A Carnival cruise--structured security or aspie nightmare?

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My parents want me to join the family on a short cruise this summer. Unfortunately, especially because of my specific food routines, I really hate traveling and am very nervous, even though they said they wouldn't mind if I brought stuff along.

Anyway, I have never been on a cruise before, and it sounds almost appealing because so much is scheduled. On one hand, I think I might like the structure, but on the other hand I feel rather defiant and don't want to just be a bubbly, smiling sheep getting herded between activities (not to mention what will probably be cramped quarters and LOTS of people!)

Has anyone here been on a cruise/think it would be fun, or should I sign up for more summer classes and make an excuse?

A cruise actually sounds like fun. I wish I could go.

You are not required to eat at a certain time, although all the eateries have specific operating hours.

I went on a cruise about 9 years ago, and had a good time, and got to do my own thing regarding dinner, although I did opt for one of the formal dinners--it was very sumptuous.

Definitely a nightmare. Not just for food restrictions, but also the loud crowds of people, the deep water (for those who are deathly afraid of water above the head), man-eating denizens, murder plots you hear from 48 Hours, and the ever-lurking threat of contagious illnesses.

It does sound fun, but maybe you'd need to call ahead and get information about the specifics of the place--how it's set up. Maybe you'll need some minor accommodations, like somebody warning you about unexpected events. Perhaps you can find out ahead of time what things are likely to cause problems for you, and set up ways to deal with them.

It would be a new experience, and thus stressful; but stress isn't always bad. It's a good thing to broaden your horizons, to experience things you haven't done before. I think you should try it; only just make sure you'll have a couple days afterward to do nothing in, so that you can get rest if you turn out to have been stressed out by the experience.

Get yourself some paper. Brainstorm the things that might be a problem for you; write your questions down ahead of time. Call up the cruise company and explain that you have a form of autism and want to be sure you can enjoy the cruise, and that you have some questions you need to ask them. Ask those questions. Then make sure you have your bases covered, including a plan about what you will do if you run into a problem you didn't plan for.

Then enjoy the cruise. I must confess I'm a bit jealous--I've never been on a cruise, and I think I'd like it, just because it's something I've never done before. New things totally stress me out, but the fact that they *are* new things, with new things to learn, is attractive enough that I can't help but try them anyway. The stress has to be dealt with, naturally, but I think it's a fair trade.

wow you're super paranoid

A recent post about this: http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt197691.html may help you alleviate your anxieties, as the structure is more suitable for ASD people. Though it was about cruising solo, some things still apply.

Just because he's paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to murder him on cruise ships because they've put insurance policies out on him.

I went on a cruise and...there was no radio except the cruiseship station. I also had a sweet pocket TV I used as a kid, also no TV. And no TV in the room. This was like 2002. There was an arcade. My mom gambled and drank a little bit. Not too much besides the Terminator arcade game to do for fun as a kid.

Carnival might be better, this was an old 50s boat. Hell if Carnival cruises have an ice skating rink, I'd love that, as I could just ice skate the whole time for free. Oh, apparently only Royal Caribbean has them. Meh. I'd say go, you got nothing really to lose if you're not working or whatever. Just bring a lot of games with you for the computer, music, stuff to read, in case you feel like not doing things.

I don't know, not that this has much to do with cruises, but my last vacation basically sucked. I don't believe I'll be doing another "resort" kinda vacation anytime soon. When I was younger, like 14-15, I really liked going on vacation, there was other teenagers there to play volleyball with and stuff, and the social interactions were easier. Now that I'm 21, it's harder, cuz most of the girls are there with their boyfriends, and then the recreational activities of a 21 year old are basically drinking and clubbing.

Paranoid means he constantly imagines things like that.

And/or because his father is an ex-CIA agent and knows key intelligence about the situation in Syria currently, and terrorists are going to kidnap his son to make him talk.

I love cruises. They release the daily schedule at the beginning so you can plan each day in advance. I am not sure exactly what your food schedule is, but you can eat almost anytime really. Yes there are a lot of people on those boats but the boats are huge. I never felt like something was "too" crowded and I get overwhelmed by theoretical crowds very easily (meaning I have a low threshold for what I consider to be a crowd compared to other people). When ever I go to something I wasn't sure of or thought might get too crowded, I would sit near the back or near an exit so I could get out. Also, if you crave solitude, you can usually find it while others are at some of the more popular activities. For example I usually got my time in the pool at night while people were at the show. On one of the cruises I went on the childrens playground was totally empty after about 9pm and therefore a nice place to get some peace and quiet.

