Cruising with CPAP: 12 Helpful Tips

Sleep apnea sufferers can find the thought of cruising with their CPAP machine daunting. No need to worry! Cruising with CPAP is easy with a little preparation.

I’m a CPAP user and have taken my Resmed AirSense 10 machine on all of our cruises. Here are some tips to help you feel more confident that you’re prepared for a worry-free cruise with your CPAP machine.

BEFORE YOU TRAVEL

Cruising with CPAP doesn’t have to be difficult. A phone call to your cruise line ahead of time will answer many of your questions. Here’s what you need to ask:

2 | Ask about travel power adapters

Many newer cruise ships are outfitted with both US and European power outlets, but some cruise lines operate primarily outside the United States, and their cabins’ electrical outlets may be intended for European guests. If this is the case for your trip, it’s imperative that you be prepared with the proper adapter. Plus, if your cruise leaves from outside the US and you’re staying in a pre-cruise hotel, you’ll probably need an adapter.

If it turns out you’ll need an adapter, you might consider something like these.

3 | Ask about distilled water and an extension cord

Ask if distilled water is available, and if so, how you obtain it. When we cruised on Norwegian, I was told ahead of time to simply ask my room steward for distilled water and an extension cord after embarkation.

Also, many cruise ship cabins only have one or two electrical outlets, and they’re rarely situated near your bedside table. If you bring your own extension cord, it will probably be confiscated by the cruise line on embarkation, so it’s best to use theirs.

I asked for both, and by the time I returned to my cabin later, a gallon of distilled water and a cord were waiting for me, compliments of Norwegian.

On a recent cruise on Celebrity, our cabin steward taped down the extension cord so we didn’t trip over it. So helpful!

4 | Buy a medical device luggage tag

Consider purchasing a medical device luggage tag for your CPAP travel case. I bought one like this, and it’s come in handy as I’m boarding.

5 | Bring a clear plastic bag large enough for your CPAP machine

Place your machine inside the bag when you’re packing for your trip. If you’re flying and your TSA agent asks you to remove your machine from your bag and place it in a plastic bin for screening, your machine will be more protected from germs.

6 | Bring a copy of your CPAP prescription

It’s always a good idea to travel with a copy of your CPAP prescription for two reasons. First, if you’re traveling to a country that isn’t familiar with CPAP machines, your prescription provides documentation that the machine is medically necessary. And second, if your machine or any part of it is lost or damaged in some way during your travels, you have what’s necessary to replace it. I keep my prescription inside the CPAP travel bag so it’s always handy.

7 | Bring extra supplies

I always travel with an extra mask or cushion, and for longer cruises, I bring two. Better to have an extra than try to purchase one while you’re traveling.

8 | Bring your original water chamber

If you’re like me and use a SoClean machine at home to sanitize your CPAP machine, be sure to switch out your SoClean water chamber adapter for the original water chamber lid before you travel. This is SO important.

Check out the photo below. The water chambers shown are for my Resmed Airsense 10, so if you have a different CPAP machine, yours will look different. What’s important is the tube stub at the top of the cover that allows you to connect air tubing from your CPAP machine to the SoClean machine.

If you use the SoClean water chamber lid but without the SoClean machine attached, water will bubble out of the top while the CPAP is running, and you’ll have a big mess on your hands. Plus, without the original water chamber lid, your CPAP machine will be unusable—either with humidification or without—unless you brought an end cap for the machine that you purchased from a CPAP supplier.

AS YOU TRAVEL

This piece of advice is absolutely critical:

10 | Always keep your CPAP machine with you as you travel, and never let it out of your hands.

• Don’t check your CPAP machine with your airline.
• Don’t place your CPAP machine in an overhead bin on the plane.
• Don’t hand over your CPAP machine to cruise line baggage handlers.

Why do you need to be so careful?

First, your CPAP machine is a delicate piece of equipment and needs to be handled carefully. YOU are the only person who will do this. Baggage handlers assume there are no breakables in luggage they’re transporting, so they’re liable to be rough with them.

Second, anytime your CPAP is out of your hands, there’s a chance it will be lost or stolen, or taken by another passenger by accident. This almost happened to me recently (those gray Resmed bags all look alike), and I nearly had a heart attack when another passenger picked up mine from the overhead compartment above me, thinking it was theirs.

These machines are expensive, and you don’t want to have to replace yours on your own dime. Believe me, your health insurance company won’t pay to replace your machine if it’s lost, damaged, or stolen.

11 | Put away your mask and tubing in the morning.

Just like when you’re traveling, you need to safeguard your CPAP machine from germs and damage while in your cabin.

Place your hose and mask or nasal cushion inside the plastic bag you brought each morning before you leave your cabin, and tuck it in a drawer to reduce the chance of contamination. If you don’t have a bedside drawer, another option is to hang your tubing over the bedside lamp.

12 | If you need to use an extension cord, put it away in the morning.

The last thing you need is your room steward accidentally catching a foot in the cord and dragging your CPAP machine off your end table.

If your extension cord isn’t taped down, putting away your mask, tubing, and extension cord each morning will make your cabin a little easier and safer for your room steward to clean each day, plus will protect your equipment.

LAST THOUGHTS ON CRUISING WITH CPAP

If you travel frequently and it’s within your budget, you might consider purchasing a mini CPAP machine for travel. Your health insurance won’t cover it so you’ll have to pay for it out of pocket, but these machines’ small size and portability make them awfully tempting.

I invested in one a while back and used it a few times, but found that my regular machine suited me better. The travel CPAP didn’t provide humidification, and for more than a night or two, I couldn’t do without the extra humidity.