Doctors on Cruise Ships

[Mr.Bill]

Looks like I'll be wearing a catheter on board. If there is a complication, like having to re-insert a new catheter because of problems, would that be a problem. My personal doctor says you should be able to cruise , I have seen other cruisers with catheters, just hopeful if something should occur can the doctor on board take care of it?

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Mr.Bill I'm pretty sure that the onboard medical team would have the skill set to do this but I wouldn't definitely call the cruise line to confirm this could be done ahead of time. I wouldn't want you to be without assured assistance while onboard your next cruise! What ship will you be cruising on with Carnival Cruise Line? Also, how often do catheters have to be changed? To ensure the best possible outcome, maybe you could insert a new one before the embarkation date. 

[Mr.Bill]

The catheter will be a new one 1 week before Carnival sailing.....Doc says about 4-5 weeks till replacement.  I've kinda learned to live with the discomfort....just wanted a back up, in case something would happen.

[3Sisters]

@Mr.Bill Calling the cruise line would be a reassuring thing to do. I do believe that the medical staff would be able to handle a catheter replacement with ease. It sounds like you will have plenty of cushion with a newer catheter in place. The likelihood of complications is likely pretty rare. I would be more concerned if you were traveling away from medical care, but thankfully cruise ships have a great team to help with any necessity guests may have. It's a bummer you have to cruise with it, but I'm glad to hear you are still going to get on board and have a great vacation. It's all about perspective! 

[Mr.Bill]

Thank you for the kind remarks....I guess we will do a CRUISE LITE...still lots of fun, hate to cancel. I can handle the catheter, just want an outlet if something goes amiss.

[3Sisters]

@Mr.Bill A CRUISE LITE doesn't sound half bad! Everything is so easily accessible on the ship that you wouldn't even need to disembark to have a great time. There are lots of opportunities to lounge out by the pool and read, even in the shade with a nice cool drink. Let us know how your cruise vacation ends up. I'm sure everyone will be curious to hear if the cruise line provided all the necessary accommodations for you to thoroughly enjoy your travels! 

[Mr.Bill]

WE're ready to go....You have to remember there's always someone worse off than yourself.....Just blessed I can get on the ship....so relaxing to just enjoy things...

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Mr.Bill I absolutely love your positivity and perspective! I admire your humbleness and humility. You must truly love the cruise experience. How many cruises have you enjoyed with Carnival Cruise Line? Which ship will you be cruising on? 

[Mr.Bill]

ON Carnival  Mardi Gras....been on 27 cruises total  Carnival, Norweign,RCL, ....Usually go with Carnival, too many perks to lose if we jump ship...hahah. We seem to get upgraded quite a few times. I would say not a tremendous amount of difference between the three main players.....Due to work schedules hard to do more than 3 a year......

[3Sisters]

@Mr.Bill You are going to love cruising on Carnival Mardi Gras! Carnival Mardi Gras was actually voted best cruise ship of 2022 in Cruise Hive's best annual awards. The six themed zones will keep you occupied throughout the entirety of your cruise itinerary. You can't go wrong!

Wow, 27 cruises in total qualifes you as a pro-cruiser! Keeping true to Carnival Cruise Line is likely your best bet to continue to earn solid loyalty perks. Three times a year is certainly more than average. What has been your favorite CCL ship thus far? 

[Mr.Bill]

Believe it or not.....we like the older ships...VALOR, FREEDOM......seem more personal and not the great hordes of cruisers.....A tip of the hat to Horizon, our so far favorite of the newer class.  , but Mardi Gras may move to #1 We have an October on Celebration, but it looks like Mardi Gras and Celebration are pretty much the same.

[3Sisters]

@Mr.Bill Honestly, lots of avid cruisers also appreciate a more quaint, less crowded cruise experience. Those ships are some of the most mature and faithful ones in the fleet! I haven't cruised onboard Carnival Horizon but I'm glad to hear you have loved it! Mardi Gras has been very popular amongst the masses; I really think the ship just has any and everything a cruise guest could want. Carnival Valor really is that perfect-sized ship. How many times have you cruised on it? The ship has spent time in so many different ports of call! 

[Mr.Bill]

I think we did the Valor 3 times....one of our all time favorites.  I would rank the CARNIVAL GLORY at the top of our favs. That had a real time STEAM ROOM....on board with windows to look outside while steaming. Just dont see this anymore.  Was along the lines of a large room with steam fogging up the whole place, held maybe 20 people or so.....We were onboard with some executives from a Korean company...first time in the USA....had the grandest time,  One of the Koreans announced he would like to show us his Michael Jackson impersonation....."Just beat it...."  Still laugh to this day...

