laurieal

Pre-Cruise in Vancouver Day 2 - continued I did a quick pit stop in my hotel room before heading to Chinatown. There were three places I wanted to visit, only two of which involved food. I started by going to the T&T Supermarket for some exotic snacks. I could have spent hours as well as hundreds of dollars in there, but I was reasonable and settled on one bag of cappuccino candy and a couple bags of chips.

Pre-Cruise in Vancouver Day 2 - continued I was able to use the accessible washrooms at the YMCA before our tour started. Then I met up with Glenn who was dressed in all pink for The Really Gay History Tour. Glenn was fantastic, very knowledgeable and had plenty of very touching stories to share with us. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in discovering Vancouver’s history through the eyes of the LGBTQ2+ community. Our tour ended in Davie Village and I rolled down (yes, down, it was wonderful) Davie Street and then Seymour Street until I reached Robson. I remembered seeing a small shop called ikoi selling mochi donuts and I was intrigued, so I got a mango flavoured one. I liked it a lot; the texture reminded me of those honey tractor wheels donuts from Tim Hortons.

Pre-Cruise in Vancouver Day 2 I had a 10am walking tour booked with Forbidden Vancouver and I decided to go to the meeting point on foot. This seems like a good time to mention that Vancouver is SO HILLY! So is Quebec City, to be fair, but Vancouver is so sneaky about it. Looking around on Google Street View it looked relatively flat, and even here looking at the streets they look pretty okay, but it feels like I’m always uphill and I’m not sure what kind of sorcery is involved, but it’s very hard on the shoulders. Quebec City is more of an "in your face" type of hilly. Just one look at a street in the old city and you think yeah no that’s not happening and you hop on a bus. Vancouver is guilty of making me believe it will happen. So I went up up up Robson Street, stopping on the way to say hello to Terry Fox. I had plenty of time before I had to meet the tour guide next to the YMCA, so I hung around for a while in Robson Square.

Pre-Cruise in Vancouver Day 1 - continued I bought tickets to the FlyOver Canada attraction, because it sounded very similar to Soarin’ at Disney World which is one of my favourites. It was indeed the same type of attraction. You sit suspended in some sort of swing and it feels like you’re flying over scenery from all over Canada. With the visuals, the wind, the water and the scents, it almost feels like you’re there. It’s a bit pricey for a relatively short experience, but I enjoyed it a lot. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take pictures while inside and I can’t show you the swing. It was about 3 inches higher than my wheelchair, but the armrests offered good transfer support and it was easy for me to get on. After that, I headed over to Gastown where I had booked a tour with Forbidden Vancouver. This tour shares the dirtiest secrets of the prohibition era. Our guide was a historian for Parks Canada and he was very knowledgeable, engaging and funny. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to learn about the seedy underbelly of the cities they visit. After the tour, I made my way back to the Waterfront station where I took a train to Stadium-Chinatown, which is the station closest to my hotel. By then, it was around 2am for my body and way past my bedtime.

Pre-Cruise in Vancouver Day 1 - continued Then, I headed to Canada Place to check out the cruise terminal situation and enjoy the area. There were two ships in port: the Majestic Princess and the Holland America Koningsdam. I was lucky enough to arrive just in time to see the Princess ship leave and I enjoyed waving to perfect strangers as they were sailing towards fun adventures (I’m guessing).

Pre-Cruise in Vancouver Day 1 - continued Fuelled by all the protein in my hot dog, I headed for my best destination: the Vancouver Lookout. I thought it would be a good thing to experience the city from up high first to get acquainted with the layout. You don’t need to select a time when you book online, just a date, so I had pre-purchased a ticket for my arrival day. The experience ended up being extremely ridiculous. It’s not the whole wall that’s clear, so most of the time I could see absolutely nothing. I had a good laugh, but I absolutely do not recommend this activity for anyone in a wheelchair. The audio tour was nice, but once that was done I didn’t see any reason to extend my visit. I could only see outside when I was up that small ramp.