The rooms are VERY cramped. I can't lie. I'm moderatly claustophobic and handled it well. They design them to make them look larger and to really optimize the space. The shower is usually the most painful part (tiny) and they take great lengths to make it as non claustophobic as possible. They usually use curtains so that you can leave it open if you need to.

I would not put more than two people in a regular room. Period.

A lot of that is cruise line/boat dependent, but that was my experience.

No, I'm far more paranoid of what nasty diseases you contract from improperly cooked food or other people, sharks/giant squids and falling overboard (It has happened when I was 8 and we were in the Lakes fishing). The murder part was more for jest, but many bitter spouses/former friends decide to end their relationship by throwing their mate overboard.

Carnival is really fun. If you are 17 years old or under there are specific clubs to keep you entertained, so it is much better in that way than what you described. Depending on the ports you can probably get drunk if you want as long as you look reasonably old enough.

I was 18 when I went on my second cruise. So I studied up on card counting a lot and played some, you only have to be 18 to gamble on the cruise ship. I got carded 8 times . But made 60 dollars and had a good time. My grandpa played a little and he would ask my advice occasionally.

The main issue is sleep I thought. There are always meals and activities and excursions, etc. Generally I was up until 1 or 2, one night until 3. If there is an excursion planned for let's say 8 then you can only get 4 hours of sleep if you want to be able to eat. So if you are able to take naps then go for it.

One of the stories I am more fond of was that I was about to leave the black jack table when this drunk guy and his friend came over. I watched them for a bit (I mostly watched, only played when the count was high) and he went to hit and I said no. He looked over at me and I explained why. For the next hour or so he would play and I would advice him. I think he made a good amount of money. He tips me 10 dollars when he left He also bought me a beer during that time (which I didn't drink, I have only gotten drunk ones so I am not used to the taste, didn't want to start coughing). The guy I was sitting with told me that the pit boss came over and watched me for a bit. I looked 16 but I knew more than most people at the tables haha. But even though it was obvious I was counting cards I was only betting the minimum so they didn't care. That was the one night I was up until 3.

One thing that potentially concerns me is that I am about to turn 20 (and, thus, will be when/if I go on the cruise). I'm afraid this will mean that I won't fit into either the kid/teen activities OR the adult ones, especially if there's drinking.

On the other hand, that might mean more alone time

I'm going on a Carnival cruise this summer. Although I anticipate being by myself most of the time, I think I'll enjoy it.

Well, I went ahead and took the cruise. It wasn't too bad, although I'm relieved to be back with my familiar home routines. There was a LOT more space than I thought, and I really enjoyed seeing the same 5-10 people at the little trivia/puzzle game activities they had that hardly anyone came to.

But the dinners really struck a nerve. I decided to forgo my stash of routine favorites, suck it up, and eat with everyone else, and I will say that the food was pretty good. The waitstaff's actions, however, created the perfect storm of vexation. Maybe it was just me, but I was EXTREMELY irritated and insulted by the pushiness and 'generosity' of the servers. We were at the late dinner, and it seemed like they saw us as simply stupid, hungry cattle whom they could push all the extra food on. I didn't want any appetizers, but they asked me at least 5 TIMES per night and usually ended up plopping a plate of fruit or something in front of me anyway, which I of course didn't touch because I did not ask for it. Simple as that (well, I'm a bit stubborn, but still). Furthermore, I'm allergic to wheat, and yet they still dumped as many of their excess bread rolls on my plate as they could after I politely and repeatedly turned them down. When our orders came to the table, they were usually accompanied by extra plates of stuff that we did not ask for. Sure, it's 'free food,' but it made me want to throw bricks at them (Waiters: stop asking me questions and hovering around, NO MEANS FREAKING NO!)

To make matters worse, my mom vehemently insisted that I should be glad; that the waiters are just trying to make sure I am happy, etc., etc. If you ask me, the only thing on their agenda was to shove all the leftovers on the late diners, many of whom, indeed, mindlessly plowed through the extra food. Would this be annoying to most people, or am I overreacting?