DCL with autism

What has your experience been? We have stuck with Carnival for quite a while because they were willing to do more than I would expect. My first experience calling special needs was just ok.

You'll need to be more specific about your needs. DCL will not change any of their policies for any kid--special needs or otherwise. That's what got them into an issue to begin with and why their legal department got involved in the policies. They are quite clear that they cannot provide one on one attention in the programming, and the age groups stand firm. That said, there are overlaps in the age groupings that are available to any child/family. They will do their best within the age guidelines and staffing requirements at assure a great experience for each child regardless of situation.

YOU are welcome to take your child to the kid areas during "open house" hours. During this time, the parent is responsible for supervision.

I trust you were asking about policies in the programming areas. Outside (as in the dining room), they will do as much as possible to meet your needs.

You'll need to be more specific about your needs. DCL will not change any of their policies for any kid--special needs or otherwise. That's what got them into an issue to begin with and why their legal department got involved in the policies. They are quite clear that they cannot provide one on one attention in the programming' date=' and the age groups stand firm. That said, there are overlaps in the age groupings that are available to any child/family. They will do their best within the age guidelines and staffing requirements at assure a great experience for each child regardless of situation.

 

YOU are welcome to take your child to the kid areas during "open house" hours. During this time, the parent is responsible for supervision.

 

I trust you were asking about policies in the programming areas. Outside (as in the dining room), they will do as much as possible to meet your needs.[/quote']

 

Thanks for your reply. My son is high enough functioning that we will give the kids area a try, and will be completely ok if he prefers not to go, but hope that they will be understanding that he is a bit odd/immature for his age. Luckily he is just turning 12 and can still go to the supervised area.

 

The part of the conversation that was a red flag for me was this. The man asked if crowds caused issue with my son. I told him that with Carnival (before we were platinum) we would use the handicapped boarding area. My son will try to lay down in line, or persistently bother the people close to us in line trying to be funny and get their attention and has no concept of personal space. This might have been acceptable at age 4 but not 12. The answer basically was that with staggered boarding the lines arent bad and that in his politically correct way he said that if my son has a meltdown there are staff to take us aside.

 

This isn't a problem for me, however if it was, this would not be an acceptable answer. I hope this doesn't prove to be true of other areas also.

 

Our main issue will be food. My very picky eater has a handful of things he will eat. He may have to survive on french fries and bananas for the week if he finds their sandwiches unacceptable. Carnival actually allowed us to bring his specific brand of chicken nuggets on board and they would heat and serve at dinner every night. This is a nonissue now though since Schwan changed their formula and we lost this food and no other brand will do.

 

I'm sure we can manage, have iPad, will travel. Was just curious what other people had to say about their experiences.

How loud are the shows? It's been quite a while since we have been to the parks so I think he has outgrown his noise blockers. Fireworks also...probably should buy some.

The fireworks are the pretty kind, not the noisemaker kind--there is a music track that plays while they are being shot off.

MANY other cruise lines hover nearby to watch "our" fireworks as they don't put forth the expense and effort to obtain the skills and clearances to do their own! So if the noise from a DCL ship bothers him, you can watch the DCL fireworks from many Carnival and RCCL ships!

There is no special handicapped boarding area or process. If he wants bananas at every meal, no problem. Do TRY the chicken fingers or nuggets on board--they are some of the best we've ever had, but I realize that means nothing in your situation. There are a couple of different kinds of french fries on board. You can ask the pool deck location to make a fresh batch for you and they will do so.

As to boarding--my suggestion is to show up either right at your PAT (if before 12:30) or 12:30 or later (when the crowds are gone and you will check in and walk on.) If you show up significantly before your scheduled PAT, you'll spend your time hanging out in the terminal, which sounds difficult in your situation. If you show up at your PAT, you can expect little or no waiting as your group will be boarding at or shortly after you check in. There is no boarding line, but there is a check in line. It is perfectly acceptable for your husband to entertain the child outside of the line and rejoin you when you get to the front (he must have a security photo taken). Boarding is by numbered groups. When your group is called, you proceed to the doors and board. No need to line up and wait your turn. You won't get on board any sooner by being there when the terminal opens vs. being there at approximately your PAT. He can wander the terminal, look at cartoons on the monitors, check out the model of the Magic (original configuration), or see characters while you wait for your number to be called. Again, this time should be minimal or non-existent if you don't show up early.

The fireworks are the pretty kind' date=' not the noisemaker kind--there is a music track that plays while they are being shot off.

 

MANY other cruise lines hover nearby to watch "our" fireworks as they don't put forth the expense and effort to obtain the skills and clearances to do their own! So if the noise from a DCL ship bothers him, you can watch the DCL fireworks from many Carnival and RCCL ships!

