CruisingSteelerGirl

It will work for texting through messenger, sending emails and such. Choppy video .

I am really looking to pay people through an online bank. Just got back off of Magic and it was the worst ever. I wish I could do this ahead of time but I cant.

I have been on the Sunshine almost 2 years ago...I can't seem to remember if the WIFI is good or bad? I work from home and need it to pay bills on two days. Anyone recently on the ship that could let me know?

I received the elite by email. I was able to book the Sunshine on July 20. I had to call to make my reservation which wasn't a problem. Have not heard back on what excursion they are offering. I have a family of 4 and my two boys are quite tall for their age. I am still looking into an interior nearby-the balcony we have will be very tight.

Questions I have are do we pay for the 3rd and 4th person in the room for the excursion?

Anyone else here going on this cruise too?

We are platinum and this will be our 24th cruise and I think this one I am most excited to go on since it is an elite. My points range 7000-10000. Hubby doesn't gamble..he hangs at the bar. My casino money is about 2k a cruise.

What I would strongly suggest doing is getting an idea of the carbs for certain items - Find lists of things that he can eat without worry - You don't need to cancel you just need to prepare yourself educationally prior to going

Great idea! He is very basic. I will probably have a problem with the portion size on the items that are in question. For example-he is not much of a sweet kind of kid but he does like the milkshakes at the coffee bar. I figured he can have that. He also likes Guys burgers too. I wish Carnival had a carb count for each item.

As a nurse....I just want to say that the amount of support, kindness and love shown on this thread brings tears to my eyes.

So nice to see a community lifting people up instead of tearing them down.

 

You have received wonderful advice and I'm sure you will both settle into a routine shortly. You've doing great momma bear. 💖

 

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Thanks! I really appreciate the help..any help. It is so scary when you think about it. I want to be well prepared so he can enjoy his cruise and his life. I know it is tough. We went to dinner last week and it was horrible. The food he wanted on the menu was not listed and so we basically tried to get close. He brokedown. I wish I could take it from him and give it to me. :loudcry:

We use the Dexcom as well. Great technology to help close the loop.

 

BTW, speaking of desserts, I googled the carb count on the chocolate melting cake. 35 carbs, which is about what I remembered the chef personally telling my kiddo. Not that much!

 

I know, it's not best to scarf down simple sugars and just chase it with insulin, but I think the temptation is often deny, deny, deny which makes the diabetic (especially kiddos) feel like they can't live a normal life. This is a self-imposed prison sentence that I believe can be counter productive. They should be aware of their condition, and be reasonable with their diet. That will get them 95% of the way there, with minimal frustration. Okay, enough of my lecturing!

Thank you! LOL He is not much of a sweet kind of kid but he does like the chocolate shakes they make at the coffee stop. So I will have to figure out beforehand what the carb count will be for that item.

Hey, there! Another T1D mom here. My daughter was diagnosed 3 years ago at the age of 10. You will quickly become a pro at counting carbs. One of the books mentioned will definitely help. He will probably need less insulin due to all the walking and stairs. Have you looked into a Dexcom? It's a continuous glucose monitoring device. Check out their website. It would definitely give you piece of mind during the cruise. Also, check out the "beyond type 1" app. It's a social media app for parents and people with type one. My daughter is on the OmniPod pump. She loves that it is tubeless. You all will be fine on the cruise! Enjoy!

Thanks! We are awaiting to see what our insurance approves at this point. I think he liked the Omnipod because it was tubeless. However, the Medtronic has the latest technology and it also has the continuous monitoring. I will check out the app "beyond type 1"

My cousin's son carries his diabetic supplies/water/snacks in one of those Nike string-type "Gym Sack" bags - which is what my boys bring to keep their stuff together at sports practices, etc. I don't think either of mine would wear a fanny pack if their life depended on it - but if he had one of those gym sacks a ton of other boys his age would be carrying them around too and it would probably make him more accepting of having to carry a bag.

That's a great idea. I just hope he uses it! I going to have him pick out something. thanks.

Diabetes is rampant in my family - my children are the only branch of the family in which at least one of the cousins isn't diabetic so we are very used to relatives dealing with diabetes on vacation.

 

My cousin has 2 diabetic children and has been on 5 or 6 CCL cruises with them, all of which have gone extremely well. Special Needs was always so helpful in getting her everything they needed, and she felt comfortable leaving the children in the kids camps because the staff was so responsive. I know that she always brought lots of packaged snacks with her that she could easily take with her whenever they were in ports, and that she was more apt to choose the shorter excursions (or the resort for a day guest pass options) because exertion in the hot sun really messed up her older daughter's counts and she did much better if she was near food and water sources, and could get into the shade easily.

