Any Gastric bypass cruisers?

[InNeedOfSaltWater]

Hey yall, 

 

I will be having my gastric bypass on Aug 10th and are planning to go on my first cruise March/April 2023 on Carnival Sunshine out of Charleston destination(s) unknown, so I will be 7-8 mths post op.. My stomach will be the size of an egg.

 

I should be back on solid foods by then, if not and I still need my protein shakes; has anyone had dealings with cruise lines allowing you to bring your own? Or will the ship make them; if so, will it be included in costs like it is for vegans or will there be a per shake charge?

 

And if I am back on solid foods by then; what has been your experience as a gastric bypass cruiser? 

 

Thanks.

[Essiesmom]

Will this be your first cruise ever, or first cruise after surgery?  There are posters time to time who have cruised after bariatric surgery, with varying success.  Once you have figured out how Cruise Critic works, and how to use the search function, you might try asking on the Carnival board here, and on the Disabled Cruising board here.  Seem such questions are not as frequent as they were when such surgery first became popular.  
    With such a small capacity you will be eating frequently and there will be many places on the ship to get food.  You can bring protein supplements onboard as long as they are in cans.  EM

[InNeedOfSaltWater]

3 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Will this be your first cruise ever, or first cruise after surgery?  There are posters time to time who have cruised after bariatric surgery, with varying success.  Once you have figured out how Cruise Critic works, and how to use the search function, you might try asking on the Carnival board here, and on the Disabled Cruising board here.  Seem such questions are not as frequent as they were when such surgery first became popular.  
    With such a small capacity you will be eating frequently and there will be many places on the ship to get food.  You can bring protein supplements onboard as long as they are in cans.  EM

 

First cruise ever!

[OZ.]

On 7/23/2022 at 11:30 PM, InNeedOfSaltWater said:

Hey yall, 

 

I will be having my gastric bypass on Aug 10th and are planning to go on my first cruise March/April 2023 on Carnival Sunshine out of Charleston destination(s) unknown, so I will be 7-8 mths post op.. My stomach will be the size of an egg.

 

I should be back on solid foods by then, if not and I still need my protein shakes; has anyone had dealings with cruise lines allowing you to bring your own? Or will the ship make them; if so, will it be included in costs like it is for vegans or will there be a per shake charge?

 

And if I am back on solid foods by then; what has been your experience as a gastric bypass cruiser? 

 

Thanks.

I don’t have any personal experience, but I decided to search for you. Sometimes curiosity gets the best of me. Sometimes the search function doesn’t work but it did this time. I got a little carried away reading. I put the word bariatric to look and came up with many threads.

If this link doesn’t work try searching for it. Good luck with your surgery and the cruise.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=Bariatric&quick=1

[CTGirl74]

I had gastric bypass surgery nine years ago. I can't speak to what it's like to cruise after a bypass since my surgery was several months after my first two cruises and I haven't been on one since; however, I just wanted to say that you should be back on solid foods within a month after surgery. You'll have lots of time to adjust to your new way of eating before you go on your cruise. By the time you get on the ship, you'll know if eggs bother you or if chicken and turkey are too dry for you, or certain foods were a no-go in the beginning but now they're fine. You'll also know how much sugar you can tolerate in one shot; some can't tolerate any sugar, some just a tiny bit, and others (like me) can tolerate a little more. There are cases where someone has a hard time tolerating most solid foods even years after surgery, but those are few and far between. You'll likely have a very small capactity, though. Meaning, maybe three bites of chicken and a few green beans.

 

I'm going on a cruise October 2023, so at that point it will be just about 10 years since surgery. I still can't eat a full sandwhich or hamburger, but at least I can eat more than a couple bites. My plan is to go for appetizers rather than full meals. Or if I go for a full meal, take the leftovers back to the room.

 

Good luck with your surgery! It was the best thing I ever did for myself.

[InNeedOfSaltWater]

On 7/24/2022 at 12:00 PM, Essiesmom said:

Will this be your first cruise ever, or first cruise after surgery?  There are posters time to time who have cruised after bariatric surgery, with varying success.  Once you have figured out how Cruise Critic works, and how to use the search function, you might try asking on the Carnival board here, and on the Disabled Cruising board here.  Seem such questions are not as frequent as they were when such surgery first became popular.  
    With such a small capacity you will be eating frequently and there will be many places on the ship to get food.  You can bring protein supplements onboard as long as they are in cans.  EM

 

Also I meant to say that I did see on Amazon that Gatorade has high protein shakes in cardboard bottles.. just like the boxed water on ships.

