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.