Beaucoups of questions_traveling with DS, autistic 10 yo

[mtnprotracy]

Hey to all...we leave on the Carnival Freedom on July 12th!! We are traveling with 7 Adults and 5 Kids (ages 5-14, with the autistic 10 YO). We have only cruised once...with Disney...which was fabulous!

 

Most of my questions are concerning our autistic 10 yo...but, believe me, I have all kinds of questions!!!

 

1....Is there any way we can have special boarding considerations? I've read how folks have waited up to two hours....which would be incredibly difficult for our son....and the others "waiting" around him :).

 

2. He (our son) only eats certain foods, which we'll have to bring with us. Have any of you traveled and had to bring your own food? Seriously, he eats 5 things...La Creme strawberry yogurt (will the fridge in our cabin keep it cold enough?), Trix yogurt, banana pudding, Peter Pan peanut butter, and velveeta shells and cheese (would the kitchen cook the shells and cheese if we bring it?????????)

 

3. Will our older sons (13 &14) be allowed to wear jeans to dinner?

 

4. About how much is it to book a golf excursion? Since we've been to Ocho Rios before, my DH would like to play golf instead of the traditional shore excursions.

 

5. About how much is it per day to park near the port?

 

Any other advice about cruising with autistic children would be most appreciated :D!

 

Thanks so much for any insight any of you can offer. This site is an incredible resource....hope to see some of you on the Freedom July 12th!!

 

 

Tracy in NC

[firefly333]

As far as boarding, once people start boarding, it moves pretty fast. It would he hard to skip ahead of the line if there was one, unless you are platinum, but you can ask when you get there. We board handicapped and are one of the first to board, but we still have to wait until they start boarding. Last time we had to wait for a wedding to board, and so no matter what kind of special handling, we still would have had to wait until they got on. The differnce in HC/platinum and group #1 could have been that much time. You might shave of 15 minutes or more, but not as much as you seem to think.

 

You might ask on the HC board about the child with special needs and call Carnival to see what they can do.

[KenMo]

hey to all...we leave on the carnival freedom on july 12th!! We are traveling with 7 adults and 5 kids (ages 5-14, with the autistic 10 yo). We have only cruised once...with disney...which was fabulous!

 

Most of my questions are concerning our autistic 10 yo...but, believe me, i have all kinds of questions!!!

 

1....is there any way we can have special boarding considerations? I've read how folks have waited up to two hours....which would be incredibly difficult for our son....and the others "waiting" around him :). not sure about special considerations, but if you time it right you won't have a long wait.

 

2. He (our son) only eats certain foods, which we'll have to bring with us. Have any of you traveled and had to bring your own food? Seriously, he eats 5 things...la creme strawberry yogurt (will the fridge in our cabin keep it cold enough?), trix yogurt, banana pudding, peter pan peanut butter, and velveeta shells and cheese (would the kitchen cook the shells and cheese if we bring it?????????) i have yet to have a fridge in the cabin that kept anything cold. We bring a collapseable cooler. Doubtful the cook would cook the shells and cheese, but you could contact the special needs dept. And ask.

 

3. Will our older sons (13 &14) be allowed to wear jeans to dinner? yes, jeans are allowed on non-elegant nights.

 

4. About how much is it to book a golf excursion? Since we've been to ocho rios before, my dh would like to play golf instead of the traditional shore excursions. i'm no help here.....sorry.

 

5. About how much is it per day to park near the port? don't know this one either.

 

any other advice about cruising with autistic children would be most appreciated :d!

 

Thanks so much for any insight any of you can offer. This site is an incredible resource....hope to see some of you on the freedom july 12th!!

 

 

Tracy in nc

 

hth!

[Sherrybaby412]

There's a poster here by the name of LHP. She has cruised many times with her son who is autistic. Maybe she can help you with those types of questions. Good luck with the velveeta thing. My niece is autistic also and will only eat certain things.

 

I believe parking is $15.00 a day.

