Distilled Water Availability

[Bagologist]

I use a CPAP machine and it requires distilled water. NCL does not have it available and it is restricted from taking it on Airplanes nowdays. Does anyone know if it is available in Costa Maya or Belize City and where??

[AnnePontuso]

I travel with cpap as well. I use bottled drinking water when I travel to foreign countries. The reason manufactures of cpap machines recommend the use of distilled water is because tap water contains minerals that can deposit in the humidifier. Using bottled drinking water for a week or two really won't damage the machine, especially if you rinse and dry the reservoir after each use. :rolleyes:

[BIG_Steve]

I use a CPAP machine and it requires distilled water. NCL does not have it available and it is restricted from taking it on Airplanes nowdays. Does anyone know if it is available in Costa Maya or Belize City and where??

 

 

You may want to check with your DOCTOR about using something other then distilled. As in, perhaps there is a d*mn good reason why YOU shouldn't be using anything else, regardless of the machine.

 

Good luck. Haven't been to those ports, so can't help. If you really have to have the distilled, I would check on your roll call and see if you can make arrangements with someone driving in to bring it for you. You most likely could also make arrangements for a taxi company to deliver it to you also. Not cheap, but if you need it, you need it. Depending on how you're getting from the airport to the ship, maybe a stop on the way is possible.

[kitty9]

I would not trust water of any kind in those areas. Plan to stop at a store on your way to the cruise terminal and pick up a few bottles and bring them on the ship with you.

[Renunciate]

I use a CPAP as well and use bottled water when I travel, but if I had ANY doubts, I'd check with NCL again, this time with someone who handles passengers with medical/disability issues and see if they have distilled water available. It is probable that it is available in the infirmary, but there may be an associated cost. (Cruise lines want everyone to be able to travel and will nearly bend over backwards to cater to a medical need if what is requested/required is at all possible.)

 

(And yes, check with your doc to see if there is any reason you can't use bottled water for a week. If you can, I'd pack a bottle of distilled water in my checked luggage and relax, knowing the bottled water was my fallback if something happened to my distilled. You can also check to see if you can use the machine without the humidifier for a week. For most people, the humidifier is a comfort option. But seriously, you NEED to have your doc answer those two questions.)

 

If your machine is anything at all like mine, you go through less than a few ounces of water per night, so you should not need to have much provided.

 

One other tip... be sure to pack an appropriate extension cord as there may not be an outlet at bedside. If you need to use the extension cord, let your cabin attendant know what it's for and that it's there so he/she won't move/unplug it or trip over it.

 

One last tip... if you have not traveled with your CPAP before, allow extra time at the airport. By now, most TSA employees have seen CPAP machines, but you will still need to step to the side and have the machine swabbed. No big deal, but it will add anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes to the amount of time it takes to get through security. If you have allowed for it, there's zero added stress. I even comment to the person checking my machine that they are welcome to use the training opportunity if there are new TSA agents who are not familiar with CPAP machines.

 

Oh, one more last tip... have a great cruise. :)

[Sheffie]

My DH also uses a CPAP machine, and he just uses the ship's tap water while on a cruise. The water is pretty much purer than most bottled water due to the process by which the ship makes the water. He has never had a problem with it.

[Traveller20074]

First of all, CPAP is a medical device. The water you use to go with it might be considered essential. I would call the airline you plan to fly and ask if you can bring a few small bottles. You could also buy it after you land, and BEFORE you board, bringing it on with you. I also use CPAP, but don't use distilled water while traveling...just at home. I used bottled water once and the humidifier had white on it after only one night that I couldn't remove.

[Denise72]

Yes, you could use bottled or even tap water for the cruise. And yes, you could leave the humidifier at home unless you don't think you would be comfortable without it. It is entirely for patient comfort and is in no way required.

 

I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist and a Registered sleep tech. We use tap water in the heated humidifiers every night.

[Denise72]

Oh, I forgot to add, make sure you wash the humidifier every day. Some Dawn would do just fine for the length of the cruise.

[pappagene]

I use a CPAP machine and it requires distilled water. NCL does not have it available and it is restricted from taking it on Airplanes nowdays. Does anyone know if it is available in Costa Maya or Belize City and where??

 

My DW & I both use CPAP's and while we are crusing, we just use the tap water from the ship. It is very clean and I don't believe that it is treated. We have never had a problem with the ship's water.

 

When we go over seas, we carry distilled and claim it as part of our medical equipment. Very little is said after that.

 

Gene

[17pioneer]

I have even found that I can reduce the humidifier setting a bit as the sea air has more ambient humidity than "land" air.

[Bagologist]

ALL very good and greatly appreciated replies, but none of them answer my question concerning the availabilty of distilled water in Costa Maya or Belize.

