Refurbished ships

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Life is crazy. I’ve had communication device problems, hopefully we should be through that. My parents and I have moved. I’m not sure when we are going to get internet at the house and all that.. I’m actually with friends right now. I’m not sure how everything is going to work out, but we’ll see. I wish I could say I know I am going to be back to normal work by a certain time, but I do not know when that will be yet.. Frankly, I do miss my work, and I’m ready to get back to it after nearly a month off.

But anyway, today let’s look at some reasons why you should check out refurbished cruise ships. It used to be that cruise ships would dry dock just about only when completely necessary to stay legal. But these days a lot of cruise companies have decided to completely refurbish their ships, and so other companies are following suit. Here are some reasons you should consider a refurbished ship.

• Going on a new ship is likely going to cost you an arm and a leg. But that is simply not the case with a refurbished ship.
• Your rates are going to be between thirty to forty percent lower than on completely new ship. You might even be able to score a last minute deal out instead of having to book and then wait around for three years to go to on your cruise.
• It does cost less to revamp an old ship than to build a new one. Many ships are adding all of the popular features when they do their dry dock.
• Another thing you will love is the new rooms on these ships.. Most ships are adding suites.

Places you should go before you turn the big 40

I am pretty unsure about whether or not I am going to have internet access starting tomorrow. We will have to see how everything goes.

I apologize but I am going to get a little personal here. How old are you? If you are around thirty, this blog post is written specifically for you.

Bucket lists have been huge. And I know they are not as big as they once were, but they are still . If you are around thirty, here are some place you might want to put on your list.

• Don’t you want to see the Taj Mahel? After all, it is one of the seven wonders of the world. Someone built this place to honor his favorite wife after she died giving birth to their fourteenth child. It is recommended to visit this place first thing in  the morning because sunrise makes this place spectacular.
• Have you ever visited the Grand Canyon? This is another beautiful place to get to at sunrise. You will want to take a day or more to explore, do some hiking/walking.
• You might want to go to the Great Barrier Reef. This is in Queensland. Here you know will find all ks of sealife.

Tips for traveling with kids

Let’s get back to discussing tips for traveling with kids.

• First, you might want to consider boarding early. Yes, I know that will make your trip feel that much longer. But doing this will enable everyone to feel more settled in their places. It will be especially helpful if you do not have assigned seats.
• Everyone getting enough rest is essential for a nice, smooth trip. Consider getting a condo. If you are for sure staying in a hotel or resort, consider getting a suite or at least another room.
• Having free breakfast not only cuts down on costs, it also cuts down on stress. This is one meal you’ll know what you’ll be doing and won’t have to have any discussions about.
• I know a lot of people like to just go with the flow while they are on vacation, but some planning is a good idea when you’re traveling with children. You’ll want to try your best to work your children’s sleeping and eating schedules. Not messing with those will help keep everyone happy and on track.
• But you don’t want to overplan your trip, keeping everyone busier than usual.? Children love afternoons at the pool or movie nights.
• You will want to pack everything that you need, but you do not want to overpack. You don’t want to have more to carry than you have to. A lot of places are going to have washers and dryers that you can use.
• If you aren’t going to a resort that has a children’s program, consider bringing a babysitter. It isn’t going to cost that much extra. And vacations are the perfect times to get in some extra dates.

MSC Cruises

I’ve decided that I like doing two things at once. Sure, writing about what I am learning about in this travel agent school seems to take me a little longer. But we are supposed to get the word out about the things we’re learning, and writing about the things I am learning does help. And since this school has many different courses, I should keep quite busy for a while.

Today we are going to look at the MSC Cruiseline. MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company. MSC  strives for excellence in everything that they do, and has won a lot of awards for what they do.

• Where do these cruises go? Basically anywhere you would be interested in traveling to. They do Mexico and the Caribbean, they also do Europe and Asia. They also do an excellent South American cruise.
• Let’s take a closer look at some of what they have to offer. When it comes to food, their specialty is Italian. They have a lot of great pasta dishes. You will be able to get a great pizza any time that you’d like. But Italian isn’t the only cuisine that they have. They have a famous Asian chef that is over their Asian restaurants. And of course, they have a pas chef to make sure your sweet tooth is satisfied.
• MSC has partnered with LEGO to bring children and their families experiences they will never forget. They will have all the supplies that you will need for your baby and toddler that you will need.
• MSC also understands your need to keep up with your fitness program while on board. They will help you create the right exercise program while you are on board. They will also help you come up with healthy menus.

I would love to know your thoughts on any of this..

Okay, I know there are ways to book trips on the internet. So why would you need a travel agent? Let’s look at some times you might want to use a travel agent.

 

• Travel agents are great when you and your extended family are going on a trip together. You have a lot of people, some people may have special needs to figure out..People may need to come and go on different days. There are just a lot of details to figure out.
• You might want to book through a travel agent if you are going to a place you’ve never been. You may have a lot of time to do the necessary research. A travel agent can help you to set everything up. We can figure out your complete itinerary.
• And when you’re planning your honeymoon, you probably want to go through a travel agent. You have a thousand other things you need to plan. And this is a special trip you is really do not to mess up. Let a travel agent handle all the details .

Movie places

I am going to try to do this, and hopefully I’ll do a better job than I did yesterday.. I’m still doing a lot of experimenting and figuring things out as I go along… x

I think a lot of us like to watch movies when we want to relax. But have you ever wanted to go to the places where specific movies were made? Let’s look at a couple of these today.

• Do you have any Indiana Jones fans in your did you family? You might want to visit Petra, Jordan where these films were made. This has become a popular destination since the films were made.
• Slovenia might be small, but it is where Narnia was made. If I am remembering right, the place has some absolutely gorgeous spots.

Planning the perfect girls’ trip #2

Let’s get back to discussing how to plan a great girls’ trip. I have several things I’d like to look into more today, but feel like I need to do the normal things first and just see how the rest of the day goes. Let’s pick up where we left off.

• Some friends don’t need much except to have a place to gather and some nice food to enjoy themselves. Other groups will want to go to some of the more exotic locations. If your group is trying to start their annual trips together, it might be wise to have a gathering and discuss what everyone is thinking as far as overall budget. Is it going to be easier to gather in each other homes, or do people want to mark places off of their bucket lists? One of you might want  to play hostess more often than the others to cut down on her costs. You can find solutions that work best for your group.
• If one person is planning the whole thing, this lady will want to give some clues. You might want to get creative with the e-mails you send your group. Some people will go a step farther and send cute little packages to give hints. Groups who are going go somewhere exotic will usually meet at one member’s house, and then they do the reveal at the airport.
• This is a girls’ trip, so you are going want to have comfortable places where ere you can sit and gab. You might want to have one more than one place like this in case your group wants to split up for whatever reason.
• But as much as girls like to just sit and talk, you will want to have a few activities planned. Especially if you are going somewhere you’ve never been, you’ll want to get out and enjoy some of the sights. The planner should have a pretty good idea of the things your group likes to do.

Have you done anything like this? I would love to hear about it.

Go play in your favorite video game

[Disclaimer : I have never been into video games. I have never enjoyed playing those type games. I hardly know anything about any of those games. I’m just going to tell you what this article says.]

I may not know much about these games, but I know they are pretty popular. I know some children, and adults, absolutely love these games. If they aren’t playing them, they’re thinking about playing these things. So let’s look at some places you can play these games in RL [for those that don’t know, RL is real life].

• The first one is, of course, Mario Brothers. I do remember sitting and watching people playing these games. Who doesn’t dream of getting into these games? The closest thing you can get to this is in Tokyo.
• There is always Pokemon Go. And I know that you can play that anywhere. The cool thing about this game is that you have to play it outside.
• In l Las Vegas you can play Any Resident Evil. There you can play zombies to your heart’s content
• .And now I have good news and bad news good news is that  Nintendo is building its own amusement park. The bad news is that it will not be ready until 2020.

Flying standby

There is so much to learn and figure out when you are in the travel business. One person can not learn everything.. Today let’s look into what what it means to fly standby.

Flying standby is a good way to fly if you don’t especially care when you leave or come back. It’s usually the least expensive way to fly, you’ll usually pay around twenty-five dollars, but you are not guaranteed a seat. So if you think that flying standby would be a good fit for you, here’s what you should do.

• Firs, you will want to see which airlines have this option available . You will want to read up your chosen airline’s policies to make sure that you, and they, play by the rules.
• A lot of times they’ll want you to purchase a normal ticket. Sometimes you can get away with a friend flying. Again, you will want to know the specific policies.
• Another thing that would be good to remember is that you do not want to have checked luggage. They’ll more likely to take you if you don’t. You’re allowed one carry on and purse in most situations. The day before or the flight, you will want to look at the airline’s website to get the latest info on the flight. You will not want to check Expedia or Priceline, they are not going to have the latest information.
• You are going to want to get there at least two hours in advance. You will want to go to the ticketing agent, and let them know that you’re interested in flying standby.
• Next you will want to proceed through security and all that. Be sure to let the people at the gate know that you want to fly standby.
• At the time of the flight, the gate people will be able to let you know whether you’ve made it on.

I would love to know your thoughts  about any of this.

About taking a vacation without your special needs child

it is the Monday after my vacation, and I know I have a lot of work to do. I have a lot of e-mail to go through. And then I’m starting a business, wanting to grow my blogs/start a newsletter, grow a Facebook group, etc.. I have a lot that I’m trying to do and figure. But I do have the the time, and taking my vacation has given me some more energy than I have had lately.

Let’s face it, raising children is not a walk in the park. And when you have a child with special needs there are all kinds of extra challenges. Sometimes you need to get away from normal life for a while. Everyone needs to take breaks from time to time, and when you are under stress, which everyone with a special needs child is going to have, you are going to need to take vacations. Special needs children are just going to take more time than what we think of as normal children. One thing that you should know is that you should not feel guilty about taking a trip with only your husband. All couples need to get away and relax and reconnect. We are going to talk about this more this coming week.

I think my vacation went very well. I know I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Getting back into work is kind of overwhelming at this point, but I am going to figure it out. What would you do if your child is sick? Let’s look at some tips that might help.

• Be sure to pack any medicines that they have been prescribed to take. Also take anything that you might want to give them if they start running a fever or getting aches somewhere.
• Pack extra clothing. Being sick can get messy. It is always smart to be prepared. And often just changing clothes can help you feel better
• . Bring lots of tissues. That is another thing that will help with messes.

I haven’t decided what I’m dong tomorrow or the beginning of next week. I am tired. I know I have decisions to make for sure, but feel like you need to start making those after stepping back and taking a break. Right now I’m just doing what has to be done.

Traveling with a disability is not easy. I do not think about it much.. Mom always wanted my siblings to pack light. And I think a few of them rebel against that idea now. But I always had to take my wheelchair and my communication device for sure. And I know I’m different than a lot of people with disabilities. I don’t have a service animal or anything like that. Today let’s look at some tips that might help you plan trips better.
You will want to be sure to do your research and plan ahead. Figure out where you would like to go and then calling people. Call the hotels and figure out which one would work best for you. Call different restaurants that you might like to try and see if they can accommodate your dietary needs.

More places

Let’s look at some more accessible destinations.

• They say that Playa Del Carmen is going to be pretty accessible. They do have accessible hotels. They have beach wheelchairs that you can use. They have even made their snorkeling pretty disability friendly. You will also want to be sure to visit their Mayan ruins.
• Or you might want to consider going to San Diego. I hear that their weather is always pretty much perfect there. And their trolley system is fully accessible .You will likely love their zoo, and their beach is wonderful too.

Places

I’m sorry, it is getting more and more clear that I need to take this break. My mind is not on my work right now.. I’m just doing the best that I can. Let’s look at some more vacations that families with special needs children might want to consider

• I’m glad to say that Disney makes the top of the list.. Those who have followed this blog long know that I love Disney. Disney is going to give families who have children with special needs the assistance that they need, whatever that need should be..
• You might want to check out Tradewinds Islands Resort which is in Florida. This place caters to those with Autism.

