Earlier I promised an after action report and a few comments re incontinence and cruise ships. Here you are.
Cruising with double incontinence is all about risk management. In spades. The great temporary change in environment, lifestyle, hours, diet, and activity level all come into play. Also the consequences of an accident may be more severe due to the close social circumstances involved. That can add some stress to what otherwise should be a pleasurable situation.
At our first meeting on the cruise, our cabin steward clearly did not get it when I tried tactfully to explain to him that I am incontinent and would be generating more bathroom trash than usual. Finally I had to pull out a diaper and wave it at him. You should have seen his face - surprise, sudden understanding, and embarrassment that he had not understood - all at once. Then he handled it very professionally. It was his job to inform the maid and her assistant.
Who do you tell? If on a cruise, you may as well tell your cabin attendant or maid as it will be almost impossible to keep it a secret from them anyway. Go out of your way to let them know that you are doing all you can not to make their job any more disagreeable.
As I previously posted, I had prepared to handle bedwetting by double diapering in the hotels and aboard the cruse ship. Then I realized that I probably could skip a change in a public restroom during the drive down and save some time by doing the same thing. It worked well both down and back. The added bulge was hardly noticeable under my black jeans. Of course a good onesie or compression pants to support the extra weight when wet is essential. At night, I wore two sets of PUL pants on top of the double diaper. First, a pair of ordinary Gary Activewear PUL pants, then, on top, larger Gary PUL pants sized for a cloth diaper. That way the legs of the top pants made contact with my thighs below the first pair of pants. That system was great. Of course, most important is the emotional assurance it gave me that I would not leak. I slept like a baby - one night for 10 hours - and no leaks! Definitely worth it.
Of course I did add an absorbent pad beneath the sheets to protect the mattress - just in case it was needed (it wasn't).
I used a lot of plastic diaper disposal bags (not plastic grocery bags). Every time the cabin attendant enters the cabin he will remove the used diapers. Normally I would leave an open bag until I filled it with another diaper, but not aboard ship. Must seal the bag with each diaper to be considerate of the attendant.
As my usual zinc oxide rash cream is so messy, I used coconut oil the entire trip and no problems at all. Using coconut oil let me pee in a toilet by pulling the penis under a leg gather without getting zinc oxide on my pants. I have some control during the morning hours and timed voiding let me slightly reduce the total number of diapers I needed.
I saw one older male aboard ship very obviously wearing a diaper and doing so very poorly. I said nothing.
Some cruise ship public restrooms are perfect for diaper wearers. Walls are from floor to ceiling for complete privacy, sinks inside the stall, a shelf, and a trash can inside the stall.
When on a cruise ship, access to laundry facilities varies markedly from one cruise line and ship to another. Some offer only expensive ship's laundry facilities. Others provide laundry facilities on each level of cabins for the use of guests. It is wise to bring a stretchable clothes during line that can be attached to various fixtures. I like a line designed for campers with Velcro fasteners at the ends as that makes it extremely versatile. This may offer your best way to dry plastic pants and other hand wash.
As is my normal practice, I use daily morning preventive enemas to successfully control my bowel incontinence. Anyone doing the same on a cruise ship will need flexibility re adapters for attaching traditional enema bag to various fixtures. An over-the-door hook can be indispensable if other fixtures are not conveniently available or located for hanging the bag.
Some people have asked whether adult diapers can be purchased aboard a cruise ship. The answer is no. Bring all the diapers and other supplies you think you will need, plus a generous safety margin.
Re having bladder or fecal accidents, I am pleased to report that during 15 days of car travel plus aboard ship I experienced no leaks at all due to my diapering and use of enemas.
IMHO, that is pretty good.
Sadly, it was almost the cruse from hell as I came down with pneumonia and had to be treated in the ship’s medical center twice a day with i.v.’s and nebulizers. Resulted in a $10,000 medical bill!
Fortunately, we always take out travel insurance and the cost should be covered. We have cruised a lot and this is the first time we have had a bad experience.
If anyone has any questions, please ask.
--John
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