[Sherrybaby412]

I was just googling Velveeta and they now have single servings in a microwavable cup. Have you seen these? That might help you with the mac and cheese thing. http://brands.kraftfoods.com/Velveeta/Product.htm

[TEXAZJEWL]

I'd love for you to post about your cruise when you get back... I have an autistic son also that we haven't cruised with YET, but want to in the future. Just like your son, he doesn't do well with the long waits in line and he has VERY specific foods he will eat lol. Right now he stays with my parents once a year so my dh & I can take a vacation just for "us"... but we'd love to take him cruising with us sometime soon.

 

Also, there is a website called "Autism on the Seas". I don't have the exact link, but if you google it, you will find it. It has all kinds of information about cruising with autistic individuals and has all sorts of tips & info.

 

Hope you have a great trip & hope you write about it when you get back!

[TEXAZJEWL]

Forgot to mention that "Autism on the Seas" also books special cruises just for autistic individuals & their families. Carnival is one of the lines that does this. It's like a group cruise you can book on & there will be many other autistic children/adults on there.

 

They have special boarding, special muster drills, special activities on the ship as well as in port for autistic children, special dining options, etc. and the staff is specially trained in how to interact with autistic people.

 

I haven't booked one of these, but they sound great! And when I do get ready to take my son, will probably look into this.

[LHP]

Hey to all...we leave on the Carnival Freedom on July 12th!! We are traveling with 7 Adults and 5 Kids (ages 5-14, with the autistic 10 YO). We have only cruised once...with Disney...which was fabulous!

 

Most of my questions are concerning our autistic 10 yo...but, believe me, I have all kinds of questions!!!

 

1....Is there any way we can have special boarding considerations? I've read how folks have waited up to two hours....which would be incredibly difficult for our son....and the others "waiting" around him :).

 

Unfortunately, the Freedom leaves from a chaotic port. We just sailed out of there in November and I am certainly glad we were VIP.

I would suggest that you email Guest Access specialneeds@carnival.com and request VIP Check In. All they can say is no.

 

2. He (our son) only eats certain foods, which we'll have to bring with us. Have any of you traveled and had to bring your own food? Seriously, he eats 5 things...La Creme strawberry yogurt (will the fridge in our cabin keep it cold enough?), Trix yogurt, banana pudding, Peter Pan peanut butter, and velveeta shells and cheese (would the kitchen cook the shells and cheese if we bring it?????????)

 

Your room will have a fridge, but it really does not keep things very cold. I usually get a white ice bucket from the bar and keep it full of ice INSIDE the fridge. That does help.

 

Yes, you can bring your own food. Talk with Guest Access about this as well. What is it about our boys and peanut butter??? LOL Not sure about the kitchen preparing the shells and cheese....but bringing anything that is already prepared is fine.

 

 

3. Will our older sons (13 &14) be allowed to wear jeans to dinner?

 

Jeans (as long as they are clean and no holes) are allowed every night except the 2 Elegant nights. I know dressing special needs kids isn't always the easiest thing.

 

DJ also has ataxia (muscle disorder) and is 6' tall and 100 pounds....so finding dress slacks that are 27 in the waist and 33 inches long is impossible. So we have to buy him 29 in the waist, belt it and cover the belt with his suit jacket. The casual nights, we belt the khakis and he wears his Polo shirt out to cover it.

 

4. About how much is it to book a golf excursion? Since we've been to Ocho Rios before, my DH would like to play golf instead of the traditional shore excursions.

 

5. About how much is it per day to park near the port?

 

Any other advice about cruising with autistic children would be most appreciated :D!

 

Thanks so much for any insight any of you can offer. This site is an incredible resource....hope to see some of you on the Freedom July 12th!!

 

 

Tracy in NC

 

 

Here is an article I wrote for another forum. I hope there is some info in there that you will find useful.

 

 

This article was written for first time cruisers....a lot of this you will already know because you have cruised with him before.

 

 

Cruising with a Special Needs Child

 

As the mother of a son with autism, we have cruised for 10+ years . When we first started cruising with him, there was not much known about autism and the wide spectrum it contains.

