Beth8649

There were great meetings on our cruise @ 5pm. Unfortunately, Mass was at 5pm, and hanukkah (on one possibly more days) @ 5pm. I was very divided between Mass & Bill W. I went to Bill W. except for Dec 8th. Only 1 day, was I the only attendee. The rest of the days we averaged 3-4 members.

Hilariously, one meeting was interrupted by an employee to invite us all to a rum tasting party. We all got a big laugh!

Smoking area was next to the outside bar, so tablemates were almost always buzzed. A very "slippery" place. So, grateful for the Bill W. meetings!!! So, grateful for my non-stop seasickness, too!!!

If you don't have the big book on your phone, a good tip is to download chapter 5 PDF. There are no hard cards on the ship, and no supplied coffee in the meeting room. So, you need to get your coffee in advance.

To lessen seasickness, if you have a balcony stare at the horizon line. If you have an inside cabin download a seasick phone app that uses the phone's motion to give you a proper focal point.

I would purchase both dramamines and I'd bring the alternative Benedryl. The front desk should give you seasick pills for free, but your system might not like the ones they hand out. So, carrying your own supply of meds is better. My system did not respond well to the meclizine (non-drowsy formulation). I stayed seasick and the pills made me feel heavy chested like I couldn't breathe. The original formula Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) does not give me a heavy chest, can't breathe feeling.

Also, I'd bring a set of acupressure sea bands. So far, they are the only thing that has relieved my landsickness after the cruise.

I'm 44DD and I order from swimsuitsforall, too. They have really nice beach covers, too!!!

Sharon, I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope your family kept you busy on the cruise. I lost mine in 2011 and I just missed him terribly every moment of our cruise. Like yourself, none of us could deal with our weekend river cabin hideaway. Much as he loved the place, we sold it. Over time life will become liveable again, and children bring so much comfort. My heart is with you, hoping you are healing on the cruise with your twins & mom.

After Christmas, & hopefully before the New Year, I'll call HAL and talk to them. And, I'll try Evelyn in the excursion department that is the handicapped tour specialist & see if she can assist me in:

1. Add to cabin discription that there is a 6" step up and the doorway width

2. When upgrading a person booked in a handicapped suite, that a big flag comes up to the agent to warn them that normal cabins have a step up & the width of the door opening.

3. Need help on this one.... Somehow get the word out to any handicapped travelers... That's why I thought ADA, but, I follow that they're prolly not going to be able to assist me. An article for cruise critic might reach some people, but I'd like to warn as many people as possible.

I realize some people, or even HAL management might think... She wants freebies, but what I really want is to protect the next guy, the next 1st time cruiser and not just with HAL, but with all cruise lines. So, please help me on this one. Whom do I contact? How do I reach out & get things changed and/ or warn people?

It won't let me edit b/c it was longer than 20 minutes.

In retrospect, I did look at the deck plan b/c both were next to the center elevator which I wanted for mom. And, I remember seeing that it had a shower with a tiny lip around it that I thought mom could navigate. (That might have been from googling images of Neptune suites). Not being a cruiser, I didn't know that the bathrooms had a 6" step up or such a narrow doorway. I guess I thought of a cruise as a floating hotel with free food and steel drum music. I was a dummy.

Searoses, yes, I need to call them and complain, mostly to ensure they don't do it to anyone else. But, a rebate would be nice.

We booked through HAL directly. HAL sent the email upgrade offer and were the ones that I called and accepted the upgrade with the additional fee. They knew we were 1st time cruisers. Never in a million years would I ever have imagined a 6" step up or such a tiny door opening.

And, thank you so much for telling me about your landsickness. That is the kind of insight I was looking for in my other post. You had it 3 weeks. Yikes! I don't know if I'd have ever gone on another. Today, is the best that I have felt since December 5th (departure) and I'm not sure I would ever want to chance feeling this lousy for that long ever again. (And, I'm only on my 9th day after.) So sorry you were sick for so long, and thank you for sharing that with me. Having a reference point from someone who had it helps me see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Sherilyn70, first timer mistake, I read upgrade & the price went to the website to see the ammenities and saw free laundry which we needed for mom, thought mom would love the in-room specialty coffeemaker ( which wasn't there b/c it debuts in January. ( I thought the astric was to highlight it, not that it was a footnote that it wasn't there yet). I talked to the agent on the phone who gave us the cabin that we got. It's a first timer mistake, but super impacted on the 1st vacation we've had in almost 10yrs.

