notentirelynormal

1 hour ago, clo said:

It's just us and our two daughters with spouses and two kids each. I can't imagine any of them being interested in a cruise so not likely an issue for us. PS: Can you spell "delegation"????? LOL.

 

I have two kids.  They were elite on Princess before they were 18.  Now they each have two kids.  My 14 YO grandson has been on 7 cruises at 56 days and the youngest who is now 8 has only been on 1 at 10 days.  We have always considered cruising a family vacation.  My DH and I are getting ready to go on our Princess 31st cruise at 264 days.  We have cruised by ourselves, just immediate family and kids and extended family and friends up to 26 people.   I can't imagine any of them NOT being interested in a cruise.

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I'm a little surprised that EZ Air can use an airlines miles.  I have enough to do the upgrades but not enough to get the tickets outright.  I keep telling my husband that we only need to charge $180,000 in miles by January.  He is NOT amused LOL. 

 

For us it seems we need to fly AA out of LAX.  UA goes from LAX to Chicago to San Francisco and then to Papeete.  22 hours flight time.  Coming back it is better flying just through SFO at only 14 hours.

 

The best for us is Air Tahiti Nui going (13 hours) and a crap shoot coming home.  AA has one direct flight causing us to fly out the next day (due to the early flight) which I"m okay with.  A lot of the flights to LA are 33 hours.  I don't think so.  That might literally kill my mom to be in that air for that long.  Definitely she would need on board oxygen. AA miles are good on ATN.

 

 

I just want to understand a little more.  I have lots of miles on AA that I can use towards the tickets.  We need 3 tickets.  We are flying from LA to PPT and than home from Sydney AU a couple of days before Christmas.  Even if we stay after Christmas tickets will still be at a premium.  I need to fly Premium Economy at the least.  I would prefer business.  I am flying with my 91 YO mother.  Our cruise is 26 days.  I have never used Princess air but you guys are inspiring me but I need much more info to feel confident about doing this and knowing when I should book the outgoing.  Do I wait for the return date?  Should I pay right now if I feel the price is good?  Any and all help will be appreciated.

 

Okay - maybe a lot more LOL

Thanks.  I will bring the cables in the hope I can use it. 

On 11/8/2019 at 1:40 PM, Algebralovr said:

I didn't see your questions answered, and sorry you felt attacked.  I've been offline for a couple of days.  I totally understand the confusion, since I appear completely healthy, although if you watch me walk, you'll soon see that I don't walk quite right (I do a good job of faking it), and the chronic migraines are a real beast.

 

You don't register your dog with anyone.  If your dog is trained to the standards of ADI, Assistance Dogs International, to their standards on their site, and your dog provides assistance to you based on your individual needs for your individual disabilities, you have a service dog.  Your dog needs to behave well (really well) in public.  Including ignoring other people, not barking, lunging, etc.  Of course, they can still be surprised - and at times even the best trained dog will act unexpectedly.  Mine has.

 

For the paperwork - some of the places you are going do not recognize service dogs that were not trained by ADI members.  While ADI does some great work, there are some limitations to their allowed members, including that they don't allow "for-profit" members.  So those of us who needed something other than what some of the ADI members had, or who wanted a dog sooner than some members would produce, or who live in an area where the only ADI members only assists certain groups - well, I hired a private trainer to train my dog.  It worked well, and I'd do it again, but it does cause issues if you want to take your dog to some places outside the US.  I believe NZ and AUS are two of those places.  Not sure about the others.  

 

You need an import permit for every single country you are visiting.  So, you will need to work with the USDA vet to get that.  You may be out of time if the trip is soon, since some of those places require a Rabies Titer, which takes quite a while to get.  You can see on the USDA site what the various requirements are.   It states pets, because the requirments are the same.   

 

If you are taking your dog to places that do not recognize SDs, or that do not recognize SDs not trained by ADI members, then you'll be restricted from entering any place not pet-dog friendly.  This may or may not be an issue to you.  You can't leave the dog on board alone, so someone would need to stay on board with the dog.  

 

I assume you have a vest for your dog to wear?  Does your dog wear a vest when you are out in public here in the US?  Since I hired a private trainer, I bought my own vest.  There are a number of places online you can buy them.  My trainer recommended a line of them at petjoyonline and the one we have has worked out well.  

 

Thank you SO MUCH.  This is exactly what I was looking for.  Now I have some place to start.  My pain management doctor said he "might" know someone and will ask for my next visit.

 

Unfortunately, I am ending the cruise in New Zealand and final Australia.  Princess has stated that I can not take my dog to Australia.  Period. They gave me a bunch of other info but that was the one and only important information that counted for this cruise anyway.  I really appreciate you answering the question and giving me the information that you did.  I don't understand why people automatically assume the worse from people.  If I wanted to cheat I would just buy the vest and the letter etc. 

