Texas Among States With Anti-Transgender ‘Bathroom Bills’ on the Horizon

Read article : Texas Among States With Anti-Transgender ‘Bathroom Bills’ on the Horizon

The battle over America’s bathrooms has raged into 2017, as advocates in more than half a dozen states are seeking to enact “bathroom bills” that would require people to use the facilities that correspond to their sex assigned at birth.

Even though North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory was defeated in November’s election, the controversial legislation the Republican signed last year placing restrictions on who can use sex-segregated bathrooms in the state, House Bill 2, remains in place. Now a number of legislators in other states are putting forward their own cases to clamp down on who uses what bathrooms, and in the process targeting the transgender and gender non-binary communities.

The National Conference on State Legislators said on Thursday that legislation has been introduced recently in eight states, including Texas, to restrict the use of spaces such as bathrooms, changing facilities, shower rooms and locker rooms by requiring that they be used according to a person's biological sex.

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On Thursday in Texas, Senate Bill 6, aka the Texas Privacy Act, was filed. The state's lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, a conservative Christian, said the bill would protect the privacy of people living in the state. The bill also would allow the Texas attorney general to issue fines of between $1,000 and $1,500 per day for a first offense—and between $10,000 and $10,500 a day for the second offense—to school districts, charter schools and state agencies that violate the law. You can read the contents of the bill here.

Related: Critics says Texas ‘bathroom bill’ targets LGBT rights 

“We know it’s going to be a tough fight. The forces of fear and misinformation will pull out all the stops, both in Texas and nationally,” Patrick said at a press conference in Austin while unveiling the bill. “You can mark today as the day that Texas is drawing a line in the sand and saying no. The privacy and safety of Texans is our first priority, not political correctness.”

The Texas effort comes despite a warning from the Texas Association of Business that said the state could lose between $964 million and $8.5 billion and nearly 200,000 jobs as a result. North Carolina suffered economic losses after its House Bill 2 became law, including the relocation of major sporting events out of the state and some companies pulling back from planned job growth. Patrick said critics were dispersing “fake news” about the risk to Texas's economy, adding that North Carolina is “doing just fine.”

.@DanPatrick & @LoisKolkhorst introduced a bill that discriminates against & blocks facility access for trans Texans https://t.co/YKJaoOvAdH

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC)

January 5, 2017

Following the furor that erupted last year over North Carolina’s law, the U.S. Department of Education issued a letter providing guidance to schools on Title IX requirements. The letter said that transgender students in public schools should be allowed to use sex-segregated facilities that are based on their gender identity, which is not the same as sex assigned at birth.

“Bathroom bills” have become something of a national phenomenon in recent years: Between 2013 and 2016, bathroom bills or similar legislation were considered in more than two dozen states. Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Texas and Wisconsin all considered bathroom bills last year. Still, North Carolina remains the only state that has enacted such a law. Below are the states with prefiled and pending bathroom bill legislation.

Minnesota

Introduced on Thursday, House File 41, aka the Student Privacy Act, would require that all restrooms, locker rooms, shower rooms and changing rooms used by multiple students “be designated for the exclusive use” of male and female students only. The bill defines sex as the sex assigned at birth and determined by chromosomes. The bill, which is pending, allows schools to provide special accommodations for students in certain circumstances, including a single-occupancy stall. 

Kentucky

House Bill 106 was introduced on January 3 by Democratic State Representative Rich Nelson. Under the bill, the executive branch of the state government would require every multi-occupancy bathroom or changing facility to be used by people according to the gender corresponding to that listed on their birth certificates. The law would also require cities, counties and local municipalities to “designate every multiple occupancy bathroom or changing facility it controls to only be used by persons based on their ‘biological sex.’”

Nelson, who also introduced a religious freedom bill this week, said that while he was not aware of any current issue with bathrooms in Kentucky, “we want to be vigilant about what could happen.” You can read the contents of the bill here.

Missouri

Senate Bill 98, introduced on January 4, states that all school restrooms, locker rooms, and shower rooms used by multiple students must be designated for and used by male or female students only. The bill states that “at no time shall a student be allowed to access a public school restroom, locker room, or shower room designated for use by the opposite biological sex.” Read the bill here.