 

There are some recommendations that I, as a Mom, would give any parent considering cruising for the first time with a child with Autism.

 

First and foremost, know your child! Know what they can and can not handle and keep these limitations in mind when planning this vacation.

 

The planning starts when you book your cruise. Contact the “special needs” department of your cruise line. With Carnival, it is specialneeds@carnival.com.

 

Think about all the considerations your child will need.

 

Again, (and I will say this many times) we (as parents) must be realistic. No cruise line is going to provide one on one care. No cruise line’s Children’s Camp can keep a child that is violent or aggressive towards the other children. The cruise line must take the safety and well being of the other children into consideration. However, fortunately, that is just about the only limitations. Again, all references from now on will be about Camp Carnival, since this is the only cruise line we have cruised on with him.

 

Some considerations are as follows:

 

For us, our son can not sleep in an Upper. So it is important that we book a cabin that has a couch/bed (along with the two twins) or book a ship where a cot is allowed. Some of the newer Carnival ships do not allow cots to be brought in.

 

Another consideration for us is our table in the formal dining room. Our son is not comfortable eating around a lot of strangers. We get a table for four (for our family) to accommodate him. We always get the early (5:45pm) dinner seating. Try to keep your routine as close to “home” as possible.

 

If eating with others is not a problem, then simply let the folks know the first night that your child has a form of autism and what to expect. That makes everyone comfortable right from the start.

 

Another consideration may be the “age group” your child is placed in. If your child is 9 and you know they are not ready for that age group, you can request they be placed in the 6 -8 age group. However, make sure you get this in writing from the special needs department.

 

 

Whatever accommodations need to be made for your child, be sure to list them completely.

 

 

Unless you live very near a port, travel to the cruise will require a tiring drive or an airline flight. Both can take its toll.

 

I always recommend driving or flying in a day ahead. This way, your child has a chance to rest up before boarding the ship. Embarkation can be a very stressful time for a child that does not deal with chaos well. Some cruise lines (like RCCL ) may offer a “disability” check in like they do with older folks in wheelchairs. We have never had to ask for this, because we are Platinum and get VIP Check In automatically. Generally, they will allow the disabled person (or child) and one attendant (parent or guardian) to go through VIP with them. If VIP is going to be necessary for your child, I would make sure I have it IN WRITING from the Special Needs Department. That will mean less confusion on Embarkation Day.

 

Once you are on the ship, the cabins are generally ready by 1:30pm. This is an excellent time to familiarize your child with their new living arrangements for the next week. If your child is tired, a nice nap may be in order. Our son always takes a nap for about an hour after we arrive. Once he has done that, then he is ready to leisurely walk around the ship and get familiar with it. I can not stress enough how important it is for the parents not to get overly excited during this time. My husband and I take a very low key approach and keep a very calm manner.

 

Your next hurdle will be the Muster Drill around 4PM. Again, any time there are a large crowd of people and chaos, this may trigger some anxiety. RCCL has a special location for children with Autism. I do not know if Carnival does. We have always just handled it ourselves. I look and see where our Muster Station is. If it is where we are simply going to be seated…like a large lounge or theater…then we arrive early to get a spot near the door. Our son prefers being by the door. If it is where we are going to be standing outside against a wall, then we wait to the very last minute. Another approach we have used is to go where they are mustering the Wheel Chair individuals. It is usually more quiet there and not as many people.

 

Our son usually wants to go back to the cabin after the Muster Drill to relax and calm down. We always have the early dinner seating 5:45PM, so going back to the cabin gives him a chance to get ready for dinner.

 

Depending on the age of your child, Camp Carnival orientation is usually around 7pm. Club O2 (15-17) generally meets up around 5:00pm.

 

If your child is in Camp Carnival, I recommend that the parent attend the orientation and fill out the one page information sheet. This is where you reiterate the needs your child will have. These counselors do not know your child, so you must be specific. The more you tell them about your child, the better equipped the counselors will be to handle whatever situation may occur.

 

These orientations are generally full of kids and can be chaotic, so I used to attend and have my husband stay outside the door with our son until it was over. Then I would bring our son in and introduce him to his counselor.

