Boarding denied for NOT bringing a CPAP?!

[TooManyWakeUpsTilWeSail]

Another learning lesson from this; if you fly & bring a regular CPAP, do no include in checked baggage.  

[Babr]

1 hour ago, bigrednole said:

I know that, but a CPAP is neither. If there is not more to the story, then being removed once onboard because you don't have a CPAP is concerning. 

We all agree there must be more to the story. The part we’ve heard does not make sense.

[wannagonow123]

Distilled water and sharps container requests gets sent to "special Needs" desk. There are a few more conditions. Before they started with the medi-coolers, I had to request a mini fridge for my insulin, along with a sharps container. I now pack am empty pepsi bottle for sharps and just gat a cooler first thing after boarding. I use a pump also, and the infusion pieces fit perfectly in the bottle. I just take the bottle home for disposal at my local hospital. 

[kelkel2]

This is very interesting. My husband uses and cpap and honestly, I wouldn’t want him to cruise without it. But it sure makes you want to be very careful when you travel. Hopefully the user knows not to check it at the airport because it could easily be lost and then you could get denied boarding? Yikes!! 

[evandbob]

I too feel some details of this story haven't been made public yet.

 

OTOH,  posters seem to minimize the dangers of unregulated sleep apnea, which can be fatal in some cases, esp. with intoxicated persons.

[kelkel2]

9 minutes ago, evandbob said:

I too feel some details of this story haven't been made public yet.

 

OTOH,  posters seem to minimize the dangers of unregulated sleep apnea, which can be fatal in some cases, esp. with intoxicated persons.

You’re absolutely right my husband had a seizure in the middle of the night from oxygen deprivation and was then diagnosed with sleep apnea. I mean I knew he had it but he wouldn’t listen to me. He ended up in the ER that night and needed oxygen assistance post seizure for a time.
So my guess is because of risks like these, they wouldn’t want someone who needs it to not have the machine. I would hate for something like that to happen on the ship.  

[vacruisin]

18 minutes ago, evandbob said:

I too feel some details of this story haven't been made public yet.

 

OTOH,  posters seem to minimize the dangers of unregulated sleep apnea, which can be fatal in some cases, esp. with intoxicated persons.

Yeah, I admit that many of us CPAP users don't take sleep apnea as seriously as we should.  I only went in for a sleep study after my wife kept bringing up how she noticed how often I stopped breathing in my sleep.  When the results came back, the study showed that it was quite often so I was given a CPAP that same day and have been using it every since.  It is such a comfort knowing that I have it.  And, on cruises I definitely get in my fair share of drinking! lol

Edited July 21, 2021 by vacruisin

[sparks1093]

16 hours ago, asalligo said:

Heald addressed this on his page this week. Must have been a CPAP machine that uses oxygen. Maybe best to just keep your CPAP machine details to yourself for a while. 

 

John Heald

 

This is fine, you can absolutely bring a regular CPAP machine. We’re just not allowing any oxygen. Thank you so much and if I can do anything else to help you please let me know

This might be addressed on the next page and if so then I apologize but if she didn't bring the machine, even if it were an O2 one, then what was the issue? Still doesn't add up (and I'm hoping page 2 answers all of the questions).

[famski740]

It could be, and this is only a guess, that when the steward brought the distilled water to the room for her to use with the machine, she told him she did not need it and he could take it back.  He then would have reported it to his supervisor when he returned the distilled water.

[kelkel2]

6 hours ago, famski740 said:

It could be, and this is only a guess, that when the steward brought the distilled water to the room for her to use with the machine, she told him she did not need it and he could take it back.  He then would have reported it to his supervisor when he returned the distilled water.

This is my guess! 

[sailingships]

6 hours ago, famski740 said:

It could be, and this is only a guess, that when the steward brought the distilled water to the room for her to use with the machine, she told him she did not need it and he could take it back.  He then would have reported it to his supervisor when he returned the distilled water.

I though she didnt get onboard at all. She was on the ship?

[ProgRockCruiser]

2 minutes ago, sailingships said:

I though she didnt get onboard at all. She was on the ship?

From the second post of this thread:

 

"yes she already boarded and about 4 pm they went to her cabin and escorted her off the ship."

[whyrlygig]

This does not make a lot of sense.  How would they even know she did not bring it?  

Besides Dream Machine CPAPs have a recall and people are asked to stop using them.  

[Shih-tzu]

Interesting.  There has been a recall on several machines in the past month and people have been told not to use them because something to supress the sound is breaking down and the particles could be inhaled.  Wonder if that's why she didn't take the machine if that's the case

Edited July 21, 2021 by Shih-tzu
Typo errors

[ProgRockCruiser]

15 hours ago, whyrlygig said:

This does not make a lot of sense.  How would they even know she did not bring it?  

Besides Dream Machine CPAPs have a recall and people are asked to stop using them.  

