Scroll
down to read Testimonials from past guests.
As of 2011, pictures and video's from our cruises
can be found on
FaceBook and YouTube
AotS Pictures
AotS
Video's
One of our favorite
testimonials....
"As the grandparent of an autistic youngster, it was a pleasure to
cruise with autism on the seas...Max seemed to enjoy every
minute, as did his "typical sister, Hannah," his parents,
and his grandparents. We loved the fact that Max could
just be Max, and never be judged, and that his parents could
relax and take a deep breath, and just enjoy being parents.
The opportunity for Katy and Russell to bond with other
parents who do understand what it means to wake up in their
shoes, while also having lots of fun, is invaluable.
Katy and Russell were more relaxed then I have seen them in
years, and the entire family had a great time. They have
raved about AotS for years, and I am glad that my husband,
daughter and I were able to share in this experience.
Thank you for allowing extended families to participate."
Debbie Shelkowitz - New York ~~~ June '12 Cruise
2012 Cruises
“Mike, Jamie, Dennis, were
all great. It was very touching meeting and bonding with
Dennis and getting to know an autistic adult. All of the
staff were very friendly and loving even during their free
time when they saw us they were running up to us to speak to
us. They were great.”
Rachel McDonald - ~~~
October '12 Cruise
“Again I would like to say
"Thank You” for a wonderful trip filled with great
activities/experiences and an amazing staff.....no words can
express how much we appreciate all your hard work and
effort....we met so many wonderful families and hope to stay
in touch.....as you know, I am a special educator (ABA
therapist) and will be spreading the word to the families I
work with and co-workers about Autism on the Seas......I
want as many families as possible to be able to have the
same wonderful experience that we did!”
Angela Donadio - ~~~
October '12 Cruise
“We love the entire staff,
and how they responded to Connor and the other children.
I will not cruise without AotS staff ever again. Not
only did they provide support for the kids, they also
provide support for the parents. We miss you guys
already!”
Janine Garick - ~~~
August '12 Cruise
“Absolutely amazing!
The staff is fantastic and we could not have done it or ever
attempted to do it without you. Can't wait to do it
again!! Already planning our next cruise!”
Holley - ~~~ August
'12 Cruise
“You provide a wonderful
service and experience. The staff felt like part of our
family. We are telling everyone about this. We have
already started to plan our budget to save for the next
one.”
Dara Turner - ~~~
August '12 Cruise
“We absolutely LOVED our
cruise and the AotS Staff!!! Have not stopped talking
about it since returning home. Definitely will book another
cruise and interested in the land resort opportunities as
well!”
Valerie Nelson - ~~~
August '12 Cruise
“Jamie and the others were
absolutely wonderful! I've been telling everyone how awesome
they are and how great a time we had. Sarah can't wait to go
again but for a longer cruise this time.”
Ruth West - ~~~
August '12 Cruise
“The AotS staff is a
remarkable group of people who have such a total
understanding of children with special needs. We would
probably never be able to go on a cruise if it weren't for
AotS. Our daughter is so happy on these cruises, and
really experiences a sense of belonging. It is amazing
to be on such a huge cruise ship, and yet feel as if we are
with our cozy little AotS family!”
Cathy B - ~~~ July
'12 Cruise
“THANK YOU for all you and
your staff do. We are SO happy to have met so many
wonderful people that gave our children a vacation
experience that we wanted for them. We will definitely be
with you again!!!”
Gary Borghello - ~~~
July '12 Cruise
“All of your staff were
friendly, experienced, fun, funny, welcoming, supportive,
patient and positive!! You know how to pick perfect
people!!”
Alicia Penzel - ~~~
July '12 Cruise
“Being
associated with AotS and all the advanced preparations with
the Cruise line by AotS makes going on vacation a very
pleasant experience… AotS staff is always a pleasure to
work with. I love seeing the staff that we have cruised
with before like Dennis and Mandy, and meeting the new staff
is just like adding to the family”
Angela Hanratty - New York
~~~ June '12 Cruise
“The staff was truly happy
to be with both our children, and showed great patience and
understanding. Love how the staff seemed to really
connect with our daughter as well, and that they were so
positive no matter what. One staff member from Florida even
told us to contact him if we plan a trip to Disney
World...said he would be glad to accompany us and help out.
Other staff provided contact info to keep in touch and were
sincerely hoping to see us again at a future cruise!”
