Autism Speaks

[RGT21]

I have a son who will be 8 years old when (if) we decide to cruise. I know I have heard information on Royal being Autism friendly/ready but I would like to know/hear some first hand experiences from people who have actually cruised with anyone who is Autistic. I do plan on contacting Royal directly but first hand knowledge is a plus. I am planning on sailing on the Enhancement in November. Thanks in advance for all of your thoughts.

[tillydog]

I have a son who will be 8 years old when (if) we decide to cruise. I know I have heard information on Royal being Autism friendly/ready but I would like to know/hear some first hand experiences from people who have actually cruised with anyone who is Autistic. I do plan on contacting Royal directly but first hand knowledge is a plus. I am planning on sailing on the Enhancement in November. Thanks in advance for all of your thoughts.

 

Hi!

Give the Special Needs dept a call would be my first piece of advice. Another group to get in contact with are Autism on the Seas. They specialise in cruises/cruising with both children and adults with Autism.

 

http://www.autismontheseas.com/

 

I hope that helps with your planning. Royal Caribbean were the first line to work with Autism on the Seas.

[ehfl]

I have a son who will be 8 years old when (if) we decide to cruise. I know I have heard information on Royal being Autism friendly/ready but I would like to know/hear some first hand experiences from people who have actually cruised with anyone who is Autistic. I do plan on contacting Royal directly but first hand knowledge is a plus. I am planning on sailing on the Enhancement in November. Thanks in advance for all of your thoughts.

 

It's not exactly clear what you mean by "friendly/ready" but if you are looking to keep up with a ketogenic diet, then yes, it's doable. If you have other special needs, be sure to contact the special needs department in advance. You can also speak with the waitstaff and other crew members about any special requests, but if possible, it's a good idea to give them a heads-up through the special needs dept.

 

Have a great cruise!

[iheartbda]

Two years ago we were on a cruise to Bermuda and there was an Autism on the Seas group at the same time. The kids seemed to be having a good time and there were lots of counselors with them. A friend went on one and it was not to Bermuda so there are different itineraries. Check the website the other person posted.

[sharonlacey]

We just went on a cruise with our GS (7) and my DD contacted them in reference to her son who has autism. She also got priority boarding so they did not have to stand in long lines. Also, wait staff was very good. He only eats certain things and he was on a jello kick on this cruise. They made sure that jello was available morn., noon and night meals. They also made sure he had is PB and J sandwiches. So they are very good in dinning room. Just make sure you tell your waiter what your child will eat. We did not put him in kids club, as we wanted him to be wit all of us.

[Iaminspired]

Hi

 

We were on Explorer of the Seas in December with my DD (17), who was recently diagnosed with autism and already had diagnoses of anxiety, social anxiety and panic disorder.

 

I contacted RCCL Special Needs in advance, so our reservation was flagged. I emailed Special Needs about the muster drill in particular and received an email back saying to go to Guest Services once we boarded to make arrangements. Take a copy of the email with you, they asked to see it. We were to meet in a lounge by Guest Services about 15 minutes before the muster drill. DD was not allowed to wear headphones or ear plugs and we were sitting under an alarm, so check in advance where you sit. Someone from Guest Services came over to demonstrate everything for us. It was much easier that fighting the crowds on deck and having her panic.

 

Here are some other things we learned and / or prepared for:

 

Arrive early for check in to miss the worst crowds.

 

During the check-in process, go to the special needs lines. We skipped the long lines and went right to Special Needs / Priority Boarding. Staff asked and tried to send us to general check-in by I always said "Special Needs" and they showed to the short lines right away. My DD was well into panic attack by that time. The first thing I said to every person I encountered (the staff directing people, staff trying to take photos, staff checking us in) was "I have an autistic child having a panic attack and we need to get through this quickly." I was directed to exactly where we needed to be very efficiently.

 

Go to the Special Needs boarding area to wait. I spoke directly to the person coordinating boarding and explained the situation (by that time I had my autistic DD and my other DD both in panic attacks and me as the only adult). He gave us a 30 second warning to get to the front of the Special Needs boarding line, which bought us enough time to get on the ship.

 

Tell the person greeting you at the gangway if your child is having a panic attack. They took us around a corner and held a half full elevator to get us out of the crowds.

