CalgaryMac

I am on Xarelto partly because it doesn't require the testing. Not needing to schedule testing is a bonus whether travelling or at home.

We never had to have suits when we were working so now we have no formal or semi formal attire. However, we were always allowed in to the dining rooms on formal nights - we did wear a collared shirt and long pants. Disney is pretty relaxed and friendly about formal dress. We have been on Princess Cruises and they are dictatorial about it.

On 1/24/2020 at 10:05 AM, Shmoo here said:

We've been on the wait list for early dining on at least 8 of our 12 cruises.  Only one didn't come through.  We were moved to early seating anywhere from 3 months out to 2 days before the cruise.

 

When you called and got put on the wait list did you mention that you were diabetic so that dining time is important?

 

Yes, Christmas cruises can book up quite fast.  And will have lots of kids on them, so many people want the early dining with kids.

So there is hope. I did me3ntion that I was diabetic and at the time that I called the agent suggested that might add some importance to changing to the early seating.

Not only is it important to have travel/health insurance it is important to be honest about preconditions. It costs more money but when you could have your coverage cancelled should any preconditions be discovered (and not reported) it is far cheaper.

Hi fellow Canuck! There are lot's of choices here. Lately we have purchasing health/travel insurance though Royal Bank Insurance but we have also used insurance through the motor association in our province. 

You might want to consider the Disney Wonder. We have taken it on a full transit previously and will be doing the cruise again at the end of 2020.

We were concerned on our last cruise through the Panama Canal as the itinerary called for a stop in Nicaragua. It was during a time when there were anti-government  protests and violence. The cruise line intended to stop despite this but in the end we did not stop there because the winds were so bad that the captain didn't think that it was safe to dock. So we cruised slowly to the next stop.

We had decided to stay on the ship given that the situation could be fluid and you never know what could happen.

We have been on 2 Panama Canal full transit cruises and both times we watched  from our mid-ship balcony. We enjoyed being able to watch the action of the locks from our balcony and we were reasonably close. For us the trains, lock gates, changing water levels, watching other ships transiting the canal, and all the activities needed to make it all happen is what we look for and maybe we have been lucky that our cabin has facilitated that.We have viewed the canal from the outside decks and perhaps that was best for pictures of the bridges on both ends of the canal. One of the most interesting views was from a lounge in the ship (about deck 6). As the water started to drain from the lock, the ship with the water level and we were able to watch the concrete walls of the lock appear and then disappear. To imagine that that concrete was 100 years old and still fulfilling its purpose was impressive.

We love the Panama Canal cruise - it is always interesting.

We have no children and have been on 2 prior Disney cruises. We just booked our third cruise so I would say that we loved our first cruises. The adult only area is quiet if the noise in the family areas gets too much but frankly the energy from the kids and their parents is infectious. We enjoyed watching some of the kids/parents contests during our first cruise.

Our last cruise was through the Panama Canal and this one is the same. There are fewer kids on the cruise I think because it is longer duration (2 weeks) and also doesn't coincide with vacation time.

We are going on a Panama Cruise on the Wonder in November 2020.  When I booked last week we were assigned to the Second Seating. I tried to change this to First Seating but was not able to and when I called the customer service agents I was told that the First Seating was full and that they would place me on a wait list. Wee have been on two prior Disney cruises and this was never an issue so I was surprised. We wanted this First Seating as the time is closer to my routine eating time and as I am diabetic I try to keep as close as possible to my usual eating schedule. While I know there are other fine options on the ship and we have the late dining time I am wondering whether this happens often? Also, what has been peoples' experience with the wait list?

We are looking forward to the cruise and we'll eat when we are told but am surprised that 9 months before the cruise one sitting is full. It is a Christmas cruise so maybe it is different than cruises at other times of the year.

There are 9 countries in the Caribbean area that  have laws that make LGBT behaviour/relationships, etc. illegal. These are Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent/Grenadines. The laws are often remnants of their colonial histories but can have real life impacts today. Many of these nations are ports on cruise itineraries sadly. There is some effort on some of these islands to reverse the laws so hopefully the list is getting shorter.

Harassment against LGBT people is everywhere including countries  where these are legal protections. Laws don't change peoples' stupidity so we all need to be vigilant for safety. Stupidity is a human condition and I am more concerned with institutionalized bigotry. We don't get get off the ship in countries where being LGBT is not welcomed or has been made illegal.

