Special Needs Kid?

[iublondie25]

Has anyone sailed with Carnival and a special needs kiddo? My kid has ADHD/ODD and can be prone to tantrums with over-stimulation and has slight hearing loss in one ear. I have found that Disney handled him just fine. But RCCL had trouble with letting him decompress. RCCL has more issues with the "structure" of their kids clubs. If my son didn't want to play a game.....but read or play quietly in the corner....they wouldn't allow it. After a few situations we did discuss his very minor needs with the staff and then only dropped him off when one particular counselor was there.

 

I just and curious to know if the Carnival staff are better trained or receptive? I will fill a special needs form out for my kiddo....just in case. But wanted to know if you all had any experiences?

 

Thank in Advance!:)

Edited March 25, 2014 by iublondie25

[Chileancruiser]

Has anyone sailed with Carnival and a special needs kiddo? My kid has ADHD/ODD and can be prone to tantrums with over-stimulation and has slight hearing loss in one ear. I have found that Disney handled him just fine. But RCCL had trouble with letting him decompress. RCCL has more issues with the "structure" of their kids clubs. If my son didn't want to play a game.....but read or play quietly in the corner....they wouldn't allow it. After a few situations we did discuss his very minor needs with the staff and then only dropped him off when one particular counselor was there.

 

I just and curious to know if the Carnival staff are better trained or receptive? I will fill a special needs form out for my kiddo....just in case. But wanted to know if you all had any experiences?

 

Thank in Advance!:)

 

 

 

I have the same kid minus the hearing loss. For the few times that my kid went there she acted appropriately and conformed to the rules. I can only assume she adapted to the group mindset. Her issues were at poolside or in the hallways. But to answer your questions the girls at Camp Carnival were able to handle my kid and the other kiddos properly.

 

 

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[riffatsea]

Hi,

There was a review very recently that compared Royal to Carnival including the kids club. They said that the Royal kids club was very rigid and the young uns had to participate in the group activity but on Carnival there were games they could play or other things to do if they didn't want to participate with the group.

It sounds like Carnival will do fine with your youngster especially if you give them a heads up about his needs.

[FloridaMomma]

I think your son will be fine. We just sailed with my son who has Type 1 diabetes and they were super accommodating. Another great thing about Camp Carnival is at the beginning of the cruise they give you a phone they can reach you at (or you can call them) if your child needs you. We felt SO much better leaving our son in the camp knowing that they would call if there were any issues and we didn't have to keep running back and forth.

[txponycruiser]

Yes, my son has ADHD/ODD and we sailed on the Triumph last summer. CC was just fine for/with him. He really enjoyed it. My suggestion is to go to guest services ASAP when you get on board to talk with them regarding your son's needs. My son does not do well the first time he experiences things (like a cruise) and crowds or waiting in line can cause a rage. In fact, he had one the morning we were waiting to get off the ship in Progreso. Almost drug my mother down a flight of stairs.

 

To correct that situation for Cozumel, we waited by guest services and were escorted down to get off the ship after the crowd. We still had issues (like refusing to participate in the dolphin swim - I forced him and he eventually liked it) but that helped.

 

To one mom of an ADHD/ODD kid to another, HUGS.

 

Edited to add: make sure you go BEFORE muster so you don't get sandwiched behind a bunch of people and ask for several of the carnival wrist bands. People here on CC tried to tell me they were impossible to get off. If you have ADHD/ODD, anything is possible.

Edited March 25, 2014 by txponycruiser

[iublondie25]

Yes, my son has ADHD/ODD and we sailed on the Triumph last summer. CC was just fine for/with him. He really enjoyed it. My suggestion is to go to guest services ASAP when you get on board to talk with them regarding your son's needs. My son does not do well the first time he experiences things (like a cruise) and crowds or waiting in line can cause a rage. In fact, he had one the morning we were waiting to get off the ship in Progreso. Almost drug my mother down a flight of stairs.

 

To correct that situation for Cozumel, we waited by guest services and were escorted down to get off the ship after the crowd. We still had issues (like refusing to participate in the dolphin swim - I forced him and he eventually liked it) but that helped.

 

To one mom of an ADHD/ODD kid to another, HUGS.

 

Edited to add: make sure you go BEFORE muster so you don't get sandwiched behind a bunch of people and ask for several of the carnival wrist bands. People here on CC tried to tell me they were impossible to get off. If you have ADHD/ODD, anything is possible.

 

 

HUGS right back. Thanks Everyone for your tips! I do appreciate it. One of the reasons I love cruises is the included childcare. With 5 kids, if we didn't cruise we would need to take a sitter along to get any alone time. :) Also with 5 kids we cannot just leave them at home while WE go away for alone time. So...that being said cruising has provided the best of both worlds for us!

