Medical Supplies

My husband and I are taking a B2B cruise next month in the Caribbean. I am permanently confined to a wheelchair and use medical supplies daily. We will be flying across the country. We are staying in a hotel the night before the cruise. Has anyone ever had their supplies shipped to your hotel instead of paying for extra luggage on the airplane? My worry is that the supplies will not get there in time and I will need them for the cruise. Does anyone have any ideas about how to handle this?

Ship UPS/FedEx and notify the hotel ahead of time. They can give you tracking and an ETA. Enjoy the B2B

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you shouldn't have to pay for extra luggage when they are medical supplies. I believe the airline has to let you take them and not charge you because you need it. I'd check on that first so you can take your supplies with you.

Thanks for the info

I would definitely call and speak with the specific airline(s) and also ask them to provide a copy of their policies. Sometimes the staff at the check-in counters are not up to speed on these types of issues.

Happy sailing!

I have a list of my medical needs prepared by my doctor that she up-dates every year. Thus my carry-on is considered “medical” and is free on all airlines. I also carry a complete list of my prescriptions and dosage... and never leave home without travel insurance. I only had to show my letter once. Others have mentioned that their doctor charges for a letter. I have not ever been charged.

Have a wonderful cruise,

Betty

Ship UPS/FedEx and notify the hotel ahead of time. They can give you tracking and an ETA. Enjoy the B2B

 

 

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Remember that shipping UPS/FedEx doesn't guarantee anything except that if your package doesn't arrive on time, you don't have to pay for it. Odds are it will get there OK but if I were the traveler and the medical supplies were vital to my existence, I would carry them with me.

Thanks to everyone again. I think we will carry them on the plane as a carryon. I was just trying to find a way that that didn't take up as much space in the plane. I usually board first but other people have carry-ons also. I was trying to be considerate.

US airlines do have to let you check medical equipment/supplies at no charge (as well as any such carryons). Some airline companies such as American and Delta have ticket offices which are quite familiar with this and won't give you any trouble. Others like United may give you more trouble if you don't call the special needs assistance line ahead of time and give them notice. Also, the bag or box which carries the medical equipment/supplies cannot have any non-medical items in it. We also carry a drs letter to support our claim of those being medical, but have never had to use it.

As long as you pack ONLY medical equipment or supplies in a bag, and label it as such, the airlines will not charge you extra for this stuff, for either carry-on or checking. We never checked medical supplies though, but took them in a duffel bag that we filled with Chux, gloves, catheters, lubricant, hand wipes, and meds, and took as an additional carry-on. Never wanted to risk a checked bag getting lost and not making it to the cruise. Going home, if we had left over supplies, we often donated them to the ship's hospital, which was always very happy to get them. We folded that additional duffel and took it inside our regular luggage on the trip home, except for the meds, which we kept with us.

I have a carryon that looks like a very nice leather duffel that has my CPAP machine, meds, braces etc. I've never had any trouble carrying it on and am more than happy to let someone look inside it to make sure it is medical equipment. I also have my personal stuff in my backpack.

As long as you pack ONLY medical equipment or supplies in a bag, and label it as such, the airlines will not charge you extra for this stuff, for either carry-on or checking. We never checked medical supplies though, but took them in a duffel bag that we filled with Chux, gloves, catheters, lubricant, hand wipes, and meds, and took as an additional carry-on. Never wanted to risk a checked bag getting lost and not making it to the cruise. Going home, if we had left over supplies, we often donated them to the ship's hospital, which was always very happy to get them. We folded that additional duffel and took it inside our regular luggage on the trip home, except for the meds, which we kept with us.

That is the reason my doctor and I created a medical list. When you have a minimum of two electrical devices you may need adapters, extension cords, plus charger. With a complete list of prescriptions including applicable numbers, dosage, doctor's name and pharmacy I have been able to use the weekly pill boxes, thus eliminating all the pill bottles. However, my liquid medications are all in their original containers. Also, I do have some articles of clothing that are medical. If I am traveling out of a U.S. departure port, I will check a local drug store to see if they carry my incontinence supplies and purchase them there. Hanging a shopping bag on my handle bar is much easier than fitting them in my suitcase. NOTE: Most countries require that prescriptions be kept in their original containers, including the U.S. Thus, I do not recommend using weekly pill boxes.

After meeting up with FLL's check-in witch, I did have to open my suitcase and I also presented my list. She made a copy of my list and accepted that my suitcase was medical.

That is the reason my doctor and I created a medical list. . . NOTE: Most countries require that prescriptions be kept in their original containers, including the U.S. Thus, I do not recommend using weekly pill boxes.