Suzannah Hrenko - ~~~
June '12 Cruise
“Everything helped me prepare my son for the trip…The dance party
with AotS and the Disney characters was a lot of fun for my
son and I. It was a good opportunity for all the families
traveling together to interact with each other as well…. My
son enjoyed the time with the AotS staff… Everyone I
encountered gave us exceptional service with a smile…. I am
telling everyone I know about the staff. Everyone was
friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and capable with the
children. Mike and Jamie are committed to the mission
of AotS and I want to help them reach as many families as
possible. You are doing a great work…. We really enjoyed
ourselves and look forward to another opportunity to travel
with AotS” ”
Leonette Chapman
- New Jersey ~~~ June '12 Cruise
“Being associated with AotS and all the advanced preparations with
the Cruise line by AotS makes going on vacation a very
pleasant experience… AotS staff is always a pleasure
to work with. I love seeing the staff that we have cruised
with before like Dennis and Mandy, and meeting the new staff
is just like adding to the family”
Angela Hanratty
- New York ~~~ June '12 Cruise
“The staff were truly happy to be with both our children, and showed
great patience and understanding. Love how the staff
seemed to really connect with our typical daughter as well,
and that they were so positive no matter what. One staff
member from Florida even told us to contact him if we plan a
trip to Disney World... said he would be glad to accompany
us and help out. Other staff provided contact info to keep
in touch and were sincerely hoping to see us again at a
future cruise!... We felt like family!! Jamie and
Dennis were excellent, so was everyone else. Our daughter
nicknamed many staff (Dennis was Kiwi, etc) and they all
just played along and had a great time…. We also are
just amazed at how our son was so comfortable with him and
the other staff. We also really enjoyed meeting the other
families and felt we all got along well.”
Suzannah Hrenko
- Pennsylvania~~~ June '12 Cruise
“The staff was great. My son actually went to the drop off sessions
without any difficulty. We were very surprised…The staff was
very caring and dedicated. They did an outstanding job.
Jamie is excellent…I thought the staff did a wonderful job
with getting my son to participate in the group activities.
He loves his Autism on the Seas tattoo.”
Jeannette Perkins
- New York ~~~ June '12 Cruise
“It was great and eased a lot of concerns we had about the
cruise…WONDERFUL… So kind and patient. Felt comfortable
leaving my son with AotS staff. Patient with parents
too!...
Everyone was so helpful and nice from the booking to the
debarking.”
Paige Pape
- Maryland ~~~ June '12 Cruise
“This
was the first time in 4 years I felt "normal" and not
"judged" by all around me for how my kids behave. Everyone
was kind, understanding, helpful, and all around wonderful
to my family…everything was perfect! Could not ask for more!
It was the best of the best for my whole family… Thank you
to all the staff for making our vacation such a happy
experience for my family!! I
LOVE the staff!! I thought they ALL were above and
beyond!! They were SO helpful and yes above and beyond
for my kids!...."
Valerie Brooks -
North Carolina ~~~ May '12 Cruise
“This was
such a wonderful experience for my whole family. We
want to thank everyone for going the extra mile, making us
feel comfortable and making my children feel special…
We had a wonderful time, met wonderful families and people."
Youla Efthimiou -
New York ~~~ May '12 Cruise
“The Staff was great with
the kids. Nice to be able to get staff members to
babysit for two hours so we could have free time.
Overall we had a great time! Hope to do another trip
in the future. Met great people. Tyler had a great
time. I will share my experience with my support
group!"
Appleman family -
Pennsylvania ~~~ May '12 Cruise
“I
don't even know where to begin. The Staff.....these
people changed our lives forever....they were beautiful!
I will never forget there beautiful smiles!!!! All of
them were great with our children… I am so sad to think I
may never see these wonderful people who touched the life of
my children and my family.... I must see them all again!"
Janie Robinson -
New York ~~~ May '12 Cruise
“We had an amazing time
experiencing our first cruise with the AoTS crew. Every
staff member was very respectful and loving to my family. I
loved that every activity that was offered to our special
needs child, was also offered for the siblings as well. I
appreciate that all of the staff saw these special need
children as children, and not a diagnosis. All of you made
this such a memorable vacation that I will not forget and
will cherish!!! Thanks again!!!”
Jessica Castro - ~~~
March '12 Cruise
“I can't say enough about
you and your staff--amazing! Many staff members would even
engage the kids on their own time--Chelsea spent her lunch
break one day playing with Alex in the pool and several
staff members plan to keep in touch to follow Alex's
progress. That sort of dedication is priceless. You never
felt like it was a job for them, or that they had their own
things they'd rather be doing.”
