[Blindtlk] how many of you have been on cruises and what was your experience?

Wed Aug 4 16:00:16 UTC 2010

If this is a Kid Rock Cruise (who ever hi (I guess it's a he) is) (no, don't tell me, I'm happy in my ignorance) there will probably be a reception. Be pro-active. When you meet him, gently remind him that if he doesn't speak to you, you won't know he's there. Because this is a closed environment, he can't get away from you entirely. Please remember that he, like all of us, likes to get away from people too, and although he is on the cruise, and probably being paid, he's going to want to get away from all you admiring fans. 

Now about luggage. You will probably either get in the mail, or print out luggage tags for your bags. Mine were in the cabin when I got there the first time, and arrived with me the second. We came on board around 1:00, and, since they were cleaning cabins, we kept our bags with us. On the first cruise (western Caribbean) our bags were all taken to customs, and we had to hunt them. On the second, we took our bags off ourselves. If you can, I highly recommend this practice.

Next cruise is over Christmas. Some friends and we are going out of New Orleans to Casamel, and then the Bahamas. My wife thinks that it's the only way to take a vacation.

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chasity Jackson
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 10:41 AM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] how many of you have been on cruises and what was your experience?

David,
That's great you have been on two and are preparing for your third. I hear you about the expense of the excursions. To be perfectly honest with you, I'm sure I will find an exciting excursion and I'll love it, but I am not going on this cruise because I want to be in Cozumel. I couldn't care less if the boat just went in circles. LOL. I am just going because it is a Kid Rock cruise, and Kid Rock will be on the boat the entire time. He walks around the boat the entire time like a regular every day person, available to chat with folks.

One thing that concerns me is that because I can't see him, that my opportunities to walk up to him or talk to him will be less than the opportunities of other people who can see where he is. I have met him already over the years, but I love any opportunity to talk to him, and I worry about how I will find him, or perhaps not finding him at all on the cruise. I'm not your typical go with the flow type of girl either. LOL. I already know I'll be ancy and searching him out during the entire cruise. I just want my opportunities to have daily encounters and chats with him to be equal to that of others who said they saw or chatted with him multiple times, and I worry that because I won't see him, in that type of environment,  that I won't know where he is.

David, how long did it take you to get your suitcase? Did you have trouble with suitcases getting lost or anything like that? How long after you boarded the ship did you get your luggage?

I'm glad to know people's concerns about taking private buses, and am glad to be informed about the experiences others have had in the past with this.

Where is your third cruise going and how long of a cruise is it?

Glad to know that waiters and waitresses are helpful about reading the menu. 
And thank you for the suggestion about having someone read the daily events that will occur. I had no idea about that. Thanks for pointing that out to me. Learning things like that makes me glad I posted on this list too, to hear from others about cruises in general, and not just the guide dog list about guide dog issues.

Feel free to tell me more as you think of anything else. Thanks a lot for informing me about everything.
Chasity
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hyde, David W. (ESC)" <david.hyde at wcbvi.k12.wi.us>
To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 8:14 AM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] how many of you have been on cruises and what was your experience?

> My wife and I have done two, and getting ready for a third. I had 
> absolutely no problems. Waiters are more than willing to read menus. 
> You may want to have someone read the daily paper that comes out 
> giving information about activities. The contests, like trivia dealing 
> with sports etc. were not accessible, but I found people more than 
> willing to read them if asked. As Cheryl said, shore excursions are 
> expensive. We did them on the first cruise (Caribbean) and not on the 
> second (Mexico.) We had just as much fun grabbing a bus or a cab from 
> the peer and going down town and exploring. Forget carnival rides, a 
> bus in Porta Viarta is an experience.
>
> The last one we went on was a Carnival cruise, as is the next one. 
> They were very relaxed, always something going on, great activities 
> for children. Just remember that tourists are merely mobile devices 
> for dispensing money to locals, and enjoy.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
> On Behalf Of Chasity Jackson
> Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2010 4:27 PM
> To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [Blindtlk] how many of you have been on cruises and what was 
> your experience?
>
> Hi listers. I was just wondering how many of you have been on cruises, 
> and what your experience has been in general when on board and ashore? 
> My friend Terry and I are going on a cruise next April 7 through the 
> 11, with rock star Kid Rock, who I have been following from state to 
> state for the last 9 years. It is a four day cruise that leaves from 
> New Orleans and goes to Cozumel. Cozumel is our only port of call. The 
> cruise is put on through Sixthman but the ship is provided by 
> Carnival. The ship name is the Triumph. It is their largest ship. I 
> was just wondering if others have been on that particular ship for 
> other cruises in the past. If so, did you have trouble navigating it 
> or did you find it relatively easy? When you disembarked from the ship 
> and went sightseeing at your port of call, did you choose to take one 
> of the excursions they offered and go with a group, or did you make 
> other plans? How did you find your experiences traveling in another 
> country? I have never been on a cruise, let alone overseas period. So 
> I'm just taking these 8 months before the cruise and doing research, 
> getting all my ducks in a row, so to speak. And I just thought it would be nice to get as many experiences and perspectives as possible.
> I asked about cruises on the guide dog list, but that was simply to 
> get the perspective of a guide dog owner, to see if there were any 
> difficulties, etc. So now I am asking in general how many of you have 
> been on cruises and what your experiences were, just to get a general 
> idea, to hear others' viewpoints and to perhaps learn things I have 
> not yet thought about.
>
> I recently received a 90 something page booklet from Carnival 
> detailing things that sailors should know before they cruise, which I 
> found very helpful. So I just thought I'd pose this question and see 
> what other people have experienced.
>
> Thanks.
> Chasity
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