Pre-Cruise in Vancouver Day 1 - continued After dropping off my things in my room, it was time to start exploring Vancouver. Things got super festive super fast because people were tailgating before the BC Lions game at the BC Place Stadium. I soaked up the ambiance for a bit before I started going up Robson Street. The only thing I had eaten that day was a breakfast of Pringles on the plane, so my first mission was to feed myself. Once you start googling what foods to eat in Vancouver, one thing that pops up on a lot of lists is a Japanese-inspired hot dog from Japadog. Since they have a location on Robson Street, that was my first stop. One item on the menu had caught my eye: a hot dog topped with some noodles. I love hot dogs and I love noodles, so it seemed like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, it was unavailable on that day so I went with the Love Meat: a hot dog featuring a pork sausage, secret meat sauce and charred cheese. It was quite tasty! The meat sauce was very similar to beef chili and the charred cheese tasted exactly like what I imagined when I read the words charred cheese. I also got a pink lemonade, which was sweet and refreshing. (Quick note from present day Laurie: I ended up regretting my life choices after eating that hot dog. It sat so heavy in my stomach for the rest of the day that I was struggling to get around. Perhaps the secret meat sauce was a bit too heavy for me.)

Pre-Cruise in Vancouver Day 1 - continued The hotels in downtown Vancouver were very pricey, but I found a pretty good rate at the YWCA Hotel for a private accessible room with ensuite bathroom. The room was recently renovated and looks very clean. The location also seemed ideal with a SkyTrain station only a few minutes away. Accessibility-wise, it’s not perfect but when is it ever? The bed is on the high side so transfer could be difficult for some people. The bed is also super close to the wall and window, so closing the curtains required some creativity. If I were travelling with someone, that person would also need to get creative to get into bed. The shower was probably designed by someone who has never sat on a shower bench, which often seems the case. The shower controls are on the same wall as the bench, which means the person sitting on the bench needs to twist and turn to reach them and that bench doesn’t have much twisting space. Also, the shampoo and soap bottles are fixed to the wall and completely unreachable from the bench. I bring my own stuff, so not an issue for me, but perhaps the front desk would be able to provide some small bottles to compensate. Never hesitate to ask if you need something. But despite that, I genuinely like the room. My favourite three things about it are: the bedroom is large and has a lot of counter space, there are plugs and usb outlets next to the bed, the bed is very comfortable. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again.

It’s amazing! It just…vacuums! On its own! I may or may not have composed a song for it set to the tune of Ti Amo to encourage my cat not to be scared of the robot. …I need help…

Pre-Cruise in Vancouver Day 1 - continued If, like me, you want to take the Sky Train to downtown Vancouver, simply follow the "Train to City" signs after exiting the baggage claim area. It costs 9.25$ to take the train from YVR to downtown (4.25$ two-zones fare + a 5$ up-charge that’s added to all tickets leaving from YVR). Because I’m here for six days and plan on using public transportation a lot, I pre-purchased a Compass Card before I left home and added a day pass for me to use on my first day, which only cost 2$ more than the single trip from YVR to downtown. I ended up saving a few dollars that way because I used public transportation a couple more times that day. For the rest of my trip, I plan on adding money to my Compass Card as needed. It’s approximately 25 minutes from YVR to the Waterfront station (which is where you want to go if you’re boarding a cruise ship). I then changed to the Expo line to get to my hotel. It was a very easy ride, considering I was hauling my heavy suitcase behind me. The trains are almost completely level with the platform and the gap is small, so only the smallest of wheelies is required to get on and off. I even spotted a Princess butt on the way.

Pre-Cruise in Vancouver Day 1 Hello from Vancouver’s Granville island! Yes, this live is starting a bit late, but please bear with me while a catch up. Get it? Canada? Bears? Wow, though crowd. Ok. Let’s get this party started, then. Quebec City’s airport was very quiet when I arrived around 7:20 for my 9:00 flight on September 16th. I had hoped to arrive earlier, but when I called the taxi company the night before to confirm my ride in an accessible vehicle they couldn’t find my reservation. So close to the requested time, they couldn’t book me anything, accessible or not. If you plan on visiting Quebec City and relying on accessible taxis to get around, I recommend you don’t. It could be a struggle. The number of accessible taxis is very limited and need to be booked at least 48h in advance. Even then, judging by my experience, that reservation could end up lost. Thankfully, I had booked a ride with our accessible public transportation service, but on weekend a weekend the earliest they could get me to the airport was 7:30. With a 9:00 flight, I think YQB is the only airport where I felt confident I could easily make my flight by arriving 1:30 before. And I did! There was almost no wait at the check-in desk and at security, so I had plenty of time to consider snacks before boarding. I might be biased, but I think my home airport is my favourite. The flight was one of the smoothest and most relaxing I’ve ever experienced. The whole plane was eerily quiet despite being full and the five hours flew by. It was quite a trek to make it from my arrival gate to the bagage carousels. Why so much carpet, Vancouver airport? There are vehicles making rounds to offer rides to people with mobility issues, so don’t hesitate to make good use of those. At least the scenery was pretty.