For people who like to travel this can create dilemmas concerning whether to visit or not. I think that a person's civil and human rights is a higher priority than visiting.

It's disappointing to read about some of the experiences that people have had. We are heading on our 4th cruise in a few weeks and in the past have only had minor annoyances about our being gay and a couple. My response was to give these two couples (both as it happens missionaries) every detail about our wedding. I got the sense that they were not expecting that but as they were chatting about their weddings I was sure that they would want to know about ours.

Overall we have met great people on our cruises and anticipate the same this time. We might try the LGBT meeting on Princess this time but as I have read here being gay doesn't necessarily mean polite behaviour. It sounds like going to a gay bar at home but with less clothes.

Happy cruising everyone!

Randy &Gus

Wow - people sure worry about their desserts! I am Type II and watch my diet as I don't use medications that can impact glucose levels quickly. I can eat if my glucose goes low but I am on my own if it goes high. I don't use insulin. It's much easier to be conscious of what I am eating before I put myself into difficulty. I have found that I need to ask for more non starchy carbs and I limit the protein that I eat (some of the portion sizes in specialty restaurants are astounding). At any rate I would love to plow through the dessert selections, ice cream, and all that stuff.

We received a complementary specialty restaurant dinner. I looked at the sample menus on the website and was a little surprised at how large the portions were. I am diabetic and try to keep within recommended portion sizes which means about 3 oz of protein per meal. I thought that perhaps we could ask to split the smallest protein offering as an option. I also thought that regardless of what the menu says I will say that I only want about 3 oz.. I don't want to waste food. Any suggestions?

I used to work in the field of geriatric mental health. Taking a person with dementia out of their familiar surroundings can be very disorienting for the person. New information is challenging for a person with dementia to absorb and utilize so being on a cruise ship will present with all sorts of new information and stimulation. Even with support from family or caregivers it might become overwhelming for the person to face new surroundings, new situations, unfamiliar people and noise, etc..

My mom had dementia and while I might have wanted to give her the best experiences in the last years of life I had to reflect on whether it was about what I was seeking (as a good son and caregiver) or was it what she wanted for herself. As her illness progressed she was more and more content with what was familiar and routine and even going out to a restaurant lost interest to her.

I suggest not over planning your cruise. I also suggest researching potential excursions as the cruise lines will sell an excursion that is out of sync with the activity. For instance - a whale watching tour when it is out of season for whale migration at the location. We are heading to Hawaii in October and had to cancel a tour to Hawaii Volcano National Park. I have been watching the updates from the United States Geological Service regarding the volcano eruption. The museum we were to visit has been closed due to damage (the Jaggar Museum), the crater outlook is significantly damaged by earthquakes, the parking lot has apparently slid into the crater, and the water supply and roads have been damaged by earthquakes as well. Most of the National Park has been closed for quite some time and there is no indication of when it might re-open. Princess is still selling the excursion as of yesterday despite the park being closed and risks being high. We are pretty disappointed but but when it comes to erupting volcanoes I become risk averse.

We are James and David, we will be on Oceania’s Regatta, Passage to Panama, October 24-November 12, 2018. Having grown up in Ft. Lauderdale and always being told that I could not go to Cuba I am really looking forward to seeing Havana. Plus, I have always wanted to pass through The Canal. I hope we go through the original and not the new one.

 

 

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I was in Havana many years ago and I understand that it is much more open now. It is a beautiful city for sure.

I am relying on the USGS/Hawaii web site for updates about the eruption. I called Princess and was told that they will not make any firm decisions about ports and/or excursions until August or so. I agree with some comments that we need to be sensitive to what the residents are going through.

We have cruises planned for October 2018 and February 2019. I have been using cruise line web sites that quote all their prices in Canadian dollars. I also prepay for as much as possible as once onboard the charges will show in U.S. dollars. Excursions can be expensive so we cut them out to keep costs down.

If I drank 15 alcohol drinks in a day I would be in hospital for the cruise. Many health organizations recommend no more than 15 drinks in a week for men and 10 drinks per week for women. Also it is recommended than women drink no more than 3 drinks on one occasion and 4 drinks for men.

http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/factsheet/drinking-guidelines-supporting-health-and-life

We had to cancel a cruise on Princess a while back because of changes in employment situation. We lost the nonrefundable deposit but had the rest of the funds that we had paid applied to another cruise with Princess that was down the road time wise. That might be a way to buy you some time to sort out what the diagnosis and condition means for travel.

