Has anyone cruised with Autism on the Seas

[KeithMoon]

Hi,

I have been a lurker for a long time, and have finally decided to post my own thread. We have 2 children on the spectrum. We cruised on DCL and the kids really enjoyed themselves, except for a very long wait to board the ship. DCL refused to allow us to pre-board, even though we had been told by a cast member weeks before that we would be allowed.

 

Anyway, I stumbled upon Autism on the Seas website and I'm wondering if anyone has cruised with them? It seems like they offer some great services.

 

Thanks!:)

[flsunnymommy]

Me me me me!!! My son and I have cruised with them twice with three more planned. The services they offer are great and you choose how much you want them to be involved.

 

Our favorites:

Private dining- We had a private dining room with the same waiters daily. The kids could be kids without bothering anyone. If my son wanted to sit in the window before the food came, no one cared. We also made some really great friends.

 

Kids camp- The staff is informed the children have autism. They are also told what information you chose to share about your child to have a better experience. We also had a private group in adventure ocean that parents attended as well.

 

Private parties- The kids could just be themselves. We danced, did arts and crafts, went swimming and had private tours of the bridge.

 

And the lifesavers:

We had private party during muster drill inside in a conference room. Yes, we learned where the lifeboats are and how to put on a life jacket, but the kids did not have to go through everything. We also had private disembarking. On the last morning, we went and had breakfast in our dining room and then were escorted off the ship. Just perfect. Also the staff was there to help and wore pagers so we could reach them at anytime. The staff interacted beautifully with my son and he still emails them.

[KeithMoon]

Thanks for the feedback. It sounds great. I'm trying to decide if I should move our current DCL reservation over to them, or to cancel DCL and book one of the other group cruises. Thanks for such a great review of the services offered!:)

[calikak]

Oh wow, I'd never heard of Autism on the Seas before, what a fantastic program! My son doesn't have autism, but I have several friends whose kids do...am forwarding that website to them now!