New to type 1 diabetes and cruising questions

[disneyfaninaz]

We love the wonder! Last cruise we avoided cabana’s due to Covid but I think you’re right he will be able to get stuff there. Just have to be careful with sauces and dressings as you never know sugar content.

I really recommend getting the Calorie King book. It will get your familiarized with basic everyday food items, including dressing, so you can WAG (wild a** guess) the carbs. With the pump it is always easy to give himself a boost later if his blood sugar goes up. His BG is going to be up and down to begin with as you get used to counting carbs, even if its very little. But, it's ok. I used to measure and weigh every bite of DD's meals and count the carbs. Eventually, she just looked at something and knew how many carbs it was.

 

[pjsmith67]

If you are diabetic, avoid the scrambled eggs in Cabanas. They are made from a mixture that uses sugar as a stabilizer. I found that out the hard way.

Phil

 

[DisneyCDE]

DH was diagnosed 3 months ago with type 1 diabetes and to be honest it is still a shock and he is starting to feel a bit better although still a little sad as it has been extremely life altering. We have a double dip on the magic booked and tbh I’m not really sure we are going to keep it even though dh says we should. My biggest question is trip insurance how does that work with type 1 diabetes as it is a pre existing condition? Recommendations of trip insurance companies you have used if someone in your party has this would be helpful. Also any other tips about cruising with type 1 would be appreciated. we have fully gone keto and not being new to dcl I’m looking at menus seeing what he can eat and not coming up with much beyond meat and veggies. Thanks so much

Hi. I am a long time Type 1. Is he using injections or a pump? We usually did insurance thru AAA and dont remember the company. The last few times, I just went with Disney and didnt worry about Pre-existing. I am a Floridian now and dont have to worry about extra travel,just the cruise. As for food, carb guestimating lol, is the way to go. Let me know if you have more specific questions.

 

[KGmomoftwins]

Hi. I am a long time Type 1. Is he using injections or a pump? We usually did insurance thru AAA and dont remember the company. The last few times, I just went with Disney and didnt worry about Pre-existing. I am a Floridian now and dont have to worry about extra travel,just the cruise. As for food, carb guestimating lol, is the way to go. Let me know if you have more specific questions.

Thank you he gets the pump in 14 days can you tell I’m excited! Thank you I’ve since found a few insurance options that should work.

 

[KGmomoftwins]

If you are diabetic, avoid the scrambled eggs in Cabanas. They are made from a mixture that uses sugar as a stabilizer. I found that out the hard way.

Phil

We avoided those eggs before lol not the best!

 

[lanejudy]

Thank you he gets the pump in 14 days can you tell I’m excited!

I think you/he will find it much easier to manage! Enjoy your cruise!

 

[hnthomps]

Yes very uncommon and a big misconception that adults can’t be diagnosed with type 1. Unfortunately no one knows for sure adults and kids what causes type 1 could be autoimmune could be brought on by a virus. Endocrinologist did not suggest keto but approved of his diet and obviously it’s working his a1c had gone from 12.9 to 7.1 on just under 3 months! No weight loss. We have just this week slowly introduce some carbs back in but he has not done well with small amounts.

My cousin is an adult with t1 managed almost entirely through diet. She has an insulin pump, ofc, but since she changed to carb-free, her numbers are basically normal almost all the time. She "just" doesn't eat carbs. It's been an incredible transformation from her - but it was of course a long journey. She first thought about trying it after reading the dr bernstein book. She'd managed to keep her a1c at ~6.5 most of the time until she was 30, but then started having complications even at that level. Now with no-carb, her a1c is usually at 5.
Anyway, this is just an anecdote, your family will work with your care providers! But I had talked about cruising with her in the past, and she looked at the menu and what accomodations were possible, and figured she could go - she'd have to send in an accomodation request, but it seemed like it would be possible.

 

[DCLMP]

Well... maybe they can help with portion sizes, or an extra serving of something as replacement for the starch. But we've never had particularly good luck with chefs or waitstaff understanding carb counts. Often, they'll refuse to serve anything for dessert except fruit, which just shows completely how little they understand.

Or they tell you you are on vacation and not to worry about it. I assume medical facilities can handle DKA.

 

[Heatherdbby]

So I had RNY surgery which requires me to eat low carb and avoid sugar- I'm not letting it stop me from cruising!
It's a lifestyle change, and once you get the pump it will make things so much easier.

Just be absolutely sure you take extra of supplies and have them in a separate ziploc to hand TSA.
I'm also bringing food on board - specifically protien shakes. You might want to get some of the diabetic boost or ensure to carry on and put in the fridge.
Also Bring a box of ziplocs with you.
This will be good for grabbing things to have as a snack / sticking something in a backpack for a just in case and bringing things back to your room for the middle of the night. I'm planning on squirreling away fruit, yogurt, and any easy protien I can find.

Also shout out to whoever said avoid eggs at cabanas bc I was totally planning on eating omelets every day and now know not to do that.

also take testing stuff off the boat into port. Heat/humidity/ being in another geographic area that you're not normally can do things to your body so just watch it.

 

[KGmomoftwins]

So I had RNY surgery which requires me to eat low carb and avoid sugar- I'm not letting it stop me from cruising!
It's a lifestyle change, and once you get the pump it will make things so much easier.

Just be absolutely sure you take extra of supplies and have them in a separate ziploc to hand TSA.
I'm also bringing food on board - specifically protien shakes. You might want to get some of the diabetic boost or ensure to carry on and put in the fridge.
Also Bring a box of ziplocs with you.
This will be good for grabbing things to have as a snack / sticking something in a backpack for a just in case and bringing things back to your room for the middle of the night. I'm planning on squirreling away fruit, yogurt, and any easy protien I can find.

Also shout out to whoever said avoid eggs at cabanas bc I was totally planning on eating omelets every day and now know not to do that.

also take testing stuff off the boat into port. Heat/humidity/ being in another geographic area that you're not normally can do things to your body so just watch it.

Thank you! Omelets are ok they are made with real eggs scrambled are fake!

 

[pjsmith67]

Thank you! Omelets are ok they are made with real eggs scrambled are fake!

Yep, just the scrambled eggs in Cabanas are fake. I do believe the scrambled eggs in the MDR, however, are made to order and real.

 

[Disturbia]

Be careful with dehydration. It’s really easy to miss. I suffered with unexplained muscle cramps and restless legs for decades. I used to drink pedialyte and was still always dehydrated (confirmed with a Body fat/composition analysis).

A friend (marathon runner) recommended liquid IV (it has 10 gms of sugar but I only drink it when exercising; otherwise I use half of a packet) and my muscle cramps stopped and I can exercise without pain and recovery is excellent.

I’m not a Dr so not sure if this is the same with Type 1 diabetics (get dehydrated fast), so always consult with your Dr.

I love triple zero yogurt. Enlightened ice cream is really good in moderation. I use Lakanto monk fruit sweetner (erythritol has gotten some bad press so moderation is key). Ripple shakes are good and I use ripple unsweetened milk when detoxing (core restore detox twice and now A1C is 5.6 vs 9.4). I believe the cheese plate can be ordered room service.