Cruise and CPAP

I am about to go on my first cruise. The cruise will be on Carnival. I have been advised that there is only 1 electrical outlet in the room which is near the desk/vanity.

I have been advised by a CPAP company that I trust not to use an extension cord with my CPAP.

I am interested in knowing what others are doing in this situation.

I also had some cruise questions - recently answered
There was some input regarding extension cords

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=158239&p=1218237&hi ... e#p1218237

Michelle P wrote:I am about to go on my first cruise. The cruise will be on Carnival. I have been advised that there is only 1 electrical outlet in the room which is near the desk/vanity.

I have been advised by a CPAP company that I trust not to use an extension cord with my CPAP.

I am interested in knowing what others are doing in this situation.

If you see a CPAP Company employees mouth moves, they are lying! Jim

Take a good quality UL cord.

x

I've cruised on several cruise lines; Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean and a couple others. Except for my first cruise, I've never taken an extension cord. On my first cruise, my 6 foot extension cruise wasn't long enough to reach from the vanity to my night stand. I asked the steward and he provided one that would reach - about 25 feet. Since that time, if I've needed an extension cord, I have just asked and one has always been provided.

As far as the advice to not use an extension cord with your cpap - poppycock. It is not a problem.

Enjoy your cruise.

I have used extension cords overseas with 220v with no problems.

If you call the cruise line ahead of time and let them know you have a cpap, they'll usually provide an extension cord.

I just cruised Royal Caribbean. Take an extension cord with you. Cruise lines usually provide distilled water. And, I was glad I took an extra filter, because mine turned grey in about 4 days on that ship.

Cardsfan wrote:I just cruised Royal Caribbean. Take an extension cord with you. Cruise lines usually provide distilled water. And, I was glad I took an extra filter, because mine turned grey in about 4 days on that ship.

for what it's worth, ships at sea typically make their own water from seawater, via distillation or reverse osmosis. So the 'tap' water is probably just fine to use.

Good to know Palerider. I've used tap water quite often on trips, no problems at all.

Whatever CPAP vendor said that extension cords are bad for their machines was "misinformed" to be nice. The power drawn from the AC outlet, like nearly all devices made in the last 10 years or so, is not very much and of no concern when using an extension cord. The only real danger of extension cords is that they can be a tripping hazard if not properly placed, especially on a cruise ship. As a retired electrical engineer from a major communications company (where extension cords where not allowed for major system installations), I still avoid their use in general as a bad practice.

I have been on many cruises and all the lines that I know of will provide an extension cord and distilled water for the asking. Most have a "Disabilities Form" on their websites that include a checkbox for CPAP that automatically flags your booking for your need of an extension cord and distilled water. Note, do not bring your own extension cords, since many cruise lines will confiscate them when embarking. This is especially true of anything with a surge protector.

As for how water is made on cruise ships, below is a post from another cruise specific Board written by a former USCG Chief Electrical Engineer, and a former cruise line Chief Electrical Engineer, that explains how water is produced on ships. The post was an answer to a specific question, so some of the post does not make sense as a standalone post, but his explanation on how water is made on ship is correct.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpos ... ostcount=4

BTW - - Carnival has some of the strictest rules concerning extension cords and surge protectors. Let them provide what you need for your CPAP machine.

Thanks everyone. You all provided very helpful information.

Royal carribean last year first cruise - they gave me a long cord and it worked just fine. next time I'll bring my own cord.

Best bet is to call the cruise line and discuss the whole matter. Make sure that they will allow you to use your extension cord and adapter (if needed). You CPAP will run on 110 or 220 volts, and 50 or 60 hz. Thus, you will not need a voltage converter. Also discuss whether they can provide distilled water.