 

Arrange "last off" departure, if you can. We waited alone in a lounge by Guest Services, all arranged by the Group Coordinator who touched base with us several times during the cruise and was fantastic. We were escorted off the ship by her staff.

 

Be honest about your needs. Even a Customs Officer covered his badge when DD was staring at it and couldn't look away.

 

Contact RCL Dining in advance and let them know your needs. I requested a table at the early seating, near a window / wall in a quieter area and we got exactly what I requested, confirmed in an email in advance.

 

Take a bag of sensory toys, etc. and keep them with you as needed. We took DD's weighted blanket and it was worth hauling it around.

 

Talk to the Adventure Ocean / Optix staff to keep them informed, if you will be using the children's programs. I spoke to them on Day 2 and they said they already suspected autism but were glad to have it confirmed since not many parents come to talk to them about their children's diagnosis, and how they may benefit from altered programming.

 

And, have a great cruise! DD was able to handle far more than I anticipated she would, and being prepared helped us a lot.

 

I've been thinking about posting a Cruising with Autism thread under Disabled Cruising (in Special Interest Cruising) since these questions come up regularly. I'm on my way to do that now. Please add a reply about your experiences cruising with Autism once you get home.

 

Best of luck!:)

 

Colleen

[Marie51]

We traveled recently with my 5 yr old autistic granddaughter. In addition to the above suggestions I have a couple to add. We went to guest services as soon as we boarded and asked about the muster drill. We were told she could stay in the cabin and watch the drill on TV along with one adult but the rest of our group (there were 10) had to go to the drill which was fine with us.

We also requested a table in the dining room next to a window early seating so it would be light enough for her to look out the window and asked that the table be in the corner preferably and seated only with our group. This was confirmed by email and it all worked out well.

[RGT21]

Thank you all for the information. I had never heard of Autism on the Seas before so I greatly appreciate that.

[emmilu]

My 28 year old son would like to participate in the teen activites. Could I contact the program to see if this is possible We are sailing on the Allure in September. Thanks

[gerif]

My 28 year old son would like to participate in the teen activites. Could I contact the program to see if this is possible We are sailing on the Allure in September. Thanks

 

You can try, but my guess is that due to insurance issues (having an adult with teens) it will likely not be permitted. Just think about it, if you had a 15 year old daughter, would you want her in a group with a 28 year old man?

[Texas4808]

The Autism Friendly certification means nothing but a company making up a self-serving award to give to a cruise line to draw attention to their own company.

 

Both special needs travel agencies that I know of, which includes the one that created the self serving award, do work with the cruise line to help them understand the needs of Autism Families that will be cruising on their ship.

 

I think as time passes, RCL and Carnival will evolve on their own and there will be less need for individual families to book through special needs agencies. The thing that these special needs agencies provide that hasn't been talked about much is the ability to travel with other families living a similar life.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Texas4808

[kdnurs]

We have cruised with an Autistic child last May 2014. My grandson was 4 yrs old and not potty trained. The Autistic Friendly Program that Royal started was a life saver for us. We read about it and immediately called for more information. We we very pleased with what was offered to us. To start things off, we were sent a "STORY BOARD." This book was perfect to personalize just for him and we could read it to him daily to prepare him ahead of time as to what to expect. Autistic children need to know whats next or whats coming. Our therapist helped us laminate the book so he could even take it on the cruise. We were given priority boarding which was great because he panics in large crowds and is sensitive to loud noises. One of m favorite things was coming into the dining room and finding his grapes, bananas and sweet tea waiting for him. Shortly after he was seated they brought out his broccoli, french fries and steak or grilled chicken. The only things he will eat for dinner. He never had to wait and things just flowed. We did bring his sensory items to dinner (iPad, DvD player or Leap Pad) We all could actually enjoy a meal. The nights when the singing took place one family member did have to leave with him due to his low tolerance to loud sounds, but the staff made sure the family member's dinner selection was sent to the cabin along with dessert. They went above and beyond to make sure we all had a nice dinner experience. The Adventure's Ocean program was equally accepting. The staff was trained and certified to supervise Autistic children. That in it'self was reassuring to us. Even though he wasn't potty trained, because of his disability he was still allowed to participate even thought the rule says no. If he needed to be changed we would be paged to return. We had no problem with that at all. My daughter met with the counselors and explained his quirts and what makes him happy. He was very happy and so were we.

