Iaminspired

Preparing for our Explorer cruise in December of 2013, I encountered someone on the Roll Call for that cruise. After she ran into my daughter several times in the hall, I finally met her at the Meet and Mingle. We hit it off and have been best friends ever since, despite living 5 hours apart.

I have looked into this organization as a way to make my daughters cruise experience just a little better. Has anyone used their services and could you share about your experience with them? We are scheduling a walk through where we are able to go to the port and go through the steps it takes to understand how they work as far as getting you checked in and onto the ship in the next few weeks. Thanks for all your feedback.

 

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We have not cruised with Autism on the Seas yet but plan to in the future. I have been impressed with their help in answering our questions pre-booking. I have heard very good things about them.

We have always cruised with Royal and found them very helpful in meeting the needs of my now adult daughter with Aspergers (though her needs are quite high).

I have 2 daughters with ASD Aspergers, one very mild who was 17 on our last cruise and one more severe but still very high functioning who was 20 on our last cruise. Both have very significant issues with anxiety and sensory over stimulation.

My older DD stopped going to the Teen Club when she was about 17 because it was too disorganized and many events that she looked forward to ended up being cancelled at the last minute. My younger DD never liked the kids' programs.

That said, Royal does say that as part of their Autism-friendly designation children with ASD can be put into the kids' program for their developmental rather than chronological age. It does not mention people who have aged out of the kids' program. It would be best to check with them once you are aboard.

My older DD has always found many things to entertain herself onboard. The vestibular input (large arcing motion of a rocking ship) really helps to calm both my children but it is extremely obvious with my older DD who can do much more on a ship than she can on dry land. My younger DD needs more stimulation and we do a lot together on a cruise, but she also wanders the halls and looks at the art, walks a lot, goes ashore with me and find things to do. The days are longer for her.

Contact Royal Special Needs and have her reservation marked as Autism and that may help with the over age admission to the Teen Club. We also do early Special Needs boarding and make arrangements for last off to avoid the crowds plus I arrange with guest services for a private muster drill since my children cannot function with the loud noise. I also speak to the waitstaff and head waiter as my children have some idiosyncrasies with eating.

We are seriously considering Autism on the Seas for a future cruise but to help my older DD manage independent cruising. I agree that they cater to a need level which is more intense than ours in many ways. My DD has spoken with them and they also embrace special needs adults with various diagnoses and need levels.

Good luck! I have always found cruising on Royal with autistic teens to be a very positive experience.

If you are still around/actively posting, I'd love to speak with you about how your experience(s) have gone! I have a son w/autism and ADHD currently going through puberty (yay :rolleyes:) and my biggest concern is his elopement issues. Only recently heard about Autism on the Seas and thinking I should probably recruit some help through them too... I know he would love the fun things a cruise has to offer, I just want him to stay safe of course.

 

I plan to look into it more soon. We stopped taking family vacations of any kind due to his elopement and I know we can't just be reclusive forever :( nor do I want to keep travelling without him all the time.

Hi PrettyPenny7

I have 2 special needs children. DD#1 is 20, ASD - Aspergers but quite severe, very significant sensory issues, Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety, Social Phobia but very intelligent. DD#2 is 17, mild ASD - Aspergers, Generalized Anxiety, Social Phobia, Panic and recovering from Anorexia Nervosa.

Our 8th cruise with Royal Caribbean is in 35 days. Royal has been great for things like advanced special needs boarding, last off and waiting in a private space for disembark, private muster drill, pre-assigned dining table to meet your needs, accommodating odd requests in the dining room (15 shrimps (not 14 or 16 but 15) arranged on a round place) etc. I believe their children's programs are adjusted for the developmental needs of the child. Royal is autism friendly, so they have a greater range of accommodations easily available. They even have a downloadable social story about your cruise on their website.

We have also looked into Autism on the Seas and they seem great! If your child is more severely autistic or if you are not used to travelling with him, that might be a great option for you. We are looking into it for my older DD to be able to travel independently as she gets older. We may try a family cruise with them next.

We travel with melatonin to help my kids sleep in a strange place (though the rocking of the ship helps a lot), and lorazapam gets us through boarding and disembark. I have found the constant motion of the ship really helps my older DD (the vestibular input she needs) and she is much calmer at sea.

Good luck with puberty! That was a rocky time!

Colleen

Hi Everyone,

 

We are booked on the independence in July. Our cabin is 7708. Is the Pullman located directly over the bed? Are there any balcony cabins on independance where the Pullman is located over the sofa?

