YOU, YOUR DOCTOR, CDC & IMMUNIZATION !!

One of the requested topic for our blog came from Kelly. She wanted to know what immunization should be considered with our upcoming trip? Great question, Kel’ ! 

The issue at hand is that though I can point you to checking out the Center of Disease Control (CDC) for Travelers, ultimately you need to be sure you make an appointment with your doctor to address "YOUR" specific needs!

First off know where you are going? Be sure you have the following ports of call for your doctor: Bangkok, Thailand / Singapore, Malaysia / Ho Chi Minh City & Nha Trang Vietnam / Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin-Beijing, Dailan China / Nagasaki-Hiroshima, Osaka-Kyoto & Yokohama-Tokyo Japan / Pusan South Korea / Anchorage Alaska. In addition, have the information for your doctor about your planned shore excursions and interests. Whether it will be out in the rural countrysides and villages or if you just plan to stick to local tourist sightseeing sites around the cosmopolitan city.

Second, Don’t wait too long as vaccines take time to become effective. so make your appointment to meet with your doctor at least three months from departure. I was informed by my physician, just recently, that generally Center of Disease Control (CDC)  posts alerts three months in advance. So keep this in mind when setting up your appointment. Also remember, “You” are not the only patient on your doctor’s appointment book. So don’t delay and check your calendar and book your appointment in advance. And yes, I have already made my appointment for the first of the year!

In my exploration into the CDC website, it was noted that the CDC divides vaccines for travel into three categories: routine, recommended and required. It is best to consult your physician for “your” specific needs. However, the generality of the categories were outlined as such:

Routine Vaccinations

Be sure that you and your family are up to date on your routine vaccinations. These vaccines are necessary for protection from diseases that are still common in many parts of the world even though they rarely occur in the United States. If you are not sure which vaccinations are routine, look at the schedules below.

Recommended Adult Immunization/Needs based on age /Check with Doctor

Influenza2,
Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Td/Tdap)3, Varicella4,
Human papillomavirus (HPV)5, Female Human papillomavirus (HPV)5, Male Zoster6
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)7, Pneumococcal (polysaccharide)8,9 Meningococcal10,
Hepatitis A11
Hepatitis B12

Recommended Vaccinations

These vaccines are recommended to protect travelers from illnesses present in other parts of the world and to prevent the importation of infectious diseases across international borders. Which vaccinations you need depends on a number of factors including your destination, whether you will be spending time in rural areas, the season of the year you are traveling, your age, health status, and previous immunizations.

Required Vaccinations

The only vaccine required by International Health Regulations is yellow fever vaccination for travel to certain countries in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America. Meningococcal vaccination is required by the government of Saudi Arabia for annual travel during the Hajj.

In further drilling into the CDC website you will find extensive information and charts that you can print up to share with your doctor for discussion. Additionally, the CDC website also has information specific to the destinations by countries so look into this also before you consult your doctor for your specific needs.

The Center of Disease Control’s website for travelers is:

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/vaccinations.htm   

Photo provided by Flickr. CTChang

RSVP Requested for STUDY GROUP!

Please check your email Inbox or perhaps even your Spam Folder as I recently sent out an E-Vite Invitation to our Study Group for Saturday, October 6, 2012. If you haven’t RSVP, please take a minute and do so as our final sign-up date will be Monday, October 1st and we are trying to see if we can meet our minimum number of participation!

Our current response status looks as though many have alternate plans and scheduled commitments. Roger and I have decided that if we do not have a minimum of 12 individuals for this group gathering that we will be canceling this event. 

For those who have RSVP’d as a Yes. Thank you so much for your interests. If we do end up canceling, I  hope to address your questions and concerns at an alternate opportunity as discussed previously. So stay tuned and thanks for your help with your RSVP! 

Photo provided by: Flickr.koyochi.planner

It’s Time for Your US PASSPORT!