Marjorie Haskin - ~~~
March '12 Cruise
2011 Cruises
"
Thanks
again, we loved our vacation and you guys made it all happen
for us, we would have never taken Juan on a vacation like
this if it wasn't cause of you guys. thanks once again...the
Campos family"
Sandra
Campos - California
~~~
October '11 Cruise
"I
wanted to take the time to say Thank you for making our
first cruising experience a good one. Not only did I
capture Julian smiling most of the time, Jojo enjoyed
himself too. But you and your staff were
unbelievable...they are awesome. I'm so excited
to let other parents know of Autism on the Seas. ;)
thank you again!!!! A million thank you's!!! :)"
Aracely
Valdivia - California
~~~
October '11 Cruise
"Awesome perfect.
can't wait for our next one... It is nice to know that we
can vacation as a family.
I
can't say enough wonderful things about the staff. They
were awesome. They paid just as much attention to our
typical daughter as our special boys. They all show true
love and compassion for what they do."
Marjorie
Martin
- California
~~~
October '11 Cruise
"We
wanted this cruise because it was a Disney cruise and Disney
was great. However, in the future our priority has
shifted in that we won't do something like this without the
services of Autism on the Sea. You are a difference maker."
Paul
Cavanagh
- California
~~~
October '11 Cruise
"We
loved our 1:1 Ali. She made our trip possible for our large
family. Also meeting Dennis was inspiring and encouraging.
Everyone went the extra mile to make all the kids feel
comfortable. I was equally impressed when observing staff
interact with other kids in our group. I can't say enough
about you all! Thank you!"
Alicia
Sweet
- California
~~~
October '11 Cruise
"WOW
what incredible, dedicated people....wonderful staff who
love children. We loved spending time with you guys."
Kim
Koehler - Oregon
~~~
October '11 Cruise
"Once
again AotS exceeded our expectations. Ethan had the time of
his life. Everybody was so accommodating and kind to our
family. We can\'t wait to cruise again with you guys."
Carrie
Hassanzai - California
~~~
October '11 Cruise
"Would
like to thank all of the Autism on the Seas staff for a job
well done! and making this vacation for me and my daughter
our best vacation ever. thank you once again! Letty"
Leticia
Esqueda
- California
~~~
October '11 Cruise
"It
was great not to have to wait in lines made the day more
enjoyable...no breakdowns, was on ship in less than 20.
It
was awesome to see how all the meals were made to meet the
dietary needs, for this reason alone would book again.
We
will definitely be booking another vacation with AotS."
Maggie
Villarreal
- California
~~~
October '11 Cruise
"The
staff was fabulous! My special thanks to Jamie, Gigi and
Klie they helped me so much during Jasmine's 2
meltdowns...they were kind and understanding and knew how to
re-direct her. It was so comforting to know that they were
there to support me and help her! I also want to
mention the professionalism and kindness of Mike, what a
great guy!"
Eunice
Valle
- California
~~~
October '11 Cruise
2010 Cruises
"Our Adult Friends..."
Royal
Caribbean's "Jewel of the Seas"
Departed Boston, MA and visited New England and Canada
Click a picture for a larger view
Mid-August 2010 Cruise
Royal
Caribbean's "Grandeur of the Seas"
Departed Ft Lauderdale, FL and visited Key West, Cozumel &
Cococay
Click a picture for a larger view
August 2010 Cruise
Royal
Caribbean's "Explorer of the Seas"
Departed Bayonne, NJ and visited Bermuda
Click a picture for a larger view
July 2010 Cruise
Royal
Caribbean's "Rhapsody of the Seas"
Departed Seattle, WA and visited Alaska
Click a picture for a larger view
"Thank you for
all of the support, you and Jamie and the rest of the staff
has made this possible for us when we have never thought
this was even a possibility. We could never have
accomplished this without all of you helping and I thank you
a thousand times. My wife couldn't hold back her tears
after leaving the group cruise. We had a great time
and you can definitely count on us being a part of as many
cruise adventures as possible."
Max Mclaughlin
-
Virginia
~~~
July '10 Cruise
"Your staff was GREAT! They all went above and
beyond to make the cruise fun and relaxing for both Laura
and us! THANK YOU!! I could not believe how the
staff took our kids as they were and went out of their way
to make the trip fun and positive. Words cannot
express how we feel about your staff! I am
sitting here typing with tears of joy, thanks and many other
emotions."
