Traveling with CPAP and refrigerated injector

[MTdreaming]

We will be traveling in April. My husband uses a cpap machine.. and will need distilled water. I use a Forteo injector that needs to stay refrigerated. I assume my issue is easy, as I will just use the room refrigerator. However for my husband how do we request the distilled water? On RCL they have a form for this and it is in your room. On Princess all I see is the medical waiver form, which would require them contacting the doctor etc.. surely all of that isn't necessary? What have people done in this circumstance.. can you just request it from your steward? do you bring in on board yourself? Thanks for any feedback/advice on this.

[chrysalis]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2268682&highlight=distilled+water

[Whimsy]

Your travel agent can request distilled water. If you booked yourself just call Princess and they can help you. There are refrigerators in the cabins. You may want to request an extension cord or bring one yourself for the CPAP machine. They will supply them but sometimes they bring a huge industrial type cord and it's very bulky.

[fishywood]

The Cruise Personalizer has been tweaked a bit since that thread from three months ago:

 

• Log into your Cruise Personalizer
  
• Click 'Onboard Preferences' (under 'Guest Check In')
  
• Under your husband's name click 'Medical, Accessiblilty and Dietary Requests'
  
• Scroll down to 'Dietary Restrictions' and tick the last box 'Distilled Water for CPAP Machine'
  

 

And as for the medication that needs refrigeration, you are aware that the 'refrigerator' in your cabin is just a cooler box that chilled air from the air conditioning system circulates through. It will not be nearly as cold as your home refrigerator; if you meds absolutely require being held at no warmer than 35-40F you should make further inquiries.

[MTdreaming]

The Cruise Personalizer has been tweaked a bit since that thread from three months ago:

 

• Log into your Cruise Personalizer
  
• Click 'Onboard Preferences' (under 'Guest Check In')
  
• Under your husband's name click 'Medical, Accessiblilty and Dietary Requests'
  
• Scroll down to 'Dietary Restrictions' and tick the last box 'Distilled Water for CPAP Machine'
  

 

And as for the medication that needs refrigeration, you are aware that the 'refrigerator' in your cabin is just a cooler box that chilled air from the air conditioning system circulates through. It will not be nearly as cold as your home refrigerator; if you meds absolutely require being held at no warmer than 35-40F you should make further inquiries.

 

That was a great and detailed response... I appreciate it, it worked for the distilled water! I will double check the actual temp for the refrigerator medications and go from there. really appreciate it.

[Colo Cruiser]

 

And as for the medication that needs refrigeration, you are aware that the 'refrigerator' in your cabin is just a cooler box that chilled air from the air conditioning system circulates through. It will not be nearly as cold as your home refrigerator; if you meds absolutely require being held at no warmer than 35-40F you should make further inquiries.

 

 

Its a stand alone college type dorm fridge.

Connected to the ships AC system?

I don't think so.

 

Its true they are erratic at cooling.

[cb at sea]

If your fridge is in a cabinet, keep the cabinet door ajar. Refrigerators need air to work properly. Fold a towel, and stick it in the door to allow air to the fridge unit.

[caribill]

If your fridge is in a cabinet, keep the cabinet door ajar. Refrigerators need air to work properly. Fold a towel, and stick it in the door to allow air to the fridge unit.

 

Depends on the ship. On some of them opening the cabinet door also opens the refrigerator door.

[caribill]

Its true they are erratic at cooling.

 

There is a dial inside to raise or lower the temp. Often I find it at the high setting and have to move it to the low setting. When I do that, it does a much better job. Still not in the 35 degree range though.

[MTdreaming]

Again thanks all for the words of advice.. I will definitely take a small insulated bag in case I have to go the ice route... I will keep a close eye on the temperature in the fridge.. maybe fill a ziplock with some ice to help it along.

[JF - retired RRT]

My husband uses a cpap machine.. and will need distilled water.

FYI for the future...distilled water is ONLY to keep from getting a buildup of minerals on the walls of the humidifier chamber. For a short period of time (at home or at sea) it isn't a problem. At sea, it is even less of a problem. The water from the faucet in the bathroom is very close to distilled, due to the way the ship makes it.

If you do get a mineral buildup, just use a stronger vinegar: water soak for your cleaning process, i.e. 4 or 5 parts vinegar to 1 part water instead of the usual 3:1.

Also, if you are replacing your supplies at the allowable minimum (humidifier chambers are every 6 to 12 months ) any mineral buildup would be a non-issue.

[Alaskanb]

Again thanks all for the words of advice.. I will definitely take a small insulated bag in case I have to go the ice route... I will keep a close eye on the temperature in the fridge.. maybe fill a ziplock with some ice to help it along.

The fridge in our cabin has always had a filled ice bucket in it? Is the type of refrigerator dependent on the ship?

[Go-Bucks!]

FYI for the future...distilled water is ONLY to keep from getting a buildup of minerals on the walls of the humidifier chamber. For a short period of time (at home or at sea) it isn't a problem. At sea, it is even less of a problem. The water from the faucet in the bathroom is very close to distilled, due to the way the ship makes it.

If you do get a mineral buildup, just use a stronger vinegar: water soak for your cleaning process, i.e. 4 or 5 parts vinegar to 1 part water instead of the usual 3:1.

Also, if you are replacing your supplies at the allowable minimum (humidifier chambers are every 6 to 12 months ) any mineral buildup would be a non-issue.

 

 

This is very true. If I'm somewhere that doesn't have distilled water, I use bottled water or tap water on a ship. For a short time it won't hurt the machine and definitely won't hurt the person using it.

