embarrasing weight question!

[ailuro]

Agreed, do everything while you and they still can, life's too short to save up for something to leave the kids apart fro wonderful memories... :D

 

Well done for booking, hope you all have a fantastic time.:D

[lady_cruiser]

One big money saving tip, which you might have read here, is to bring your own camera and ask anyone around you to take a photograph of the four of you. Especially on formal night. Photographs taken by the ship's photographers are pricey and while some of them can look good I seen many more looking average. And by this I don't mean the people in the photographs but the quality of the way the "professional" photographer took it.

[anothercruiseforJulie]

Op - come back! Did you go on the cruise? How was it?

[beachchick]

Every American should listen to this one loud and clear. Do you really want your mom or dad -- or you someday -- to be denied care because of your age?

 

My sister-in-law who works in insurance says we're headed for this option at full steam. She definitely expects it to become reality in our lifetime.

 

I know this part of the thread is OT, but the fact is that health care is and has been "rationed" in the US. The insurance companies most certainly do ration and deny care, based not on age or need, but on the stockholders bottom line--and often little else. It's utter nonsense to say that everyone in the US has access to reasonable medical care.

 

Yes, in some cases I do believe age should be a factor. Ask yourself if it's reasonable to expect an 85 year old diabetic in need of a third kidney transplant to be on the list above a 35 year old father of two in otherwise good health who needs his first transplant. I'm sure you're aware the percentage of Medicare costs attributed to the final months of life, even when that time involves a person being in a nursing home, bedridden, and not concious. Is that a good use of resources?

 

In case you think I have no vested interest here, I'll tell you that my mother is currently undergoing treatment for what will be a terminal illness. The treatment is intended to make the rest of her life the best it can be. It is expensive for both Medicare and for her. I'm happy that she has the option and that she can afford it. OTOH, she has said (and we agree) that if it turns out the treatments aren't actually helping or that the side effects are too severe, she will stop. She will not go for even more expensive and difficult treatments that will prolong her life by maybe a few months--time where she will almost certainly not be able to enjoy her life. I think in the US we sometimes go so far in a quest to prolong life at any cost that we lose sight of the true "costs" (emotional, physical, and financial) to everyone.

 

You are the ignorant one. I happen to be an R.N. so I know very well how it's done. By law, a person who is unstable cannot be transferred to a county hospital because they don't have insurance. Bed sores generally are not going to be a life or death situation. Also, did you happen to know that many of the best hospitals in Houston have tax exempt status in exchange for providing a percentage of indigent care. These hospitals HAVE to provide even non emergency care to indigents to keep this status.

 

A child with a fever of 105 should have been seen in a doctor's office. All too often people use the ER as a source of primary care instead of what it's really for-emergencies.

 

And all too often people rely on ERs for primary care because they cannot afford or cannot find medical insurance and cannot afford to pay the costs outright! They know that ERs and hospitals must take care of them, regardless of how much it costs the hospital and society in general. The laws that require hospitals to provide often expensive medical care result in higher medical costs for everyone and make it even harder to provide regular and preventive care. I'd think you as an RN would realize that.

 

I would think that for the price of 2 staterooms you could book a large balacony room or small suite. That way there's a little more room for a roll away. Shop around by dates and ships and such for more inexpensive rates. There are balcony rooms for 4 and with the ability to step out on the balcony at any given time it will lessen the crowdedness (is that a word? lol) of the room. Mostly, you're only going to sleep in there. I think it's a great plan and realize since you're dad is very ill you must all go.

 

As for the bathroom/shower issue you and your husband could just use the spa showers while mom and dad use the cabin showers when getting ready for dinner. Or take turns. 2 out on the balcony having a few drinks and checking out the beautiful scenery, 2 getting ready and then switch.

 

It can all be worked out with a little compromising and planning.

 

My DH and I booked a last minute cruise and shared a balcony room with my DD and her boyfriend. It all worked out and we had a great time.

 

This is an assumption many people make. Just because you are only in your cabin to sleep doesn't mean that everyone cruises that way. And in this case, I think it likely that her father will need rest time, quiet, and perhaps privacy. It would be much easier to do that with two cabins. It doesn't seem at all the same situation where you had four healthy, active adults sharing a cabin.

 

 

catharina:

 

How wonderful that you were able to arrange this wonderful trip and to enjoy your father while he's still able to travel. I hope you all have a fantastic time. You will not regret the work you've put into making this dream come true.

 

beachchick

[wotaripper]

Thanks guys, for all of your answers

 

You are right, 4 people is not going to work. Me and my mum and night-toilet gers en dad needs to get up at 3 am for his medicines.

 

So now I am looking at 2 cabins next to each other.

 

Thing is, we are very limited in choice. dad can not fly anymore due to leaking heart valves (if that is the english terms) so we HAVE to take a destination that is:

 

A) easily reachable by train or car (marseille is only 5 hours bij rapid train)

B) somehwere end of march/very beginning april (due to his ilness, the sooner we do this the better)

 

For the mediterreanean cruise , Marseille is the only easily accesible port for us. Barcelona and Genua are too long a trip (13-15 hours by car)

We also loved to cruise from amsterdam or rotterdam, but those are not going untill june.

