Dancingnurse79

The Water Park is currently $53 for my May 8th cruise on Mariner. $130 seems like a steep increase for your cruise. But they can technically charge whatever they want. You don’t have to buy. 

3 hours ago, Sailor_Sally said:

I am elderly with a compromised immune system and no way would I take the chance to get anywhere near it .

I’m not elderly but have a compromised immune system. I wouldn’t take a cruise in the affected areas until the virus is under control. But it wouldn’t stop me from cruising anywhere else. It depends on your level of immunocompromisation though. Mine isn’t chemo induced and I know that I will be ok in circumstances that are not extenuating, like coronavirus. I won’t let a virus that is primarily in one area cripple me from traveling in other areas. 

I absent mindedly bit a hangnail at Universal and got norovirus. I’m usually so careful and keep sanitizer on my belt loop. We have annual passes and I’ve never gotten sick before, despite having neutropenia (ave. WBC 1.7, ANC 0.2 for the nurses on here). I actually got hospitalized and they used the plain surgical masks when interacting with me.

Masks aren’t going to protect people 100% but if there’s a outbreak on the ship I’d rather have one than not. I’d just avoid biting hangnails and wash my hands. 😂 

16 minutes ago, The Grumpus said:

Really?  Is this confirmed by CDC?

2 minutes ago, luisc25 said:

As of today I don’t see Florida.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html
 

 

Dang. I may have been fooled by a fb posted article. I know that some schools in south Florida were quarantining due to a possible case there but I could have sworn I saw it was confirmed. I will trust the cdc over fb though. 😂 But my advice to the OP still stands. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Some people pack the kitchen sink anyway. What’s a few flat masks in a suitcase gonna hurt?

The first case has already hit Florida. As a nurse, I wouldn’t plan like you’re going to get it, but it wouldn’t hurt to put a few masks in your suitcase in case it appears it might be on the ship. You can get them at Walgreens, etc. Worst case scenario, you’re more prepared/protected than others. Best case, you don’t need them. 

12 hours ago, crazyank said:

I wasn't talking about the OP so please don't imply that I was.  More and more often we read about people with multiple food allergies, complicated dietary requirements, etc.  I'm wondering at what point a cruise line will say,  too complicated, or too time consuming, or something similar?

Rhetorical question, got it. 👍

1 hour ago, crazyank said:

I'm curious,  at what point might a cruise line say "your dietary requirements are too complicated, we cannot accommodate you" ?   

I guess she’ll let you know if it happens. 

Kariann30 - When do you cruise on Mariner?

3 hours ago, crazyank said:

The OP is talking about a totally salt free diet.  IMO this would be very difficult on a cruise when food is mass produced and salt is an ingredient is bread etc.   Telling the OP that cruising may not be a viable vacation for her was not rude,  simply an honest opinion.  A low salt diet and a totally salt free diet are two different things.

I do understand the difference. But the OP said that it has been done before so it’s possible. Perhaps the difference is that an Oasis class ship is capable of it. Something to consider. 

37 minutes ago, kariann30 said:

While I agree it is not easy....as I said before, I have cruised many times. Oasis has had no problem doing an excellent job of preparing my meals and those multiple cruises were excellent. It is not as easy as not salting what I eat and bringing Mrs. Dash. That is not a salt free diet either. As was suggested, I have considered that this may be my last cruise as much as I love it and would hate for that to be the only option. However, before booking each cruise, I have contacted the Access department that assures me this type of meal prep is not a problem. Unfortunately, that is what I was told about Anthem and it was a big problem. I guess that Mariner will just have to prove it to me or I will no longer be able to cruise with Royal. Thanks for all your input and suggestions. I have spoken to others who have been allowed to contact the ship themselves to get specific answers to questions. I was hoping that it would just be that easy to get the answers to my questions.

 

 

 

 

I feel for you. If I love my guts, I have to stick to the autoimmune protocol diet (which is even more restrictive than keto). It’s very difficult to cook/prep for and eating out is pretty much impossible. That’s why I can’t stick to it and my guts hate me for it. However, a no salt diet isn’t usually an option. 😥  When will you be on Mariner?

It’s been between $60-69 for Mariner in May. Sits at $60 most of the time so I went ahead and bought it but I don’t have to like it. 😜

16 minutes ago, brillohead said:

I don't know what your problem is with reading my posts -- most other people don't seem to have any problems with reading comprehension when it comes to what I say?  

