Cruising with Diabetes 2022
Approximately 37.3 million or 1 in 10 Americans lives with Type 2 Diabetes, including Warrior One (Brad). Next week marks the third cruise we have taken since the diagnosis. We’ve learned a lot on the last two cruises we have taken, one on Royal’s Allure of the Seas and one on Norwegian’s Encore.
I can tell you that both cruise lines were very accommodating. Before every meal, your waiter will ask you if there are any allergies or medical issues that need accommodating. Brad follows a relatively low carb diet although nothing close to Keto. He knows what foods will spike his blood sugar and when is the best time for him to indulge. Our waiters are always quick to point out the NSA (No Sugar Added) desserts offered on the menu. Of course, the first time we saw an NSA dessert we both laughed about how the National Security Agency has their own special desserts on cruise ships. Most restaurants offer some menu item that is a hunk of meat with some veggies, so mealtime is usually easy peasy. Breakfast is super simple with eggs and some sort of breakfast meat. Can anyone say bacon? We both tend to avoid the foods included in what might be considered a Continental (carb loaded) Breakfast.
We do have to plan for in room snacks. As Brad’s blood sugar is pretty well controlled, he doesn’t experience too many spikes or crashes. There are times during the day, though, that a sweet snack is desirable, and you can’t always find a sugar-free snack in the afternoon. So, part of our precious packing space is dedicated to sugar free candy and Kind Bars. We are heading to Seattle next week to cruise to Alaska, so we are also packing some sugar free hot cocoa.
Taking and storing his insulin has never been a problem, as there is a mini fridge in most rooms. We do ask for a ‘sharps’ container so that we can safely dispose of any needles or lancets.
We will be sharing photos of the low carb meals throughout the week on Instagram. I know that there are some cruisers with much more severe diabetes that must really watch their blood sugar throughout the day and have high protein or a high calorie snack available if they spike or crash. I also know some who keep a strict meal schedule. We can really only document and speak to our experience.
Six more days.
Let’s CRUISE!
