PiratessLooksAt40 Posted June 19, 2018 #1 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Crazy random question: other than TAs, has anyone heard of guest passes to tour a ship while it’s in port? We are fortunate to live close enough to Boston to take a ride in to see the Summit over July 4th. We’ll be on her 2 weeks later. My autistic son is super anxious about the trip. I doubt they ever allow this for safety reasons, but figured I’d ask. But at minimum we’ll take him in, park at my cousin’s and walk over so he can see the ship. Not even his first cruise but then autism always keeps us hopping! Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orator Posted June 19, 2018 #2 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Crazy random question: other than TAs, has anyone heard of guest passes to tour a ship while it’s in port? We are fortunate to live close enough to Boston to take a ride in to see the Summit over July 4th. We’ll be on her 2 weeks later. My autistic son is super anxious about the trip. I doubt they ever allow this for safety reasons, but figured I’d ask. But at minimum we’ll take him in, park at my cousin’s and walk over so he can see the ship. Not even his first cruise but then autism always keeps us hopping! Sent from my iPhone using Forums You would need to get advance clearance from the Miami Office. Can be done, but quite rare since 9/11. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sippican Posted June 19, 2018 #3 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Did you try contacting X's Special Needs Department? Worth a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chanbre Posted June 19, 2018 #4 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Celebrity Eclipse has had some open days in Southampton in the past. I found another on the Silhouette on Saturday 4 August 2018 by searching for "celebrity eclipse Southampton day tour" (interestingly, one of the results was the Silhouette tour). You may find a similar search for other ships and/or ports finds an open day for you. The page with the 4 August date does say the following, but there would be no harm in asking and explaining your reason for the visit. "This ship visit is only available to guests that are new to Celebrity Cruises. Guests that have cruised on board a Celebrity Cruises ship before, unfortunately will not be considered to attend this visit." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OceanCruise Posted June 19, 2018 #5 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I also suggest contacting the special needs department. The worst they can say is no. Also, have you tried doing a "social story" with your child to help prepare for your cruise such as this: http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/en_US/pdf/Autism_Social_Story_Booklet.pdf FYI, there are also special cruises with a program called Autism at Sea. Good luck and enjoy your cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisestitch Posted June 19, 2018 #6 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Procedures in Southampton are different than procedures in the US. Generally visits like yours are not allowed, and your only chance is that the Special Needs Department can pull some strings for you. But in the meantime, there are literally hundreds of video tours out there on the web, start with a search on youTube and you'll find many there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmhdoogalsatsea Posted June 19, 2018 #7 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I did a ship tour last month when in Cartagena Spain on the Reflection. I'd noticed a few weeks earlier that the SeaDream1 would also be in port, so sent a query to them. There was an e-form I needed to complete, but everything was pretty straight forward. My traveling companion and I got a champagne welcome and tour. I ended up booking a Spring TA. ( am a little weary of the big ship experience so will see how it goes on something much smaller!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiratessLooksAt40 Posted June 20, 2018 Author #8 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Thanks everyone. We’ve been doing social stories, watching videos on the ship itself and on how cruise ships work (he was afraid it would tip over). I’ll try the Special Needs Department again. They were incredibly unhelpful the last time we spoke. The woman I spoke to was rude and never followed up on an accommodation we asked for that she wasn’t sure they could provide (flexible age grouping for my teen - who is also autistic). At minimum we’ll drive to Boston and show him the ship. Figured it was likely a long shot. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisestitch Posted June 20, 2018 #9 Share Posted June 20, 2018 They are pretty strict about the age groupings of the Fun Factory & Teen Club. I would not look for them to make any change for your child. I am sure they have their reasons, but it never hurts to ask. The rules for non-passengers visiting ships are completely different when you are in the US as opposed to elsewhere. Also the rules vary with other cruise lines. Crystal, for instance, lets current passengers invite a guest to join them for a day for a fee. They need to fill out forms, surrender their passport, check in and check out. All logical procedures but nothing Celebrity has ever been interested in offering within the US. On the other hand, day passes are available in European ports. Friends got married on a Celebrity ship in Southampton, with all their family in attendance for the ceremony and reception, and everyone but the bride and groom left the ship about an hour before it sailed. This would not have been possible in a US port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upwarduk Posted June 20, 2018 #10 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Crystal, for instance, lets current passengers invite a guest to join them for a day for a fee. They need to fill out forms, surrender their passport, check in and check out. All logical procedures Azamara also in Montreal after the TA in 2016. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiratessLooksAt40 Posted June 20, 2018 Author #11 Share Posted June 20, 2018 They are pretty strict about the age groupings of the Fun Factory & Teen Club. I would not look for them to make any change for your child. I am sure they have their reasons, but it never hurts to ask. The rules for non-passengers visiting ships are completely different when you are in the US as opposed to elsewhere. Also the rules vary with other cruise lines. Crystal, for instance, lets current passengers invite a guest to join them for a day for a fee. They need to fill out forms, surrender their passport, check in and check out. All logical procedures but nothing Celebrity has ever been interested in offering within the US. On the other hand, day passes are available in European ports. Friends got married on a Celebrity ship in Southampton, with all their family in attendance for the ceremony and reception, and everyone but the bride and groom left the ship about an hour before it sailed. This would not have been possible in a US port. Actually, Celebrity advertises age group flexibility in their kids clubs for their autistic passengers. They promote their autism training but this woman couldn’t answer a single question about accommodations listed on their website. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Project_gal Posted June 20, 2018 #12 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Crazy random question: other than TAs, has anyone heard of guest passes to tour a ship while it’s in port? We are fortunate to live close enough to Boston to take a ride in to see the Summit over July 4th. We’ll be on her 2 weeks later. My autistic son is super anxious about the trip. I doubt they ever allow this for safety reasons, but figured I’d ask. But at minimum we’ll take him in, park at my cousin’s and walk over so he can see the ship. Not even his first cruise but then autism always keeps us hopping! Sent from my iPhone using Forums Whilst I appreciate that autism is a spectrum and manifests itself differently in different people, I hope that I can reassure you a little about your son's autism and cruising. We took a family cruise to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday and my autistic nephew was included in our party. The cruise was not on a well designed Celebrity ship and was challenging to navigate. Within a few hours, my nephew knew his way round the ship and was able to direct us when we became lost. He also learned the opening times of every bar and restaurant. We needed no other guide. At the end of the cruise, we asked what he had like about cruising and his answer was "everything". The only issue we had was that he kept losing his seapass card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NordicPrince Posted June 20, 2018 #13 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Whilst I appreciate that autism is a spectrum and manifests itself differently in different people, I hope that I can reassure you a little about your son's autism and cruising. We took a family cruise to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday and my autistic nephew was included in our party. The cruise was not on a well designed Celebrity ship and was challenging to navigate. Within a few hours, my nephew knew his way round the ship and was able to direct us when we became lost. He also learned the opening times of every bar and restaurant. We needed no other guide. At the end of the cruise, we asked what he had like about cruising and his answer was "everything". The only issue we had was that he kept losing his seapass card. Remember to use a lanyard on his next trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare hcat Posted June 20, 2018 #14 Share Posted June 20, 2018 OP family could still take a ride to see the outside of the ship...if it can be viewed from a spot outside of the secured port area. Not familiar with Boston but there might be a spot. Concept worked great for our local airport with a toddler before air travel...just a look around, see the planes beyond the fence...but of course could not go thru sec lines. helpful anyhow, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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