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Mr.Bill I haven't been to a steam room onboard that has visibility to look outside! You must have really enjoyed this amenity onboard Carnival Glory. I guess I haven't been to the spa in a while onboard a ship either! Did you get a spa package to have unlimited access to this facility? I remember back in the day these amenities were all included with the price of a basic cruise fare. From my understanding, things have changed with CCL. I love meeting new friends onboard a cruise ship. I have made friends from around the world just by spending my cruise vacation with an open-minded perspective to meet others without the rush and stressors of everyday life on my shoulders! I have to ask, did the "Just beat it...." impersonation include a dance show? I'm sure it was a hit if you still remember it to this day! 

[Mr.Bill]

Yes the windows were foggy.....but was a great experience and FREE.  Nothing funnier than an Asian doing the Moon Walk in the steam room of a cruise ship. We had a couple of drinks later....fabulous memory.  I guess we were fortunate to live in the golden age of cruising.....We had some pretty kool gifts for VIP members.....Nice Carnival headphones, huge duffel bags, and beach bags......today a lapel pin if you ask for it. I shoulda made a list of what was included in a 2008 cruise compared to today.....

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Mr.Bill Got to love an included amenity like that! I guess you can't really avoid the glass being foggy in a steam room, but I bet the views would have been even better if you could see out the window. Wow, those Carnival Cruise Line loyalty perks sound amazing. Today's swag offerings don't even come close to huge duffle bags. You barely get a welcome-back drink anymore! Why do you think Carnival Cruise Line has significantly decreased its loyalty perks? Maybe these offerings got too expensive for the line with all of the loyalty members it kept incurring. I miss the towel animals and chocolates on the bed pillows! 

[Mr.Bill]

On 6/21/2023 at 2:09 PM, Cruising Caribbean said:

@Mr.Bill Got to love an included amenity like that! I guess you can't really avoid the glass being foggy in a steam room, but I bet the views would have been even better if you could see out the window. Wow, those Carnival Cruise Line loyalty perks sound amazing. Today's swag offerings don't even come close to huge duffle bags. You barely get a welcome-back drink anymore! Why do you think Carnival Cruise Line has significantly decreased its loyalty perks? Maybe these offerings got too expensive for the line with all of the loyalty members it kept incurring. I miss the towel animals and chocolates on the bed pillows! 

It's all about the $$, you get a certain amount of loyalty regardless of the trinkets.  I still have my nice Carnival Headphones, and all sorts of beach bags.   The welcome back party was over the top, now it's a  ho hummer.

[Mr.Bill]

Last but not least.....tlhe midnight buffet.....gotta be a long time since that showed up......

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Mr.Bill I'm right there with you! Maybe you should save these rare memoir antiques to be resold online, years down the road, for a pretty penny. When did the welcome-back get so lame? I used to love the exclusivity and special details of it all but now it's an occasion I'm happy to skip. I miss the midnight buffet too! It was just enough food to keep guests excited about a little late-night treat. After an evening of excitement, a slice of pizza at 12 am was a highlight. I love the fresh fries the most. It would be nice if the cruise lines would continue to offer at least one or two staple items during that after-hours timeframe. 

[Mr.Bill]

On 6/26/2023 at 1:12 PM, Kendall James-Vargas said:

@Mr.Bill I'm right there with you! Maybe you should save these rare memoir antiques to be resold online, years down the road, for a pretty penny. When did the welcome-back get so lame? I used to love the exclusivity and special details of it all but now it's an occasion I'm happy to skip. I miss the midnight buffet too! It was just enough food to keep guests excited about a little late-night treat. After an evening of excitement, a slice of pizza at 12 am was a highlight. I love the fresh fries the most. It would be nice if the cruise lines would continue to offer at least one or two staple items during that after-hours timeframe. 

I would think that having a small midnight buffet would result in more cruisers purchasing drinks, going to entertainment....just out and about....which translates into Spending...

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Mr.Bill I like that logic! More people staying out later for the midnight buffet means more after-hours spending happening. I don't know about you, but I'm always more likely to be looser with my expenditures after having enjoyed a few adult beverages! I thought Carnival Cruise Line was known for its fun crowd anyways. The midnight buffet makes sense onboard CCL ships more than other lines in my opinion.