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

Sun Sep 12 12:19:06 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
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > 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
> > >
> 