We didn't use "Autism. of the Seas." We decided to go with Royals Autism Friendly Program and we are glad we did. They provided us with everything we needed. We didn't get to use one feature of the program only because we were so busy doing a lot of other fun stuff he likes too. They offer Autistic Friendly Movie viewing if they have at least 5 special needs children to do it. They will choose days and times to show a featured film with dim lighting (house lights on but low), low sound volume and the children are allowed to move about. This is great for my grandson, because it is very difficult for him to sit for extended periods of time. They can talk and play and not worry about disturbing anyone else while they enjoy a movie like other children. We are planning to take him again December 2016 and he will be 7 yrs old then. And Yes, we will call on Royal again for assistance to make this cruise enjoyable for him as well as his little cousins and other family members.

 

To make it easier we had a plan:

BEFORE THE CRUISE

1. Print out the Story Board

2. Call Royal & Contact Special Needs Department

3. Fill out and return Special Needs Form

ONCE ON BOARD

1. Go to Adventures Oceans to meet staff and discuss his issues

2. Speak with Dinning staff about dietary issues

ENJOY THE VACATION!!! :D

[Texas4808]

We have cruised with an Autistic child last May 2014. My grandson was 4 yrs old and not potty trained. The Autistic Friendly Program that Royal started was a life saver for us. We read about it and immediately called for more information. We we very pleased with what was offered to us. To start things off, we were sent a "STORY BOARD." This book was perfect to personalize just for him and we could read it to him daily to prepare him ahead of time as to what to expect. Autistic children need to know whats next or whats coming. Our therapist helped us laminate the book so he could even take it on the cruise. We were given priority boarding which was great because he panics in large crowds and is sensitive to loud noises. One of m favorite things was coming into the dining room and finding his grapes, bananas and sweet tea waiting for him. Shortly after he was seated they brought out his broccoli, french fries and steak or grilled chicken. The only things he will eat for dinner. He never had to wait and things just flowed. We did bring his sensory items to dinner (iPad, DvD player or Leap Pad) We all could actually enjoy a meal. The nights when the singing took place one family member did have to leave with him due to his low tolerance to loud sounds, but the staff made sure the family member's dinner selection was sent to the cabin along with dessert. They went above and beyond to make sure we all had a nice dinner experience. The Adventure's Ocean program was equally accepting. The staff was trained and certified to supervise Autistic children. That in it'self was reassuring to us. Even though he wasn't potty trained, because of his disability he was still allowed to participate even thought the rule says no. If he needed to be changed we would be paged to return. We had no problem with that at all. My daughter met with the counselors and explained his quirts and what makes him happy. He was very happy and so were we.

We didn't use "Autism. of the Seas." We decided to go with Royals Autism Friendly Program and we are glad we did. They provided us with everything we needed. We didn't get to use one feature of the program only because we were so busy doing a lot of other fun stuff he likes too. They offer Autistic Friendly Movie viewing if they have at least 5 special needs children to do it. They will choose days and times to show a featured film with dim lighting (house lights on but low), low sound volume and the children are allowed to move about. This is great for my grandson, because it is very difficult for him to sit for extended periods of time. They can talk and play and not worry about disturbing anyone else while they enjoy a movie like other children. We are planning to take him again December 2016 and he will be 7 yrs old then. And Yes, we will call on Royal again for assistance to make this cruise enjoyable for him as well as his little cousins and other family members.

 

To make it easier we had a plan:

BEFORE THE CRUISE

1. Print out the Story Board

2. Call Royal & Contact Special Needs Department

3. Fill out and return Special Needs Form

ONCE ON BOARD

1. Go to Adventures Oceans to meet staff and discuss his issues

2. Speak with Dinning staff about dietary issues

ENJOY THE VACATION!!! :D

 

Nice post. It lines up with what I said about the cruise lines evolving and the need for a special needs travel agency being less critical for the families to use.

[lbjen]

Even though we didn't book with Autism on the Seas, their website alone was enough to make me feel like we could probably manage to take my autistic 5 year old on a cruise. It was completely off the table before I discovered them. We are extremely lucky in that my son is very high functioning and needs little accommodation, but we have friends who would really need to use their program to make it through a week long cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk