Cruising with TPN

[Trixie21]

Has anyone any experience of cruising on Royal while on TPN (Total Parental Nutrician) - is it even possible ?

Looking like my wife may have to be on this long term and she doesn't want to give up our cruises!

We are from the UK so I am guessing that cruising from Southampton would be a much easier option logisticaly ?

Any relevant comments much appreciated as we are totally new to this.

[sgmn]

I have no experience,  but I think you should talk to your medical specialist/GP,  plus there is a special needs department in Royal Caribbean that should be able to give advice   I hope you find a solution 

[smokeybandit]

I wouldn't see why not.  It'd have to be properly coordinated, obviously, with your doctor and the cruise line.  If you two are able to do everything and don't require a nurse, it seems more than feasible

[the_dylaness]

Hi- I want to say that I do *not* know the answer to your question (helpful, right?) but I have a few tidbits that might be helpful.

 

I used to make TPN (and other compounded pharmaceuticals) for a living... Things could have changed but in 2004ish we could make up to one week's worth at a time. It was then immediately placed into refrigerated coolers and taken to the nursing facility where the patient resided, where it was then transferred into refrigeration and kept there until it was used.  I do not know if it is possible to make more than one week's worth at a time; it is a sterile compounded product so I would be a little surprised to hear that it was. It also typically contains quite a bit of a lipid solution which I would imagine needs to stay cool to avoid going rancid, but again, this is ONLY conjecture.

 

I had the unpleasant task of having to dispose of several bags of TPN (they can be quite large, about a liter or perhaps more, my memory fails...) that had somehow been left out of refrigeration for quite some time.  It smelled like what I can only imagine rotten mashed potatoes would smell like; although many things about this job have left me, that smell is unfortunately as clear in my mind as today's lunch.

 

I'm not sure where you'd be embarking from, but I'm concerned about the ability to keep it cold until you're onboard (and it could be quite heavy depending on how long you are gone!) It's also usually administered with an infusion pump which I am not sure would be readily available on a cruise.  Would your wife have a PICC line?

 

I truly hope that this does work out for you but these are a few of the speed bumps I would think about inquiring about before leaving...  Best of luck to you and your wife!

 

 

[teddie]

 

16 hours ago, Trixie21 said:

Has anyone any experience of cruising on Royal while on TPN (Total Parental Nutrician) - is it even possible ?

Looking like my wife may have to be on this long term and she doesn't want to give up our cruises!

We are from the UK so I am guessing that cruising from Southampton would be a much easier option logisticaly ?

Any relevant comments much appreciated as we are totally new to this.

 

I have read that RCI accomodates passengers who are on peritoneal dialysis, which requires even larger and heavier bags of treatment solutions, so I am thinking this is possible (I am a Registered Nurse).

 

I would first email  special_needs@rccl.com and confirm exactly what they require:  physican documentation, prescriptions, supply list, etc. Ask if there would be customs issues getting clearance for the TPN and supplies. 

 

As the previous poster mentioned--I am thinking your wife has reliable central line access of some kind and you are knowledgable in managing any unexpected complications with it.  

 

Best of luck and hopefully things go smoothly for your cruising needs!