[Diabetes-talk] Question about First Time Cruising, activies, food, and guide dogs and caring for your diabetes

Sun Sep 12 12:21:21 UTC 2010

> I am posting this to multiple lists by request, since people have said 
> they
> don't want to go to yahoo to read up on this.  So please forgive multiple 
> posts.
>
> And yes this is relevant blindness, guide dogs, travel, if you are 
> diabetic and need to know about the food and how you can take care of your 
> diabetes while away.
>
> Also if you have questions, please wait until I finish posting today. I 
> will send e-mail when I have finished so you can make comments or e-mail 
> me off list.
>
> Thank you.
>
> > This is the full e-mail that I have started yesterday.
> >
> > Again, I plan on adding more today, so please hold off on comments until 
> > I am finished, to add things or to possibly correct me on some things.
> >
> > > Well for first time cruises especially with a guide dog, if people do 
> > > not mind me posting this here, I have also posted it on NAGDU before, 
> > > but I will post again.
> > >
> > > First Time Cruisers.  Which up until last year I had not been on one 
> > > myself, and for what the price is it is totally worth it.  You get 
> > > your stateroom, food, entertainment, many ports of call depending on 
> > > how long you want to cruise for, I am currently booked on the 
> > > Norwegian Epic - Yes, Norwegian for those skeptics and yes I am 
> > > brining my guide dog,  I am very close with the Access Department with 
> > > them, and they have come a long way with people that are blind and 
> > > guide dogs, plus they have on ever single cruise now, and accessible 
> > > department and you will know who the contact person is on the ship 
> > > when you get at least 60 days prior to sailing.
> > >
> > > Okay, back to the cruise itself.  Depending on where you want to go 
> > > from, you have many choices now and not just from Florida or 
> > > California any more, within the US you can travel from Boston, NY, 
> > > Philadelphia, South Carolina, Alabama, Fl, New Orleans, Texas, and of 
> > > course Washington State and Alaska.
> > >
> > > Plus you can cruise to anywhere in the world you want to go including 
> > > the River Cruises of the Mississippi, Europe, Asia, and if really 
> > > daring Antarctica which will halt in 2012.
> > >
> > > Also you have to think about where you want to go, because some places 
> > > you just can't say I want to go to Canada from Fl, you have to fly to 
> > > NY.
> > >
> > > But you can go to Mexico, Caribbean, South America, Canada, Alaska, 
> > > the Panama Canal, even transatlantic cruise or even World Cruises.
> > >
> > > I am going to skip around a little here.
> > >
> > > When you finally know where you want to go and have talked with an 
> > > actual travel professional, and not just read something online, it is 
> > > not the same thing, sometimes you want to know someone who has taken 
> > > the time to travel or study about the different locations and the 
> > > different cruise lines, such as myself to make sure you are going to 
> > > do and see what you pay to do, and you want to travel with your guide 
> > > dog, here is what you want to do.  First, remember you need to take 
> > > your dogs food, bowls, and pack like you were going to visit somewhere 
> > > for 3 through 7 days just as an example here.  Make sure you package 
> > > everything, but even before doing that. Tell your travel professional 
> > > (little ole me) that you are bringing you guide dog, I will let you 
> > > ask you, well what do you want in the box for your dog, some cruise 
> > > lines offer from wood chips to imitation grass, but you need to let us 
> > > know, you just can't just show up with the dog and you didn't let the 
> > > cruise lines know. Yes, they will allow you to bring the dog no matter 
> > > what, but to make you and your furry pal comfortable you need to do 
> > > this.
> > >
> > > you also need to make sure that you dog is up to date on his shots, 
> > > make a visit to your vet at least 4-6 weeks prior to sailing and get a 
> > > copy of the recent vaccinations, also ask the travel agent what is 
> > > needed when entering the country you are visiting, like in Nassau in 
> > > the Bahamas, you need to fill out a form and get a special certificate 
> > > from the Bahamas, I do have the forms since I have taken Maxx there 
> > > before, it is free for someone with a service animal, but if you were 
> > > just brining a dog or cat in the country you need to pay a $10 
> > > processing fee.
> > >
> > > So it is a good idea to ask the travel agent, someone that is familiar 
> > > with accessibility in the area you are traveling to, I am also have 
> > > been helping NAGDU update there website to put things up on there, but 
> > > they have most of the countries and the laws and contacts, but if you 
> > > are still not sure, especially about the travel forms just let me 
> > > know.
> > >
> > >
> > > But getting back to the cruise once on board, there will be a box and 
> > > area designated to the dog, no they are not allowed to put the box in 
> > > your stateroom they are small enough and unhealthy to be in your 
> > > stateroom.  So if this comes up contact the access desk or call your 
> > > travel agent asap to handle this.  Again, this is where having a 
> > > travel agent, and not an employee of the cruise line anywhere involved 
> > > we will call the cruise lines and handle everything for you.
> > >
> > > This is going to get a little long, so if you want to continue reading 
> > > please follow me onto yahoogroups or I also have 
> > > http://echevarriatravel.wordpress.com which is my blog for more on 
> > > this.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The biggest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my services!
> > >
> > > Cheryl Echevarria
> > > http://Echevarriatravel.com
> > > 1-866-580-5574
> > > Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
> > >
> > > Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel 
> > > CST-1018299-10
> > > Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and 
> > > Travel Inc.
> > >
> > > join my yahoogroup
> > > echevarriatravel-subscribe at yahoogroups.com
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "Elizabeth Rene" <emrene at earthlink.net>
> > > To: <blind-cooks at nfbnet.org>
> > > Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2010 4:28 PM
> > > Subject: [Blind-cooks] I'm here too
> > >
> > >
> > > >     Hi, Cheryl,
> > > >
> > > > I've been standing by, too, but have had nothing to write.
> > > >
> > > > But I think it would be great if you could throw together an article 
> > > > on the
> > > > choice of a first-time cruise for someone who loves to cook and eat.
> > > >
> > > > Are there cooking cruises out there?
> > > >
> > > > And would those ships welcome a blind cook, say with a guide dog?
> > > >
> > > > How should one prepare for such a cruise, or any first-time cruise?
> > > >
> > > > This might get people talking.
> > > >
> > > > Warm regards,
> > > >
> > > > Elizabeth
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Blind-cooks mailing list
> > > > Blind-cooks at nfbnet.org
> > > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-cooks_nfbnet.org
> > > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
> > > > for Blind-cooks:
> > > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blind-cooks_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com
> > > >
> >