Did anyone check my Asia to Alaska Timeline I placed on the blog? Well if you did, you would see that I had noted for your action list for September is to handle your US Passport needs. I know this may seem a bit early. But I agree with our experienced travel agent, Alex that since this is such a crucial piece of travel document, early is better. To help guide you further I have highlighted the US Passport Checklist that Independent Traveler provided. Please double check the fee as I did not verify with the actual US Department of State for the current fee. And finally, be sure that your expiration date on your passport is valid for at least 6 month prior to your return date to the States. The check list is noted below and if you would like to read the full article I have provided the following link address : 

Passport Applications and Forms

http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/passports-and-international-travel/passport-applications-and-forms

US Passport Checklist

First-Time Passport Applications (Adults Age 16 and Up)

Form DS-11

One 2x2 inch color photo, taken within the past six months

Proof of U.S. citizenship or nationality (such as a certified birth certificate)

Proof of identity (such as a driver's license) and a photocopy of that ID

Application fee ($135)

First-Time Passport Applications (Minors Under 16)

Form DS-11

Form DS-3053 (necessary if only one parent is appearing with the child at time of application)

One 2x2 inch color photo, taken within the past six months

Proof of child's U.S. citizenship (such as a certified birth certificate)

Proof of adult's relationship to child (birth certificate may suffice)

Proof of adult's identity (such as a passport or driver's license) and a photocopy of that ID

Application fee ($105)

Passport Renewals (Adults Age 16 and Up)

Form DS-82

Existing U.S. passport

One 2x2 inch color photo, taken within the past six months

Renewal fee ($110)

Passport Renewals (Minors Under 16)

Form DS-11

Form DS-3053 (necessary if only one parent is appearing with the child at time of application)

One 2x2 inch color photo, taken within the past six months

Proof of child's citizenship (such as a certified birth certificate)

Proof of adult's relationship to child (birth certificate may suffice)

Proof of adult's identity (such as a passport or driver's license) and a photocopy of that ID

Application fee ($105)

Passport Card (Adults Age 16 and Up)

Form DS-11 OR

Form DS-82 (if you previously had a regular passport and are applying for the passport card as a renewal)

One 2x2 inch color photo, taken within the past six months

Proof of U.S. citizenship or nationality (such as a certified birth certificate)

Proof of identity (such as a driver's license) and a photocopy of that ID

Application fee ($55 for first-time applicants, $30 for those who already have a passport book and are applying for the card as a passport renewal)

Passport Card (Minors Under 16)

Form DS-11

Form DS-3053 (necessary if only one parent is appearing with the child at time of application)

One 2x2 inch color photo, taken within the past six months

Proof of child's U.S. citizenship (such as a certified birth certificate)

Proof of adult's relationship to child (birth certificate may suffice)

Proof of adult's identity (such as a passport or driver's license) and a photocopy of that ID

Application fee ($40)

Name Changes

Form DS-5504

Current U.S. passport

Certified copy of document specifying name change

One 2x2 inch color photo, taken within the past six months

Renewal fee ($110) if you've had your passport longer than one year or if your name was changed for any reason other than marriage or court order

Lost or Stolen Passports

Form DS-11

Form DS-64

One 2x2 inch color photo, taken within the past six months

Proof of U.S. citizenship or nationality (such as a certified birth certificate)

Proof of identity (such as a driver's license) and a photocopy of that ID

Application fee ($135 for ages 16 and up, $105 for children under 16)

Additional Visa Pages

Form DS-4085

Current U.S. passport

Fee ($82)

Photo provided by Flickr:Rakka

INFO shared by Karen!

It seems two heads are better than one? I may not be the only one who has conflicting information from time to time. Fellow Cruiser, Karen has pointed out to me that in her cruise information with Princess, there are two different set of conflicting times.  Below is the information Karen shared with me. My recommendation is to allow the maximum of time so at least you can be sure not to miss any scheduled departure time whether it be the ship or your plane ride home. Remember, the distance between the ship’s port  and the airport is quite a lot....

Bangkok City Center to Port - 2 hours driving time
Bangkok Airport to Laem Chabang Port - 1/1/2 hours drive
Princess’ recommendation for airport to port - 3.5 hrs
Tianijin to Beijing Airport - 150 miles
Whittier to Anchorage Alaska Airport - 65 miles 

Comment below from Karen: 
“This is what I was talking about when I said Princess might have 2 different sets of times that people can arrive and depart at the embarkation and disembarkation ports. It's on the EZAir portion of the Cruise Personalizer, in the same spot you can book excursions and other services. If someone is using the EZAir option this is what they see when they click that link.