 

There is no special handicapped boarding area or process. If he wants bananas at every meal, no problem. Do TRY the chicken fingers or nuggets on board--they are some of the best we've ever had, but I realize that means nothing in your situation. There are a couple of different kinds of french fries on board. You can ask the pool deck location to make a fresh batch for you and they will do so.

 

As to boarding--my suggestion is to show up either right at your PAT (if before 12:30) or 12:30 or later (when the crowds are gone and you will check in and walk on.) If you show up significantly before your scheduled PAT, you'll spend your time hanging out in the terminal, which sounds difficult in your situation. If you show up at your PAT, you can expect little or no waiting as your group will be boarding at or shortly after you check in. There is no boarding line, but there is a check in line. It is perfectly acceptable for your husband to entertain the child outside of the line and rejoin you when you get to the front (he must have a security photo taken). Boarding is by numbered groups. When your group is called, you proceed to the doors and board. No need to line up and wait your turn. You won't get on board any sooner by being there when the terminal opens vs. being there at approximately your PAT. He can wander the terminal, look at cartoons on the monitors, check out the model of the Magic (original configuration), or see characters while you wait for your number to be called. Again, this time should be minimal or non-existent if you don't show up early.[/quote']

 

Thank you! Our boarding time is 12:15. We got a very close hotel and plan to park at the port so getting there right at our time should be pretty easy. I don't expect problems, and we always come super prepared (which is why I am asking these questions LOL) He is a cruising pro. We have 3 weeks to try to get him into Disney mode. Lots of youtube videos just like we used to do for the parks. :)

 

We will definitely try the chicken nuggets, and I will tell him he likes Disney chicken nuggets and ate them at the parks, even though that is a fib! Its all in his head, not his tastebuds!

Your servers will be happy to go "off menu" for you with simple requests. And sometimes you don't even have to request. One night at dinner, by daughter commented that broccoli was her favorite vegetable. (she was 7 or 8). EVERY night, there was a bowl of steamed broccoli served to her, whether it was on the menu or not.

They will also help with telling your son that something is a very special Disney thing if that helps....

Your servers will be happy to go "off menu" for you with simple requests. And sometimes you don't even have to request. One night at dinner' date=' by daughter commented that broccoli was her favorite vegetable. (she was 7 or 8). EVERY night, there was a bowl of steamed broccoli served to her, whether it was on the menu or not.

 

They will also help with telling your son that something is a very special Disney thing if that helps....[/quote']

 

Sounds wonderful :)

My son has autism and we have cruised with Carnival, RCI and Disney. He is extremely picky about the food he will eat and his biggest issue is with chicken tenders. The chicken on the Disney ship is exactly what is served in the parks according to my son anyway and my son loves it. Of course your son may have a different reaction.

My son has french fries, chicken tenders and white rice for all meals in the dining rooms. They will bring your son pretty much whatever is available on the ship to try to accommodate him. In my opinion they do the best job at trying to meet your needs of the cruise lines we have sailed.

Also, the terminal experience is far more superior. We never felt crowed and there was plenty of room to move around. I think your son with be fine. If he has a meltdown do what you always do and you will all get through it. The characters will try to help you and the staff is wonderful.

The only place on the ship that was noisy to us were the dining rooms. That's just because of the concentration of kids. You can bring stuff to entertain your child while dining or you may want to get him some ear plugs if you think he will use them. You can always skip the dining room and have table service at Cabanas except for the first and last nights. It is quieter to eat there and less crowded. The one dining room I would not miss is Animator's Palate. I think he will really enjoy the shows there.

I hope you all have a wonderful cruise!

Yes, the servers will bring anything they can. DD wanted a yogurt one night, and every night she had a yogurt. She wanted milk in the box, not a glass and yep, it was in the box (the box being something new and speical to her).

I don't know what your ds eats, but if you can find something, they will work with you and have it. My dd isn't picky eater, but she wanted lima beans one night and they brought her some (she was 2, lol).

In my experiance, we ingore all boarding times (with all ships), we're not waiting in lines with a toddler/preschooler more than we have to and frankly WE don't want to. :D We show up 'late'. and we walk right on, no problems, no lines.

We do the same for getting OFF the ship, on most all, we are amoung the last famlies walking off the ship.

On our first disney, Austism of the sea (or something) group was there. I don't if that might be a place for you to look? I know the kids were in the kids club during open house (which are pretty good hours throughout the cruise, NOT just the first night like some lines)

Open house hours are a couple of hours each day, divided among the spaces (typically 1 hour in the Oceaneer's Club, one hour in the Lab, and sometimes an hour or so in the Edge and Vibe). This is the time when parents must stay and kids of all ages are welcome.

