[Blindtlk] OT Cruise Focus Group

Sun Jan 24 20:37:29 UTC 2016

Thank you Ericka:

We will be moving to Florida in the coming months, but we will still be in
business, since all work is done from home. I will try and contact you off
list.

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ericka via
blindtlk
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2016 3:03 PM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Ericka <dotwriter1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] OT Cruise Focus Group

I have never been on a cruise but I thank you for all your hard work Cheryl.
I know you work on other tours as well which I may be interested in when I
have some money to spend. :-) 

Ericka Short
"Friends are like flowers in the garden of life"

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 24, 2016, at 10:50 AM, Cheryl Echevarria via blindtlk
<blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Oops sorry, you may get this more than once, because I had sent this 
> from my business email and not my registered email with nfbnet.org
> 
> 
> 
> I had accidentally deleted this email when it was first posted. 
> Sometimes this happens.
> 
> 
> 
> I wanted to reply to this email that Albert Rizzi has posted about the 
> cruise focus group. This is a great idea, Albert!
> 
> 
> 
> We also need your help meaning clients.
> 
> 
> 
> As you may or may not know, not only am I the President of the NFB's 
> Travel & Tourism Division, but I own my own travel agency. I ask this 
> all the time when my clients return from their trips: How was your 
> trip? Did it meet your expectations? Did you have any access issues? 
> Some may say, it was great, I was able to play my bingo cards (no 
> offense really) no I don't say that to my clients, but they think if  they
can play bingo that is a great cruise.
> Many will be honest and tell me no, there was no one to answer our 
> questions on the ships, no one understood what I meant when I wanted 
> someone to show me how to prepare for the muster drills (lifeboat 
> drills); or  I couldn't get anyone to read to me the activities on the 
> ship because they were too busy, or I couldn't go on any excursions 
> because they wouldn't take a blind person (this part has to do with 
> work with someone who can book you with activities of the ship, who 
> can help you then the cruise lines). Some don't say anything, and wait 
> until I read it on Facebook that it was a terrible trip. Then I call 
> them, and ask them, why didn't they let me know. The answer is always, 
> well you cannot fix it, I said, yes we can if we know about it.
> 
> 
> 
> I do a lot of advocating as well, with the cruise lines, with the help 
> of people like Andrew Stuarts - President and COO and Cathy Vazquez - 
> Access Manager of Norwegian Cruise Lines; Vicki Freed - Senior Vice 
> President, Sales, Trade Support and Service
> 
> Royal Caribbean International; and more recently Ken Muscat - 
> Executive Vice President at MSC Cruises USA Inc.; these cruise lines 
> have come to the table with myself and other travel professionals who 
> are disabled and service the disabled community. If you do not see any 
> other names here out of the other 100s of cruise lines, many do not 
> want to come to the table and talk about it.
> 
> 
> 
> Recently, I had a face-to-face conversation with Ms. Cathy Vazquez and Mr.
> Andrew Garnett (who attended the Travel & Tourism Division meeting 
> back in
> 2014) on the Inaugural Sailing of Norwegian's Newest Ship "Escape" out 
> of Miami, back in early November 2015. That information will be 
> published in the Braille Monitor, February Edition, Monitor Miniatures
area.
> 
> 
> 
> We had discussion on braille, on them bringing back the braille 
> printers on all of the ships, I had showed them that their app  that 
> is available to the customers were not fully accessible to the blind, 
> I showed them the issues with signage and that their wall monitors for 
> events and dining were not accessible on the ship, and that I also 
> showed them the KNFB Reader, since I do use this as well.
> 
> 
> 
> Also with the help of CLIA - Cruise Lines International Association, 
> description of  this organization is below, which I have been a member 
> of since 2009 and earn my Accredited Cruise Counsellor certification 
> back in 2011. CLIA is working with us (meaning travel professionals on 
> a forum for these issues. This is the organization not only for the 
> travel professionals but they are their for the consumers, but the 
> louder noise does come from us, because we service you every day.
> 
> 
> 
> Why do I mention this, is because, not only am I disabled, but I am 
> also a traveler, and I have to know this information for you my customers.
> 
> 
> 
> We also need more and more travel professionals who are blind, the 
> other disabled communities are not always on the up and up for all 
> access, they mostly worry about wheelchair accessibility in this 
> industry as well. If you were at last year's National Convention, I 
> was part of the Jobs Seeker Seminar that Dick Davis and others 
> arranged, to let you all know that this industry whether you are a 
> travel professional or a Maintenance Professional is a Trillion Dollar
industry.
> 
> 
> 
> I am getting too long winded now, but I am working hard, and there are 
> others working hard out there to change these situations. You may not 
> see it, right now, but at least with the cruise lines above that I 
> mentioned they are getting better.
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> 
> 
> Cheryl Echevarria - National Federation of the Blind - Member since 
> 2006
> 
> President, NFB Travel & Tourism Division
> 
> Vice President, NFB of NY - Greater Long Island Chapter
> 
> 631-236-5138
> 
> cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Friends and Colleagues,
> 
> 
> 
> Have you ever taken a cruise before? Did you ever want to share your 
> personal stories about your experiences with the right people? Would 
> you like to be part of a focus group with the leading cruise line in 
> the world to discuss all the wonderful things that made your 
> experiences memorable, as well as offer experiential suggestions on 
> how to improve things going forward?
> 
> If you are interested in offering constructive insights into the needs 
> of the blind and visually impaired community, then please reach out to 
> My Blind Spot at albert at MyBlindSpot.org<mailto:albert at 
> MyBlindSpot.org> with your contact information, and include the number of
cruises you have taken.
> It does not matter what cruise line you prefer, what matters is you're 
> firsthand experience traveling on cruises that will make the 
> difference in the selection criteria for this group. This initial 
> group will most likely be comprised of no more than 10 to 15 qualified 
> travelers. All interested participants should express their interests 
> in participating no later than Friday, January
> 
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