Diabetes

[Markanddonna]

As a person approaching seventy who is in in very good health with no medications except Synthroid, I'd like to think of myself as healthy enough to cruise. In reality, I have experienced a few episodes of tachycardia but they have never been observed by a physician. They did put that down on my records. Therefore, the reality I face is that I'm not really healthy enough to cruise since the current treatments for COVID19 are complicated by tachycardia. 

 

The message is that most of us who are over 65 do indeed present a risk for the cruise lines even though we think of ourselves as quite healthy.  We tend to think in pre-COVID times and that just isn't realistic anymore. Cruise lines won't want to take the risk. They will have enough problems with young people who smoke, are obese, and probably in much worse shape than many of us "elderly."

 

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by Markanddonna

[fingerlakesmike]

On 4/28/2020 at 4:11 PM, geckoaz said:

Ok i have diabetes. If cruise directors can cruise with diabetes, will i be able to cruise. Whether i can cruise is an Issue hanging over my oct 2020 and may 2021 cruises. I really wish this would get resolved.  I know the stats about deaths but older diabetics have other health issues. I have been lucky so far to just have diabetes. I am platinum on carnival and no issues.  I think cruising should be my choice. Are there other diabetics in the same situation?

I'm 74 and have Type 1 diabetes and peripheral neuropathy. I have 14 cruises under my belt and had to cancel 3 cruises during 2019 and 2020.  I thought I had read a notice from NCL and RCC about not allowing anyone my age with pre-existing conditions to cruise.

Now I'm not sure what the cruise lines want and I've tried calling their numbers and it just rings and rings.

 

[FredT]

On 4/30/2020 at 6:29 AM, babs135 said:

370 million people have diabetes.  Stop them from cruising and what is left of the industry after this virus will be either finished or so dramatically changed that no one will want to cruise anyway.

Or to put it another way, 13% of the ENTIRE population of the us has diabetes....   And 26% of those over 50 have it.   It simply is NOT an issue on the cruise line...... (Unless as someone said above you re insulin dependent....)

 

[Pyrate13]

Agree with the above, 18 or 19 cruises for me and I too am diabetic. Go for it, easily handled with proper medications and insulin if necessary.

[getting older slowly]

I feel providing what ever you have is under control, and easily managed by yourself...

What is it to the cruise line.... if things are under control..... you could just easily fall over and break something...... I understand the risk.... but really cruising is generally taken by older people..... do they want to stop their main customer base....

 

What next weighing everybody before they board ( i believe the airlines are thinking about doing this )

 

With myself   mainly due to bad genes I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol... and have been on medications for 30 years ... also had elevated blood sugar levels.. ( which has now been helped by losing 25kg )

[Lois R]

I see this thread was originally started at the beginning of the Virus and Carnival was mentioned from the start......was it originally on the Carnival forum and then moved here?  Not sure what the CD's have to do with it.

 

Anyway, I never considered not cruising just because of having Type 2 Diabetes.  Never even crossed my mind.  I take a pill  and try to watch what I eat........I try to walk about a mile every morning and cruising is something I LOVE to do.  Actually, I am sailing in 18 days😃....first one in 18 months and I am ready to go!!!!!!!!  Oh, I am 63 (if that even matters)..........sailing the Greek Islands........cannot wait!

[donaldsc]

21 hours ago, FredT said:

Or to put it another way, 13% of the ENTIRE population of the us has diabetes....   And 26% of those over 50 have it.   It simply is NOT an issue on the cruise line...... (Unless as someone said above you re insulin dependent....)

 

 

And this probably does not count the people who have diabetes and don't know it.  One of the insidious things about diabetes is that you can have the disease w/o any obvious symptoms.

 

DON

[evandbob]

10 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

Or to put it another way, 13% of the ENTIRE population of the us has diabetes....   And 26% of those over 50 have it.   It simply is NOT an issue on the cruise line...... (Unless as someone said above you re insulin dependent....)

 

And on a ship, the % of cruisers who have diabetes is probably at least double that, more in the 25 - 33% range.  Just look around any large room gathering, or people watch along a busy deck - on some lines 7 out of 10 folk are obese, and probably half of those are fully diabetic and the rest in a pre-diabetes stage.

[Cheesepleese]

I'm a type 2 diabetic. On pills for that as well as pills for high blood pressure and cholesteral. I feel healthy otherwise. Never let it stop me from cruising or travelling.I will be 65 in July. Only thing that frosts me a little is the higher cost of travel medical insurance when you have to get a preexisting rider on your coverage in case something happens to you while on holiday. At the end of the day it is what it is and it's really a small price to pay to have coverage while travelling.

Cheers.

[Pyrate13]

Just for the record and uninformed, you do not need to be obese to be diabetic. Type two can occur in very slim folks as well.

[Sue Do-Over]

I have Type-1 diabetes and cruise several times a year.

 

But just because *I* do, doesn't mean that all diabetics are good to go.  For the most enjoyable trip, I suggest:

* Bring extra medication, test strips and supplies.  Batteries for test kits, syringes, all that.

 

* Test your glucose more often aboard, as the temptations of fruity drinks, desserts and carb-loaded meals are hard to resist.  Have a plan for adjusting your meds to correct high glucose readings.

 

* Bring snacks to treat low glucose, too.  You may be getting lots more exercise than usual, and meals won't always be at the same time as at home.  A couple of jelly-beans while waiting for dinner to be served has sometimes made the difference for me.

 

* Ask your doctor for a Glucagon kit... it's an injectable for treating very LOW glucose.  Your travel companion also needs to get familiar with it, as by the time you are so low to need it, you won't be able to administer it yourself.  Caution, you will come-to barfing your guts out.  Said from experience!

 

 

There are often low-calorie and low-carb options on the menu, but it all comes down to your commitment to staying within range.  My mom said "have ONE cookie, not SIX." 

[Wennfred]

Booked on Panorama this Sept, I have been a diabetic for probably 20 years, uncontrolled meds etc. today with Virta Health I’ve been able to reverse diabetes and continue to heal and get better, my neuropathy is nearly gone (pains in hands and feet), no more heart palpitations, able to regulate body temperature now and my eyesight is about clear as it can ever be, feel great and on no (zero) medications.

 

This will be my first cruise on a strict dietary restriction. I contacted Carnival and they flagged me as a diabetic, will also need to contact the matre’d when I get onboard just to let him/her know about my dietary needs. I can do this alone with food choices but will be interesting to see how they will prepare my foods Low carb, zero sugar diet.

 

I will be writing a review on Cruise critic after my cruise simply on this topic with pictures of  the foods I am able to eat onboard and maintain a ketogenic diet.

 

If you have registered onboard as a diabetic and required food restrictions, it will be interesting to read what your experiences were.

 

thanks

 

Fred, San Diego Ca.

[clo]

8 hours ago, Wennfred said:

If you have registered onboard as a diabetic and required food restrictions, it will be interesting to read what your experiences were.

 

I'm not diabetic so my question is just for info. Will they restrict you to a correct diabetic and can you be 'bad' if you choose to be?

[Wennfred]

2 hours ago, clo said:

I'm not diabetic so my question is just for info. Will they restrict you to a correct diabetic and can you be 'bad' if you choose to be?

No and Yes, no they can not tell you or make you eat a specific foods, but it helps a whole lot if they know you require a low carb zero sugar diet, they won’t bring me dessert to the table or any foods with potatoes etc. and yes, people do slip and try a little bite of this and a little bit of that, they figured well I paid for it. I’ve come to an understanding that all of those old fun junk foods that I have enjoyed is a thing of the past. On to new and better things that keeps me healthy and off the medications.

 

 

Fred