KarenR122

Are you allowed to use the pools when you are there on the ship excursion or is it just the slides? DD prefers the small kiddie slides and would love the pools but if it is only for the "water park" slides then it would be useless to us.

 

Thanks!

We have done Disney, the Allure and the Breakaway as well. We are leaving on the Gem next week! Disney is just amazing with kids as you already know so there really isn't a comparison. If they had a casino and more adult night time activities, we'd sail them every time.

 

We HATED the Allure. I have been on well over 20 cruises on many different lines and that was by far the worst we have been on. Too crowded, disliked the food, rude passengers and we detested waiting in life for everything. I can't understand how on a cruise ship you have to wait 30 minutes to get into a buffet.

 

We loved the Breakaway and recommend to everyone. Great ship, lots to do, food was yummy and they were great with our daughter, 6 at the time. You'll have a great time.

On our first cruise on the Breakaway we only spent "extra" money on souvenirs my daughter "had to have" and some pictures that she "had to have". The cost was minimal. If we were without kids, it would have been zero. We do not drink and we brought water on board with us. There is no need to spend extra unless you want too and our cruise experience was not diminished in any way. We had a wonderful time!! This not including shore excursions but that cost would be the same on any cruise line.

He's playing a character on TV. He is not really like that. Watch his other shows and that is more towards his personality. I've been a few of his restaurants and they are wonderful. I'd love it if this was true.

We have done Disney twice and while we loved it, we are done with it. I think with teenage boys unless they are disney nuts, will be bored. My daughter, now 8, loved it but it is very girl centric in my opinion. We also found the kids club lacking. Also if the adults like to gamble or want any night life, you will not get it on Disney. But the food is far better than any other line and the service is amazing and the ships are beautiful.

 

RCCL, we have only been on once, Allure of the Seas and absolutely hated it. It was way too big for us and we waited in line for everything. Waiting 30 minutes to even get into the buffet for breakfast is unacceptable to me. I also thought the food was not good at all. Also the staff and guests were beyond rude We ate 5 dinners at Johnny Rockets because we did not like any of the MDR food. BUT my daughter loved the boat. She thought it was so much fun and loved all the activities. We will give RCCL another shot on a smaller boat as I'm chalking up our disaster vacation to a bad week.

 

We now cruise NCL most of the time. Did the breakaway twice and Gem twice as well and have another booked in 3 weeks. We love the suites and the Haven. DD has fun with the activities and we like the entertainment.

 

So long story short, everyone has likes and dislikes about every line. You need to see what your group wants to do and whats most important and go from there when choosing.

My parents were given VIP on our last cruise. We were in the Haven and they were not. I think my dad just hit it off with the concierge when we first boarded and later than day received a letter saying they were VIP. They were able to go to lunch and breakfast with us at Cagneys, got treats to their room, priority tenders, cocktail parties and things like that. Totally unexpected but we were very grateful as it made it easier for us since we were in a suite and had those perks as well. They were not allowed access to the Haven and we did not ask for it.

Very odd in my opinion that you would decide to defend a company that you have no personal experience with, but only reviews/here-say, but yet when the tables are turned everyone else is wrong?

 

ex techie

 

Well I find it odd that you keep harping on every single word I say. My information is not here-say. It is directly from people who have used the service that are my friends. Real life friends that I interact with daily. You are bashing the company on here-say relying on a post from a person you do not know. I have never said that anyone was wrong. Not one of us on this thread were involved and were there and like I said multiple times I am not defending or saying what was told was untrue, I'm just saying that I do not think it is fair to bash a company based on here-say which is exactly what is happening.

 

And to answer another question from a different poster....I am not glossing over the issue of a person with autism overseeing children with autism. I have no problem with it at all as long as the person is capable. I also fully agree with peer led groups and I feel it helps children with autism to have role models who are also autistic. Before everyone jumps all over that, this is my general opinion on the matter and has nothing to with the man/boy this issue is about. I do not know him and can not say if he was capable or not to lead a group.