• We were once on a cruise where there were about 14 cabins.  I had done up a phone book for everyone in our group.   They had switch my brother's cabin one cabin over.  I can tell you that the people that got Brother's cabin were not happy as they had people calling them all day and night.

We put together a book with a picture of the ship, the plane, the floor plan, our cabins and the kids stuff.  A picture of a plane taking off etc.  Then we also got them stuff for the ship.  Not much else they were getting since I was taking 4 grandkids, 4 adult kids and us.  Oh, we showed shore excursions too.

Does anyone know if the TVs on the Pacific Princess have the input connections for a DVD player?

 

My last post here - ever.  To those that wanted to help and explain I thank you.  Answering questions on an individual basis in a private environment is a whole lot different then answering those same questions (and more) on a public chat board.  Follow that up with the "we don't help fakes" comment and that sets a whole new flavor to the request. 

 

I have done research and gotten no where so you were my last resort.  My doctors don't seem to know.  My vet didn't seem to know.  I thought asking here with so many people that had service dogs would help me find the answers or at least point me in the direction where I could get help.  I did not expect to be accused.  Again, if I were faking it I wouldn't be asking for help. I would just fake it.

 

I get it.  If you are deaf or blind it is easy to believe.  I look normal.  No one would ever know the pain I am in 24/7.  On my last cruise the photographer was always laughing at me (in good spirit) for not wearing shoes.  She was shocked when we got off the ship and she saw that I was using a scooter.  I am as disabled as the guy in the wheelchair.  My pain is just as real. My ability to walk is just as difficult.  I have to take a big breath and suck it up just to walk from one end of the ship to the other.  Standing while someone chats with the checkout girl is extremely painful but my disability is invisible and uncommon so it doesn't count.  My depression and my fatigue are all just as real.  If someone that has fibromyalgia qualifies for a dog then I was researching if I would be entitled to have the same help and trying to figure out how to find out and how to get that help.

 

No one will ever know my limitations.  I get dirty looks for parking in the handicap spot because I can jump out of the car.  But I came here for help and the first comment I got was not to help me but to challenge my right to even ask for that help.  Sometimes people need to sit back and think about what they type behind their secret computer screen.  It is easy to say things in anonymity.  For me though, all it accomplished was to really upset me and make we want to give up.  So, that's it.  I will quit asking, I will quit researching. 

 

Again, to those that actually offered suggestions and help I thank you.  To the other - well....  Remember, $249 and I can get the whole package.  The vest, the ID, the registration, the airline letter, the whole shebang.  Easy to fake it, hard to get information if it is an uncommon disability.

 

Roz, I know you live in the fire area.  Last year we were dead center in the Oak Park fire.  We have several houses that were completely destroyed and several more that were severely damaged.  You just had to turn on the news to see our street.  One of those that lost their house was on the Ellen show when Kim K donated $100,000 to them to help them rebuild.  Now this one that is coming our way again was not fun, especially with the strong winds.  I'll keep an eye out for you LOL.  That day for us:  the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, just 8 miles from our house.  The fire in Camarillo.  Our fire.  My daughter has two kids.  Kid one: Robo call about the school in lock down.  Found out later they were serving a warrant on a guy nearby.  Kid two: Robo call about school lock down.  Found out later that someone had called in a bomb threat at another nearby school.  That's a day she hopes never gets repeated.

 

 

Honestly I'm sorry I asked on these boards.  After I responded I thought - who the hell are you to ask me all these questions and why am I answering them.  It is none of your business what my disability is and what a dog would do for me.  All I wanted to know was how I got the dog registered and the rules to follow.  My mistake.  Thank you Roz - you have always been a class act.

 

HenryKisor - you need to check yourself.  You are not that special.  It is not your job to make me feel like a piece of crap.  Thank you for doing that.  I don't have to report to  you.  I will no longer ask for assistance.  The questions you asked me were NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.  Shame on you for asking the way you did.  I will just pay the $149 and get certified.

 

Roz: I won't really but that is what I feel like doing.  I'm sorry I'm not blind or deaf.  My mistake for my disability not fitting the mold. I planned on using my current dog - if I can.  I just can't find an organization that will help me with that.  I think I will just give up.  The nastiness of people is just too much for me.

 

I am not trying to pass my pet off as a service dog.  As I said in my post I am trying desperately to get information.  I do suffer from a very painful disease that makes my life, to put it simply, very difficult at times.  Without giving you my life history or sharing too much for the rest of the world to hear understand that I am asking for help in doing this right. 

