willoL

@Traveller20074 I crossed the border (Washington state to BC) by car with my kids and my mother (biological grandmother to the children.) This was a few years ago. The kids and I visited my family in the Pacific NW before we headed to embark on our Crystal Serenity Alaska cruise at Vancouver Place. (My mom drove us to Vancouver, stayed overnight with the kids and me one night in a hotel, drove us to the port where we were joined by DH, she got to dine with us on the ship because Crystal was awesome, then she visited family to break up her long drive home to Oregon.) I had looked this very border crossing issue up, so had a letter from my husband stating that he knew I was taking our children out of the country. IIRC, DH was literally in the air (en route from New England to Vancouver) to join us for our cruise, so luckily the Canadian Border Patrol didn't attempt to call him. Of course, I also had a folder full of his exact airline itinerary, our dated cruise documents, a reservation at a hotel, etc. I do believe that the person in the booth asked my kids questions similar to what @donaldsc mentioned: "What's your name. Who are these people with you? Is this your mom? Your grandma? Where is your dad? Where are you going today?" I'm a mildly anxious type, but it wasn't too bad, and I did feel like the agent was being careful, but not excessively so. It wasn't scary, just thorough. I can't recall if I had him get the form notarized, but I probably didn't unless I'd read that I needed to. (It is quite easy to get things notarized at our local bank branch, so it wouldn't stick out too much in my mind if we did it.)

You can never have enough chargers. Bring a European adapter if you've got one (I bought a pair of Euro USB chargers on Amazon), too, so you can use both types of outlets, not just the US ones. I always pack my own reusable coffee cup because I hate the melted plastic taste of disposable paper cups. I've heard of quarantined people getting only disposable dishes & cutlery, which I would not enjoy, so I'll also pack a pair of Light My Fire reusable kids sporks from our school lunchbox drawer, and a stainless steel and silicone takeout container for snacks/leftovers. I bring a tiny 1 oz Nalgene bottle of dish soap in my toiletry kit already to keep all these dishes clean. I'm packing a couple of jigsaw puzzles for my August voyage, because I love them and that's how I'd most like to fill time if quarantined. Plus what others said: USB rechargeable nightlight, first aid kit, COVID tests, water bottle, USB rechargeable fan. Maybe a new game from your kids' wishlist just in case you're quarantined, so there's a good surprise? (My teens are all about the video games.)

Are these grandsons you see often, or rarely? I'd check in with them (or their parents if this is a surprise) and find out what excites them about a cruise. Honestly, my kids preferred HAL to Carnival when they were quite young. They were never particularly outgoing, and the Kid's Club was so noisy the first day (Carnival Glory), my little guy wouldn't even go back. Instead, we swam in the pool, played shuffleboard, played board games in the library, and just hung out together. My kids liked a smaller, quieter ship better just like their mom. (To be fair, we are a family of mostly introverted types: a professor/scientist married to an engineer.) 🤓 When we took them on Crystal, they were around 11 and 14, and some people said "don't do it, your kids will be bored." They weren't. 🤷‍♀️ My youngest loved to dress up every evening and join me in the piano lounge where the performer came to greet him every night with a special song; that kid still loves a good mocktail and asked for a velvet smoking jacket for our next voyage. The eldest hung out in the library, at a favorite cafe with his handheld video game, or he challenged passing adults to games of chess in the card room. So if *your* grandsons are athletic, evaluate the sport courts and such. If they are only happy around friends, definitely consider the size of the kids' programs (also whether your grandsons' ages put them together or apart, or if right at the cusp of the next age group, if one might feel he was with "babies" or be overwhelmed without the sibling.) But maybe they are keen to visit the ports or learn about the mechanics of a ship, or who knows what?

Add me to the group saying "10-ish" with the caveat that it depends SO MUCH on the child. Also we only allowed roaming at sea, never in port (though I don't think the ships are meant to let them off without an adult.) Mine were both fairly physically calm, thoughtful kids, and quiet-ish around strange adults, so I never worried they would climb a balcony or anything truly awful. They tended not to do the things that terrorize strangers, either, like run indoors. (I'm a fairly strict parent about manners.) I have known children who are much more prone to dangerous physical feats whom I would never let out of my sight if babysitting them at age 12... (Thinking of one particular neighbor boy 😂) Also we always set fairly narrow time limits on free roaming before high school age. E.g., you can go get food from location X, but we'll expect you back in one hour or you'll lose this privilege. Like others, we always checked in with the entire family at every mealtime, though often split up to eat lunch as I prefer table service whereas DH loves a buffet. Most dinners were family sit downs.

