Is it possible to tour a ship before booking to see if autistic son can handle it?

[bus man]

I have friends who have never cruised but are considering taking a Royal Caribbean cruise out of Baltimore on the Grandeur. Their 9 year old son is autistic and has the emotional level of a 5 year old. He does not like crowds and feels claustrophobic in small rooms. (They also have a non-autistic 7 year old son.)

 

I have suggested to them that, if they want to give it a try, they sail on the shortest itinerary available out of Baltimore (which is to Bermuda) and get two balcony rooms, so that the family can spread out and that the floor-to-ceiling windows will make the room feel more spacious. I've told them that the standard rooms are small, and even the Junior Suites are, at best, the size of a small-ish hotel room.

 

They are honestly not sure how their son would do, and they would like to see the cabins themselves, in person, to see if they would be large enough to avoid triggering a claustrophobic reaction. Under these circumstances, would it be possible to arrange a brief tour of the ship while she is in port, so that they could at least determine this issue before buying a ticket? And if so, how would they go about arranging it?

 

And, if you have any other suggestions that might make their cruise work better for them -- or, for that matter, if you think it would be a bad idea for them to cruise at all -- please let me know. Thanks!

[spookwife]

no. Royal does not have any program that allows for a tour. I wanna say Princess is the only line that sometimes permits you to pay a fee and have lunch on board.. but even they do not open cabins for general touring

 

cabins on ships are MUCH smaller than any regular hotel room. you woudl have to get a Grand suite to come close to getting that much square footage.

 

Autism at Sea is an organization they should contact.

[marys350]

http://www.autismontheseas.com

 

There is a July 30, 2016 sailing on Grandeur (5 day, Bermuda) listed on their website. See schedule of cruises.

Edited September 6, 2015 by marys350

[Langley Cruisers]

http://www.autismontheseas.com... There is a July 30, 2016 sailing on Grandeur (5 day, Bermuda) listed on their website. See schedule of cruises.

 

Excellent link. I don't require the information but it is good to know it's out there for those who need it. Thank you for providing it. :)

.

[maureencruiser]

www.autismontheseas.com

 

There is a July 30, 2016 sailing on Grandeur (5 day, Bermuda) listed on their website. See schedule of cruises.

 

Wow, a perfect post! OP, maybe try having a travel agent contact Royal and see if they can arrange something. I have seen a lot of posts about Autism on the family board. Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

[marys350]

http://www.autismontheseas.com

 

There is a July 30, 2016 sailing on Grandeur (5 day, Bermuda) listed on their website. See schedule of cruises.

 

Here are links to information from Royal Caribbean's website about sailing with disabilities and special needs. Your friend should contact Royal Caribbean's special needs department and ask them any specific questions that they may have.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/experiencetypes/category.do?pagename=onboard_cat_services_and_accessibility&tab=1

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/experiencetypes/product.do?pagename=onboard_prod_autism_friendly_ships

 

:) Mary

Edited September 6, 2015 by marys350
add more info.

[bondgirl007]

I would also call and ask if they would be allowed to book an accessible stateroom because they are bigger but you pay the same price as the other staterooms in the same category.

[Arnie65]

you could try asking your local travel agent to see if any cruise inspections are coming up. I am a travel agent (though not in the US) and from time to time these are offered. More often than not they are just for consultants to have a look around at all facilities and if the ship is full then we don't get to see the cabins, but sometimes we are permitted to take guests (i.e potential cruisers) on board to give them an idea of the ship and it's facilities. If the local representatives are cruising then they will let us inspect their cabins. Sometimes they include lunch, sometimes just a drink and nibble. Would be worth ringing around your local travel agents! Good luck.

[LovesCruising]

you could try asking your local travel agent to see if any cruise inspections are coming up. I am a travel agent (though not in the US) and from time to time these are offered. More often than not they are just for consultants to have a look around at all facilities and if the ship is full then we don't get to see the cabins, but sometimes we are permitted to take guests (i.e potential cruisers) on board to give them an idea of the ship and it's facilities. If the local representatives are cruising then they will let us inspect their cabins. Sometimes they include lunch, sometimes just a drink and nibble. Would be worth ringing around your local travel agents! Good luck.

 

This is exactly what I was going to suggest. Many times travel agents are invited to ship inspections - sometimes clients are permitted with the agent - usually space is limited so having the entire family tour may be an issue and any tours I have did not permit anyone under the age of 18

[cb at sea]

Have them look at the deck plans which show the sq. footage of each type of cabin....they can "pace it out" at home and see how small they are....and tell them the bathroom is included in that space!!

[PrincessBelle39]

YouTube - heaps of videos there that might give them some info.

[LilBlackDress]

When I spent a lot of time on the wedding and honeymoon boards, people were posting that they were able to scheduled a tour of a few venues on the ship while she was in port for a small fee. Thus was several years ago so things may have changed, but it can't hurt to ask!!

[Keith1010]

I would speak with your TA to see if they can arrange a tour for you.

 

Keith

[iosephws]

Thus was several years ago so things may have changed, but it can't hurt to ask!

[gerif]

While there are many different levels of autism and I don't know the severity of your friend's child's case, I can absolutely recommend they join an Autism on the Seas group for the best possible experience.

[js11110]

Earlier this year We did a day tour with lunch included on the MSC Divina in Miami. Our travel agent offered it as a bus tour. I'm not sure how often or what cruise lines do this, but it might be worth it to talk to your local travel agent.

[xxoocruiser]

I would also call and ask if they would be allowed to book an accessible stateroom because they are bigger but you pay the same price as the other staterooms in the same category.

 

If the cruise is embarking from a USA port than Cruise Lines are mandated to comply with a US Federal Law that went into effect on 1/1/2012 regarding the a person's eligibility to book an accessible room. Booking an accessible cabin because it's larger than ta standard cabin in the same category because a person wants a larger room without having to pay for a larger cabin is the very reason this US Federal Law was enacted for cruise ships embarking from a USA Port.

Edited September 6, 2015 by xxoocruiser

[sasha96]

If the cruise is embarking from a USA port than Cruise Lines are mandated to comply with a US Federal Law that went into effect on 1/1/2012 regarding the a person's eligibility to book an accessible room. Booking an accessible cabin because it's larger than ta standard cabin in the same category because a person wants a larger room without having to pay for a larger cabin is the very reason this US Federal Law was enacted for cruise ships embarking from a USA Port.

 

Yes, but this person has a family member with a disability. We don't know if there are aspects of the child's disability that include them in being a candidate for this type of room. It's not like they are just looking for extra space for themselves because they want more.

[maureencruiser]

I would also call and ask if they would be allowed to book an accessible stateroom because they are bigger but you pay the same price as the other staterooms in the same category.

 

Yes, but this person has a family member with a disability. We don't know if there are aspects of the child's disability that include them in being a candidate for this type of room. It's not like they are just looking for extra space for themselves because they want more.

 

I agree with Sasha and note that Bondgirl advised OP to "call and ask if they would be allowed", she wasn't suggesting they do anything underhanded. If the answer is no, it's no. :)

[conandrob240]

Local TAs can often arrange for lunch and/or tours in port on embarkation day. Call one and see if they will bring you as a guest.