 

If I wanted to cheat the system I wouldn’t have asked for help on a website that I clearly have been known on for many years.  So, please be as respectful to me as I am trying to be in asking for sincere help.  I just figured you guys would know if anyone would because I am running into a brick wall in getting any information even from my rheumatologist or my pain management doctor.  They stare at me blankly and go “I don’t know”.  So, how to go about doing it legally and properly.  Or should I just pay $149 and get the whole kit including harness and jacket.

 

For those of you that know and respect Pam_in_California she will vouch for my disease.  Not fun and I don’t wish it on anyone.  She has a loved one that also suffers from it and she really understands.  Because it is a rare disease there is not much done for it or for specific pain medications and no cure.  I will gladly give up the thought of a service dog to be able to walk to the corner without crying because of the pain.  Or standing up while you chat with the checkout clerk.  Or wearing nice shoes with my evening gown.  Well, wearing shoes at all really.  Or the pain caused when the wind blows against my leg.  Good enough for you?

 

One of the diseases/conditions that qualifies for a service dog is fibromyalgia which is why I am asking.  What I have is a little more rare but along the same lines.  It is called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) or Regional Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) or RSDS. 

 

A small overview:  RSD may be confused with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The most recent definition of these conditions indicates that RSD and CRPS refers to the same condition.  The main difference is that RSD and CRPS involve primary damage to soft tissue.  Treatment for RSD may include a number of therapies including:

• Physical therapy to promote mobility and decrease pain and tension

• Surgical procedures to cut and seal affected nerves

• Nerve-block treatments, which involve anesthetic injections into affected nerves

 

I also have an implant that sends electric impulses down my leg and up my back to manage the pain.  I have to charge my butt every day.

 

So, doing research brought me to: Can a service dog help with chronic pain?  And the response is: A service dog is often used by people suffering from fibromyalgia. ... For all the common symptoms of fibromyalgia, service dogs can help make life that little bit easier. Symptoms from fatigue and muscle pain to depression, having a service dog will really improve your life.

I'm really new to this.  Really new.  I am trying to get my dog registered as a Service Dog but for the life of me can't figure out how to do it.  All I can find are third party websites that tell me to fill in the blanks on a generic form, pay my money, buy a vest and viola!  She's a service dog.  Am I missing something?  Even my doctors don't seem to know the procedure.

 

I know I need forms from the airlines.  Okay. 

 

I’m still waiting on Princess to tell me what I need to do with them.

 

We are doing a 26 day Tahiti/South Pacific cruise on the Pacific Princess.  We leave out of LA and the cruise starts in Papeete, French Polynesia.  We also stop in Rangiroa, Huahine, Raiatea, back to Tahiti and then Bora Bora, French Polynesia.

 

After that we go to Nuku’alofa, Tonga; Dravuni Island, Fiji; Bay of Islands and Auckland, New Zealand then end in Sydney, Australia. 

 

Flights home are going to be direct (hopefully) or with a stopover in New Zealand.  At worst we will stop in Hawaii.

 

I have no idea how to figure out the requirements for entering each port or if I will need to leave her on the ship.

 

I see I need the APHIS Form 7001 and her normal vaccinations will of course be up to date.  USDA Accredited.

Any wisdom will be appreciated.

 

 

Never mind the rest. Did she say if it was a BA, OV or INT jail cell?

 

She said PRISON......

I can't see anyone at Princess dispensing medical advise.

This woman was in possession of prescription pain killers that didnt belong to her and were intended for someone else. And given that they are prescription drugs, how did she manage to get her hands on them in the first place?

 

You are kidding right? You call the doctor. Ask for a renewal (if it isn't automatic) and they call it into the pharmacy. You drive over and pick up your spouse's prescription. It is done every day. Even prescriptions such as Oxycontin can be picked up by others that are not the prescribed if the pharmacist knows them.

The OP hasn't come back BUT has not said whether she wants to eat in the MDR, buffet or just get pictures. It is all just conjecture on everyone's part.

 

I agree. T-shirts are t-shirts. Around the ship, sure. In the buffet, sure. In the MDR, a solid no. No, it won't ruin my cruise. But, yes, it will impact me quiet enjoyment of seeing all the men, women and children looking their finest. It won't kill you once to twice a year to not look and dress like a slob.

 

I also think the "it's my vacation and to H*ll with the rest of you" attitude explains why so many people are "me me me" today and don't have enough manners to hold a door open for someone. Thank goodness both my children taught their children manners.

 

My grandchildren know that if they are cruising, then they are dressing appropriately. There is no discussion.

 

OP, last cruise I bought the photo package and wanted to make sure we got lots of pictures. My kids knew - hurry up (and wait) for all the different backgrounds because they were taking pictures. That was my payment for their cruise.

