First time cruising with kids. One with Aspergers

[CruiserMama325]

Hey ya'll!

 

We are booked for 1/16/16 on board the Carnival Glory. My daughter will be 4 and my son 10. My son is so excited he has already started to research the different ports and showing me pictures of kid activities. I know my daughter will have no problems in Camp Carnival, my worry is my son.

 

Although he is very excited, he does get his feelings hurt very easy. My worry is him getting made fun of or left out. Since this is our first time going with the kids I want to know what to expect. That preteen age can be a tricky one. He is the sweetest kid ever and I want this to be a great experience for him. The past couple years have been tough for him but this year he is like a different kid, making friends and even understanding jokes lol.

 

Has anyone traveled with young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or behavior disorders?

[cb at sea]

He's still in the younger age group...they haven't started being asses yet. They won't tease or bother him! The counselors make sure no one is "left out"...no worries!

 

There is a group called "Autism at sea"....check on the "Sailing with Disabilities" board....lots of info.

 

But...at 10, kids aren't too mean yet!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Unless there's very few kids on board (where they may regroup the ages), he should be with the 9-11 year old group. One tip I can give you is to take him the first day when the kids are meeting each other and meeting the staff. You'll be able to get an idea of what the kids are like, too. And you can address any concerns with the staff at that time (better then than when the activities are in full swing).

[Athankfulheart]

He's still in the younger age group...they haven't started being asses yet. They won't tease or bother him! The counselors make sure no one is "left out"...no worries!

 

There is a group called "Autism at sea"....check on the "Sailing with Disabilities" board....lots of info.

 

But...at 10, kids aren't too mean yet!

 

I agree. My daughter had a wonderful time with this age group. She is a very serious kid and she had a blast. I didn't hear any reports of mean kids.

[Kerry's Girls]

One of my 9 year olds is special needs and she's never had an issue in kids clubs. The staff really makes sure everyone is having fun. Have a chat with the staff ahead of time and remind them when you drop him off - they'll make sure he has a great time.

 

Best,

Mia

[Onessa]

While there can always be jerks, the counselors (and most of the other kids) will "look out" for any sort of issues.

 

A few years back (and prior to a lot of the bully-sensitivity training kids get now), we cruised with my DD's best friend's family. DD and BFF were in one age group, her highly-functioning Asperger's brother was in the next group up. The DB does not seek out social interactions -- the counselors were very good about "buddy-ing" up with other boys who seemed open to it and they were also good about letting him stay on with the girls in the younger group when they had mixed the age levels or when the older group was going to do something that DB really couldn't handle.

 

His parents met with head counselor at length on day one - and she went out of her way to introduce them to the counselors who would be working with both age groups. My DD and his DSis of course kept an eye on him as well (as they both had been doing since the girls were in Kindergarten) -- the three had always really gotten along well so it was no big deal. Their elementary school specialized in mainstreaming special needs kids into classrooms whenever practical.

Edited October 31, 2014 by Onessa

[CruiserMama325]

Thank you all so much for the responses. We are looking forward to going and have talked with autism on the seas. They were awesome! So informative!

Edited November 2, 2014 by CruiserMama325

[TigerJuls]

I have the same concerns as you as my 10 year old son is autistic and I worry about him being made fun of.

 

Glad to hear that you talked to Autism on the Seas. We are going on a cruise with them in March.

Edited November 4, 2014 by TigerJuls

[MissMouthy]

It might be helpful if you can print up something for the counselors, like if my son does x, it means y. For example, if my son rocks forward and backward, he's relaxed. If he rocks side to side, it means he's nervous. Or, when he perceives he's being teased, he might cry. If this happens, the best thing to do is...

 

I hope your time is amazing!

[TeamH]

My ASD son loved his first cruise this year and talks about it constantly. He's slept in his cruise hat every night since (February!). The staff were fabulous and were aware he may need some alone time (I discussed this with them the first day) and he actually begged to go back to the kids club which he's never done before on our land based holidays.

 

We're now booked on our 2nd cruise and he can't wait.

Edited November 9, 2014 by TeamH

[wainwill]

Lots of good advice already re Kids Camp. Our guy, now 13 (aspergers and Adha ) loves cruises though he wasn't too into going to the camp. Arcade is a hit and pool for him.

A couple things we bring are some items to help with the sensory issues - ear noise protector earphones (or ear plugs) to dull the noise and ship horn at sail away, something to do while in dining room or lines for the wait times, plan a schedule so he knows what to expect including some quiet time. Then sit back and have fun! It is a wonderful vacation.

[kitty9]

When I took my Goddaughter on a cruise, there was a boy in her group who was on the spectrum. When I saw the kids around the ship, I was impressed how easily the young boy seemed to work in the group, and he appeared to be very happy. As a matter of fact, Kat said he was a cool guy.

[CruiserMama325]

Wow, thank you all for the responses. We are really looking forward to this becoming a new tradition for our family vacation. We are using Autism On The Seas. They were SO helpful!!!

[baman]

Talk to royal Caribbean or Google them the have autism friendly cruise we went in oct and it was ok but thd offer lots like a pager for u. Special toys and movies for the room. Maybe u can get something like this for u on the ship u will . A pager to get u asap if he is having a rough time. Just start now. But my son like the other person like the pool and arcade. Amanda my son is 12

 

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