What's Included
Your one inclusive cruise price
includes
•
Royal Caribbean
Standard Services (see below)
•
Autism Group
Cruises Exclusive Services (see below)
Royal
Caribbean Standard Services
All services that Royal Caribbean provides on their cruises
are included.
Almost
everything is taken care of - your accommodations, gourmet
meals in our dining rooms and cafés, and snacks throughout
the day. All activities including our amazing fitness
center, entertainment and our award-winning
Adventure Ocean® Youth Program are all paid for.
Click here for
information on our Special Children's Program Grouping Rules
Even
24-hour room service is included.
To learn more, Click here to go to RCL website for more details.
Please note
If you book with another Agency, or direct with Royal Caribbean everything listed below is NOT included.
Autism
Group Cruises
- Exclusive Services and Activities
...brought
to you by "Autism on the Seas"
All family members are
welcome to participate in all activities.
SERVICES
Our Guidance
We've
made cruising with autism our expertise and we're here to
help
you. Please feel free to
contact us with any
questions or concerns, especially as it relates to autism
and cruising.
Autism Awareness Cruise Staff
Most, if not all, Cruise Staff members,
especially those in the children's program, have
experience dealing with children that have autism.
Additionally, we will be providing the cruise staff
members, who will be in contact with our group, with
autism awareness training specifically focused on
providing ways in dealing with children and adults with
autism. We will also be working, and assisting directly
with, the cruise staff during the entire cruise with any
issues that may arise.
Disability Access and Services
(including the ability to bring Service Animals)
Please visit our "Access
on the Seas" web pages for more information.
All of your needs and requests will be coordinated by
us, see our Booking Form for how we gather your
information.
Group
Excursion Opportunities and Assistance
There are
some shore excursions that are better suited and
accommodating to your families needs than others.
While on each cruise, we will coordinate PRIVATE
meetings with the onboard Cruise Line Excursion
Specialists, where they will make recommendations, and
answer any questions and concerns you might have in
making Excursion Plans for each port we will visit.
You can also use this opportunity to see which
excursions other families are taking to help coordinate
plans to go as a group.
NOTE: You can
certainly book excursions before the cruise (on the
cruise line website) and you can also change or cancel
them once onboard.
Pre-Cruise Questionnaire
This questionnaire will be sent to you to
complete approx. 3-5 weeks prior to each cruise. It is
designed to collect general information on each person
that will be traveling with us that has autism. This
information will be used to help us customize the
activities we provide, and to prepare the staff for your
children.
Cruise PECS
We offer a variety of
PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) pictures to our
guests traveling with non-verbal children and/or
adults. The photos depict a number of actual events
that take place during our cruises to help families
develop a cruise picture schedule. Our PECS photo
library offers parents a number of choices they may want
to use along with the child’s usual picture icons.
A printable link to the PECS is available to our
guests approximately 2-4 weeks prior to their cruise.
If
you need assistance in creating an onboard PECS schedule for your child, feel free to let us know.
Cruise Social Story
A special “Social Story” has been created
to assist our families traveling with children on the
spectrum. The Social Story is designed to assist
children with what they can expect on the first day of
the cruise. A printable link to the Social Story is
available to our guests approximately 2-4 weeks prior to
their cruise. We are constantly working to improve our
service and provide families with the tools to ensure a
successful transition on their vacation.
Priority Boarding onto
Ship
We provide our group a separate
"Priority Check-In" line at the port,
for getting on the ship. This greatly reduces the time
in the normal lines.
Priority
Disembarkation from Ship
We provide our group with separate luggage arrangements
and first group called for getting off the ship. This
allows for an expedited departure the morning the ship
returns to port. Having separate luggage tags
keeps our luggage in a group for easy retrieval.
Group Dining Seating (Early Dining)
We will be able to
guarantee approx the first 250 or so passengers in the
early dining time for dinner (the earlier you book the more likely
you will be guaranteed the early dining time).
Private Dining
You and your family
can dine in a Private Dining Room/Area and will be seated with
your family, friends and other Autism Group Families for
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
You and your family
will also have the SAME Table/Seating, with the
SAME Wait Staff for Breakfast, Lunch and
Dinner.
Other dining venues are
provided as well, as it is your choice to dine where you
please for every meal......
Private Muster Drill Area
We provide our group with an inside air conditioned
lounge, which replaces the traditional standing
side-by-side, outside on deck with hundreds of other
passengers.
Professional Autism Staff
We have Autism Group Specialist(s) on staff
to support and supplement the onboard children’s staff. The
Autism Group Specialist(s) coordinates Private events and
will be available throughout the cruise. The Autism Group
Specialist(s) will also be available to answer any questions
prior to, and as you prepare for your cruise. See our
Contact page.
The Autism Group Specialist(s) will
coordinate the Private events and will be available to answer any
questions onboard the cruise.
Professional Medical Physicians and Nurses
The medical staff on-board the
ship will have information regarding autism. However, if
your child with autism has any specific medical issues, then
you will need to provide that information when booking your
cruise. It is important to remember to bring all
medications and any other paperwork that the doctor on-board
would need to properly treat your child.
Special Dietary Accommodations
We work
with the Cruise Line to meet most, if not all, of the
dietary accommodations for each guest. Special dietary
requests include:
Food allergies
Vegetarian (except vegan/macrobiotic)
Low-fat
Low-sodium
Lactose-free/soy milk
Indian-style vegetarian meals
Kosher
Requests MUST be received 45
days in advance in order to be accommodated.
Kosher
for Passover meals
Requests MUST be received 60
days in advance in order to be accommodated.
Gluten/Cassien Free Diet
Each cruise includes
the following basic GFCF items available at meals:
Bread
French Fries
Chicken Fingers
Pancakes
French Toast
Scrambled Eggs
Grilled Chicken Breast
Steak
Fish
(Cod, Salmon, Tilapia, Lobster, Shrimp, ect),
grilled or broiled
Vegetables
Fruit
Ice Cream
Other items may be
available as well, and special requests are welcome,
once onboard. You are welcome to bring your
own GFCF food and beverages, as long as they are in
an un-opened original packaging/container.
Some items, like pasta, can be brought onboard and
prepared by the ship chef's.
Special Gifts
Various gifts will be given to
everyone. Some of the gifts will include Autism Family
Cruise apparel, game prizes, etc.
Special Potty Training Provisions
The guidelines for individuals with
autism who are not
potty trained are as follows:
If an individual is
less than 3 years of age
by the cruise date, then:
- Participation
IS allowed in the Fisher-Price Aqua Babies
and Aqua Tots
Programs. This program requires parents to participate as well.
- Participation
IS NOT allowed in the
Adventure Ocean Program. This program
is for individuals 3 years or older.
- Participation IS allowed in the "Autism on
the Seas" activities and events.
If
an individual is more than 3 years of age
by the cruise date, then:
- Participation
MAY BE allowed in the Fisher-Price Aqua
Babies and Aqua Tots
Programs, if the parent feels this is the appropriate grouping for their child. This
program requires parents to participate as
well. Special restrictions may apply
here, please contact Alumni Cruises if you have any questions.
- Participation IS allowed in the Adventure
Ocean Program. A consent form must
be completed by a parent or guardian, and:
• A pager,
walkie-talkie or ship phone is required to allow the
counselors the ability to
reach a parent if necessary.
• One
Parent or guardian must be present on the ship
whenever
their child is in
the program.
- Participation IS allowed in the "Autism on
the Seas" activities and events.
Exemption for Dinner Dress Code
People with
Autism have been granted a complete
exemption
to these
guidelines, so they may wear whatever they are most
comfortable wearing, when attending Dinner in the Main
Dining Rooms.
Special Requests and Needs
If you have any other special
requests that would assist you or your child with autism in having
an extra special vacation, then please specify when booking
or contact us.
ACTIVITIES
All activities will be structured to match each individual’s
abilities, and will accommodate people with autism of all
ages.
Adults with Autism Activities
Adults with Autism are welcome on
every one of our Group Cruises. We will also have
periodic Adult Focused Group Cruises.
There will be
opportunities for our adults to socialize in low key,
quiet areas, and we will have PRIVATE gatherings planned
as a great
get-away from the hustle and bustle of all of the ships
activities.
Many PRIVATE activities will be custom planned for each cruise,
based on the preferences of our adults with autism.
These activities may include Karaoke, Dance Parties,
Board Game Sessions, Group Shore Excursions, and more...
All of the other activities and services listed on this
page, will also be available to every adult.
Children's Program Activities (Cruise Line sponsored)
Royal
Caribbean has an award winning children's program called
Adventure Ocean, for children ages 3-12.
Note: Children 6 months to 3 years can participate in
the Fisher Price Aqua Tots program. Teens, ages 13-18
can participate in Teen related activities.
Staff
Adventure Ocean is staffed by professionals with college
degrees majoring in the health care, education and/or
psychology/sociology fields. The staff has experience
caring for children with autism, and regularly cares for
children with autism on a regular basis. Our "Autism on
the Seas" staff provides additional training and
preparatory informational sessions with the staff, that
includes a review of the Questionnaires completed by the
parents for their children. While our children are in
Adventure Ocean, they receive special care from one or
more staff members specifically assigned to them. Our
"Autism on the Seas" staff is in constant contact with
the Adventure Ocean staff.
Activities
The
regular Adventure Ocean activities are available for
each child to participate in, which include: video
games, movies, group games, educational (science
related) activities, and much more,
click here for more info.
Aside from the regular activities, our children will
receive customized care, that will include activities
provided to them, based on there special needs and
likes/dislikes. If your child wants to just sit and
watch a movie, play a video game, or any other activity,
then that is what they'll do....
Schedule
The
Adventure Ocean program provides the opportunity to have
your children cared for throughout each day and
evening. This wonderful drop off service, allows you to
bring your children to the program any time of day, and
pick them up any time.
Special Child Grouping
Royal
Caribbean's policy is to group children by their age in
Adventure Ocean. Our children are allowed to be grouped
by their ability, not their age.
Private Group Meeting
A
Private Group Meeting with the Adventure Ocean
Management staff is provided for the parents to register
their children (siblings too) and to discuss their
individual child's abilities and situation.
Private Adventure Ocean Open House
We
will provide a Private Open House in Adventure Ocean
just for our group. This usually takes place the first
morning of the cruise, before Adventure Ocean opens.
Our staff, along with the Adventure Ocean staff will
play host and parents will be able to visit the actual
areas of Adventure Ocean, ask questions and discuss the
program with the staff.
Beepers and Access
Beepers are provided so parents can be contacted when
their children are in the Adventure Ocean program,
should the need arise. You may visit Adventure Ocean
any time, even to just catch a peak to see how your
child is doing. You may also call Adventure Ocean at
any time, form any where on the ship, using any of the
ship's public phones or your cabin phone.
Private Family Activities
Royal
Caribbean's policy is to not allow adults to remain in
the Adventure Ocean rooms during activities, for
security purposes. We provide special and private times
within Adventure Ocean, where all of our family members,
including the parents, are able to participate.
Please note:
- The children's program is closed from
1:00AM to 9:00AM. A small fee is applicable
between the hours of 10:00PM to 1:00AM.
Autism Group Private
Family Activities
These activities
may include some or all of the following:
Scavenger Hunts, Arts and Crafts, Animal Bingo,
Karaoke, Dancing and more.
Each of these events will be private to our group only,
and will allow the participation of everyone in our
group, including parents, siblings, grandparents and
friends!! Many of these activities include prizes.
Parent's Play Time
Some of our events (parties,
activities, movies) will
give parents an opportunity to enjoy adult activities
while children are being cared for by staff.
See the Children's Program section (above) for
opportunities to have your children cared for by
professionals during the day and evening.
Private Group Parties
We'll have parties, some themed (Mardi Gras, Pirates,
ect) that will allow the group families to socialize and
have fun together.
Pool (water sensory related)
Activities
We will coordinate
various water related sensory activities in and out of
the pool.
Private Movie Showings
We will be showing
specially selected
animated, non-animated and other movie favorites in a private room just
for our group throughout each cruise.
PRIVATE Ship Venue Entertainment
Sessions
We
provide private
sessions for our entire group (siblings, parents,
friends and family) to participate in many of the ships
entertainment venues, such as:
- The "Rock Wall"
- The "Jump
Zone (bungee trampoline)"
- The "Ice Skating Rink"
- The "Inline
Skating Course"
- The "Pool
Slide"
- The "Shuffle
Board Court"
- The "Basketball
Court"
- The "Flow-Rider"
- The "Mini-Golf Course"
- The "Night (Disco) Club" for Family Dancing
- Bridge Tours
- Back Stage Theatre Tours
- Piano Sing-Alongs
Some or
all of the above mentioned activities will be provided
depending on ship facilities, cruise itinerary and other
activities.
Sibling Activities
Siblings of individuals
with autism will have the opportunity to interact with
other siblings who understand what each other is going
through. There will be special tables designated
for siblings during certain activities that will allow the
siblings to interact with each other in a less formal
setting. The siblings will also have many other opportunities
throughout the cruise to socialize with others
that understand and support them.
Teen Social Gatherings
These are
opportunities for our teenagers with autism and siblings
alike, to socialize in and participate in appropriate teenager
related activities.
......Anything Else?
If there is something not listed here that you think we
should have, please let us know. Visit the
Contact Page
to get in touch with us.
*Services are subject to change without notice, restrictions may apply and services for each cruise will be finalized
during each cruise.
