Maureen Wood was the first person in the world to buy a Kera Travel. In 2025 she and her husband Peter took it on a 21-day Cunard cruise on the Queen Elizabeth, and sent us their story.
Maureen has multiple sclerosis and gets around on her mobility scooter. She and Peter have four kids spread across the world, and a travel habit they have no intention of giving up. Before this trip they had already done five Royal Caribbean cruises.
“It is the easiest and best way to travel with a wheelchair or mobility scooter,” Maureen says.
The Kera came into their lives the usual way: an occupational therapist recommended the Kera sit2sit for transfers at home. The Kera Travel was different. When they heard a portable version was coming, they bought the first one ever sold, because they wanted to keep travelling and Maureen needed the Kera for every transfer along the way.
The logistics were simpler than most people would guess. The Kera Travel packed into its travel bag and rode on the passenger seat of their mobility van. Maureen drove up the van's ramp on her scooter. Two medium suitcases. That was it.
At Auckland Airport they went straight to the assisted passenger area. The scooter and the Kera went off to special handling with the prams, and Peter keeps the scooter's weight and battery details saved on his phone so there are no questions at the counter. “All done in 10 minutes. No queues.”
The only unpleasant part of the whole trip, Maureen says, was the narrow aisle chair used to board the plane. She has an idea about that: a Kera Travel with slightly bigger wheels could carry passengers from the door of the plane to their seat. “Every airline should have one,” she says. (Great idea, we’ll add that to our list of ideas for new products, thanks Maureen!)
On board, the Kera did what it does at home. “No surprises with the Kera. It worked beautifully in the bathroom, bedroom and lounge on the ship.”
Her advice for anyone who has put off travel because transfers feel too hard is simple: “Buy one and get used to it at home for a couple of months before you go.”
And because Maureen is a generous traveler, she sent tips too:
- Pack three tops for every bottom. Light but warm, because it is always cold at sea, even when it is hot on land.
- Plan your clothes so the colours go together.
- Skip the soft cover for the Kera on a cruise. If you are flying, fold the Kera down and wrap it tightly in plastic instead. If you are boarding the ship directly, it pushes straight up the gangplank and into the accessible cabin.
What's next for the Woods?
“Roll on 2027,” Maureen says, when Auckland's new cruise terminal opens.
The Kera Travel weighs 21 kg and packs into a carry case for flights, cruises and road trips. If transfers are the thing standing between you and a trip, talk to us at htsystems.co.nz.
