Need a travel agent - Maybe (San Antonio, Galveston: hotels, prices, bus)

[G Grasshopper]

My husband is very ill, but he is stable right now, and the doctor says "Go and travel now, while you can." So we would like to take a trip/cruise that is nature/eco oriented (we are not ones for a "party ship"), and that does not require a lot of physical exertion. We just got back from a trip to San Antonio that worked out well. But he requires a wheelchair for long distances, a slow pace, and a good bed at night. He can walk, but has decreased strength and endurance and not really great balance. Does anyone have any ideas or know of a travel agent that could work with us on this?

[Dr.Mom]

I'm sorry to hear about your husband's poor health. Hopefully you can find a trip that becomes a special memory for you both. Best wishes.

[tibbar]

I am not sure of your age but maybe check with AARP and see what type of travel they may have.

[TexasHorseLady]

My sister and brother-in-law, in their mid-late 70's, frequently go on cruises. I'll ask her if she has any recommendations.

[musikguy]

My wife and I just got back from a 4 day cruise out of galveston. The prices right now are much lower than they will be this summer.

Not only were there lots of things to do for every age group, but we saw many people with walkers and wheelchairs getting around just fine and having fun. We talked to several people in their 60's and 70's that said for their limited mobility, cruises were the best bang for the buck.

Def. worth looking into. We used Carnival and had no complaints.

[TexasHorseLady]

Okay, my sister gave me lots of information because what they like might not be what you'd like.

However, she says for scenic beauty an Alaskan cruise is far and away her favorite in the U.S. For beaches, Caribbean cruises are good and you can set sail out of Galveston. The South American cruise that includes Chile has wonderful glaciers.

Their favorite cruise lines (can you tell they do this a lot?) are Princess and Royal Caribbean. She says cruiseline preference is very individual so what they like, you might not. She says they normally do 7, 10, or 14 day cruises depending on where they're going, and that if you don't like to party, you should avoid the 3 to 4 day cruises because they're all party, all the time kind of crowds. (And these are people who are still doing competitive square dancing in their 70's, so they do know a party when they see one! )

She also says let the cruiseline know if there are mobility issues before embarking because the lines are usually long, and they will usually let someone with those issues go in the VIP line.

Hope this is helpful, second hand as it is. But they are gone on cruises a LOT now that they're both retired so I thought she'd be a good resource.

[RooCeleste]

I have used Lori Randig at AAA on 183 North for two trips, and I LOVE her! Normally I do all my own booking but for our European trips, I have to coordinate flights, train, accommodations and have found it is much easier just to let her do it all!

phone 512 336 6114
randig.lori@aaa-texas.com

[testmo]

Caravan tours specializes in bus tours in places like the Caribbean, Europe, Costa Rica etc. Typically there is an older crowd so the pace is relaxed and as it is a bus tour walking/hiking is done at your leisure and for those that seek it out. Still plenty of experiences for short hikes, single tours while seeing various parts of X country/region. Hotels/food/entertainment at dinner is included.

My (early 90s and not exactly fiesty) grandparents went to Costa Rica with them and very much enjoyed it.