Cruising and CPAP

[JamesW6175]

Has anybody gone on a cruise with their CPAP machine ? Does the cruise ship supply or have a supply of distiller water for your use? Any problems with the boarding procedures by carrying your equipment with you?

What about flying and TSA?







ResMed S9 Elite
H5i humidifier
Newbie

[Sunpoppy]

Hi James,

Newbie here and while I haven't flown with a cpap myself I have seen people traveling with them. I also seem to remember seeing a link to follow in case of med equipment on AA's website.

So be sure to check with you airline and they will prob have some advice for dealing with the dreaded TSA!

As far as the cruise (lucky you!) goes...I bet they have a system. In all likelihood there will be several other cpap users on board.

Have fun!

[BlackSpinner]

TSA: They know what a cpap is. Put it in a zip lock bag and ask them to change their gloves. Treat it like a lap top.

Cruise lines: Tell them in advance and bring a power bar/extension cord. They will provide the water if asked. You can use any bottled water really or even tap water. The distilled is to prevent mineral build up in the tank only.

[TiredTex]

TSA is not a problem. As mentioned in a post before mine. I put hose in Zip lock than my mask in a bag by it self. This is so they can see it all with out having to handel it. It should be carried on to the plane. It is considered a medical device and will not count as 1 of your carry ons. The first time I flew I question my doctor he gave me a letter of medical necessity I have flown many times and have never had to show the letter. I still carry it though.

As far as the cruise we had no problems at all. I had to put a deposit down for an extension cord which was returned at the end of the cruise. And I use bottled water.

[Journeyman]

Yep go have fun. I carry in my cpap case some extras, two or three gallon size ziplock bags, a small brown eight foot extension cord, three small bungee cords like for camping, a lenght of yarn, one of those plastic door hooks the ones that slip over the top of a door, a wash cloth, and a hair tie or two. I sometimes need to rig up a hose support. Sounds like a lot but it all fits. I always pack my gear up in the morning and get it back out before bed when traveling, but thats just me. Also note that some cruise lines will prepare your room while you are dining. So when you get back to your room they have made it up again for the night. Turn down service I guess, just a note. Enjoy.

[shaunas]

I cruise quite often. No problem bringing CPAP on. As another poster said, bring an extension cord with you. You will need it. There is usually only one outlet in the room. I use bottled water while I'm cruising although you can get by bringing a gallon of water on board with you as long as it is not open.

I have been thinking about putting a cruise together for the forum so everyone could meet. Anyone interested?

[cpapernewbie]

As many said: always carry a power bar. Once on the cruise always check for the type of electrical outlet. Some have the North American 3 holes - another cruise - even from the same company may use the British electrical outlet. Fortunately you can ask from the cruise crew extension cable and adapter to connect your CPAP, Iphone, Ipad etc etc. It is normal to have outlets far away from the bed side table so ask the cabin crew to tap extension cable to the floor and make sure nobody stumble... I always carry my own set of universal electrical adapter, just in case...

I have always use tap water and believe me, using tap water for 1 to 2 weeks will not harm you and the CPAP

[bailachel]

Many (all?) cruise ships distill their water from sea water on an ongoing basis so the tap water is distilled water.

In addition to a long extension cord, and removable hooks for hanging the hose, I always bring duct tape. Often the outlet is across the room from the bed and if there is a loose cord going across the floor, I will trip on it. Even though I know it is there. But that's just me.

[Jay Aitchsee]

I just returned from a cruise on the Carnival Breeze. I forgot to pack an extension cord, but a request to the Cabin Steward produced one in short order. I didn't measure it, but it must of been nearly 20 feet long. It was long enough to run from the vanity around the perimeter of the room to the night stand at the head of my bed on the other side. Since it was long enough to run along the walls, it wasn't a trip hazard. Using theirs was probably better than using one I would have taken.
My travel machine is an S8 elite without the humidifier, so water wasn't an issue; however, if I were to use a humidifier, I wouldn't have any qualms about using the ship's tap water.

Jay

[echo]

I use a power strip with 3 outlets, a simple extension is not enough - I plug in the cpap, the humidifier, and my phone charger. Most hotel rooms I've been in had either one or zero plugs near the bed.

Something to suspend the hose over your head can be useful. cpap.com sells a couple of those hose manager systems, and I remember some posts way back when about some special sticky things you could temporarily stick on a wall (can't remember what they were exactly or what they were called).

I carry 2 small bungee cords with me to hang my hose in the rooms. Actually I gamble that I'll be able to fit a coat hanger in between the wall and the bed's headboard, and then I hang the bungee cord from the coat hanger and thread the hose through the bungee - that's worked almost every time. Once there wasn't a headboard, and another time I couldn't get the coat hanger to stay put, but there was a light stand nearby and I hung the bungee cord/hose system to that.

[Jay Aitchsee]

I use a power strip with 3 outlets, a simple extension is not enough - I plug in the cpap, the humidifier, and my phone charger. Most hotel rooms I've been in had either one or zero plugs near the bed.

Yes, I neglected to mention the cord provided by the ship terminated in 3 grounded outlets.

[msla]

The most important accessory is your own extension cord. We did the around Hawaii cruise wan had no issues. We will be toing the passenger/freighter out of Papeete after the New Year. I will pack plug adapters incase they use the European standard outlets.

[jnk]

Some ships will confiscate personal power cords, for fire-prevention reasons, if the safety personnel see them. So use their cord, not yours. If you make a fuss about the deposit for their cord, they may waive it. Ship water is better than bottled water, in my opinion.

[Rustsmith]

We have cruised for many years with my wife's CPAP on a number of different lines and have never had any problems. We always carry a long extension cord because the only available plug is usually on the other side of the room (by the desk). Due to the tripping hazard it creates, we always unplug the cord and put it away each morning. Therefore, the only issue is that I am the one that has to remember not to trip over it at night.

Next month will be our first trip with two units, so I guess that this time I will have to daisy chain the extension cords to reach both sides of the bed (and yes, I have checked the power ratings of the cords vs our two units to make certain that the cords are not overloaded).

[jnk]

Here is, for example, Carnival's stated policy that extension cords are allowed but still may be removed then returned, at their discretion:

"RESTRICTED ITEMS – SAFETY AND SECURITY POLICY. . . • Electrical devices such as fans, power strips, multi plug box outlets/adaptors, and extension cords are allowed on board when used with proper caution. However, if such devises are determined to pose a hazard, they will be removed and returned the last day of the cruise prior to debark."--http://www.carnival.com/core/faq.aspx?f ... CTED+ITEMS