Cruising With Diabetes

Sheryl Freeman, RN, CRRN

Aug 29, 2007

Sheryl Freeman, RN, CRRN

Vacationing on a cruise ship is great fun, but it's a form of travel that people with diabetes often fail to consider. Although cruising with diabetes was problematic years ago, the cruise industry has finally realized that people with diabetes are a growing untapped source of potential customers.

It does take a little pre-planning on your part, but it's well worth the effort.

Storing your insulin is always a concern when traveling with diabetes, but it's easily handled on a cruise if you make your needs known at the time of reservation. Given advance notice, Carnival Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruise Line will provide a stateroom mini-refrigerator for your insulin. For ships without this option, insulin refrigeration can be provided through room service, the purser's desk, or the infirmary, all of which allow 24-hour access to your insulin.

Staying within a meal plan is a challenge when surrounded by the many delectable dishes in a cruise buffet, but most cruise lines are happy to accommodate special dietary needs. They now offer low sugar, low carbohydrate, and low fat menus, as well as tempting sugar-free desserts. Many cruise lines request at least a month's notice for any dietary special requests so that they can pre-order the necessary provisions. This is especially important for the smaller cruising vessels that don't have multiple restaurants and cannot accommodate last-minute requests as well as the larger ships.

The physical challenges associated with diabetes used to be a barrier to cruising, but cruise lines have also addressed those problems. For the visually impaired traveler, most cruise lines offer Braille literature, large print literature, and audio elevator deck indicators, as well as early boarding. Most cruise lines allow service animals; Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise Lines will even provide them with a 4x4 foot box lined with cypress mulch.

However, many foreign ports have strict entry requirements that don't allow you to take your service animal on land-based excursions. Contact your cruise line or the Department of Agriculture to determine the restrictions in your destination country.

For the diabetic traveler using a wheelchair or with mobility issues, many of the large cruise lines have wheelchair-accessible staterooms that feature roll-in showers, grab bars, transfer benches, raised toilet seats, and lowered closet rods and shelves. Some lines even offer a hydraulic lift at the pool or Jacuzzi. For the gamblers among you, they also offer wheelchair-accessible blackjack tables in the casino.

Some of the larger cruise lines even accommodate travelers requiring continuous ambulatory peritoneal (self) dialysis. Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruise Line all welcome such customers. The traveler, however, is responsible for ensuring that all necessary solutions and equipment are delivered to the ship, and onboard medical personnel will not assist with or administer the dialysis treatment.

Not every cruise line is able to provide all of these services, so it is very important to carefully review the brochures and website of each cruise line that you're considering and to call the company directly with any questions.

The smaller cruising vessels may be able to accommodate dietary and visual restrictions, but they may not be able to handle mobility issues as well as the major floating cities. Overall, however, diabetes is no longer a hindrance to cruising.

Categories: Diabetes, Insulin, Type 1 Issues

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Aug 29, 2007

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Cruising With Diabetes

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