Cruising with Natalie...

Hi there!
Okay, so we are going to be taking our cruise vacation very soon on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. We are so excited!
Natalie is like a little mermaid. She loves, loves, loves the water. We can't wait to share in her excitement and watch her play all day in the water. But we do have some fears.This is a very big ship (one of the biggest in the world) carrying over 6,000 passengers!  I am not worried about sensory issues with Natalie. She is not  sensitive to loud noises or bright lights (during a production) so we are okay there. She does, however, get uncomfortable in small spaces or crowded rooms. For example, in the past she has had meltdowns in crowded restaurants or small restaurants. This is why we usually pick eateries with high ceilings or that offer a big airy atmosphere. During Natalie's first evaluation for Autism she was evaluated in a small room that contained 3 therapists as well as mom and dad. Needless to say this didn't go so well. Her second evaluation took place in another location with a big room and she performed much better there. There may be an issue with dining on the ship but Oasis has so many dining options and I am confident that we will manage this well. What most bothers us is that she likes to wander off and she is quite fast! Allan, Austin and I always use the tag team system and we keep all eyes on her. We have discussed safety precautions and I have asked my travel agent for some tips and suggestions.

Last weekend we saw a daddy and daughter at the mall. The little girl had a cute animal backpack on her and the animal’s tail extended to become a harness. It was like this one:

Allan and I looked at each other and knew we had to have one for our cruise vacation. So I mentioned it to Natalie’s therapist and she told me that Target sold them and highly recommend it as well. So off we went and purchased it. This should help us keep her from wandering away. Even though we will have the added security of holding her most of the time and never taking our eyes off of her. 

I am sure that we will have lots of fun and Natalie will enjoy the experience. Especially because she will be in her favorite environment ~ The Water. Fingers crossed, Lol

here are just a couple of things we KNOW Natalie will LOVE:

Has anyone been cruising with kids or on The Oasis? Please feel free to comment below for any tips and suggestions. Thank you!