Autism cruise now booking for December 2009 and other dates

 

A very nice lady named Heather Hawk, of AutismOnTheGo.com wrote to tell me about Autism on the Seas, of Alumni Cruises. She and her son have enjoyed cruises with them three times, with a fourth trip planned for December, and yet another in August 2010 with her son's autism service dog. Below is more information about these upcoming cruises:

In order to make these cruises really special, a Pre-Cruise Questionnaire is sent to each autistic adult (or parent of autistic child) who books a cruise.  This questionnaire collects information related to each person's likes, dislikes, and preferred activities. They then use this information to help customize and determine which activities will be offered during the cruise. As a result, each cruise is unique and custom-tailored to suit you, their honored guests. During the cruise, there are also events (parties, activities, movies) designed to give parents an opportunity to enjoy "grown-up" activities while children are being cared for by their well-trained staff. Most, if not all, of these staff members - especially those in the children's program - have experience dealing with autistic children.  Additionally, cruise staff members who will be in contact with these groups are provided with autism awareness training specifically focused on understanding how to deal with autistic children and adults. 

All ports on this cruise are service-dog friendly

Here is young Mr. Hawk with his beloved Service Dog, posing in front of the cruise ship. His mother's account of one such cruise may be found on this page. A few highlights:

"This trip has shown me that there is so much more my son and I can do together."

"Mike did a great job of addressing my million questions before the cruise. This was my first cruise ever, so I had no idea what to expect."

"They did a great job of keeping the kids entertained even with the noise and excitement outside."

"The private dining was great. Since the families ate in our own dining room, my son saw it as a great event three times a day. He wanted to eat in the dining room every meal to see his new friends."

"The private dance parties were a lot of fun. The kids were able to be themselves and everyone just had a goofy fun time."

"There was a time when I was hesitant to take my son grocery shopping and never considered traveling. Now we are “world travelers” and have been to Grand Cayman and Mexico. It was such a blast and we had such a great time that my son has decided that he is willing to give up all vacations (even Disney) to go on another cruise."

Autism on the Seas offers numerous cruises in addition to the two which are highlighted here.  The December cruise will be from Monday the 7th through Friday the 11th.  The August 2010 cruise will be from Saturday the 14th through Wednesday the 19th, and is a service dog-friendly cruise. Special accommodations will be made for any who need them. All the ports they will be visiting (Key West, Cozumel and CocoCay Bahamas) allow service dogs. A series of instructional  workshops on Service Animals will be included, covering such topics as "Training for Service Animals, State & Federal Laws governing Service Animals, Training Techniques, and Alternative ways to obtain a Service Animal that will save you lots of $$$". This is a great time to vacation with other service dog families. Alumni Cruises will, as always, also be offering their exemplary services and accommodations for those of all abilities. Please check them out and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Heather@AutismOnTheGo.com

Did you enjoy this article? Please comment below, subscribe to my column and email to your friends.