[Blindtlk] OT Cruise Focus Group

Sun Jan 24 20:48:04 UTC 2016

Albert does not say whom one should contact if they are interested in
participating in this focus group, or by when in January one should
respond... Do you know Sheryl?

-----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
Cc: Ericka
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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