@Betsynh +1 on talking to your daughter about what she's envisioning, but going in with an open mind. Even if I paid for a cabin for a hired sitter, I would *NEVER* expect 24/7 availability. Those are slave labor conditions. I'm a stay-at-home-mom, but I always enjoyed spending time with my kids on vacation anyway. Then again, before my mother passed away, she was an eager, hands-on grandmother who was willing to watch my kids when I came home to visit (or come stay at my home across the country if I paid the plane fare!) so I could join my husband on an occasional business trip or visit friends. I paid to have my mom join me on a cruise with my youngest child when he was in preschool, so I don't think paying the fare implies anything in particular is expected. (I could afford it; my dad wouldn't find it a reasonable expense.) Then again, the three of us shared a cabin and did most things together on that trip: Grandma, Mom, and Kid. Your daughter may also hope to spend family time with you (and her husband and child), or she may desperately want time to reconnect with her spouse. Those early years can be so exhausting! Do you live close to each other, or far apart? Do you get along well with your son-in-law? Did your family vacation with grandparents when your daughter was young? Those points may offer hints. Since little kids go to bed early, I think the idea of trading off evenings so everyone can enjoy some of the nightlife makes sense, if that's what everyone is most looking forward to. Either that, or, if the nights are what the married couple really craves--dancing or shows--you "working" the bedtime shift but having your days free seems pretty reasonable. I hope you get to do this, that the planning is easy because you are all interested in a similar arrangement, and that everyone ends up having a wonderful time. I really cherish the memories of taking my mother with us on a few family vacations. Those opportunities disappeared long before I expected them to be gone.

Start by thinking about how your kids like to dress. Do you have a fashion plate who will be sad without cute outfits, or a low key kid who would happily wear the same t-shirt and jeans at all times if allowed? If I knew I would have access to laundry facilities, I would pack MUCH lighter, especially for my kid who doesn't crave variety in his clothes. That might mean each person only bring 2 pants, 2 shorts, 4 shirts, and accessories for a trip of unlimited length. (Depends if we've got tight connections or want to go carry on only.) I create capsule wardrobes for my kids as for myself when I want to pack light. That means all items match each other. For a cruise, I would make sure I had at least two outfits meeting evening dress codes for each, but possibly not more than that (long sleeves, long pants for my sons) if my kid preferred casual shorts and t-shirts. One non-itchy sweater that matches everything, dressy enough for dinner, to layer with all of it. Where weather may vary a lot, which may be true in the UK in summer, I add a set of long underwear that will render lightweight summer clothing warm enough for an unseasonably cool evening if needed; long johns work well as pj's, too. I do use packing cubes, but I only pack them by the day for road trips where we bring in exactly the next day's clothing and no others. (Nightwear and toiletries in a separate bag with swimsuits and towels in that case.) For cruises or other vacations where we plan to unpack, I color code per person, so Mom's clothing is purple packing cubes, big kid is yellow, little kid is blue... but put all trousers/bottoms in one packing cube, tops in another, socks and undies in a third (or 3rd & 4th, depending upon volume.)

Adjoining cabins where the door opens straight between them? I would do this even with a baby or toddler. More space is better; also, not sharing a bathroom with my *husband* makes my vacation better. I'd tell him he and the kids were assigned the other cabin loo, and mine was the ladies' lounge! 😆 With an interior door kept open all night, I see two connected cabins as virtually identical to a hallway at home with kids in their own bedrooms near ours. Our first time in two connected staterooms, mine were 11 and 14 ish, I was (by then) also okay with them shutting the door at night for "privacy." I would still pop in during the day to check they were being tidy, set out dinner outfits, etc. As long as the (interior connection) door could open from either side, even a lower elementary kid could have that much privacy at night if s/he wasn't prone to sleepwalking or waking up too scared to go to the right door to get to mom and dad. (Tip: I travel with a USB rechargeable nightlight and always set it up so my kids could find their way in a strange hotel room.) Across the hall--or anything that would require selecting one correct door from many identical ones in a hallway during a middle-of-the-night-emergency--I would start to consider toward age 12 or middle school, but it would depend (a lot!) upon the individual child. My youngest had nocturnal asthma, so we slept with an ear open to his wheezing until puberty, basically. A ten year old with a mature teenaged sibling might be okay together across the hall, but whether I thought so would be VERY personality dependent. I hope that helps! I can say for sure, I've *never* regretted splurging on more space when traveling with my family, and I took my kids on a fair number of trips without DH (who's much more of a homebody than I am.)