 

Thanks for your help!

We sailed in 7708 on Independence a couple years ago. The pullman is exactly like the picture from Freedom that was posted: directly over the bed, but perpendicular to the bed (side to the wall instead of head to the wall like the main bed).

Loved 7708! Best Balcony Ever! Enjoy your cruise.

We have gone on several cruises with my 2 special needs daughters (19 and 16), our 7th is coming up in a few weeks, all with Royal. It has become easier as Royal has become more autism friendly, however I am always planning in advance and in touch with Royal Special Needs.

Boarding is challenging but we arrive early to do special needs boarding so we avoid the lines and the crowds. I find I need to speak up ("where is special needs boarding?") but it is now fast and easy for us.

Muster drill used to be a nightmare for us but is far better now with an alternative muster drill.

Dining is quite good. It is very challenging for my oldest to sit through dinner and talking to the waiter and ordering is very, very difficult for her. Her food must be plated in a very specific way (9 shrimp, not 8 and not 10 with no garnish and on the correct shape of plate) but the wait staff have usually been very accommodating. My youngest has dietary restrictions and the head waiter has always been very accommodating, though on our last cruise our waiters were not good. I will visit the Head Waiter after we board to speak with him. I am also in touch with RCI dining by email ahead of time to get a table that meets our needs in a quiet area of the dining room - the centre of the room would cause meltdowns and bolting.

We have used the medical centre before. I found the doctor was very receptive to my knowledge and what would be done at home. I bring letters of diagnosis with me but have never needed them.

My older daughter likes to wander at night because her sleep cycles are reversed. We have never had a problem, though she knows she must be back in the cabin by a reasonable time and she is old enough to be out alone. She finds quiet nooks on the ship to sit and read.

We also arrange for last off disembark to avoid the crowds. We go to a quiet lounge, sometimes assigned by Royal for us. We have even been walked off the ship by the Group Coordinator to make sure things go smoothly. By getting off last, we avoid the crowds in the terminal and the lines on the ship and at customs. But be sure to have very unique luggage or luggage tags so your suitcases don't get picked up by someone else, as happened to our friends who did last off with us on our last cruise.

Cruising has been a wonderful vacation for us for many years. The constant motion calms my older daughter and she is able to do more at sea than on land. I am also able to manage them both as a single mother travelling alone with them. Royal and the crew have been very helpful with whatever we have needed.

We generally found the menus on Anthem to be lacking and limited and our dining experiences very disappointing and repetitive with the same menus and their few choices over and over again. There is more choice for meat lovers but for those who don't want a meat based meal, appetizer and main course selections were seriously lacking.

We special ordered the gnocchi in the Grande to be served in a brown butter sauce instead of a beef ragu and it was very good.

The Molten Chocolate Lava Cake with vanilla ice cream in the Grande was fabulous and almost made up for poor menu selections and all the bad meals.

The 270 was awesome for breakfast and lunch (Oreo cheesecake MMMMMMM) and some of our best dinners were in the Windjammer. Try the crepe station in the very back, then take your crepes outside and eat in the outdoor dining area.

Yes, I always take a Letter of Consent to Travel for my children plus loads of documentation (marriage certificate, divorce papers, court orders, birth certificates, passports). I was only asked once by a Royal check in agent if I had a letter from their other parent, which I did. I was not asked to show it.

Being denied boarding is not a chance I am willing to take.

Interestingly enough, I have never been asked at the border, which we cross by car before heading to the cruise port.

Hello

We are driving down from Ontario, 2 families cruising together but driving separately from different areas of Ontario. We are investigating leaving 1 vehicle at a park and cruise hotel then all driving together and parking the second vehicle at the port.

We cannot take a shuttle to the port because we are travelling with my two special needs children and being in a shuttle would mean meltdowns. They would be able to handle walking from the parking garage to the terminal but not waiting for a shuttle and being crowded in with other passengers.

We are thinking of Ramada Plaza Newark or the Wyndham Newark Bayonne. Can you offer any insight into either of these hotels and the security of their parking?

Thanks so much!

So nice to hear of all the success stories!

We are also a special needs family, my older daughter (19) has ASD Aspergers and my younger daughter has severe anxiety and is recovering from a life threatening illness. We have done several cruises, all with Royal and they have also been fabulous!

As someone else mentioned, my ASD daughter is also happiest and most relaxed when we are on a cruise. She says it is the motion. She loves rough seas! She is able to handle more sensory issues at sea than she can on land.

