First Time Cruise With Electric Scooter - Port/Excursion Questions

[Beth D]

Hi DIS folks!

This is my first time cruising with an electric scooter. We've done 4 DCL cruises previously, and are doing our first one on another cruise line, and my first time using an electric scooter. I know DIS board members are well traveled, and offer better, and more up to date info than other cruise forums - you know who I'm talking about! I can walk short distances, but long distances are a no-go, as is standing in one place for a long time, so I'm bringing an electric scooter.

This cruise is with another cruise line (Princess) as we are traveling with an extended family who made all the booking decisions, we decided to join this trip at the last minute. So this greatly cut down on my research time - we booked less than 3 months ago, and sail in one week. (I'm used to over a year to do my port excursion research!). I've found that the excursions offered on Princess are less extensive than DCL, much higher priced, and do not have much detail about mobility...

Below is my plan - please let me know any suggestions, helpful tips, if you see any pitfalls, etc...

Stop 1 - Falmouth, Jamaica - we are going to simply shop in the port area. Not leaving the port area due to safety concerns. Unless someone knows of a good beach resort that is nearby, safe, and not too expensive.

Stop 2 - Cartagena Colombia - current plan is to grab a taxi at the port to the Walled City. Shop and explore for a few hours, and then taxi back to the ship. Scooter can break down to fit in a trunk.

Stop 3 - Limon, Costa Rica - current plan is for DH & DS to do a zipline tour that we will book through Princess on board, but looking for something else that several of us can do - either a boat ride or beach resort nearby? Otherwise, just shopping in the port area.

Stop 4 - Grand Cayman - this is where I have the most questions, as this is a tender to shore stop. My scooter is small, and can break down easily. DH & DS are fit, muscular and used to moving heavy objects, so could load the scooter into the tender. I can board the tender as long as there are decent steps/walkway and a good railing to hang onto. Any tips/suggestions for tendering - is it better to be first in line?

As we have been to this port several times already, we are planning on this being a beach day. We are debating between either Coral Bay club, or the public beach, via taxi. We want somewhere where we can rent chairs, as sitting on the sand is not an option for me or my mother.

I know that Coral Bay has very little beach, so am leaning to the public one. I've seen that they have several cement walkways where we could take the scooter to the edge of, but is there a secure spot we can leave it, or park it under a tree nearby? What have other scooter users done? (I should add that this is a borrowed scooter from a friend, and does NOT have a removeable key, only a button underneath to disconnect the battery as a security measure).

I also appreciate any other Princess tips - we're carrying on soda and buying some coffee drink packages, but am NOT doing their wi-fi or other drink packages.

Thanks all in advance! DIS board folks are truly the best!

 

[happycamper47]

We have found all the Port area shops accommodating for scooters on many occasions, the private cabs/vans have also stated they can/will take the scooter. We actually did that in San Juan, but not in any other port. When we were in Cartagena we did a private car tour, but did not take the scooter along. As to tendering, it will depend on what kind of tender. If they are using the onboard tender/life boats we have found that you cannot take the scooter, if they are using an actual port tender they always have a caveat that "you many not be able to take it due to sea conditions".. Also if it is light enough to be picked up, I would not take a chance leaving it somewhere.


Personally I would email the Special Needs dept at Princess to get the best accurate info.

accessofficeprincess@princesscruises.com.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Consider a transportation such as sled or cardboard over sand to keep it near you. Cut a sled down to fit in your suit case that will fit the broken down unit. Perhaps a bag for seat and steering that could be pulled over sand if needed. Cardboard is easier and lighter and easier to replace but plastic is sturdier of course. Consider bungee cords and bike locks to use.

 

[Beth D]

Thank you both for the great advice. I’ve only ever seen the regular tenders in GC, never the use of ships ones/ lifeboats so fingers crossed!

I think we will plan on the public beach there as well, & have DH move the scooter close to our chairs. There will be at least 4 of us there, so should always be someone there to watch.

Any other tips or suggestions for those ports?

 

[Snowwhyt]

To make the scooter in person, using it more self-sufficient if you could attach a basket to the front and a drink holder. You can usually get a drink holder for a stroller or bicycle to work.
You could always put some thing on the back of the chair, for example, a backpack, but you always run the risk of having somebody messing with it when the driver is not looking.

 

[EeyoreJMH]

@Beth D I’ll be purchasing an electric scooter myself soon. While I’ve sailed Disney 18 times, this will be my first with a scooter. May I ask which one you use? Thank you!

 

[auntlynne]

 

[happycamper47]

For a review of getting around Cartagena, look for Spintheglobe .com.