It appears that Princess shows 2 different sets of times because I see the Notification information you are quoting as well. I'm not sure they know this, but it maybe something Alex will want to verify it with them.

Or it's highly possible I'm not understanding their information correctly. Sometimes I'm a putz, as Roger would say.

One other item that I'm not sure how important it is, but Princess likes people to provide their independent flight information. I think they use that to be sure people are disembarked at the best time for them to get to their flights and that determines the color of the luggage tags they give you at the end. It may not be essential, but they do have a place to fill that out on the Cruise Personalizer as well. Following are the timelines Karen has on her Princess EZAir portion of the Cruise Personalizer."

Embarkation Bangkok Thailand

You must arrive no later than 11:59 PM on April 12, 2013 for embarkation

Disembarkation Whittier Alaska

You must depart no earlier than 03:30 PM on May 18, 2013 for disembarkation

Did You Know...PRINCESS CRUISE AIR FLIGHT GUIDELINES

Although Alex is on top of this information as a professional travel agent. Not all of us (myself included) may cross out “t” and dot our “i”. With the website at our access some of you may choose to make arrangements on your own and NOT seek Alex’s professional assistance.  

There MAY be more information regarding our preparation to our cruise. And though I will do my best to share this information, I can’t guarantee that I can do this for you as I am by no means a professional like Alex. Which is why my personal choice and recommendation is to book with her!. So for those who are still working on flight arrangements,  fellow independent cruisers, “Buyer Beware”!  

I came across this important note on the Princess Cruise website.  It was under 
MY PRINCESS > Cruise Personalizer > Travel Summary > Notification.

AIR FLIGHT GUIDELINES
If you have purchased independent air arrangements, please ensure your air
schedule falls within these guidelines as Princess is not responsible for
making any alternate arrangements or for any out of pocket expenses that may
arise should you miss your cruise or cruise tour and/or return flight. The times
listed below are subject to change.

Embarkation:
Bangkok - Latest flight arrivals: 2:30 pm domestic/1:30 pm international

Disembarkation:
Anchorage - Earliest flight departures: 1:30 pm domestic and international

Photo provided by: all-free-download.com

SOME USEFUL WORDS ANYONE?

It was brought up to me by one of our fellow cruiser that since we were visiting six different countries. That perhaps, knowing some useful words would be a great blog article that she would love to read as well as learn from. 

Well, fellow cruisers, my job just took some simple exploring and if you would direct yourself to the blog article called “Princess Cruises‘ PORTS OF CALL”, week of 6/17 - 6/24 and drill down to the section where I directed you to check out the Princess Cruise PDF information on each port. You will see that Princess Cruise had done this for me. Within this handy document, on an interior page there is a section titled, “SOME USEFUL WORDS”. Indeed worth a check if you haven’t already done so....

“Domo Arrigato” Princess Cruises! 

Photo provided by: Flickr: w4nd3rl0st (InspiredinDesMoines)

Jim shares...Epic Pictures of Bangkok

Thought you might enjoy checking out some unique and colorful photos of Bangkok from the Business Insider that fellow cruiser Jim Mies shared with me. 

Below is the the link for you to copy and paste in your browser, enjoy the show. 

Thanks again Jim!

http://www.businessinsider.com/16-absolutely-epic-pictures-of-bangkok-2012-8

Provided by the Business Insider

Roger & Diana's ASIA to ALASKA 2013 TIMELINE PLANNER

The following dates and noted information may be subject to change or update.

Please utilize this as a guideline and check into this blog site for any new developments.

Thanks, Diana

July 2012                      Research & Book Airline Flight Arrangements

August 2012                  Arrange Pre & Post Cruise Land Tour  

August 2012                  16 Day Cruisers may currently register for Princess Shore Excursions

September 2012            Apply or Renew Passport

October 1, 2012             Diana's Study Group and Luncheon Sign-Up Deadline
October 6, 2012             Diana’s Cruise Study Group & Luncheon (Specifics to be arranged, please save date)


November 2012             Register and Input Info OnLine at Princess Cruise, My Princess & Cruise Personalizer
Week of Nov 26,2012     May pre-reserve Princess Spa Treatment Appointments
Week of Nov 26,2012    32 Day Cruiser may register within 120 of departure for Princess Shore Excursions