Those suggesting you carefully evaluate your own state of mind and level of anxiety are wise. Only you know how scared you really are, and what risks feel worth taking. What part of the cruise gives you the most joy? Sitting on your balcony viewing the ocean and scenery, or attending the shows and meeting new people? You can wear a mask at all times, but do you want to? If others aren't required to, will you still be okay passing them in the hallways? What about outdoors on the decks? Our family only decided to go ahead with our August cruise based upon the fact that we will be satisfied with our vacation even if we decide to hang out in our stateroom and eat all meals in isolation from other passengers. We also booked a cabana so we have even more outdoor space to enjoy. We are people who can sit with our books for hours, or enjoy board games, etc., without outside input to amuse us. We also upgraded to a Neptune Suite for the first time ever to make this option more palatable. We really hope to explore the ports we're scheduled to visit, and we have excursions planned, but we will be SATISFIED if we do nothing but enjoy being fed well and cleaned up after by someone other than me (the mom!) 🙂 On the other hand, our ages do not make us at extreme risk from COVID. If I were older or had different health issues, cruising would be less appealing to me. What will a "good" cruise look like? If COVID rates go up again, will that prevent you from doing your "must do" cruise activities? That's how I would assess this choice.

Oh, @Leelou270 what a hassle for you! I love that you can laugh about it, though. As a mom traveling with my two opposite gender kids, I was always so grateful at PDX airport for the large, unisex "caregiver" toilet cubicles totally outside the Mens' and Ladies' ones. Everyone in; everyone goes. 😀 It got a little complicated elsewhere when I had an older son who wasn't quite mature enough that I felt safe sending him alone in a men's room... What valuable information that Princess has a better setup than Celebrity for caregiver toilet access. (It's not a delicate subject, but so important to share with others.) Then again, my own issues (small joint problems) make heavy doors sometimes an impossible barrier. Is it Princess, specifically, that has a heavy toilet door then? I'm not recalling Crystal Serenity having difficult door handles. Somehow I feel like it was an open outer doorway with floor to ceiling cubicles within, but it has been a few years since my last cruise. I was fully healthy last time I boarded HAL's Maasdam, though. I sure hope I don't need to drag one of my kids (or DH) with me everywhere to enable me to access the ladies' room in August. Thanks for this heads up. We should all speak up loud and clear (but politely) to the cruise lines and point out our (easily overlooked) needs. I certainly wasn't aware of many of these issues before my own joints began to give me trouble.

@Stockjock I think you've gotten good advice here, but I'll add my 2 cents. For almost all other travel, I book direct. I much prefer controlling all the details of my own trips and having the power to adjust seats, etc. Mostly because of CC--and because luxury lines seemed to discourage direct bookings at the time--I opted to use a travel agent for some (not all) of my cruise bookings. (I'm only about to embark on my fifth voyage, so I'm not a high volume passenger.) The TA I found for my first luxury cruise is old school, an older gentleman, and he tends to reach out ASAP and actually get in touch *more* often than I prefer. (I'm in my 40's, but am kind of like the kids in that I really hate phone calls!) 😁 I chose my (local, small shop) TA based upon a list I found (online) of experienced Crystal cruise agents. I don't get the big discounts I've heard about others getting, though there were add-on perks when we sailed with that particular line twice. Then, the 2020 HAL cruise I booked via a huge online agency (circa 2019) at a discounted price got canceled due to the pandemic. It left me very stressed about the refund process with zero communication from the large agency/TA. A discussion with the local TA I'd used previously for Crystal convinced me that I was happier with how he handled that crisis for his customers than the way the high volume agency did with me. I like to save money, but I also like full service more in certain situations. Only you know where you fall on that value spectrum. If your new TA seems to have apologized for this single lapse, I would be inclined to offer a second chance, but only once...

Thanks, @CruiserBruce. I've been on Cruise Critic for years, but not seen that acronym before. I like it! Does it apply whether one cruises both "sides" on different lines, do you think, or only the same cruise line?