She talks about the sidewalks and cobblestone streets (not as bad as expected) and the lack of sloped curbs on the sidewalks. That seems to be a concern with a lot of towns that have not modernized.

That's common for many foreign ports except for the stores and shops right at the pier. The country that do attempt curb cuts they can be much steeper than ADA regs. In Puerto Vallarta we ran into sidewalks that had ramps on one end and none on the other so you had to turn around.

 

[Beth D]

@Beth D I’ll be purchasing an electric scooter myself soon. While I’ve sailed Disney 18 times, this will be my first with a scooter. May I ask which one you use? Thank you!

My scooter was borrowed from a friend, but I remember it had "Shoprider" on it. However I think it was a bit older - it belong to our friends late husband.

It was a very small one, and was narrow enough that I could fit it through the doorway of a regular cabin on the ship. It also had a very tight turning radius which was nice if I used it in the buffet, or to turn around in the dining rooms.

The cons were that the basket was very small, and the seat was not adjustable, so some days my knee really bothered me as I couldn't extend my legs far on the platform. I'm 5' 2", and still had problems.

 

[Beth D]

We are back and had a great time! I wanted to put a synopsis on here of each port, and the excursions I did in each so if others are looking, they will have a better idea of the challenges in getting around at each port.

Port 1 - Falmouth, Jamaica - I did NOT take the scooter off the ship. I slowly (with breaks) made the trek to the bus area to catch our shuttle. We went to the Bamboo Beach Club, booking the excursion through the cruise line. We rode the mini bus to the club, it would have been tight to take the scooter onboard. These mini buses do NOT have underneath compartments like a regular bus. Once at the beach club it was close distances for me to walk, so all OK there.

Upon returning to the port DH borrowed a wheelchair from someone at the port so we could shop. The port area was a lot of cobblestones, so a bit awkward in a manual wheelchair. However this port area did have good ramps everywhere, and lots of places to stop and sit.

Port 2 - Cartagena, Colombia - I did use the scooter this day. If you've never been, the dock where cruise ships come is part of the shipping port, and is very busy with other work and equipment. Upon debarking the ship we were loaded into regular touring buses to go up to the taxi area. We were able to load the scooter into the bottom of the bus.

The busses take you up to the eco park area and taxi stands. This area was all very wheelchair friendly. There were many ramps and fairly smooth areas in wood planks and concrete. We took a taxi to the fort, and then another to the Walled/Old City. Taxi drivers here were plentiful and we were able to fit the scooter in the trunk of all. The fort was very steep, so DH had to push my scooter up several of the levels, but going down was easy.

Everywhere here was either cobblestone or concrete, and some areas with ramps in the sidewalks, many without. I'm mobile enough that I would get off and DH & JR would lift the chair up or down. I often rode in the street in the Old City when there were no cars - traffic here was one-way so a bit easier to manage.

Taxi prices - all in USD - $20 from the port to the fort. $10 from the fort to the Old City, and $20 back to the fort.

Port 3 - Panama - I did NOT get off the ship this day. After a partial transit of the locks the ship anchored in Gatun Lake and anyone doing shore excursions was tendered via ship lifeboats to shore.

Port 4 - Limon, Costa Rica - the boys went on a zipline excursion, and so the rest of us stayed at the port area. Upon debarking the ship there is a paved area that takes you into the shopping market. There were about 50 stalls featuring local crafts, souvenirs, and coffee. This was easily manageable with the scooter.

Port 5 - Grand Cayman - there were very large waves/swells this day, so the ship did not anchor near Georgetown. Instead, we anchored off the south side of the island and tendered into a small dock. We used regular tenders (not the ship lifeboats).

Upon exiting you go up a hill about 50 feet and into a fenced area where they had a few local vendors set up with tables, and taxis waiting. Most of the taxis here are the same 16 person mini-buses as Jamaica. Our driver was willing to put the scooter up by him. Later - other drivers were hesitant, as to them, it would take the place of a paying customer.

The mini bus/taxi drivers at the port and beach are not very good for GC's tourist image. They WILL NOT go anywhere until the entire bus is full of paying fares. While I understand the idea of makin the trip economical, we would have had a LOT of time to spend more money on the island if we hadn't waited so long. Overall, we spent over 1.5 hours in taxis waiting for them to fill up, and others we knew spent 2.5+.

The public beach has many sidewalks, and several wood plank walkways. I was able to ride the scooter all the way to the changing rooms/bathrooms. From there DH carried it over to the shade of a picnic area. We left it here in the shade so the battery didn't get overheated in the sun. We rented chairs and an umbrella and were only about 20 feet in front of the scooter. We were here on Sunday, so it was not crowded.

