Cruising with Autism
The cruise line I really wanted to try was Virgin Voyages. This line was initially presented in the media as very much a party ship and footage I’d seen made it seem like my worst nightmare. But, having spoken to our BDM at Virgin, I was assured that I would be able to cope. Travelling to new places – or with new cruise lines – when you are autistic is a big step but I decided to give it a go. We sailed on the Resilient Lady in July 2024. So, how was Virgin Voyages as an autistic cruiser, and would I recommend it to other autistic passengers?
My first encounter with Virgin Voyages was upon arrival at the port of Piraeus (Athens). We entered the covered tent they use and, after our boarding time was checked, we moved through to the check in area. As we approached this my heart started to sink as there was very loud music playing. I quickly got my sunflower lanyard out of my bag as it as my loop earplugs which I always use in a noisy environment. To my surprise we were immediately directed down the priority check in as they recognised the sunflower lanyard. This was a lovely touch, as the regular queue was one that snaked back and forth and this adds to the feeling of chaos and crowds for me. So, score 1 to Virgin Voyages!
Once we had boarded the cabins were ready so we went to check it out and leave our hand luggage before going off and exploring. This was very useful as we had an earlyish check in time and the ship wasn’t particularly crowded. This gave me the opportunity to explore at my own pace and it felt like I had some control. If you are autistic then I definitely recommend that you try and get an early boarding time.
The safety briefing advised that anyone with additional/accessibility needs should visit Sailor Services (guest services) to make them aware of this in case of an emergency. We did, and they made a full note on my profile. They also had a lovely chat with me advising me about places to avoid at specific times, and ideas on where I might find some quiet.
One thing that really impressed us about the ship was the variety of public spaces (particularly on deck 7), with lots of lovely seating dotted around. Throughout the course of the cruise (with the exception of Scarlet Night) these spaces NEVER felt crowded. We loved spending time in the Social Club which has board games and jigsaws, and where the quizzes take place (and yes, we did win one!). There was never a problem getting a table to play a game and the noise was never too loud. The Dock House was also good for somewhere nice to sit. On Scarlet Night – the biggest party night on the cruise – we even found the Dock House quiet enough for me to cope with, listening to a band.
I really wanted to see one of the main shows on the ship, ‘Persephone’. This takes place in the Red Room which is a multi-functional black box space. I was advised by Sailor Services that I might struggle as there was no seating and the audience would mill around with the performers. Thankfully, Virgin acknowledge that this can mean it is inaccessible to some guests (like me) and they open up the balcony seating for those who need it. Looking down at the floor from the balcony I know I would have struggled as the way the crowd and performers were moving around would have been too unpredictable for me.
Is there anywhere we didn’t go due to my accessibility needs? Absolutely. We did not go onto the pool deck other than during our initial explore. We had the balcony – with a lovely hammock – and we also enjoyed the outside space and loungers on deck 7. Fewer people, and no music. A must for autistic cruisers! We also avoided many of the bars in the evening as the unpredictable behaviour of people when they are drinking is too much for me.
I would give a word of warning about one of the restaurants, Gunbae. This is a Korean BBQ and is a shared table concept (max 6 people) with the food being cooked in the middle of the table. As there were only 2 of us we were placed on a table with people we didn’t know. A big part of Gunbae is the atmosphere and the drinking games and this did make us nervous about booking it. Thankfully we were on a table with another family, all of who ordered soft drinks and said they didn’t want to do the drinking games (our server seemed a bit disappointed). I used my loops as other tables were very loud, but did have a pleasant experience. However, I am fully aware that had we been with a different group of people I may well not have been able to stay and enjoy the meal. My one piece of advice to Virgin Voyages, is to offer people the option to be seated with people who either do or do not want to do that part of it. A simple tick box when reserving would suffice – though of course saying that it is not guaranteed. As it stands, unless you get lucky like we did, this restaurant could very well be inaccessible for many autistic cruisers.
I will also say that I took precautions. I didn’t leave the cabin without my lanyard and loops. For example, yes, I was able to sit in the Dock House and listen to the band on Scarlet Night, but I did still have my loops in. We avoided The Galley (the food hall) at busy times, preferring to breakfast early.
Overall the ship did not feel crowded, despite it being at around 90% capacity. Would I recommend it for autistic cruisers? Do your research – or ask your travel agent for advice – and take the time to explore, getting to know the quiet places. I would definitely cruise with Virgin Voyages again.