Nope! And, I was in a panic when I saw it. The 2 male concierges offered to come & assist us getting mom in & out of the bathroom, but they are only on duty 7am-7:30pm. I know they did try to get us a handicapped "anything",but nothing was available.

I didn't know anything about a step-up, nor was I informed when paying the ~$850 for the upgrade. In fact we considered invoking the trip cancellation. Insurance from HAL.

The generous lady, Ita, who sailed with us got up every hour on the hour to get mom into the toilet. (Mom wakes up to pee all night long. ) The poor lady was suffering terribly from sleep deprivation & I was super sick with seasickness the entire trip.

I haven't called HAL about it yet b/c I'm still not well. And, I would like to notify the correct agency, like Americans With Disabilities.

March 11th there is a 23 day repositioning cruise on HAL's Oosterdam. I don't think we are allowed to post links, so I'm posting a pic of just the itinerary. An inside cabin for 2 is below your target price & a balcony hits your target price almost exactly. 23 days is longer than what you wanted, but it looks like a super good deal.

Sorry, I didn't upload correctly. I seem to only be able to post 1 pic.

I took my 94yr old mom on a cruise on HAL 12/5-12/12/2015. We were originally booked in a handicapped suite. HAL sent me an email offering an upgrade to a Neptune suite. I did not know that there was an approximately 6" step up into the bathrooms or that the doorway was narrower than a very narrow triangular rollator. I was in shock when we boarded!

Here are some pictures that I hope help anyone using a wheelchair, walker, rollator.

Call your phone service provider. AT&T offered some kind of cruise package for certain cruise lines, but HAL wasn't one of them. Then, after boarding AT&T sent me a text offering something... I don't remember the details.

However, I could make texts & free calls from San Juan & allegedly St. Thomas. (I didn't try on St Thomas) I would check with your service provider for your ports of call. Some might be included with free nationwide calling.

As other posters said, just make sure DATA Roaming is turned off for the whole trip.

I've only 1 recent cruise & it was on HAL. I'm 63 and I thought the majority of people were older couples. However, I didn't really navigate the ship much as I was seasick the whole trip. There were some young people on the cruise b/c I met some on the zip-line excursion. And, if you select HAL, that would be my suggestion, look for the excursions that are designated as high activity and sign up for a few at your first ports. You'll either meet young people or the young at heart people.

Since you said, you're not into beaches & need home repairs.... Wondering, if a bed & breakfast at ohio's Amish country would do the trick. I looked up the link for Amish in Ohio & found http://www.ohiosamishcountry.com

Wishing you both a Merry Christmas!

There is also a Murder Mystery train in Ohio. But, next session seems to be in May. http://www.lebanonrr.com/mystery.html

Just sailed on holland america. It was a credit card or a $400 advance deposit. All cabin charges & excursions are either applied to the credit card or deducted from the advance deposit.

As a parent, for hotels for my kids, I've filled out forms authorizing the hotels to charge my credit card for the kids room, meals, movies... Your friend can possibly do likewise by contacting the cruise line and using a parent's charge card.

Edited to add: hotels email the form, then I fill it out and either fax or email a filled out PDF back to them.

Since you booked an interior cabin & need a horizon line ( window/balcony), see if you can download seasick apps for your phone. I found 3 for the iPhone.

Also, take the meds, before you board the ship. I waited until I got sick to take them and stayed sick the entire cruise. We did have a balcony but I did not know to stare at the horizon.

I think the phone apps look pretty good. I'd pay and download them all and make sure they all work with cellular data turned off in phone settings.

That Venice marjong game is perfect!!! I love marjong and I never played a variation like this one. Super fun! Thanks!!!

Thank you again, Suite Traveler & Morbihan, great suggestions!

Suite Traveler, you could write a college syllabus. If I showed my kids your post, they would say that you & I were a match made in Heaven. I have dissected & analyzed things on other topics exactly like you did relative to Durst.

All the new games! Wow! Thanks! I'm going to check them out now.

And, Morbihan, great idea about the running track! i wouldn't have thought about that as an option.