I'd also be interested in what difference you think there is in ship age when it comes to the width of a door.  I can't say that my stateroom doors on Freedom or Oasis class ships were any wider than the ones on Explorer class ships, so I'm wondering what criteria you're using to make such an statement?

 

That’s funny, because I feel the same way. It’s ironic that your name is brillohead because I think you’re very abrasive. This is not the first thread you and I have clashed on. I think it’s best we ignore each other. 

43 minutes ago, brillohead said:

I don't know what you consider to be a "newer" ship.  

Explorer of the Seas is 20 years old and a scooter fit through the door of a standard balcony room last month.

I never said older ships would never fit scooters. I said newer ones would definitely fit them.

1 hour ago, molsonschooner said:

I think there is a lot of confusion on this topic. For instance, my wife uses a scooter. When I mentioned this to a couple different TA's, they told me that we really need an accessible cabin. No questions asked by them as to what my wife's limitations are. We are booked into a standard balcony cabin this year. Another question that comes up often is, "will the scooter fit through the door". So many people comment that the scooter will not fit. You imply that the scooter will fit but so many other people talk about parking the scooter in the hallway, having the cabin steward park the scooter in an out of the way area at night then bring it back in the morning. Some other people mention that they have to break the scooter down to get it into the cabin, you say just take the arms off, very easy. I will say this, if I have to do anything more than easily remove arms to get the scooter inside, I will be getting an accessible cabin from now on. There seems to be a lot of confusion on this topic.

I think whether or not the scooter fits in the room will depend on the room/ship. I, personally, wouldn’t want the scooter in the room. They’re small enough as it is. But newer ships should have no issues with the doors being wide enough for scooters. 

2 hours ago, brillohead said:

I hope you have good luck finding accessible rooms for your mother to be able to cruise in.

The accessible rooms for the sailing I was looking at are already gone except for suites. This is going to be a difficult search.

1 hour ago, spookwife said:

Yes they offer ‘low salt’ options.  But the OP Was talking salt free everything.. bread and other mass produced items.  
 

it’s one thing to not add salt as a seasoning to a protein when it’s being cooked.  It’s another to omit it entirely from a dish that uses it as an ingredient that is to be served to an entire group of passengers.  Such as bread.  

The OP stated that Oasis had no problem accommodating them. That means it can be done. 

2 hours ago, brillohead said:

Again, you're still not understanding what I'm saying.  I'm gonna try one more time to get you to see what I'm talking about.

Someone CAN have a physical need for a scooter to walk longer distances, BUT NOT HAVE A NEED FOR AN ACCESSIBLE ROOM!

Someone with reduced cardiac output can have no orthopedic problems at all.  They can sit, stand, bend over, step up/down a stair, etc.  They can walk around in a room or even in a house with no problems.  They would have no need whatsoever for an accessible room... does that make sense?  They don't need a railing by the toilet, they don't need a flat threshold into the bathroom, etc.  No need for any accessible room features.  BUT -- they can't walk from one end of the ship to the other without stopping every 50-100 feet to rest... so they have a scooter.  

 

Their legs work, and their arms work.... but their heart doesn't work well enough.  (Or their lungs don't work well enough, or they're so anemic that their blood doesn't carry enough oxygen, or whatever.)  

Those people DO have a valid medical/physical reason for using a scooter on the ship.... but they do NOT have a valid need for an accessible room.  (Similarly, there are people who don't use a scooter or wheelchair at all, but do have a valid reason for getting an accessible room, such as knee/hip issues where they need the grab bars or zero-threshold bathroom entry.)

All I'm saying is that having a scooter doesn't mean you should take an accessible room out of inventory unless you ALSO have an actual need for the accessible features of the room.  

The only judgment you should be hearing in any of my posts is towards people who think that having a scooter means they should also get an accessible room just b/c they have a scooter, and rather than an actual need for the accessible features of the room.  

I think we view scooter users differently. That’s fine. Truce. 

13 minutes ago, brillohead said:

I think maybe you need to go back and read my comments again, b/c I didn't really say anything different in any of my posts.  I've said all along, if you need the features, you should get the accessible room, and if you don't need the features, you should not get the accessible room.  However, just having a scooter doesn't mean you need the room's features.