Making sure all the bases are covered, Missouri also has a pending House Bill 202, which “requires all public restrooms, other than single occupancy restrooms, to be gender-divided.” According to the bill’s text, HB 202 is the same as HB 1847, which was introduced in 2016.

South Carolina

South Carolina’s House Bill 3012, prefiled in mid-December, says local governments cannot pass laws allowing people to use public accommodations, bathrooms and changing rooms regardless of their biological sex. Local governments would be allowed to pass laws requiring people to use such facilities based only on their biological sex.

Virginia

The state prefiled House Bill 1612 on Tuesday. It says people are not allowed to enter opposite-sex facilities, “subject to certain exceptions.” Also known as the Physical Privacy Act, it was filed in the Virginia House of Delegates by Delegate Bob Marshall.

On Thursday, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order prohibiting the state “from doing business with entities that discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity.” He called his policy “another giant step forward in our fight to ensure that all Virginians receive the full benefits of their citizenship, without regard to their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Alabama

Senate Bill 1 was prefiled by Alabama Senator Phil Williams in May; it is a similar legislative effort couched in the language of “privacy.” Under the bill, businesses with restrooms, bathrooms or changing facilities would have to choose between three options: have facilities used by only one person at a time; have facilities used by multiple people of the same gender; or have an attendant stationed outside the bathroom “to monitor the appropriate use of the restroom and answer any questions or concerns posed by users.”

The bill also says bathrooms and changing rooms are “places of increased vulnerability and present the potential for crimes against individuals utilizing those facilities,” including voyeurism, exhibitionism, molestation, and assault and battery.

Washington

Prefiled in early December, House Bill 1101 has some of the harshest language of any "bathroom bill." It states that a person who is “preoperative, nonoperative, or otherwise has genitalia of a different gender from that which the facility is segregated” can, by law, be denied the use of a bathroom. The bill doesn’t say exactly how that would be determined.

Texas ‘bathroom’ bills stalled in special legislative session

Read article : Texas ‘bathroom’ bills stalled in special legislative session

Texas measures to restrict access for transgender people to bathrooms in schools and public buildings appear doomed this week after hundreds of businesses stood in opposition and moderate Republican powerbrokers blocked the bills.

The so-called bathroom bills have caused rifts among Republicans who control the state’s legislature, leaving no likely path to passage before a 30-day special session wraps on Wednesday, analysts and lawmakers said.

“The bathroom bill in this session is dead and buried with dirt over its coffin,” said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston.

Enactment in Texas, the most populous Republican-dominated state, could give momentum to other socially conservative states for additional action on an issue that has become a flashpoint in the U.S. culture wars.

But House Speaker Joe Straus, a pro-business Republican who controls the agenda in the body, has shown little interest in passing a bathroom bill, which he said was not a priority.

His position was buffeted by a well-financed campaign from major corporations including Texas-based energy companies Halliburton and ExxonMobil Global Services , which have said the bills were discriminatory and would make it hard for them to recruit top talent.

Supporters of the legislation, who say it can help protect women and children from sexual assaults, have not given up.

But they acknowledge there is only a slim chance of success, with lawmakers still trying to reach deals on almost all of the 20 priority items set by Republican Governor Greg Abbott for the session.

Senate Bill 3, which made it through the Senate and stalled in the House, requires people to use restrooms, showers and locker rooms in public schools and other state and local government facilities that match the sex on their birth certificate, as opposed to their gender identity.

A push for bathroom bills nationally sputtered after North Carolina partially repealed such a measure in March after boycotts by athletic organizations and businesses that have cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars.

Opposition against the Texas measures includes global tech giants IBM and Apple , major Texas city police chiefs who contested claims the bills would protect public safety, left-leaning religious leaders and the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars team.

Republican Representative Ron Simmons, who sponsored a version of the bathroom legislation in the Texas House, said the privacy issue at the heart of the bills is supported by a wide majority of Republican primary voters.

