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justjessame · 4 years ago

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The Deal Chapter 17

When Dad, Carl, and Michonne returned from gathering guns, I realized that my little brother had ulterior motives for going on the run. They unloaded the car and I chuckled when I saw the crib box. And then Carl came over to me, Judith in my arms, and held out a framed photo. Tears sprang into my eyes. It was a photo from our favorite place to go out to eat during better times. The owner had taken it as our family sat our regular table and put it over the bar, along with his other regulars.

“I wanted Judith to have something that we could show her to tell her about Mom.” He smiled, and I hugged him to me, squishing our baby sister in the process. Carl chuckled and pulled away. Kissing Judith’s cheek, he rushed back to help Dad and Michonne with the weapons, ammo, and the crib.

I turned to go back inside, but Dad’s voice calling my name stopped me. “Jessi,” I waited. “Could I have a minute?”

He sounded uncertain. And I waited until he was confident that Michonne, Carl, and the others who came out to help had the unloading and moving of the supplies inside under control. Dad tilted his head toward a quiet spot away from the others.

“I, Jessi, I-” He stopped and rubbed his hand down his face, trying to collect his thoughts. “I know you’ve been worried about me. I know I’ve been acting strange lately.”

Strange? More like completely ruined by grief, but OK. I shrugged, thinking about Daryl being left behind for sticking up for his family. A family, I might add, that Dad had left handcuffed to a roof in Atlanta.

“It’s just-” His blue eyes watered as he looked down at me. “I’ve been seeing HER.” I watched his eyes pinch closed, either fighting his tears or trying to force the image away. “Lori-” his pain was so heavy that my heart clenched. “She shows up, and I can’t focus on anything, but her. And how I failed-her, Carl, you.”

Shit. His guilt. All the guilt he was feeling was piling on and breaking him. “Dad,” I touched his hand and he met my eyes again. “You never made peace with her. Not really, not before she-” my own eyes burned with tears and I kissed Judith’s head, causing his eyes to flicker to my sister. “You need to let it go. The guilt? Aren’t we all guilty of not doing everything we can in this shitty world? You can’t keep letting it run you.”

“I didn’t want to leave Daryl behind, Jessi.” He whispered, and I saw him swallow hard. “He’s too- The two of you are too important to me to do that. But I didn’t think-”

I shushed him, much as I had Daryl. “I don’t agree with what you did, Dad. That’s his family, his only blood family left.” I bounced a newly agitated Judith, clearly picking up on the strain of the atmosphere around her. “But, I do get it. Somewhat. Merle isn’t the easiest person to trust. But, he is someone with experience, not just with the Governor, but with other tactics.” I was thinking of his military service.

Dad wrapped me and Judith in his arms. I felt him kiss the top of my head, and when he pulled back, he gave Judith her own bit of affection. I offered her to him to hold, but he shook his head. “Not right now, honey, I should help them put everything away.” He smiled, a rarity as of late. “And I think I have a crib to assemble with Carl.”

As the day went on, I watched the way Carl interacted with Michonne. They seemed at ease around one another, playful. I was smiling, arms free since Carol and Beth had commandeered Judith away from me, when Daryl’s arms came around me. He propped his head on top of mine and watched with me.

“Seems like he likes her.” His voice rumbled over the top of my head. I nodded, and allowed myself to relax into the strength of his arms. “Don’t got lil Shitkicker with ya right now.” It wasn’t a question, but I knew where his mind was heading.

I turned in his arms and tilted my head to look up at him. “Sounds like you may be thinking of something, Daryl Dixon.” His smile told me everything I needed to know.

Daryl led me back inside, through hallways, until he found the destination he was aiming for, what used to be the prison laundry. It was private, and as he pulled me through the doorway and shut the door behind us, I realized that he’d put some effort into the room. He’d tossed a few of the cell mattresses on the floor, and a blanket or two to soften the “bed”.

I drew him to me and our lips met. Daryl’s kisses were always surprising to me. Soft lips, urgency, even all the passion in the world was in each one, but every single time it was different. We took our time, like we hadn’t been able to since our first night together as a couple. Taking one another’s clothes off. Touching every inch of the other. Relearning the things that made him gasp and moan, while he reminded himself of every spot that earned him my lips uttering a prayer that sounded like his name.