I never said that you did not believe the parents of the girl either.

Were you on that cruise when you say "you were around" or on the boards as in around?

 

I have to ask why you are so personally defensive of a private company?

Surely if you feel you have to defend the companies name so vigorously and defensively, the best approach would be for Dennis' Father to comment publicly about what he perceives happened?

This incident was quite a few years ago and yet Autism on the Seas also known as AOTS have not given or published any kind of official statement about what happened? Just to give their side of the story.

 

Doesn't that seem kind of strange to you? Also that Dennis is still a "staff member"?

Or maybe they (AOTS) (Autism On The Seas) would prefer this little incident to go away?

 

And yes, I have repetitively mentioned AOTS and Autism On The Seas so it will generate more Google hits for anyone reviewing who to cruise with.

 

ex techie

 

I mentioned that I was "around" when the story broke because someone mentioned in a previous post about the first reporting of the incident. I was reading the boards at that time and recall the initial post.

 

I have absolutely no ties to this company and I personally have not used them but I have sailed on cruises while they were working and I know a bunch of families that have used them. I am not defending the company because I can't as I was not there and can not say what happened. The reason I get defensive about the constant bashing is only because I know first hand how hard it is to travel with a disabled child and this company, as well as others, help families enjoy a much needed vacation. I know what a great job they do with the families that they are with because I have spoken to quite a few who have used the services.

 

As far as the changes Disney made, I am well aware of them. I actually agree that no adult should be in the children's clubs unless they were personally vetted by Disney themselves. I think that after they incident that happened, Disney realized that they are liable and having unvetted adults in a secured area is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Just because they changed the rules does not mean the situation with the girl was proven true. It just showed a flaw in the services Disney was allowing the group to do and they corrected it.

 

We are not going to agree on any of this so I am not going to comment any more.

Well there you go KarenR122.

Someone who HAS spoken to the father and given his response to the incident.

Notice I said incident and not "alleged" incident as the father obviously did NOT DENY THIS HAPPENED.

 

ex techie

 

Listen, I never said that I did not believe the parents of the girl. Yes I was around when the incident was reported. All I am saying is that there are two sides to every story and the father of the boy says it did not happen the way it was portrayed. I do not know who was right or who was wrong but all I am asking and have been asking is that the group's name should not be tarnished because of one incident we do not have first hand knowledge of. Maybe the boys father should have been more diligent in supervising his son, Maybe the girls father did not understand some of the social deficits children with autism have and misunderstood. I and no one here knows what truly happened. The group in question serves a lot of special needs parents and I would hate to them not to book with them just because of something said on a message board. Every single time someone brings up autism this group gets bashed. I do not think that is fair. So we can agree to disagree.

I cannot find the Autism Travel Group on line at all. I can find several other groups related to autism and travel' date=' but nothing with this name.[/quote']

 

The name is not the Autism Travel Group. I was just being generic not stating the actual name of the group as I don't want to keep dragging their name into something that was never proven to be true. Since they still cruise with Disney, do land packages at Disney World and cruise with almost every other line, it just annoys me that people continue to bring up an incident that none of us have first hand knowledge about except a post from a member.

We have a daughter with high functioning autism who is now 8. We are big cruisers and have taken 2 Disney Cruises and have another booked and sailed on multiple NCL and Royal Caribbean cruises. While we cruise Disney, mainly because my daughter still loves the princess and my husband is a Disney nut, they are by far the least autism friendly cruise line that we have sailed. On other cruise lines we were able to have special accommodations for the muster drill and the kids clubs but Disney did not budge on either. The staff was even trained better on other lines. Not to say we did not love our Disney cruises, we did, but it was just different and had to prepare differently. I would never tell anyone that Disney was "autism friendly".

