For ten years, Royal Caribbean International has worked closely with the Autism on the Seas™ (AotS) organization to offer families with special needs autism friendly cruises. In 2014, they became the first cruise line to become “Autism Friendly” certified through the AotS “Autism Friendly” Cruise Ship Certification Program. This certification means that Royal Caribbean’s services, venues, and amenities are accessible for inclusion and participation by guests with autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other cognitive and intellectual developmental impairments.

Silver Level Autism Friendly Certification

Royal Caribbean International has committed to better serve the families of autistic children by addressing family programming to accommodate their special needs. They currently hold Silver Level Autism Friendly certification, which means that in addition to all ships having autism friendly products and services in place in order to accommodate equal access by passengers with developmental disabilities (Bronze Level), they have also ensured that all Youth Staff have basic awareness training in autism and developmental disabilities (Silver Level).

The next levels of Autism Friendly certification extend advanced training to Youth Staff and basic awareness training to other ship staff (Gold Level) and provide hands-on training to Youth Staff (Diamond Level).

 

Autism Friendly Features

Royal Caribbean is committed to providing autism friendly products and services onboard that help accommodate families living with autism. Some of these services include:

• Priority check-in, boarding, and departure
• Special dietary accommodations including gluten-free
• Adventure Ocean flexible grouping by ability for children 3 to 11 years old
• Adventure Ocean toilet-trained policy exception
• Pagers/Phones for parents of children signed into the Adventure Ocean program

Some of the new features offered to families living with autism spectrum disorders include:

• Autism Friendly Films – Special presentations in a low-lit and low volume environment where guests are encouraged to freely walk around and talk during the film. These showings are offered on autism group cruises and when there are at least five children with autism onboard.
• Autism Friendly Toy Lending – Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean program offers a tote bag of autism friendly toys such as non-toxic crayons, markers, building blocks and picture books that can be checked out to use in Adventure Ocean or the stateroom.
• Autism Friendly Activities – Developmentally appropriate activities are offed in Adventure Ocean for children of all ages and can often be modified for special needs.
• Cruising Social Story – A social story is a written or visual story that prepares people with autism to cope with social situations, behaviors, and skills that they can expect to encounter during the cruise. See Royal Caribbean’s Cruising Social Story here.

Cruising with Royal Caribbean offers parents and caregivers living with autism a sense of normalcy through accommodated group activities and staff assistance throughout the entire cruise including meals. Families can recharge and reconnect with siblings and other family members who may take a backseat to a child with special needs. For dates of autism friendly group cruises or more information on individual special needs travel with Royal Caribbean, contact Covington Travel’s cruise specialists.