Dialysis in the Caribbean

[CarenNH]

Has anyone here received hemodialysis while in port in either Ocho Rios, Jamaica, or Georgetown, Grand Cayman?

 

Backstory: I currently get hemodialysis (via fistula) at a local Fresenius clinic 3 days a week. I’m considering a 7 day Caribbean cruise on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam in December. HAL doesn’t offer dialysis on board or work with Dialysis at Sea. 
 

I’d most likely be traveling solo, and am in a wheelchair. I would be renting a scooter on board. 
 

My tentative plan is to fly down Friday morning, and get dialysis in the afternoon at a Fresenius clinic in Ft Lauderdale.  Then I’d stay over and embark on Saturday. 

 

The itinerary lists a stop in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on Tuesday from 8:00 am to 4:00. I understand that the actual time passengers are allowed off the ship will be shorter than that. Then we’re scheduled to stop in Georgetown, Grand Cayman on Wednesday from 8:00am to 4:00pm. 
 

Theoretically I could do dialysis either or both days if it’s feasible. I know insurance won’t cover it so I’ll have to pay privately, plus arrange the transportation to and from the port to the clinic. 
 

Then I would get another treatment back in Ft Lauderdale on Saturday afternoon after we disembark, and fly home Sunday. 
 

My doctor says schedule-wise it’s doable. Any thoughts? 
 

 

[Essiesmom]

I gather you are on the Nov. 30 cruise?  There are some cautions here.  Grand Cayman is a tender port and there are five ships scheduled.  Unless you can get a priority ticket for first tender, it might be an hour or more before you could get ashore.  And GC is sometimes missed due to winds or waves.  Ocho Rios has two piers, but the main one was damaged a couple months ago so only the Reynolds (James Bond) pier has been in use.  And there are two ships scheduled that day.  Most ships have been diverted to Montego Bay or Falmouth.  No one knows when the Turtle Bay pier will be repaired.    EM

[CarenNH]

This is really great info! Thanks! I would never have thought to look up how many other ships are in the ports at the same time, and how that might affect things. And I wasn’t aware of the port damage. That’s exactly why I’m trying to do my homework on this. 
 

I knew Grand Cayman was a tender port, as I’ve been there before. 
 

I just received a reply to my inquiry to the clinic in Grand Cayman. They have space available at noon, which I guess should give me plenty of time to get there but probably not enough time to really do a full treatment and get back for re-embarkation. 
 

Regarding Jamaica, I haven’t heard back from the clinic yet. I’ll investigate the possibilities near the other ports you mentioned as backups. 
 

im going to discuss with my doctor how bad it would really be to just get dialysis in Ft Lauderdale the day before and after. 

[elvisrocks]

I understand the problems with dialysis. When I first started dialysis I tried to do a 5 day cruise only having treatment before and after. Not that this will happen to you but I was definitely sick by the time we got off ship. I could not breathe. I am now doing home dialysis and trying again doing my own treatments on the ship. I know that is not an option for you so think long and hard about doing a 7 day with no treatment. Maybe try 3 days without at but only with doctor approval first just to see how you feel. Good luck and I hope everything works out for you. 

[rtfnl]

On 6/5/2024 at 2:48 PM, CarenNH said:

Has anyone here received hemodialysis while in port in either Ocho Rios, Jamaica, or Georgetown, Grand Cayman?

 

Backstory: I currently get hemodialysis (via fistula) at a local Fresenius clinic 3 days a week. I’m considering a 7 day Caribbean cruise on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam in December. HAL doesn’t offer dialysis on board or work with Dialysis at Sea. 
 

I’d most likely be traveling solo, and am in a wheelchair. I would be renting a scooter on board. 
 

My tentative plan is to fly down Friday morning, and get dialysis in the afternoon at a Fresenius clinic in Ft Lauderdale.  Then I’d stay over and embark on Saturday. 

 

The itinerary lists a stop in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on Tuesday from 8:00 am to 4:00. I understand that the actual time passengers are allowed off the ship will be shorter than that. Then we’re scheduled to stop in Georgetown, Grand Cayman on Wednesday from 8:00am to 4:00pm. 
 

Theoretically I could do dialysis either or both days if it’s feasible. I know insurance won’t cover it so I’ll have to pay privately, plus arrange the transportation to and from the port to the clinic. 
 

Then I would get another treatment back in Ft Lauderdale on Saturday afternoon after we disembark, and fly home Sunday. 
 

My doctor says schedule-wise it’s doable. Any thoughts? 
 

 

My dad did dialysis in Grand Cayman several times. We had to oay out of pocket. It was done at the hospital in Grand Cayman. It was a nice and clean facility.  We had to pay in cash. One time it was $500 and another time it was $600 or $700. Also, they provided the medical reports for us to take to Cozumel and to provide to his doctor here in the States.

[rtfnl]

We were told Jamicai was iffy about dialysis and so was Grand Cayman. 

Jamaica because of the distance and roads. Grand Cayman due to ship might not be able to dock.  We didn't need to do dialysis in Jamaica because the ship made it to Grand Cayman. Cozumel was don't at the hospital. It cost us a $1000 - treatment and an translator who was with my dad thr entire time.  The was an issue as to what size needle. We had to call to my dad's dialysis facility. He said he would never do it in Cozumel again.  His treatments in Grand Cayman and Cozumel was more than the balcony Cabins we had on the cruise.