For example, I never said people "would brag" about grabbing the room for extra space.... what I said was that people would tell them they SHOULD get an accessible room JUST because they have a scooter.  My argument is that just having a scooter doesn't mean that people should be allowed to book an accessible room -- they should actually need the special features of the room in order to be able to book it.  I wish that cruise lines would crack down on enforcing this a bit more.  

I simply don’t understand why people would use a scooter on a ship if they don’t   have a physical need for it. It’s difficult to get an elevator and crowds and restaurants can be challenging to navigate. That’s why I felt like anyone using a scooter on a ship would be truly mobility impaired.

Your original comments sounded judgmental, as if you thought some people use scooters for laziness or being fat. Because why else would someone use a scooter if they weren’t mobility impaired? I know many people who think people in scooters are just fat and lazy. They often don’t consider that the scooter user might be fat because of their disability/condition. When you mentioned people actually talking about getting accessible rooms for the scooter space, it validated your opinion, to me. Some people are always looking for loopholes and schemes, anything to get something for nothing. I simply wasn’t raised that way so my brain doesn’t consider the many ways people do that kind of stuff. I worked as a retail manager earlier in life and was blown away that people would steal makeup by tucking the packaging in clothes pockets on the racks and just put the makeup in their purses. Makeup isn’t a “need.”  That’s just theft for greed and that is my pet peeve. My husband managed the shoe department (that’s how we met) and people would put their old shoes in the box on the top shelf and walk out in the new shoes.

And I think package theft should come with a mandatory hard labor sentence. Some packages aren’t gifts, they’re crucial items, like medications. 

I’m not a nutritionist, nor do I enjoy cooking, but I can think of several meals off the top of my heads that wouldn’t require salt and can easily be made on a ship. However, it does seem extreme to want to contact the head chef directly. I suggest you research (google) typical meals in the MDR on Mariner and request the ones that can be made salt free to be done so. They accommodate vegans and gluten sensitivity, they can accommodate salt free. It’s not rocket science. If nothing else, just request no seasoning on the meals and bring your own bottle of Mrs. Dash. 

A no salt diet is a staple of cardiologists orders for patients. The OP is hardly unique in needing this type of food, nor should she be told cruising is not for her because of it. Rude. 

OP, if you’re sailing after my May 8th cruise on Mariner, I can take pics of the menus for you. 

53 minutes ago, TRadle said:

This happens all the time.  It just like the handicap parking spaces.  I stopped counting the number of vehicles that use the van accissible spots without a placard or a plate.  Yesterday someone parked a pickup truck next to an accesibale van on the striped lines and ramp.  People who do this should be required to spend just one day with a disability.  

I’ve seen that before but it’s been a while. Perhaps it’s not as prevalent in my town, where there are a lot of disabled and elderly residents. 

I think a lot of the world’s problems could be solved by people being forced to wear another’s shoes. Politicians should live off minimum wage for a month. Racists should travel to a “brown” country. The world would be a far better place if people didn’t think it revolve around them. 

On 1/9/2020 at 12:37 PM, Tulsacoker said:

Also most (maybe a lot) people dont use lanyards... I carry mine in my wallet or pocket 

Women often do not have pockets big enough to hold seapass cards without them sliding out and getting lost. (Equal rights for pockets!! 😂) This is especially true with beachy clothes. I think a lanyard is in the way while I’m having fun on the ship but I don’t want to lose my card and the curly wrist band thing would drive me crazy. They need to institute the wow bands fleet wide. 

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

I think you are maybe more focused on the scooter users who have orthopedic needs because that's what you're faced with from your mother's perspective.  

There are actually plenty of legitimate scooter users who don't have any orthopedic needs at all -- the "invisible disability" type folks.  

The accessible rooms should be reserved for those people who have a legitimate need for those accessible features.  Just because you have a scooter doesn't mean you have a need for the accessible features of an accessible stateroom. 

 

Particularly on the larger ships, you'll see lots of people using scooters because they are unable to walk long distances, but they can navigate shorter distances just fine.  They can take a shower normally at home, they can go up and down a few steps just fine at home, they don't use a walker or cane or anything at home -- they just don't have the energy or cardiac or pulmonary capacity to walk longer distances, and so they have a scooter to use on the ship.  THOSE PEOPLE DO NOT NEED AN ACCESSIBLE ROOM! 

