sharps containers

[azcruzers]

Do they have these in all cabins or should i bring one with me. We cruise in 23 days on the Dream. Making my packing list now. Im so excited I just cant wait.

[Snowball]

Ask your cabin steward for one on the first day when they introduce themselves to you, and they will put one in your cabin. My hubby is a diabetic and never had a problem getting one.

[big_duck]

Contact special needs at Carnival and they will ensure one is in your Cabin.

 

The contact info is on Carnival.com

[deborahjo]

I have my Diabeties list in my Profile. That way there is always a Sharps Container in my cabin when I board. But as the others have said all you have to do is ask your cabin steward when you board. He will bring it and if you need a new one he will properly dispose of the first one.

[oregonian123]

I have my Diabeties list in my Profile. That way there is always a Sharps Container in my cabin when I board. But as the others have said all you have to do is ask your cabin steward when you board. He will bring it and if you need a new one he will properly dispose of the first one.

 

Hi, could you please tell me how to add it to our Profile? I don't see how to do it online. Thanks.

[azcruzers]

Thank you. I will contact carnival so one is in our cabin.

[spacepotatoes]

Our room steward came to talk to us on embarkation day, with a clipboard to record people's preferences/schedules. One of the things he asked us about was whether or not we'd need a sharps container. Best to be sure and contact them in advance, but our steward did check.

[Martini Mom]

Are these containers available on all ships (ie: the Splendor)? My husband was recently diagnosed with MS and he has to take daily injections.

 

Thanks :)

[oregonian123]

Are these containers available on all ships (ie: the Splendor)? My husband was recently diagnosed with MS and he has to take daily injections.

 

Thanks :)

 

Hi, We had one on the Splendor in Nov 2011.

[Martini Mom]

Hi, We had one on the Splendor in Nov 2011.

 

Thanks! I had no idea you could have one in your room. So convenient!

[Martini Mom]

Now I won't be needing one. DH's nurse just gave him this cool needle cutter. It clips off the needle and then holds it inside the small unit (like nail clippers). Now we can just throw away the needle-free syringe, which isn't biohazard. :D

[Periwinkle19]

One other thing regarding injected medicines. They usually need to be refrigerated, and the minibar fridges are not designed to keep things cold enough. So definitely let Carnival know ahead of time so they can arrange for a real refrigerator and a sharps container. No offense but as a medical worker I consider any syringe that's not still in the package as a biohazard, needle or no needle. When I was giving my cat insulin injections, I always kept the used syringes in an old Tupperware and would deposit them in the sharps box at work. Even though there was no chance of an interspecies infection I still erred on the wide side of caution so nobody freaked out.

[Martini Mom]

One other thing regarding injected medicines. They usually need to be refrigerated, and the minibar fridges are not designed to keep things cold enough. So definitely let Carnival know ahead of time so they can arrange for a real refrigerator and a sharps container. No offense but as a medical worker I consider any syringe that's not still in the package as a biohazard, needle or no needle. When I was giving my cat insulin injections, I always kept the used syringes in an old Tupperware and would deposit them in the sharps box at work. Even though there was no chance of an interspecies infection I still erred on the wide side of caution so nobody freaked out.

True. Thankfully DH's MS meds can be kept at room temperature, so that helps. It does seem strange to me to throw away the syringe, but the nurse assured me it was okay. It also helps that his MS meds are basically a protein, so we aren't discarding anything dangerous.

[scooterpopsnana]

You may have to ask for it personally. On our last cruise, I had requested it from the special needs department but I did not have one in the room when we arrived. Truthfully, I forgot about it until my shot that night. I did not want to disturb the steward as it was rather late, so we place the needle in an empty soda can until we could get the sharps the next day and dispose of it properly.

[susan123]

I cruised about a year and a half ago on the Fantasy with a friend who is diabetic, and even though she had contacted Special Needs, she never got a sharps container after asking the cabin steward several times for one. She also had requested a medical refrigerator, but they told her they had given them all out even though they had a printed copy of her request to Special Needs. She checked on the refrigerator as soon as we were admitted to our cabins, and if they already had given them all out, they must not have stocked enough to meet the requests or gave them to people who had not requested them in advance. They agreed to store her insulin in a refrigerator at Guest Services, and twice a day she had to stand in line to get her insulin, go into a public bathroom or return to our cabin to give herself a shot, and then stand in line again to return the insulin for refrigeration. That meant she had to leave shows early to have time to do all of this before dinner each night or arrive at the dining room later than the rest of our group. She was a first time cruiser, and I had assured her that her needs would be taken care of, so it made me more angry than it did her that her requests were ignored after Guest Services admitted she had made them months in advance.

[M&MGirl1]

My sister is diabetic. She bought a Frio insulin cooling case and now we don't have to worry about having a fridge in the cabin. You soak the inside gel pack in water and it stays cool enough for her insulin for days at a time. Really helps as we can go anywhere and stay anywhere and not have to worry about her meds. She has had it about eight years and it still works great. It has even been a lifesaver when the power has gone out here at home.

 

As for the sharps case, well after having issues tracking one down on more than one cruise she just packs her own now.

[mlyn]

If you steward does not bring you a sharps container, you can get one from the medical clinic on board.

[Martini Mom]

Before I knew you could "order" one for your cabin, I had planned on taking our sharps down to the infirmary. ;)

[RissaRN04]

Hi az,

I hope that you are able to get the sharps container without a problem. If for some reason you would need one & can't get tone, if you have a pop or water bottle with a screw cap on it, that will work as well. As a nurse, I have met some patients that do not have the means for a sharps container, etc. so in the diabetic teaching session, we suggest that they take an empty pop/water bottle, liquid laundry detergent bottle, shampoo bottle, etc(anything that's puncture proof and can be easily & tightly sealed). and use that as a sharps container until they can go to thier doctor's to dispose of it. This also works in a pinch if you are out & about that way you don't have to worry about recapping the needles. Anyway, have a great time on your cruise!!!:D:D:D