 

And just a side note to the alluded Autism Travel Group. They are a wonderful organization and are regulars on every cruise line, including Disney still. They even have supervised trips to Disney World. While what happened to that poor girl in the story is unforgivable, there are two sides to every story and since no one on these threads have first had knowledge of what really happened, I would suggest refraining from bashing them every time an autism post is brought up. They help a numerous amount of families that would not be able to take a vacation and since they are still welcomed on Disney Cruises and Disney World obviously we do not know the whole story.

Last year we were in a suite and my parents were in a balcony. They were allowed to embark with us as well as eat lunch with us at Cagney's. They were also allowed to attend Cagney's for their trip duration as well as received other perks that we had. They were not allowed in the Haven though, if fact we didn't even try for that. I find that if you ask nicely for things and don't expect them then sometimes you are pleasantly surprised. We did not ask for any of these "perks" for my parents, the concierge just did it and we were very appreciative and thankful to him. He was tipped well at the end of the trip.

Hello! First a little about our family. I am 45, DH is 43 and our daughter is 8 from NY. DD does not utilize the kids club at all, so most of our vacation is “family” time with very little alone adult time so I do not have any reviews of the adult only areas. We always travel in suites. DD is high functioning autistic and we need the extra room. We have been on numerous Princess, Disney, Carnival and Norwegian cruises. DD herself has been on about 7 cruises. The Allure is definitely the largest ship we have been on but have done The Breakaway and Disney Fantasy so we have sailed on large ships.

I will say that we enjoyed our vacation as it gave us time to bond together as a family, but this was the absolute worst cruise we have every been on. It was our first Royal Caribbean and most likely our last. We picked Royal and the Allure because it was highly recommended to us. We are not loyal to any particular line and just cruise what we find appealing at the time.

[B][U]The Good[/U][/B]
Embarkation
Ice Shows
Aqua Theater Shows
The Boardwalk
Casino

We arrived to the port at about noon and were on the ship within 20 minutes. Very fast and efficient. The Ice Shows were amazing and you forget you are on a ship. I really give Royal Caribbean kudos for these productions as the quality of the shows are just amazing. DD loved the How to Train your Dragon show. We had an Aqua Theater Suite so we saw the Aqua Shows numerous times as well as the divers practicing. All were terrific and something we have not experienced in any other cruise line. We loved the Boardwalk area and my DD had an everlasting seat on that Carousel. Another really cool feature to have a ship. She also loved the little playground section. We got numerous balloon animals but was never able to find the face painting they said they had.

[B][U]The Bad[/U][/B]
Guests
Balcony
Wait Staff
Concierge
Buffet

Never in all of my cruises, pre or post children, have I ever encountered more rude guests. It really put a damper on the entire trip. We always travel while school is in session so while we know there will be less children, I did not think the majority demographic would be much older than us. That is one of the main reasons we do not sail on Celebrity. We were literally pushed out of the elevator by wheelchairs and those scooter things. At the children’s ice show the entire front row was taken up by guests over the age of 70. It’s a kids’ show and they want to interact with the characters, common sense should have prevailed there. Then because they were taking up all the front row seats they were constantly turning around to tell the kids (not just my own) to shhh or to stop moving around and even told one parent next to me to learn to control their child. They were being normal children not causing a major ruckus.

We were waiting on two occasions to eat in the main dining room lunch. It was super crowded and they were sitting people together at the large tables. On each day numerous people (all older) said out loud for all to hear that they refuse to sit with my daughter, pointing at her. DD was so upset not understanding why no one liked her and how do you explain that to your child. I totally understand not wanting to sit with a child but keep your mouth shut or mention it quietly to the host. These were just a few of the multitudes of insults and rudeness we received for having a child with us.

