Welcome back to our website and to this, our latest blog post.
Our eldest Son Josh is not only a super hero sibling, but a huge behind the scenes content creator for us . I was elated to discover that he had treated me to a mini cruise to Bruges as a Mothers day gift.
The idea was that we could enjoy some care free adult time and I could do one of the things that I LOVE most…content creating!.
I have been Archie’s full time carer for the last 16 years and although I am proud to do this for him, I was more than overdue the break. I am Archie’s primary care giver and my Husband works REALLY long hours, so this was a real eye opener for us both. Ian stopped work to care for the kids and I had to try and remember what being “Beckie” not Mum, was like.
Needless to say that although I tried, I never fully left Mum mode as the kids were of course relentlessly on my mind, but I had a wonderful break and grew so much closer to our adult son, which was magical. I certainly feel refreshed and ready for 2 whole weeks with our busy brood over the Easter break.
P&O’s Ventura itself was beautiful and the size reminded me very much of The Disney Magic, my favourite cruise ship. But what hugely impressed us was the Autism support on board.
I was fortunate enough to chat to a number for staff about what we do at Awesome Archie and they willingly shared information about on board adaptations to support Autistic travelers. I certainly felt right at home and “seen” as an autistic woman who always has a lot of questions. Massive thanks to all the crew for talking to us about your neurodivergent support.
“P&O Cruises offer accessibility support for autistic passengers, including assistance with boarding, dining, and during the muster drill. They do encourage advance notification of any specific needs via the on-board “needs” questionnaire”
You can do this soon after booking but no later than 2 weeks before sailing.
There is also a disability service via an email where you can request assistance with boarding ( including a priority check in) or a security escort. Simply highlight your specific area of need and P&O will do what they can to support you in having a smooth and enjoyable holiday.
How great is that? It made Josh and I wonder what would happen if mainstream schools took that same level of empathy and adopted that individualised support method?! I can’t help feeling that things would work out a lot better both in school and for the families that we proudly support and the pupils that so often go ” unseen”.
There are also accommodations that can be made within the dining portion of your cruise. You can contact the MDR manager to arrange a specific table, time, and potentially pre-order meals to reduce your anxiety. You can even request a table in a corner facing the wall to minimize distractions. We just couldn’t believe the level of support available.
Well done P&O!!!
Some additional tips for our Autistic families travelling on P&O’s Ventura.
- Consider Shore Experiences:Explore accessible shore experiences, which will be marked as “accessible” on My P&O Cruises.
- Low Activity Filter: If you have reduced mobility or use a walking aid but are not a wheelchair user, use the “low activity” search filter when browsing shore experiences.
- Safety Information: Be aware of the ship’s size, heavy doors, raised thresholds, and other safety information when moving around the ship.
- Mobility Aids: Mobility scooters and wheelchairs are welcome .
Support with food alergies
P&O explained…
If you have food concerns just Customer Contact Centre or your travel agent know about any allergies, special dietary requirements or food intolerances when you book or no later than 3 days prior to departure.
If you book through the P&O website, you’ll need to call and make the Customer Contact Centre aware of your special dietary needs on 03453 555 111 (local call charges apply).
Vegetarian and vegan diets are catered for as standard across our fleet in all restaurants.
Guests who follow a kosher diet must inform P&O no later than 10 weeks before you set sail. The alergy web page says…
“We’re delighted to provide peace of mind through tailored menu options. We’ll always do our very best to accommodate everyone’s needs on board.
You’ll receive a welcome letter in your cabin inviting you to meet the Food and Beverage team. During this meeting, you’ll have the chance to talk with them about food safety during your holiday, gain advice on which restaurants to eat at, and find out how to pre-order your meals. We’ll be happy to organise and book dining for you in the Freedom and Club restaurants or make any reservations for the speciality restaurants. Guests with severe allergies are advised to use the included Freedom and Club restaurants to further minimise the risk of cross-contamination.
Room service has a list of all guests’ dietary requirements and allergies.”
On board info
The horizon magazine that is popped into your room daily, gives you all the days activities. This meant that we were able to make a plan. ( As an AuDHDer I NEED a good plan)
We could schedule our meals and shows and press our formal wear in good time. Planning makes all the difference for me so this was a feature that I LOVED! There is also a phone in your room and you can call reception for any further queries 🙂
For details on our day to day activities simply follow us on TikTok. We have also added some vlogs linked here for your ease !
Beautiful Bruges.
Bruges is a medieval masterpiece that is often described as the Venice of the North.
With its cobbled streets, stunning canals, and breathtaking architecture, you feel as though you took journey back in time. As Josh and walked through the little streets, we were mesmerized by its unique blend of history, art, and CHOCOLATE!!! From the swan-filled canals to the frighteningly low bridges, every corner of Bruges tells a story and WHAT a story it was !!!
Seeing as this was our first independent holiday, we decided to opt for a P&O excersion into Bruges itself . This meant that we were picked up at our port, driven on a coach with a lovely guide and picked up later in the day. This meant that my level of anxiety was greatly reduced as once again… WE HAD A PLAN!!! We even had a number to call if we got lost and our guide would come and rescue us…thankfully this wasn’t needed!
We walked for almost six hours, ensuring that we had coffee, lunch and water breaks along the way. We also enjoyed a canal tour that was tremendous value for money . It was 15 euros per person as apposed to the 70 euro horse and cart tour. This was also the moment we took full advantage of the free Cafe wifi so we could message home 🙂 Needless to say, I was missing the kids.
Check out our AWESOME day in Bruges here…
Disembarkation day 🙁
For facts, hints and tips on disembarkation simply click on this link 🙂
Both Josh and I had an amazing time and we will definitely be going back on a short cruise with Ventura however, I was relieved that we didnt have the boys with us. We recognised that for them, the Stag and Hen parties would have been very overwhelming. The few days and amazing value for money will inevitably bring these kind of fun parties on board, so we would suggest going for a longer length cruise to have a calmer and more family friendly feel.
We genuinly loved it and I want to say a massive thanks to Our Son Josh for being such an AWESOME ship mate…. bring on the next one 😉