[nagdu] Part 2 Questions for first time cruisers, also includes traveling with a guide dog and handling your diabetes while away.

[cheryl echevarria]

This is continuation from yesterday.

Please also remember to carry busy bags or whatever you use to clean up 
after your dog, since is your first time on a cruise, it will most likely be 
your dog's first time as well.  Please, remember if the dog has an accident 
and we all know when our dogs go to the bathroom, clean it up or ask for 
assistance the crew will help you, we need do not need others guests 
stepping into stuff as well.

Also make sure to try and break your dog the same schedule as at home as 
much as possible and do not give extra treats or food this will cause more 
busy breaks, and on vacation you don't want to be somewhere and you need to 
take the dog to bathroom.

While on the excursions you are going, there are many guided tours and that 
the tour guides are very descriptive of what they are telling you.

If you are traveling on the River Cruises through Europe and Asia other 
areas of the world, you know have the option to have headsets with 
descriptive narrations.  Especially on the more known river cruise lines.

Now some advice for Diabetics here.  Being a fellow diabetic as well as 
kidney transplant patient make sure, you also go to doctor, being diabetic 
you should be going every three months anyway, tell the doctor you are going 
away, tell him you want to make sure everything is all honkey dory here so 
you will not get sick on the cruise, the viruses that you hear so much about 
on the cruises, don't come from unclean ships, these viruses come from 
passengers that start off leaving there house with a cold and turns into 
something else, so make sure since we easily get sick and we can get sicker 
then others, just make sure you are okay.

Make sure you take all your medications with you, and pack more then just 
for the 7 days of your vacation. I actually know this from experience.  Yes, 
I know it is a pain, but even if you put your medication in a zip lock bag 
like it did, my 7 day box that I used opened and all my medications where 
all over the bags.  I now take my medicine bag with me, this is usually my 
carry on bag, in my tote bag, it also carries busy bags for guide dog, etc.

If you take insulin, use the travel pack and use the little cooler pack that 
comes with it, if you are flying the day of the cruise, you insulin does not 
have to be refrigerated if you are traveling and it is 90 degrees out you 
will want to use the cooler bag insulin does go bad in very warm weather.

Also on the cruise ships, each stateroom has a fridge for your meds, just 
double check with your travel specialist and let them know you will need one 
in there so that you use it, there is no extra charges for this.

Another thing when traveling with your guide dog, at the airports now they 
have areas for your guide dog to go to the bathroom, and please ask the 
customer service desk or the person at the gate of the airlines you are 
using and not a security person, as we all know they don't always know.


Okay what you need to know about booking.  When is the best time to book for 
a cruise, when you thinking of doing it, cruising is the no 1 form of travel 
in the US.  And the best time to book with the best rates of the year is 
October, it is the beginning of cruise season and we have in the business 
World Cruise Night which used to be just October 13th, but now with the 
internet it is called virtual cruise line month started by CLIA which is 
Cruise Lines International Association, http://www.cruising.org

All of the cruise lines have the best offers for the year here. From 
Upgrades to onboard credit and reduced deposits.

Try to book at least 6 months out, but if you want and have the time book 
whenever you want.  But if you are on a budget I recommend at least 6 months 
to a year, you will need to put a deposit and then you can pay monthly up to 
75 days prior to sailing you need to be paid in full.  Yes, you need a 
passport not for the cruise lines themselves but for the islands you are 
going to and that is only for an emergency, especially if you have a medical 
condition.

Also travel insurance way important as well, never know if you get sick, a 
death in the family, loss of a job, etc.  and from a travel insurance 
company and not the cruise lines they do not offer 100% return of your 
money, again if you have pre-existing conditions a must, if you have kids 
they are free under your plan.

For continuation since I do not want to write a book here please go to 
echevarriatravel.wordpress.com or signup on my yahoo group page, which is 
listed below

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.

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