Boarding and disembarking are always very challenging. We try to use Special Needs boarding (if it exists at the pier) and board early. My daughter also uses a weighted vest to help her. She loves the dining room and the wait staff learn to communicate with her (though she is very verbal, she will not talk to the wait staff but points at the menu items she wants.)

I'm so glad to read such supportive posts here! Sadly, there have been some autism bashing replies when parents are trying to find ways to make cruising work for their special needs children.

It's great so many cruise lines are so accommodating!

My children's father and I are divorced and I have cruised alone with my children 5 times over the last 8 years. I always take a notarized Letter of Consent to Travel signed by their father because we are crossing a border before we even get to the ship and because RCCL has their own rules.

I have only been asked once if I have the letter and when I went to pull it out, I was told by the RCCL boarding agent that she didn't need to see it. I have never left a copy with them. I have also never been asked for it when I drive across the boarder.

Because I have changed my name to my maiden-married name, my children do not have the same last name as I do, so I always travel with their long-form birth certificates (which state my maiden and married names), my marriage certificate and my divorce papers. I've never been asked for any of those.

Still, I will always take more than enough paperwork. I don't want to risk being denied boarding.

When I was on a Behind the Scenes tour onboard Indy last year, we were shown two machines in the crew area - one for phone cards and one for internet minutes. The crew has onboard access to phone cards, at least on some ships.

Hi Everyone

I have a friend who has booked back to back European cruises on Musica and Magnifica in July for her family of 4. They are Canadian and often travel to Florida for vacations. They are an average family, not into fancy but appreciative of good service, good quality and good value. They have cruised on Royal Caribbean in the past, are looking for a family friendly vacation and want to include their children (both under 10) in the things they do on this trip. Parents are 40-ish and active but not into night life.

They booked the cruise because of the "Kids Sail Free" promo but are now questioning if the cruise experience will be less than they experienced on Royal because of the much lower price. A comparable vacation on a Royal ship is so much more expensive it is unaffordable for a family of four.

Any thoughts are welcome. Thanks!

We just got off Indy 10 days ago and had 7708. The balcony was fantastic! It felt like it almost doubled the size of the cabin. We spent a lot of time out there. Even with 5 of us on the balcony it still felt big! There are 2 loungers and 2 chairs plus a small table and lot of room to move around.

The amount of sunshine on the balcony has far more to do with the time of day and the direction the ship is headed. The balcony gets lot of sun when the sun is behind the ship but it is also easy to move the chairs into the shade. We saw beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The superstructure is definitely visible and cuts across the the view but does not really obstruct anything. If you want a totally clear view, you might not like it but I felt seeing the frame of the ship enhanced the feeling of being on a ship. You can also get a view off the back of the ship plus a view out the side, through the large porthole. If you like to watch dockrunners, it is harder unless the ship happens to be backed in and you have a view of the pier entry gates.

There was definitely more motion at the very aft of the ship and it was a long walk to the elevators. I didn't hear any extra engine noise and the 2nd Officer told me they seldom use the anchors except for routine testing so you shouldn't hear them. I found it quiet because few people are in that hallway walking so far aft. I would book that cabin again in a heartbeat!

Enjoy!

From what I understand, the 12 - 14 year olds are together and the 15 - 17 are together but everyone is in the teen club and they often do the same activities. When we were onboard Explorer last year there were not tons of kids on our sailing so most of the time all the teens were together.

I can honestly say I have been very impressed with the teens in the teen club, really nice kids. My DD is autistic and she has never felt singled out or bullied and like an outcast. I've met some of the friends she has made onboard and they were a great group. The youth staff don't tolerate anything mean and any rule breaking while in an organized teen activity means cancelling the activity (though silliness is allowed.) She was mad once because a group of boys ruined some things for everyone when security showed up. Generally trouble makers don't frequent the teen club.

Talk to the youth staff when you get onboard. They really helped me feel more comfortable leaving my special need daughter with them. That said, my younger daughter (14), who is very quiet, was not interested in the teen club.

Make sure your letter includes consent for any necessary / emergency medical treatment as well.

QUOTE]

 

Thanks for your post. Do I really need that though? Can't I make medical decisions for my son since I am his mother? :confused:

 

When I had to take my daughter to the medical centre onboard for strep throat nobody asked me anything about her father or his permission. I think you might run into problems in the event of a serious accident or illness, especially if you were dealing with a medical facility in another country instead of on the ship. Chances are, you would never need to use the letter for emergency medical treatment, but again, better safe than sorry.

