Refrigeration for medication

[traveled]

Last cruise we were in a suite so I had no problems, they put in the suite a 6 ft refrigerator for the medication and everything was perfect. This time I will be traveling alone as a widow so it is an inside for the 35 day cruise, I called ship services and they said it would be stored in the infirmary and I would be charged every time I needed to retrive it. This is does not sound correct. Has anyone else had this problem. Thank you

[RuthC]

Which ship? If it's an S- or R-class ship, you can rent a fridge for $2.00 per day.

The other ships have a chiller in the cabin, but it may or may not be sufficient for medication.

[wander]

I have stored "extra" medicine in the infirmary, as recently as this past fall. "Extra" meaning that I have my daily supply in the cabin but bring extra in case something happens to my cabin supply OR when a cruise is long enough that I need a refill. NEVER have I been charged for storage, retrieval, etc., nor has there been any hint of such. Now, I do not need to access it every day, daily access may be different.

 

ALSO, please check with your Pharmacist (not physician, pharmacist) about your specific medicine. IF it is insulin, according to my pharmacist, and confirmed by two others, some insulins today can be kept out of the refrigerator for so many days, but the days seem to vary by the type/brand of insulin and perhaps some still require constant refrigeration.

 

Do check with a knowledgeable Pharmacist about your specific medication. Explain your travel plans and see what he/she advises. I am NOT a health care provider but a traveler who has my own needs as well a those of travel companions. I can only relate what I have experienced.

[sail7seas]

You say a 35 day cruise so I am guessing it is Veendam's Voyage of the Vikings?

 

If so, you will not have a cooler/mini-bar frig in an inside cabin.

However, you can rent one for $2 per day. Be advised these 'coolers' dont' get all that cold.

 

If you wish to rent one, you would do well to order in advance as there is a limited supply. You can call ship's services 800-541-1576.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have never heard of anyone being charged just to use the ship's infirmary refrigerator.

Also -- are you certain that they put a 6 foot refrigerator in your cabin? That is pretty big. PS cabins come with a regular size refrigerator in the pantry.

Since we don't know which ship you will be sailing on, we can't tell you if there is a mini-refrigerator in your cabin.

Those mini-refrigerators don't not keep items as cold as your home refrigerator. And we don't know how cold your medication must be kept.

The infirmary is open from 8 AM until about 6 (?) -- if you have to keep your medication there -- hope you don't need to get to it any other times.

[alwaysfrantic]

Surely if it's for medication Special Services would put one in your cabin for no charge. Ihave never heard of a company charging when it's a medical issue. HAL does? Really?

[doctork]

When I took a medication that required refrigeration, the hotels I stayed at for business travel provided a frig for no charge, saying it was required by ADA(Americans with Disabilities Act). I cruised once on HAL while taking that med, but it was in a cabin with a cooler, which worked fine for my particular medication.

 

I don't know about a cruise ship and its rules for following (or not) ADA.

[KirkNC]

You can also put ice in a container in your cooler and put the medicine on it (as long as thats not too cold). The ice will last at least a day in the cooler.

Edited January 28, 2014 by KirkNC

[indokiwi]

Don't call Ship Services for this. It's medication that is necessary to your health, and as someone stated earlier should be covered under the ADA. Ship Services, although helpful most of the time, tends to give out some wrong information at times and their primary job is to sell (yes, I am sure that they will sell you a fridge for $2 a day, but it should be covered). Call the Access and Compliance Department. They will be able to confirm more for you and I am sure it will be the correct information. They are the department that deals specifically with things like this (in fact we have called them before for a fridge for my father's medication on a cruise). Their number is 800-547-8493.

[RuthC]

I agree that calling Access & Compliance is a great idea. They should have accurate information.

 

I don't understand why you think providing a fridge for free should be covered under the ADA? The ship is not registered in America, and most of the time is not sailing in US Territorial waters.

Even if the ADA applies because the ship sails from the US, what part of the ADA would require the ship to provide refrigeration for free? Why wouldn't making a fridge available, even for a fee, not be a "reasonable accommodation"?

[Typhoon1]

That medically necessary device should be provided to you at no charge.

[sail7seas]

I agree that calling Access & Compliance is a great idea. They should have accurate information.

 

I don't understand why you think providing a fridge for free should be covered under the ADA? The ship is not registered in America, and most of the time is not sailing in US Territorial waters.

Even if the ADA applies because the ship sails from the US, what part of the ADA would require the ship to provide refrigeration for free? Why wouldn't making a fridge available, even for a fee, not be a "reasonable accommodation"?

 

 

I agree. HAL charging a $2 per day fee is quite moderate, IMO

 

They are not overcharging or putting it out of reach of people who may need one.

 

Edited January 29, 2014 by sail7seas

[wander]

Remember, even under ADA only "reasonable accommodation" is required. Is going to the infirmary every day "reasonable" or is requiring supply of a "free" refrigerator in the cabin "reasonable". I am not saying what is or is not, only pointing out that the law requires "reasonable" accommodation and beyond that are ????. I am generally familiar with this issue as I had to travel to various places to they to work out what was "reasonable" under the law in disputes between employees and employers.

 

Again, my earlier point was to also check with your Pharmacist to see what is actually required for your specific medication(s).

Edited January 29, 2014 by wander

[mammy123]

I need to store meds also, and I am renting a frig for my next cruise @$2.00 per day, and have rented one in the past, it keeps the meds just fine. I have also stored them at the infirmary in the past and it was no charge. I just went down there when I needed them and they were open and had no problems at all.

[sail7seas]

I need to store meds also, and I am renting a frig for my next cruise @$2.00 per day, and have rented one in the past, it keeps the meds just fine. I have also stored them at the infirmary in the past and it was no charge. I just went down there when I needed them and they were open and had no problems at all.

 

 

Happy to hear your needs were met with apparent minimal, if any, inconvenience. :) You provided for your personal needs and were able to have them met. As it should be........

 

Happy cruising!

[Sea-travelers]

A charge comes into play if you need your medication after the infirmary is closed.

[Typhoon1]

$2.00 per day is a pretty minimal amount for anyone on a cruise.

 

Making the right contact could probably waive that. If not, I don't think $2.00 per day would break the bank.

[doctork]

I agree that calling Access & Compliance is a great idea. They should have accurate information.

 

I don't understand why you think providing a fridge for free should be covered under the ADA? The ship is not registered in America, and most of the time is not sailing in US Territorial waters.

Even if the ADA applies because the ship sails from the US, what part of the ADA would require the ship to provide refrigeration for free? Why wouldn't making a fridge available, even for a fee, not be a "reasonable accommodation"?

 

I don't "think" providing the fridge on a HAL ship at no charge is required under ADA; I honestly don't know. Though there may be a Seattle office, the HAL ships are flagged elsewhere, so it may well be that ADA does not apply.

 

I only mentioned that when I was at a US hotel and inquired about renting a fridge for my room, the manager said it would be provided at no charge, as required by ADA, since it was for a medication that needed to be refrigerated. For a large business hotel, a fridge in the room is apparently considered "reasonable accommodation."

 

Personally, I do not have a problem with paying a rental fee if that was necessary; relative to the cost of a cruise or of the medication in question, it's a modest expense.

 

The OP felt that a rental fee or a retrieval fee didn't sound right, so she should inquire of Access & Compliance about what to expect, then plan accordingly.