Disney Cruise with Peritoneal Dialysis?

Does anyone have any experience with Disney cruises and peritoneal dialysis? Any info about your trip or tips you could provide would be most helpful. Thanks.

What type of PD do you use? CAPD or CCPD? No cruise ship is set up for dialysis, so you might want to contact Dialysis at Sea to see if they can be of assistance.

Does anyone have any experience with Disney cruises and peritoneal dialysis? Any info about your trip or tips you could provide would be most helpful. Thanks.

Cannot speak for Disney, but my wife and I did two cruises when she was on PD. Assuming that you use Baxter for supplies, you should know that they will take care of the fluid delivery and sometimes more depending on the length of the cruise. You will need to bring all other equipment including the machine ( a special suitcase is available).

The major lines (we did HAL and Princess) have done this many times and will certainly work with you to ensure the best possible cruise.

Other questions, please ask. My wife is no longer on dialysis as she was transplanted in Jan 2010:), but I try to stop by this forum each week to see if anyone has questions concerning PD and cruising.

Good Luck!

My partner is on CCPD and we travelled on Cunard last month. As the last poster suggests, the ship was accustomed to handling PD patients. Obviously you must let them know in advance - Cunard send you a medical form to complete, and I imagine that other lines do the same. And you need to liaise with Baxter, if they are your supplier. (Here in the UK the hospital renal unit deals with Baxter.)

In terms of tips, it's a good idea to explain the process to your room steward if they haven't seen it before so they don't get worried (eg by a full drain bag if you choose to go to breakfast during the last dwell). Also if you are on CCPD Baxter will supply CAPD bags as well, as a back-up. That meant that I got up early on our last day to drain all the many bags that we didn't use as I didn't think it fair to ask the stewardess to do that. (Being from the UK we don't pay for fluids - nor will Baxter take them back.) The stewardess did, though, happily dispose of all other waste such as empty bags and boxes - we took a couple of clinical waste bags with us to help in this.

The ship will almost certainly store fluids for you if there isn't room in your cabin (which there probably won't be). Finally, remember that if you're on CCPD you'll need to take your machine off the ship with you on disembarkation day as you obviously can't put it out with the rest of the heavy baggage the previous night. That might limit what else you are able to carry off. (Embarking is easier as we were happy to let the machine be taken on along with our main luggage. As the last poster says, you should have a customised 'suitcase' to store it in.)

John

I generally agree with our friend from the UK in all matters EXCEPT there is no way I would have put the machine in with the non carry-on luggage. If it got damaged or worse yet lost, you would have to get off the ship and get thee to a hospital. Worse luck if it was a weekend. Just too risky IMHO.

If you are flying to the port I'd definitely make sure that you have a dolly to put the machine on - it can get really heavy if you have a long walk with it.

So far as disposal went, I emptied the bag everyday and put it in with the other disposable items in the box that the fluid came it. No issue with the steward.

I cruised Disney March 2010 while on PD. Disney requires a medical form faxed to them a few weeks before the cruise. I had my Doctor complete it and I faxed it.

I was on a fresenius machine at the time, which was gravity based and wouldn't work on the ship, so I had to do manuals. It was a short 4 day cruise so I was able to store my supplies in the bottom of the closets.

I connected/disconnected in the bathroom and really had no problems on the cruise. I heated my bags with a heating pad, which generally aren't allowed, but I was able to bring one which had an automatic shut off. I did carry it on though along with my smaller supplies.

For that particular trip we drove to the port so I brought all my own supplies and when I got to the pier, I told the porter I had boxes of dialysis solution and he immediately loaded it onto a golf cart and carried it directly to the ship so it wouldn't get lost. It was brought to my cabin about an hour later. All in all, it went smoothly.

I have also sailed Royal Caribbean and Carnival, and had my supplies delivered by Fresenius both times. With Royal Caribbean I was a little worried about the supplies getting delivered but they were delivered to my cabin about an hour and a half after we got on board. I rested easy after that. Oh and my BIL also called to tell me he walked past my dialysis boxes with my name on them on the way on board.

Carnival had the best service, as soon as I walked on ship and scanned my cards, the scanner beeped, they directed me to guest services where they confirmed with me the number of supplies that had been received on board. I was able to relax immediately on that ship, so for that I thank them. No worry and no stress with Carnival.

My dad did PD for 3 years. Our first experience was on the Carnival Legend. Baxter told us that his solutions were delivered and Carnival told us several times that they would be delivered to the cabin. When we inquired again we were told that they would be delivered at the muster drill. My mom and I went to guest services after the muster drill only to be told that they have no record of them being delivered. Dad had to get off of the ship, I got off with him. We had Baxter to deliver more solutions to our cousin's home in Fort Lauderdale and we met up with the ship in Panama. Carnival reimbursed us(3) for cruise, purchase of passports, and any other expenses that we had receipts of purchase. He did his manually, which was three to 4 times a day instead of bringing the machine to use at night. The next several times we did 4 day cruises and packed his solutions in suitcases. We always drive to the port, live in FL. If possible I would suggest packing the solutions in suitcases if you aren't flying.

Dad had to change to hemo and had dialysis done in Grand Cayman (twice) and Cozumel. This was paid out of pocket. He received a transplant last November a month before our cruise, he stayed home.