 

I always chuckle to myself when I get these letters signed because my children's father makes absolutely no decisions about any aspect of their care and only sees them about 4 times a year. However, he has legal rights and people who don't know us have to follow rules.

 

Enjoy your cruise!:)

Make sure your letter includes consent for any necessary / emergency medical treatment as well.

I have never been asked anything when filling out permission forms on board. Both parents could be on board and only one parent at ice skating or rock climbing and the staff would not know. The forms only needs one parent's signature.

I carry everything with me - passports, original birth certificates, custody orders, marriage certificate, divorce order, notarized letter of consent / medical. I have never even been asked where my children's father is when we drive across the border (we are Canadian), let alone asked to provide documentation. In our 4 previous cruises, I was asked once if I had the letter but they did not want to see it. Still, I would not chance boarding without any of the documentation.

Good for you for being so proactive!

Explorer is currently at sea, on it's way to Aruba.

We have been one of the last of Explorer in Bayonne a couple times, twice because we were driving home and in no hurry and more recently because we had arranged last off disembark for my special needs children to avoid the crowds. It's kind of a long, boring wait. Most people are crowded into large areas like the theatre or Studio B with nothing to do but wait. Most smaller venues are closed with the doors locked or blocked so you can't sit in Cafe Promenade or the Windjammer. Because Bayonne is cold in January, you probably won't want to be on deck. We waited in a lounge with the B2B cruisers but it was arranged ahead of time. We've been one of the last off anywhere from 10 am to 11 am.

It's easy to put in the time until about 9 or 9:30 but after that it is dull.

Hi Colleen! I am cruising out of FLL on the INDY on Nov 30. There are a few places where photos are not permitted. If I can, I will take photos where they are allowed, and send them over to you. I will not be in any areas that are designated as special needs, so if that differs, I won't have much to comment on. I do know that we went in February, and pushed wheel chairs through the same areas for the grandparents.

 

On that note, I did get in touch with with the desk that handles all questions related to facilitating guests with special needs before we got on board to make sure to get a cabana for Labadee and they had photos of all the cabanas, and seemed to be able to pull these photos up at any guest's request.

 

I can't promise anything more than I will try to get them on the 30th and post before we set sail!!

Thanks so much! Pictures would be great.

Thanks to everyone who suggested arriving later. I think we'll go for earlier since the anxiety of anticipating the boarding plus worrying we might miss the ship will probably undo my girls and be worse than dealing with the crowds.

I've been in touch with RCCL to ask about pictures of the terminal but they did not have any. We've seen a few online but they don't show much.

I've also already been in touch with Special Needs (who have been great!) to help us with all the arrangements on board and someone usually checks in on us in the first day or two.

We always arrange for last off disembark once we are onboard, and wait in a private lounge until someone comes to escort us off.

Thanks again for all the helpful answers!:D

I am travelling on Independence of the Seas with my two special needs daughters (ages 17 and 14) in December. We have never boarded in Fort Lauderdale, only on Explorer out of Bayonne. I understand boarding in Florida is much simpler than the whole bus thing in Cape Liberty.

I am looking for information and pictures in advance to prepare my children about what the boarding process will look like for Independence, especially the timelines from curb to ship. We are doing special needs boarding.

Thanks so much!:)

Does anyone know if cabin 7708 on Independence has glass sliders or a single door with a window opening to the balcony?

Thanks so much!

Hi

We are looking for recommendations for a pre-cruise hotel in mid-December. Our cruise leaves on Sunday, so the hotel is for Saturday night.

We are driving down from Canada and spending 2 days in Orlando before heading to Fort Lauderdale Saturday afternoon. We won't have much time at the hotel. This is our first time in Florida for myself and my girls.

We are a family of three, my two teenage girls are both special needs. We are travelling with another couple. We are hoping for a hotel with a free breakfast. I don't want to spend a fortune on a hotel since we will be spending a fortune at Universal Studios! We would like a moderately priced, family friendly hotel with a pool, since we'll have some time in the evening.

We will have a vehicle with us but will not need a park and cruise package since we are parking at the pier.

Part of me would love to be able to see the cruise ships from the hotel room when we wake up, but I realize we may have no control over the direction the room faces, that it is definitely not worth $50 or $100!

Any suggestions are welcome!

Thanks so much!

Colleen

My last name is hyphenated. Royal's data entry program does not allow for a hyphen. My last name on the reservation never matches my last name on my passport because of their system.

I guess it is an exact match within reason.:confused:

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