By the time we fell, completely naked onto the bed that he’d created for us, all of the strain of not being able to have this, one another was falling away. When he finally joined us together, I knew without a doubt, that this man was the only future that I could be certain of. He and I, together, and we could face whatever hell that unleashed next.

Hours later, when Daryl and I emerged from our hideaway, Carl met my eyes and I knew he needed a moment with me. Kissing Daryl as he moved to talk to Dad, I went to my little brother and saw that he’d taken a turn keeping Judith occupied while I was taking a break. I reached for her and he handed her to me with a smile.

“How was the trip back home?” I asked, as we walked to a quiet spot letting me sway with the baby in my arms.

“Weird.” Carl answered and I thought I understood. “Met that guy that Dad kept trying to reach by walkies.” I raised an eyebrow, wondering why Dad hadn’t mentioned it. “He’s not in great shape, but he gave us the weapons and ammo.” He shrugged, clearly not interested in this unknown element. “I wanted to talk about Michonne.”

I took a seat and he sat down next to me. “What about her?” I cradled the quiet and napping Judith in my arms, but kept my focus on Carl.

He took a breath and started to confirm what I’d seen with my own eyes. Carl and Michonne had grown close during the run. She was a badass (which I never doubted), but she was also caring. She had been the one to fetch the photo, after he’d dropped it during a horde situation. They clearly bonded, but he worried that Dad would keep his word and send her away.

“What do you want me to do?” I asked, glancing down at Judith’s tiny mouth sucking in her sleep. “I’ll talk to him, if you want?”

Carl grinned and hugged me without jostling Judith too much. “Yeah, that would be great, Jessi!” I patted his arm with my hand, careful not to drop the baby and answered his smile with one of my own. He almost looked like the little brother he’d been before this entire mess, almost.

I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t feeling safe or content or fucking happy with the situation at all. Andrea, clearly unable to kill her Jim Jones clone boyfriend, had informed us that she’d managed to convince him to have a sit down with Dad to negotiate the situation.

What’s to negotiate? He did something terrible to Maggie, we all knew that, even if we didn’t know the particulars. He tortured Glenn, using Merle as his implement, and then doing God knew what to him as well. He tried to have Merle and Daryl fight to the fucking death, for ENTERTAINMENT. Let’s not bring up the attack on our safe place. Hordes of zombies aren’t the best “welcome to the neighborhood” present, but who I am to feel that way? But sure, let’s negotiate.

“Jessi,” Dad sounded pained, as though I was the one who wasn’t thinking logically. “I have to at least try.” No, I thought, you really don’t.

And then, because he didn’t think my fear was at a high enough pitch, he decided to take Hershel and Daryl with him. Of course, Dad, just take the man I love and our ONLY healer on this run because fucking Andrea can be trusted. Absolutely.

Daryl put his arms around me and tried to calm my nerves. He tried, but he knew he’d fallen short when I kissed him like I was saying goodbye to him. I realized, after the last time, every single time he had to go I would have to do this. Because he wasn’t safe, none of us were, but right now he definitely had more danger in front of him than behind.

“Don’t say goodbye,” he ordered, showing the first signs of fear I’d seen from him ever. “Don’t, Jessi, don’t jinx us.”

I looked down at my feet and sighed. “If I don’t-” I swallowed the lump that had rushed back into my throat at the first mention of this meeting. “Then one of us may not feel peace if the other doesn’t come back, or if the other person comes back to even worse.”

It sounded hard put, not worded right, but I couldn’t say the words. I couldn’t tell him that if he didn’t come back to me alive, I would become worse than Dad had when Lori died. I couldn’t remind him that he wasn’t the only one in danger. What if they left and the Governor took the distraction as an opening and came in to kill the people left behind? What if he came back to me, but I was dead? Goodbye isn’t a dirty word, not anymore. It was simply a precaution. Dad hadn’t said goodbye to Lori, and look at what he’s going through, I wanted to say, but I couldn’t. Saying it out loud, giving actual credence to it outside what Hershel and I talked about would make it really real.

Daryl was going to fight me on this. I knew it. He’d prefer to NOT consider one of us at the wrong end of a bullet, walker, or any other multitude of ways we could die. Yet, I saw what happens to those who put on rose colored glasses and pretend that they’re safe. Yes, I felt we could face the dangers side by side, but we weren’t. We haven’t for some time been facing them together. He was Dad’s soldier, friend, and second. And I was the caretaker, the calm-keeper, and that put a wrench in our ability to keep one another safe. I knew he wouldn’t want to hear my fears, not now, but one day, very soon we’d have to face it. All of it.

