Salty Zebra

      Norwegian's Haven is a "Ship within a Ship" concept that allows people to experience small ship luxury while also having access to large ship amenities. Fewer people and exclusive areas allow people to truly experience Norwegian's "Freestyle" cruising.  There's always a lounger by the pool, a cozy chair in the Observation Lounge, or a table in the restaurant when you're ready for them, no camping out or reservations required.      The suite rooms are located both within the Haven and on other decks, but all have access to the special Haven common areas.  On the Norwegian Joy these include the Haven Lounge, Restaurant, Library, Observation Lounge, indoor pool area, and sun deck.   There are a limited number of Haven rooms and only passengers in those rooms may enter the Haven common areas, making them quieter with much more availability.  In order to use a lounge chair by the main pool on just about any mainline cruise ship you have to be up pre

     I returned last week from a two-week trip celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary.  It was great.  I got to do a lot of things, enjoy beautiful weather, and eat fancy food.  I also overdid it, like every single day.  I keep wanting to think that I've made peace with my physical state and abilities but based on what I sign up for and do, I don't think that's true.  There was a lot of "shoulds" being thrown around in my head.  I "should" be able to enjoy a full day in a Disney World Park if I'm in a wheelchair.  I "should" be able to take down time in the park and not need to go back to the room to rest.  The reality was, spending even half a day in a Disney World Park was too much, even in a wheelchair.  I went into it with a game plan.  I wanted to do as much as we could each day, trying to ride all the rides that my physical condition would allow and see all the different lands.  My husband is a morning person that doesn't requir

      In my opinion, cruising is the easiest way to travel when you have a special diet, and Carnival did not disappoint.  What's important, though, is knowing the best way to navigate dining with a special diet, so I'm here to give you the 411.     Most cruise lines request that you inform them of your dietary needs before the cruise, but Carnival does not.  What they do ask you to do is inform each server you work with about any allergies or special diets.  Their special needs website ( Facilities & Services for Guests with Disabilities | Carnival   > Guests with Dietary Needs) talks about a system called Menu Mate.  I never saw anything like this onboard, nor was it offered to me, but perhaps the crew uses it to figure out what is safe to offer.       Carnival is able to customize many of the menu options for different diets, but they need the request to be put in the day before so you will need to order something off the regular menu the first day.  Thankfully they h

Carnival                                          V S                                 Norwegian      Last week my husband and I set sail on our first Carnival cruise.  He insisted on coming along because of the reputation Carnival has built for wild parties and brawls.  He just didn’t feel safe letting me solo cruise on this one!  I’m happy to report that I didn’t seen a single fight and while the parties have definitely had more energy than on other lines they were not over the top or inappropriate. I did not go out after 10pm though, so things might have been crazier as the night went on.      So, what are the differences between Carnival and the cruise line I have the most experience with, Norwegian (NCL)?  1.       The drinks package is more expensive on Carnival . This is a little difficult to measure exactly but if you just take the surface cost NCL offers their “Free at Sea” promotion which gives you unlimited cocktails bear and wine by the glass. This is not actually free as th

    We've just returned from a four-day cruise on the Carnival Radiance departing from Los Angeles, California and I learned so much about getting around in my new electric wheelchair.  If you're interested in hopping on one of these very affordable cruises and you have mobility issues, you might be wondering if it will work for you.     Carnival has taken many steps to enhance accessibility on the Radiance including: Providing maps with accessibility paths on every floor at the elevator banks (see images below)  They have added in many automatic sliding doors The stateroom hallways are the widest I've seen on any cruise ship They have tables marked for handicap use in restaurants and seats in some lounges In the buffet, staff watch out for people with mobility issues and offer to help When going up and down ramps to enter or exit the ship there were always staff there to help They had a special guest services counter window with a lower, accessible height They had an acces