@Sea Viewer your point is such a good one. One of the thoughts I had toward the end of @atexsix's review was how much better this experience might have been if another family member or friend could have come along to share the responsibilities. Just hanging out nearby can be quite a comfort, or offer that needed hand to fetch the fallen remote. When my mother was in hospice care at home, I don't know how I could have survived without my dad (still healthy in his 70's) and my two kids (who were in high- and middle school at the time.) As a caregiver with my own limitations (autoimmune disease), their physical strength was invaluable, but even more important was simply having other people there who cared and could split the emotional load. I love the idea @lcand1923 offered about making cruise memory videos (or photo albums) for a person one used to travel with when those active days are past. I don't think it is a coincidence that my dad enjoyed watching home videos my teen digitized for him while Dad recovered from his knee replacement. Recovery (and illness) is such a vulnerable time; happy memories did a lot to help him relax while he was in so much pain. I do think a portable bed bar of the type my dad used after his knee surgery would work for a cruise bed if the user has the hand/arm strength to leverage him-/herself up. We got ours at the local pharmacy for around $40 (I think), and it packed up pretty small while requiring no permanent installation. I'd add that to the idea list for anyone reading this in the future.

I love this hack, @JennysUncle! I've got some of that velcro strap, and now I'll be packing a length for my August voyage. What a helpful tip. Thank you.

@JennysUncle another solution I use is packing a small, motion activated rechargeable (via USB cable) LED light. Mine has a magnet on the back, but I usually just set it somewhere convenient since it is rectangular and doesn't roll away. It's about the length of a candy bar, but half as thick and weighs less than chocolate. They no longer have a listing for the exact one I got, but dozens of vaguely similar items are selling for around $10 each. I use mine at home as well as when I travel, recharging it only once a month or so, and it is going strong since 2016. (My Amazon search shows me that's when I bought it.) 🙂 I've also traveled with a battery powered tealight, but those often feel like they will break if not handled carefully. My bar shaped light is very sturdy.

It's also possible that HAL is considering switching to the "modern" method a la Princess, or that ongoing staffing issues make them reluctant to promise doing things the traditional way just in case people can't be accommodated. It's probably a good idea for those of us who enjoy traditional seating to make comments to that effect when we fill out surveys on board! I'm perfectly happy that others like different or flexible options, but, for myself, I hope to always have the option of a set table on this kind of vacation. It's just what I like! I'll let HAL know that on my August voyage. 🙂

@Dinah1230, welcome to Cruise Critic! It's crazy how hard it can be to find the specific address for these enormous docks, isn't it? Seaports should be as easy to get directions to/from as airports, yet I find it totally different. I've used the trick @Mary229 mentions for places I've visited before, like recalling a particular museum directly across the road from a Canadian port when searching for the nearest car rental facility. Even for my home port, various web searches gave me three different "street address" locations. We're booking a car service instead of getting a ride from family for our upcoming August voyage, and I entered one of the three addresses that seemed "official" for the car service reservation online... but added a note in the text box that I hoped the driver would follow posted signage to find the correct drop off/pick up location.

I appreciate this question being asked, @Twolittleboys. I have enjoyed the regular familiarity of dining at a certain table with the same waiters on past cruises, and I like the assist of meeting strangers because they are my table mates. That said, I have a romantic notion of this and other old-fashioned elements of cruising, and set dining times probably relate to that in my mind. (I also love a promenade deck and a proper library full of books, and I like to dress for dinner.) 🙂 Luxury isn't defined the same way by everyone. I hope you find the perfect fit for your tastes.

@Catlover54 thanks so much for the thorough review! You've covered so much of what I was curious about as an American considering cruising H-L. I'll take your advice and avoid them for hot weather destinations. Fortunately, I'm most drawn to northern voyages. I really appreciate all the details and specifics you provide. May I ask your level of German fluency or the background of where you learned that language? I do have the requisite "high school German" you mention and have taken part in recent years in foreign language immersion camp with my home educated child, but I'm not fluent. (I didn't find it challenging to order common foods in a restaurant in Austria or Switzerland, for example, or to engage with a cashier, but I quickly lose the thread beyond concrete present tense scenarios.) Having the chance to learn more German while on a cruise is something I see as a perk since I enjoy self-study of several foreign languages, though I do think I would miss hearing the lectures on Europa vs. Europa II...