I have a couple of chronic conditions that are stable so am able to purchase insurance. I have reluctantly accepted that a time likely will come when either the availability or cost of travel insurance with these conditions will prevent me from travelling outside Canada.

Sorry to hear that the Mrs got sick...I know first hand how lousy it is to be sick on vacation [emoji24]. There is no reason to assume that she got sick while being in the cabin. She could have touched a contaminated surface anywhere and then touched her face. The ship has procedures in place for cleanliness, but it only takes a single sneeze/cough to pass germs...

 

A lot of people including myself travel with "Lysol wipes" to make ourselves feel a little safer....they are good for wiping knobs, handles, the remote, etc....which may be missed during a cleanup.

 

 

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We also use Lysol sheets when we arrive in the room and also at times during the trip. Despite everything one does to stay healthy just as on land viruses are all around.

These days I take these things as "teaching moments"; since most people are more aware of gay people I feel that inappropriate comments and questions should be handled straightforwardly.

 

At a recent baseball game - after having fun with the people around us - the Mets screwed up and the guy behind me yelled at them and called them "f*ggots". I turned around and said to him: "please don;t use that word because I am gay". He was stunned, told me I couldn't be gay so I pointed out to him that three of the four of us were gay. He apologized profusely (and his wife yelled at him); then he shook my hand... and then kissed it! :D

 

A few days ago on a flight from Paris to Miami two loud, obnoxious people were sitting next to us. There was no way to not hear there conversation. The woman asked the old guy next to her about cities in the USA - it was her first visit. She had a connection to Key West and he said to her: "don't go there... all the homos, you know, queers". So I turned to them and said: "please don't use that word because it is offensive and you are talking about people like me". It shut them up (for a while).

 

The more you say it, the easier it gets. If someone asks me, I would just honestly say "yes, I am" and carry on. It's their portable, not yours. And if they get nasty, just walk away.

I agree totally - how we manage these uncomfortable moments can say a lot about our own character. I am gay but I would never ask another person if they were gay or lesbian - I am not sure how knowing that makes the interaction any better. If I am enjoying the conversation it is because you are funny, smart, interesting, etc. and not likely because you are LGB.

I don't want this to sound like a rant, but it kinda sorta is. Has anyone noticed the influx of unfriendly gay couples on cruises? I mean I can sort of understand why a lot of gay couples are unfriendly or maybe dismissive. Maybe they are on a honeymoon, or just want a vacation together without any other men in the way, but it just sucks when you try to interact with other gay men on a "straight" cruise, and they just put their nose in the air at you.

 

Maybe it has to do with the cruise line? I was on a Carnival cruise about 2 weeks a go out of Jacksonville, FL. I saw very few gay couples, but the ones I did see, they were just all snobbish and dismissive. I just thought to myself "Umm guys this is a Carnival cruise, don't know where the snobbish attitude is coming from". Who knows, maybe I booked the cruise for insecure gay couples? Maybe Carnival specializes in a different type of gay? It was a shame. The LGBT get together, NO ONE showed up except me and one other gay man. Of course we were both single and we chatted for a while, but he turned out to be a weirdo....Im guessing there just isnt a lot of gay men who travel with Carnival....and of course its easy to figure out why.....

 

I went on a Norwegian cruise in 2015 and I met the coolest group of gay people. We had a group of us who got together every night, a couple times for dinner, it was the coolest thing ever. No one felt insecure or stuck up....it was awesome....but idk, this last cruise, just was bad.

 

So I'm probably going to be told its Carnival...and Im sure thats a big reason why.

My gaydar doesn't seem to work so unless there is an LGB person with a big sign I likely won't notice. However, I talk with everyone when we are on cruises so if you are LGB I likely talked to you whether I knew that you were LGB or not.

I retired a little over three years ago and we are Canadian as well. Flights can be a nuisance but we have great connections from our home in Calgary to most of the ports where cruises start or end. I think cruises have become more attractive because everything is taken care once onboard and there are lots of variety of itineraries so no boredom. We are looking for longer cruises so that we reduce the travel to and from the ports and we might be able to get one or two cruises in per year.

We have a time share in Las Vegas for 2 weeks per year. Since retiring I am driving more to get there and taking my time as well.

My partner is still working and we have pets so 2 weeks away from home is about right at the moment.