LokiPoki

We are looking to bring our son's personal care attendant with us on our next cruise as we found that the children's club programs are not in reality inclusive of children with disabilities. Does anyone know if any cruises offer discounts for personal care attendants or are willing to waive the double occupancy fee for their room. I am finding a lot of support for service animals but not a lot of support for families that need personal support. Any experiences?

 

No personal experience, but I doubt it. Closest I've heard is of some people being able to get funding to cover normal attendant/agency fees to bring a carer on a cruise with them (as in - covering the same costs as if the carer was assisting the PWD in their own home), but the PWD/family is still expected to pay the carer's fare, plus any airfares, etc. I'd agree with what earlier posters have said - that otherwise it's likely just too open to exploitation. Doesn't hurt to ask though - you've nothing to lose and the worst they can do is say no.

I understand flying back to Sydney is probably the cheapest and fastest, but if the train trip is scenic, we would still be interested in doing that, perhaps stopping off in Canberra for one night.

Again only IMO - but not particularly. There are some nice towns along the way, but I don't think the train stops long enough in any for you to really have a good look around. The time of year you're traveling might have some bearing too...if it's going to be in our summer/early autumn, a lot of the landscape will be crispy brown. Not sure if the interstate trains are quite as bad as the metro ones - but our trains in Melbourne are a rather bad joke in hot weather (as soon as temps hit the mid 30s, the whole network seems to start shutting down :eek::rolleyes: )

 

Also - I could be wrong - have only caught the train once and it was a long time ago, but I don't think it goes directly to Canberra. Might still suit you, but I think you've got to stop off somewhere along the way and catch a bus as well. I can't get the NSW Train Link site to work at present, but that should have the info yo need, or one of the NSW or ACT folk on the board will know I'm sure :)

 

Yarra Valley is worth a look, particularly if you like your wine (not that I'm biased or anything...it's my neck of the woods ;) )

I'd agree with Gut, one day isn't enough for the Great Ocean Road. If you're pressed for time, I'd skip Wilson's Promontory in favour of going west - the Prom is lovely, but (IMO) the best areas by far are those that can only be reached by a fair hike - anything from maybe 8-10km up to a 2-3 day circuit. If you are into bushwalking, there are some lovely - or were, it's a long time since I've been able to hike, but I assume the tracks are still maintained - walks down around Lorne - I'd guess any GOR tour would be bound to stop there. It's further, but do any of the tours go as far as Warrnambool? I ask only as those you've mentioned all talk about the Shipwreck Coast - and Warrnambool has a wonderful maritime museum that covers the history of all these.

 

What's your reason for wanting to see Phillip Island? If it's mainly for the penguin parade, you could think about going to St Kilda instead - it's much closer to town, not far at all from the CBD, and would free up a wee bit of time for you to do other things.

 

What sort of things are you interested in? There are also plenty of areas (e.g. The Dandenongs, the Yarra Valley) close to Melbourne that might be worth a look depending on what takes your fancy - some I'm sure you'd be able to get on a tour, otherwise they're a pretty easy drive if you were to look at hiring a car.

 

And would definitely fly back to Sydney. If you get a decent deal on your flights it probably won't cost you much more than the train, and it's a bloody long drive :eek::eek:

Shower gel - yes, but (assuming it's standard across Princess...) it's fairly ordinary IMO. No idea what scent it's meant to be, but I find it unpleasant.

 

Cotton wool - don't think so, but someone else might know different

 

Shower cap - not in the cabin but one of my cabin mates was able to get a couple from our steward, so I think they'd be available if you ask.

No problems here...

Depending on what you want to drink, you might also want to check out buying your wine before you board...you're able to take on as many bottles as you like, to drink wherever you like provided you pay corkage - this is $15 per bottle, but if you can find something you like in the $10-$20 a bottle range, you're going to come out ahead even with the corkage fee. MDR or any of the bars will keep your own bottles for you as they do with ship bought wine ...just has to have a sticker or stamp to show you've paid corkage.

