Prescription meds

Wading through DCL's lengthy list of prohibited items and other info.

Does everyone bring along prescription meds in their original bottles?

DH has almost a dozen meds, plus two injectables.

That's a lot of bottles - and the injectables have to go into an insulated carrier, so I'd have to take the boxes they came in separately.

Usually I put his meds in a plastic container that separates them into 7 days, with four different times to take pills. It's the best way to manage so many meds.

Thanks!

Oh - and how easy is it to get extension cords from guest services, since he can't take his own? He has a wheelchair and a CPAP that need to get plugged in, and outlets are usually a distance from the bed.

I don't but I don't take anything critical, which it sounds like some of these are. In the event of medical emergency, its always good to have medications in the right bottle with dosage info.

To be honest, this is more of a customs issue than a ship issue.

Florida law requires that any controlled substances be carried in their original containers. If the original bottles are large, you might ask the pharmacy for a smaller one that would hold a supply for the length of your vacation plus a few days (I do this as I buy my meds a 90 day supply at a time and don't want to take all of them along!)

Other than controlled substances, you are welcome to place them in any container that suits you--a daily pill holder or whatever.

As to extension cords--no problem. Just go to Guest Services ASAP and request them. You can also contact the special services office in advance (there is a form on line at the DCL web site) and request the extension cords. They MIGHT even be in your room when you get there. The usual policy is to get them from GS...and there is a $50 charge if they are not returned. So at the end of the cruise be sure to return them and get a receipt. No matter what your room steward says, do not just leave them in the room. If there is any doubt, you want that receipt.

You do NOT need the bottles...a "daily planner" is fine. No one cares about meds, unless you have copious amounts of narcotics...THEY should be in the original bottle.

Bottles are not required.

Keith

DO make a list of all drugs--name of drug, strength, number of doses per day, prescribing doc. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to have a patient come in and say that they are on a "water pill" and a "blood pressure pill" and......with no idea what the names of these pills are.

Another hint...if you use an i-phone, click the emergency button, click the "health" button. You will see a page where you can enter all important medical info--health conditions, drugs, contact info, etc. The beauty of this is that if you are ever in a situation where you can't speak for yourself but have the phone with you, anyone can access this page (you do not have to log onto the phone to see this page) and can get the information needed to care for you.

Thank you, you all have a wealth of info!

Thanks for sharing!

I have cruised many times (4 star mariner on HAL) and never took along bottles or boxes.

I do have a list that includes all his meds and dosages. I have that with our passports, and a second list in my pocketbook. Also includes doctors' info.

I will check that on my iPhone - thanks!

And also thanks for info on the cords. I will scour DCL site for that form.

We have never been questioned or challenged about drugs of any sort, but Florida law does make a distinction for scheduled substances. There is no reference made to the amount of the medication. The requirement is that scheduled substances be maintained in the original container.

Is anyone likely to check?--no Are there any regulations on the ship?--not as far as I know. But the law is on the books. Treat it as you choose.

One note about the lists of meds... Make sure there is a way to identify which is which if you don't have original bottles. For example, my beta blocker looks a lot like my allergy pill and we don't want those mixed up.

Most prescription bottles now have a pill description on that, I copy that.

Also, especially if going on a longer trip but don't want to carry a big supply, ask your pharmacist for a few smaller bottles. Mine will even print labels if I give him a little warning (I just label the tops with a sharpie). That way you can keep things separated in less space. I'm personally not a fan of those daily planner ones, they take up a lot of space and tend to pop open at bad times.

I travel with mine (non narcotic) in the original container. Mostly bc I just plan for there to be problems at tsa. No one on the ship has questioned them or asked that i open bottles going through security.

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Not prescription related, but health question.

My DS (5 yrs old) is hypoglycemic and celiac.

We are traveling on the Fantasy and know they are great about food, but we will need to bring incredible amounts of corn starch for a drink he needs twice daily, and a specific drink for emergencies.

Also need milk and gluten free ice cream twice daily to make the drinks.

Yes, it's a lot, but we feel safe traveling as long as we can secure these things.

Questions...

1. Has anyone travelled with something like corn starch (I know, white powder).... as we only use a non-gmo kind and I don't want to rely on "whatever they have" on the ship.

2. Can we bring our own juice if it's medically necessary?

3. Would the milk/ice cream thing be a dining room need every day or can I contact services and get it sent to our room every day?

TIA!!

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You will have no problem with the corn starch. Bring it in a sealed container. No issues at all.

DCL is great with gluten free stuff, but I would be sure to complete the special needs form well in advance (this used to be called the medical form). That way, your needs will be relayed to dining.