Actually the OP said HE would like to snorkel. He was going on a cruise with wife and child who couldn't swim but he was still interested in snorkeling. I read it that only he was interested.

The problem w paying in USD is that many vendors will give you change in local currency. Pay w CC if possible.

 

DON

 

You can always make sure before you make the purchase that they will give you back US dollars and also bring small bills. In other words, don't make a $2 purchase with a $20 bill. Have plenty of singles with you.

Other than prepaid calling cards, crew has no need of any "gift". I prefer plain cash, crew can do what they want or need. Only takes a couple of days to figure out if your steward is just OK or better. We usually make additional TIP upfront on 3rd day to help supervision dipping into stewards pockets.

 

The crew has no need for prepaid calling cards either. IF they need them they can get them cheaper on board. Plus many cards bought in the US can only be used from the US making the worthless. With Syke and all the other on line programs they hardly need to use the phone anymore when they can see family on line.

My husband and I recently went on a 5 day cruse. Only our 2nd. (last 1 was 20 years ago). We prepaid our gratuities and were told by experienced cruisers that we could leave extra if we wanted to. However on the next to last day we found an envelope on our bed from our cabin steward basically asking for more money. How common is this?? It made me feel very uncomfortable. If I want to leave extra it should be at my desertion....this felt more like an obligation. None of our experience friends have ever had this happen to them.

 

Your "experienced cruisers" don't know much do they? You are also easily offended and need to get over it. On most cruise lines crew are only allowed to keep the additional money IF you left the auto gratuity on. Therefore, as a courtesy to YOU so YOU don't have to spend time during your wonderful day going to the Purser's Desk, they leave the envelope for you to write your name and cabin number.

 

I would have been offended if he demanded payment, if he was overly aggressive in the way he gave it to you etc. Lying it on the bed is hardly offensive. Do you also get offended in restaurants when they give you a receipt with a line for the tip and then down below they have already figured out how much 15%, 18% and 20% is? Ya, I thought so. Get better "experienced cruisers" friends cos the ones you know aren't that experienced and don't know squat.

It wouldn’t be just the dmv, it would be the drivers license administers office which in our town you get there at 7:30 and wait in line for three hours and hope your number is one that they get to that day, one worker! It’s usually just a couple day ordeal and then of course they give you the paper and then you go to the actual dmv and it takes five minutes to fix your issue! Just hate how our office operates but if the dmv could do it...it would take no time

 

AAA does a lot of DMV stuff. Maybe you can get it done there. That is if you are a member. Might be worth becoming one if they will do it. I do all my DMV stuff there. A fraction of the time.

He secretly got the passport renewed, but never told her.

Then, when they flew to the embarkation port, he "accidentally" left it behind on the plane and they were delayed going through Customs at the airport. The flight crew found the passport, searched for him in the airport, and found him waiting at Customs.

 

Actually, I think the one the others were thinking about: the guy actually renewed his passport but didn't tell her. He just quietly put it on the table amidst her other travel documents (next to the expired passport) and let her find it. A jerk thing to do.

When I first read the title I thought it read, can you use someone else's credit card. I thought, SURE! My kid's do it all the time. My favorite was when my son, DIL and DGD were in the line next to me checking in and he casually turns to me and says, "mom, I need your credit card." I said, I paid for your cruise, air fare and excursions. Why do you need my credit card? "How do you expect me to pay my onboard expenses and my tips? I don't have any money" he says. Heavy sigh. "I dunno" I say as I hand it over wondering where my DD was. I found her in her cabin at the end of the cruise wondering why she hadn't asked me for my CC yet LOL. "Here, use mine", I say. So, yes, you can use someone else's credit CARD :')

We've been doing a "Friends and Family Winter Caribbean Cruise" for a number of years now. We usually have 25-35 people. A couple of years ago we were on RCI and I tried to arrange for a photo of the group (just somewhere on a stairway or other public area) I was told there was a $75 "sitting fee" in addition to the cost of any photo(s) purchased. We declined, posed ourselves and asked a passer by to take a photo with someone's digital camera. They did, we e-mailed amongst our selves and I went to Walgreens had had a 5X7 printed for 99 cents. They really lost out as most of the folks would have purchased a photo, and with the profit margin on the photos, they would have made out pretty well. Now, we don't even ask to have the ship's photographer take our photo. And by the way....so far there are 28 booked on the 2018 winter cruise.

 

We've done group cruises like yours. Princess charged us nothing to take the pictures. We had a private party. The photographer showed up, posed us and took a few pictures and left. Fun for us and revenue for them. Since it was a private party there was no one walking by to take the picture.