December 14, 2012       32 Day Cruise Payment Balance due to Alex

January 11, 2013          Passport & Payment due to Alex for Group China Visa application processing
January 16, 2013          Available within 75 days of sailing On-Line Boarding Pass & Luggage Tag Printing
January 28, 2013          16 Day Cruise Payment balance due to Alex
January 31, 2013          Individuals filing for Visa application for China


March 2, 2013              Pre-Cruise Meet & Greet Social (Specifics to be arranged, please save date) 

April 8, 2013                 Final Posting Day for Cruise Blog Articles
April 11, 2013               Roger and Diana depart to Bangkok Thailand
April 12-17, 2013          Roger and Diana at Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok Thailand
April 17, 2013               Embarkation on Diamond Princess


FALL 2013                   Post Cruise Social (To Be Arranged)

Photo provided by Flickr:alamodestuff

16 Day Cruisers can sign up NOW!

It has been confirmed by Alex, that 16 Day Cruisers can NOW sign-up for Princess Cruises’ Shore Excursions. Fellow cruiser Jo Mary and Michael Murphy have already signed up for their pick! 

32 Day Cruisers will have to hold to the Planner Timeline as I have been informed by Alex that the reason we are unable to sign-up at this time is because the second segment cruise shore excursions have not solidified their contract agreement. So stayed tuned will let you know if I hear of any changes.

OH YEAH...Roger and Diana are on their way...KINDA?

OH YEAH  ---  Yes, Diana and Roger are on their way....Okay, well kinda!!

We have our cruise deposited (with Alex), stateroom assigned (Alex did this for us) and now we have our air transportation and pre-cruise arrangements in Thailand. Why, yes with Alex, of course!

Since many of you have inquiry minds and want to know what we have decided. I thought I’d take a minute or maybe two and share our updates. Roger and I have decided to head to Bangkok with a 5 night pre-cruise option. The hotel we picked was the Shangri-La Hotel located adjacent to the Chao Phraya River in downtown Bangkok. The Shangri-La Hotel is a 5 star luxury hotel that we had the privilege of staying during our 2006 river cruise trip when we disembarked in Shanghai and Hong Kong. In case you didn’t know in Asia, the luxury hotels are indeed a destination experience in itself. So for those who book with Alex, my bet is that you certainly will enjoy the Shangri-La. 

I know we certainly are looking forward to it! Alex can offer more details for you in the following blog article. So be sure you check-out it out! Oh by the way, did you know that the airport is some 30 minutes away from downtown Bangkok AND from downtown Bangkok to the ship is approximately 2 hours away, pending traffic! So yet another  reason to consider Alex’s package as she has already covered this issue for you.

Our air arrangements were also made through Alex, so contact her directly once you know how many days you have decided to stay in Bangkok for your pre-cruise and also your post- cruise, whether it be in Beijing or Anchorage.  As I understand it, Alex is also trying to working on a group coordination if many are choosing the same time frame. So let her know if you are at all interested. If you were to ask me, I’d make it easy on yourself and call Alex and join her group option. Some of you may recall doing this on our 2008 Med Cruise when we flew Swiss Air! What a breeze and a deal, thanks again Alex! 

Since Roger and I are of course retired. We have the luxury of time and are able to choose the 5 day travel option for our pre-cruise. It was our choice to leisurely enjoy our transition to embarkation day. We allocated 1 day for travel another for recovery. After all, many of you are "a lot" younger. And then I figured we basically had two to almost three days to explore Bangkok before we had to board the Diamond Princess. If you have the time and this sounds good to you, contact Alex and she can coordinate the Davis Bangkok option!

Its understandable that ‘not everyone’ is able to partake in the extended pre & post cruise days as Roger and I have. If this is the case for you, I would once again highly recommend that you consider having Alex assist you. She has a pre-cruise option for Bangkok and a post cruise option for Beijing (this will be for those 16 day cruisers). There is so much to enjoy and see in these two destinations that you really don’t want to miss out! Call and contact Alex soon, so she can take care of this for you.   

Well, that’s about it for now! Roger is researching our return accommodations currently from Anchorage to home, so stay tuned as our newsflash saga continues!

Photo provided by amarilyis.wordpress.com