Cruise with uncle questions

[bearette]

My uncle has downs syndrome and is on the severe end. He can walk, but he doesn't do stairs well and can't walk for a long period of time. He uses a walker to make him more stable and we uses a manual wheelchair ( he couldn't work a mobility scooter). He is rather large and we have an oversized shower chair and raised toilet with a grab bar at home.  I have done a lot of cruises, but never with my uncle and I would like too take him in the next year out of LA or San Diego ( driving distance). He also needs pureed or finally chopped food.  For these issues, would you recommend a particular cruise line or ship? Is there anything specific I should look into? I know I would need to message the assistance department before hand, but is there anything I need to think of or ask about? Trying to start planning and I want it to be a successful trip. Th a is for your advice!

[Essiesmom]

What is his developmental age, and how does he handle strange situations, and crowds?  I don’t think food will be an issue, just let the staff know the first night.  I would choose a short cruise first, on the smallest ship available.  
Have you cruised before?  Plus size people manage in the less than roomy showers, but even a small shower stool takes up most of the space in the shower (I tried one on Princess).  If you haven’t cruised before, I suggest you try one and observe things with an eye to how your uncle would handle it.  It sounds as though you would be in the role of caregiver, which can be a 24/7 job…. EM

[bearette]

I have done many cruise, just not with him. He is developmentally about 3 years. I was thinking the same thing to do a 3/4 day first.

[1025cruise]

How nice of you to want to include your uncle on a cruise.

I'm sure it will be no issue to get pureed foods on board, no matter which line you select.

I would recommend getting an accessible cabin. That should provide more room in the shower for the stool, plus no step.

Just be aware that for you, this will be a different type of cruise. You'll probably want to book another cruise shortly afterwards (without your uncle) to recover 🙂

[willoL]

@bearette Is there any chance another loving family member (or members) might enjoy this vacation plan together with you and your uncle? Having someone to give you a break once in a while might make it a much better experience overall, even if you are the primary caregiver and another relative is more of a backup/occasional helper.

 

Being a primary caregiver is easier for me when I know on what schedule I will get a respite to rest and recuperate. Especially because I have my own physical limitations, which developed while I was a stay-at-home mother (and before going through end of life hospice care for my mother, or assisting Dad after knee replacements.)

 

That said, if you're already the primary caregiver to your uncle, taking a cruise might still offer some relief and relaxation. Getting the cooking and cleaning done by someone else is always a welcome change for me. How much so will depend a lot on how your uncle handles major disruptions to his routine. Some people are delighted by novelty; others struggle with transitions into adulthood. (I think this applies both to typical folks and those with special needs; we all have unique personalities.)

 

I hope it works out wonderfully for you!

[bearette]

Thank you for the feedback. My grandmother passed away this year and she was his primary caregiver and now I am taking over his care. I would be going with my husband, two kids, another uncle I care for ( though he is a lot less work!)  and my mom so I would have help. I do the showering and what I fondly call the " fun stuff". I have another Aunt and Uncle who help me out, but I am not sure they would do a cruise. 

 

They both have birthdays at the end of the year so I thought a cruise for their birthday would be fun and a nice treat. Disney Cruise Line would be in town around then and I think that would be a great experience, but a lot of $$$. I can do a week for the same cost as the 4 day, but a 4 day may be enough!

[InNeedOfSaltWater]

I have nothing to add to this except to say you are an awesome niece.

[VirginiaIsForCruisers]

I agree with the suggestion to look into an accessible cabin as the roll in shower would give you maneuvering room while helping him. Also, at least on NCL, the shower in the non-accessible cabin I saw was super tiny. I'm a large person and would have been uncomfortable in it alone, much less with a helper.

 

I have only sailed on NCL and Royal. I met one person on one of my NCL trips who had a need for pureed food and said that they were super accommodating. She did work with their special needs department before the cruise and met with a chef on the first day to review her needs.

 

I also agree with the suggestion of a smaller ship. The only NCL ships I've been on are the jewel class, which I love. They are easy to navigate, with three elevator banks. Also, the only thing that is a real challenge to access is the aft MDR. That is only accessible by a single elevator, which can cause a long wait. I just go to the midship MDR, which serves the same menu and is easier to access. On Royal, I've only gone on Voyager class ships. As a wheelchair user, the fact that the handicapped seating area of the main theater on the Voyager ships is only accessible via one set of elevators is frustrating, requiring me to get to the theater very early and stay for a long time (up to 30 minutes) after the show is over to get an elevator.