“Just because we don’t pass legislation doesn’t mean that the issue is not going to be there,” he said.

(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Leslie Adler)

Wheelchair users forced to abandon UK summer holiday plans, says Muscular Dystrophy UK

Read article : Wheelchair users forced to abandon UK summer holiday plans, says Muscular Dystrophy UK

These are the shocking findings of a new investigation by Trailblazers, a network of young disabled people and their supporters which is part of Muscular Dystrophy UK and which surveyed over 100 people between 17 July and 14 August 2017.

The main findings of the survey found that:

• 8 in 10 (almost 80%) of young disabled people have been unable to go on holiday in the past five years because of the lack of hoist facilities in hotels.
• Over 35% of those surveyed show that young disabled people don’t go anywhere overnight because of the lack of hoists.
• There are only 18 known hotels in the UK with ceiling hoists available for use free of charge according to one trusted website used by many disabled people.

The investigation found that many disabled users were forced to abandon their summer holiday plans and stay at home. It found that access to hoists in hotels which are a basic requirement for wheelchair users, either ceiling hoists or hoists for hire, is at best scarce and in many cases not available.

Hoists are a basic requirement which allows disabled users to transfer out of their wheelchair into bed or the bathroom when they cannot independently transfer. The complications when organising a holiday to ensure accessibility to hoists means planning can be stressful and lead to anxiety and uncertainty. What should be a pleasant break turns into an insurmountable chore. It is also a big problem for disabled users when having to travel for work, whether that be overnight stays or just a few days.

Moreover this is bad for business for the hotel industry as the collective spending power of disabled people has been estimated at £249bn to the economy.

The Trailblazers investigation also included a mystery shopping exercise (on 9 August, 2017) which found that only one hotel out of 20 was able to offer a free hoist for those who needed it. Other problems included:

• Many hotel staff not knowing what a hoist was used for
• One hotel when asked if they had a hoist for transferring from wheelchair to bed was unsure if they did, but said they had a hoist for use at the swimming pool
• One major hotel chain recommending to wheelchair users to bring their own hoist but admitting their beds were unsuitable for use with a portable hoist

Lucy Watts is a member of Trailblazers from Essex and a wheelchair user since 2008. She has a muscle-wasting condition and can’t safely transfer so has to be hoisted. She said:

“I haven’t stayed away from home since losing the ability to transfer and I’ve been unable to stay overnight purely because of the hoist issue. Hotels having hoists would mean I’d be able to take trips away. I’d be able to attend more conferences – many of which require an overnight stay – which would open up more doors in terms of my voluntary work.

“Having faced multiple issues with hotels, I’ve been put off staying overnight – even if we rented a hoist, I haven’t had the confidence to take the risk of not knowing whether the place will be accessible. However, if I knew every hotel had a fully accessible room with available hoist, I would definitely have the courage to branch out and do overnight trips.

“Disabled people face enough barriers in life. We shouldn’t be prevented from enjoying trips away because hotels won’t always make the effort to be fully accessible and inclusive.”

Nic Bungay, Director of Campaigns, Care and Information at Muscular Dystrophy UK, said:

“These figures are truly disappointing as it means many disabled people are not able to visit some of our most popular destinations. Muscular Dystrophy UK believes there are some immediate steps the tourist industry and government could take to improve provision.

“The tourist industry should provide staff training with disabled people so that their staff know what a hoist is and are aware of their policy regarding helping disabled people get a hoist for their stay. Government could provide increased funding so businesses can access funds to install hoists in hotel rooms. And local authorities could provide financial and planning advice or permission to ensure that access is at the centre of all major renovations and new buildings.

“If these measures were implemented immediately it would greatly increase access to hotels for wheelchair uses wishing to travel.”

Notes to editors

Hoists in hotels – an investigation

Key findings

• 8 in 10 (almost 80%) of respondents have been unable to go on holiday because of the lack of hoist facilities in hotels in the past 5 years.

• Over 85% can use a mobile hoist if necessary.

