I'll admit that traveling on a cruise ship with an ASD kiddo (who may need an emergency escape route) sounds terrifying for most families. However, Royal Caribbean had a genius idea! They partnered with "Autism on the Seas" staffers that work on the cruise ships for specialized cruises at certain times and on certain routes.
What does this mean? For a family with a special needs kiddo, this means you have HELP to make your trip easier and more relaxing for your entire family! The help takes the form of a sea of orange shirts that is specifically trained to know how to help your child, and is ready and willing to jump in and give you the extra hand that you need to make a vacation stress-free.
How to get there: Royal Caribbean has cruises that leave from New York City. That means that you and your family can save a TON on airfare simply by driving to the boat.
For more info on "Autism on the Seas" https://autismontheseas.com/
For Royal Caribbean (Staffed) Cruise dates and info https://autismontheseas.com/royalcaribbean
This looks like fun! I definitely like the idea of driving to NYC, rather than flying.