Cruising With Home Dialysistips From A Platinum Cruiser
So, we’ve just come back from our first cruise doing nocturnal HD. We cruised the Carnival Breeze out of Miami. We live in Indiana, and chose to drive to Miami. We cruised before while on PD, and below are some pointers and tips for cruising with a NxStage machine and a sample packing list for both PD and home HD.
Planning
When we booked our cruise, I called the Special Needs phone number at Carnival to verify that they didn’t need any paperwork from me. They arranged to have a sharps container in our cabin. They also let me know that if I told the porters, our medical stuff would be carried by someone from the luggage drop off to our cabin.
I’ve heard that some cruise lines allow only PD dialysis patients, not HD patients. I’ve not run into that, but on Carnival, they allow both, though I’m not sure I ever said hemodialysis.
Our center called in our vacation order with NxStage. To get into that a bit more deeply:
On Arrival to the Port
When we arrived at the site to drop off our luggage, I told the porter that we were carrying vital medical equipment, including a VERY expensive piece of machinery, and would need someone to hand deliver these things to our cabin.
The porter seemed slightly confused, but called a supervisor, who worked magic. They called for a basket and Vlad, bags of supplies, and 21 boxes of fluids and cartridges were whisked away.
On the Cruise
Leaving the Ship
So below, some more advice:
PD Travel Packing List
Our Promise To Our Guests
- All nephrologists accompanying our cruises are licensed, board certified/eligible practicing nephrologists.
- All nurses accompanying our cruises are experienced, licensed dialysis nurses.
- Under most circumstances, your exact dialysis prescription will be met. There is of course, no reuse.
- Your special dietary needs will be accommodated by your ships dining staff.
- All of your cruise and air travel arrangements are handled by experienced dialysis travel personnel.
- On the day of sailing, an orientation meeting is held to introduce you to your fellow dialysis travelers and the medical staff who will cruise with you.
- We offer trip cancellation insurance to assist you in handling unexpected emergencies. Pre-existing medical conditions are waived if insurance is purchased within 24 hours of final payment.
Seabourn Quest Dress Code
Daytimes are resort casual, which basically means wear the right clothes for the days activities. For example, on a Norwegian fjords cruise, passengers going shopping or on an easy sightseeing tour might be dressed casually yet stylishly, while those going on a hike or Zodiac tour might be in hiking or athletic clothing. Jeans are welcome in all dining venues during the day, but are not appropriate in any public venues after 6 p.m., when the dress code applies.
At night, Seabourn has elegant casual and formal evenings, though most cruises under two weeks long have only one formal night. Formal attire includes a tuxedo , suit or slacks for men and evening gown, cocktail dress or fancy separates for women. Elegant casual attire includes slacks with a collared dress shirt or sweater for men and skirt or slacks with a cute or stylish top or dress for women. In Europe, at least, people dressed on the nicer end of this spectrum for example, men wore button-down shirts, at least half in jackets, rather than collared shirts.
The onboard currency is the U.S. dollar.
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Minimum Age Policy On Seabourn Cruises
All persons under 18 years of age must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or guardian. Persons under 21 years of age are not permitted to consume alcoholic beverages and persons under 18 years of age are not permitted to gamble onboard the Ship parents and guardians are obligated to insure compliance with this requirement.
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Seabourn Source Web App
The Seabourn Source app was launched in August 2017. It can be accessed by all passengers and fleetwide. Seabourn Source offers up-to-the-minute access to voyages daily details directly on passengers smartphones, tablets or laptops. Users can tap the new app to instantly:
- stay on top of shipboard account records
- review daily activity as well as entertainment schedules
- track port times
- peruse meal times and menus for all dining venues
- browse and book shore trips
- learn about wellness classes and spa treatments
- connect to paid satellite internet.
The mobile app further connects cruisers to companys complimentary digital newspaper-magazine PressReader Offline, which offers full editions of 2500+ global media sources. They can be downloaded to personal Android or iOS devices while at sea or in port. Seabourn Source operates on a shipboard network, so users do not incur additional Internet/cellular data charges while in use.
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Are Handicap Rooms On Cruises Bigger
Fortunately, accessible cabins are bigger by necessity because wheelchair users need enough space to maneuver around beds, and into and out of the bathroom. That being said, the actual size of a cruise ship accessible cabin can vary widely between cruise lines, and even ships in the same class within a cruise line.
Ranking Among Luxury Cruise Lines
In a nutshell?
Seabourn is one of the best luxury cruise lines in the world.
Along with competitors Crystal Cruises and Silversea, it ranks right at the top of the list of luxury cruises.
Conde Nast Traveler rates it one of the top five small ship cruise lines in the world.
And the Seabourn Odyssey is one of the finest small luxury cruise ships Ive sailed on.
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Which Cruise Lines Offer Dialysis
The following are some of the major ocean liners that offer and can assist with dialysis treatments:
- Royal Caribbean
- CroisiEurope
- Celestyal Cruises
Always make sure that you check with your travel agent before booking to make sure that your chosen cruise line will be able to accommodate your dialysis treatments.