• According to Ceiling Hoist Users Club[1] which is a well trusted website which many disabled people refer to when looking for somewhere accessible to stay, there are only 18 known hotels in the UK with ceiling hoists available for use free of charge.

Other key statistics

• Almost 15% cannot use a mobile hoist to transfer if a ceiling hoist is unavailable

• Over 35% of survey respondents don’t go anywhere overnight because of the lack of hoists.

• Over 25% of survey respondents only stay in accommodation that supplies hoists (either ceiling or portable).

• Over 35% of survey respondents are forced to take their own portable hoist on holiday with them.

• 9 out of 10 respondents said if a hotel had a complimentary mobile hoist it would incentivise them to stay there.

• Almost 30% of survey respondents would be willing to travel over 50 miles from their chosen destination if the hotel had a hoist.

Hotel Survey

The Trailblazers survey asked respondents to rate their experiences for 7 major hotels chains as well as independent hotels/B and B’s. Some 103 people responded to the survey conducted between 17 July and 14 August 2017

Mystery Shopper

We also conducted a mystery shopper (on 9 August 2017) of a selection of hotels. We asked them if they were able to offer a complementary mobile hoist free of charge to those who needed it. Some of the responses included:

Major UK Cities

We called two major chain hotels, each in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast. The only hotel who were able to offer help to hire a hoist was one of the major chains in Glasgow, but the cost of hiring the hoist would fall to the customer booking the holiday. One other hotel in Glasgow from another major chain had a hoist available free of charge to their customers who needed it. All of the other hotels we called in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast did not have any hoists, nor did they offer help to hire one.

We spoke to a customer service advisor at one of these chains, who was able to give full details of the accessibility of their rooms, including the type of flooring available. Unfortunately, none of their rooms had a level entry wet room and there was no complementary hoist free of charge. However, they were willing to take delivery of the hoist.

Other UK tourist destinations

We called a number of other hotels in various destinations across the UK. This included:

• Oxford

• York

• Brighton

• Newport

• Cardiff

The information we received varied across four different UK chains. None of the five above were able to offer a hoist free of charge, or offer assistance with hiring a hoist. One major chain recommended that we bring our own hoist, but said that their beds were not suitable for use with a portable hoist. Another hotel told us that they had a hoist in the swimming pool, and one member of staff we spoke to did not know what a hoist was.

Summary

From our mystery shopping there is only one hotel out of the 20 that we called able to offer a free hoist for those who need it at the hotel. None of the disabled people who have responded to our survey have said they’ve been given assistance to have a hoist hired at any hotel.

Policy Recommendations

Government

• Building regulations must be amended to reflect the changing needs of disabled people, including the provision of overhead hoists in accessible rooms and the inclusion of Changing Places toilets for functions.

• Independent businesses may not have adequate funding to make these choices. Government should create an ‘access renovation fund’ which independent businesses can access money to install hoists in hotel rooms, or other access requirements such as Changing Places toilets.

Local Authorities

• As the collective spending power of disabled people has been estimated at £249bn to the economy, local authorities must provide assistance, including financial and planning advice or permission to ensure that access is at the centre of all major renovations and new buildings.

Tourism Industry

• Hotels should purchase mobile hoists as an urgent measure, and provide these as a complimentary service to wheelchair users who need them. However, many require overhead hoists and we call on hotels to have their accessible rooms assessed to have these hoists fitted.

• We call on the tourism industry to provide staff training with disabled people so that their staff know what a hoist is, are aware of their policy regarding helping disabled people get a hoist for their stay, and to educate those in charge of hotel development of why having hoists available is so important.

Case Study

Carrie Aimes gave permission for this to be used as a case study.

“I am an infrequent traveller, not because I lack the desire but because it is so difficult to find appropriately adapted and affordable hotels. Even getting away for a single night is an almost impossible challenge, since hotel rooms are, disappointingly, not equipped with ceiling track hoists as standard.

Although some people get around this problem by hiring (at an extra cost) or taking with them a portable hoist, this is not practical for all. Portable hoists are cumbersome, difficult to store, transport and manoeuvre. Furthermore, many people simply don’t have access to a vehicle large enough to carry such large-scale equipment.

