first cruise--with disabled child & infant

[mamatothegirls]

Hello,

We are hoping to take a cruise sometime in December or January. We will be traveling with my four year old who has global developmental delays and autism. She can walk pretty well with assistance and does not use a wheelchair. We will also have my daughter who will be just over one with us. My don't intend to leave our children in the care of anyone else so babysitting is not an issue.

Trying to figure out where to go--most likely to be the warmest at this time of the year as my daughter with special needs requires warm temps to swim...and which line/ship will be a good option. I have been online the better part of the weekend trying to figure things out and am so overwhelmed and confused.

Advice appreciated.

Beth

[cb at sea]

Since you won't be using the kid's club, then it really won't matter which line you use...they all go to just about the same places!

I'd get cruise brochures for all of the major lines, and start looking and seeing which "feels right".

The Southern Caribbean will be guaranteed to be warm in Dec. or Jan....(remember last winter and how far-reaching those cold fronts were?) It would be horrible to go on a cruise that isn't far enough south to be warm! However, most of those cruises will require a flight to San Juan or some other offshore place to begin your trip.

You may want to talk to a travel agent, and get all your info in one place. That would be the easiest way!

[Essiesmom]

You will also need to be looking at sleeping arrangements in your cabin. You want a cabin with a convertible couch for the third person, as I suspect you won't want your special needs 4y/o in an upper bunk. they will being in a crib or pack & Play for the toddler. EM

[boulders]

In general, most ships do not allow children who are not toilet trained to use the pools. Some ships do have an specially filtered water area that children in diapers can use. I would start with those ships if you expect swimming to be a big part of your vacation.

 

Another thing to consider is - is your older child OK with lots of stimulation or does she do better in a quieter environment?

[calidoc2006]

There is a website called autism on the seas (just google it and it will come up). I have not used it personally so can't vouch for it, but had heard about it on a special needs site in the past (I have a son with developmental delays). You may want to check it out and see what they have to offer - they may have lots of info on what would be best for your family. Again, I have no personal experience with this group, so you may also want to google for reviews. Just thought this might be something that would help you out!

[RoadTripFanatic]

You should definately avoid the Bahamas! The water there in January is freezing cold!!

[cosmolulu1]

Camp Carnival was pretty special needs friendly. They do have 2 hour blocks per day where you can go with your family and be present, it was open play time. They also had a cuddly bear party where parents can participate as well as a welcome aboard party.

You may want to consider that the ship may be crowded & overstimulating, some areas are very loud (if your child has any auditory defense). Just giving you a heads up, two of my kids have mild developmental delays, one adapted perfectly, the other struggled a bit. We also talked about the trip long before we left so he knew what to expect. It can be all so overwhelming for a preschooler.

I'd choose a ship with a great kiddie splash pool, just make sure there are tons of kid activities if you aren't using the camp. The pool deck on the trip we just took was crowded & not much area for my 3yo to roam around on. We had a blast but it did end up being a lot of work just getting him to be comfortable etc. He loved the glass elevators though!

[rjm11]

The courtyard villas on NCL's jewel class ships (the Pearl, Jewel, Jade, and Gem) and the new Epic are 2 bedroom suites with a separate kids bedroom, two bathrooms, and a small living area. They come with butlers who will serve any meal, from any dining venue in your room if you like. They also have a private courtyard area only for the use of the 10 or so villas (more on the Epic) with a small pool and retractable sun roof so if it is cooler, you can still swim. The privateness/quietness of the courtyard, and convenience of the butler, might work well for someone with autism, if overstimulation is a concern. NCL is a little less expensive than some of the other lines, making the suites such as these attainable.

 

I can't give a first hand account as we are sailing in our first one next week, but I'm happy to post afterwards if you would like to hear more.

[imsulin]

The courtyard villas on NCL's jewel class ships (the Pearl, Jewel, Jade, and Gem) and the new Epic are 2 bedroom suites with a separate kids bedroom, two bathrooms, and a small living area. They come with butlers who will serve any meal, from any dining venue in your room if you like. They also have a private courtyard area only for the use of the 10 or so villas (more on the Epic) with a small pool and retractable sun roof so if it is cooler, you can still swim. The privateness/quietness of the courtyard, and convenience of the butler, might work well for someone with autism, if overstimulation is a concern. NCL is a little less expensive than some of the other lines, making the suites such as these attainable.

 

I can't give a first hand account as we are sailing in our first one next week, but I'm happy to post afterwards if you would like to hear more.

 

But the one year old daughter could not utilize any of the on-board pools on any NCL ship. Also, I've been to the Bahamas several times in Dec-Jan (to Eleuthera....home of NCL Great Stirrup Cay, RCI Coco Cay, Princess Princess Cayes, and HAL Half Moon Cay. Perfect warm weather! Warm beach and water. Very enjoyable, and a great time of year to cruise!

[flsunnymommy]

Hi Beth! As a parent of a child with autism, I would highly suggest contacting Autism on the Seas. They do not charge for their services to help you book your individual cruise and help with accommodations for your children on board. Mike has the experience to help your family book the vacation you deserve and can be reached at msobbell@alumnicruises.org We have been on 5 group cruises with them and are hoping to plan our 6th soon. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

[cherishrwil]

I also have a child with asd and we are also using Autism On The Seas for our upcoming cruise in Oct. I've heard nothing but great things about them and the best part is that they don't charge you anything for their services. You should definitelyl check out there website for more info.

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quote=flsunnymommy;25851023]Hi Beth! As a parent of a child with autism, I would highly suggest contacting Autism on the Seas. They do not charge for their services to help you book your individual cruise and help with accommodations for your children on board. Mike has the experience to help your family book the vacation you deserve and can be reached at msobbell@alumnicruises.org We have been on 5 group cruises with them and are hoping to plan our 6th soon. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.