We tried to eat in the Main Dining for dinner a few times and we were not impressed. Most of the time there was nothing that we found we wanted to eat, or if we did, the waiter told us not to because it wasn’t very good. We found that the wait staff, at least the ones we had, were not able to understand us very well. We had to explain over and over what we wanted and it usually came out wrong. Two examples are that we just wanted water with no ice to drink. You would think I was asking for them to build a rocket. Then one night we ordered off the list where you have to pay extra. DH wanted a lobster tail. They offered a full lobster and a surf and turf. We told the waiter we would pay for a surf and turf but only wanted the lobster tail. If they could do two lobster tails that would be great, if not, the one would be fine. Well when his food came to the table he had two full lobsters (I know, first world problem : ) ) which is not what he wanted. He doesn’t eat anything but the tails and it would be a waste. So back and forth we go with the waiter and he said just eat it and apologized. Fine no problem. When we get the bill for dinner they charged us for two full lobster dinners, over $70 bucks. Long story short but after going back and forth with the waiter and head waiter we agreed to pay for the price of the surf and turf dinner, which we originally asked for.

We then decided to use the buffet for other dinners/breakfasts. Never in my life have I ever seen a line to get into a buffet and some nights waiting over 30 minutes. We found the selections to be minimal and while what they had tasted good, there was not enough selections (for our palates). For a child, there were no chicken fingers or pizza or standard kid fare. The pasta bar was just pasta in a bowl with sauces on the side. Normally I’m used to seeing pasta stations where they prepare the food for you. The desserts had minimal choices and most were not good. Unless I missed a whole section of food, this is one of the worst buffets I have seen and the seating was severely lacking for the amount of people on the Allure. Yes we eat at prime times but at a buffet that really shouldn’t matter. I have no issue waiting for an omelet being made but to just find a seat it is unacceptable.

Because of our issues with both the Main Dining Room and the Buffet we ate a lot at Johnny Rockets. While it was good how much of that stuff can you eat? We also ate once at Rita’s and really like it. Our only issue was that DD did not like anything on their menu (she is autistic and fighting her about food is not something we want to do on vacation). We asked if they could get her some chicken fingers or if we could purchase them from Johnny Rockets and bring them over for her to eat and they said absolutely not. How ridiculous. They are directly across from each other and saw the workers going back and forth all week. So that was another restaurant we had to cross off the list.

Our room – we got a great deal on the Aqua suite about a month before the cruise and jumped at it. The room size was huge. 2 full bedrooms and 2 full baths along with a sitting area. The room was not as well appointed as the suites we normally stay in but I knew that ahead of time so it really wasn’t an issue. Our issue was it was dirty. I do not think it was cleaned from the people previously there. We called up and had it re-cleaned that afternoon. Again, for the amount of money I spent, or that anyone spends on their room, it should be clean before you enter. No excuse for that.

Our balcony was absolutely huge and we had planned on using it a lot this vacation. That was not the case because again it was filthy dirty. I think it was the soot falling down onto the balcony but it was never cleaned by the staff after we repeatedly called. I ended up cleaning it myself every single time we walked out there because if I didn’t we’d come back covered in black. Also, the bathrooms stopped working about 5 times during the cruise. They came and fixed it but it was quite annoying. Definitely not worth the money we spent.

The Concierge or I should say lack of Concierge. As I mentioned earlier, we only travel in suites and are very familiar with what a concierge can and can not do. Even though this post may make me sound a little high maintenance, I am really not and prefer to do things myself and only reach out if needed. That being said, I do think that the Concierge should be reaching out to its suite guests a few times during the cruise to see how everything is going. Not one single call or visit. Nothing. I tried calling once to ask about how to order breakfast from the main dining menu, as we were not familiar with how Royal did this. I was hung up on 3 times and the 4th time was told they would call me back in 10 minutes and I am still waiting for that call. We figured it out ourselves. We did not go to the Concierge Lounge during our trip as we do not drink and I didn’t think it was appropriate to bring my DD there.

All in all we had a good vacation because we made it so but for the money that we spent, it was a waste. Many of the friendly people I met in the casino even commented that this was the rudest crowd they have encountered and their worst Royal trip. Most of them were repeat customers. I’m hoping what I encountered was just a fluke but we definitely not sail on the Allure again and sailing any Royal Caribbean ship again is iffy at most.