Deb and
Jack Nida
- Arizona
~~~
July '10 Cruise
"...thank you for a super cruise.
Without Autism on the Seas we sure would have not had any
time for us. Jada always gets excited when she cruises
with Autism on the Seas and this sure has been a blessing.
We will see you again next summer..."
Bill and Joyce
Mahoney - Tennessee
~~~ July '10 Cruise
"SO
ACCOMMODATING!!! .... You all were so amazing. It was
such a welcome comfort being around staff that truly
understood our son!"
Max Mclaughlin
-
Virginia
~~~
July '10 Cruise
"Thank you so much for everything.... You and
your staff are to be greatly commended and the autistic
community in Billings MT will certainly be made aware of you
and your wonderful staff. I can't say enough good
things about the staff. They were kind and caring to
our children, beyond our expectations."
Christine Bubeck
-
Montana
~~~
July '10 Cruise
"We were so impressed at how well the Autism on the Seas
staff did with all of the children. They knew how to handle
each child with their individual needs. It was such an
amazing week. Our son kept begging us to take him to the
"autism room." He enjoyed his time there so much.
Thank you for all your hard work!"
Gina Coady
- Illinois
~~~
July '10 Cruise
"Words can not express how wonderful the Autism of the
Seas experience was for us... This service was
absolutely a "blessing"... Roger and I commented
how much it means to be able to not stand in lines for
boarding and unboarding and sitting at tables with
others who understand what we deal with and not judge
us on parenting because of a lack of knowledge of the
disability......"
Diane
Francis
- Missouri
~~~
July '10 Cruise
June 2010 Disney Cruise
"Disney
Wonder"
Departed Port Canaveral, FL and visited the Bahamas
Click a picture for a larger view
Pictures coming soon....
"We were treated like VIPs from the very start. We loved
everything about the special arrangements and it made
everything so much easier."
Andrea Dzeda
- Texas
~~~
June '10 Disney Cruise
"The best activity by far was the character experience with
Mickey mouse. Both my children enjoyed this the best. Thanks
for having this activity. I know it will be something that
they will talk about for years. These services helped
tremendously especially since my son gets very impatient if
he has to wait long. I think that we would have had a very
hard time if these services weren't provided. Thanks so
much...
Your staff made our trip very enjoyable and we look forward
to our next cruise..."
Maria
Aranda
- California
~~~
June '10 Disney Cruise
"We were very pleased with our first experience on a cruise.
Both the AOTS and Disney staff accommodated every need.
We would never have been able to go on a cruise without
AOTS's encouragement and support.
We will definitely be booking another cruise within the next
year or two and will use AOTS. We have already told
several people that have children with with autism about
your wonderful company and the service you provide. We
highly recommend AOTS."
Carl &
Yvetta Abercrombie
- Georgia
~~~
June '10 Disney Cruise
"We loved our experience with Autism on the Seas. Mike
and staff were great thru the whole booking process, Helyn
and Jackie were excellent with the families on the cruise.
If not for priority boarding, etc we would've been in big
trouble. We were able to enjoy our family, enjoy our
vacation, and just enjoy ourselves. This trip was such
a blessing and we will be back to do it again. THANK
YOU!"
Cyndy Rondinella
-
California
~~~
June '10 Disney Cruise
May 2010 Cruise
Royal
Caribbean's "Radiance of the Seas"
Departed San Diego, CA and visited Ensenada and Cabo San
Lucas, Mexico
Click a picture for a larger view
February 2010 Cruise
Royal
Caribbean's "Navigator of the Seas"
Departed Miami, FL and visited Haiti and Jamaica
Click a picture for a larger view
"It
was perfect, I would never have booked a cruise without the
special services you made available to us. Having dinner in
a special room was priceless, the muster drill would have
been a disaster on deck."
Shari Siampaus -
Ohio
~~~
February '10 Cruise
"The private show seating was great! I am
not sure we would have attended the shows without it....The
private activities helped our children at a level
comfortable for them (and me)....Thank you very much. I
shall spread the word about Autism on the Seas."
Jan Collinson -
Iowa
~~~
February '10 Cruise
"Our son Jonathan attempted the ice skating.
For this small miracle we are thankful....The respite
provided my wife and I the chance to get out and have a
social life for the first time in eleven years!