I booked the Radiance cruise last fall while I was on the Anthem of the Seas. Originally, I had been hoping to book an Icon crossing, but since that wasn’t an option I decided to do Alaska for the first time because I was peer pressured by the guy at the Next Cruise desk. I chose that particular sailing (September 22nd), because a couple of cruising friends who were with me on the Wonder were already booked on that sailing. Eventually, our two other friends from the Wonder cruise decided to join and now the whole gang’s going! Because I have never been to Vancouver, I decided to extend my trip by arriving six days before the cruise to give me plenty of time to explore. I left Quebec City on September 16th on a direct flight (jackpot!) to Vancouver. The Radiance will leave on September 22nd on a round-trip cruise and will be stopping in Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan. At least, theoretically that’s what the Radiance will be doing. The Radiance experienced some propulsion issues that resulted in the cancellation of two cruises (September 1st and 8th). Then, when she was finally fit to sail again on the 15th, she couldn’t because of bad weather and she had to stay docked in Seward for a few more days. I wish I could tell you all about the excursions I plan to do, but those have not been confirmed by the Accessible Shore Excursions department yet, so it will be a surprise. For you and for me. It’s the ship’s last cruise to Alaska of the season and originally I was supposed to stay onboard for a B2B to San Diego. However, I had to cancel the second leg when I realized I would need to buy a new computer as well as have my cat’s teeth cleaned under anaesthesia. It’s fine, that second cruise would have made packing quite complicated, anyway, because of the big weather difference. My robot vacuum never needs to have its teeth cleaned. Just saying…

Hello, everyone! Good to see you again! It’s been a while since I posted on these boards and a lot has changed since my slightly cursed cruise on the Anthem last year. Let’s get you all caught up on the highlights of the year before I get to the nitty gritty: last spring, I sailed on the Celebrity Beyond with my mother, which was an amazing experience because for the first time I felt that I was the target customer for a cruise ship. It was amazing! Also, I bought a robot vacuum which I love almost as much as my cat. Maybe even more when it’s shedding season, but don’t tell the cat. And that’s it! Those are the highlights of my year. For those who don’t know me, my name is Laurie and I am from beautiful Quebec City in Canada. I am somewhat flirting with 40 and I’ve been paralyzed from the waist down since I was 20 years old. Because of that, I tend to focus on the accessibility aspects of my trips in the hope that people with disabilities will stumble upon my review while researching Vancouver, Alaska, or the Radiance of the Seas and that it might be useful to them. It happens to me sometimes, actually. I’ll be researching a ship’s accessible staterooms and Google will show me pictures of other ships from my own reviews. Thanks, Google. But if you’re not into shower benches, wheelchair lifts and elevator etiquette, fear not! I will also share loads of pictures as well as my thoughts about the food, the entertainment, the ship, and hopefully some things that will help you plan your upcoming vacation, relive a past cruise or just entertain you. You are always welcome to jump in anytime to ask questions, share your experience or post pictures of your pets.

Get Off Our Ship Day Hello from New York City! I had luggage tag 40, the very last number available, so I wasn’t in any hurry. I packed my backpack and said goodbye to the stateroom that had been my home for the last 12 days. On my last cruise, we had enjoyed breakfast in the MDR on the last day. It had been a very relaxed experience that I chose to repeat. It was busier than it had been the last time I had had breakfast there on this cruise, but there were only a couple of groups in front of me and I didn’t have to wait long to be seated. I ordered scrambled eggs with bacon and a hash brown potato. It was a perfectly adequate breakfast…but is it just me who prefers the scrambled eggs from the buffet? After breakfast, I went up to Deck 15 to grab some pictures of the Manhattan skyline from the ship. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and I could tell it was going to be a perfect day to be a tourist. Then, I retreated to the Schooner Bar to wait for my number to be called. It ended up being called fifteen minutes earlier than expected and at that point it was an easy walk off the ship. I couldn’t resist turning around for one last look at the beautiful Anthem. Picking up my luggage was a breeze, and no one was checking our passports since we had done immigration in Boston. Outside, however, it was absolute madness with people everywhere looking for transfers, cabs, their family, a way sneaky way back onto the ship, etc. It took me a while, but I eventually spotted the buses that looked like they were transfers provided by Royal Caribbean. Not feeling very confident, I made my way over there. I was pleasantly surprised that the person in charge of the transfers knew exactly who I was and had an adapted vehicle waiting for me. Feeling like a princess in her private carriage, I resisted the urge to wave at my subjects as I was being lifted into the van. Since it was just me, we were on our way in no time. He dropped me off as expected at the corner of West 37th Street and 9th Avenue. From there, it was only a 5 minutes walk to my fairly dodgy hotel. I dropped off my luggage and I was off for some land adventures in New York City. Oh, and I lied earlier. It wasn’t my last time seeing the Anthem that day. I got a glimpse while I was hanging out on the East River Esplanade. And I got a real treat later while I was on a cruise to see the Statue of Liberty. I could see Anthem sailing away towards new adventures. Thank you so much everyone for following along, liking, commenting and sharing your feedback and experiences. Making those reviews in real time adds a new dimension to my cruises and it’s a pleasure to bring you along. I hope we can go on a cruise together again soon!