We then took a taxi into the Georgetown/port area to shop. The port itself was closed, as the waves were breaking over the dock where the tenders normally land. Some, but not all shops were open. Sidewalks and shops here were very scooter friendly and had lots of ramps, and racks were well placed to maneuver around.

Taxi prices here - all in USD PER PERSON - port to public beach - $8 each; beach to GT - $6 each; GT to the temporary port/ship - $8 each.

 

[EeyoreJMH]

We are back and had a great time! I wanted to put a synopsis on here of each port, and the excursions I did in each so if others are looking, they will have a better idea of the challenges in getting around at each port.

Port 1 - Falmouth, Jamaica - I did NOT take the scooter off the ship. I slowly (with breaks) made the trek to the bus area to catch our shuttle. We went to the Bamboo Beach Club, booking the excursion through the cruise line. We rode the mini bus to the club, it would have been tight to take the scooter onboard. These mini buses do NOT have underneath compartments like a regular bus. Once at the beach club it was close distances for me to walk, so all OK there.

Upon returning to the port DH borrowed a wheelchair from someone at the port so we could shop. The port area was a lot of cobblestones, so a bit awkward in a manual wheelchair. However this port area did have good ramps everywhere, and lots of places to stop and sit.

Port 2 - Cartagena, Colombia - I did use the scooter this day. If you've never been, the dock where cruise ships come is part of the shipping port, and is very busy with other work and equipment. Upon debarking the ship we were loaded into regular touring buses to go up to the taxi area. We were able to load the scooter into the bottom of the bus.

The busses take you up to the eco park area and taxi stands. This area was all very wheelchair friendly. There were many ramps and fairly smooth areas in wood planks and concrete. We took a taxi to the fort, and then another to the Walled/Old City. Taxi drivers here were plentiful and we were able to fit the scooter in the trunk of all. The fort was very steep, so DH had to push my scooter up several of the levels, but going down was easy.

Everywhere here was either cobblestone or concrete, and some areas with ramps in the sidewalks, many without. I'm mobile enough that I would get off and DH & JR would lift the chair up or down. I often rode in the street in the Old City when there were no cars - traffic here was one-way so a bit easier to manage.

Taxi prices - all in USD - $20 from the port to the fort. $10 from the fort to the Old City, and $20 back to the fort.

Port 3 - Panama - I did NOT get off the ship this day. After a partial transit of the locks the ship anchored in Gatun Lake and anyone doing shore excursions was tendered via ship lifeboats to shore.

Port 4 - Limon, Costa Rica - the boys went on a zipline excursion, and so the rest of us stayed at the port area. Upon debarking the ship there is a paved area that takes you into the shopping market. There were about 50 stalls featuring local crafts, souvenirs, and coffee. This was easily manageable with the scooter.

Port 5 - Grand Cayman - there were very large waves/swells this day, so the ship did not anchor near Georgetown. Instead, we anchored off the south side of the island and tendered into a small dock. We used regular tenders (not the ship lifeboats).

Upon exiting you go up a hill about 50 feet and into a fenced area where they had a few local vendors set up with tables, and taxis waiting. Most of the taxis here are the same 16 person mini-buses as Jamaica. Our driver was willing to put the scooter up by him. Later - other drivers were hesitant, as to them, it would take the place of a paying customer.

The mini bus/taxi drivers at the port and beach are not very good for GC's tourist image. They WILL NOT go anywhere until the entire bus is full of paying fares. While I understand the idea of makin the trip economical, we would have had a LOT of time to spend more money on the island if we hadn't waited so long. Overall, we spent over 1.5 hours in taxis waiting for them to fill up, and others we knew spent 2.5+.

The public beach has many sidewalks, and several wood plank walkways. I was able to ride the scooter all the way to the changing rooms/bathrooms. From there DH carried it over to the shade of a picnic area. We left it here in the shade so the battery didn't get overheated in the sun. We rented chairs and an umbrella and were only about 20 feet in front of the scooter. We were here on Sunday, so it was not crowded.

We then took a taxi into the Georgetown/port area to shop. The port itself was closed, as the waves were breaking over the dock where the tenders normally land. Some, but not all shops were open. Sidewalks and shops here were very scooter friendly and had lots of ramps, and racks were well placed to maneuver around.

Taxi prices here - all in USD PER PERSON - port to public beach - $8 each; beach to GT - $6 each; GT to the temporary port/ship - $8 each.

This is a wonderfully detailed review! So glad it seems like it was an enjoyable time!