CDTraveler

I'm asking this for a inexperienced traveler friend who has booked a cruise through a travel group and can't get answers to her questions from them.

Do the staterooms have mini-fridges? She's diabetic, and needs to store her insulin.

Are there pax laundry facilities on the ship?


Thanks for any info you can offer, I couldn't find answers on the HA website.

DJ_Iceman

HAL suites have mini-fridges, but they will provide them free of charge on request in other staterooms.

There is no self-service laundry on the Noordam, but they do offer a valet laundry, dry cleaning, and pressing service. It is free for suites, and in other staterooms you can either pay by the item or purchase a laundry package where the cost depends on the length of the cruise.

JanePond

If there is no fridge, a small container such as the kind that holds a 6 pack, can be used with ice. But must be sure that the ice is not next to the insulin, too cold for that. Actually, many insulin preps no longer need refrigeration, just normal room temperatures. Check with the pharmacist before leaving. The ship should also provide a sharps container for the syringes. insulated

tcook052

Actually while that's the case on some HAL ships it's not on the newer Vista class ships (Noordam, Westerdam, Oosterdam, Zuiderdam) Prinsendam and Siganture class ships (Eurodam & Nieuw Amsterdam) where all staterooms come with small refrigerators or "coolers" as HAL refers to them as.

Linda VH

They are not very "cool" however. I would make sure to have an ice pack - that's what DH did. We would put our wine in the "cooler" (you can take as much wine on as you want and drink it in your stateroom at no charge - take it to a dining venue and it is $18 corkage) but it didn't make it cool enough. Just took the heat off and then we put it in the ice bucket.

tcook052

No and I believe that's why HAL avoids referring to them as anything but coolers so passenger needing medication(s) to be refrigerated won't expect a full fledged fridge in the cabin.

IIRC arrangements can be made with the ship's medical staff to store medication in refrigerated units within the infirmary, though wouldn't expect that to be terribly convenient if you needed to access it frequently.

Regardless if it's an important factor I'd recommend having something arranged in advance rather than waiting to board to do that.

JanePond

>"The best way to store insulin depends on when you intend to use it. The insulin you are currently using on a daily basis should be kept at room temperature. Not only is room temperature insulin more comfortable to inject, but it remains stable and potent for at least 28 days unless it is exposed to temperatures that exceed 86 F or go below 36 F. If you anticipate room temperatures to be outside that range, it’s best to keep the insulin in the refrigerator."

CDTraveler

That matter I'll let my friend's doctor decide, but FWIW they're going to the Med in 2 weeks, which may be rather warm.

I forwarded the info from this thread to my friend, and she is faxing a letter to HA tomorrow which she will follow up with a phone call regarding the fridge. She really doesn't want to trudge down to the infirmary several times a day.

Thanks for all the replies.

brooklynmatt

I think they refer to them as coolers as that what they are.

I was working on HAL when they took all our fridges (personally bought) out of our cabins, they told us we were allowed coolers (air driven rather than typical refrigeration) I forget why, but it was either energy or safety related.

SCEflyer

Does anyone have any recent experiences or suggestions to share.

My wife and I are booked on an 11 day Western Mediterranean cruise in August.

All input will be appreciated.

cargo13

===============================
This is a fabulous itinerary and so overlooked, particularly the Balkan countries--Croatia and Montenegro.

Kotor: you can tour on your own. Its a small port and not many cruise lines call it. It is so scenic--beautiful. The Kotor Kastle is worth while to climb to the top for the views. You can wonder the old town and market on your own. Its all walkable from the port.

Dubrovnik: recommend a shore excursion booking as port Croatia is overrun with tourists in the summer--both cruise lines and land tourists. Depart early with a group and then spend the latter part of the day exploring the old city on your own. We booked with Shore Excursions Groups:

https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com...=11&x=157&y=17

Rome, Sicily, and Venice: culture are the high lights.


Enjoy@!