But, you're not a real knitter. :p:D;)

 

You mean I've spent the last 25-odd years pretending to knit :eek::D I'll still stick to my s/s needles...makes my knitting unreal ;)

There is very little clickity clack in knitting....I think that is an urban myth. Real knitters don't use aluminum knitting needles any more. We learned that early, knitting in class in school, and the clang of the needles when you drop one. Plastic and bamboo are the rule today. You would be surprised how quiet knitting is. EM

 

Real knitters? :D I never use plastic or bamboo myself - don't like the feel of either, and find s/s are far more durable (also far easier for a lot of the knitting I do - mostly very fine, lace weight scarves, shawls and the like) - but I do agree, not much noise. You'd probably hear a faint click if you were sitting right beside me, but not otherwise.

I would think the other thing to find out with a low sodium diet too, would be whether it's a salt reduced diet overall (i.e. They're offering options that simply don't have the salt added) or if they're substituting in a "light salt"/low sodium salt - as these are usually much higher in potassium & I'm guessing wouldn't be much good if you're needing low K diet as well. Honestly have no idea about that...I'm the opposite and need a very high salt diet, was just a thought that occurred to me as something worth checking

Biggest dangers are passengers who do.

 

Yep...this is my problem. I'm highly sensitive to a lot of perfumes, deodorants, aftershaves, etc. Thankfully not as bad as I was when I was younger - when I'd frequently end up needing nebuliser and/or oxygen to breathe after kids at school thought it was funny to give me a faceful of their aerosol deodorants - but being in a confined space (e.g. lifts) with someone who's just coated themselves in smelly stuff is a nightmare for me.

I don't know how fit or otherwise your mother is, but something else to consider is the transport they use... I can usually manage a couple of steps - of the stair variety - with assistance (I'm rather younger than your mother, but with major mobility issues), but the bus we found ourself on had steps so steep I had to hoick myself up backward on my bum & go down forward in much the same fashion. Most with us would have been the 70+ age bracket, and most of them struggled greatly with the steps.

 

Otherwise, agree with advice about talking to shoreex desk...they should also be able to tell you (or contact the tour operator and find out) what sort of difficulty of terrain you're dealing with too...e.g 500m over flat or flattish ground might be easier than 100m up a steep hill.

Absolutely!

But if you're there on a cruise you will typically be moored at Akaroa which is a decent drive (approx 1 hour) to Christchurch (note only one word)

While many beautiful old buildings and the central city were pretty much destroyed there is still plenty to see and do including lovely gardens

Check out the options your cruise Shorex offer or stay in Akaroa and do something local or just explore on foot

 

Reckon it'd be more than an hour in a big tour bus! Or, if it did only take an hour, I'm not sure it'd be a bus I'd want to be on...those windy roads :eek:

 

But to the OP - yes, Christchurch is still lovely ...a lot of areas are still seriously damaged (or now completely flattened) - or was that way when I was there last year, and I think from friends there is still the case...but there are still lots of things to see and do. If you're likely to have the opportunity to come back though (appreciate you may not - your location says Florida I think? - can't go back to check now) I'd do that and stay in Akaroa or surrounding area...also lots to see and do there.

Thought the app was no longer available to download? It wasn't when we were on in May...I had downloaded it just before we left, other family hadn't, and it had already disappeared as they'd changed to being able to just access the intranet directly as easyboy said (So whatever ship you're on e.g. we were on Dawn, was just something like https://dawn.princess.com ...) create a login and away you go...gives you access to itinerary, activity & ports info and messenger and if you have paid internet minutes, you also log in (and out...Just closing does not = log off, so is important to double check!) from there.

Princess requires ALL passengers to muster in person and passengers with mobility aids will be allowed to use the elevators. Was just on the Crown Princess with a mobility scooter and my muster station was inside at one of the public venues and not on the open promenade deck by the life boats.

 

^ that. I'd just aim to get yourselves there a bit early so you and your partner can find somewhere to tuck out of the way...and be prepared to sit around for a while after while after until the crowd clears...experience here is that half the ship wants to use the lifts after!

Would definitely suggest an itinerary that includes Melbourne if you can get here...it's a nice city, and you've other options too depending on your interests - Yarra Valley (wine), Dandenongs, maybe Great Ocean Road (general sightseeing stuff), Ballarat - close enough to quite easily on a day trip. Feb does get hot though. I'm just out of the city and it's not at all unknown for us to have days of low 40s or higher.

If money isn't an issue, do the Amadee Island day trip if you can. You'll need to book onboard early cos it sells out, but it's a great day, and includes lunch, entertainment and great snorkelling.

