Hi a friend of mine is going on a cruise to Hawaii and needs a wheelchair while going off the ship. I was surprised to hear that the cruise ship did not offer a chair. Can you bring your own? at no extra charge?

Yes - you would have to.

I'm uneasy that some lines don't offer wheelchairs. I'd find it even more unsettling if they wanted to charge you extra to bring one on board. No, there's no charge to bring your own, you'll see many, including the electric powered type and scooters.

You may want to reserve a handicapped cabin. If your friend can verify that he/she's handicapped, you should also request a handicapped cabin to accomidate the chair, etc.

They reserve these rooms for people just like your friend and you to use.
Have fun! And oh, bye the way, all newer ships are barrier free, unlike the old liners of the past where you could not get a wheelchair thru the doors, etc.

As an RN who works with those with disabilities, I think the reason cruise lines don't provide w/c is that it is presumed if you need one, you have one. Also, w/c are not a one-size fits all item. Except for very short distances (like those used for hospital transport), an individual's wheelchair has been fit on many dimensions plus has seating designed for that specific person.

I am sure ships have a small number of w/c for emergency use on the ship, but does not seem practical or reasonable to have a storage room of wheelchairs.

I know nothing of cruises to Hawaii, but if trips off ship involve tenders, that would be an issue for the wheelchair as some of these on some cruise lines are not easily accessible to w/c or those with mobility issues.

Halsar,

A neighbor of mine cruised to Hawaii on Holland America. He uses a walker at home, but wanted the security of a wheelchair on the ship. They did arrange for a wheelchair for his use while on board.

Didn't the cruise line offer to arrange a rental? I would be surprised if they simply said no.

HI,

They were able to get a rental for $250. I think this was maybe for just one excursion. It was through an outside company that would bring the wheelchair to the ship and pick it up on return. Anyway, they have got a walker that has a seat if they need it and feel comefortable with that. I thank you allfor your posts.

This is quite different from our experience last year on our cruise with Princess to Alaska. The couple we traveled with have trouble walking (he uses a walker) and after a day or so onboard decided the trip would be much easier with the use of wheelchairs. My husband went to the Purser's desk and arranged to "borrow" two chairs for the duration of the cruise. To the best of my recollection all he paid was a deposit of about $50.00 for each chair, which was refunded when they were returned.

We tendered in Sitka and with the help of crew members had no problem getting the chairs onboard. On all port days our friends were assisted by crew down the gangplanks, etc. They were so kind and helpful with our friends that they began tipping those that assisted them.

This made the entire trip much more enjoyable for all of us. In addition, my husband and I didn't gain any weight because we were getting the exercise we needed by pushing our friends about in their chairs.

Hope you can work out something similar as it made all the difference for us.