Amazing, wonderful, memorable! I cannot
find enough words to impart how happy I was during this
vacation. My son has severe autism, and I have never seen
him enjoy life so much. I want to send a huge "thank you" to
all involved..."
Robert and
Katherine Casper -
North Carolina
~~~
February '10 Cruise
"What a great opportunity to have private
time on the ice rink, the rock wall and the roller blade
track. Parker learned new words b/c of these
adventures....We can't to see you all next year on hopefully
even a longer cruise :-)"
The Coffey Family -
Florida
~~~
February '10 Cruise
December 2009 Cruise
Royal
Caribbean's "Majesty of the Seas"
Departed Miami, FL and visited Bahamas and Key West
Click a picture for a larger view
October 2009 Cruise
Royal
Caribbean's "Grandeur of the Seas"
Departed Baltimore, MD and visited Bermuda
Click a picture for a larger view
"I've always loved
to take cruises. Before I knew about Autism on the
Seas, I took a cruise which ended with a bad experience with
the children's program. This time, traveling
with the Autism on the Seas group made everything so much
nicer for my 18 year old daughter as well as for the rest of
the family."
Melody Ravert -
Maryland
~~~
October '09 Cruise
"Jamie
and Brandon were wonderful. I have never been so sad as to
leave two amazing people after just five days. Aside from
the awesome trip, these are two of the BIG reasons we will
sail again with AOTS.........
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you would like a
quote/comment for your website regarding the cruise.
We couldn't
have been happier with the accommodations, etc. It was
truly the trip of a lifetime and we will never, ever forget
it or the group we were with."
Kelly Bilger -
Pennsylvania
~~~
October '09 Cruise
"Jamie, Brandon and the RCL staff did an excellent job in
making Derrick (autistic) and his brother Evan feel like
they were important parts of the cruising experience.
We are already missing our extended family and look forward
to the next cruise.
....... The Adventure Ocean staff was fantastic with both
boys. Evan insisted on spending most of his time at
the Ocean club which made the trip more relaxing for the
whole family.
....... There were more activities than I thought. The boys
enjoyed all of them.
....... The check in was great. After we got through
security, getting on the ship was a breeze. That was very
helpful because Derrick was getting inpatient. All of the
other special services were great too."
Davina Howard -
Maryland
~~~
October '09 Cruise
August 2009 Cruise
Royal
Caribbean's "Mariner of the Seas"
Departed Los Angeles, CA and visited the Mexican Riviera
Click a picture for a larger view
"This
was the best vacation we have been on. The Autism
on the Seas staff was outstanding. We will be
booking through you again. I am going to recommend
Autism on the Seas, and Alumni cruises to all of my
clients, and all of our friends. The staff was
there for us from beginning to end. "
Robert Wolchuk -
Wisconsin
~~~
August '09 Cruise
"I just wanted to touch base and let you know what a
fantastic time we had and the credit goes to you and your
team. Jamie was really great!!!... We are pretty
sure we would not have even attempted the ice skating
and rock climbing wall if it was not an exclusive
event. Also, I know Charlie enjoyed the evening movies
and games better than having to attend a show with
us...."
Steve
Quigg
- California
~~~
August '09 Cruise
"As the grandparents and part of a large group, we were
mostly watchers! We learned more about Autism by watching
how other parents and the staff dealt with difficult
situations. We were especially pleased to see the amount of
participation by the 3 children with our group who did not
have autism. There was something for everyone! Great Job!"
Terry Flaherty - California
~~~
August '09 Cruise
"Autism
on the Seas provided us our first family trip. I was
so nervous prior to our trip, but felt at ease as soon as we
arrived at the port. From priority embarking (no
lines), to dining accommodations, private show seating and
ship functions, I couldn't imagine doing any other trip in
the future. We will definitely take another trip with
Autism on the Seas. "
Carrie Hassanzai -
California
~~~
August '09 Cruise
"On this cruise, my son tried things I never thought he
would do. He faced his fear of heights on the rock wall. He
went ice skating and even though he fell, he kept trying. On
the second skate session he was helping others learn to
skate. Now he wants to take ice skating lessons. Thank you!"
Heather Hawk -
Florida
~~~
August '09 Cruise
"AotS wowed us yet again, this time on the Mexican Riviera.
We will continue to cruise with AotS as they truly
understand and accommodate my son's special needs fully
while allowing mom to be entertained and have vacation time!"