 

And I second the recommendation about a camp. My niece was really resistant at first, but she finally agreed to go to Camp Joslin (we are in MA) for a session and ended up doing an additional session, and going back every summer. I noticed a major shift in her attitude toward her diabetes after she came back from that camp. Even though she had a sibling and cousins that were also diabetic, none of her friends were and she felt very alone and isolated by her diagnosis. The camp helped tremendously with that, and I know she is still friends on FB and Instagram with many of the kids she met at that camp and they have been a great support for each other.

Thanks for the response. It does make me feel better to hear others turned out well and that their cruise went great. I contacted special needs already for him. We will be on the Vista and I know there are great outdoor activities on that ship that he will like. He will need to be prepared. I am going to check into the camp again for him. Hopefully he will come around.

My daughter is type 1 and on a pump. We had no issues on our cruise last year.

Do take ziplock baggies to store glucometer and pump(when disconnected) the salt water can really damage them. Our glucometer stopped working the day after we got back last year! We will be traveling with a spare this summer.

We also take back up supplies in case of a pump failure so we can convert back to using pens.

She disconnects from her pump while snorkeling and brings lots of snacks. All the exercise can cause low blood sugars.

 

 

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Thanks! does your daughter have a fanny pack of some sort to carry everything? My son is 15 and so I don't think the "fanny" pack thing is going to work. He will be with us from time to time but I worry the times he is not. I want him to have fun and to be prepared in case he wanted a snack or burger that is not near the room. He is not on the pump yet and I not sure if he will have in time for the cruise. So I think it will be the pens still.

Hi, my daughter also uses the Medtronic pump, which the previous poster was right, they have great technology, making FDA approvals on their artificial pancreas. And they have Fabulous customer service. My dtr was away in Ohio in a summer camp, I was home in Virginia, and her pump malfunctioned !!! YIKES, but not so bad Medtronic air flighted a pump to her. But I will say, She has been a counselor for the last 3 summers at a diabetes camp, helping younger,newly diagnosed kids and she has taken a real liking to the omnipod waterproof, tubeless system. It is a tough / expensive decision, take your time, look at all of them , sales reps will come to your house or meet you at the Endo. office. You will be able to make an informed decision, don't worry. And it may change as your child gets older and into more things. I hope you have a great June cruise !!! and by the way, we have plenty of family in PA, so Go Steelers !! Oh and Carnival is good about having Sugar Free desserts in the buffet area, I can't really speak to the taste ...my dtr. usually opts for a few bites of honest to goodness dessert vs. a full size "sugar free" . The only other random advice and I do not know if other new T1D's have had issues with this, but my dtr is super sun sensitive ever since her diagnosis. So Get the rub on cream sunscreen and skip the spray , just in case you all have the same issues. She has actually started to buy surfer rash guard clothing just to decrease her exposure. So especially in June when you go....pack the good sunscreen. Have a great Summer Vacay !!

Yes go Steelers! I need to look into some summer diabetic camps for him. He is not the outdoorsy type of kid. He loves his computer games a little too much. We will have to look at the sugar free desserts for him. He is not much of a sweet guy which is great. Doesn't care for pasta too much. He loves his chocolate shakes at the coffee/shake spot. As far as sun exposure-he has not had any issues yet. I am worried that he will be by himself on the ship(which he normally was at 15 years old) and he gets a shake or some food and he isn't prepared with insulin. We are still waiting to see what pump and so I think we will still have the insulin pens on the cruise. Trying to figure out a game plan.

Good suggestion! I am also diabetic and it helped me.

Yes, we have that app and it helps a lot! thanks.

Congratulations !! you are already getting the hang of using the book and estimating. My DD diagnosed when she was 9, now going on her Sweet 16 Birthday cruise in a few weeks. Like everyone says it is doable, and you can still have fun and eat normal things in moderation and it will be a fun vacation. Special Needs will get you a sharps container and mini fridge for the insulin. In our past experience the kids programs / counselors were very aware and attentive to her diet needs and dos and don'ts. We have often been surprised to find a few other T1D kids cruising with us, some on pumps some not.

My daughter always seems to run low on vacations, the stress reduction from being out of school always seems to have that effect. So just check BG often, pack some hard to melt sugar snacks like skittles, they are great to pack when going ashore. If you are flying ask your Endocrinologist for a letter that explains the diagnosis and allows them to carry juice and snacks beyond TSA regs. My DD just got back from an air trip to Florida with my husband and she got her letter, and crazy enough they were going there to scuba dive!!! and will again when we cruise soon. She did great, there are some depth restrictions that she has to follow, but FUN does not have to end, you just have to adjust. Good Luck to you from one T1D mom to the next !!

I'll be happy to answer any other questions as will the rest of the CC Family here.

Thank you! Does your daughter use a pump? If so, what kind? We are cruising in June. We are in Florida and so no flying for us. Good to know about the Dr's script when flying.