And I think you're going to change your tune when you experience it firsthand.... when every cruise you want to take has no accessible rooms available (or only inside rooms).  When you have to book a cruise two years in advance to get an accessible room.  When you see people walking through the buffet line holding two plates of food just fine, and later you see them driving their scooter into an accessible room.  

Heck, just hang around here, and you'll see it in every thread that mentions how to get a scooter.... "and make sure you get an accessible room so you have room to park your scooter!" rather than, "make sure you get an accessible room so you have a grab bar by the toilet, a shower bench, and no 4" step into the bathroom!"  

If someone has a need for accessible room features, absolutely get an accessible room!  That's what they are there for! But just because you have a scooter DOES NOT mean you deserve to have a special room.  

This was a far better argument for your opinion on the matter than what you offered before. I haven’t run across any threads yet where people would brag about grabbing the room for extra space. That IS awful. I would feel so judged by other passengers if I took an accessible room but I suppose some people feel entitled. 

I have also worked cardiac, neuro, and med-surg, so my opinion isn’t entirely ortho. But I suppose I had more hope in the honesty of cruisers than I should have. 😥

8 hours ago, brillohead said:

For the record, my comment about people with scooters getting accessible rooms specifically mentioned whether or not the person in question had need of the accessible features of the room, or if they just wanted extra space to park their scooter.  

As a nurse myself, I see scooter-users with all kinds of reasons for using a scooter -- orthopedic, neurologic, cardio-pulmonary, hematologic, etc.  Some of them would ALSO need the special features of an accessible room, while others can function perfectly well in a standard room.  The only ones who get side-eye from me are the ones who take an accessible room out of inventory JUST because they want extra room for their scooter. 

 

If you want a roomier room, then pay for a Junior Suite; if you NEED an accessible room, go ahead and book one (unless they've all been snatched up already by people who think their scooter makes them special).   

Sorry, but this still sounds judgy. I feel like if someone needs a scooter, they are some level of disabled and qualify for an accessible room. You say, “they just wanted extra space to park their scooter,” and I think, “need scooter for mobility = disabled and need an accessible room.” Perhaps I’m optimistic about scooter use statistics. 😆 

7 hours ago, TRadle said:

Cruising is the best way to vacation with mobility issues.  When we went to Alaska, even though my husband didn't

 get off the ship, he really loved riding on the decks and just being on the water.  It also took a lot of stress away with dining out.  It is the only way he'll travel.  We just got the accesible van so now we can drive to Galveston and he can just roll onto the ship!  No planes. The cruise lines are also great with making sure you have everything you need.  

I’m still relatively new to cruising and it recently occurred to me that cruising might be perfect for my mom because of her mobility issues (she restarted therapy today for the first time in over 4 years! Yay!!) I’m excited about the positive changes it might help with in her life. She’s never cruised before and doesn’t own a passport. I think she’s getting excited.

1 hour ago, Tee & Chilli said:

I think Carnival has fully accessible cabins and adaptive cabins.

Dancingnurse79 your way of approaching this situation is on point. You may also want to consider bringing a night light. Some ships are equipped with one in the bathroom.

Well, I’m literally assessing and reassessing my patients’ abilities and needs for their hospitalization and for discharge constantly. Of course I’m going to do it for my mom. 😉 And I do bring a nightlight. I’m an obsessive trip planner. I do research and make lists. My last trip to London included a spreadsheet of all the places I wanted to see, the hours of operation, entry fees, and closest tube station so I could logistically plan and see as much as we could in 1 week. I won’t need that on a laid back vacation like a cruise but I enjoy trip planning. It often helps me get through rough days at work to know I have one coming up. It’s mobility impaired trip planning that I’ve never done before and I appreciate everyone’s help. 

3 minutes ago, TRadle said:

As a caregiver to someone with MS I know the progression of disability and the issues at each step along the way.  I live it every single day and have for the past 25 years.A person knows, like my husband did, when they can't do that small step into the shower or out onto the veranda.  It would be nice if, like a pervious poster stated, that there were different types of accessible cabins.  How hard would it be to have low shower steps, or no shower steps, and bars and fold down benches in more cabins?  

 

Exactly. My mom has fallen on flat ground in the doctor’s office before. She was mortified but it shows she’s a true fall risk. She’s lucky she didn’t break a hip. Perhaps if enough people requested varying accessible cabins they might start making them.