Autism on the Seas

[3fourtwo]

Just got back from a 3 day cruise aboard Enchanment of the Seas with Autism on the Seas. I have to say it was a huge disappointment for my family. I expected to be able to actually get respite on the ship however not all families are treated the same. If you have child that is 10 and under then you have more opportunities as they can go into the kids area. Autism on the seas caters more to families who look like or act like they have money. Some kids got 1:1 attention from staff while their parents relaxed, other families were ignored. I would have been better off hiring the Royal Carribbean babysitting staff then paying so much have autism on the seas do so little. Find out what age groups are going on the cruise before you book with them. It's disappointing for a 21 year old to be stuck all weekend with a group under 12 years.

 

[bumbershoot]

This is a company that works WITH Royal, but it isn't actually Royal. So many of us don't know about it. It's not fun to not get what you expect. And so others can know more about this, I have questions.

What did you expect from it? What did you not get and why? What DID you get? What happened when you tried to resolve problems? How did you know why some families were getting something while others weren't? You pointed to the appearance of having money...what if those people had pre-arranged something, and you just didn't know you could do that?

Sounds like you were on a "cruise with staff", since you saw others being treated in different ways. It does sound like it's important to make sure you are cruising with others of the age of the person with needs, as you mentioned.

Respite Sessions are held throughout the cruise, while parents can enjoy adult activities, ranging in duration from 1 hour to 2 hours at a time, every day of the cruise. Your children with special needs will be cared for by our Autism on the Seas staff during these respite times.....



Adult Group

Accompanied and supervised by the AotS Staff.

This group regularly has adults with special needs of all ages.

Most Respite Sessions for this group are held at various venues onboard the ship, all depending on the unique abilities, likes and dislikes of the guests cruising with us.

Respite sessions may include: going to shows, playing board games, karaoke, hot tub use, on-deck movies, shopping, mini-golf, basketball, movies in private rooms, etc.

Was this not offered at all? How did they respond to your needs for what was advertised?


And I see from their site that there is an extra-cost 1-on-1 Respite Service. Oof, that costs a bit:

The ONLY charge for this service is the price of the cabin charge (based on double occupancy and the least expensive cabin available at the time of the request) for the Staff Member.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

it costs a bit because that seems to be hiring a one on one staff member to give undivided attention to your child. Yes that is going to cost because you have to provide a stateroom for the staff member to stay in. Apparently that's all they charge.

It looks like they have groups for autistic adults so was that just not offered on that particular cruise? did you realize going in that there wouldn't be other adults in the group?

 

[imagine2014]

Hello fellow Autism on the Seas cruiser. I was on your cruise as a parent volunteer, and am sorry, and surprised, that you feel disappointed. To be honest, I am also quite confused as to some of your statements, and am hoping you can provide some clarification. 

You say that all families on the cruise were not treated the same. I personally witnessed each of the families on board this cruise receive individual attention from the staff members. The organization only guarantees a 3 to 1 ratio of staff to clients, and yet I saw each child (or young adult) actually receiving personalized care at various times during the cruise. I never witnessed any of the families being ignored by the staff. Every family did not come to every event, but when they did, they all received individualized attention as it was required.
As to your comment about this being more for children 10 and under- again, I personally witnessed Autism on the Seas staff make accommodations to ensure that the older youth received the same amount of respite as the younger ones. In fact, I saw one of the staff members personally take the 21 year old out to various venues on the ship during both of the evening respites. I even heard this young man’s mother say that all he talked about all day was how excited he was to go to respite and spend time with his new friend. 

I am also not quite sure why you would say that families with money were treated better. All of the families that requested evening babysitting received it, and Autism on the Seas does not have a charge for these services. They recommend a tip to their volunteer staff, but there is no fee. Royal Caribbean charges families $20 per hour for babysitting, and this only applies to children, not adults. AotS provides babysitting for any age guest. 

Again, I am sorry that you were not happy with your experience. I am hopeful you did, or will convey this in more detail and with additional clarity directly to AotS so they can address your concerns for you.

 

[PuzzlePieces]

I just wanted to clarify for the parent that babysitting (beyond respite events) are not a part of what AoTS offers and is an agreement between the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the staff member providing the babysitting service. Although it is not something AoTS offers as a part of the package, AoTS typically has a good reputation of being able to provide those services for a negotiated hourly wage.