Autism on the Seas is a travel agency. Remember that when you look at their info.

My son has autism and we have cruised with Carnival, RCI and Disney. He is extremely picky about the food he will eat and his biggest issue is with chicken tenders. The chicken on the Disney ship is exactly what is served in the parks according to my son anyway and my son loves it. Of course your son may have a different reaction.

 

My son has french fries, chicken tenders and white rice for all meals in the dining rooms. They will bring your son pretty much whatever is available on the ship to try to accommodate him. In my opinion they do the best job at trying to meet your needs of the cruise lines we have sailed.

 

Also, the terminal experience is far more superior. We never felt crowed and there was plenty of room to move around. I think your son with be fine. If he has a meltdown do what you always do and you will all get through it. The characters will try to help you and the staff is wonderful.

 

The only place on the ship that was noisy to us were the dining rooms. That's just because of the concentration of kids. You can bring stuff to entertain your child while dining or you may want to get him some ear plugs if you think he will use them. You can always skip the dining room and have table service at Cabanas except for the first and last nights. It is quieter to eat there and less crowded. The one dining room I would not miss is Animator's Palate. I think he will really enjoy the shows there.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful cruise!

Thanks for the info, I feel like we will be fine. I'm showing him lots of youtube videos. I think he will like animator's palate and being able to have his drawing up on the screen. Once at Art of Animation he drew pokemon instead of goofy and then took it up to show the CM. She was so nice and put it up on the screen for everyone.

Yes, the servers will bring anything they can. DD wanted a yogurt one night, and every night she had a yogurt. She wanted milk in the box, not a glass and yep, it was in the box (the box being something new and speical to her).

 

I don't know what your ds eats, but if you can find something, they will work with you and have it. My dd isn't picky eater, but she wanted lima beans one night and they brought her some (she was 2, lol).

 

In my experiance, we ingore all boarding times (with all ships), we're not waiting in lines with a toddler/preschooler more than we have to and frankly WE don't want to. :D We show up 'late'. and we walk right on, no problems, no lines.

 

We do the same for getting OFF the ship, on most all, we are amoung the last famlies walking off the ship.

 

On our first disney, Austism of the sea (or something) group was there. I don't if that might be a place for you to look? I know the kids were in the kids club during open house (which are pretty good hours throughout the cruise, NOT just the first night like some lines)

Thanks :) I have talked to Autism on the Seas, we really are beyond what they offer at this point, and I think I knew more about Carnival than they did LOL I do think they offer a great service for new cruisers though. :)

Open house hours are a couple of hours each day' date=' divided among the spaces (typically 1 hour in the Oceaneer's Club, one hour in the Lab, and sometimes an hour or so in the Edge and Vibe). This is the time when parents must stay and kids of all ages are welcome.

 

Autism on the Seas is a travel agency. Remember that when you look at their info.[/quote']

 

What happens in the Edge that my son might like to do with my supervision? (I think that was the one for a 12 yo?)

What happens in the Edge that my son might like to do with my supervision? (I think that was the one for a 12 yo?)

A 12 year old and his parents have a choice between the Lab and the Edge. The problem you might have is that in the Edge, kids must be able to sign themselves in and out (they can come and go as they please). There are a lot of computers in the Edge area with video games and such. They do fun activities like video scavenger hunt, make a commercial, etc. which involve working in groups. If the kids decide to on the first night, there will be craft activities and such scheduled. Obviously, during open house hours you can supervise him in the space.

The lab was for ages 8-12, then 7-12, then revamped under the new rules for 3-12. There are video games, listening stations for music, and activities geared toward specific ages--things like making flubber, etc. All Lab activities are conducted within the Lab area (they don't go out around the ship) and it is up to you whether your kid can sign himself out or not. It is considered "secure programming" where unless you give permission, a kid signed in cannot leave and will not be in contact with any adult who is not a CM. (DCL employee)

Honestly, from your description, I think you'll find the Lab more appropriate. But on the first day, you can visit both areas and make a decision.

