly enough, we had to get a wheelchair that was extra large since I'm 180 pounds and 5 foot 10. The wheelchair was twice my size!!! Make sure you have a wheelchair accessible stateroom, otherwise, she won't be able to move about in the stateroom in it.

We flew on Continental Airlines from NJ to Florida. No charge for the wheelchair. Does not count as a carry on nor checked luggage.

 

[disneyholic family]

I bought the chair for my DM. It's very easy to push. Sometimes on the ship you need to go backwards over the thresholds of the entrances/exits. It folds up very compact. It comes assembled, accept for the foot supports, which attach easily. Spiffy looking, we got it in black plaid. We've used it on two recent DCL cruises (Magic & Dream). It's in the trunk of the car now. We use it when we go to the mall.

We flew on Continental Airlines from NJ to Florida. No charge for the wheelchair. Does not count as a carry on nor checked luggage.

thanks for the info...
yes, medical carry ons aren't counted in the carry on count..
my son in law has an oversized medical bag that he has to have with him on board....it's allowed on even though it's oversized and it's not counted in the carry on count....he sometimes has trouble with the TSA, but he carries the rules with him and they always let him through in the end...
and the airlines are good for the most part...every now and then you get rogue airline employees who like to make up their own rules..

 

[disneyholic family]

I was on the Dream in March. I had broken my foot Irish dancing (I'm 22) and was not allowed to walk so I was confined to crutches and/or a wheelchair. It was too expensive to fly one from PA to Florida so my dad rented one for $100 something and it was onboard in the stateroom. When I got to the cruise terminal, two different employees asked me if I needed a wheelchair. I declined both times stating there was one onboard for me and that someone else would need it more than I. Oddly enough, we had to get a wheelchair that was extra large since I'm 180 pounds and 5 foot 10. The wheelchair was twice my size!!! Make sure you have a wheelchair accessible stateroom, otherwise, she won't be able to move about in the stateroom in it.

i have to call DCL again - when i spoke to them the last time, they said they didn't have any wheelchairs in the terminal...you're at least the second person who posted who was offered a wheelchair in the terminal..

 

[Cinderelley]

We flew on Continental Airlines from NJ to Florida. No charge for the wheelchair. Does not count as a carry on nor checked luggage.

We must have gotten the newbies at the airport.

Good to know for next time!