Vacationing with a disability - day 5

This was definitely a day of fun and excitement but it was also a day which reflected seriously upon the relationship of taking a vacation with a disability.  In my case, the disability is Parkinson’s Disease and the manifestation of this disability is difficulty in walking unassisted.

We had chosen to take a cruise today up along the Na Pali (the cliffs) shoreline and back again.   Along the way we were to have “breakfast, lunch, and a mid-morning snack, as well as having various historical and cultural highlights of the shore pointed out to us as we passed them.  The company failed miserably on these features although I don’t know how much blame would rest with the captain.  We were also to have a 20 to 30 minute time in the water for swimming and/or snorkeling.  The minimum qualifications were met on this score although the experience was so much less than we had in Maui with virtually the same tour description.  Finally, and I’m not enough of a boater to  know whether man or nature was responsible for this, but we had the fastest, roughest ride I’ve ever had on a catmarran.  Several people on board were sick including me and my sister who NEVER gets seasick. 

On the other hand, the crew did a MARVELOUS job taking care of the passengers.  I was asked several times how I was doing and every time I made a move to get up and move around the boat, one of the crew would be at my elbow offering assistance.  Sometimes I felt I was up against a zone defense trying to get a shot off.  They had received early warning that a “disabled person” would be on board and they were determined that I would have a positive experience and, above all, not get hurt or injured.  And although I definitely got special treatment, all passengers got above average attention.

When we arrived at the ticket counter, I was told to report dockside so that I could be "pre-boarded"

So Carolyn drove me over and turned me over to a crew member who promptly did ... nothing.   I finally took a walk around the dock portion of the ship while waiting for the rest of the passengers. 

When I did finally board it was at the same time as the others.  Fortunately it was easy enough to negotiate the ships passageways and ladders.  After I walked aboard with my walker, the crew stowed it away behind the mast where it stayed until the end of the cruise.  I realized I could get around a small boat like I do my bathroom because there were so many grab bars available. 

At one point I looked up to see that Carolyn had taken over the helm.  I thought the captain was aware of what she was doing but until he and a crew member  pulled this pose...

I wasn't sure.

Here's our little tour team Keith, Arnold, Revabeth, and Carolyn during a rare quiet moment aboard the ship.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

During another quiet moment on board we watched spinner dolphins play alongside the ship.  

And, of course, there was our snorkeling time.  I didn't do as well as expected but much better than a couple of days.

The rest of the day we spent driving up Waielua canyon to see the gorgeous vistas from the various sightseeing pullouts.  The day ended with dinner at Wong’s, a local café whose motto must be less is more.  The food was a limited table buffet table, not quite what we had been expecting.