Cruising with motorized wheelchair (not scooter)?

[kj2mom]

Hi all! I apologize if this has been asked, I did a search first and nothing related came up (not sure if that is user error and if it is I am sorry to be a bother).

We set sail on the Dream next month and one member in our party has a motorized wheel chair. We have read some of the Know Before You Go's and see that a foldable wheel chair is a requirement for some things. Would Disney let him take one of their wheel chairs off the ship for an excursion?

Any tips that anyone has would be greatly appreciated. He does have an accessible room!


Thanks so much!

 

[lanejudy]

You are correct that many port excursions are not terribly accessible in the Bahamas. Even those that allow manual chairs may end up only partially accessible due to narrow pathways or stairs. If he needs a manual chair for excursions, you'll want to bring one or rent one from a third-party vendor. DCL does have some wheelchairs but I believe they must stay onboard and are essentially for "emergency" use -- such as somebody sprains and ankle on the pool deck, etc. Some vendors who work with DCL to deliver to the ship at Port Canaveral include Brevard Medical, Walker Mobility and Special Needs at Sea.

 

[Groot]

What kind of powerchair does he have? Is it a Permobil or Quantum or something else?

I have a Fold and Go (pic below) and I’m thinking that because it only weighs 50 lbs. and can fold up (pic below) it might be the best of both worlds.

 

[kj2mom]

What kind of powerchair does he have? Is it a Permobil or Quantum or something else?

I have a Fold and Go (pic below) and I’m thinking that because it only weighs 50 lbs. and can fold up (pic below) it might be the best of both worlds. View attachment 667186View attachment 667187

I'm not sure what it kind it is (family friend who lives in FL, we live in MA). I saw it when we were in Disney together last year and it is a very nice chair (it needs to be to accommodate his needs) but not sure of the make/model.

Thanks for the info. We are leaving from Miami but will suggest renting to him, maybe he can get one from a local medical supply company. He lives near Tampa and is driving to the port.

 

[lanejudy]

We are leaving from Miami

www.specialneedsatsea.com rents in a number of ports internationally, including Miami. There may also be local vendors in the Miami area, or in Tampa if he prefers to deal with someone local to him.

 

[Groot]

I'm not sure what it kind it is (family friend who lives in FL, we live in MA). I saw it when we were in Disney together last year and it is a very nice chair (it needs to be to accommodate his needs) but not sure of the make/model.

Thanks for the info. We are leaving from Miami but will suggest renting to him, maybe he can get one from a local medical supply company. He lives near Tampa and is driving to the port.

I’d just advise being cautious with rentals. Last year my mom talked me into renting a powerchair instead of taking my own. Well let’s just say that it wasn’t a good idea. The batteries were extremely old and worn and only laster an hour, tops, It looked completely run down, and the worst part was that the “cushion” (notice how I put that word in quotation marks) was your basic foam cushion that was not even an inch thick so when you sat down, you were pract sitting on the frame of the chair. If you have back and/or hip issues that require a good cushion, I’d advise that you bring your own.

 

[lanejudy]

I’d just advise being cautious with rentals.

I recommended renting a manual chair to use on port excursions that can't accommodate a power chair. I think the person intends to bring their own power chair to use most of the time.

OP - assuming your cruise stops at Castaway Cay, there are beach wheelchairs on the island available to borrow for free if that is of any interest.

 

[Evita_W]

If you are comfortable with booking excursions through an independent company rather than the cruise line, here is one that has come highly recommended to us.

https://www.accessiblecaribbeanvaca...amas-accessible-shore-excursion/#.YndEXB5lAzQ

They appear to have accessible excursions in many different ports and discuss if power chairs, scooters, etc. will work for each.

Full disclosure: We have not yet used them, but again, they come highly recommended to us by several people we know.

There are other companies as well if you do a Google search for accessible shore excursions and add your port of call to it.

 

[kj2mom]

Thank-you all for your thoughtful replies! We greatly appreciate it!

Yes, he will bring his own chair for primary use, we are just trying to figure out our options for when the power chair is not allowed.