From Denise: Cruising with My Travelscoot

We just returned from our transatlantic cruise on the Carnival Dream. This was the first time I used my Travelscoot on a trip and let me say that the Travelscoot far exceeded my expectations. We christened my Scoot “The Silver Chariot” when in Rome.

Though I have both the SLA and Li-lon battery we decided to travel with only the Li-lon battery. I am so happy I left the heavier battery home as I NEVER ran out of power. At first I charged the battery every night but eventually I only charged every other night and I never got low on power. Also, on many of my tours there were steep grades and hills. Though I am a queen sized gal at almost 250 pounds I never overheated the battery. But I always made sure I got a good running start whenever I could.

I never had to fold down the Scoot the whole trip, except for the trip home from the airport as my son-in-law’s vehicle was too small for it and our luggage. On the trip to the airport in my daughter’s van we were able to keep it set up.

I had booked this cruise long before I had the scooter so we had a non-handicapped cabin. Though the cabin door was too narrow to drive through it was VERY easy get it into the cabin. First off, the room steward said it would be OK to leave it in the hall in front of my door if I wanted. We did this during the day when we would come back to the room for anything or to take an afternoon nap or get ready for dinner. Then in the evening when we were “in for the night”, my hubby would get the back end and I would hold the front handle bars and he would just tip the back wheels a tad and it would make it through the door way. Eventually we would take the seat and battery off and he could get it in without my assistance. I didn’t try this myself but I think I could have done it on my own if need be. The Scoot didn’t take up any room in the cabin even thought we kept it completely set up.

As for leaving the Scoot when parked since it doesn’t have a key, this was never a problem. Sometimes I would park right inside the dining room, off to the side, other times out in the hallway leading to the dining room and no one ever bothered the Scoot. But, this cruise only had about 40 passengers under the age of 18 and very few teens or pre-teens who might be tempted to take a “joy ride”. Even in Spain when we went to lunch in two ports of call I left the Scoot just outside the front door with no problem as the staff and I could keep an eye on it. I had purchased a retractable bike cable to “chain” it if needed.

http://www.magellans.com/store/Safety___Security___Luggage_Locks___TagsSL104?Args=

The Scoot did wonderful over the cobblestones of Rome and all our Ports-of-Call in Spain (Barcelona; Malaga; Palma de Mallorca; Gran Canaries). In Rome we did an all day Highlight’s of Rome tour and the company had a mini van and the Scoot fit in the back without folding it down. The only sight I couldn’t participate in was the Catacombs but there were beautiful grounds to enjoy while the rest of the group went down into the caves. All our other tours were by motor coach and it went easily into the luggage compartment. King’s Wharf in Bermuda was easy to get around on the Scoot and we took the ferry over to St. Georges with no problem. St. Georges was a little more challenging getting around as it is a very quaint village and the sidewalks very narrow. We had been there before so I really didn’t feel like I missed anything as I was able to get around the waterfront area with ease and we had a nice waterfront lunch and shopping. I am sure if we had decided to go into Hamilton it would have been more user friendly. Oh, in Mallorca we took the antique train to Soller and though the Scoot couldn’t fit in the passenger car, they either put it in the caboose or the engine with no problem (I am actually not sure which of the two they took it too)….the beauty of the Scoot being so light.

I wish I had a batch of business cards for Travelscoot….it was a big hit with other passengers aboard the ship. Everyone wanted to know about it. I had a lot of envious looks from folks with mobility issues that were using canes or crutches.

I will attach a link to some of the pictures we took of me and my Scoot on tour. I was disappointed that I didn’t get more pictures in Rome…..my camera battery went dead and I had left the spare in the hotel room. Unfortunately since I am the chief photographer in the family there aren’t many of the Scoot anyway. But this might give you an idea on what to expect. I am so happy I purchased the Travelscoot as it gave me the freedom to get around that I wouldn’t have had without it.

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/nieciez/TravelScoot#

Live from the Carnival Dream in Barcelona!

Taken at the Freixzenet Winery in Barcelona

From Debbie:

I am coming to you live from aboard the Carnival Dream docked today in Barcelona. I wanted to share with you and your bloggers my experiences so far with my Travelscoot. It has worked out extremely well for me on this trip and I am so glad I purchased my silver “Chariot” which is what we’ve come to call her .

We had no problems with United Airlines and the batter issue that I feared. I decided to only travel with my standard sized Li-ion and bring both it and the SLA to keep weight down. When asked by United staff on what kind of battery it was I just said oh, I don’t know, it is a sealed kind that is approved for airline travel by DOT and that worked. I drove it down the jet way and they carried it to the luggage area for me. When we arrived in Rome the baggage handlers took it to baggage claims and not the gate but they radioed someone to bring it back and that went smoothly.

We were only spending two days in Rome before boarding out cruise ship. We arrived in Rome early the first day so we didn’t do much due to jet lag except explore the streets and area around our hotel. The Scoot did well over the uneven pavement and was easy to lift down and over curbs. Our second day we had a “Highlights of Rome” tour booked and we wouldn’t have been more pleased on how well the Scoot did over the cobblestones at the Vatican, the Colosseum, Tivoli Fountain; Parthenon etc.. It was a real joy to ride all through St. Peter’s Square and St. Peter’s Basilica as I would never have been able to do this under my own steam. The only stop that I was not able to participate in was the Catacombs but they had wonderful gardens that I was able to enjoy. The tour operator had a 8 passenger van that had room for luggage in the back and we could lift the scoot in and out at all stops.

My “Chariot” has been perfect for getting around the Carnival Dream which is Carnival’s new mega ship at 135,000 tons. This ship has a wonderful wrap-around promenade which we’ve enjoyed taking “strolls” around. I am getting many questions about the Travelscoot and a lot of thumbs up for it’s design. Thanks Hardy!

Today we did a tour of the Freixenet winery and once again the Travelscoot was my perfect companion. Luckily for me the winery is very handicapped friendly. I was able to use an elevator to reach all 4 levels of the cellars. Fascinating tour. From what I’ve learned, Barcelona is a very friendly city for the handicapped.

So, this is where I leave off for now. All aboard has just been called and we will be setting sail for our next port of call, Palma De Mallorca where we have booked a tour of Valldemossa, Deia & Soller. I hope we have as much freedom here as we’ve had so far…..

Ciao for now!