S.S. - North
Carolina
~~~
August '09 Cruise
"It was a
terrific vacation. It was great being around other
families from the Autism community. We're hoping to join you
again..."
Andrea Chertkow -
California
~~~
August '09 Cruise
July 2009 Disney Cruise
"Disney Wonder"
Departed Port Canaveral, FL and visited the
Bahamas
Click a
picture below for a larger view
"I appreciate the effort the staff puts into these
wonderful wonderful cruises. My family and I will
be going on a third cruise next July with Autism on the
Seas and I am truly grateful to everyone that is making
life a little brighter for our very special child. God
Bless you and will see all of you in 2010."
The
Mahoney's
- Tennessee
~~~
Disney July '09 Cruise
"Disney went out of their way to be friendly and
to meet the needs of the autistic passengers.
You guys are great!... We were most impressed with
the way you included the family with an autistic
child who were not part of this group."
The Pyle's
- Washington
~~~
Disney July '09 Cruise
"This was great. I was worried this being his
first cruise. He made friends with a couple of
the other kids during the muster drill.
Knowing we were going to meet up with the people in
the group really helped relieve some of his anxiety.
He says he wants to go again which is really good so
I guess I'm going to have to start saving.
Thank you all for a wonderful trip..."
Susan Van
Atta
- Ohio
~~~
Disney July '09 Cruise
"It was great to see all the pre-work done by AOTS with
Disney in effect. The dining staff and the Children's Club
staff were all prepped to work with us..... We were
happy not to feel constrained to doing things only as an
AOTS group (we had a great family at our table for all
meals), but felt secure in the knowledge that if necessary,
that support was available. We intend to talk up the
virtues of the AOTS program with administrators, teachers
and other parents at the special school our son attends,
with the hope of getting a group interested in doing an AOTS
cruise in the future. I can't think of any negatives
to mention - was a great time for our entire family."
John Welch
- Texas
~~~
Disney July '09 Cruise
June 2009
Royal Caribbean's "Explorer of the Seas"
Departed Bayonne, NJ and visited
Bermuda
Click a picture for a larger view
Pictures coming soon....
"Autism
of the seas took the stress out of doing activities on the
ship or on the excursions. It was also fun sharing
with the other parents. Overall it was a very enjoyable trip
and very easy. The staff was great, the entire time. I
would book a trip with them again."
Harry Weisman
- New York
~~~
June '09 Cruise
"...
I have to take a moment to thank each of you for your
part in making this such a memorable trip... Both Aaron
and Joseph say they can hardly wait to cruise again.
Aaron added, "everyone was very kind--especially
Mr. Jamie."
Selena
Robinson
- North Carolina
~~~
June '09 Cruise
"Let me tell you about the cruise. It was very
good and well organized. If you have a child
with autism they will do a good job entertaining
them. They had reserve sections for us at
theater, ice show etc. We were also first on and
first off with no problems..."
Ken Stuart
- New York
~~~
June '09 Cruise
April 2009
Royal Caribbean's "Voyager of the Seas"
Departed Galveston, TX and visited Mexico
Click a picture for a larger view
"Our
heartfelt appreciation to the entire staff of Autism on the
Seas for their support and loving attitude during the entire
cruise. Jamie was wonderful as well as, Eric. Please
continue with this beautiful mission as it opens a great
opportunity for the community of autism to experience a
great vacation."
Estella & Matthias Erdmann
- Texas
~~~
April '09 Cruise
"We would never have tried any of
these things without the private sessions. That was
pretty awesome.... Wow! I had no idea we would breeze right
past everybody in the terminal when departing the ship...I
almost felt guilty.... The priority check-in, private muster
drill and custom disembarkation are reason enough alone to
do this over and over again. The show seating was
pretty spectacular, too."
Jamie Gifford
- Texas
~~~
April '09 Cruise
"We had high expectations that this would be a very cohesive
experience for us as a family... and it was. The
private Ship/Venue Functions to me, were the key to cohesion
of not just the children, but the families as a whole,
interacting with other families children, as well as
parents."
Mary
McKinney
- Texas
~~~
April '09 Cruise
"We had a wonderful time. I never thought it would be
possible for us to go on a vacation like this with our son.
It was so awesome to see him having such a good time."
Gena Shaw
- Texas
~~~
April '09 Cruise
January 2009
Royal Caribbean's "Grandeur of the Seas"
Departed Tampa, FL and visited Key West & Mexico
Click a picture for a larger view
Pictures coming soon....