 

 

Also, sending them alone is not going to work. They get quit lost doing trainstations etc, and need some help and guidance. Plus, the whole idea was to spend some time with mum and dad while we still can.

 

Well THANK YOU! I am looking to see if I can get 2 cabins scraped together...

 

Keep your fingers crossed

checkout m.s.c site they where advertising 2 for the price of 1 specials in the med.might be worth a look see

[Ambrosia64]

The movie Sicko is just a movie, designed to make money for Michael Moore.

 

Hi guys

 

Sail7seas: my dad is not eligible for a leaking heart valve operation unfortunately. First because his heart is so bad from the chemo he had, that they simply are afraid they won't get it going again during surgery. Second, because he is terminally ill with cancer.

But mostly the first reason, this was mentioned before we knew he was terminal.

 

To the other persons:

it is NOT because of his age! I do not know where you get this from but here in Holland people get treatments at whatever age. I must say after what I have seen in the film Sicko, I am quit glad with our system over here. But this is a completely different topic :-)

 

 

IMPORTANT NEWS:

 

We had mum and dad over for dinner and decided to discuss it. I wanted to make it a surprise, but it would be a shame if they did not want it after all or if my father felt he would not be up for it in 2 months time. Luckily, they were very happy with our offer! Dad had to cry! :-)

He is so happy he gets to do this trip with us!

 

We decided to take 2 insides. MSC currently has a special deal in europe: 2nd person for 1 euro. So that will work out quit okay for us! It will be so great to spend this time togehther and have a real adventure!

 

Now i have to start saving lots of money and working extra shifts to pay for all of this, but hey: we are going!!!!!

[Ambrosia64]

Insurance companies limit you to what the contract you voluntarily signed provides.

 

Any not for profit hospital will treat you.

 

I work in not for profit healthcare - we own 9 hospitals plus more than 25 assorted medical businesses - which most hospitals in this country are - and we don't turn anyone away. We won't treat you for free living in a half million dollar house driving a Lexus but if you really can't afford it - we'll treat you anyway.

 

To say otherwise is ill informed people who believe whatever the left spoonfeeds them.

 

I know this part of the thread is OT, but the fact is that health care is and has been "rationed" in the US. The insurance companies most certainly do ration and deny care, based not on age or need, but on the stockholders bottom line--and often little else. It's utter nonsense to say that everyone in the US has access to reasonable medical care.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I hope everything worked out for the OP and her family. We had lost my MIL to cancer in November (on our wedding anniversary) and I could go into the politics of it (that if her health care company should have given her the x-rays she had asked for when her cough developed, maybe the tumor could have been spotted long before it was at stage 4 when she was finally diagnosed:mad:), but that's not the purpose of this thread.

[djmutters]

Agree it would be nice if the Op comes back and gives us a update to her cruise :)

 

If you only ever read this but don't reply I hope you all had a great time :)

[Happy ks]

I read most of her review and it sounds like they had a very nice trip:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1176270&highlight=

[cruiselover57]

Hi Guys

 

I am trying to get money together to buy my parents a cruise, and we'll go with 4 adults.

 

Looking to save money, I am looking at 4 people in 1 stateroom.

However: mum and dad won't be able to get in the upper berths.

 

My husband can, he will be fine. But I am quite overweight!

 

Is there a weight limit for upper berths (and what is that limit)?

and how do you get in and out of that bed? (for several toilet visits at night)

 

PFF the more I think about it, the less the idea of 4 people in a stateroom appeals to me!

But I want to give this for dad's 65th birthday in march, he is terminally ill but dreams of once making a cruise in the Med. I want to fullfill this dream but paying for 4 people including train, tips and drinks is quite a chunk of money :-(

 

Greetings from Holland

Cat

 

ps anybody have a picture of rooms with upper berths?

 

Four adults in one room can be a bit cramped. We usually travel as 3 but we make it work because we don't want to pay 200% for our son to get his own room (fine if he has a friend come along but on longer cruises, he literally goes for close to half price of the adult fare). Depending on when you're going, you just might find a good deal on 2 inside rooms. Now, I'm not sure if this will work, but if the cruise line has any available handicapped cabins, those are often larger and can definitely accommodate a roll-away bed. There aren't many to go around of course and they're always given to people who need them most but I have seen people without disabilities get them at the last minute.

[Jolimont]

Every American should listen to this one loud and clear. Do you really want your mom or dad -- or you someday -- to be denied care because of your age?

 

My sister-in-law who works in insurance says we're headed for this option at full steam. She definitely expects it to become reality in our lifetime.

Since you brought it up, let me remark as well. People get denied care all the time in America and have been for decades, not because of their age but because their private insurance company denies them cause they don't want to pay. That's the other side of the coin, but one you don't mind as much maybe?

 

OP, I'd try to get two cheaper room rather than cram 4 adults into one cabin, but certainly it can be done either way. Enjoy your cruise!