Q:  WHEN DO I GET TO MEET MY GROUP LEADER?

A:  You will meet her at the 2:30 p.m. Private Muster at the Stage Lounge, located towards the back of the ship, on Deck 5 (Promenade Deck).  If something happens and you are not able to make the 2:30 private muster (PLEASE TRY), then look for me wearing a white "ASL EXPO 2007"short-sleeve t-shirt.  It has designs on the back, with various cities that it be showing.  Only deaffies know about ASL Expo!!  Indianapolis already had theirs on April 7th, so I got a free t-shirt!  Maybe I can convince Laurie to wear her free t-shirt too.  However, she's short (I love you Laurie!!!) but she has looooong hair, down to her waist) -- if you can find both of us, or look for flying hands...

NOTE:  I MIGHT be meeting some of you at the cruise port dock BEFORE, around 1:00 p.m.  I will still wear my white ASL Expo 2007 t-shirt, so look for that.

Q:  HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THIS CRUISE?

A:  There are a total of 26 people...17 are deaf and 9 are hearing.  There are 4 children -- 2 belong to the Group Leader and 2 belong to one of the interpreters.

Q:  HOW DO I PAY FOR THINGS ON THE CRUISE?  ON THE ISLANDS?

A:  Before you get on the ship, you will be asked how you’re going to pay for your purchases on board the ship – cash? Credit card?  If you wish to use cash, you’ll be expected to put down a certain amount of money.  Most people use a credit card – much easier to settle your account at the end of the cruise and you do not have to wait in ridiculous long lines, wasting valuable time.  All types of credit cards are used – AMEX, MasterCard, Visa.  The same applies on the different islands – most people pay with their credit cards, but the locals will happily take your cash as well.  Some places WON’T take credit cards, so be prepared for that.

Q:  HOW MUCH CASH SHOULD I BRING ON THE TRIP?

A:  It depends on how much you’re planning on spending!  Some people like to have lots of cash, some people want very little cash.  It’s all a matter of personal preference.  If you plan to purchase things like water bottles, or little snacks, or small souvenirs, having cash might be a better option for you.  Also, be sure to have plenty of $1 bills – these come in handy when you’re tipping the tour guides and baggage people. 

Q:  YOU JUST SAID TIPPING – I’M SUPPOSED TO TIP TOO?? 

A:  When you go out on the tours, you will normally have very nice people that go out of their way explaining things about the island, about the tour itself.  They try and make the trip fun – for many of them, this is how they make a living on the islands.  It is customary to tip these tour guides and bus drivers – how much?  Normally it is $1 per person.  Not much.  If you REALLY like them, and they did a FANTASTIC job, give them more!  The choice is yours and tipping is NOT mandatory. 

You also paid for tips as part of your cruise package.  However, at the end of your cruise, you might find that your steward (person that cleans your cabin – same person every day), or your wait staff in the dining room at dinner time every night, or the Maitre’D (Head Waiter) did a really fantastic job and you wish to tip them more – that is also optional and we will discuss this more on the cruise. 

Q:  HOW WILL I BE NOTIFIED ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON EVERYDAY?

A:  I will have a piece of paper slipped under your door every day, letting you know what is going on, what the activities are, what shows are going to be interpreted, etc.  You will know where to meet, and what time to meet.   This is YOUR vacation, so you meet with the deaf group whenever you want!  I promise you I will not be offended!!  J  My only wish and goal is for you to have a good time. 

Q:  WHO ARE THE INTERPRETERS AND HOW WILL I GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM IF I NEED ONE?

A:  Michana and Laurie are the two interpreters assigned to our group.  They are good friends of mine and they are available 24/7.  Michana has been on several Carnival cruises, and this will be Laurie’s first cruise.  You will meet them on the first day.  They will have pagers with them and the procedures for how to contact them will be detailed on the first day.

Q:  WHEN IS FORMAL NIGHT?  DO I HAVE TO GET DRESSED UP WITH A LONG DRESS OR TUXEDO?

A:  I have no idea when formal night is.  We will have 2 nights that are formal.  You can get however dressed up you want!  Some people go for long dresses and tuxedos, and some go for nice business suits and short evening dresses.  Think of it this way:  You’re going out to a nice restaurant every night of the week.  If you are like me, you live in blue jeans and gym shoes all the time – why not take the time, for one week, to get dressed up and get out of your comfort zone?  However – do NOT go out and buy all these nice clothes!!  No need to do that!!  Nice Sunday best clothes, if you go to church, will be just fine. 

Q:  I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PACK!  WHAT SHOULD I TAKE?

A:  After 3 cruises I’m STILL over packing!!  You’re going to be living in shorts – the weather is in the high 70’s and mid to high 80’s during the daytime – the evenings you might want a lightweight jacket or sweater, if you’re prone to being cold.  At least it won’t be SNOWING!!!  A good rule of thumb is to choose basic color clothes that you can mix/match several tops & bottoms with, and something that you can wear more than once.  Don’t forget your bathing suit!  No need to bring a towel – Carnival has nice big blue towels that you can take off the ship – just be sure to bring them back or you’ll be charged for it!   The same goes for your shoes – if you know you can wear the same pair of shoes with multiple outfits – do that instead of packing several pairs of shoes.  Laundry is available on the ship.