 

We enjoyed Amedee also - opted for that in part because it was a public holiday in Noumea the day we were there. Was pretty expensive - thought the lunch was so-so, but we had an incredibly friendly and informative guide, our tour included a trip round the island on the ferry (the one that brings you across from Noumea) and glass bottom boat ride, and plenty of time for snorkeling - lots of fish, lots of sea turtles, just watch for sea snakes - love snakes, so wasn't bothered by them in the least, and they do say it's pretty hard to be bitten by one (combination of snakes being pretty small and non-aggressive) - but there are lots of them about!

only cruising experience is Dawn Princess...some difficulties owing mainly I think to her being an older ship (especially when I compare my experiences to descriptions others have given of theirs with newer ships on other lines) but for staff assistance I could not fault Princess if I tried. I was in a standard cabin - had some difficulty getting in and out the door (as meant folding my chair, wedging a stop under the door and holding onto someone or using my chair as a walker for the few steps to get in and out of the cabin). If he was cleaning, our steward took to looking out for me, and insisted more than once on helping me, despite my protestations.

 

No problem for me tendering, and we had several on our cruise. I'm sure it would have been different had we had problematic tides or weather, but the assistance staff lifted my chair on and off the tender with no problem, and two of them would give me a shoulder to step across (I'm a wheelie who can walk a few steps supported or with crutches). One port the wharf went directly onto the beach - path/grass was a lot further up - again was no problem...one of the assistance guys carried my chair up to where it would roll without sinking (is a lightweight chair, obviously would be no go for a heavy chair or scooter) and my brother helped carry me.

 

MDR staff also very good...HWs and our table waiters were both fantastic about making sure I'd a clear run to the table. Didn't really use the buffet...when we did, staff offered several times to push my chair and/or get food for me...refused, because I can do it myself and they're plenty busy enough, but no shortage of friendly help - and it was friendly, not just a perfunctory smile

I use heavy duty keyrings on each piece of my wheelchair...then, as xxoocruiser said, the airline will place its own standard luggage tags/barcodes on your scooters as well

Princess is great for gluten-free. You can ask the pizza restaurants to make gluten free but they usually need a days notice.

 

I haven't been on Crown, but the gf pizza I had on Dawn was inedible :( Spent half our cruise looking forward to it, looked fantastic on the plate, but ... ugh! Pasta was pretty standard...perfectly edible, but I think just the rice or corn type stuff that you can buy in the supermarket. The bread was a pleasant surprise...still that funny squeaky crunch that a lot of gf bread has (from the starches I guess?) but quite light & nice tasting. We ate in MDR every night (I'm veg as well, and both my mother and I have poor fat tolerance - a real credit to Princess that they handled things so well for me)

 

I think buffet would have been okay...we did eat breakfast there a couple of times...but seeing people handling food with bare hands early on rather put me off

I'd be very uncomfortable with something tied behind my wc travelling solo for 2 reasons:

 

- not everyone in the world is honest and something of potential value out of my direct line of sight could be an irresistible temptation

 

- airline security asks everyone at several points if your luggage has ever been out of your sight. Again, *if* someone with malevolent intent happened to be at the same airport at the same time and saw my bag toddling along behind me ...

 

Just more points to consider.

 

Thanks. Good points also...my suitcase does always stay locked unless I'm getting something in/out of it - which at least (I hope) would delay someone with less than honest intentions. When I have to carry a backpack hooked over my handles - not often, for the very reason you've mentioned - any valuables go underneath, or in zipper pockets on my person - I never stop in an open space unless I have no alternative...always back myself against a wall or into a corner so that nobody can get behind me & get a pocket open or slash a strap. That sounds a bit sad and cynical...I do think the majority of people are honest...but I'm also not stupid & not going to make myself more a target than I already am.

 

What do you do?

Depending on her disability & any accompanying health issues, or potential ones (as I notice you've got an osteogenesis imperfecta awareness tag in your sig...I'm not sure if that's for your daughter?) I'd be going for something pretty comprehensive and that you can be sure will cover stuff like medevac if need be.

