[Travelandtourism] Cruise Lines and the Blind

[Maryann Migliorelli]

Greetings fellow listers,

I am not a travel agent, but I can share a little about cruising with my
guide dogs.  I have been cruising for more than ten years on Carnival,
Celebrity, and Costa Cruiselines with different guide dogs.  I also planned
and was the group leader for the first Colorado cruise to the Caribbean
which had about one hundred passengers in our group.  They have all
accommodated them well both on the ships and off.  Generally it's better to
plan on doing a little bit of education onboard so that the staff
understands what will be comfortable for you and your dog.  I have always
saught out the guest relations manager or the hotel manager and have
confirmed my needs with them.  They have always been willing to accommodate
my request for a quiet spot on an unused portion of the deck where I could
parc my dog and for a small wastebasket in which to deposit the refuce.  
I have occasionally chosen to leave my dogs in my cabin, tied up, alone but
have given the attendant instructions not to feed or loose the dog.  It has
always worked out well for me, but that does depend on the dog and on how
well it behaves when left alone.
I have occasionally had to politely refuse offers of prime rib from the head
chefs and volunteers from the ships' crews to walk and care for my dogs.

On another note, most of the cruiselines will send you daily itineraries and
menus by email before your trip if you ask for them in advance.  Be aware
though that some of the offerings can be changed from your documents due to
unforeseen changes on your specific cruise.  
I have never had much trouble asking waiters to read each day's menu while
on the ships, though I do recommend asking for them to read course by course
and selecting each course as it's read.  For me, it's much easier selecting
from a few things at a time than trying to remember everything I want by the
end of the reading.  It's just my preference, but most people who have
traveled with me seem to like doing it this way as well.

I apologize for the length of this post, but I hope it helps.  If anyone
needs some extra help or conversation about cruising, please email me at
mrsmigs at migliorelli.org

Respectfully,
Maryann Migliorelli