We recently did a 7 day criuse on Fantasy with our 10 year old HFA son. It went very well from an autism point of view, but we did a lot of planning and had previously sailed on royal carribean. The one thing that turned out to be awesome for our son was the muppets mystery game. You walk around the ship looking for clues. He loved that! The aquaduck was also great. He loved the sensory experience of that. He would go on that all day long, again and again, if we let him. The line for the aquaduck was a little intense, so that took some prepping and reminding. The kids club was not all that autism friendly. I thought my son might be interested in the video games but the clubs are SO LOUD and chaotic. He looked at it and but never wanted to spend time there.(Our 8 year old daughter and her friend loved the kids club. It was hard to get them to leave!) There was also the TV - it had so many shows he loved that he would have been happy to just watch TV in the cabin all day. My son really enjoyed some of the family events, like the trivia games. They handed out these beepers or controllers that allowed the audience to partipate. I found the staff less understanding of autism than royal, but on the other hand, the ship was full of badly behaving children. Everyone seemed to have special requests or expect special treatment so the autism accomodations just seemed to be lumped into that.;)

Thanks :) I have talked to Autism on the Seas, we really are beyond what they offer at this point, and I think I knew more about Carnival than they did LOL I do think they offer a great service for new cruisers though. :)

That good that you were put off by their services!

Best for everyone on DCL as well!

ex techie

Hi-

We have a special needs child of 7 years with down syndrome. Few years ago we took a cruise with our son. We are going on Disney cruise dream june 8, 2015.

Hi-

We have a special needs child of 7 years with down syndrome. Few years ago we took a cruise with our son. We are going on Disney cruise dream june 8, 2015.

Is there a question or issue here, or just a statement ?

statement !!

Sorry if I sounded rude, it wasn't intended that way.

Hope you have a great cruise!

A 12 year old and his parents have a choice between the Lab and the Edge. The problem you might have is that in the Edge' date=' kids must be able to sign themselves in and out (they can come and go as they please). There are a lot of computers in the Edge area with video games and such. They do fun activities like video scavenger hunt, make a commercial, etc. which involve working in groups. If the kids decide to on the first night, there will be craft activities and such scheduled. Obviously, during open house hours you can supervise him in the space.

 

The lab was for ages 8-12, then 7-12, then revamped under the new rules for 3-12. There are video games, listening stations for music, and activities geared toward specific ages--things like making flubber, etc. All Lab activities are conducted within the Lab area (they don't go out around the ship) and it is up to you whether your kid can sign himself out or not. It is considered "secure programming" where unless you give permission, a kid signed in cannot leave and will not be in contact with any adult who is not a CM. (DCL employee)

 

Honestly, from your description, I think you'll find the Lab more appropriate. But on the first day, you can visit both areas and make a decision.[/quote']

 

The lab sounds great. He will want to play video games, so nice to know they aren't only at the Edge.

We recently did a 7 day criuse on Fantasy with our 10 year old HFA son. It went very well from an autism point of view, but we did a lot of planning and had previously sailed on royal carribean. The one thing that turned out to be awesome for our son was the muppets mystery game. You walk around the ship looking for clues. He loved that! The aquaduck was also great. He loved the sensory experience of that. He would go on that all day long, again and again, if we let him. The line for the aquaduck was a little intense, so that took some prepping and reminding. The kids club was not all that autism friendly. I thought my son might be interested in the video games but the clubs are SO LOUD and chaotic. He looked at it and but never wanted to spend time there.(Our 8 year old daughter and her friend loved the kids club. It was hard to get them to leave!) There was also the TV - it had so many shows he loved that he would have been happy to just watch TV in the cabin all day. My son really enjoyed some of the family events, like the trivia games. They handed out these beepers or controllers that allowed the audience to partipate. I found the staff less understanding of autism than royal, but on the other hand, the ship was full of badly behaving children. Everyone seemed to have special requests or expect special treatment so the autism accomodations just seemed to be lumped into that.;)

This sounds like what I'm expecting. Our last Carnival cruise (Sunshine) the kids club was so loud I couldn't even stand it just picking him up.

He is hesitant to try the aquaduck. If We stay on the ship in San Juan will the line not be as bad?

This sounds like what I'm expecting. Our last Carnival cruise (Sunshine) the kids club was so loud I couldn't even stand it just picking him up.

 

He is hesitant to try the aquaduck. If We stay on the ship in San Juan will the line not be as bad?

On a port day the line should be really really small!

Here's a video with Donald on the AquaDuck:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JBmea_Lg58

Also if loud noises are a challenge for your son, have you watched welcome aboard videos?

If not here's one for you to view with the CM's announcing you and clapping:

Hope you have a great cruise!

ex techie

If you think that the announcement and clapping will bother your son, you can easily bypass this--just tell the CM that you don't want it for that reason. They will just hand you off to a CM who will give you the short welcome aboard talk (telling you where to find lunch, etc. as if you don't already know it).

All lines on the ship should be far shorter on port days. And the programming is open then but can be much quieter--that depends on how many parents parked their children and left the ship.