Thank you.

We were on that cruise as well and I heard a large number of people were sick from fellow passengers. I did not see the staff doing any extra cleaning and in fact things were very dirty. Our stateroom had food all over as well as garbage and our balcony was a mess. Luckily we did not get sick but I saw absolutely no preventative measures in place once people starting getting ill.

We have sailed NCL numerous times with our 8 year old high functioning autistic daughter and honestly I think NCL did a wonderful job, much better than Disney. We were allowed to stay in our cabin for the muster drill. My husband brought down all our cards with him. We didn't need preboarding as we were in a suite. Contact the special needs desk and they should take care of everything. Also just to be on the safe side, confirm with Guest Services once you board. They put a note in the computer about our daughter and it would come up at all the restaurants so we didn't have to wait long for a seat and they were always very kind and went out of their way for her. Enjoy your cruise!

We have sailed the Haven numerous times with our 8 year old. Yes there were kids in the Haven and some were out of control but a quick call to the concierge should take care of that. While sometimes the kids may be misbehaved it only lasts for a short while and they are off to something else. Our biggest problem was the group of adults insisting on playing drinking games around the pool in crazy hats and yelling for hours at a time. Regardless of children being there or just adults there are always going to be people that are annoying. I will also say that what I find even more infuriating is the adults who give my daughter the stink eye when we walk in and refuse to say hello to her when she greets them.

Children are definitely allowed to enjoy the Haven.

 

We sailed the Breakaway Haven last year and are in the Gem Haven next month. We also have a 7 year old girl with High Functioning Autism. We spent a lot of time hanging out, playing in the pool, playing her Ipad and enjoying lunches and dinners. It was a good break for her to get away from the noisiness of the ship. She did not go into the Kids Club at all as the kids were always too loud and screaming for her. We would use the main pools in the mornings as they were never full and as they started to get crowded we headed up to the Haven.

 

Definitely contact the special needs department and have them put a note in your file. I can not tell you how nice and respectful every single crew member was of my daughter. She talks a lot and asks a million questions over and over and every crew member happily answered her and showed her how to do different things. She even told the Haven butler she wanted to be a waitress and he had her help him serve our table. She was in heaven.

 

Go and enjoy. There will always be unruly kids or rude adults any place you go, just focus on yourselves and have a ton of fun!!

The Haven is not adult only and kids are more than welcome. It really annoys me on these boards when I hear all the kid bashing as more than not, it is the adults that cause more of a problem.

 

The Haven is a tranquil area as they do not have any music blasting, your not rushing to grab a lounger or looking forever for a seat. They have comfortable chairs to read a book or to grab a bite to eat. It is a lovely place to hang out to get away from the hustle and bustle of the ship.

 

More than half of the rooms in the haven are 2 bedroom suites so there are most likely going to be children there. As long as they are being courteous, which they should be every day anyway, there won't be a problem. There is no need to whisper and tip toe around and not have fun while you are there. It's all about respect, children respecting adults and the other way around as well.

 

We were in the Breakaway Haven last year with my 6 year old and spent a lot of time in the Haven. She has sensory issues and the Haven is great for her, no loud noises and music. She is the most polite child you will ever meet, to a fault sometimes and I can not tell you how many times adults we never saw before would visibly and loudly sigh went we walked into the Haven. Rude. She would walk past some of the adults and say Hi...they would ignore and not answer. So I'd rather have a few well behaved children in the haven than these adults who think they "own" the ship.

 

We'll be in the Gem Haven in a few months and we fully plan on enjoying the Haven experience. Go and enjoy yourself. The Haven is really amazing.

I said ours was May 10th, but rude me never asked when you are going? So when are you going Karen R?

 

The week before, May 3. We'll make sure to keep it nice for you : ). Enjoy your trip!!

Kids are allowed in all areas of the Haven. We are also in the 2 bedroom Haven on the Gem in May. What week are you going?