I think what you will find (if you're like we were/are) is that a lot of carb counting involves estimations. Whether it is from Guy's, Chili's, or Johnny Rockets, a hamburger bun will be roughly the same in carb count, off the margins anyway. Same with a portion of French fries. His body won't react the same every single time, nor will his glucose levels be the same (not to mention being in the process of a quick rise or fall) each time, etc etc. The lack of precision drove us crazy at first, but we finally loosened up and became comfortable with estimates and rounding. Rest assured, even with that guesstimating, we're light years ahead of where we were 20 years ago as far as daily management is concerned. Y'all will be fine!

Thank you! We are using the carb counter now and if the item is not there we estimate.

Get a carb book. It is unreasonable to be dependent on people telling you how many carbs you are consuming. This has the amounts of a lot of foods listed. . It will be easy to figure basics out, by being accurate with the amounts. Not that hard. If you don't get the pump soon, you may want to delay it until after the cruise. It will require a period of adjustments and multiple testing. Added efforts if also getting an Interstitial fluid, glucose monitor. Take at least double the supplies you think you'll need and batteries. Essential practice with traveling and being life dependent. Always also have 20+ syringes packed. Pump failure can and does happen.

Not sure when he will get the pump. He was just diagnosed a month ago. He is still learning to count his carbs. I was hoping Carnival had a nutritional label for their food items to make it a little easier for him.

One other thing. If you'll invest in a diabetes camp for him, you will NEVER regret it. Other kids dealing with the same issues. Good education. Fun activities. I believe Camp Sweeney changed our kid's life for the better. There's bound to be a good one near you.

 

Best.

He says no to a camp now but I am going to look into some camps for him. He really does feel like he is alone in this. I want his cruise to be nice for him and not to worry the whole time. I was hoping Carnival had a list of carbs per each meal out there. It would make sense since there are a lot of dietary restrictions out there.

First of all please know it is manageable and manageable on a cruise. I know.

 

Call Special Needs. They have a wealth of information to help make your cruise a success.

 

 

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Yes, I did and they sent me a fax over indicating that what the procedure is and what to do. I was hoping they had a nutritional information listing of their food items on the ship. Like a Guys burger for example. So it is a little easier for him to count his carbs.

Ok, so my son was just diagnosed type 1 last month. We have a cruise planned for June of this year. He does not have a pump yet but hopefully we may by the time we go. I asked Carnival if they had the carb count for each of their plates but I was told no. Just to contact the Matre D when we arrive. However, he is 15 years old and he will not be with us for some of the meals. I figured they might know the nutritional value of each entre with so many dietary restrictions out there.

I am looking for suggestions, help, words of advise to help with my son and his new diagnoses. Anything not to forget prior to going? We never got vacation insurance before but should we?

Yes, purchase where the Zipline ends. My 79 year old mom ride it!!! Once!!! A couple from the ship was married in one of the cabanas. The bride rode the Zipline in her wedding dress. Pretty cool.

Wow that is awesome! Thanks for the information.

$12 unlimited all day for adults and I believe $6 for kids

Do you purchase it right there by the pool area? Thanks!

Under Explore | Excursions | Amber Cove, see the COUNTRYSIDE ZIPLINE ADVENTURE ??? but doesn't look to be at/near the pier.

Ken

I saw that excursion but I heard there was a zipline right at the pier near the huge pool to the right when you get off.

Question regarding Amber Cove in the Dominican.

There is a place by Carnival called Aqua Zone-it is at the port. I tried to research it but I cant seem to find out if there is a cost or not. I am trying to do the ziplining right at the pier by or above the pool?? Anyone have any knowledge on how to sign up for this? Is it an excursion? Thank you!

Owen had a reputation at the beginning of being able to clear the table as no one could win against his deal. I actually had words with one player who was outright cruel to Owen. The whole table was upset with the player, I spoke my mind to him, he was an A** - told him he owed an apology - so guess what - he apologized to ME - I quickly told him not me but Owen, he was reluctant but did apologize and then never came to the 3 card table with us again. Some folks can be so mean! Owen warmed to us and we were winning against him by the end of the week.

 

There was also a nice dealer from England who wasn't feeling well and was oh so serious. By the end of the week we managed to get him to talk and crack a few smiles.

 

All dealers were wonderful!

We and had a great time with them. Our whole roulette table was in sync. Owen would call a number and it would come up. I cant wait to see the same group again.

Do you remember who your casino host was? We were on Pride during Thanksgiving and the CH was Givemore. He was great! So much fun..always had a smile on his face. The dealers were great too. I think there was Owen-such a blast and the waiters were great. Going back in March and I hope the same guys are there.

Great review. Very fair and true. I loved Pride the first time and we never had any issues. I received a free interior however, could not use it...too soon...ugg...but going anyway.

Do you happen to know if Givemore was the Casino host on Pride still? He is awesome.