I have Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy and am completely non-ambulant. I can’t safely transfer and so I either have to be hoisted or manually lifted. Understandably most people, excluding family, are reluctant to do the latter. So, if I want or need to get away from home, my only current option is to ask family members if they are willing to lend their time and support (far from ideal).

With so few hotels in the UK equipped with ceiling track hoists, our options are severely limited. For those of us who need this facility, a premium cost is incurred, and then we are restricted to specific locations. Sadly we are not free as others are, to occupy any hotel room in a hotel of our choice, anywhere in the country.”

Viking's Myanmar Explorer - Day 7

Read article : Viking's Myanmar Explorer - Day 7

Embarking Viking Mandalay

Hello, Viking Mandalay! Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

ooday is an exciting day. For the first time since our Myanmar Explorerriver cruise tour with Viking River Cruises began in Bangkok, Thailand almost one week ago, we’re embarking our river cruise ship. In fact, we’ll join Viking Mandalayin its namesake port of Mandalay, Myanmar.

But first, we have to get there.

Our first stop after arrival in Mandalay: the gorgeous Mahamuni Paya. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

The one thing I’ve realized after spending nearly a week in Myanmar is that traffic here works on its own set of rules. I’m sure they have traffic laws, but enforcement must be sparse at best. Cars and trucks drive remarkably slowly due to the uneven pavement and the proliferation of cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians that clog major thoroughfares. This means that getting from Point A to Point Be can be a time-consuming activity.

Such was the case today. We checked out of the Areum Inle Lake Resortand boarded our coach at 9:45 a.m. in order to be back at Heho Airport for our flight to Mandalay at 12:55 p.m. Impressively, we’d need every bit of that time in order to make our flight.

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The pagoda is decorated in elaborate gold leaf patterns. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

The drive back to Heho took about two hours, with a 15 minute stop to collect our boxed lunches that we’d enjoy at the airport. At 30 minutes in duration, our flight isn’t long enough to have meal service, and there’s no time to stop along the way.

Heho Airport is a real experience. I wouldn’t call the airport filthy, but I wouldn’t call it clean, either. The toilet facilities are pretty grim by Western standards, and men can expect “the hole in the ground,” while women are treated to proper toilets.

Men are allowed to directly pay respects to Buddha … Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

… while women must do so outside. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Once again, we boarded an ATR-72 600 operated by Mann Yadanarpon Airlines. This time, seating wasn’t assigned, so you just took an empty seat as you boarded. Fortunately, this isn’t North America, so it’s not the free-for-all you might expect. Instead, boarding – which took place from the tarmac – was an orderly experience.

If Rudyard Kiplingromanticised Mandalay with his famous poem, the reality today is somewhat different. In fact, Mandalay is not at all what I expected; I expected a Yangon-style metropolis. My Rough Guide to Myanmarstates that Mandalay is “a faceless grid of congested streets,” and I’d say that’s accurate. It’s a city, to be sure, but a city that’s not quite ancient and not quite modern. Most buildings are a single story tall, or perhaps two, and have a ramshackle quality to them.

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At the Paya, celebrations for the Full Moon Festival were well underway. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Still, the appeal of Mandalay can be found in the numerous historic sites that are interspersed within the city. There are dozens of Pagodas and ceremonial stupas, plenty of Buddhist temples, and other relevant historic sites.

On our drive out to Amarapura, near where Viking Mandalayis berthed, we stopped at the fascinating Mahamuni Paya.

As if to illustrate how many pagodas and places of worship there are in Myanmar, Mahamuni doesn’t even appear in my guidebook. According to local legend, only five likenesses of Buddha were ever made during his lifetime. Two were in India, two were in “paradise,” and the fifth and final image is in Mahamuni here in Mandalay.

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This includes weaving silk, which must be given as an offering to Buddha before the next sunrise. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

The entire complex was built in 1785, but a fire in 1884 nearly destroyed the entire complex, save for the image of Buddha. In 1996, the military government of Myanmar undertook extensive repairs and renovations to the complex, and today it is a major site of worship for locals and a source of curiosity for tourists.