Just because a cruise line is on the list above, this doesnt mean that they can accommodate dialysis treatments on all cruises.
What Medicines Should You Pack For A Cruise
For a cruise I would recommend packing the following:
- Pain killers
- Cough medicine/sore throat lozenges/sprays
- Seasickness pills
If youre not sure what medicine to pack Id recommend that you start paying attention to what medicines you use in the months leading up to your cruise. Im sure if youre anything like me you have LOTS of medicines at home that you dont actually use very often so you could start putting medicines to the side when you use them. By doing this youll be able to see which you need to pack.
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Interested In Becoming Part Of Our Medical Team
Dialysis at Sea Cruises is offering our medical staff the opportunity to experience the excitement of cruising to majestic ports of call throughout the world, vl/nile enabling the dialysis patients the freedom to cruise with condence, knowing their shipboard medical needs will be handled by qualied and trained professionals. Dialysis patients can cruise with family and friends on their dream vacation, with the assurance that their dialysis treatments can be provided onboard ship throughout the world with the assistance of our trained medical staff.
Our program is designed to ensure that the dialysis patient has the absolute best and safest dialysis treatments possible onboard a cruise ship. We use the Fresenius 2008K dialysis machines on all of our cruises and expect our staff to be procient in its use. In order for us to achieve our goals, we seek qualied, responsible and dedicated medical personnel that share the same vision and level of caring, as we do.
If you are interested in helping dialysis patients enjoy life please consider this ‘working vacation’. It is a wonderful opportunity for both the medical staff and the dialysis patient to cruise to some of the most exotic destinations in the world while relaxing on some of the most luxurious and beautiful ships on the high seas.
Guests With Mobility Disabilities
For guests who cannot walk on their own, a wheelchair, scooter or walker may be the primary mobility assistance aid for getting on and off the ship. Norwegian Cruise Line has a limited supply of wheelchairs onboard. In order to accommodate our guests, Norwegian Cruise Line wheelchairs are reserved exclusively for embarkation and disembarkation situations. If you will require regular use of a wheelchair, we strongly recommend that you bring your own wheelchair with you or make rental arrangements with Scootaround. The limited supply of wheelchairs onboard are available for emergency rental arrangements and are on a first come first serve basis.
Wheelchair accessible staterooms are available on all our ships. We recommend you book well in advance as possible as availability is limited. Accessible staterooms offer wider door frames, roll in showers, shower benches, high-rise toilets and handrails in shower and toilet area.
For additional details on the prearranged rental program for wheelchairs, scooters and other medical equipment, please contact our authorized vendor. Please note that the other vendors will not have access to Norwegian ships:
Scootaround
Amenities and Services include:
Ship Transfers and Shore Excursions Facilities
Ship Transfers & Tenders
Note: scooters and wheelchairs and/or guests that weigh 100lbs or more are not allowed to be transferred from the ship to tender and/or from tender to shore.
Please see Tender List here
Shore Excursions
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How Do You Book Dialysis On A Cruise Ship
Once you know where youre going and on what date, it is a good idea to contact one of the specialized independent companies that organize dialysis on cruises.
On occasion, if you directly phone the cruise line, they will still direct you to one of the independent companies so its usually easiest to contact one of these companies first. They work with the cruise lines to provide the treatments.
Here are their contact details:
| Company Name | |
| +44-1935-476359 | cruiseanalysis.co.uk |
Trained personnel will assist you with all the necessary requirements, procedures, and medical documentation needed and answer all your dialysis-related questions.
These companies will be able to book your cruise for you, as well as flights and anything else thats needed.
Its always a good idea to consult your medical team at home before traveling. They will be able to raise any concerns that they have about your health and/or help you to organize what you need for the trip.
Can You Go On A Cruise While Having Dialysis
It is possible to take a cruise while having dialysis treatments. At-home dialysis treatments such as Peritoneal Dialysis can be completed in the guests cabin or medical center. Hemodialysis can also be completed on board and comes at an additional cost.
Its important that you make sure that the cruise you are booking is able to accommodate dialysis treatments, as not all are. Booking as early as possible is also important as spaces are often limited.
For each cruise, there is a dedicated dialysis unit onboard where your dialysis treatments will take place. The onboard dialysis team will care for you during your cruise and can be contacted 24 hours a day.
CruiseDialysis.co.uk
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Flying To The Cruise Port
People with peritoneal dialysis machines are usually able to bring these as a carry-on. According to FAA rules, this does not count against your carry-on limit, and your bags will be priorities over other passengers.If you are bringing a hemodialysis machine, it must be checked into the hold of the plane. It should not count as extra baggage or come with additional charges. However, your machine must meet the airlines weight limits. You are also allowed to transport syringes and dialysis fluids, but you will need to bring properdocumentation. Its also a good idea to ask for preboarding if possible.