This was why, when they were ready to leave, I said goodbye, but Daryl didn’t. He wouldn’t. Dad, understanding my fears, hugged me tight and offered me his own. We knew, better now than just about anyone, what not saying it to someone you love could mean. I even hugged Hershel, this man who kept saving my family and who had become family too.

As I walked back inside, I smiled as Glenn took charge. And then I had to step between him and Merle, something I had the feeling I’d be doing frequently. Of course I thought, hearing Merle say we should ambush the meeting to kill the asshole and his cronies.

“We can’t, Merle,” I try, still between the two of them one hand held up in front of each man. “It’s too fucking dangerous.”

Merle starts to argue, but Glenn chimes in reminding him that Daryl is there. That Daryl, Dad, and Hershel could be lost in crossfire. I can see Merle’s about to argue, the consummate attack first, worry later soldier. Merle stomps off, and I share a look with Glenn. He wouldn’t give up that easily.

Sure enough, we caught Merle filling a duffel with weapons. He and Glenn clashed again, things were said, things that weren’t great to witness, but there was a part of me that completely understood where he was coming from even if I didn’t agree. I let Maggie and Michonne deal with the two of them when it comes to blows. When it looks like they aren’t going to be able to talk them down, I take the gun that Dad had started requiring each of us to carry from my waist, and fired one shot into the ceiling. Shocked, by the noise, by the action, everyone stopped. I stared them all down, and then walked away, because Judith had begun to cry.

#daryl dixon x ofc #rick grimes daughter #eventual negan x ofc #mention of smut #mental illness #The Walking Dead #alternative universe

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stopforamoment · 6 years ago

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PART EIGHT Past, Present, Future (8 of 10)

MASTERLIST

Book: The Royal Romance (After Book Three) Pairing: Bastien Lykel x OFC Rinda Parks

Word Count: 1,760

Rating: M for Language

Author’s Note: Obligatory disclaimer that Pixelberry Studios owns the TRR characters and my pocketbook with those darn diamond scenes. OFC with all of her quirks is all mine. My apologies if Tumblr or I do something stupid when I try to post this. The keep reading link shows up on my laptop but not my phone. Ugh. Series Nine: The Transition

Series summary: This takes place in the beginning of October when the transition to Drake Walker as the security officer is now complete. It’s Bastien’s last day at Valtoria Primary School and the community gets together to say thank you and goodbye to Bastien. This series focuses on Rinda’s place in her community and her feelings about the future. It also focuses on the transition she’s making from widow, teacher, and mother to someone who wants something more with Bastien.

Chapter summary: The party ends, Henry discusses options if they stay in Cordonia or move back home, and Bastien continues to help Rinda with everyday life.

PART EIGHT Past, Present, Future (8 of 10)