 

I always request distilled water from the Personalizer, but if it's not in your room when you arrive, just ask the steward and he/she will get it for you. Same for the extension cord. It's a very easy process and has worked on other cruiselines the same way.

[Treven]

As been posted, for a relatively short cruise you really don't need distilled water for hubby's CPAP machine. I just use ship's tap water in my CPAP with no trouble.

[BabsinTX]

The Cruise Personalizer has been tweaked a bit since that thread from three months ago:

 

• Log into your Cruise Personalizer
  
• Click 'Onboard Preferences' (under 'Guest Check In')
  
• Under your husband's name click 'Medical, Accessiblilty and Dietary Requests'
  
• Scroll down to 'Dietary Restrictions' and tick the last box 'Distilled Water for CPAP Machine'
  

 

And as for the medication that needs refrigeration, you are aware that the 'refrigerator' in your cabin is just a cooler box that chilled air from the air conditioning system circulates through. It will not be nearly as cold as your home refrigerator; if you meds absolutely require being held at no warmer than 35-40F you should make further inquiries.

 

I have a refrigerated shot, also. On the Grand the cabin's fridge was cold enough IF we left the cabinet door open so heat didn't build up around the fridge. On the Caribbean Princess, the fridge wouldn't get cold enough. So I put the ice bucket in the fridge with ice around my shots.

[jpcello]

We will be traveling in April. My husband uses a cpap machine.. and will need distilled water. I use a Forteo injector that needs to stay refrigerated. I assume my issue is easy, as I will just use the room refrigerator. However for my husband how do we request the distilled water? On RCL they have a form for this and it is in your room. On Princess all I see is the medical waiver form, which would require them contacting the doctor etc.. surely all of that isn't necessary? What have people done in this circumstance.. can you just request it from your steward? do you bring in on board yourself? Thanks for any feedback/advice on this.

 

Contact Princess's special needs department. It took some digging on their website, but I would send an email to accessoffice@princesscruises.com to request a refrigeration to meet your needs and the distilled water you need for your husband's CPAP.

[Go-Bucks!]

Contact Princess's special needs department. It took some digging on their website, but I would send an email to accessoffice@princesscruises.com to request a refrigeration to meet your needs and the distilled water you need for your husband's CPAP.

 

 

This might be a good way to find out about the refrigeration question, but there is a much simpler way to order the distilled water. You don't need to email anyone about it. And if for some reason the water isn't in your room, just ask your steward and it will be delivered promptly.

 

As I said above, just go to your Personalizer section on the Princess website and here are the instructions posted by fishywood:

 

 

• Log into your Cruise Personalizer
  
• Click 'Onboard Preferences' (under 'Guest Check In')
  
• Under your husband's name click 'Medical, Accessiblilty and Dietary Requests'
  
• Scroll down to 'Dietary Restrictions' and tick the last box 'Distilled Water for CPAP Machine'
  

Easy peasy!! :D

[Colo Cruiser]

The fridge in our cabin has always had a filled ice bucket in it? Is the type of refrigerator dependent on the ship?

 

 

Stewart leaves the ice bucket in there so it does not melt as fast.

Fridge's should all be similar.

[pediem]

I have to travel with injectable Orencia (pre-filled syringes, which aren't nearly as compact as the Forteo pens).

 

For the day of travel, I use the little cooler that my mom received from the Forteo manufacturer with two BlueIce packs (instead of soft gel ice packs). With BlueIce, the cooler will keep my syringes at appropriate temps for 36+ hours.

 

Once I'm "settled" (hotel, on board ship, my brother's house, etc.), I transfer the syringes to a mini fridge. Looking at Amazon, the closest I can find to what I use is the Medi-Fridge IIx Portable Micro-Refrigerator

(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AQ6IJA/?tag=paltredectipt-20). It works very well; I just put it up on two little plastic blocks to be sure that the fan (which vents underneath) has plenty of room to cool it.

 

Hope this helps!

[greenie082756]

Again thanks all for the words of advice.. I will definitely take a small insulated bag in case I have to go the ice route... I will keep a close eye on the temperature in the fridge.. maybe fill a ziplock with some ice to help it along.

 

I take a medicine that is in injectable form. What I do is put the pen in a plastic zip bag and then put it in the small refrigerator in the ice bucket.

 

I have a carrier by InsulPak that holds my medicine and cold packs for traveling. Its one of the best things I've ever gotten. I carry my insulin and HCG pens in it. Hope that helps!

[pablo222]

The water from the faucet in the bathroom is very close to distilled, due to the way the ship makes it.

Except when the ship bunkers water, then the water from the faucet

is really, really close to 'city' water.

Edited March 4, 2016 by pablo222

[MTdreaming]

Thanks for everyone's input... it sounds all very doable.. this trip is just 14 days but we hope to do a transatlantic next year and stay in Europe for a month or so.. that will require a little more planning. i did login and request the distilled water, got a return email asking that I confirm that distilled water was for a CPAP as that is the only allowed use. I did reply and they then confirmed that it will be available. This process was a bit more straight forward on RCL, but I still prefer Princess :-)

[keithm]

We will be traveling in April. My husband uses a cpap machine.. and will need distilled water. I use a Forteo injector that needs to stay refrigerated. I assume my issue is easy, as I will just use the room refrigerator. However for my husband how do we request the distilled water? On RCL they have a form for this and it is in your room. On Princess all I see is the medical waiver form, which would require them contacting the doctor etc.. surely all of that isn't necessary? What have people done in this circumstance.. can you just request it from your steward? do you bring in on board yourself? Thanks for any feedback/advice on this.

Go through your T/A(or check the Princess personalizer). Also be sure to request an extension cord as there are no sockets easily available next to the bed(on the Regal, that is)