Once again, it’s shoes-off-socks-off for our visit. I’m surprised at how much I am railing against this. I hate having dirty feet, and a few minutes of walking around barefoot here in Myanmar is enough to turn the soles of your feet jet black. We’re given moistened towelettes to clean our feet, but I suppose it’s something that, as a Westerner, I’m just not used to. I think some people embrace it, but I haven’t enjoyed it yet. Still – it is important to respect the local customs, and I always walk barefoot through the temple complexes, even if I despise it.

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At long last: embarking Viking Mandalay. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

What’s also interesting is the segregation between men and women. Men are allowed to go right up to Buddha to pay respects, but women must sit outside the room Buddha is contained within and pray there. They can watch the men via closed-circuit televisions that are placed above their heads, but cannot directly see Buddha.

There’s also a bizarrely tacky quality to some of this, as bright LED lights and coloured Christmas lights adorn aspects of the temples. I saw this in Indonesia as well, and it baffles me – the fascination with blinking red, blue and green lights that strobe madly, as if to proclaim Buddha as the God of Shabby Lighting.

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Viking Mandalay is actually the Indochina Pandaw, owned by Pandaw River Explorations and operated on long-term charter to Viking. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Of course, part of this is due to the upcoming Full Moon Festival tomorrow. Tazaungdaingis held on the Full Moon in November to celebrate the end of the rainy season, and offerings are made to Buddha in many forms. At this pagoda, women are working furiously to weave silk robes for Buddha; these must be finished by sunrise this morning, and the women will work through the night to ensure it gets done.

By the sides of the road to Amarapura, women and children gather in long lines, waiting to stop vehicles to extract payment from drivers as offerings to Buddha. Drivers stop and hand over money. Incredibly, this money will actually make it to the Paya complex!. In Burma, great emphasis is placed on doing good deeds in this life, and offerings to Buddha are pretty high up there. In our “me-me-me” societies in the West, I think we could learn from that.

The Key To Room 307. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Tonight, we arrived at the beautiful Viking Mandalay just before sunset. It’s a gorgeous ship, fashioned after the classic steamers that used to ply the Irrawaddy River at the turn of the last century.

Unlike its European-based Viking Longships, Viking does not own Viking Mandalay. In fact, it’s real name isn’t Viking Mandalay at all; it’s Indochina Pandaw, a vessel built in 2009 in Vietnam and owned and operated by Pandaw River Explorations, a longtime player in the Southeast Asian river cruise market.

Welcome Home! Stateroom 307, in its standard configuration. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Legally, Viking can’t own and operate a vessel here without establishing a permanent presence in Myanmar – something that is complicated, if not impossible, under the current government regime. So like every other river cruise operator, Viking relies on long-term lease agreements from established river cruise lines to offer river journeys in Myanmar.

So if you’re expecting the Viking Longships here, don’t – you won’t see a single Longship. What you will get, however, is the same wonderful Viking standard of service you’ve come to expect, along with all the normal Viking amenities.

It may not be a Viking-owned ship, but Viking Mandalay has all the expected Viking swag … Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

… like the Viking Daily … Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

… and L’Occitane toiletries! Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Viking Mandalay – or Indochina Pandaw– is 170 feet long, with a beam (width) of 33 feet across the deck. The draft – the amount of the hull underneath the waterline – is just three feet; something that is needed to clear the often shallow sand banks that shift and change along the Irrawaddy.

She has a total of 38 staterooms, all of which are the same basic size and shape – with a few notable exceptions. 10 staterooms are located all the way forward on Main Deck, while 18 staterooms run from bow to stern on Upper Deck.

Staterooms are all essentially the same size, and are constructed from beautifully-polished wood. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

My stateroom – 307 – is a cozy affair on the forward, port-side portion of Upper Deck. Done completely in wood (real wood, no less!), it measures approximately 168 square feet. But don’t let its compact size distract you from how inviting it is. The entire ship oozes Gemütlichkeit – my favorite German word for which there is no direct English translation other than to say, “a feeling of coziness.”

