Woo Hoo! An unexpected cruising opportunity!!-Update post#7

[LJC1861]

I have a group home resident who loves Disney and loves to travel. On a whim I approached her guardian about a Disney Cruise ( which would cost the same amount as the camp she has gone to for years and is bored with...). Her guardian stated that the idea of getting on a ship with my client is not something that SHE would want to do, but instead suggested that perhaps I might like to take her. Why, YES I WOULD! (This was what I was secretly hoping she would say!)

So.....C and I will be cruising on the 4 night 8/28/17 for an amazing DCL Cruise.

We will have a LOT of prep to do beforehand...flight practice, picking activities, making a "cruise schedule" for her to follow onboard, etc.

This is going to be fun and a great experience for me to travel with one of my residents with autism.

Linda

 

[kuhltiffany]

Awesome! I have a son with Autism, he loves to cruise. We spend a lot of time watching people's cruise videos on Youtube beforehand to show him what to expect, that always helps!

Have a great time!

 

[LJC1861]

That is a great suggestion! I am meeting with her guardian next week to develop a plan to helping C to be most comfortable with the travel, flight, unexpected things that might happen, etc. I have been working in the field for 30 years and am very familiar with Disney and DCL. I know that I am going to be very well suited to undertake this opportunity and help C be most successful. She loves theater (and will love the shows), history and architecture (Nassau) and good food ( ALL the restaurants). We will have a blast.

 

[krisinparis]

Sounds like you will have an awesome trip! That is great that you will both be able to enjoy the experience!

 

[Jennifer777]

Make sure to call DCL and ask for the number for their special services department. They can put in special requests and add notes to your reservation that could help C. My son has Aspergers and we always call and they put in a request for a private dining table in a more quiet area of the restaurant which makes a big difference for our son. They also put notes in his folder for the kids club that he doesn't like to be touched and prefers male CMs to females. They can also walk you through other things to consider. I hadn't even thought about how the drill would impact my son but being squished together for 5-10 minutes and then the loud horn would have been torture for him had he not had time to prepare himself for it. Happy sailing!

 

[LJC1861]

Make sure to call DCL and ask for the number for their special services department. They can put in special requests and add notes to your reservation that could help C. My son has Aspergers and we always call and they put in a request for a private dining table in a more quiet area of the restaurant which makes a big difference for our son. They also put notes in his folder for the kids club that he doesn't like to be touched and prefers male CMs to females. They can also walk you through other things to consider. I hadn't even thought about how the drill would impact my son but being squished together for 5-10 minutes and then the loud horn would have been torture for him had he not had time to prepare himself for it. Happy sailing!

Great suggestions. C is an adult, has a job and is very social. She is very used to fire and emergency drills and does not tend to get freaked out in crowds. She typically does well in all sorts of situations, and we will be practicing the safety drill, and even taking a flight prior to flying down to Orlando. She participated in an event here in Asheville called "Wings for Autism" which took participants through all the steps of getting on an actual plane...right up to taxiing around the runway. It was AWESOME and a wonderful experience for her. She did very well!

We will be using a schedule while on board, planning out our activities, excursions, pool and beach time down to specific times. We will also be incorporating some rest and relaxation time in our stateroom or quiet areas of the ship. She does very well when she knows what to expect. The navigators will be very helpful for such planning and I will come armed with highlighters in several colors. She will be bringing her Kindle, loaded with favorite movies and books to use during quiet time. We will also be bringing coloring books and markers as that is something that relaxes both of us.

All in all, I feel good about it all and am excited to combine my profession/vocation with my love of DCL. Hopefully this will open the door for other residents from my agency to do the same thing. The 4 day cruise that we are taking costs the same amount of money as the camp she has gone to.....and this is for both of us. A great value as far as her guardian and I are concerned, and a great learning opportunity as well!

 

[LJC1861]

C's guardian and I met with the CEO of the group homes yesterday to further discuss our trip. The CEO is TOTALLY onboard with the plan, but stated that essentially this would be an agreement between 2 adults traveling together and that we would not be billing for services provided while we are cruising. I am FINE with that, and yes I will take vacation time to make this happen. C's guardian is now wavering, as she feels that now we won't have the support of the agency should something happen. The CEO stated that no, not officially, but phone calls, e-mails etc will be responded to. (C's guardian was not realizing that both of those will be difficult while at sea....she has never cruised.) Our CEO also stated that she would trust me to take her own kids on a cruise....or anywhere in the world, and that having been working with people with autism for 30 years I am more than qualified. I know in my heart that this trip will happen, I just have to reassure C's guardian and make sure we prep well.

 

[Californiacruizers]

Sounds like an amazing plan. I really hope the gaurdian will consent to her going on DCL!! Please keep us posted.

 

[darnheather]

There was a group of about 10 adults with escorts (minders? IDK what is the best word) on our cruise. We talked to one quite a lot on our excursion. Her escort has taken her to Europe and other vacations before. They were both so nice and we got to see each other and chat several times during the trip.

 

[diznymom]

Just a suggestion: Make magnets to decorate your door (and walls). This will make your door unique, and not looking like everyone else's.

 

[LJC1861]

There was a group of about 10 adults with escorts (minders? IDK what is the best word) on our cruise. We talked to one quite a lot on our excursion. Her escort has taken her to Europe and other vacations before. They were both so nice and we got to see each other and chat several times during the trip.

It was probably a group traveling with the Trips, Inc. organization. They provide travel experiences for people with Special Needs and do amazing trips all over the world!! They do a great job!

As for the door magnets, that is on our list of things to do!

 

[TxT365]

What an exciting opportunity for C!! It is awesome that you are able and willing to help provide her with this experience! I will be following along on your journey as you plan and finally cruise!

 

[LJC1861]

I am VERY excited about this opportunity. It is groundbreaking for our Agency, and could lead the way for opportunities for more of our residents. I have always dreamed of being able to combine my loves of travel, Disney and our residents and make amazing memories for us all. It is happening, and both C and I are ready. C does not know yet, and we have yet to figure out when to tell her. It is a long time until we sail and we don't want her thinking that we are going tomorrow.