I didn’t see anything with similar names on the drinks menu of Brass and Bock. There are some very knowledgeable people on this thread, so hopefully someone can provide some answer.

Day 12 - continued At the Farewell Show, I got my last drink of the cruise: a Goombay Smash. I enjoyed the first part of the show a lot. It was one of the performers from Spectra’s Cabaret who did some songs. The second part was comedian Richie Minervini and his humour is not really my style. After the show, I returned to my stateroom to finish packing. With my suitcase out in the corridor, I went to bed early.

Day 12 - continued The demo of Two70 was fun and I think those robot screens are extremely cool. I wish they had a different demo for the C&A event, maybe something featuring the RCI ships, instead of showing the Da Vinci thing to both events. I had some time before the Farewell Show, so I went for one last slice of pizza at Sorrento’s and some cheese and prosciutto thing they had, which I really liked.

Day 12 - continued Right after Captain’s Corner, they were doing a Q&A with four people from the Entertainment Team in the Royal Theatre and I really hope you weren’t expecting anything too exciting from me for the last day of the cruise because it was basically just me going to Two70 and the Royal Theatre. I decided to tackle packing early since there wasn’t any activity I wanted to attend for a while. Also, I wanted to make sure my transfer to Manhattan was still confirmed. Apparently, I had booked a transfer that no longer exists, so I wasn’t extremely confident. I managed to speak with the person in change of transfers and he assured me that everything would be taken care of. Since I was allowed to book something that no longer exists, they would be arranging a private accessible transfer for me. As I’m writing this while sitting in the Schooner Bar on departure morning, I am still not 100% convinced it will happen. We’ll see! In the afternoon, with most of my packing done, I attended the show In Concert in the Royal Theatre. The show featured singers from the We Will Rock You cast and it was very enjoyable. After the show, there was some movie/TV trivia I wanted to attend, but that’s when I saw The Email. The Email was from my hotel to let me know that due to unforeseen circumstances, they were now closed. That’s the kind of email you want to get on a cruise ship the day before your hotel reservation. So I found a quiet spot in Schooner Bar, ordered a Grapefruit and Habanero drink, and I got to work. The hotel was offering to move my reservation to another one of their properties, but the location was far from ideal so I started looking for something closer to what I had originally booked that was also wheelchair accessible and at a reasonable price. I ended up finding something super close to the drop off point of my transfer. It looked like it was going to be somewhat dodgy, but not quite as dodgy as the hotel I had in Rome, which on the scale of hotel dodginess is a point I’m trying not to reach again. With my new hotel booked, I used Skype to cancel my original reservation and I headed to Two70 where they would be having a technical demonstration of the venue. They were still doing karaoke when I arrived and I watched the end of the finale while eating a kümmelweck sandwich with plenty of jus. So, so good.

Day 12 - continued When Café@Two70 opened, I ordered a cappuccino and a breakfast burrito. No one was exercising that morning, but just thinking about people exercising made me want a donut. Unfortunately, I tore into that donut so quickly that I forgot to take a picture. But it tasted so incredibly fresh that I considered getting a second one. Captain’s Corner was fun and informative. I like our captain and his jokes. It was particularly interesting when he told us about what the Anthem was up to during the covid lockdown.

Day 12 Hello from New York City! I wanted to attend the Captain’s Corner that morning, so I skipped the Diamond Lounge and went down to Deck 5 instead for some quiet time in Two70.

Day 12 Compass

Have a wonderful trip on the Anthem! I saw you leaving without me earlier 😊

Since I have two fully functioning arms, it’s quite easy for me to lift myself up from my wheelchair and into the bed or the shower bench. Those surfaces have a height that is similar to my wheelchair’s, so transferring is quite easy and similar to the transfers I do at home. If you’re curious, you can look up « wheelchair transfer » on YouTube to see what the technique looks like.

Here’s the only one I have.

My work here is done 😂