"Could not have been better,
every detail was well planned and anticipated......
For first time cruisers, we fell in love with
sailing... and definitely encourage this group to
others...."
Tim Garner
- Virginia
~~~
January '09 Cruise
The "Autism on the Seas" staff was absolutely
incredible from the time we walked on board.
So much to do, so little time! It was hard to decide
which activities to do every day, as there was a
huge choice.... The Priority Check-in and Check-out
was a GODSEND..... the show seating was perfect...
We
will Definitely Book Again."
Denise LaFave - Virginia
~~~
January '09 Cruise
November
2008
Royal Caribbean's "Enchantment of the Seas"
Departed Ft Lauderdale, FL and visited Grand Cayman & Mexico
Click a picture for a larger view
Pictures coming soon....
"I am a special education teacher and have worked
with children with Autism and other ASD's and was
anxious to see what the staff had planned. My
friend Eileen's son Robert is a child with Autism
and we came on this cruise together with the hope
that we would ALL have a great time. We
did!!! Robert enjoyed all of the activities
that were planned for the children with Autism, and
Eileen and I enjoyed all of the family activities.
Eileen's mother, Anna Belle, also participated in
some of the activities and we were all very
impressed with the planning that went into these
activities. I was very impressed, especially
with the effort that had been made to educate the
ship's staff about ASD's and how to identify the
individual needs of each child. BRAVO!!!!! We
look forward to being a part of another "Autism on
the Seas" adventure!
...As mentioned above, we all had a great time and
have already booked another "Autism on the Seas"
cruise. The effort made to insure a good time
for all was amazing. We were able to enjoy
adult time, family time, and individual time, which
is our goal on our travels together. Immediate
acceptance and understanding was amazing and we all
benefited from this cruise experience.
The ship's staff was educated about ASD's and they
were compassionate and caring, and this meant a
great deal to us all. THANKS!"
Mary Ellen Sneed, M.Ed. - Arkansas
~~~
November '08 Cruise
"Great family vacation. This was our second
cruise, first with the group. I would not want
to go any other way...."
Josie Stone - Florida
~~~
November '08 Cruise
"Love you guys, Ian is already
demanding we come back!!! Jamie and Ryan are
his new best friends. You guys did a great job
helping to prevent meltdowns and always had great
ideas...... I was amazed Ian preferred to eat in the
dinning room because he wanted to be with his
friends. We had great seats for the show.
If we had done the muster drill with everyone else
he would have ran off the ship, but you guys made it
fun."
Heather Hawk - Florida
~~~
November '08 Cruise
"The RCL Adventure Ocean
children's program went above and beyond my
expectations - not just glorified babysitting.
.."
S.S. - North Carolina
~~~
November '08 Cruise
"It was nice to be able to have time
away from the busy ship activities and have private
sessions with our children.... Private
muster drill was great. Dinner service and
private room was great as well."
Tonya, Michael and Devon Labiak
- Florida
~~~
November '08 Cruise
"The "Autism on the Seas" staff is
great! What I loved best about the staff
was I learned new information from them regarding
service dogs, and ect... Another benefit was
meeting other parent's dealing with the same issues
on all levels. We look forward to traveling
with "Autism on the Seas" staff (friends) again.
Thanks!"
Kitty Casselman - Florida
~~~
November '08 Cruise
August
2008
Royal Caribbean's "Explorer of the Seas"
Departed Bayonne, NJ and visited
Bermuda
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"I have been raving about all
these things to my friends. It made the
trip!!!! Everyone that we met was awesome...
YOU GUYS WERE FABULOUS. You made us and our
children (Autistic and typical) feel special.
You all were so great with our kids (and us too)!!
I have been on 4 other cruises with Carnival and the
meals and food on RC were so much better.
My husband was very nervous about taking Mark
on a cruise. By doing the cruise with you, he
now has the confidence to do another. It is
hard to take a family vacation that can meet the
needs of 2 typical teenage boys and an autistic
child. With this cruise we were able to meet
everyone's needs. We were able to do things
together AND let the older boys go off on their own.
A great big THANK YOU to all of you. You WILL
be seeing the Kotosky's again..."
Rick and Ruth Ann Kotosky-
Massachusetts
~~~ August '08
Cruise
"I
have to admit, I was nervous about this vacation
because it was our first but within the first few
minutes of being on board and meeting the staff, I
knew we were going to have an experience we wouldn't
ever forget!! I can't thank you enough!"
