Autism on the Seas

"Vacation" was never really something my entire family did. If we traveled, it was usually in the time when Robb was at camp which meant packing as much in as was possible in the short time before we picked up Robb. Furthermore, although I loved these trips, they always were accompanied by a sense of guilt. I knew the tours we were doing would not have accommodated Robb, and he was much happier at camp. But still, I always knew that when other people looked at us they thought our family seemed complete.

          Thus, when we decided to go on the Autism on the Seas vacation program for my brother's 19th birthday, we were so excited to go on an official family-vacation! Autism on the Seas is a program that accommodates families of people with special needs on the Royal Caribbean cruise line. We were doubtful about the success of these accommodations before going because it always seemed unrealistic that they could really meet every family's particular needs. Every family with a person with special needs is so different, and ours often needed more accommodations than the other families we knew. However, the mother of Robb's prom-date and school-friend Angel spoke highly of the program, and she made sure to address our many doubts before going.

          Despite our hesitancy, the program really did everything to make the experience great. We had extra people to get us through lines which have always been a struggle, and there were even times in which staff planned fun activities for Robb if there were activities we wanted to try that he would not enjoy.

         Most importantly, I think Robb could not possibly believe how amazing the trip was. We have never before been to a place where almost anything he could sign was at his fingertips. We stayed on a "boat," he got to "swim," there was always "music" playing and, much to my parents dismay, there were "hamburgers" and "ketchup" for Robb almost every meal. Also, we got to spend almost the entire day together as a family. On my first day back from school, I remember I felt like it had been ages since I had seen Robb by the end of the day.

          I feel like there are so many little moments upon which I could elaborate, but I think I will leave you with one of my favorite memories. There was a wave machine on the boat, and after seeing our younger brother Poe enjoying the ride, Robb decided he would take a go at it. However, instead of lying on his belly, Robb got on the board cross-legged, so that he could keep hold of the instructor's hand. By the expression the instructors gave us, this method was clearly unorthodox, but from the look on Robb's face, everyone could tell it was definitely the most fun way to ride.:)