I hemmed and hawed for a couple of weeks about booking as far out as 2024 because I was a Crystal fan and their bankruptcy gave me pause. Then, I let myself be swayed by all the lost opportunities of the past few years and pulled the trigger on a booking 27 months in the future with a line I haven't yet sailed. For me, this decision was made from a place of deciding the joy of anticipation exceeds any distress from losing a $3k deposit if the economy kills another cruise line. Not everyone will see the same calculus on that risk.

It may also be the luck of the draw as to your sailing's demographics and personality. The Roll Call for my upcoming (August '22) HAL cruise is the most active one I've ever been a part of... by far! We're over 80 pages and have exceeded the capacity for Nieuw Statendam's largest venue so our Meet & Greet is closed to new participants. I think many of us on that RC are just excited to resume a fun "normal" summer vacation activity, so it's been quite chatty. Then again, I see forums as a social outlet, not just a place to swap excursion ideas and shares, so I'm certainly helping to get that volume of posts up. 📣 OTOH the Oceania Roll Call I started for my 2024 cruise is just one other passenger and myself so far, but that trip is 26 months away. 😄

Thanks to all who chimed in! I didn't manage to subscribe to my own thread, so missed these replies in the moment. 🙄 I appreciate all the thoughtful comments. DH tried the scopolamine patch but suffered intensely from the blurry vision side effect, so he's loathe to try it again. (Some people's vision never clears, he was told!) He'll discuss this with his doctor again next week before our TATL, and we'll see how the issue works out on a ship the size of Nieuw Statendam. He works much too hard, so I suggested he ask from some sedatives to sleep away any really rough days. 😄 I've gone ahead and booked an Oceania voyage for myself with my teen for 2024. The itinerary is perfect and we won't require many of the expensive up-sells. (I like a couple of glasses of wine per day, and prefer to DIY excursions.) DS and I booked an OV on the lowest deck because the youngest inherited his father's mal de mer but feels cruising is worth the risk of queasiness. We also go tent camping, so I expect to be able to cope with the minuscule Nautica bathrooms. Oceania really seems to offer appealing itineraries for me and at a fair rate, so I'm keen to find out how the experience matches my expectations. "Luxury" is much more important where DH comes along. As someone mentioned, traveling without him is *one* way I indulge my own interests, but he is an otherwise exemplary spouse, so I do enjoy bringing him along on occasion. Fortunately we are both easily able to amuse ourselves both together and on our own. The responses here help me clarify: the luxury DH really requires mostly boils down to PERSONAL SPACE (perhaps achievable in suites on any line) and ACCOMMODATING SERVICE. VV seems a poor fit due to loud music on the crowded pool deck and what seems to be an emphasis on elaborate food over simpler preparations. DH wasn't born in the USA and often finds European notions of health or luxury more intuitive which was another reason I thought H-L might be a fit, though he doesn't know German. Being bilingual and an immigrant, he's pretty comfortable with non-English environments, however. (My eldest speaks German much better than I do, but is unlikely to find time to sail with me again at this life stage. My youngest chose Spanish in school, but mine still beats his as my mother was fluent.) If DH likes Greenland as much as he thinks he will, either H-L or Scenic Eclipse out of Iceland may be his next voyage. We've got plenty of quick nonstop flights to Reykjavik from our home airport making it a more appealing embarkation than most of Europe. It'll come down to how his tummy handles the seas and whether he enjoys the landscape as much as he expects. Someone on the CC boards suggested the Scenic Eclipse handled particularly well for a ship of its size; no idea if that one reviewer knew what he was talking about, but that plus their full color brochure has DH hoping he can believe it! Regent and Silversea are lines I'd happily consider if they happen to be sailing an itinerary that matches DH's wishlist. Again, sorry I dropped this thread and thank you to all who generously shared knowledge. My apologies for being so ungracious in my lack of quick response. --willo

I've been wondering about this exact topic for Boston, so I'm glad to read people's experiences in Seattle and elsewhere. I've flown a lot more than I have taken cruises. I will add that, one reason I *always* request wheelchair assistance when I book flights is to keep airlines aware of the need for this service. My thinking is, probably more people could use this than are aware it exists! It's no problem when I arrive on a day when my needs are less (my condition flares and remits); I just walk to the gate if I can. Having requested a chair, though, means keeping the airlines/airport on alert that they should be prepared to offer the service... that's required by law in the USA. For that reason, I think I should probably fill out that form for my upcoming HAL cruise. The best thing about the Americans with Disabilities Act is that we are all supposed to be equally able to access public spaces and services. It doesn't always work as intended, but keeping it at the forefront of providers' agenda seems important to me.

