What about mental handicaps??

[beege44]

We are planning to take my 29 y.o. autistic son on a Carnival cruise. Picture a polite 5 y.o. in a 6'5" man's body, add in a little rocking and occasional finger flapping and you have a good picture. I know he will enjoy the water slide and the dancing. I don't want to offend anyone so I thought we would ask for a table for 4 at the early seating (just his parents, one caregiver, and Richard) Will this be hard to get? Can arrangements be made ahead of time? Has anyone travelled with a mentally handicapped adult who could offer any suggestions? I am sure there is someone who will react negatively but most people respond very positively to my son. I am hoping we can all enjoy a lovely vacation.

[xxoocruiser]

We are planning to take my 29 y.o. autistic son on a Carnival cruise. Picture a polite 5 y.o. in a 6'5" man's body, add in a little rocking and occasional finger flapping and you have a good picture. I know he will enjoy the water slide and the dancing. I don't want to offend anyone so I thought we would ask for a table for 4 at the early seating (just his parents, one caregiver, and Richard) Will this be hard to get? Can arrangements be made ahead of time? Has anyone travelled with a mentally handicapped adult who could offer any suggestions? I am sure there is someone who will react negatively but most people respond very positively to my son. I am hoping we can all enjoy a lovely vacation.

 

 

Yes you can request your table preference at the time of booking. You can also contact the Cruise line's Special Need Department to follow up on your requet. If you are unable to get a table for 4 confirmed prior to departure. Don't worry. Just head directly to the Main Dining after boarding and speak to the Matre D'. Certain he will do everthing to honor your request under the circumstances. Just be advised that the change might not happen first evening but it will certainly happen by the second.

 

My brother has an adult autistic son and my neice has a young 6 year old son with a brain disorder that mimics some of the same things that you have described. But it's s not autism. Instead something with a long name that I can't promounce or spell They both have always been able to get table arrangements worked out to their satisfaction. They also pack familiar items so my nephews are comfortable in the new surroundings. They both pack some of their favorite treats that might not accessible on the ship.

 

If I were traveling on the same cruise , I'd be more than honored to enjoy dining with your family. Remember those that feel offended by your son's actions are too self absorb in their own world to recognize that your son can teach them a lot about the simplier joys in life. :)

[GRBlizz]

I agree with xxoo - I would enjoy meeting your family, and I think you would enjoy meeting other people. The cruise line will almost certainly grant your request if you ask, but if you want to venture out and meet some new people, I think you should do it!

[kitty9]

This is definitely something that you can do. I suggest taking this question over to the Family Cruising board, as there are a few posters there with autistic children who have already cruised with their kids.

[EileenN]

We cruise frequently with our Developmentally Disabled daughter and she is socially more advanced for it. She enjoys a lot off he ship's activities and especially the casino. We travel NCL because of the freestyle cruising. It allows us to eat any time and get a table for our needs easily. I also take a portable DVD player to take the edge off the impatient moments. Some movies are favorites but you can also record favorite TV programs or music. She is a great fan of Bocelli. It is peaceful. Good luck and don't worry about others, just concentrate on making your life better. Everyone esle will!!!

[sassy73]

We are planning to take my 29 y.o. autistic son on a Carnival cruise. Picture a polite 5 y.o. in a 6'5" man's body, add in a little rocking and occasional finger flapping and you have a good picture. I know he will enjoy the water slide and the dancing. I don't want to offend anyone so I thought we would ask for a table for 4 at the early seating (just his parents, one caregiver, and Richard) Will this be hard to get? Can arrangements be made ahead of time? Has anyone travelled with a mentally handicapped adult who could offer any suggestions? I am sure there is someone who will react negatively but most people respond very positively to my son. I am hoping we can all enjoy a lovely vacation.

 

If I were on the cruise, I would sit with you guys too.:) I have Cerebral Palsy, no behavior issues, but have a speech impairment, and I worry, just a little, how people will react to me. It is sad we even have to worry. I always think of people with Autism as just being too stimulated. I have no advice just wanted to give you my support.

[pe4all]

We have been cruising and traveling extensively with dd21 since she has been 4 years old. While not autistic, she is developmentally disabled, with a seizure disorder, sp/la delay, and adhd. She is an absolute pleasure to be around, polite, and with a heart as big as the earth. We always request a table for 4 (she has a younger sister - dd now 18) as she sometimes has problems making decisions on what to eat, and we wouldn't want to "disrupt" anyone else's dinner. (especially around dinnertime, as her meds wear off a bit then) We contact Carnival's special needs dept., and they fax us a form to fill out. She really needs no special accomodations besides this. We always check with the dining room when we board to make sure they got the request. It is easy to switch tables, if need be. Have never had a problem. Enjoy the cruise!

[WinterSky]

I find that any polite fellow passenger that I encounter adds a positive note to my cruise experience. A cruise is a wonderful, relaxed opportunity where we can slow down a bit and interact with people we may otherwise never have met. Diversity among those individuals blesses us by adding additional dimension and texture to our perspective.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

WinterSky

[Texas4808]

We are planning to take my 29 y.o. autistic son on a Carnival cruise. Picture a polite 5 y.o. in a 6'5" man's body, add in a little rocking and occasional finger flapping and you have a good picture. I know he will enjoy the water slide and the dancing. I don't want to offend anyone so I thought we would ask for a table for 4 at the early seating (just his parents, one caregiver, and Richard) Will this be hard to get? Can arrangements be made ahead of time? Has anyone travelled with a mentally handicapped adult who could offer any suggestions? I am sure there is someone who will react negatively but most people respond very positively to my son. I am hoping we can all enjoy a lovely vacation.

 

 

I highly recommend that you book through a travel agency called Alumni Cruises. They run a program called Autism on the Seas. A group of 4 families with an autistic child joined 13 other families on a cruise out of Galveston last April. I have a 12 year old 6 foot tall severely Autistic son.

 

AOS has their act together. They make sure you get priority boarding, provide group meetings, an AOS cruise itinerary, private seating at dinner for the group and have an autism expert as part of their staff.

 

Do a search for for Autism on the Seas. You won't be sorry. You will make new friends with people who really understand your daily life.

[Texas4808]

A group of 4 families with an autistic child joined 13 other families on a cruise out of Galveston last April. I have a 12 year old 6 foot tall severely Autistic son.

 

Sorry, I couldn't edit my post. These 2 sentences should have read...

 

Our group of 4 families each with an autistic child joined 13 other families with Autistic children on a cruise out of Galveston last April. I have a 12 year old 6 foot tall severely Autistic son so I can somewhat relate to your situation.

[gerif]

Sorry, I couldn't edit my post. These 2 sentences should have read...

 

Our group of 4 families each with an autistic child joined 13 other families with Autistic children on a cruise out of Galveston last April. I have a 12 year old 6 foot tall severely Autistic son so I can somewhat relate to your situation.

 

Do they have cruises in other areas? Our DGS is 10 (doctor predicts he will be 6'5" when fully grown) and is also severely autistic (no speech, communicates with his parents, but ignores everyone else, including his older sister, limited potty training, etc.). This would be great as his parents get absolutely no respite. We live near enough to leave from Bayonne (don't think flying with him would be an option).

[Texas4808]

Do they have cruises in other areas? Our DGS is 10 (doctor predicts he will be 6'5" when fully grown) and is also severely autistic (no speech, communicates with his parents, but ignores everyone else, including his older sister, limited potty training, etc.). This would be great as his parents get absolutely no respite. We live near enough to leave from Bayonne (don't think flying with him would be an option).

 

They have a cruise departing Bayonne in August 2010.