Toiletries – the BEST way is to buy travel size toiletries OR buy plastic containers and transfer your own products to these plastic bottles.  It will save room in your suitcase.  The shower stall on the ship does have dispensers for shampoo and body soap – but you’re free to bring your own.  The ship has a hair dryer – again, you’re free to bring your own. 

Q:  HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH THE OTHER DEAF PEOPLE ON THE SHIP?

A:  All of the deaf cruisers in our group will have TTY kits set up in our rooms when we arrive.  Please let me know if you have a problem with your kit.  I will have a list of room numbers of everyone in our group – if you wish to share your room number with others in the group – that will be your choice.  I won’t give out your room number unless you give me permission – I will respect your privacy!   However, I don’t plan to be in my room that much – I want to be out on the top deck, enjoying the sun and the water and the people – I’ve waited a long time for this!!! 

Q:  WHAT IF I GET SEASICK ON THE SHIP? 

A:  You can go immediately to the infirmary – the nurse there will give you a patch for your neck –no cost.  Or, you can bring some Bonine or Dramamine from home.  Some people the motion bothers them a lot, for others it doesn’t bother them at all.  On my last cruise in California, the sea was really rough and I felt it pretty bad there, but that was a rare situation.  The first 2 cruises the boat felt more like a slow rocking chair at times, and that was more when I was sleeping – I felt like was being rocked to sleep.  J  You might find when you walk off the ship, that you feel “drunk”, and that is normal – give it a little time to get your “land legs” back. 

Q:  HOW MUCH LUGGAGE AM I ALLOWED TO BRING?

A:  Follow the airline rules – most of them allow 2 bags per person, plus 1 carry-on.  Just remember to make sure you leave room inside your bags for bringing home all those gifts!!  Also, don’t make your bags too heavy – if they weigh more than 50 lbs, you will have to pay extra for that. 

Q:  I JUST HEARD ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE OLD SHUTTLE SERVICE, AND THAT WE’RE GOING WITH A NEW SHUTTLE SERVICE – AIRPORT EXPRESS TRI-COUNTY TRANSPORTATION.  WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THEM?

A:  Yes, Airport Express Tri-County Transportation is all over the place at Fort Lauderdale’s airport.  It will be hard NOT to see them.  You can find out everything about them by going to their website, www.floridalimo.com  and you can even make a reservation online, if you wish, before leaving home.  I know one couple has already done so, and I plan to do so as well.  Also, you can even request a “Meet & Greet” service, where someone from Airport Express Tri-County will meet you in the baggage area – just follow the instructions on the website.  You do NOT need to make reservations ahead of time for pick-up – but DO check-out the website so you can get an idea about this service and know what to expect.

Q:  WHAT IS A PRIVATE MUSTER AND MUST I PARTICIPATE?

A:  A muster is a lifeboat drill and it is REQUIRED of all ships when they leave a port.  EVERYONE must participate.  Those that have been on multiple cruises know the routine and sometimes it is boring, but it is better to be safe than sorry!! 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!  We will have a private muster, for the deaf group only, at 2:30 p.m. at the Stage Lounge, on Deck 5 (Promenade Deck).   The Stage Lounge is located towards the back of the ship.   Everyone should be on the ship by this time.  I will try and have 3x5 cards in your room that you can show to any of the ship personnel and they will show you where to go.  There's a SLIGHT possibility that I will not be at this private muster but you WILL have an interpreter - DO NOT PANIC!!  Do your best to show up there, if you can.  You will STILL have to do the other muster, with the other passengers on the ship, right after the private muster. 

You will STILL have to do a regular muster drill with the ship like everyone else does, and that will be done on your floor, closer to your rooms.  But the private one will be done with just us in the group – so you can get detailed information about what to do, where to go, etc. 

Q:  I’M WORRIED ABOUT MY CREDIT CARDS, PEOPLE STEALING MY CREDIT CARD NUMBERS, AND CREDIT CARD FRAUD – HOW DO I HANDLE THIS?

A:  Before you leave home, contact the credit card company of the cards that you’ll be using.  Tell them what countries you are visiting, that you are visiting them between April 28^th and May 6^th, and you will be using your credit card on these islands for various purchases. They will put this information in their computer.  This is the best way to protect yourself against credit fraud and to allow them to open up your card for purchases outside of the United States.

Q:  WHAT IS THIS WHITE INTERNATIONAL E/D CARD THAT CAME WITH MY TRAVEL DOCUMENTS?  WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS?

A:  This is like a passport into Tortola.  Everyone is required to fill one out and present it when we get to the island.  If you are unsure of how to fill it out, bring it with you on the ship.  We will have people there to help us fill it out – no worries!!