I purchased a locking medication pouch that I use when I travel. It looks like a bank deposit bag with a combination lock at the zipper. I bought mine on Amazon. I have a larger locking medication box at home that I believe I got at a Costco pharmacy for a reasonable price. I *also* stick the locking pouch in a stateroom/hotel safe most of the time when a safe is available, but I think most medication theft is of the opportunistic type where a pill or bottle is swiped because it is left in the open on a bedside table. These lock boxes won't stop a determined burglar and could be carried away easily enough, but they should keep casual visitors (or my teens!) from even being tempted to abscond with a pill. As I see it, reporting a missing BAG of medications on a ship would seem more believable than reporting a shortage of a few capsules. I don't get a special letter from my doctor if I travel domestically or when I leave my pills aboard a ship on international voyages, but I have requested a letter when taking entire bottles of narcotics into foreign countries with strict laws. (I.e., cruising round trip from Boston this summer, I won't carry my pill bottles ashore so I won't get a special letter.) I have yet to be interrogated about my meds anywhere, but I would hate to have a trip ruined over a lack of documentation of my medication.

@LuAnn , what @katisdale said is a key point: ONLY medical stuff in your DME bag! But also note this rule only applies for sure to domestic airlines in the United States. (Laws will differ in other regions, so check whether this is true for your destination/carrier if traveling internationally!) I bought red neoprene handle wraps from Amazon and used Sharpie (permanent market) to write MEDICAL EQUIPMENT on the wraps. When I pack my CPAP--or if traveling with a meds bag or a whole passel of splints for my tricky joints--I combine all the medical stuff in one DME bag and use the handle wrap to add an easily noticed label to reduce potential for conflicts at the boarding gate. This adds an extra luggage tag, too, if it is the type with room to write your contact information on the underside. If you are asking to board early due to your medical needs, you may be less likely to be scrutinized for carrying a DME bag separate from your carry on. I don't tend to fly discount carriers (whose strict bag policies I suspect may make them more suspicious) and I have elite status with my favorite airline; they all have to follow the law, but human beings make mistakes. I also always add a request for wheelchair assistance to all my flight bookings though I don't always require help since my autoimmune condition flares and remits. One can always decide to walk to the boarding gate even after requesting assistance in a booking, but I think being "flagged" as a passenger who might require extra medical equipment leads to less scrutiny at the gate... 🤷‍♀️

@Buckimion , for cross-country flights, I often pack small wooden jigsaw puzzles to amuse myself. Because wood is sturdier than paper, the pieces can be quite petite so the overall size fits with room to spare on an airplane tray table. Because wood is heavier than paper, this type of puzzle could be worked on a breezy ship's deck with little chance of a piece blowing away. Doing puzzles in public venues often attracts like-minded people passing by to stop and join in. Artifact ( www.artifactpuzzles.com ) and Liberty Puzzles ( www.libertypuzzles.com ) are my favorite American made brands that don't cost a fortune like the Stave puzzles ( www.stavepuzzles.com ) favored by former first families. Even the more affordable machine-cut ones I buy do run more $$$ than mainstream cardboard puzzles, however. Amazon has a wide selection of alternate brands at lower prices, probably imported. I may also pack a small hand sewing project for my August cruise as a hedge against being bored in quarantine if COVID strikes. Knitting is similarly distracting and easy to tuck into a suitcase, though my husband is much better at that hobby than I am. I know a few people who find coloring books geared toward an adult audience to be a meditative way to pass the time. Amazon sells some with Alaska or ocean themes to fit your cruise. The word tile game Syzygy (now called Bananagrams, I think) can be fun as a solitaire or multi-player table game and packs in about the same amount of space as a pair of socks. Shape/color matching card game Set works for solitaire/group play, too. I hope that you find your cruise actually offers more port-day diversions than currently advertised and that you fully enjoy every day you are aboard. Perhaps shooting a video to post online showing how the cruise line does--or does not!--accommodate everyone could shame them into more accessible offerings... or warn off future cruisers with physical limitations who would enjoy another ship/line more!? --willo