Fantasy Cruise with our adult developmentally disabled son

[beckylola]

We just got off our first cruise and I thought I'd share our experience. In a word, FANTASTIC.

My son is 24 years old. A little small in stature, pretty much non-verbal. He uses a transport chair for long distances, crowds, etc. He expresses happiness and excitement with laughing, hoots, etc.

Everyone we met on the cruise: cast members, excursion people, and other passengers, all were great. Even at Palo brunch, everyone was welcoming and helpful. Servers everywhere picked up on him right away. I really appreciated how many people talked to HIM, not to US about what he wanted.

While we never pushed to the head of the line for elevators, no one pushed in front of us, either.

Whenever I needed a hand with his transport chair (tender boat, going up steep ramps), someone from the ship jumped in to help. Other passengers did the same, too. I really liked the feeling of "we're all in this together" that we all had. Very, very few "stares" from kids, too. I think they're so into what they have going on that they probably didn't even notice.

Oh, the shower was great, too. Having the hand-held shower head is extremely helpful, and I love how the faucet let you switch back and forth between shower, bath, and off.

So, in a nutshell, if you or anyone you know are thinking about cruising with a situation like ours, I say go for it!

 

[KitkatMahn]

Great to hear you had such a wonderful experience

Kat

 

[DVC96]

So glad to hear you had a good experience. We've done 4 cruises with our dd (now 23) who is also dev. delayed and also uses a chair for distances. All of our cruise experiences with her have been positive and she absolutely loves it! She wants to plan the next one as soon as we get off!

 

[thumpie's mom]

This is why we keep coming back to Disney. My daughter has cerebral palsy and requires a wheelchair at all times. We took our first cruise when she was 11 and have never looked back! She is always treated like a Princess and the crew have been fabulous with her. Overall the ship (we have been on the Wonder and Magic, not the Fantasy) is easy to get around with only a few areas we have trouble with her chair. She can't cut her own food and once the server's see me cutting it, they always take over. After the first night, they automatically do it for her. It makes her feel special and gives me a little break. I can't thank Disney enough for giving people with disabilities such a magical experience. Also, for anyone who is a character fanatic like my daughter, the ship is soooo much easier to see the characters than the parks. Each night we scour the navigator for when and where the characters will be the next day. We simply get in line, no muss or fuss with people trying to cut in front of us, and she gets to see all of her Disney friends. While DCL may be more expensive than other cruise lines, the happiness they bring to my family is priceless! On the practical side, we always do our ground transfers through DCL, again maybe more expensive, but they always provide us with a vehicle with a lift/ramp and get us to where we need to be on time. We truly love DCL and recommend it for any family traveling with a member who has special needs.

 

[kerry1379]

We will be taking our very first cruise this fall and we too have a developmentally and physically disabled child. It is such a relief to hear y'alls wonderful experiences!

 

[thumpie's mom]

We will be taking our very first cruise this fall and we too have a developmentally and physically disabled child. It is such a relief to hear y'alls wonderful experiences!

If you have any questions, I would be glad to try to help. Have a wonderful cruise!