It was one of those nights that you never want to end. Rinda, Laura, Alicia, and Julian went in to heat up the leftovers from dinner and make more of the Magic Oasis drink, and they brought everything outside for people to snack on, or as Rinda said, to help sop up the alcohol so they could keep drinking. The team shared memories about training: That idiot Kakos. Cronuts and coffee. Going through the secret passageways during the first ALICE drill and being covered with cobwebs. Rinda admitted that the entire time they in the passageways she was more afraid that she would see a mouse than their group getting caught while escaping the building. She was fine with the spiders, but mice terrified her. They laughed about Alicia throwing up on Rinda. The weekly dance jams. The football game between Laura and Drake to get him move involved at school—and how he “let Laura win.” How much they accomplished in such a short time. Julian could see Rinda was starting to tear up, so he suggested that they dance. He got out his phone to play music, and he and Theo started dancing, and Mr. Ariti let Rinda talk him into one dance before he went in for the night. But before he started dancing he grinned at Alicia. “I’ll leave the door open tonight, in case you wanted to sneak out of Rinda’s house to see Santos.” Everyone started laughing when Santos walked over to Mr. Ariti to shake his hand as Alicia lowered her face into her hands with embarrassment. Rinda and Mr. Ariti were dancing, but after awhile he motioned for Bastien to come over and take his place. He clapped his hand on Bastien’s shoulder and said goodnight to everyone, but Rinda was already in Bastien’s arms. He took her right hand and held it over his heart, and as he felt her relax into him as he rested his chin on her head. Even though he was so much taller than her, they were a perfect fit when they danced. . . . . . The next morning there was a line of children coming out of Rinda’s house. They were the neighborhood children and the school friends who were able to spend the night, and they were lined up for breakfast. Mr. Ariti insisted that the men wait in his house until more of the children were there so it would be obvious that the men didn’t spend the night in Rinda’s house with the ladies. Julian and Theo were married, but Alicia and Santos were “only” dating, and Drake and Bastien were single. He didn’t want the children to start rumors that involved Rinda, Laura, and Alicia. The ladies were in Rinda’s house helping children create omelettes in a resealable bag. Alicia helped the children with the eggs, Alex helped them add the ingredients, Henry was sealing the BPA-free boiling bags, Phillip was helping put names on the bags, Rinda boiled the bags, and Laura helped the younger children put the hot bags on a plate and open them. Then Cosima and Maddie were outside to help deliver drinks and fruit to everyone. The girls took their job very seriously. Drake didn’t want any fruit, but Maddie calmly informed him that unless he had vegetables in his omelette, Mrs. Parks insisted that everybody eat at least three small pieces of fruit or drink a glass of orange juice. Bastien was laughing at Drake, until Cosima brought him a banana. Mrs. Parks insisted that bananas were his favorite fruit. . . . . . Drake, Julian, Theo, and Bastien helped with clean up and finally parents came to pick up their children, and the members of the security team also left. Everyone was gone except Bastien. He saw how exhausted Rinda was, and he offered to stay longer so she could take a nap. Rinda was too tired to protest, even when Bastien was a goof and insisted that he and Henry tuck Rinda in bed. Henry crawled into the bed next to her, and Rinda patted a spot on the mattress next to her to let Bastien know it was okay if he got on the bed too. “Mom, if we stay in Cordonia would Ollie stay in Wisconsin?” Ollie was their dog, a lovable Australian Shepherd mix. Cassie and her family were taking care of Ollie while they were in Cordonia since Rinda didn’t want to subject an animal to an eleven-hour flight if they were coming home in December. But staying until June was a long time to be without their Ollie-Bollie. “Well, Ollie would have to be quarantined for a few days when he comes to Cordonia, but that’s not a big deal. I talked to the exchange people to see if we can have a dog here, and they’re waiting to hear back from the person who owns this house. I should know that next week. My biggest worry is the plane trip. I don’t want him stowed with the luggage, and eleven hours is a long time for him to not go to the bathroom. “Can we pretend he’s our companion animal? Maybe put him in a peacock outfit?” Rinda snickered. It drove her crazy when people abused the definition of companion and service animals. It ruined it for the people who truly needed their pets in public areas. “I promise that I’m still working with the airline and Cassie’s parents to figure it out. Remember, if we stay in Cordonia we still go home for Christmas. So maybe—I’m not promising. Maybe we fly back with Ollie and do a couple long layovers where we can take him outside to stretch. Like I said, I don’t know for sure so I can’t promise.” Bastien was silently watching, observing Rinda’s honesty even though it was disappointing Henry. “Rinda, Henry. I know the details about this house and the owner, but that person wants to remain anonymous. But I know that person won’t have a problem if you have Ollie in the house. And as far as bringing Ollie here, I know King Liam and Queen Riley would be fine if we used the royal jet. They want to fly Cassie and her family here so they can meet her, and we can bring Ollie when she visits. I can take care of all of that for you. The quarantine regulations, too.” Rinda was looking at Bastien with disbelief. That would make her life so much easier if they stayed in Cordonia. She couldn’t even begin to thank him. And Henry’s eyes were shining. “Are you serious? Ollie would fly in the royal jet? And Cassie would visit?” Bastien nodded solemnly, and Henry turned back to his mom. “But what do you want to do, mom?” Rinda shook her head. “I promised that it would be your choice. I will be happy with whatever you decide.” “But would you still work at the school?” “If we go back home, yes. I’d work at our school again until the end of the year. If we stayed here, I wouldn’t be at this school as much, but I’d still be there a few hours a week as a parent volunteer and to touch base with Aunt Laura and Uncle Drake. Ms. Melius is coming back in January, so she’d take my place in Ms. Halkais’ classroom. But there is still a lot I would do with the security reforms. I’d visit other schools, so I might have to spend the night somewhere else once in awhile. But that wouldn’t be very often, and you’d stay with Phillip’s parents or Mr. Ariti. I want to work with people from the Cordonian University about starting workshops for student teachers to attend before graduating, and I’d also help with some things in the archives. It’s kind of a hot mess there, and I promised the archivist I would help if I stayed the whole year.” “Mom, do you miss teaching college students?” She booped his nose. “I love you Bug, but please stop asking me questions to figure out what I want to do. I’m going to be fine either way.” “If you work at the archives does that mean we can keep seeing Mr. Lykel once in awhile?” Rinda hesitated, not sure of what to say, but Bastien quickly stepped in. “Yes, you would.” He turned to Rinda. “Henry and I were talking about this Thursday night. If it is alright with you, I can still visit during the week. Then weekends, only if it is okay with you, you could stay at the palace whenever you’d like. There are going to be times I will have to adjust plans or even cancel, but I want to make this work. If you both do, too.” Rinda was overwhelmed and exhausted, and desperately hoping Henry would want to stay in Cordonia, but she wouldn’t do anything to sway him either way. Bastien lowered his voice so only Rinda could hear him. “Tria. Show me your eyes.” He knew her emotions by the color of her eyes. Even though she was tired, they were green. Excited, full of hope, and that’s all he needed to know. “Let’s tuck your mom in so she can sleep. She’s done a lot the past few days and must be exhausted. Tria, thank you for everything you did to make this party a success. I had such a good time and thank you for everything you did to make it so special for me.” He tucked her in, kissed her crazy curls, and booped her nose, which made Henry start laughing. He booped her nose too. “Mr. Lykel, if mom sleeps too long should we wake her up with the sun song?” It was a German song Rinda would sometimes sing to wake up Henry. She sang it to Bastien once, too. And when Henry didn’t wake up right away, she would also pull off his covers and tickle him. He hated it. Bastien laughed at Henry. “Yes. Absolutely. We will sing the sun song, pull off the covers, and tickle her.” “And boop her nose?” “Obviously.” Henry gave Bastien a high five as Rinda groaned and pulled the covers over her head. She was fast asleep a few minutes later. While she slept, Bastien played with Henry and the neighborhood kids, talked to Mr. Ariti while cleaning up his kitchen, caught up on some of his work, and scrubbed Phillip’s spaghetti stains off Rinda’s kitchen ceiling.

