Cruising when you're on oxygen

[sajagal]

I'm considering cruising next year with my husband who needs oxygen 24/7. I'll need to rent a room concentrator for our cabin. I'm wondering if anybody has had this experience?

[1025cruise]

Yes, people do this all the time.

Contact the special needs department of the cruise line to find out who their preferred vendor is.

 

Just note, that given the current climate, some lines are restricting people who need devices such as O2 concentrators from cruising. Hopefully by next year this won't be a problem.

[sajagal]

Do you know how I can get more information on "some lines are restricting people who need devices such as O2 concentrators from cruising?" I will contact the special needs department. Good advice. Thank you

[1025cruise]

You'd have to check with each line. I think the issue is due to risk of a ship being quarantined and if there is an issue with the equipment.

 

As I said, hopefully by next year, this won't be a problem.

[carol louise]

My late husband and I cruised out of NYC in 2004 and brought our own concentrator with us. Technology has surely improved since then, but at that time we were very glad we had booked a large cabin and brought a long extension cord so that we could keep the machine (with its frequent huffing noise) out of close hearing range, same as we did at home.

 

I would also mention that we brought our own transporter chair, as the corridors on cruise ships are long, and he did not have the lung strength to walk such distances. The chair folded and didn’t take up much room where we kept it just inside the cabin door.