 

Happy Sailing!

[Mrsg324]

Carnival was amazing with my daughter and they even let her choose which group she was most comfortable with. When this occurred, she was at the lowest of the age group so she chose to go down a level. This group she was with was perfect, the children were more along her development range and the (I think it was) 12+ group had scavenger hunts and such. I was much more comfortable with her not being out in the ship without me. I also selected that she could not sign herself out.

It's been several years and I can't remember off hand what group she should have been in. She has also has ADHD with cognitive and developmental delays.

[SadieN]

Your child sounds like our DD.

 

She does not like crowded situations but will endure them if necessary.

Our first cruise was a joy- only 188 pax on an 1800 pax ship. I think we had a whole lifeboat to ourselves.

 

For the other cruises we just let her know what was expected and that it had to be endured. We arrive toward the end of the time alloted so we end up towards the front of the crowd and wait for the crowd to disperse.

(For the Fantasy class ships we are the last ones in line.)

 

In many cruises she only had one problem in the kid's club. It was taken care of to our satisfaction.

Edited March 26, 2014 by SadieN

[skoi13]

Youngest ds has several special needs-- some medical, some cognitive, some behavioral as a result of a rare genetic disorder. He's several grades behind in school, has a speech delay, articulation disorder, hearing loss, tendency to be inattentive. We too, were worried about putting him in Camp Carnival (we sailed right after he turned 9 last Fall) because we had read there was a lot of structure, planned activities, etc. We had cruised DCL previously and they just let him play video games the whole time he was in the club.

 

No problems with Camp Carnival. He had a blast. They gave us a phone in case they needed us, he needed us, etc. They got him involved in activities he would have never tried, and when he needed to stop, or do something else, they let him. This was on the Dream. Staff was great and it was the first cruise he came home with crafts, and talking about dancing and games, winning prizes, etc. He can't wait to sail again.

[iublondie25]

Youngest ds has several special needs-- some medical, some cognitive, some behavioral as a result of a rare genetic disorder. He's several grades behind in school, has a speech delay, articulation disorder, hearing loss, tendency to be inattentive. We too, were worried about putting him in Camp Carnival (we sailed right after he turned 9 last Fall) because we had read there was a lot of structure, planned activities, etc. We had cruised DCL previously and they just let him play video games the whole time he was in the club.

 

No problems with Camp Carnival. He had a blast. They gave us a phone in case they needed us, he needed us, etc. They got him involved in activities he would have never tried, and when he needed to stop, or do something else, they let him. This was on the Dream. Staff was great and it was the first cruise he came home with crafts, and talking about dancing and games, winning prizes, etc. He can't wait to sail again.

 

Phew...we are headed out on the Dream in 11 days and I am so glad to hear it! Thanks! XOXOXO

[skoi13]

Phew...we are headed out on the Dream in 11 days and I am so glad to hear it! Thanks! XOXOXO

 

Make sure you ask for the phone and impress upon them you kid's needs. He had one issue-- which wasn't much of one-- they had something they made that most boys would treat as a sword for play-- well-- he lost his because they told us, "he hit another child"-- the boy he was sitting next to all friendly like watching a movie. I'm thinking-- after talking to him (with his limited speech skills) it was mutual combat, all in fun, but they didn't see it that way. Ehh, didn't matter. He didn't care. If he had been able to express himself better, it wouldn't have been an issue. But I loved the way they engaged him instead of letting him vegetate in front of the Wii. And yes-- bad parents-- we let him do that on Disney because we don't have one at home and figured, well it's his vacation too, if he wants to play video games in the club, let him. But on the Dream-- they really made the effort to work with him and get him engaged.

[iublondie25]

Well bad parent or not. I have been known to use mine craft for a moment peace. So I understand. I want him engaged but I also want some couple alone time. Lol.

 

 

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Marcie and Jay

Five kiddos ages 2-15

Grand Rapids,

Michigan

 

Carnival fascination 2001

Disney fantasy 2011

RCCL Allure of the Seas 2013

[IPlayWithString]

We've cruised twice now, both times on Carnival, with our special needs kiddo. He has ADHD, Asperger's and a bunch of other issues that make his life that much more..um..interesting.

 

I can't say honestly how their kids' club staff is because we've never used it. The last time we cruised we went up, checked out the kid's area and our son said he just wasn't interested. He can be social when he wants to be, but throw him in a room with a bunch of kids he's never met and an adult he doesn't know? Yeah. It's a recipe for disaster.

 

We are trivia addicts, hubby and I both. So we just took our son with us when we played trivia or whatever and he was just fine. I even took him to high tea with me on both sea days and he loved it, especially the little pastries and things. Bubba J does better with adults than kids for some reason..always has. By the time we got off the boat, he had half the female entertainment staff wrapped around his little finger because he had really turned on the charm. :D

[cruzer452]

We travel and cruise with 4 specual needs kids. It normally goes fine but bot perfect. We all still have fun. Some use camp and some do not.