#bastien lykel #choices trr #long post #rinda parks ofc

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noordinarytravel · 6 years ago

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Carnival Vista including Accessibility (Review)

I recently had the privilege and joy of participating in a ship inspection of the Carnival Vista at the Port of Galveston. I have cruised on several Carnival ships in the past however I am not scheduled to actually cruise on the Vista until later for a family cruise.

The Carnival Vista is currently the only one in the Vista Class, she is registered to Panama, and she had her inaugural cruise in May 2016. Her itineraries range from 6 - 9 days out of Galveston into the Caribbean. If you haven’t cruised out of Galveston before, the Vista is a great way to check out the available itineraries.

Ship Specs

Crew capacity of 1,450;

Guest capacity of 3,934;

8 Grand Suites;

66 Ocean Suites;

854 Balcony Staterooms;

23 Oceanview Staterooms with patio or lanai;

264 Oceanview Staterooms;

732 Interior Staterooms;

20 Oceanview and Interior Upper/lower Staterooms

Of the 1967 rooms, 25 are accessible rooms modified for wheelchair users. Our oldest daughter travels in a wheelchair so this is very important to us and to many of the families for whom I book travel.

Currently the Vista has two itineraries out of the Port of Galveston. First there is the Cozumel - Jamaica - Grand Cayman itinerary. A nice itinerary with either Ocho Rios or Montego Bay in Jamaica, you will have the opportunity to check out beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters ideal for snorkeling.

The second itinerary includes Mahogany Bay in Honduras, Belize, and Cozumel. I have been on this itinerary on Royal Caribbean and it is my favorite out of Galveston. This itinerary is great for snorkeling but also for cultural/historical experiences such as visiting Mayan ruins.

FOOD

Let me throw out a disclaimer before I get started: I am not a huge fan of buffets. That doesn’t mean I don’t do buffets at all. I just prefer the menu variety and service of the dining room without having to wait in line behind everyone else. I will do the buffet for lunch after boarding and maybe once or twice for the duration of the cruise however vacation is when I treat and pamper myself so I prefer to sit down, enjoy the view, and have food brought to me.

