Would Asia cruise smart thing to do for a disable person.PLEASE read

[lannie180]

This is hard for me to write but I fell that this sight is so good and helpful that I just might get my answerers. About 10 years ago I went to trip to China (with a group and was not a cruise). I'm a disable person I'm 4'1 tall and when I was in China the people were very mean to me. Made fun of me.........every were I went to a point that I promised my self never again to visit their. Now 10 years went by and some family trying to talk me into taking a cruise same distention. I'm scared but I think people might change after 10 years plus a cruise is much less time in land. My question is mamly for people that may be disable if they felt the same lately when visiting or did the people change for the better? I don't know were else to post this question any help will be appreciated.

[Ashland]

I'm so sorry you had this bad experience...We recently spent 2 weeks doing a land tour with Affordable Asia..yes being a westerner we were an oddity..but everyone was so nice and friendly..even to the point of wanting their picture taken with us....

 

I would hope you would go with your friends and enjoy yourself....I wouldn't consider your height would be a disability...we found them all to be rather short ;)..It was my husband at 6 ft tall that stood above the crowd...at least it wasn't hard to find him according to our guide.....Please go and enjoy life !!!:)

[lannie180]

Thanks, you so kind. I can't begin to describe how much they looked, stared, laugh. I'm used to people to look at me but not the way they did and they way they made me feel as if I just fallen out of the sky. I'm writting so may be people like you will give me their feed back so I can get the nerve to go back. I'm very friendly and very out going so I have no problem with people it is the other way around.

[SWANOZ]

Hi

Myself and my 3 adult children went on the Celebrity Millenium to Singapore, Laem Cha Bang Thailand,Vietnam HCMC and Halong Bay and Hong Kong. My eldest son is profoundly deaf has no speech and has a mild intellectual disability. This is our 3rd cruise in 3 years. The other ones were to New Zealand and Asia again. On the ship there was no problem at all on the ship. I must admit we don't go out of our way to mix in a lot with many of the other passengers. Just a hand full of people we regularly spoke to. We always choose select dining so we don't get stuck with diner companions you don't like and can dine whenever we like. The staff were marvellous in fact some remembered us from the previous year. On land pre arranged tours through private companies with great guides who did their utmost to make us feel welcome and they paid extra attention to my son to ensure his tours were enjoyable. The only time we felt uncomfortable was in HCMC city when on a car ferry 2 girls on a motor scooter were staring and giggling at my son. His very protective sister knocked on the window and told them VERY firmly to look the other way. They may not have understood English but the got the message. This was very much the exception. We had a great time. Hope this helps Jennifer:):)

Edited January 31, 2014 by SWANOZ

[maryann ns]

We spent over two weeks in China travelling on our own.

 

It seems that in their culture it is not so unacceptable to point and stare. We are old and white and were stared at a lot, especially on the subway in Shanghai.

 

When we were on the great wall a man saw me with my walking stick and went out of his way to find someone who could speak English to ask how old I was.

[esper10]

Like I said I'm very out going. When we visited Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok their was NO problems but on other trip to China in Shanghai, the great wall, Beijing... most of inland China that's were I experience the problem. May be it is in their culture. From what I gather that they have not changed much.

[CanWeGoYet?]

We spent over two weeks in China travelling on our own.

 

It seems that in their culture it is not so unacceptable to point and stare. We are old and white and were stared at a lot, especially on the subway in Shanghai.

 

When we were on the great wall a man saw me with my walking stick and went out of his way to find someone who could speak English to ask how old I was.

 

I agree that this may be more acceptable in their culture. I wasn't sure how to word this so it would not come off as rude. Years back I remember being at Disneyland when a large group of Chinese tourists were walking through Tomorrowland. I was standing in line outdoors. A very obese woman was walking in the crowd, and I was shocked at the way they were pointing at her, laughing loudly and I believe speaking in their native tongue about her to each other. I suppose we are not angels either, in that those born & raised in this country likely had some unkind perceptions of her. I'm just not accustomed to such a blatant and outward display.

[Floridiana]

My very tall, blond, blue eyed neighbor said that she was stared and pointed at on last year's China trip. Anybody out of the ordinary seems to suffer that fate. I would probably point my camera at the gigglers.

[suekay]

DH and I went on the local ferry to a holiday island off the coast of China. We were the only white faces and were objects of curiosity to many people who pointed and giggled. When some young people motioned that they wanted to include us in a photo with their group, we willing obliged but then turned the tables by asking to take one of them. This was all done amid gales of laughter. There was no malice intended.

[GrandmaHofmann]

We did a five week tour of Asia two years ago. Two weeks on our own and three on a cruise. I had torn the muscle in the back of my knee the day I arrived and was on a cane the entire time with great difficulty walking. Never did I experience anyone laughing at me or anything but kindness. We spent a week in Beijing and a few days in Xian, a few days in HOng Kong and a few in Singapore prior and after the cruise, so we got around. I really am flummoxed by people saying that they were ridiculed. I was 65 years old as well. So physically, I was very challenged and often in pain.