Cpap machines

[eabplus2]

Hi. We are sailing Allure on July 9th 2022. Both my husband and I use Cpap machines. We are flying in the day before and staying at a hotel. I just submitted the request on RC's website so we can get an extension cords and distilled water. Do we need to pack our Cpap machines and carry them with us on embarkation day? We are hoping we can pack them in our suitcases. They are in a travel case and these are full size machines. The travel Cpaps are $1K and not covered by insurance. Any information would be appreciated.

[sdrocks]

My husband travels with a CPAP and we just put it in the nice bag it comes with and carry it on the plane. Would not put in check bags - too much risk of damage or checked bags being delayed.

We've done this for years and works well. 

[flyguyjake]

If you're flying no way would I check in my CPAP machine. If driving to the port I would feel more comfortable checking it in the luggage. But we always carry ours onboard because we fly in.

[Booking It]

My husband and I have CPAPs as well. We always carry them with us even though it's a pain. It wouldn't be worth the risk to us to have them get damaged if the suitcases are handled roughly. 

 

I submit the request for supplies every time, too, but we've never had the items ready in the stateroom. However, our cabin stewards have always been on top of it when we let them know. 

[HicksRA]

We have two Cpaps that just about fill up one carry on bag. I often check it in on flights and at the cruise port. Never had a problem.  

[steveru621]

I always carry mine onto the ship.  No way I would trust any electronic device to the RCI/longshoremen baggage handlers.

 

My Resmed has a strap on the travel bag that slides over the Travel Suitcase Telescopic Handle.

 

BTW since it's a medical device you are allowed to carry it onto to an airplane.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

5 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

My Resmed has a strap on the travel bag that slides over the Travel Suitcase Telescopic Handle.

That's exactly what I do.  I'm not letting the CPAP go in checked luggage, at the airport or at the dock.  

[TexCruise371]

Mine fits in my backpack along with my camera, iPad, etc

 

[like2cruise99]

Well I guess I'll be the one that says I always pack mine in my suitcase. When it gets damaged or gets lost then I'll rethink that after my horrible trip with no CPap and no sleep for me or anyone in the room with me.

[Ben Nicholls]

I use to pack mine in checked luggage until the one time I had to spend a bad night when my luggage was lost for a day. Never again. I carry on mine in it's travel case.  On airlines at least they do not count against your carry on limits. 

[pythia]

We just traveled with one in a small, rolling carryon suitcase (just big enough for the CPAP, extension cord, and mask) and tagged it with a "Medical Device" tag.  It doesn't count against your carry on limit.  The TSA didn't even blink at it.

[crzndeb]

I have always carried mine on also. I also have a resmed, and the case is easy to strap onto my carryon or just sling on my shoulder. If on rare occasion, I’m only on a 7 day cruise, I just use ship water. I wouldn’t come close to even making a dent in a gallon of distilled water, and it seems a waste. 

[Booking It]

2 hours ago, like2cruise99 said:

Well I guess I'll be the one that says I always pack mine in my suitcase. When it gets damaged or gets lost then I'll rethink that after my horrible trip with no CPap and no sleep for me or anyone in the room with me.

I would be fully justified in tossing my husband overboard if he sleeps without his CPAP! 🤣

[BirdTravels]

5 hours ago, eabplus2 said:

Hi. We are sailing Allure on July 9th 2022. Both my husband and I use Cpap machines. We are flying in the day before and staying at a hotel. I just submitted the request on RC's website so we can get an extension cords and distilled water. Do we need to pack our Cpap machines and carry them with us on embarkation day? We are hoping we can pack them in our suitcases. They are in a travel case and these are full size machines. The travel Cpaps are $1K and not covered by insurance. Any information would be appreciated.

Pre-pandemic, I traveled every week for work. The CPAP was always in checked luggage. And we have sailed 6 times since restart and the CPAP is always in the checked luggage given to the porter to be delivered to our stateroom on the ship. 

[1025cruise]

Sorry, placing my CPAP in checked luggage does not compute. ALWAYS carry on. ALWAYS. Not even a consideration to check it.

[Bruin Steve]

I've used a CPAP for several years now.  My wife was just prescribed one recently--just before our last cruise.  For years I'd have them deliver distilled water and an extension cord....Okay, we've morphed from that...

 

1)  I finally broke down and paid the money for a travel unit (on sale for about $830--but uncovered by insurance.  I figure I travel a lot and, over, time, it will be worth the price)  It weighs far less and does not need distilled water.

2)  I hate the extension cord--because they usually strring it around the whole cabin--including across the threshold of the balcony door.  Tripping hazard.  I have found, instead, that on many ships, there IS an alternative.  In our sky suite on Celebrity Apex, there was an outlet next to the bed!  On other ships, there is a European outlet behind the bed or the nightstand that is used to provide power for the nightstand lamp.  So, I bought an adapter that converts a European socket into two--one European and one US outlet (Cost next to nothing on Amazon).  I unplug the lamp, insert the socket and plug the lamp pack into the Euro socket on the adapter...then I plug my CPAP into the US socket.  Problem solved.  I give the extension cord back to the cabin steward!

 

I usually bring my CPAP (now a much smaller unit) in my carry-on or my knapsack...But I did have one strange story.  One cruise I checked my suitcase AND my carry-on when boarding.  Figured it couldn't get lost between the pier and my cabin, right?  Besides, I don't like to carry stuff around waiting for the cabin to be ready.  Well, my carry-on (with CPAP) didn't make it to the cabin ith the rest of the luggage.  I went to the Guest Services desk and they suggested checking with the "Naughty Room".  Sure enough, it was there--along with all the folks smuggling booze, etc.

 

Why?  The X-ray picked up the CPAP cord...and thought I was smuggling an illegal extension cord.  They made me open the case in front of them....Then, without apology, let me take the case and go...

 

So, now, I usually carry the CPAP on, then head to the cabin--even if "not ready yet" and ask the steward if I can just drop off my medical equipment in the cabin.  They always let me. 

[cured]

1 hour ago, Bruin Steve said:

I've used a CPAP for several years now.  My wife was just prescribed one recently--just before our last cruise.  For years I'd have them deliver distilled water and an extension cord....Okay, we've morphed from that...

 

1)  I finally broke down and paid the money for a travel unit (on sale for about $830--but uncovered by insurance.  I figure I travel a lot and, over, time, it will be worth the price)  It weighs far less and does not need distilled water.

2)  I hate the extension cord--because they usually strring it around the whole cabin--including across the threshold of the balcony door.  Tripping hazard.  I have found, instead, that on many ships, there IS an alternative.  In our sky suite on Celebrity Apex, there was an outlet next to the bed!  On other ships, there is a European outlet behind the bed or the nightstand that is used to provide power for the nightstand lamp.  So, I bought an adapter that converts a European socket into two--one European and one US outlet (Cost next to nothing on Amazon).  I unplug the lamp, insert the socket and plug the lamp pack into the Euro socket on the adapter...then I plug my CPAP into the US socket.  Problem solved.  I give the extension cord back to the cabin steward!

 

I usually bring my CPAP (now a much smaller unit) in my carry-on or my knapsack...But I did have one strange story.  One cruise I checked my suitcase AND my carry-on when boarding.  Figured it couldn't get lost between the pier and my cabin, right?  Besides, I don't like to carry stuff around waiting for the cabin to be ready.  Well, my carry-on (with CPAP) didn't make it to the cabin ith the rest of the luggage.  I went to the Guest Services desk and they suggested checking with the "Naughty Room".  Sure enough, it was there--along with all the folks smuggling booze, etc.

 

Why?  The X-ray picked up the CPAP cord...and thought I was smuggling an illegal extension cord.  They made me open the case in front of them....Then, without apology, let me take the case and go...

 

So, now, I usually carry the CPAP on, then head to the cabin--even if "not ready yet" and ask the steward if I can just drop off my medical equipment in the cabin.  They always let me. 

I have the battery pack for my air mini. It is great for transatlantic flights and or cruises when you can't find an outlet nearby.

 

Edited June 10, 2022 by cured

[cured]

I always carry mine on.  Insurance is not going to replace mine if I lose it in checked baggage because medical equipment is supposed to be carried on board.