 

We've always gone with Chubb corporate for us - I have trouble getting cover with most companies as I've got (amongst other things) severe dystonia kept in check by an implanted spinal pump - I function well while it's working, but if something goes bang it becomes a potential medical emergency that even many mainland hospitals aren't equipped (or rather, don't have the expertise) to handle.

 

Have no experience with them, but someone on a recent topic here mentioned Insure & Go as being willing to cover a lot of pre-existing. Haven't spoken to anyone there, but I did check them out online to see if they'd cover my multiple stuff - on the face of it they do - so maybe is worth giving them a call if nobody else comes back with suggestions.

How do you get yourself through a standard cruise ship door if your chair is folded? Not to mention using the bathrooms onboard if you don't

book a HP cabin.

 

With great difficulty and a lot of stubbornness ;) I can walk a very short distance assisted - and cruising so far has been with family - so family member #1 folds chair while family member #2 gets me in/out of cabin. Similar process with bathroom - if someone helps me up that step, I can support myself around enough to get around/use a shower stool/use crutches enough to make do. Public bathrooms - no...! I did drag my poor brother into the ladies in a moment of desperation - only to hold the door :D - access was okay once I'd got through the insanely heavy door & Everest-like threshold (all labeled accessible mind you) ...but I'm adaptable and still being able to walk those few steps makes all the difference.

 

I'd not cruise without family I don't think - .but both these trips are otherwise...air travel only, and provided airline doesn't manage to break or lose my chair I'll be right.

 

Will see if I can find some backpacks to check out here...is that what you use? My only worry there is that I'm assuming the bottom of the pack would have to clear the ground? (I've seen a few wheeled/convertible packs online, but I think they'd still hang clear rather than roll) How do you get it on/off the back of the chair? I'm strong, and done a lot of shoulder girdle/upper body specific muscle work, but I'm pretty sure I'd be adding to my shoulder problems lifting a heavy bag on/off the back - and shifting a bag without my weight in the chair to counterbalance I'm interested to know how it'd done without the chair tipping...this is why I'm looking to advice from the pros :) Not a newbie to chairs - but independent travel is a big new thing for me.

Gosh, that's nifty...looks like it's not available yet (and only for rigid chairs when it does come out...gah), but reckon it's something I'll be keeping an eye on.

 

Under bum doesn't work for me...I can fit a wee bit under in a small bag, but not a square case because I've got the X frame of the folding chair...yet another reason I want a rigid ...though would make it harder to cruise - least with my folding I can get through standard doorways :rolleyes:

 

Get where you're coming from with the swivel. I think that's why though I was thinking of trying to have a 4 wheeled case that would sit snug against the chair - strapped so that it would have to move with the chair & not have the opportunity to movement independently or fall over (if that makes sense?) Though I do worry a bit that if I rely on that technique - especially with the number of times I've sat and watched them unload cases with less than due care :eek: - that I'll find myself at some point with a case minus a wheel or four and in a bit of a mess

A quick search came up with this, which is in line with what I was thinking. A towing hitch for suitcases, behind a wheelchair/mobility scooter.:)Hope it helps.

 

Now that's a good thought! I can't quite see from the picture - though I get the general idea - might have to do some googling. Maybe I need a trailer ;) I have got a few handy bits and pieces on the back of my chair that should work as attachment points - even though it's a folding chair, I use a rigid/removable back - so has a handle there, plus the canes, then the frame lower down. Your using the word 'hitch' has got me thinking maybe something like one or two big carabiners might work to help attach the thing to me. Really is figuring out actual luggage type that'll work best, but the input is appreciated :) (Yours too Gut)

Yeah, potential balance issues are why I'm really glad they're happy for me to play with it at home & return it if needs be. What I'm imagining is the case snug against the back of my chair (wheels on the ground)and attached with bungees so that I can push & it can be pulled along behind. Chair is custom built for me (version of this - http://www.tilite.com/chairs_2gx.php#5 though I've got arm rests, and handles) which does make balance easier - I can sling a 10kg backpack of medical gear on the back without unbalancing myself too much (have to figure that one out next...lap maybe, or under chair, though my under chair bag is a PITA to get on and off for airport security...)

 

How do you go with bags over the armrests? I've seen them - or pictures of them anyway - but always thought they'd at best get really grubby (maybe that's just because I've got an inability to avoid puddles?) and at worst with a manual chair get stuck in spokes and/or make it impossible to push.