 

Again, this is where parents must be realistic. For example: when our son was Camp Carnival age, he LOVED the Swim Parties they would have. The water was over his head and he could not swim. The counselors offered to take him, but I felt that was putting an undue burden on them with so many other children to watch. So, I would go with him. That way, he got to attend these Swim Parties he loved so much and the counselors did not have the added burden of watching a special needs child that could not swim. I was there to watch him.

 

Over the years, the counselors and I have worked together to provide the best and safest cruising environment that we could. Again, they can not provide one on one care. And they can not care of a child that will harm other children. But, other than those two restrictions, Camp Carnival has exceeded our expectations time and time again.

 

Later on during the evening on Embarkation Day, generally around 8:30pm, Camp Carnival has a Sail Away Party. This is for children AND their parents. And it gives a wonderful opportunity for parents and children to get to know their counselors a little better. However, there is loud music and a lot of chaos…as parties for kids can be…so we always hung out by the door. Depending on your child’s level of tolerance for chaos…you can decide how “involved” you want them to be in this celebration. However, afterward, do take one more opportunity to have your child talk with the counselor they will have.

 

Camp Carnival starts at 9AM the next morning. And this first day is really a matter of playing it by ear. Camp Carnival (and I am sure other cruise lines) have the beepers so that the parents can be reached at any time. There is a deposit that is fully refunded when the beeper is returned and no charge (at least on Carnival) for this service.

 

I can only relate the experience our son has had. The counselors have always been attentive. Our son has panic attacks around mascots and after Funship Freddie was introduced in 2003, we thought we would have to stop cruising. But the counselors worked with us to assure as little exposure to FF as possible…and they still do. We have actually been able to use this cruising experience as a learning tool to teach our son how to remove himself SAFELY when a mascot appears. And now he has learned that he can be on the same ship as Funship Freddie and still have a good time. Each cruise has our son watching FF more and more. He still won’t get near him, but now he can view him from a distance without panicking.

 

Usually by the first day, we are on a good schedule that allows for our son and ourselves to have a wonderful cruise. Now he is 17 and goes to Club O2 and I can not praise those directors enough. This is an awkward age for any child, much less one with special needs and these directors have performed nothing short of miracles. On more than one cruise, our special needs son has gotten to be a “normal kid” for an entire week…thanks to the hard work of the Club O2 director, the entertainment staff, the Camp Carnival staff and the Cruise Director.

 

It has been a few years since our son was in Camp Carnival and I know there are probably some additional tips and hints that I have forgotten…so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at musicalcruiser@hotmail.com .

[pe4all]

The best advice I can give (while not in the autistic spectrum, DD is special needs, is almost 21, and has been cruising/traveling with us since age 4. Our 7th Carnival cruise is coming up in 3 weeks) is ask, ask, ask. Things I thought were impossible to "get" were "gotten" with Carnival. We found Carnival more accomodating to Stef's special needs than Disney. I will also say that cruising has opened up Stef's eyes to different foods. After many, many years of fish stick and fries, then chicken fingers and fries, she now eats "real" food off the adult menu- same as us! (though she still has to have her fries with every meal - oh well!) And each and every crew member we have ever sailed with is sooooo patient with her- much more so than we, her parents, are at times!

[mtnprotracy]

I can only open Zeke broadens his horizons with food :-)!!! It's great to know you have been traveling with your daughter for so many years...we've hauled Zeke along on every vacation we've taken. Most of the time, he is a real trooper since he loves all modes of transportation (planes, boats, buses, etc.) I do think travel is one of the most incredible experiences we can offer our children...thanks for your input!

 

tracy

[mtnprotracy]

Fabulous article. Thank you so much for sharing!! You are so, so right about the asking....we realized the last two days on our Disney trip we could park closer with Zeke's Guest Assistance Card. I won't be able to leave Zeke with any kids' groups. He's non-verbal and quite the moody fellow....but it's really good to know I can go with him if it's something he enjoys :)!