It would be nice if someone noticed us

Being a partial wheelchair user who uses walking aids I often feel as if I'm "sitting on the fence".  I am unable to go along with the normal crowd because I have limitations and because I choose not to use a wheelchair I don't fit with that crowd either and I am so frustrated that hardly anyone considers people like myself.  It is as if we are the forgotten ones.

I have been doing research into hotel accessibility and it looks as if I am going to find the same problems with cruise ships.  Far too often the walking disabled are ignored or simply forgotten when it comes to designing accommodation or making arrangements.  

One recent example of this was on 10th March I received from shore mobility a list of wheelchair accessible tours for my cruise in June to the Baltic.  Also included was information relating to the transport they would be using for these tours and it was made clear that they are adapted minivans that can take three wheelchairs and three companions. Not once did the information mention passengers that may be disabled but not wheelchair users.  

The main problem for myself and other disabled passengers is the boarding of a normal coach; I for one do not have the strength to pull myself up due to perminent rotator cuff damage and co-ordination problems caused by CP (Cerebral Palsy).  Many of the normal tours are guided and it would be impossible for me to keep up with their pace.  I fear that at ports they will not have arranged accessible shuttles and this will not known in advance of the day.  I find it hard to believe that places such as Denmark, Sweden, Russia and Norway do not have adapted vehicles other than these minivans.  Last year when we were in port in Funchal, Madeira P&O had arranged for a couple of accessible shuttles which were the size of a hopper bus and it took both wheelchairs and walking disabled people.  

So often I had found that people like myself are misunderstood by the general public especially when using disabled facilities.  You noticed that I chose my words carefully because I have been challenged when using these facilities because I am using a walker and not in a wheelchair. Often the universal symbol which depicts a person seated in a wheelchair is taken literally by many people.  On occasion when I have used these facilities I have been challenged so where possible I try and find one that is RADAR key only facility.  
Most of the time we don't require the space that a wheelchair needs to manoeuvre around a room, so a normal size bedroom is usually adequate but what we may need often is an adapted bathroom or wetroom.  Because of these requirements I have to book a wheelchair accessible room or cabin.  It is a shame that no one has had the insight to design a room with adapted bathroom for those of us who are disabled but not full-time wheelchair users.  
Once someone told me that there was a hierarchy in the deaf community and at the time I actually thought there was not a hierarchy in the disabled community but now I am not so sure.  Have I changed my mind?  I am beginning to think I am.  When I use my wheelchair I get much more respect from other wheelchair users but if I am using my walker it is a whole different ball game.  I can be waiting for an elevator and someone who is in a wheelchair turns up and when the elevator arrives the person in the chair often pushes me to one side. It is not only rude it is disgusting to treat a fellow human that way; scooter users are often no better.  
I would like for once for someone to take notice of people with disabilities and understand that there are all different levels and many ways a disability can effect someone.  We are not all the same but we all know how life can be challenging and we should all be able to understand and support each other.

Someone has flicked on the cruise switch

Last July we booked our latest cruise to the Baltic which we are taking in June and at that time it was too early to get excited.  However, it is as if someone has flicked on a switch and turned the excitement on for us.  Our cruise is just over three months away and there is still a huge amount to do. 

Cabin E225

Being disabled means that most standard excursions are not suitable for me for one reason or another.  On this cruise we will be visiting St Petersburg for two days and because you require a tourist visa most people do the ships excursions because your visa is included in the price.  Unfortunately there wasn't any suitable standard excursions and we were considering getting our own tourist visas for Russia but after reading about some problems for tourists we have decided against it.  At this point I was feeling fairly low because it was looking as if we would have to rely on doing accessible excursions which are hugely overpriced in my opinion and very limited to usually one or two per visiting port.  Over the weekend while talking with our broker the topic of excursions came up and telling her how disappointed we were at not seeing St Petersburg the way we had hoped she suggested that we look at private tour companies.
There are many companies that specialise in providing private and tailored tours.  After doing a considerable amount of research we have decided to go with Guide Guru.  At the moment we are in the process of sorting an itinerary for a one day tour which will include French Painting of 19th and 20th Century  (which none of the P&O excursions do) at The Hermitage The Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood, St Issac's Cathedral, a city tour and of course no trip will be complete without shopping! The cost is very reasonable considering it is a one to one tour experience for just us.  It also means that I can do things at my pace.  I find it rather odd that the standard excursions have been bookable for some months but the accessible excursions are not released until tomorrow (10th March).  I can't believe it is because they are harder to organise or this only happens with tours to the Baltic because this is the same with every cruise we have done with P&O.  We have of course looked at the other ports that we are visiting but have not decided anything yet.  We may do our own thing but then again we may do an excursion we will have to wait and see.
This will be the third time that we have stayed in cabin E225

and knowing where everything thing is means that we will settle in that much quicker.  I am so excited by this and I see Azura as an old friend who I have made such wonderful memories with.  It is funny that it takes weeks to pack but minutes (hour) to unpack.
It is so hard to explain to someone who has never cruised the advantages of doing so and the fact that your holiday starts the moment you step onto the ship and not spending the first and last day of your holiday sitting around in airports or flying.  
For our friends it must seem confusing and exhausting the amount of enthusiasm and excitement that we build up prior to a cruise.  I have been nicknamed "list queen" because that is how I organise us for a cruise.  By the time we get to d-day I will have produce a list for virtually everything we take.
One other important thing that I do is to take a file which has every piece of paperwork relating to the cruise.  I also have passports and photocopies, maps and port information, pre-paid dinner receipts, Prescription form and letter, useful phone numbers, travel insurances and deck plans of Azura and there is probably something I have forgotten.  
Last May we sailed on Britannia for a 14 night Canaries cruise which was lovely but the ship was missing the wow factor and the one thing that really spoilt it for me was that there is no promenade deck.  We love to take a stroll around the promenade deck after dinner and have a drink and it just didn't feel right, we had a balcony but that wasn't the same.  On Britannia the Promenade was at the top on the Sports Deck, which was not undercover and could be windy at times; it wasn't what I would call a promenade.
So for the foreseeable future I will be compiling my lists and start to prepare for our cruise on Azura.