I was initially against the idea, but am now all for it. We'll bring an aide for support, but I'd like some suggestions on the best way to go about such a trip. Ideally I"m thinking no more than 4 days, and that might be too much for them. Still I want to help them feel like they're not "stuck" in one place and that they'll be in the ALF until then end, without any other fun time outside. Trips to doctors and short local car rides just don't cut it.
Has anyone taken their elderly parents on a cruise?
Practice dry runs to determine if you need anything besides what you plan to take...i.e., Carla mentions some specifically difficult areas... if you plan out everything from getting out of a car to boarding to getting around the ship to exiting it, and address potential issues now, it won't be a surprise or shock if it does happen.
One thing to consider instead of a walker is a rollator. We got one for Dad and he uses it more than his walker now. It offers more stability as well as a seat with a basket underneath for bringing books, bottled water, etc. Dad takes his down to the lake, sits on it and watches the swimmers and boaters for awhile, then wheels it home.
It's sturdier than a walker and much easier to push. He can walk faster than me with his rollator.
Think of all possibilities, plan alternates and how your parents and you could address them beforehand so there are no unpleasant surprises. Eg., they might want to go out for breakfast but take lunch in since it will be hotter and they might benefit from a rest.
And of course take backup medication.
Senior centers and some localities plan trips, sometimes day trips. I don't know if they plan cruises, but if they did, your parents would be in the company of others their age (although that can sometimes be a disadvantage if people want to talk about their illnesses) so the sponsor would have to be aware of mobility limitations.
There are risks in taking elderly people on a cruise. I'm inclined to say, mitigate the risks as best you can, plan carefully, and then go have fun. It would be "safer" to keep Mom and Dad quietly in their assisted living community, playing bingo and watching travel videos. But safety isn't the only consideration. If they are capable of a taking a cruise that would be a wonderful, meaningful source of memories for the rest of their lives, when maybe they really do need to stay home and play bingo.
On the ship, it was a very long trek to the dining room and most of the other activities on the ship. This limited us somewhat - a few times we had meals brought to our room because the walk was too much for her. I don't think we did any other activities either. They gave us a free upgrade so we had an outside cabin with a balcony, so Mom mostly just stayed there and watched the world go by. She also had a lot of trouble boarding the ship when we got off for day trips. The ship had a long ramp up as well as the stairs, but even that was very hard on her. Unless it's a small ship as freqflyer says, I'd suggest two aides - one for each person. And both bring wheelchairs as well as walkers.
But your parents are mobile and you don't mention cognitive problems. Go for it!
I traveled with my husband, in his late seventies and eighties -- not terribly old, but with dementia, which sure alters things! For what turned out to be our final cruise, he wanted to stay within the US, because he was strongly wanting to donate his brain for research and he was afraid that might not be possible if he died abroad. (Yes, he had dementia, but he was very clear-minded about some things, and this was one of them.) We found a cruise around Lake Michigan! Terrific! This was a very small ship. It was so small that wheelchairs didn't work on the ship, but we could use one on all excursions.
Earlier we took two cruises to Alaska -- one on a "floating city" ship, and one with about 100 passengers. Each has its own advantages. The huge ships are likely to have medical staff aboard, and plenty of things to do right on the ship. It is a nice vacation even if you don't have the energy some days to go ashore. They are more apt to be handicap accessible. A small ship is less overwhelming and easier to get to know fellow-passengers.
A river cruise or a lake cruise in the US has an advantage of always being fairly close to a port in case of a various serious medical emergency.
Do consider how you to and from the departure point. Until the last cruise we always flew, and my husband was up to that. But the Lake Michigan trip we could go by car and allowed plenty of time for meal stops and breaks. That worked really well.
I am so glad your mom and dad will have an aide with them. Are you going, too? Have a great time!
Poor dad is depressed just being cooped up in ALF and mom will go anywhere dad wants. He's always talking about wanting to plan another cruise and they used to cruise frequently and enjoy it. The last few they never left the ship and enjoyed just the same (their choice and they went on their own then). Have talked with our "lead aide" and she's all for this. The two of us will go with mom and dad and make it a memory they will cherish! So... we are going for it, with all the terrific planning and prep suggestions that everyone has mentioned here. It may take us a few months to coordinate my own work schedule, but we'll get there.
Thank you all so much for all your ideas and support! This is a fabulous service site.
Also, go to the SEARCH SITE in the upper right corner and type in "cruise", and also try "vacations" in the mean time until others here on the forum can give you their experiences on cruises.
It sounds like a great idea if the cruise boat isn't one of those floating cities, as getting from one side of the boat to the other might be very tiresome for your parents, where a small ship like seen on the old TV show "Love Boat", would be a better fit.
It's a good point about the health coverage, too. We didn't consider that, and luckily neither of us got sick when I went to Alaska with my Mom.
I especially like the idea of creating memories. Be sure to take a lot of photos and create a memory photo album - it'll be nice to review later, especially in the wintertime.
You've helped demonstrate that with a lot of suggestions and creativity and foresight on your part, elders with health issues can still take enjoyable vacations. That's a good lesson for me to remember.
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