[chengkp75]

The ships will not make protein shakes, nor will they supply them.  With a doctor's authorization for the shakes as required diet, and notification to the cruise line's "special needs department"  (look at the bottom of their web page to find it), you should be able to  bring as many as you need, or at least as many as you can lug onto the ship.

[Bonnie Beach]

So I have not had gastric bypass, but was on a cruise and seated at dinner with a lady who had. She ordered each course, would take a bite or two, and then push it away. But she seemed to enjoy it and was having a great time. So I finally got the courage to ask her why she did this, and she explained that she had had gastric bypass. She was very open to talking about it and said that she had paid for it regardless of not eating it all. And this way she got to experience everything she wanted to. 

[InNeedOfSaltWater]

4 hours ago, Bonnie Beach said:

So I have not had gastric bypass, but was on a cruise and seated at dinner with a lady who had. She ordered each course, would take a bite or two, and then push it away. But she seemed to enjoy it and was having a great time. So I finally got the courage to ask her why she did this, and she explained that she had had gastric bypass. She was very open to talking about it and said that she had paid for it regardless of not eating it all. And this way she got to experience everything she wanted to. 

 

I was just at my last class I had to take and a woman that had already had the surgery was with her husband whose getting his surgery gave me an awesome idea.. 

 

Those little cups you normally make jello shots in are the perfect portion size (plus they come with lids)

 

I'm gonna get me a pack and put it in my carry on.. I don't plan on doing any of the fancy dining cause I hate the thought of wasting food (even if it does end up as chum for the fishes) And I certainly aint paying for food I cant eat.. thats a waste of money.. I think I'm gonna stick with the Lido deck. 

[Essiesmom]

It sounds as though you haven’t yet booked your cruise.  Thus, I suggest you not book until you are making good strides in your recovery. Just in case things don’t progress as anticipated. That said, are you traveling alone?  Or with family/friends? I like buffets, but usually eat dinner in the MDR (main dining room).  I traveled solo for many cruises, and with my sister for many.  We always liked a table of others to chat with at dinner.  You might find you enjoy that.  There are occasional things that show up on the menu in the MDR that are not offered at the buffet.  The menu for dinner is always posted outside the MDR by midday,  and can be accessed. In the Carnival Hub app on your phone or tablet (no Wi-Fi purchase needed).  You might make a point of checking it.  Breakfast and lunch, too.  With such a small capacity, you will be wanting to eat more than three or four times a day.  The buffet has long hours, and there is always some place to get food, even if it is room service during the night.  You could graze the buffet multiple times and also try the MDR.  And don’t be shy about mixing up the menu.  If there are more apps than you feel comfortable ordering, wait and order on for dessert.  The cold fruit soups are good for this…. EM

[InNeedOfSaltWater]

3 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

It sounds as though you haven’t yet booked your cruise.  Thus, I suggest you not book until you are making good strides in your recovery. Just in case things don’t progress as anticipated. That said, are you traveling alone?  Or with family/friends? I like buffets, but usually eat dinner in the MDR (main dining room).  I traveled solo for many cruises, and with my sister for many.  We always liked a table of others to chat with at dinner.  You might find you enjoy that.  There are occasional things that show up on the menu in the MDR that are not offered at the buffet.  The menu for dinner is always posted outside the MDR by midday,  and can be accessed. In the Carnival Hub app on your phone or tablet (no Wi-Fi purchase needed).  You might make a point of checking it.  Breakfast and lunch, too.  With such a small capacity, you will be wanting to eat more than three or four times a day.  The buffet has long hours, and there is always some place to get food, even if it is room service during the night.  You could graze the buffet multiple times and also try the MDR.  And don’t be shy about mixing up the menu.  If there are more apps than you feel comfortable ordering, wait and order on for dessert.  The cold fruit soups are good for this…. EM

Nope not booked yet and I'll be with my boyfriend and his family.. He's had bariatric surgery years ago.. 

 

Plus I'll be 8-9mths post op.

[candeeduh]

I'm almost 2 years post op from gastric sleeve (8/10/20) and will be going on my very first cruise in December. While I haven't been on a cruise yet, hopefully I can provide some insight in regards to WLS.

 

At 8-9 months PO you'll be able to eat anything you want (with discretion if you know certain foods end up affecting you when eaten), and depending on your doctor's plan, be able to drink alcohol. Alcohol hits faster and harder with our small stomachs though.

