It is always encouraging to see the mainstream travel press pick up stories on Inclusive Tourism as with this TravelAgeWest piece. It is especially satisfying when experts with the credibility of Ron Pettit with Royal Caribbean Cruises can talk about historic breakthroughs in best practices and Candy Harrington's insights are featured. For an excellent piece on our community as travelers read J. L. Erickson's full article
Nearly 4,000 cruisers hit the decks and staterooms of Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas this fall for an eight-day cruise from Miami with ports of call including the Cayman Islands and Jamaica. But there was something different about this cruise: The entire ship was chartered for individuals with hearing impairments for a jaunt dubbed “The Deaf Freedom Cruise 2007,” led by Virginia-based specialty travel agency Passages Deaf Travel.Posted by rollingrains at January 23, 2008 11:24 PM“It was an amazing experience,” said Ron Pettit, access manager, trade support and services, with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “I mean, think about it, we had a ship filled with more than 3,600 passengers with special hearing needs. It was a major thrill to do it.”