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carry on luggage
How will my wife's sleep apnea machine fit under the strict carry on requirements? Also, do purses count? Many women obviously use large bags as an additional carry-on.
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I brought my CPAP on this tour in Oct 2013. I have a REMstar Pro C-Flex+ which has a detachable humidifier that I left home. I purchased a camera bag which was big enough to contain the CPAP and cords but was still an average size bag carried by camera bugs. I put it in my carry-on after I found out that the airport security had no interest in it, but it could easily be carried on your shoulder as a personal bag. Hope this helps. You should bring a couple of the disposable white air filters and change them during the trip. When I got home from our 3 week trip the filter was nearly black from the bad air quality we experienced throughout China.
One thing worth mentioning, the voltage aboad the ship is 220V, and there is no outlet on the wall near the headboard of the bed. It is across the room near the desk, therefore, you will need to bring an extention cord to reach the outlet, which does increase the amount of weight and space taken up within your luggage.
In the past, I haven't had any trouble using a standard sized (and well stuffed) backpack as a carryon. If it'll fit, if you put your wife's CPAP machine in a backpack, along with whatever else is needed (and, just my personal advise here, at least one day's worth of clothing in case of a baggage mixup by the airline), and you can squeeze it into the overhead container, you shouldn't have any trouble with the airlines. However, that doesn't address the weight issue, only the volume issue. You can pick up small electronic scales that you can hang your luggage from; if the total weight exceeds 44 pounds, unless you don't mind incurring excess luggage fees, you should probably leave something at home.
-Tim
I can only tell you what my experience was with my CPAP on the Yangtze Explorer. I used it without a problem on our tour in Oct 2013. The two sections of electrical cord that come with my CPAP were long enough to reach a plug which must have been down by the foot of the bed near the door to the hall. I wish I could specifically say where the plug was but as it was a non-issue six months ago I can't. The cabins are probably not identical but I did not have an issue reaching a plug. I hope your experience is the same.
With regard to the whole issue of carry on and checked luggage I would refer you to a topic I started last year which was called Carry On Baggage Restrictions on Inter China Flights. There are a number of posts there which you may find helpful.
My wife and I had a fantastic time on this tour and I wish you and your wife the same.
Greg Jones
What you choose to do is, of course, up to you, but in your shoes I would get a duffle bag or backpack to use as my carryon. The weight limit is enforced by the airport, and your bags will be weighed, and then either checked or not depending on their weight, before you get to anything else.
-Tim
I took this tour in Oct 2013. My experience was that the security check point was just like in the US. No one weighed or measured any bag on any of the flights that we took. I did not see any evidence that they had any scales available at the check point. We did not get near the baggage checking counter as Tauck handled that for us. Our checked luggage was picked up in our hotel room and we did not see it again until we walked into our room at the next hotel. There is a discussion of this subject earlier on this forum that you might find helpful.
This is a great trip! Have a great time.
Greg Jones