Let me add on suggestion about the dining room here: try something new! This is the perfect time and place to try something you normally wouldn’t if you were out to dinner in your hometown. Why? Because, if you don’t like it, you can just order something else. This is how I discovered I really like escargot. Don’t get stuck on eating the same thing again and again!

Guy’s Burger Joint is my favorite outside of the dining room. There may be some of you reading this thinking “a burger is a burger is a burger” and perhaps that is true in some circumstances. But Guy’s Burger Joint is worth checking out despite having only a handful of options. Anything with Rojo Rings gets my vote but if you prefer a burger with a little less pizazz, the Plain Jane is a sure bet. If you are craving beef and are hungry in a hurry, Guy’s Burger Joint is for you!

While meals at most restaurants are included in your cruise fare, they are some additional options for a fee. The Steakhouse offers entrees and cuts of steak not available in the dining room and you will not be disappointed. The appetizers and desserts are absolutely beautiful…..too beautiful to eat and I something I would never be able to do…..and I have never been disappointed by the quality or flavor of the food.

When we last went to the Steakhouse, the fee was $35 per person however I hear it has since gone up to $38 per person ($12 for children 11 years old and younger). My suggestion is to skip lunch on the day you plan to go to the Steakhouse because there is so much food! You will not walk out hungry!

Above you will see an example of the menu (be sure to scroll through all four pages). If you are a seafood lover, the Maine Lobster Bisque and Surf & Turf are EXCELLENT. Otherwise the pork belly, lamb chops and rib eye are all great!

Room service is something I typically do only in the mornings because I love having coffee on my balcony. The kids, on the other hand, love room service at any time of the day. If you are new to cruising on Carnival, please note that some items are free of charge while others carry a nominal fee.

For the rest of your food options (some free and some for a fee):

BlueIguana Cantina

Cucina del Capitano

Jiji Asian Kitchen

Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que

Seafood Shack

Bonsai Sushi

Chef’s Table

JavaBlue Cafe

Pizzeria del Capitano

Carnival Deli

Captain’s Pasta Bar

RedFrog Pub & Brewery

Comfort Kitchen

ACCESSIBILITY

Accessibility is something that matters to me because 1) we have a kiddo that travels in a wheelchair, and 2) because I occasionally have travel clients with mobility issues. The document I have included below shows the accessible pathways with the blue dotted lines. Other accessible areas (i.e. bathrooms, public areas, elevators, etc) are also in blue.

Carnival is great about helping guests with special needs. The Guest Access department can be reached by phone or email however I recommend utilizing their online form for requesting assistance. I recommend planing your next cruise at least 12 months ahead if you need an accessible rooms because they tend to sell out quickly.

Ambulatory Accessible Cabins are staterooms designed for guests with mobility limitations but who do not require the regular use of a wheelchair, scooter, or other devices. Ambulatory Accessible Cabins are perfect for cruisers who only use an assistive device (like a cane or a walker) for long distances or who may benefit from amenities like grab bars.

Fully Accessible Cabins - Single Side Approach are staterooms designed for guests with highly limited mobility, who require the regular use of a wheelchair, scooter or other devices. Fully Accessible Cabins have clear floor space on only one side of the bed and they have an accessible bathroom with grab bars and shower seats.

Fully Accessible Cabins are staterooms designed for guests with highly limited mobility, who require the regular use of a wheelchair, scooter or other devices. Fully Accessible Cabins have accessibility including turning space, accessible routes throughout the stateroom and bathroom. The bathrooms have grab bars and shower seats.

When we cruise, one of my requests is having an ASL sign language interpreter for my daughter. I have done with this Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian and all of our experiences have been fabulous. I advise you to submit requests at least 90 days out so that there is adequate time to find someone. The best part? It is at no additional cost to the cruiser!

Dietary needs, service animals, blind/low vision issues, oxygen, dialysis……..these are some of the things that can be addressed if you call the Guest Access department. You can reach them at 1-800-438-6744 ext.70025 or email [email protected]. They are fabulous at helping guests have the best experience possible!

STATEROOMS

Staterooms can be such a controversial topic. Some people see staterooms as just a place to lay your head down, while others see staterooms as an extension of the experience. My family and I lean more toward the experience so we usually pay to have a bigger room and more amenities.