Maria
Hansen -
New Jersey
~~~ August '08
Cruise
"Without Autism on the Seas, taking this vacation
with our family would not have been possible."
The Seidler's - New Jersey
~~~
August '08 Cruise
"We have never taken a cruise before. Getting
to know the other families was very comforting on
the ship. We were not the only ones. The
staff was terrific.... We felt that our family
was in good hands with Autism on the Seas... We look
forward to sailing again with you. Thank you
again"
Nancy
Scharrenbroich - New York
~~~
August '08 Cruise
"There are
no words to describe how happy we were with this
cruise. The Autism on the Seas staff was
amazing and I can't wait to see you all again on
our next cruise!!! I've already told a lot of
people about this and I know you'll be hearing from
them too! Anthony loved every part of it and
seeing him smiling and laughing made it all the more
perfect! Thanks again!"
Maria
Hansen -
New Jersey
~~~
August '08 Cruise
"The
private check in, muster drill, and disembarkation
were so useful. They made things much easier.
THE PRIVATE AREA FOR MEALS WAS WONDERFUL. IT
MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO EAT AS A FAMILY, WITH THE
GROUP, AND NOT HAVE TO BE ISOLATED IN OUR CABIN.
A BIG PLUS!"
The Seidler's -
New Jersey
~~~
August '08 Cruise
"It was a great
experience to cruise for the 1st time with the kids. So much of
what you provided greatly enhanced and made the trip a big win
and pleasurable."
Matt Connor -
New Jersey
~~~
August '08 Cruise
"The activities
for the children with autism were great. The ship was
beautiful, the food was excellent, and the entertainment was
superb."
The Rosch's -
New Jersey
~~~
August '08 Cruise
June 2008
Royal
Caribbean's "Mariner of the Seas"
Departed Port Canaveral, FL and visited the
Bahamas and the Eastern Caribbean
Click a picture for a larger view
"Cannot
begin to express how grateful we are to you for
making our cruise awesome. For a child with
autism the world can be a puzzle. Thanks for
helping Jada put the pieces together..... We
will hopefully come again and open up this world for
Jada some more. Thanks so much for
caring..."
Joyce ,Bill and Jada
Mahoney - Savannah, Tennessee
~~~
June '08 Cruise
"Thanks again for all of your thoughtfulness and
hard work in organizing this cruise. We had a blast!
It was great meeting the other families..... We hope
to see you on another group cruise in the future."
Randy, Ingrid, Alyssa, & Evan -
Winter Garden, Florida
~~~
June '08 Cruise
"What you're doing is very good stuff. Without
it, we we would never have considered a cruise, and
we really enjoyed the cruise so we are quite
thankful to you for that. ..."
The Graves -
Marietta, Georgia
~~~
June '08 Cruise
"It's
funny. We all have what I'm calling CRUISE
HANGOVERS! The day after we got back, Alyssa kept
coming up to me asking, what do I do now daddy? She
wants to know how soon we will cruise again.
Hopefully we can do it again soon.... "
Randy, Ingrid, Alyssa, & Evan -
Winter Garden, Florida
~~~
June '08 Cruise
March
2008
Royal Caribbean's "Monarch of the Seas"
Departed
Los Angeles, CA and visited the
Mexican Riviera
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"Thanks again for a great vacation!
The only bad part about it was that it was not long
enough........
We will
definitely be taking the 2009 seven day cruise
from LA!!"
Michelle
Heid -
Valencia
California
~~~
March '08 Cruise
"Exceeded our expectations.
Thank you for providing such a great service.
It was the best vacation we have had in years."
Christie Speck - Anaheim, California
~~~ March '08
Cruise
"We
had such a great time on the cruise – my only
problem was getting Matthew to stop crying on the
way home; he wanted to stay!"
Victoria Berrey - Valencia,
California
~~~
March '08 Cruise
"We had an awesome time on our cruise :) Spencer
loved every moment! .......... We are seriously
considering doing this again next year."
Amy Hutchings - Burbank, California
~~~
March '08 Cruise
"Very impressed...dedicated
Wait Staff was incredible and Priority Check-In with
Private Muster Drill was great."
Rebecca Bequette - Crestline, California
~~~
March '08 Cruise
January
2008 Cruise
Royal
Caribbean's "Sovereign of the Seas"
Departed Port Canaveral, FL and visited the Bahamas
Click a picture for a larger view
