Sunday December 4, 2005
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The links to the archives have been removed because it has been 90 days since the program was broadcasted.  However, if you are still interested in listening to the program you can request a CD of the show.  Please mail in your request to:

TravelTalkRADIO
2240 Encinitas Blvd.
Suite D #101
Encinitas,  CA  92024

Be sure to attach a check made payable to Celestial Link, LLC in the amount of $8.00.  Once we receive your request we will mail out your CD.
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CALL US during the program:
877 528 (TALK) 8255

or if out of the US call:
386-397-1455

TravelTalkRADIO will be at
the next Adventures in
Travel Expo in  NYC Jan 13- 15

A global citizen, Ms. Julian grew up living in Sweden and Singapore. She has lived abroad for 20 years.

Prior to joining EF, Ms. Julian worked for Scandinavian Pacific Institute. She also worked in public relations for Coca Cola for three years.

Ms. Julian received a business degree and a language degree from the University of Stockholm. She also studied French at the University of Sorbonne in Paris. She is a member of the international Young President’s Organization and is fluent in Swedish, Italian, French and English. Two years ago, Ms. Julian achieved a personal goal by hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Ms. Julian lives in Lucerne, Switzerland with her husband Gary, and their three children Sofia, Alexander and Isabella.

In March 2004, the Swedish economics magazine Veckans Affδrer  ranked her Sweden’s Most Powerful Woman. The October 25, 2004 issue of Fortune ranked her no. 35 among the World’s Most Powerful Women.

At that time, Sandy will be rolling out her new food line at VEGeez.com.

Come on in if you would like to take a sneak preview. You can always order by fax until the store has their grand opening in mid Jan.

"We are excited to be launching VEGeez.com from the Adventures in Travel Expo in NYC. The expo is a perfect venue for TravelTalkRADIO to introduce the adventure traveler to this wholesome, economical and easy to prepare food. I am very proud of our products and hope you have a chance to try them soon."

Sandy Dhuyvetter

Adout International is a French business specializing
in the placement of European Interns in America.

Adout International is a cultural organization that specializes in matching companies with International College students. They help give opportunities to students to experience working in the United states and a way to expand their horizons, while at the same time they help companies complete projects that you may not have time to do and they can also provide a valuable perspective to  the International aspects of your business. 

A statement from Adout International:
Our students are specialized in higher studies They are all at the post-graduate or undergraduate level.....
Most of our students need  an internship in order to receive their diplomas. It is required by their Universities. 
You as an employer do not have to sponsor the student, because he is sponsored by our accredited partner, COUNCIL EXCHANGE, which has US government authorization. We provide the student a social security number and health insurance coverage. The students are allowed to work up to 40 hours per week. The internship should be paid however, we are asking a minimum of $800 per month.

If you are interested in this unique cross cultural experience, please let me know as soon as you can in order to start the procedure.
( It will take 2 months )

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Accessibility
By Patrick Peartree, TravelTalkMEDIA

Representatives of the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) together with cruise line officials recently presented Cruise 101, a seminar to discuss current issues faced by industry. This three part series looks at what the cruise line industry is doing in the areas of ensuring passenger safety, environmental protection and accessibility for the physically challenged.

Modern cruise ships are truly engineering marvels, but what responsibility do foreign passenger ships have to comply with the provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) when in US waters?  Cruise ships, although seen by many people as being “floating hotels”, are obviously quite different than land-based buildings and, according to a recent Supreme Court ruling, may require a completely different set of engineering principles.                                                        

In the case of Spector v. Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd, the US Supreme Court reached three important conclusions about how ADA will be interpreted and applied when it comes to foreign cruise ships in US waters. First, the court held that foreign cruise ships in US waters can be held liable to disabled passengers for discriminatory policies and practices. Second, as a general rule, US laws are presumed not to apply to the internal affairs of foreign ships in US waters, and the court held that ADA probably cannot require permanent, substantial structural changes to passenger ships if it would interfere with the “internal affairs” of the vessel. The court broadly expanded the meaning of “internal affairs” in its ruling to include a ship’s basic design and construction. Third, structural changes that could conflict with international treaties or threaten shipboard safety are likely not considered “readily achievable” and might not be required anyway.

Unfortunately, other than setting forth these broad rules and recognizing that there are limits to the structural changes that can reasonably be required on foreign ships under ADA, the Court did not provide much in the way of details. The resulting vagueness of the ruling leaves open much for interpretation. Fortunately, the cruise industry appears to already be doing a great deal to open its doors to people with physical disabilities by retrofitting older ships and designing and building new ships to meet the special-needs passenger market.

Statistics show that one in five Americans has a special need affecting their lifestyles. The International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL), representing 16 of the largest cruise lines in the world, believes that passengers with special needs, and their families and friends, are a vital segment of the cruise industry’s growth. Moreover, a growing number of people the ADA is designed to protect see cruising as a viable vacation choice, perhaps their only practical choice to see the world. The cruise line industry has recently shown a strong desire to cater to those with disabilities, but says it must balance that desire against the cost of making radical engineering changes to existing cruise ships.

Most cruise lines now offer public areas and staterooms large enough for those dependent on wheelchairs including accessible bathroom with railings and emergency call buttons. Braille coded elevator buttons, room numbers, and restaurant menus are also in place on most ships for those with vision disabilities and guide dogs are also now widely welcomed. Many cruise lines provide a TTY, a text messaging device, that allows easier communication for folks with hearing disabilities. There are even some cruise lines that include a variety of tours in the ports they visit that can accommodate guests with special needs.

One thing to be aware of: Nearly every cruise line requests that special needs guests provide advance notification of their requirements at the time of booking to ensure that the necessary accommodations are available.

A trip aboard a modern cruise ship may in fact be the best choice for a person with special needs as well as their friends and family who wish to travel as a group. More and more in today’s competitive cruise markets, people with special needs can truly experience the world and the delights and comforts of a modern floating resort.

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Patrick Peartree is Corporate Counsel and Executive VP of Business Development for TravelTalkMEDIA, a division of CelestiaLINK, LLC.