My comfort is of the utmost importance to me as I'm sure yours is to you and my sleep is paramount.I have in the past carried water through security but never two gallons and I don't think todays TSA would go for it at all. I would like to be able to find it in Costa Maya and not have to carry two gallons around getting on board. I have in the past used tap water and/or botle water with no ill effects however I prefer distilled and was merely trying to find a source in Mexico.

THANKS again for all the responses. I do appreciate them.

[Springwater21]

I would check at a pharmacy in those Mexican towns. I'm going for a day trip next week to a small town in Mexico and always stop at the pharmacy, I will check for you to see if they carry it. The pharmacies have most everything else..! Friends travelling with us in Feb also have CPAP, it will be god for him to know also..Dona

[BIG_Steve]

ALL very good and greatly appreciated replies, but none of them answer my question concerning the availabilty of distilled water in Costa Maya or Belize.

My comfort is of the utmost importance to me as I'm sure yours is to you and my sleep is paramount.I have in the past carried water through security but never two gallons and I don't think todays TSA would go for it at all. I would like to be able to find it in Costa Maya and not have to carry two gallons around getting on board. I have in the past used tap water and/or botle water with no ill effects however I prefer distilled and was merely trying to find a source in Mexico.

THANKS again for all the responses. I do appreciate them.

 

Stick around, we'll start second guessing you Cardiologist shortly.

 

Comfort? If I don't use a humidifier, the histamines wreak havoc with me, worse then any head cold or allergy. I'm down and out, and have a nose that runs like a faucet non stop if I don't use a hunidifier. Yeah, I guess I'm a whiner for letting that interfere with vacation plans.

[diane.in.ny]

Friend picked up distilled water in a tiny market in Athens. He didn't know what distilled water was in Greek but the bottle had a picture on it....the water was for use in things like an iron and a battery.

[bbwex]

I understand your concern about distilled water, and regular bottled water is likely to have almost as much crud in it as tap water -- after all, many of the bottled water companies are essentially using tap water anyhow.

 

What has been mentioned about the water on board a ship is important. Ships' water is very pure. It is either distilled water (with a small amount of chlorine added for safety) or water that has been desalinated via a membrane system, which also removes just about everything except the water. While I can understand that some people will simply use tap water for short periods of travel on land, using the ship's tap water is very different --- you are using very pure water. That is, after all, what you are after when you are buying distilled water -- pure water with all of the minerals and other "crud" removed. That is, in effect, what you get at sea.

 

For peace of mind, you might call the cruise line and ask how they are desalinating water on your particular ship. Flash evaporation (distillation) is the most common method at sea since it is fast and they have lots of excess heat to use. If that's what they are using, you will have distilled water in your bathroom tap!

 

As a final note, I have my own craziness about diet soda, and have been known to have the cab make a quick stop en route to the ship. I am sure you could ask a cab driver to go past a supermarket and make a fast stop.

[HomePlanet]

Bagologist, according to a poster at a Belize forum in a thread about wind turbines - where distilled water is needed for batteries - you can buy pint bottles at Westrac Automotive Supplies. Just google Westrac Belize. They have a location in Belize City. It's probably worth contacting them by email to confirm they carry it, and where they are located relative to the dock.

 

As for Costa Maya, as I understand it, it is not really a city. It appears that there is a small pharmacy at the port, and another in the health centre next to the police station. I would try those, but wouldn't be too optimistic. Places that sell bottled drinking water might carry distilled water - but given how small the place is, who knows?

 

If Belize City works, at least you'll be able to cut down on the amount you need to pack. And I'm not sure when you're cruising, but I will be in Costa Maya in a couple of weeks. If I find any distilled water sources, I wil post back here. Good luck!

[fungasafari]

I have never heard of a CPAP machine, but am a well travelled commissioning engineer. Distilled water is available from garages and car accessory shops in most towns in the world for use in car batteries. However to be sure of its quality I would invest a few dollars in a pocket conductivity meter. These are very cheap to buy and simple to use. With this meter you can test the quality of the water yourself. You could also use this meter to test the ship's water, which, if produced on board by de-salination, could well be suitable anyway.

Hope this helps.

[Gonzo70]

 

What has been mentioned about the water on board a ship is important. Ships' water is very pure. It is either distilled water (with a small amount of chlorine added for safety) or water that has been desalinated via a membrane system, which also removes just about everything except the water.

 

Actually most cruise ships do a combination of making their own water (as you described) as well as taking on potable water at some ports of call.

[Bagologist]

I would check at a pharmacy in those Mexican towns. I'm going for a day trip next week to a small town in Mexico and always stop at the pharmacy, I will check for you to see if they carry it. The pharmacies have most everything else..! Friends travelling with us in Feb also have CPAP, it will be god for him to know also..Dona

Sound advice, if I find a source I will pass it on also.