Though times are changing and there is more awareness about autism worldwide, many hotels and cruise cabins are not necessarily setting up autistic travelers (and their families) for success. The good news is, with a little planning, you can still minimize your liability and avoid paying for expensive incidental charges. Check out these 10 tips that I have put together based on my experience, and save both time and money during your next trip!
Block Room Service charges
Notify the front desk as soon as you arrive to block the room service charge capability. Your child may not understand that those charges add up, and might not even understand that there is a charge at all, so the best option is just to block them all from the beginning.
Prevent mini bar/specialty tray charges
Just like with the room service charges, your child may assume that the fridge is stocked with free snacks, even though that is not the case. Avoiding this in the first place is an easy preventative step.
Block Pay-per-view and Porn charges
Block from front desk or customer concierge. Enough said.
Arcade and casino spending on a cruise ship or in the resort hotel
Ask customer service to disable room key charge power. Those arcade games can add up, and your child is likely to spend a considerable amount of time there, especially if not on a set budget!
How to Avoid incidental purchases on cruiseships
Ask for any purchases in hotel or cruise ship stores that can be charged to room or cabin to be approved by you first if you are not there.
Breakables in room
Ask for fragile objects to be removed by house keeping, so they are not destroyed in the event of an emotional outburst or tantrum.
Missing or damaged items in cabins or rooms
Before you leave, check to be sure nothing is missing or damaged. Have someone from housekeeping verify anything that damaged upon arrival, or photograph damages that you encountered upon entering so you won’t be charged. Always alert the staff immediately and ask for a written record about anything that might be damaged.
Avoid phone call charges including 1-900 and international charges
Block phone charges from the room to avoid any charges.
Disable Auctions on cruise ships
Notify customer service to disable charging power on your child’s room key
Before leaving the ship check your child’s luggage
This is a good precaution; just to be sure he or she didn’t “borrow” anything.
What tips would you add to this list?
This article is from Autistic Globetrotting - Autistic Globetrotting - Autism Travel Made Easy. Find more information to make traveling with those affected by autism EASY at Autistic Globetrotting.