Okay, I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, and will probably say it again, but I’m not the biggest fan of traveling, the actual driving or flying. I love to go places, to see family or friends. Travel is just hard on my body. And since I’m not in my wheelchair, I can’t have my communication device, so I can’t really do much. Some people don’t think traveling with a special needs child is impossible. And while it is a challenge, it is not impossible. Let’s look at some more tips that might help.

• You will want to start taking small trips. You might want to start by going were to start visiting some family or close friends that live close by, like an hour or two away. Get your child used to being in the car for longer periods of time. Get them used to being away from home too.
• As you start to travel more, your special needs child is going to get more used to traveling and all that goes into it. They will begin to enjoy it more. You will also learn how to help them better.

I am wondering if I should start my vacation after working Saturday. I am going to wait and see what I’m feeling like then. We are going to look some more at tips for traveling with a child who has CP.

• I am going to be honest, unless we’re flying, Mom always packs a cooler. Dad always says I eat like a little kid. I love pizza, spaghetti, Mexican food that isn’t spicy, macaroni and cheese, hamburgers. I’m kind of picky. And really I’m not just picky, some foods are hard for me to eat. Mom always brings foods I will eat when we go on trips..

And here are some tips for flying.

You will always want to get a good seat for your CP child. Sometimes they put me on a row which I have to myself! That is wonderful because I can lie down.

You are allowed to bring snacks on the airplane. Bring some of your child’s favorites, yours too. Get to the airport well before you need to.

Use the time to get ready. For me, I pretty much need to eat in my wheelchair.. So at the airports, I’m eating and make sure I get enough.

Traveling with CP

It’s Saturday, and I want to get work done so that I can play. It is now about a week and a half until I go on vacation. I’m so ready to go. Let’s get back to our discussion about traveling with a CP kid.

• Is your child in a wheelchair? If so, you will want to make sure that the places you go are wheelchair friendly. Or that you are strong enough, or have friends who are enough, to carry your child around. Let me tell you, the Old City of Jerusalem is not handicap friendly. Mom and a lady friend took us one time. The next time that we went to Jerusalem, we were part of a large group. The guys got me everywhere that everyone else went. It was so much fun.
• Most people consider it pretty important to make frequent stops. Stopping every few hours makes sure that everyone has what they need as far as the bathroom and things like that.

Traveling with a CP child

I have Cerebral Palsy, have had it since I was a baby. Mom, and sometimes Dad, took me and my siblings on all kinds of trips. We were always going off to visit family or friends. I loved it, and still do. I used to not be sure that I would ever get out of the country. Several years ago, my siblings put up the money, and Mom and I went. We have been to Cyprus and Israel.

You should also remember that Cerebral Palsy can mean a lot of different things. I can not walk or talk or do anything for myself, but have no mental impairments. I know people with CP who just have a limp, as well those who have both severe physical and mental challenges. The thing is that children with CP can, and should enjoy trips together. Here are some tips to help everything go smoothly.

• You may want to talk to your child with CP about your trip before you leave. Some disabled kids really like to know when their schedule is about to be interrupted. Help them get excited about the trip.
• Are your children used to being in a car for hours at a time? If not, you might want to take them on some shorter trips first, just to see how everything goes.

More places

[Post may contain affiliate links]

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And now let’s get back to some places that you may want to try.

• Today we are going to start with Smugglers Notch Resort, and this is in Vermont. There are all kinds of activities that you and your family can do together, or separately. They have nine activities that they are going to say are going to be perfectly safe for those with special needs. They also welcome special needs kids into their children’s programs.
• It looks like Dollywood is a great place for those with special needs. Personal note, we used to live near Gatlinburg, which is where Dollywood is. I still vacation here often. I know some about Dolly herself, and I am not surprised at all by this. Many rides are going to be accessible to those who can be taken in and out of their wheelchairs. They also have some rides you can enjoy in a wheelchair. You can read more about what they offer if you go to their website.