Allegedly, when they took the distilled water to her cabin she announced she did not need it, because she did not bring the CPAP machine.

 

As others have suggested, I am guessing Carnival decided that someone who declared they had a CPAP (to request the water) and then declares they didn't bring it represented a health risk that they didn't want to deal with.

 

And/or the interaction with staff was "non-ideal".

[crazy4themouse]

14 hours ago, Shih-tzu said:

Interesting.  There has been a recall on several machines in the past month and people have been told not to use them because something to supress the sound is breaking down and the particles could be inhaled.  Wonder if that's why she didn't take the machine if that's the case

 

I didn't even think about that... That recall covers 3-4 *million* machines being used by people, and statistically there's probably a few of them set to cruise soon. I'm one of them, on both counts. There's no way I can not use mine and no way to replace it with the backlog, but if I didn't bring it because of the recall the last thing I would think about would be letting Carnival know that I wasn't bringing it. 

 

 

[ProgRockCruiser]

19 minutes ago, crazy4themouse said:

but if I didn't bring it because of the recall the last thing I would think about would be letting Carnival know that I wasn't bringing it. 

But as noted, if you request distilled water and they bring it and you don't have a CPAP machine to put it into...well that's pretty obvious.

 

So you'd just have to never indicate you were going to bring one in the first place.

[crazy4themouse]

30 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

But as noted, if you request distilled water and they bring it and you don't have a CPAP machine to put it into...well that's pretty obvious.

 

So you'd just have to never indicate you were going to bring one in the first place.

 

I haven't notified them for this cruise next week, but I wonder if it just stays on your record. I usually notify them for week-long cruises, because I request a heavy-duty extension cord and ask them to please tape it down so it's safer for clumsy me and for our stateroom host. This is a short cruise though, so I didn't bother this time. I just wonder if the CPAP notation is "sticky." 

 

 

 

[ProgRockCruiser]

3 minutes ago, crazy4themouse said:

 

I haven't notified them for this cruise next week, but I wonder if it just stays on your record. I usually notify them for week-long cruises, because I request a heavy-duty extension cord and ask them to please tape it down so it's safer for clumsy me and for our stateroom host. This is a short cruise though, so I didn't bother this time. I just wonder if the CPAP notation is "sticky." 

 

 

 

It shouldn't be "sticky" - people's medical conditions change, sometimes for the better, and assuming otherwise is wrong.

[amcankid]

On 7/20/2021 at 1:19 PM, vacruisin said:

That must be it.  A standard CPAP does not require any type of oxygen; just distilled water.  

Not only that but most c-paps have the option to go without water.

Regardless, luckily  for me I still have my old c-pap that works just fine and doesn’t use water at all. So whenever I travel that’s the one I bring.

[MrMarc]

My guess is that we don't have some important details, or someone with Carnival overreacted and there wasn't time to have someone else reverse the decision.  In reality, I believe you do not even need a prescription to purchase one unless you are looking to insurance to pay for it.  And as many people have pointed out, it many cases it is not a necessity all the time.   All of these protocols are new, and it would not be surprising to me if someone overreacted.  Yes, if it was me or someone in my party, I would be annoyed.  I would hope that would understand, however I'm not sure I would since it wasn't me.

Edited July 22, 2021 by MrMarc

[crzndeb]

I have mild sleep apnea, so it’s not life threatening if I don’t have my CPAP, but for longer trips, I bring it and order distilled water. If I was only going to a week, I have heard from several posters here,  that the ship water is just fine. I’m leaving for a week to visit my daughter in San Diego and a few days at Disney. I will use tap water for 3 nights in hotel. I wouldn’t bring it, but it prevents me from snoring, and I won’t torture daughter and grandkids while I’m there...LOL

 

I would have thought up a quick story if they were going to escort me off the ship, like my sister has some water and I don’t need another gallon. But we don’t really know the whole story.

Edited July 22, 2021 by crzndeb

[Cherries Jubilee]

Did anyone ask John Heald to elaborate on this story? Just telling us that Cpap machines are allowed won’t prevent this from happening again. This one is important.

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by Cherries Jubilee

[nascarcruiser]

On 7/20/2021 at 4:00 PM, Albums in the Attic said:

But how did Carnival find out she did not have it on board?  That's puzzling.  I am reasonably certain Carnival doesn't go door to door, inspecting CPAPs.  We've brought one on board for years and no one has ever asked to see it.  In fact, it stays in a suitcase until bedtime.  Must be more to the story.

I was just about to ask this same question.  How did they know she didn't have it??? 

[nascarcruiser]

9 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

But as noted, if you request distilled water and they bring it and you don't have a CPAP machine to put it into...well that's pretty obvious.

 

So you'd just have to never indicate you were going to bring one in the first place.

But again of they bring you the water I've never heard of them asking to see it.