Interior rooms typically don’t offer a window however some may have a window out to a walkway. I have friends that prefer interior rooms with no window because they sleep better when it is totally dark. Interior rooms, as all staterooms do, have their own private bathroom with room occupancy being between two and four people. If you are not claustrophobic, interior rooms will work out just fine for you. I personally do not recommend interior rooms for more than two people because of limited space.

Ocean View rooms have a larger window that allows you to look out upon the ocean or out onto a walkway. If you are nervous about having small children and a balcony, the ocean view room is a good compromise. I personally do not recommend an ocean view room for more two people because of limited space.

Balcony rooms are my starting point because I love having a balcony. I love enjoying the sound of the ocean before I go to bed, and again in the morning watching the sun rise with a cup of coffee. If suites are cost prohibitive on certain itineraries, I will book a balcony room. If you plan to have more than two people, a balcony is good option simply because of the extra space of the balcony. It seems that we are almost always out on our balcony when we are in our room.

Suites are my favorite for a couple of reasons: first, there is more space in a suite. We have three children, all grown, however one has special needs. My husband and I keep her with us so we typically get a suite to give us a little more space (the other two children usually share a balcony of their own). Second, I like having the suite perks and amenities. Suite perks and amenities vary with each cruise line so please don’t assume they are all the same. For Carnival, having a suite gives you VIP check in, embarkation, and debarkation. You get priority dinner reservations and main dining room time assignment. You also get dressing area outside of your bathroom and two bottled water (not a big deal for some but still worth mentioning).

The Carnival Vista has a category of rooms called Family Harbor. One of the things I like about the Family Harbor staterooms is having access to the Family Harbor Lounge. The lounge offers a nice space for family activities, and it has a smaller room off to the side that could be used for a quiet space if your kiddo gets a little overstimulated. I mention this space to my special needs families in case they aren’t in their stateroom but they need a space to deal with behaviors.

ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment is such a subject topic to discuss because personal preference has everything to do with what we seek out. I have had a few clients express concern over having enough to do while at sea and let me tell you…….that should not be a problem at all for most people! Even if you just want some quiet time on the serenity deck with a book and an adult beverage, there is pretty much something for everyone. That being said, below you will find a list of the many things you can do while relaxing at sea (some are free, some for a fee):

SkyRide

Lip Sync Battle

IMAX

Hasbro, the Game Show

Playlist Productions

SportsSquare including volleyball and basketball

Clue, the Murder Mystery

The Punchliner Comedy Club

Cloud 9 Spa

Thrill Theater

Stage Shows

Dive-In Movies

Mega Deck Party

Mixologist competitions and cooking demonstrations

Bingo

Art exhibitions and seminars

Live Music and karaoke

Various bars and the nightclub

Mini Golf

Alchemy Martini Tasting

Games

Video Arcade

Casino

Arts & Crafts

SkyFitness including fitness classes

Pools and Waterworks

FUN FOR KIDS

When you go on vacation, wouldn’t it be great if the parents could get a break from the kids and the kids could get a break from the parents? For many cruise lines, that is a thing!

Carnival has age appropriate activities for children age 2 - 11 (Camp Ocean) , 12 - 14 (Circle C), and 15 - 17 (ClubO2). Games, movies, karaoke, video games, and arts & crafts. Parents can get a break, kids have fun, and everyone wins! And yes, this is included in your cruise fare.

Night Owls is a program (for a fee) in which child care is provided after hours—until 1 am— for children age 6 months - 11 years. Music, activities, and games are provided in a group setting so that kids are entertained and supervised while parents enjoy some “us time.” Perfect for having date night on your cruise!

Our oldest daughter enjoys some of the Camp Ocean activities even though she is well over 11 years of age. Developmentally she is about 10 years of age and Carnival staff have always been great about allowing us to take her for various art classes during our cruise. If you have a loved one with special needs, and you see classes he/she may enjoy, talk to Carnival staff about it.

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So, if you couldn’t tell, I really like the Vista. Everything was absolutely beautiful and the dining room served us a fabulous lunch. I really like the Serenity Deck, the SportsSquare with volleyball and basketball courts, the Family Harbor Lounge, and the SkyCourse so I’m sure I’ll spend a lot of time in those areas.

My recommendation to Carnival would be to have more accessible rooms since 25 out of 1967 is hardly anything and also because they sell out so fast. If you have any questions about accessibility or if you need any information regarding Austism on the Seas, please email me. I am always happy to help!

Check back later for my review of the Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas!

Make this beautiful day count!

Annette

#Cruise #ADA #Review #Galveston

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