 

I've read people were able to order the steak from the kids menu for a smaller portion, and that's what I totally plan on doing, but then also just ordering what I want. Thankfully I have a skinny fat boyfriend who will eat the leftovers, but also don't feel too horrible about food waste since it tends to happen anyways.

[InNeedOfSaltWater]

9 minutes ago, candeeduh said:

I'm almost 2 years post op from gastric sleeve (8/10/20) and will be going on my very first cruise in December. While I haven't been on a cruise yet, hopefully I can provide some insight in regards to WLS.

 

At 8-9 months PO you'll be able to eat anything you want (with discretion if you know certain foods end up affecting you when eaten), and depending on your doctor's plan, be able to drink alcohol. Alcohol hits faster and harder with our small stomachs though.

 

I've read people were able to order the steak from the kids menu for a smaller portion, and that's what I totally plan on doing, but then also just ordering what I want. Thankfully I have a skinny fat boyfriend who will eat the leftovers, but also don't feel too horrible about food waste since it tends to happen anyways.

 

Omg so funny, mine is on August 10th!  I didn't lose enough weight to satisfy my surgeon, so he put me on a liquid diet from now until whenever I can eat solid foods post op.. 

 

Which I'm kinda mad about.. last year I started doing the two shakes and one meal and lost 30 lbs in a month and then when I was at my dietion appt, she scolded me saying I had to eat more than once a day...otherwise my body would shut down, yet somehow it won't after surgery..

 

This whole journey has been conradictions. Lol

[OVgirl]

In the dining room I think you can order appetizer size portions which might suit you better. At least it will feel like less waste.

[yellowroses1979]

I'm a bit late to this, but wanted to reply.  My brother had gastric sleeve surgery in October 2018.  We went on a cruise (Carnival) in March 2019.  He was still required to drink protein daily.  He had to submit a form along with a note from his doctor saying the drinks were medically necessary.  It had to be approved by the appropriate department ahead of time.

 

Even with the approval, security confiscated his drinks when we arrived.  I spent almost an hour on the phone with no luck.  We finally talked (randomly) with a Carnival rep. who had been through the surgery herself and she advocated for him.  We ended up in a supervisor's office and she had the drinks brought up to him before we boarded.

[Schmink45]

On 7/25/2022 at 3:30 PM, CTGirl74 said:

I had gastric bypass surgery nine years ago. I can't speak to what it's like to cruise after a bypass since my surgery was several months after my first two cruises and I haven't been on one since; however, I just wanted to say that you should be back on solid foods within a month after surgery. You'll have lots of time to adjust to your new way of eating before you go on your cruise. By the time you get on the ship, you'll know if eggs bother you or if chicken and turkey are too dry for you, or certain foods were a no-go in the beginning but now they're fine. You'll also know how much sugar you can tolerate in one shot; some can't tolerate any sugar, some just a tiny bit, and others (like me) can tolerate a little more. There are cases where someone has a hard time tolerating most solid foods even years after surgery, but those are few and far between. You'll likely have a very small capactity, though. Meaning, maybe three bites of chicken and a few green beans.

 

I'm going on a cruise October 2023, so at that point it will be just about 10 years since surgery. I still can't eat a full sandwhich or hamburger, but at least I can eat more than a couple bites. My plan is to go for appetizers rather than full meals. Or if I go for a full meal, take the leftovers back to the room.

 

Good luck with your surgery! It was the best thing I ever did for myself.

Hey, I had the gastric sleeve in Sept. 2015 and we're going on a cruise in October 2023 as well!!

Navigator of the Seas RCCL out of Port of Los Angeles Oct 30-Nov 3.

Let's touch base!!

[EL Pitman]

I have had the RnY surgery.  At that point in your journey, you'll be on regular foods and should have made enough mistakes to know how your new body can eat.  Do yourself a favor, though....  do NOT keep doing things is does NOT like to train it to eat the crap that got you to the surgery in the first place. Remember the old adage "My eyes are bigger than my stomach"?  oh so VERY true!  You can ALWAYS ask for more if you are still hungry, or leave the dining room and hit the buffet.  But if you are honest with yourself, you wont be hungry.  Food is loud.  Just be certain to acknowledge the discomfort in your small, overstretched stomach is louder.....  I hope this helped!!  

 

(ps, lost 60 lbs with surgery, gained 20 because I didn't follow my own advice, lost 40 & maintained for 3 years)

[Host Kat]

The OP sailed in March April 2023. Their last post was in July 2022 on another board. This thread is closed.