There is no "normal" way for DCL to set up a daily delivery of milk or ice cream to your cabin, but you can get many varieties of milk delivered to your stateroom with a phone call. If the milk or ice cream that you need is a special item, you can work things out with the head of food and beverage (go thru your head server..he might not need to take it up the ladder) to arrange a time for you to pick them up each day. You DO have a regular refrigerator in the cabin, so milk can be kept for more than a day. He might even be able to arrange a delivery time due to the medial situation, but this is not a standard thing that is normally done. Room service is not always accurate on types of milk--you ask for skim and might get 2% whereas if I get it at the buffet or from the dining room, I know that I have what I want.

You can bring your own of ANY non-alcoholic beverage on board, whether medically needed or not. The only requirement is that it be in your carry on bag when being transported on or off the ship.

The more you can tell DCL about your situation and needs in advance (via the form), the more they can be prepared to help you. There is no need to detail what YOU will do (bringing corn starch, bringing juice). They need to know what they will need to do to make your trip as easy as possible.

Regarding the extension cord for the CPAP, you should not need one as all of the ships have an outlet in the nightstand on at least on one side of the bed, now the Magic and Wonder have had their rehab.

As for charging an electric chair, you will have no problem using one of the outlets at the desk if in a HC Stateroom, and if not, there are outlets in the wheelchair storage lobby.

ex techie

As for prescription meds, I can't speak specifically to FL law and how enforceable it is on a cruise, however I do know that some states do allow if you have some form of proof of valid prescriptions to be used in place of a bottle ie. I personally have photos of each of my prescriptions I take with my smart phone so I have ready access to them when ever I might need it. Just make sure you take snaps that include the medication name, dosage, script #, and dates filled on it. I too use a pill organizer as well as smaller containers since some of my meds are too bulky to carry in their original bottles and I don't want to bring my entire supply just for a short trip.

As for prescription meds, I can't speak specifically to FL law and how enforceable it is on a cruise, however I do know that some states do allow if you have some form of proof of valid prescriptions to be used in place of a bottle ie. I personally have photos of each of my prescriptions I take with my smart phone so I have ready access to them when ever I might need it. Just make sure you take snaps that include the medication name, dosage, script #, and dates filled on it. I too use a pill organizer as well as smaller containers since some of my meds are too bulky to carry in their original bottles and I don't want to bring my entire supply just for a short trip.

This will work fine for everything except scheduled substances. And the more documentation you can bring, the better. As I said above, I've never been aware of anyone having an issue with bringing prescription meds on or off the ship, but I still take the approach that following the Florida law is a good idea since I am in the state for hours to days before and after the cruise.

Have you filled out the "medical emergency" section of your cell phone? This is a place where you can enter information about all illnesses, medical contacts, medications, etc. which can be accessed without unlocking the phone. It is a HUGE help should you be in a medical facility unable to provide information.

Florida law requires that any controlled substances be carried in their original containers. If the original bottles are large' date=' you might ask the pharmacy for a smaller one that would hold a supply for the length of your vacation plus a few days (I do this as I buy my meds a 90 day supply at a time and don't want to take all of them along!)

 

Other than controlled substances, you are welcome to place them in any container that suits you--a daily pill holder or whatever.

 

As to extension cords--no problem. Just go to Guest Services ASAP and request them. You can also contact the special services office in advance (there is a form on line at the DCL web site) and request the extension cords. They MIGHT even be in your room when you get there. The usual policy is to get them from GS...and there is a $50 charge if they are not returned. So at the end of the cruise be sure to return them and get a receipt. No matter what your room steward says, do not just leave them in the room. If there is any doubt, you want that receipt.[/quote']

 

I can't remember, is there a Sharps container in the bathroom for needles or is that something she can request?

i carry copies of the prescriptions with me in the event that we have to replace medications - for whatever reason..

it's never happened, but i'm a worst case scenario sort of person..

i carry my meds in their bottles, but the bottles are mostly tiny, so it's not a big deal..

DD carries a carry on bag that is pretty much 100% meds.

some of them are liquid, and a few sort of an ointment..

she's gotten grief from the TSA, but so far has managed to carry everything on board the plane..

as for getting stuff onto the ship - no one even looks at what we have...

so while it may say something in their instructions, we've never found it to be carried out..

 

as for getting stuff onto the ship - no one even looks at what we have...

so while it may say something in their instructions, we've never found it to be carried out..

There are no rules for taking prescription meds ONTO the ship. The issue arises when re-entering the US (going thru Customs). That's usually a non-issue, but one where too much documentation is better than too little.

There are no rules for taking prescription meds ONTO the ship. The issue arises when re-entering the US (going thru Customs). That's usually a non-issue' date=' but one where too much documentation is better than too little.[/quote']

 

the only grief we got from customs (in fort lauderdale when we got off the allure), was for DSIL...

here we were getting off a ship after a caribbean cruise..

that means, he'd already been in the US - left the US on the cruise and was returning to the US on the same cruise..

so obviously he'd already been admitted into the USA on his 10 year visa with unlimited entries into the US...

not to mention that he was traveling with his american wife (DD) and american mother in law (me) and american father in law (DH)...

when he asked my son in law when he's leaving the US, i gave the guy dagger eyes and said, he's leaving with us next week (and of course i wanted to add on a whole string of swear words but i didn't - i mean, it's not as if this agent was sitting in an initial entry point into the USA...every passenger on that ship started in the USA)..