I haven't been to the Vatican since 1978, but I found this link about the locations of the bathrooms: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187791-i22-k2515112-Bathrooms_in_the_Vatican_Museums-Rome_Lazio.html

I think it agrees with everything that's been posted and adds one or two (one of which may or may not be open.)

Thank you, NolaTravelGirl, Cb At Sea, & Paul929207!

Unfortunately, from studying for promotional exams in my youth, I have a very bad allergy to most printed materials. After cataract surgery, the allergy became full blown and I was on super strong steroid eye drops for a year. Now, it's subsided a bit 3-4 good days b4 bad days and is controlled by Padaday eye drops and occassionally Visine (which is bad for long-term usage).

30+ years of midnight shifts and 8+ years retired and I still battle to sleep at night. Plus, it's freedom time b/c Mom will be asleep with Ita in the room. I do have insomnia Meds that I take, but they don't always work. ( I refuse to take Ambien or the addictive ones. Doxepin, an antidepressant, works both as an antidepressant and a med to keep you asleep vs restless cat-napping. I do use doxepin)

I have a few ebooks on my phone. Now with all the co-authoring, I'm not sure which new mysteries to pick. I have a Mary Higgins Clark ebook to read Mom. But, I might buy and DL the audio book, if my jam speaker fits in our carry-on after packing. Anyone know of any real good new ones that she's written (for mom)? I used to like Patterson, but he's very hit or miss these days.

depending on how long the cruise or the trip is I prepare a 'medicine cabinet'

 

it can include

- bite gel

- insect repellent

- aspirins

- pain patch or some kind of icy hot (for muscles)

- band aids

- Imodium

- sea sick pills

- laundry sheets

- tweezers

- cork screw

- crown repair kit (very small but have had to use it - nothing like having a crown come off in a foreign country and trying to get it fixed)

- eyeglass screwdriver and a couple small screws (paper clips will also work in a pinch)

- toothache gel

- tiger balm

- sun burn relief

- sun screen

- mole skin (you can get precut shapes and it sure helps if you get a blister)

- blister block

 

you get the idea - you can buy small 1 or 2 oz of most of these things

 

all of these fit into a small cube (I pack in cubes & envelopes) always mixing our stuff. I have saved both us and fellow travelers

 

adjust how much you bring for the length of your cruise

 

safe travels, happy cruising

 

Patrice

All good ideas! Thanks!

I've used Krazy glue to replace front fillings that have fallen out. You want the brush on Krazy glue. ( And don't put your tongue near it while it dries). Mouth moisture is no problem. It's also good for sealing cleaned out long ( not wide ) cuts.

Where does one go on the ship at 3am, besides the Casino? We are sailing on HAL, if that matters. Where can one find food and or soda pop? Do the teen arcades stay open? Is there a charge for the arcade games?

I'm looking for the best phone game apps that don't require the Internet. I found this page: http://stylecaster.com/best-offline-games-and-apps/

It lists 7.

I have Spider Solitare and Flow Free, Blendoku (possibly no hints w/out Internet), 1010, 2048, Pictorial, Monument Valley, Insanity, BJ101 free (a black jack trainer), and a logic puzzle app.

Can anyone suggest some other really good game apps that don't require the Internet for insomnia nights?

Also, any really good suspense mystery type novels in ebook form?

I just got help on this over at Holland America's segment of the forum. I was told to call the cruise line's activity desk and ask which tours are handicapped accessible. A person also told me there were rental wheelchairs with big balloon wheels for the handicapped at some beaches. I'm going to ask the activity desk about that. What cruise line are you going on?

HAL's activity desk/excursion help # is 888 425 9376

Thank you again, Ellieanne, Stratheden, and Krazy Kruizers! Yes I see the pic fine now and it is super helpful along with the info that no one has had the problem of dropped items on a balcony falling into the ocean. Thanks again!!!

Thanks, Ellieanne, Crew News & Stratheden! I'm unable to see that drainage trough clearly, but I do follow how the balcony is structured and how there could be 2 different opinions.

I was hoping to use my cell phone to read a book on the balcony, but I can't afford to chance losing it. I guess I better borrow a library book or take my cheap $90 tablet. I did order a MoKo waterproof case with lanyard, but I doubt the lanyard will be long enough to allow reading a book comfortably.

Thank you, both, very much!

Added:

Just figured it out. I'll wear a belt & hook the lanyard to the belt.