MaryCS62

If I remember correctly, the time listed as the start of your excursion is when you MUST BE at the designated meeting place. Frequently, this is off the ship, not on it, but I'm basing that on my specific experiences, where the excursions we've taken have all met on land, near the exit to the ship. That being said, you will have your excursion tickets in your room when you board, and they will specify the time (usually around 15 minutes earlier than the start time) and place of meeting. Keep in mind, if it is off the ship, you must first exit the ship, go thru the scanner, have your sea pass card scanned, etc, so allow extra time for that as well, as others will be debarking at the same time for the same reason. I would be ready to leave the ship 45 minutes or so prior, to allow yourself time to get off & get your bearings.

The menu is as stated, but check with your headwaiter in MDR when you first board (as the brunch is usually near the end of the cruise) & he/she will be able to tell you what accommodations can be made. For example, DD is gluten free, & the waitresses told us which apps were gluten free (on Adventure, they brought us sushi rolls & chips/guac, but I don't remember if they just brought them to the table or if we ordered them), and were also able to have gluten free french toast made for her. They definitely keep the drinks coming, I enjoyed it :) ! I couldn't decide between entrees, so I got waffles AND a steak with no problem.

Don't apologize for your Jersey attitude, Kathy!!! I feel for you. I can eat literally anything --- there are some things I choose not to, for personal taste, but DH & I have no food allergies, intolerances, etc. Whether or not we should eat all that we do -- well, that's a different story.... Traveling with my 2 DD's -- that's the problem. 1 has celiac, so must be gluten free -- although they were fairly accommodating, it still limits her choices, and because of cross contamination fears, plus not wanting to wait for special dishes to be brought out, we don't do WJ with her too much. Other has ulcerative colitis, so that eliminates a lot of specific food categories (high fiber, fried, skins on fruits/veggies, etc), although, again, they were able to accommodate her reasonably well, and luckily, she's not too picky, so we were ok there. We actually had more luck on RCCL than we do trying to find regular restaurants at home. I remember once (back in the 80's) going to a restaurant for lunch with my vegetarian friend, (she was ovo-lacto, so not as limited), and we couldn't find anything on the menu for her. Clueless waitress suggested a BLT -- and we just looked at her, & said, "You do realize that the B stands for Bacon, which is meat, right????" She actually gets sick if she inadvertently gets cross contaminated with meat protein, so that's a real problem for her. Same friend, I was hosting a bridal shower for her a few years later, & I was telling people I was having a hard time finding vegan recipes for her strictly vegan family members, & someone recommended quiche -- eggs & cream & cheese are all no-no's for vegans, so I had to say, "No, that won't work".

I did figure out a way to add MTD more than 1 at a time for my Jan 2019 cruise, but can't remember how --- I think there was a place to "repeat" the reservation.....

We were on a 12 day cruise in January. My DD is on several medications, mainly for epilepsy, so I'm usually neurotic about overpacking her meds (at least 1 week extra, no matter how long we're away). We use a weekly tablet holder, so I had it filled up before the cruise, & packed (I thought) 2 more weeks supply to take. At the end of the first week, I took out her meds to refill the weekly holder, & for one of them, I only had one more week, not 2. Not a disaster, since we would be home before we ran out, but if we had been delayed at all, it would have been a significant issue..... I have lists on top of lists, sorted as to clothing, toiletries, supplies, etc -- I'm not an organized person by nature, so I need lists to make my life easier DH is always forgetting a hat, so he has a large collection as well. My dad had more ties and belts than he would ever need, because invariably when packing for vacation or business trips, he would forget one or the other & have to go shopping.

Well, I've never booked so far out before, so I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I do remember certain things not being available even 6 months out

We're 425 days out (late July 2020), (beverage packages have been available for several weeks) so I just looked, and dining is open on mine too. For our Jan Anthem cruise, I don't think anything was available anywhere near that soon, even MTD which we had opted for on that cruise.

Re-- accessible tours -- go to the excursion section of cruise planner, & click on accessible excursions. They should indicate exactly how accessible they are. My DD can get out of her chair & climb into a van (with assistance), so they just stored her chair. I believe you can contact the excursions dept if you have specific questions about it. Some excursions specify that the person must be able to walk a little, some restrict wheelchairs to manual/folding, so it would be best if you checked ahead of time. Re: pools -- Solarium is for 16 & up. We didn't bother with the lift because DD doesn't stay in long enough to make it worthwhile, & I didn't care to use it myself. They are extremely accommodating, so go for it if you think he'll want to do it. She wouldn't have been able to do IFLY (prior scoliosis surgery), but it won't hurt to check onboard. Hope you all have a wonderful time!!!