 

anyway...don't get me started... :eek:

the only grief we got from customs (in fort lauderdale when we got off the allure), was for DSIL...

here we were getting off a ship after a caribbean cruise..

that means, he'd already been in the US - left the US on the cruise and was returning to the US on the same cruise..

so obviously he'd already been admitted into the USA on his 10 year visa with unlimited entries into the US...

not to mention that he was traveling with his american wife (DD) and american mother in law (me) and american father in law (DH)...

when he asked my son in law when he's leaving the US, i gave the guy dagger eyes and said, he's leaving with us next week (and of course i wanted to add on a whole string of swear words but i didn't - i mean, it's not as if this agent was sitting in an initial entry point into the USA...every passenger on that ship started in the USA)..

 

anyway...don't get me started... :eek:

Most of the time the agents are great at each entry point we've used. Every now and then you get one who decides to flex his muscle and typically picks an inappropriate time.

Most of the time the agents are great at each entry point we've used. Every now and then you get one who decides to flex his muscle and typically picks an inappropriate time.

totally agree!!

i always try to get them to laugh...it's my personal challenge (i typically succeed)..

but this guy was a total jerk..

we've had lots of interesting border crossing experiences....

some right out of the twilight zone...

like the summer before last when we crossed back into the USA from Canada - at one of the michigan border crossings on the way back from niagra falls..

there was of course a very very very very very long line to get back in...

it was just me, DD and DSIL..

we were watching all the cars crossing, wondering if we were in a "good" lane (one that wouldn't hassle us)..

pretty much every car i could see in every lane was being questioned for a very long time...

anyway, every car in every lane was being held for a long time and many of them had their trunks searched...

we didn't have anything with us and no reason to be nervous, but you know watching all that tends to raise the blood pressure (we'd been in niagra falls for one night - lots of fun by the way....we did all the touristy stuff on the canadian side).

anyway, i had our passports ready....DD and my american passports and DSIL's foreign with the US visa...

the border agent was in his 40's.....looked mean, but i didn't know what to expect..

he took a look at the passports, focusing on the foreign one and says, "oh, you must be for trump, right?." (keep in mind this was two summers ago, the summer of 2015)

what? how do you respond to that? what's the right answer? this is a border agent, are they even allowed to ask that?

i was totally flustered so i said, sort of laughing as i did, "my mom taught me never to discuss politics or religion"...

trying to be friendly and non-confrontational...

so he says, with a BIG smile on his face, "i'm a government agent , i ask the questions and you HAVE to answer them"..

but again, he said it with a BIG smile on his face..

so i started laughing hysterically at that comment...as it was really funny...

especially given the setting..

so we proceeded to have a political discussion....

i tried to avoid actually saying anything...

it really was like being in the twilight zone as i was sure he wasn't supposed to be saying anything like what he was saying..

but we all kept laughing...

and then he waived us on through with a huge smile..

that was probably our weirdest encounter ever...

and that's after having crossed into the US hundreds upon hundreds of times in my lifetime...

I can't remember, is there a Sharps container in the bathroom for needles or is that something she can request?

Just contact the special needs desk and ask for one. Or, after boarding just ask the room steward.

Just contact the special needs desk and ask for one. Or, after boarding just ask the room steward.

Our last 4 DCL cruises there's been a sharps container in the bathroom. We didn't request it.

We just got back from December cruise on the Magic. I contacted Disney Cruise guest services by email. Asked for a sharps box. Was in bathroom when we got on.

What I never thought to ask about was a mini fridge. I just assumed all cruise cabins had them. Disney dies not. Has a cooler box. Wasn't very cold for my refrigerated injectables. Room steward brought in a huge ice bucket filled. Placed it into the coolet. Replenished every day. Worked fine.

We just got back from December cruise on the Magic. I contacted Disney Cruise guest services by email. Asked for a sharps box. Was in bathroom when we got on.

 

What I never thought to ask about was a mini fridge. I just assumed all cruise cabins had them. Disney dies not. Has a cooler box. Wasn't very cold for my refrigerated injectables. Room steward brought in a huge ice bucket filled. Placed it into the coolet. Replenished every day. Worked fine.

The Magic & Wonder used to have "cooling boxes". But all ships now have actual fridges. If yours wasn't keeping things cold enough, you should report it to your room host. They can arrange another fridge for the room. It will usually be put in the knee space under the desk.

One thing about the fridges in the rooms - because they're located in a cabinet, often they don't work well due to ventilation issues. I found keeping the cabinet door open helps.