Dreams Come True
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Dream Comes True
Every family deserves a moment to breathe, to bond, and to simply be together. Our Dreams Come True program offers fully funded, staff-assisted cruise vacations to families in the U.S. and Canada raising children or adults with disabilities—especially those facing financial hardship, trauma, or severe life challenges. For some, travel is a luxury out of reach due to medical, emotional, or financial burdens. Our mission is to change that—offering relief, joy, and connection at sea through personalized, supported vacations made possible by the generosity of our donors. We’ve helped thousands of families rediscover joy, strength, and hope. When funding allows, families on our mailing list are invited to apply for a grant. If approved, we work hand-in-hand to create a safe, accessible, and unforgettable experience.
A Vacation They Never Thought Possible
For families living with disability, grief, or relentless hardship, even a short escape can feel unreachable. That’s why Dreams Come True exists—to provide fully funded cruise vacations where healing, laughter, and togetherness can finally take place. Our grants are reserved for families in the U.S. and Canada raising neurodivergent or disabled individuals. When selected, families receive not just a vacation—but a carefully designed, staff-supported experience tailored to their unique needs. This isn’t just about travel. It’s about giving families something to look forward to, something to hold onto, and a chance to be together without the daily weight they carry.
Families with neurodivergent individuals or other disability, of any age, can apply for a grant. Grants are only available to families in the United States and Canada.
Because of the extremely high demand for grants, we ask that an interested family first joins our mailing list. When our funds allow us to start a grant cycle, we contact families on the list with a link for them to apply for a grant.
Complete the form below. You will get a confirmation email and may need to validate your email address to be sure you receive future communications.
First make sure you have understood everything on this webpage. If you have any questions, send an email to [email protected]. If you’re ready to apply, click the link in the email and complete the application form.
We focus on granting staff-assisted cruise vacations, in line with our mission statement. We have partnered with the industry leading provider of staff-assisted vacations - Autism on the Seas. You can view the types of vacations and their services on their websit
We can accept a physician's diagnosis, or educational accommodations such as 504s or IEPs. These are uploaded together with your application form. Applications submitted without uploading a diagnosis will not be processed.
No, due to overwhelming demand, the Foundation can only grant a vacation once per family.
The vacation grant is limited to immediate family members - parents or caregivers and siblings of the person(s) with a disability. Other extended family or friends can travel at the same time; however, they will need to pay for their own vacation.
The Foundation will fund the cruise cost, standard gratuities, and travel to and from the departure port. Discretionary add-ons such as excursions, WiFi, specialty dining or drinks packages are not normally covered, though exceptions may be granted based on the grant approved.
No, The Foundation makes grants to families without regard to race, religion, gender, or economic status.
We receive hundreds of applications in every grant cycle. Our committee reviews every application and must decide which will receive a grant and which will not, so you are writing to them. Examples of cases they might champion are where life’s roadblocks have prevented a family ever taking a vacation, or there has been a tragedy or setback, but these are just examples – everyone's story is different. We will never share information provided on an application outside of the Foundation.
Reports of families enjoying their vacation are powerful messages to share with existing and future donors to the Foundation, helping us raise even more money and allowing us to help more families in need. Giving this permission is entirely optional and does not affect your chances of being selected for a grant
There are other organizations, some much larger than our Foundation, that also provide grants to families in need. We recommend any families that we are unable to assist find and apply to these organizations.