Beds are typically positioned in the twin configuration, with one on either side of the room. These can be pushed together to make a queen-sized bed, though you will lose a little room space in the process. Travelling solo, I don’t feel any compulsion to push them together; in fact, I rather like the old berth-style aspect of the stateroom; a classic throwback to travel on the Irrawaddy in the days of Kipling and George Orwell.

A small desk is big enough for a laptop computer and several books, and the foot of the bed has some storage space for luggage. Note that there is no under-bed storage on Viking Mandalay. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Inside the stateroom, more wonderful surprises: two North American-style electrical outlets positioned near the beds, and one multi-voltage electrical outlet positioned above the desk that can accept North American, European and UK-type connections without the need for an adapter (though you’ll need a converter if you don’t have one on your device). This outlet has a switch that can be turned on or off.

Light switches and two of three power outlets in the room. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

There are three sets of lighting in each stateroom, all of which can be turned on with a series of brass, toggle-style switches that make a pleasant thunk!-sound when clicked into position. These lights turn on brass, nautical-style lamps mounted on the ceiling and wall, while brighter halogen-style lamps are situated over each bed. Two brass reading lights are also mounted on the bulkhead walls of the room, and are perfect for reading in bed.

The bathroom is compact but functional. An exhaust fan is available in the bathroom, but keep it turned off: It’s so powerful that it will suck the cold air out of your bedroom that is produced by the air conditioning unit.

The bathroom: compact but functional. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Tap water in the bathroom isn’t potable, so Viking has provided bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth. Should you run out, there’s an entire cabinet full of replacement bottled water under your sink.

The toilet is an older-style flush toilet and not a modern, shipboard vacu-flow toilet you might be used to. It works, and it is functional.

Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

The shower is a floodlit-affair that has clearly been refitted to Viking specifications, as the gleaming white tilework and American Standard showerhead look brand-new. But the colour temperature of the lights above the shower is significantly different from the off-orange lighting in the rest of the bathroom, which gives the shower an oddly illuminated look.

The only thing I’m not a fan of in my stateroom is the oddly-illuminated shower. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Still, you’ll be pleased to find the same French-milled L’Occitanetoiletries that are found on the Viking Longships, along with the same stationery and pen, the same design and paper stock for the Viking Dailyprogram, and the same thoughtful Viking touches throughout. Have a paperback with you? Leave it on the desk and a Viking River Cruises bookmark will magically appear inside.

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Out on deck, Viking Mandalay’s gorgeous, colonial appearance takes on a new hue. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Hotel Manager Dominik … Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

… and our Captain and crew welcome us onboard! Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Also, as a point of reference, the air conditioning unit is more than powerful enough to keep your stateroom at a soothing temperature, even during the heat of the day. This wasn’t the case for me when I sailed the Mekong on a competitor of Viking’s a few years ago; I continually found that room to be far hotter and more humid than I had wanted.

Of course, we’ll write more about the ship in the coming days. After all – we’ve got a week onboard to continue to enjoy everything that Viking and Myanmar have to offer!

Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Viking Mandalay - Myanmar Explorer

DAY	PORT
Day 1	Bangkok, Thailand
Day 2	Bangkok, Thailand
Day 3	Yangon, Myanmar
Day 4	Yangon, Myanmar and Shwedagon Pagoda
Day 5	Inle Lake, Myanmar
Day 6	Inle Lake, Myanmar
Day 7	Mandalay, Myanmar; Embark Viking Mandalay
Day 8	Mandalay, Myanmar & the U Bein Bridge
Day 9	Ohn Ne Choung, Myanmar
Day 10	Bagan, Myanmar
Day 11	Salay, Myanmar
Day 12	Yandabo, Myanmar
Day 13	Myint Mu, Myanmar

Our Live Voyage Reportfrom Viking River Cruises’ Myanmar Explorer continues tomorrow as we travel to Mandalay, Myanmarto board the Viking Mandalay!Be sure to follow along with our adventures on Twitter@deckchairblog.

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