Cruise Ship Medical Capabilities
Medical facilities on cruise ships can vary widely depending on ship size, itinerary, length of cruise, and passenger demographics. Generally, shipboard medical centers can provide medical care comparable to that of ambulatory care centers some can provide hospitalization services. Although no agency officially regulates medical practice aboard cruise ships, consensus-based guidelines for cruise ship medical facilities were published by the American College of Emergency Physicians in 1995 and most recently updated in 2013. ACEP guidelines , which are followed by most major cruise lines, state that the cruise ship medical facilities should maintain the following minimum capabilities:
- Provide emergency medical care for passengers andcrew
- Stabilize patients and initiate reasonable diagnostic and therapeutic interventions
- Facilitate the evacuation of seriously ill or injured patients
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What Is Dialysis At Sea Cruises And How Does It Work
Dialysis at Sea Cruises provides dialysis services onboard select Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise Lines cruises. The dialysis onboard the ship will parallel your land-based unit, as your dialysis orders will be adhered to. The dialysis takes place in the infirmary with two beds/chairs per room.
Do Any Cruise Ships Have Dialysis
4/5DialysisCruisesdialysisCruise Lines cruisesdialysisshipdialysisdialysis
The cost of the dialysis only was $4,500, and none was paid for by Medicare or other insurance. The price sounds more reasonable when you consider that for a dozen or so passengers per cruise, Dialysis at Sea Cruises provides up to 11,000 pounds of equipment plus a nephrologist and several technicians.
Similarly, does Carnival Cruise Line have dialysis? DIALYSIS. There are significant risks associated with undergoing dialysis during a cruise. Guests should be aware that our ships do not have kidney specialists or dialysis equipment and supplies available on board and our medical staff are not trained to perform dialysis.
Additionally, does insurance cover dialysis on a cruise?
Medicare and Medicaid do not cover dialysis on board a cruise ship, but there are supplemental insurance companies that will reimburse a percentage. The dialysis treatment cost is a flat rate determined by the length of the cruise, and is billed separately.
Does Princess Cruises have dialysis?
There is no nephrologist available on any of the Princess cruise ships for dialysis patients. Ships are not equipped with back-up battery support for dialysis related equipment.
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Do Cruise Ships Have Pharmacies
Cruise ships do not have full pharmacies onboard but will usually have a section of an onboard shop dedicated to medicine. Here you can find treatments for common problems such as headaches or colds. For more series medical conditions all cruises ships have an onboard medical center that carries a greater variety of medicines.
Although medicine is available onboard its not usually possible to get prescription medicines if you leave yours at home. Its always advisable to bring more medicine than you think youll need. If you did run out, your medicine may have to be sourced from a local port which is not ideal.
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Payment & Reimbursement For Dialysis Sessions
For UK Residents : We are very pleased to announce that following a meeting between NHS England, the BKPA and Lisa Parnell of Cruise Dialysis, NHS England has chosen to exercise its discretionary rights to partially reimburse the cost of healthcare onboard cruise ships subject to certain conditions:-
If the majority of ports visited during your cruise are within the European Economic Area then you will be reimbursed the amount of the National Tariff.
Further information about the policy can be viewed by clicking on the following links:-
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Cognitive Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities
Upon request, every effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations that will meet the needs of guests with cognitive, intellectual and development disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and Alzheimers disease. Some of these accommodations can include: early boarding, boarding & departure assistance, early disembarkation and special dietary needs. Please contact our Access Department.
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Which Cruise Ships Provide Dialysis
Editors note: This blog post was last updated on 8 October 2019 by Cruise1st Team
Dialysis patients may feel that cruise holidays are not possible due to their medical condition and care needs. However, there are a vast number of ships and crews who go above and beyond to ensure dialysis patients get the medical attention they require and can have an enjoyable and relaxing holiday.
Here, well run through the cruise lines that provide dialysis for travellers on board their ships.
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Question: Can You Get Dialysis On Cruise Ships
Dialysis at Sea Cruises provides dialysis services onboard select Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise Lines cruises.
The dialysis onboard the ship will parallel your land-based unit, as your dialysis orders will be adhered to.
The dialysis takes place in the infirmary with two beds/chairs per room.
Will Nhs Cover My Dialysis Treatment On
After meeting with the British Kidney Patient Association, NHS England has agreed to reimburse the cost of dialysis treatment onboard cruise ships, subject to specific conditions.
For example, if the majority of the ports you visit on your cruise are within the European Economic Area, or the country has formal healthcare agreements with the NHS, then the amount will be reimbursed per the National Tariff your Holiday Dialysis Co-Ordinator will be able to tell you of the exact amount. Additionally, youll need to get approval from your renal team before you go on your cruise, as they will help to reimburse you when you get back to the UK.
Cruises that take place outside of these countries, i.e. those not covered under Article 56, are not exempt from the total cost of dialysis, and this will have to be paid for by yourself.
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