      This week I gave up my regular PT appointment to meet with my Physical Therapist and a representative from a durable medical equipment (DME) company to be fitted for a wheelchair. I mentioned in a previous post that my insurance will not cover a power wheelchair for use outside the home, but when my PT connected me with Bill from the DME company, he said that he has gotten one type of chair covered by insurance in the past.  This is a standard, manual wheelchair that is retrofitted with wheels that have motors in them.  The company that creates them, Yamaha, just a couple of months ago had a model with a joystick approved by the FDA.  It's called the Navigo (pictured above).  It just occurred to me that maybe this is one more part of God's timing, that I am finally going through this process right after this model became available.  Prior to the Navigo, the power wheels had to be instigated by pushing on the rims, essentially they aided the user by providing more power

      This week I traveled down to Palm Springs.  Really, I stayed in Indio, CA, but it is the Greater Palm Springs area.  This was my first time traveling to California by myself and it went pretty well.  It was also my first time traveling with my new seat stick:     My planned use for this was in the TSA line, possibly in line to board the plane, and other places where I might be waiting and not have a seat available.  I thought it would be helpful because standing is so difficult on my body.  It increases my pain levels and can cause me to feel dizzy at times.  The reality of it for this trip was that the seat stick was more of a nuisance than a help.  It took up one of my hands so if I was carrying a drink or trying to get my ID out of my bag I had to try to balance it somewhere - and more often than not it fell down.  I didn't end up opening it to use it once on the way down.  My husband and I went through the process to get TSA Precheck so the line moved so quickly I barely

      So I didn't end up writing a post every day of October, but I did write 24 posts!  That's pretty impressive in my book and I call it a win.  Especially since writing 24 instead of 31 meant I was able to prioritize my health and get the rest I need instead of becoming a slave to a challenge.     What did I learn from last month?  I was reminded of why I began blogging here.  I wanted a place to be able to share about my thoughts and feelings and passions.  I wanted to be able to record where I'm at in time. I wanted to create a safe space where others can come and feel heard and seen.  I think I am finally beginning to do that.  I learned that I can write several times a week and not struggle to come up with content.  I'm overflowing with content! I also think I found my primary blog topics.  I'd like to be intentional here about covering health, faith, and travel.  As I look back over my posts those themes keep repeating themselves.  There are a few bloggers o

            I've spent much of my adult life hiding or apologizing for my blessings.  My husband has a good job which, while it brings with it some of its own challenges, has allowed me to be able to raise and homeschool our children without having to work outside the home. We have been very intentional about being good stewards of what God has given us and obeying Him when it comes to our finances.  This comes into play with everything from learning to tithe to obeying Him when He called us to pay off our debts.  This involves being generous with our time, talent, and treasure.  I believe it is a result of God's provision through my husband's income as well as teaching us to manage it well that has us in a place where we are comfortable financially.  But so many of the people in my life or that I encounter are not in this place, so I feel guilty when I talk about opportunities I have, like travel.  I feel like I need to hide it or minimize it.  I even catch myself planning

      As I mentioned in a post earlier this month ( Day 4: Becoming an Ambulatory Wheelchair User (saltyzebra.blogspot.com)  I am exploring my options with mobility aids.  I am perfectly capable of getting around the house (for the most part) and I can walk to and from the car and buildings, but if my outing involves much more walking than that I struggle.  Grocery shopping, walks in the park, even events that involve a lot of walking/standing around wear me out quickly and I develop quite a bit of pain in my legs.  I believe my challenges are a combination of low energy and lax ankle joints that put a lot of burden on my calf muscles - not to mention invite injury.     We've explored the option with our insurance company and been informed that they will only pay for a chair for me to be used in the home.  If the chair is able to fold up and go in the car then they will not cover it.  They only believe it is medically necessary for me to be able to perform my basic functions of dai

     I love to travel, but I love planning travel even more! I love to dream about trips and put together itineraries just for fun, even if I don't get to do them-although once I start dreaming about a trip I want to do it all the more!      When my oldest son was five I took him to Disneyland, just the two of us. I had that four-day trip planned out in fifteen minute increments, I'm not kidding. About thirty minutes into the first day I thought it would be a good idea to hop on the Matterhorn because the line was so short. After one look at the abominable snowman, my son wouldn't get on another ride till after four pm.  So much for my plan! That same son, when we were sorting out his senior trip for high school, insisted that we not have a plan. So, being the person I am, came up with an "un-plan" that accounted for every possible option we might want to pursue. I had listed out every potential place we might like to visit with their open hours and da