Cruising with Body Disruptions and Disability

Theresa: Welcome back to living the good life the podcast where we redefine what adventure looks like When your body doesn’t always follow the standard script. I’m Theresa and I’m Robert Robert: Today, we are tackling a massive topic We talk a lot on this show about the friction of travel the cobblestones that eat wheelchair wheels the airport security lines that exhaust people with chronic pain and The terrifying game of restaurant roulette when you have severe dietary restrictions Theresa: Oh, I understand the restaurant roulette so well I don’t have Crohn’s or one of those diagnosed diseases Since I’ve had my gallbladder removed I have Serious digestive problems where if I don’t take my one magical pill, which doesn’t always work It’s best that I just sit in the bathroom all day nothing ruins your vacation faster than a digestive flare-up in a restaurant Especially in a city where you don’t speak the language. You can’t find a public restroom You don’t have a coin to pay for the public restroom or the restroom is down a narrow winding Staircase into the basement, especially bad for people like me with vision loss So sometimes the better option seems to just stay at home and get takeout or something like that But you have to deal with what you have Oh, that’s the reality for so many of us dealing with what we call body disruptions Whether that’s needing a wheelchair recovering from cancer treatments Managing sensory overload or navigating a joint replacement travel can feel very unfriendly Robert: It really can but today we’re dedicating the episode to a travel style That a lot of people write off as old-school or cliche But it is secretly the ultimate hack for adaptive travel cruising and I will Theresa: Admit my guilt. I said that I would never ever No way Not in my life take a cruise because it was for old people novels other things after all we traveled on our own We bicycled across the North American continent. We bicycled in New Zealand and Mexico. We hide think a trail We did all that other stuff. There’s no way that I would ever take a cruise I figured I’d have to be playing bingo all day and doing a hairy leg Contest and all that sort of stuff that I had no interest in But I was invited on a cruise that went to French Polynesia and having been in New Zealand in the past I thought maybe I should suck it up and give it a try So I did so we’ve compiled a rock-solid list of 20 distinct reasons why a cruise ship is Structurally logistically and emotionally one of the best choices and most liberating Environments for someone with a body disruption and we aren’t just talking about they have ramps Robert: Talking deep dive mechanics of how a floating resort changes the game Let’s start off with the most obvious barrier for so many physical mobility Theresa: Okay, let’s do that if you have mobility disruptions whether you’re a full-time power chair user or a manual chair or You’re just a few months out of a total knee or hip replacement The absolute foundation of a good trip is the terrain. Reason number one why cruising wins? It is a zero trip environment and That has the asterisks because it is the zero step on certain ships Robert: It’s an architectural marvel when you think about it Modern cruise ships are built like many cities But without the curbs the thresholds between the interior corridors and the exterior Pool decks are usually flat or have very gentle Integrated ramp automatic doors open with a push of a button or a motion sensor for someone who uses a mobility scooter Just being able to roll from a theater to a restaurant without hunting for a hidden service elevator is incredibly freeing Theresa: And that accessibility doesn’t end when the ship backs reason number two for going on a cruise is accessible shore excursions Historically if you wanted to tour an old European city or Caribbean island you had to cross your fingers the local bus could accommodate you. Now cruise lines explicitly vet and Categorize their excursions. They have dedicated accessible features tours that use buses equipped with Mechanical wheelchair lifts. They map out the route so you know exactly what the paving is like before you book but having said that you need to be sure that the shore excursion that you are interested in is accessible and you can always ask your travel agent a person that you should consider Handling your arrangements especially if you have accessibility needs Right. Robert: It takes the guesswork out of it and speaking of heavy gear. Let’s talk about reason three medical clearance for equipment People don’t realize that you can essentially turn your stateroom into a specialized care room cruise lines partner with specialized medical supply companies if you need a hoist a hospital bed Oxygen concentrators or even a dialysis machine You can have it delivered directly to the pier and set up in your room before you even board The ship’s guest services department coordinates the whole thing and actually it Theresa: There is a special access line that your travel advisor can help you with there is a company called dialysis at sea and Some people do their own dialysis, but before you do any of that be sure to consult with your medical professional and contact the special services and Also reach out to the access department of the cruise line. That ties in To reason number four and I do want to make a note here that older cruise ships may not have all the Accessibility as you will find on a newer cruise ship things change ships go into dry dock But you can’t usually rebuild the width of a hallway or stairs So always look toward newer ships There are adaptive staterooms on board They aren’t just standard rooms with a grab bar slapped on the wall a truly accessible cabin has a widened doorway a rolling shower With a fold-down bench and if there is not a bench you can request a chair They have lowered sinks lowered closet rats Emergency pull cords that connect directly to the ship’s medical team and they have easier access into the stateroom itself and Robert: Let’s not overlook the sheer physical relief of reason number five which applies to anyone with chronic pain or low energy No luggage hauling think about a traditional Multi-city vacation you haul bags to the car Out of the car through the airport onto a train up a flight of stairs at a boutique hotel on a cruise You tag your bags at the pier in Miami or Seattle From wherever you’re departing and the next time you see them They’re sitting inside your cabin you pack exactly one, but your room moves to a number of ports possibly in several different countries and Theresa: You never have to change that room and one really nice thing. I want to know about Seattle Ask your cruise line all of them will not tell you they will ship Your luggage to the airport if you are departing from the airport That leaves you time to explore the city unless you really want to spend Hours sitting at the airport and what I really like about the luggage hauling Aspect is not only are you not