 

I don't know how your uncle is with loud noise and visual distraction. To me, the Royal ships I've been on have been loud and sort of overwhelming visually. I prefer a more low key setting. I'm actually trying a trip on Holland America next year at a friend's suggestion, since I get overwhelmed easily.

 

I hope your voyage with your family goes smoothly!

 

 

[GeezerCouple]

On 7/23/2022 at 11:43 PM, bearette said:

I have done many cruise, just not with him. He is developmentally about 3 years. I was thinking the same thing to do a 3/4 day first.

 

This is very nice, and I'm glad that you will have several other family members around to help out occasionally.  (Of course, some of them could need their own attention, but that's a different issue!)

 

I suggest letting the Special Needs/Access Desk at NCL know about this well in advance.  They have no doubt already dealt with other similar passenger needs/requests.  That includes the food, of course, but it might be good to have the crew who will be in the area of your cabin to be prepared.  This could include the steward and any assistants or others who may take over some shifts.  This might give NCL a chance to try to have experienced crew there.  (Note: I have no idea how NCL handles this, but I assume that they would want to make it as easy as possible for both the guests and the crew.)

 

They will probably give you contact information for someone about food preparation.  Because everything needs to be pureed, it's probably not going to work well to wait until there is a menu just before a meal.

We've found that they can provide menus the evening before, and then one can select the choices for the next day.  That way, the preferred foods can be prepared the right way, be it pureed, no salt added, no <allergy food>, etc.  This way you can help your uncle to get the foods that you know he tends to like.  Be sure to let them know things like "not spicy" (or for some people, extra spicy!).  Give NCL information similar to what you'd give friends if you are visiting for a few days.

 

Does he handle crowds and noise okay?  Some of the shorter cruises especially, depending upon itinerary, can be a bit noisy/etc.

 

And try to plan in advance, so that you can get an "accessible" cabin.  There aren't too many of those.  Not having an enclosed shower will probably be a big help.

Will you be needing to bring along extra care items such as waterproof sheets?

 

Enjoy!

GC

 

Edited July 25, 2022 by GeezerCouple

[Essiesmom]

Please note that the OP has not said anything about NCL.  So, as far as short cruises go, there is much more choice out of LA than San Diego, and at much more reasonable rates.  How old are your own children?  What would they require of a cruise?  I assume you have taken them on your other cruises so you know what they liked at various ages.  I think I would book a short cruise on the smallest ship - that you can get an accessible cabin on.  The ports may not be exciting, but this is an experiment, and if it doesn’t work well, you will be off soon, and know what to do different the next time.  EM

[kokopelli-az]

To the OP:  you might check with Royal Caribbean.   They have short cruises out of Los Angeles.   Their website states:

 

Royal Caribbean offers an autism friendly initiative for families living with autism, Down Syndrome and other developmental disabilities.

 

For adults they offer:  

 

• Expedited check-in, boarding and departure
• Special dietary accommodations including gluten-free

 

But in any event, no matter what cruise line you decide to go with, definitely contact their Access Department ahead of time so they will be aware.
 

[DRS/NC]

Princess tends to be a quieter line (many of us pax are older).  They have a few shorter cruises along the Calif. coast.

 

Their "accessible cabins" have large bathroom w/very accessible showers -- lots of grab bars.  I have appreciated these facilities several times.

 

Good Luck!  You are kind and brave!

[cruisinmama26]

Hi There! Ok first let me start off by saying ...you are an awesome niece!!

I have a daughter with Down Syndrome she is 15 and she has been cruising for quite a while. Ive also been in travel over 20 years. We are booked on NCL in November so I only have experience with them via email so far. However, Carnival by far has had THE BEST accommodations for special needs so far. We are also out of CA, 45 min away from Long Beach. I would definitely start out with a 4 day. A little calmer than a 3 day. They will set everything up via email and be waiting for you at the port to personally escort your uncle and his party onto the ship. You'll be able to go straight to your room to settle in. I know this is important for us 🙂. Im not sure about post covid muster drills, but before, you were able to have a quiet private muster station room for your party. Royal Caribbean on the other hand,...we really had a terrible experience with them. No one was on the same page from the boarding process  all the way through. The security pretty much drug us out of the cabin for the muster drill after several officers told us to stay put. It was a mess!!. Please let me know if you need any help or have any other questions.