 

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[Cruise Envy]

I'm taking my asperger's 17 year old on his second cruise this November. Carnival will ask during the muster drill if anyone needs special assistance or couldn't get to the lifeboats. If you think the crowd is going to set your kiddo off, take advantage of this!

 

The only real issue we had with my son was over eating in the MDR. It was too long for him, and he really didn't like the food. Perhaps a bad parent moment, but I let him eat pizza most of the week for dinner. He is SO excited about the pizza and ice cream this time. He will spend some time in the room typically to decompress, but as another poster said, it's his vacation too.

[IPlayWithString]

That's something I didn't know about muster drill. I know the last time, when we were standing in 100+ degree heat with no water, etc for an hour (yes..that's how long we were kept at our muster station..it was maddening) he was NOT having any of it. It took both hubby and myself to keep him from melting down. Well..mostly hubby because I was in a crabby mood from being hot, thirst and extremely exhausted by that point.

 

And don't feel bad about the pizza for every meal. It's not like you do it every day at home right? :) I had a Guy's Burger with cheese and loaded with toppings EVERY SINGLE DAY for lunch on our last cruise. LOL I figure if you're on vacation, all "normal" rules concerning food go right out the danged door.

Edited March 27, 2014 by IPlayWithString

[BeyondKen]

John Heald has replied:

 

"John Heald: Hello, please would you pass this along to the author. We are very experienced with situations like this and I assure you that our staff will look after all his needs. I would like you to please contact me via my Facebook page the day before the cruise and please include the cabin number so I can arrange everything with the ship. Thanks, you are very kind."

[iublondie25]

John Heald has replied:

 

"John Heald: Hello, please would you pass this along to the author. We are very experienced with situations like this and I assure you that our staff will look after all his needs. I would like you to please contact me via my Facebook page the day before the cruise and please include the cabin number so I can arrange everything with the ship. Thanks, you are very kind."

 

 

Oh Wow! This is great. Thanks! I totally will do this.

:)

[Cruise Envy]

And don't feel bad about the pizza for every meal. It's not like you do it every day at home right? :)

 

He's going with us on excursions so I'll get him to eat something else for those days. He also has to eat lunch and breakfast with me at least a couple of times. He has always been a picky eater so food is a challenge. I am plotting ahead on what to bring off the ship (sealed cereal boxes?) in case I can't get him to try local food.

[SadieN]

He's going with us on excursions so I'll get him to eat something else for those days. He also has to eat lunch and breakfast with me at least a couple of times. He has always been a picky eater so food is a challenge. I am plotting ahead on what to bring off the ship (sealed cereal boxes?) in case I can't get him to try local food.

 

Sealed cereal boxes (we leave the box onboard, just bring the inner package). ALso you could bring stuff from home- Nutrigrain bars, cheese and crackers, gummies etc.

 

There was a time when our DDs ate a lot of fish sticks. We had to tell them that in Mexico they eat fish sticks wrapped in tortillas. All a matter of presentation, lol.

[IPlayWithString]

I know what you mean. Mine had a hot dog EVERY DANGED night in the MDR for dinner.

 

All the wonderful food he could have chosen from and he eats a hot dog. LOL

[Cruzn4fun14]

Our son is ADD andPDD/NOS (high functioning autism) and reading all the comments, I see parts of him in the other kids mentioned. We were hesitant to cruise again due to crowds, but now he loves it & is addicted. He does ok at the muster drill but sometimes does not want to go to camp carnival too but if they are playing video games he is in. He will also typically get stuck on chicken nuggets & fries for dinner too (ahhh with all the other choices in the mdr) and will eat more pizza on the boat then the rest of the year at home..lol.. Oh--and also a charmer with the women crew members. But he loves to cruise and talk to all the crew members & ask 100 questions on what country they are from.

[SadieN]

I was looking up tender ports and I found this--

 

http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/cruise_control/EMB_guest_specials_requirements.aspx?icid=CC_Footer_87

 

Last section is about children

[IPlayWithString]

Cruiznfun14--that last bit made me giggle a little as on our last cruise when we went to the Meet the Captain reception (or whatever it's called), Bubba J seemed particularly fascinated with the British officers. He asked them 84,000 questions.

Edited March 28, 2014 by IPlayWithString
Apparently I no can read gud :-P

[iublondie25]

Thanks everyone!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Marcie and Jay

Five kiddos ages 2-15

Grand Rapids,

Michigan

 

Carnival fascination 2001

Disney fantasy 2011

RCCL Allure of the Seas 2013