moving every day? But you know when you change a hotel you have to check out by a certain time Then there’s several hours between checkout time and check-in time So you might go and have to sit and wait for your room to be ready at the next hotel on a cruise Your room the entire cruise and you do not have to do any kind of changing Until the end of the cruise and So unpacking is a one-time event and that is really nice especially if you have Joint pains or chronic fatigue You want to save up physical energy? so without having to do that every single day and moving and stressing out about transportation to your next hotel It’s really nice that you just unpack once for the duration of your cruise Now, let’s shift inside the body and this is your specialty. Robert: Let’s talk about internal disruptions digestive issues celiac disease autoimmune conditions Cancer treatments that mess with your internal systems. Theresa: Well, I think some of that’s your specialty Yeah, I guess yep as you’re undergoing the cancer treatments and I guess it’s embarrassing to say not only do I have vision loss I have digestive issues that nobody knows the answer to and That can be very annoying. So this is one thing good about cruising and I admit although I know I have a bathroom in my stateroom I go check out your public restrooms are especially before going to the dining area Just in case and that’s something important So if I need a gluten-free diet again I would ask my travel advisor to make a note of that and the travel advisor or I would again Contact the access desk and let them know and do this well before your cruise Don’t wait until the day you board although most would help you so the first thing I would do is go see the maitre d tell him or her what my Digestive needs were and ask them if they have a special menu and they could help you choose actually for the entire week Sometimes it’s done 24 hours in advance It depends on whichever ship you’re sailing with and you can also tell them about allergies Any other medical diets if you need like low sugar Just be sure to ask them early on Don’t wait until the last day and say oh there were no choices and most menus already show gluten-free low sugar Vegetarian vegan so they are very happy to help you But the longer in advance you let them know the better and they can also do like low sodium Reno diets pureed whatever you need. They some also do like kosher. Halal. Robert: Just let them know And that’s reason number six Pre-vetted dietary customization that takes an immense cognitive load off the traveler You aren’t explaining your illness to a new waiter every single night, right? Theresa: And that’s a good thing. And especially if you’re sharing a table, maybe You don’t want everybody else at the table to know about your dietary issues or your health issues or medical issues so what happens if you have a bad day and that brings us to reason number seven, there’s 24-7 our room service and bland food access now Hopefully you’re not on a cruise ship that serves bland food every day. But if you do need it It’s good to know that it’s available so if your immune system crashes or My gut flares. I don’t have to worry about running out and finding a grocery store or ordering delivery I can press a button on my stateroom phone and at 3 a.m A crew member will bring me plain white rice clear broth plain crackers or chamomile tea it’s built into the Infrastructure of all you may have to pay a fee for room service either anytime or during certain hours of the day reason number eight is a Robert: logistical godsend for anyone with GI issues bladder conditions or limited mobility and That’s the proximity to clean private restrooms Theresa: Exactly and I mentioned that before if you were exploring a historic city center on land Finding a public restroom can be a multi-hour panic attack There are so many places that say well even here at home Restrooms for guests only and in that case I’d go with my caregiver Also Robert and order something quick to drink and tear into the restroom and hope that it’s not one of those One restroom for the world setups, which I don’t particularly like but when you’re on the ship You’re never more than a few hundred feet From a very clean public restroom You’ll notice cleaners in there all the time You’ll see a checklist on the door of the wall somewhere and even better if you’re feeling unwell You have your own private bathroom and that is stacked with all of your own specific Personal care items and that’s usually just an elevator right away. So you are never Panicking about finding a restroom. But again, I always like to check out the restrooms Near the dining room near the theater near a place that I frequent often and that’s besides the restroom Let’s talk about that worst-case scenario What if it’s more than just a flare-up? Robert: What if someone actually needs clinical intervention? That’s reason number nine on board advanced medical centers These are not first aid stations with band-aids and ice packs Modern cruise ships have literal mini hospitals on the lower decks They are staffed by international doctors and nurses equipped with ICU level Stabilization gear x-ray machines lab equipment for blood work and cardiac monitor if you have a chronic illness Knowing that life-saving medical care is literally under your feet provides a level of psychological safety You cannot get at a remote beach resort Theresa: having said that Do be aware that these are not full hospitals and you should always consult with a doctor before if you have a chronic condition or Especially if you have a terminal condition There are people who want to do one last hurrah before I guess their expiration date comes up like the next week and they need to be evacuated from the ship and I can tell you that does not always make your fellow Passengers thrilled. So please don’t put the other 3,000 or 6,000 or 900 Passengers in a position. They don’t want to be in just so you know Just in case you do have an accident or something serious happen because it can happen any time There is a morgue On the ship and they will take care of you Which at that point you probably don’t really know so it does completely lower nervous system alarm bells to know that you have an option for medical care and Speaking of comfort. Let’s add reason at climate control autonomy many people undergoing cancer treatments or Dealing with thyroid disruptions. Oh, do I get to add that to my list too? Great They can experience extreme sudden shifts in body temperature and I will say that also happens with menopause So we don’t want to not talk about the women who travel and might have that condition Oh in a hotel the central air can be controlled by a hotel cruise ships have Individual digital thermostats and I do want to be honest that Sometimes they are set too warm for me and you couldn’t ask to have those Adjusted if you get a sudden chill or a massive hot flash you can change your immediate Environment in seconds and I’m one who likes to keep the thermostat at meat locker