We were on Anthem in January with 28 yo DD /(age ~ 5 mentally) who is also in a wheelchair -- CP -- can walk, but slowly, not for long distances, & not safe in crowds, so we use her chair most of the time. 1) The non Solarium pools have straight up & down staircases for access, so if he can't climb, it will be difficult, although I believe there are pool lifts, but we didn't utilize them. The Solarium pools are shallow, with bench seats, but have shallow steps to climb down into them -- again, it depends on his abilities. However, when I took my DD without DH, the lifeguards were very quick to help me (I also have mobility issues). He would be allowed in the solarium as he is over 16. 2) Port stops -- we had different ones (Southern Caribbean), & because the handicap accessible ones are basically just bus tours, you will have to gauge how interesting that will be for all of you. Our previous cruise (Adventure, last May) hit the spots you're going to, & our bus tour wasn't that enjoyable for me & DD, mainly because we ended up staying on the bus, since getting in & out was difficult for me. YMMV. You can just choose to walk around Nassau -- there are several spots within a 1 mile radius of the port that are interesting -- but the streets are not too wheelchair friendly, and there are hilly areas, so again, it depends on what you want/are capable of doing with him. Coco Cay has the new Perfect Day options that weren't there when we went there, but there are sand wheelchairs that will get him around on the sand, and there are also little golf carts & a tram (I think) that will get you around so that you don't have to walk too much there. We got a cabana, mainly to keep DD out of the sun, but there are shaded areas as well 3) There is plenty to do on the ship -- we took DD to the Gift (which didn't do anything for us ), Spectra's Cabaret, which was the musical/acrobatic show that she loved, & We Will Rock You, which she enjoyed even though she couldn't follow the storyline, because she loves music. We also took her to a few of the night time shows. We had her tablet with movies on an SD card, so that was available to her when we wanted quiet time. Didn't do the bumper cars or anything in the SeaPlex, because that's not her thing, although she did like the Dog House (hot dog /sausage place). Also, while they are not marked on the website deck plans, there are several "family" restrooms which will help if only your wife is with him when he needs to use the restroom, or if it's just easier than using the handicap stall. They are marked on the electronic deck plans on board. I remember 1 on the pool deck (deck 14) & 1 in 270 (deck 5) for sure. 4) We took her up in North Star, & she loved that, as did we. Definitely reserve a spot as soon as it opens up in your cruise planner. 5) The cabin doors are VERY heavy, and were just wide enough for her wheelchair to fit through, & hers is not terribly big, as we got it when she was 14 & she isn't that big even now. If there are 2 adults, one to hold the door, & one to push (unless he pushes himself) it's ok, but it's tough by yourself (although I managed to always find someone to help if I was alone). If you don't have an accessible room, that is something to consider. Also, the bathroom (again, unless accessible room) is a small step up from the main floor of the cabin, & the showers are fairly small, although you can request a shower stool if he needs that. You can also request a toilet seat "booster" if it will be easier for him if the seat is raised. 6) The staff was always very helpful & extremely accommodating to us, as were the passengers. I always appreciate that, as it can be rough travelling with a handicapped person, & the offer of assistance, even when you might not need it, is very nice. Hope this info helps, & that you all have a wonderful time!!

Did you book on your own, or thru a TA? My TA (thru AAA) has given us specialty dining vouchers, but what restaurant we used them at was up to us. We also had BOGO on that cruise (Anthem), so were able to go to Wonderland, Chops & Jamies. If it was that sort of thing, it's usually good for a meal at one of the specialty restaurants, NOT places like Ben & Jerry's, or the specialty coffee places on Cafe Promenade that charges extra for certain drinks & pastries. I don't know if it would work at Johnny Rockets, mainly because even though that's extra cost, I don't think it is accorded "specialty dining".

DH always wore pants (dress or dockers), & either a button down short sleeve shirt or polo shirt, and deck shoes in MDR, specialty, & Coastal Kitchen. "Formal" nights meant a sport coat & tie, with a long sleeve dress shirt & dressier pants Even though plenty of men wore shorts, he preferred to err on the side of slightly more dressed up than not.

We were at wedding where all the men in the Bridal Party, plus Father of the Bride wore kilts -- it looked great!! Also, one of the guests wore a kilt, but had to be careful -- he was a tall guy, & his kilt was a leeetle short -- Ladies, you know what it's like trying to sit gracefully in a short skirt & not flash anyone 😅 -- well, he had the same problem.....

There is a kids menu (basic kids fare -- burgers, chicken fingers, etc) or they can order off the adult menu. Don't be afraid to ask them if they will modify an adult entree based on your kids taste -- ie, no sauce, mashed potatoes or fries instead of baked, plain pasta, etc -- they're very accomodationg

Never cruised with it, and it has been FDA approved for less than a year, so there probably aren't too many people who could answer that question for you. However, I am a licensed pharmacist, and my recommendation to you would be to make sure it has the most current prescription label on it.(ie, not a bottle from several months ago),-- definitely do not bring it unlabeled or transferred into another container, and, if you want to be paranoid about it, a letter from your physician stating that your child uses it for the treatment of epilepsy, but that's only if you really want to cover all your bases. When we were on a 12 night, I brought a 2 week supply of my meds in medication holders, but my daughters meds (she has epilepsy) -- 1 week in a medication holder, & 2 weeks supply (extra 1 week just in case!) in their original bottles, especially because 3 of the meds we were bringing (1 for every day & 2 for "as needed" use) were controlled substances. Epidiolex is a schedule 5, which is the "lowest" schedule (illegal drugs such as heroin AND marijuana are schedule 1), so I would definitely make sure it is labeled properly.

Yeah, we were on a January cruise that had an emergency (pt ill, needed to be gotten to hospital, ended up diverting to Bermuda to drop her off), which delayed our arrival in Bayonne by a few hours. There was a huge traffic jam with people trying to be picked up and the next cruisers trying to get dropped off. You can't predict it, so if something like that happens you are out of luck.