 

Check your insurance before you take those kind of chances.  My regular resmed motor crapped out at 4 years 3 months.  My insurance said so sorry, we only replace every 5 years. Add to that the backlog right now with the Phillips cpaps being recalled, it took over 6 months to get the new one in stock. So, you might be out of luck for awhile if your luggage is lost. You insurance may not replace until your 5 years (or whatever their policy is) and you might be stuck waiting for one with the shortage. Luckily for me, I had my travel cpap that I used while I waited the 6 months to get the new regular one, which also satisfied the 5 year wait time.

 

You should watch the latest edition of La Lido Loca. He recounts a story last week where already boarded passengers were looking down and saw suitcases floating in the water. I think it was Pullmantur, not sure.  Apparently one of the luggage trolleys flipped and dumped the luggage in the ocean.  Freak accident, but if someone's cpap was in their luggage, that would not be good.

 

I have an insulated cooler bag where my meds with a frozen ice pack go on the bottom and the cpap stuff in the top compartment. I have a medical equipment tag on it (Amazon) and carry it on. As others have mentioned, airlines cannot count a medical equipment bag against your allowable carry on.

Edited June 10, 2022 by cured

[lenquixote66]

7 hours ago, eabplus2 said:

Hi. We are sailing Allure on July 9th 2022. Both my husband and I use Cpap machines. We are flying in the day before and staying at a hotel. I just submitted the request on RC's website so we can get an extension cords and distilled water. Do we need to pack our Cpap machines and carry them with us on embarkation day? We are hoping we can pack them in our suitcases. They are in a travel case and these are full size machines. The travel Cpaps are $1K and not covered by insurance. Any information would be appreciated.

I no longer use a CPAP machine for my sleep apnea but when I still did I always packed my machine and an extension cord.Distilled water is always available on a ship.

[Norwich Cruiser]

3 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

Sorry, placing my CPAP in checked luggage does not compute. ALWAYS carry on. ALWAYS. Not even a consideration to check it.

I totally agree.

 

Thats exactly what we do.

 

Great advise.

[PTAngel]

I would be afraid to let my CPAP (a medical device) out of my hands.  All electronics & medications are in my backpack plus I carry the CPAP bag. 

 

When I first started cruising, I just asked for an extension cord.  I received one but DH also uses a CPAP so I needed two plugs.  The ships cord only had one & it was plugged in on the other side of the cabin so tripping hazard.  Since then, I carried an extension cord in my CPAP bag until last cruise.

 

They confiscated ALL extension cords at Port Liberty.  Thankfully though, there was an outlet next to the bed so didn't miss mine.  I made sure to collect it when I got off the ship.  I'm going on the same ship & port next week & I won't pack an extension cord.  

[alohayall]

Some cruise lines spell out “Do not put CPAP machine in checked luggage.”  Possibly a liability issue. As we know, they are often ~$1k. I don’t think people would put many things that expensive in their luggage.  
 

But more important is the risk of not having a functioning machine the entire vacation.  
 

I often wonder about not having a back-up.  My only reassurance is how long- lasting our machines have been.

 

Airlines allow you an extra carry-on for medical equipment - they don’t want the responsibility for it, either.

 

I have bought two travel machines over the years - each to get a smaller unit. My current one is an automatic pressure CPAP; now it adjusts itself if my pressure needs change due to body weight change.

[eabplus2]

My machine is fairly new, about a year old. DH is more than 5 years out. He sees the sleep doctor in August for a f/u from his sleep study he took in March. His f/u in May was cancelled. Anyway now that I know the Cpap doesn't count against you carry on we will be carrying it on the plane and embarkation

When do we get our room keys? Can we drop off the cpaps in the room when we board?

 

[Joseph2017China]

My history....wife has a large CPAP at home.  Really not all that great to travel with, both in size and weight.  We got a nice travel one years ago, light weight and easy, but still needed to be plugged in.  Eventually, it started making "noises" that were not normal.  Late 2021 got another one for travel, less than a pound and can be used with a batter, no more cords. Batteries always need to be in carry-on bags and the cpap fits nicely in back-pack under 1 pound.  Yes, it costs extra money to use as a secondary, w/o insurance covering and yes, it is not recommended for daily use, just travel use.  But guess what, I also use a travel scooter, and walking crutches etc, so it's just a cost for having fun. But I never pack it in checked luggage, never ever......too many risks

[HicksRA]

This is how I solved the extension cord problem for our two machines. 
The cord plugs into the power supply of your machine, making it part of the unit x not an extension cord.