Cruising With A Service Dog....everything You Ever Wanted To Know!

[scubagirrl]

Originally Posted by bamagal08

Hi, Wizard of Oz,
So glad I found your post.. We just recently booked a cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy , and we are going to take my service dog. This will be our first cruise. I have to say we are both a little nervous about this.. We are just going to the Bahamas, so
we probably will stay on the boat. I understand it is a real hassle to get all the paper work and permits to go on shore.
We have been there many times but it would be nice. My question is can you please give me advice on the do,s and don,ts and HELP!!

Just a heads up... I wouldn't consider taking a dog (or any other animal) off the ship in the bahamas.. I live here.. and we have problems with roaming dogs and packs. You may have control of your animal.. but there is noone in control of these strays.

Unless you are being picked up and delivered to a private property.. I wouldn't take a pet or service animal off the ship.

[Rolls Royce Lover]

Hi Honey's, I'm home!!!!!!!! What a fabulous cruise! Princess is truly a "rock-star" when it comes to taking care of the passengers and the pooch's!

There were two other dogs onboard a "Chiauhua(sp), who did absolutely nothing and got "dragged" around by it's collar by her owner, I hated to see it. Her name was "Sophie." I never asked what she did as a Service Dog but it was obvious that she wasn't very well trained. Then there was a "Jack Russel/wire-haired Terrier" named "Topper" who was a seizure alert dog. He was very well behaved, except when he saw Horton then he'd give out a quick, low bark to remind Horton not to eat him!

I love the Sapphire Princess and the crew was outstanding! There was an air show and the America's Cup boat race in San Francisco so two/full days in SF turned to 1 1/2 days, with huge crowds on the wharf. It rained in San Diego and the seas were a bit rough but who cares, I was on a cruise and that made everything okay.

The folks onboard were wonderful and fun. I only had ONE person who actually "kicked" Horton to try and get him to move from a "down/stay" so that he could sit in the seat that Horton was sitting in front of! We were sitting in the Piazza to watch a show. Another passenger saw it and asked if she should call "Security" I said "no" and then confronted the "jerk!" He was so mean. He said, "I won't bother your dog, if he doesn't bother me!" I just couldn't believe how rude he was. He also treated his wife in a mean way.......I stayed right where I was and watched to make sure he didn't touch my boy again. I NEVER ran into him again. But had a lot of supporters who were willing to beat the guy up! It always amazes me how you may never see some folks again while onboard a cruise and for some, that's just fine with me.

I can't begin to tell you how many folks came over and asked, "are you Roz from Cruise Critic, I read the blog every day!" I told them to join in our conversation, they said they enjoy reading what we say to each other. We have friends from all over the world, you guys....they mentioned Cindy, Karen, DVD, Quam, Nancy, Barbara, Marcia, Jocko, Trudy and even asked me questions about some folks who don't write-in so much. Amazing, we better be careful what we say....we're going to get paparazzi before we know it.

Marcia, I love those balloons. Such a good idea to keep hubby happy, every now and then!!!!

Cindy, I'm glad that Wexy's ear is getting better....I hope it stays away! Are you getting excited, you're cruise is coming up soon.

scubagirrl: Thanks for the info. on the Bahama's. I was just in Mexico and had no problems with strays......Of course, there were police everywhere and one guard seemed to walk right behind me wherever we went. I didn't mind the "private, security guard feeling" at all!

bamagal: I can't stress enough; have your paperwork all in order and make copies for the registration people, at the pier. It makes everything go faster. They ask for the dogs paperwork and then they'll ask you to wait while they make a copy......you just need to hand the copies to them and tell them to keep it and move right along. Call the "Access Dept" a few days before you cruise so they can "alert" the ship, via email or fax to get the potty-box in place.

We had a 5x4 box, lined in heavy plastic, with cyprus mulch as the filler. I asked our room steward to leave the bag of mulch so that I could fill it to keep it more clean. [They NEVER put in enough.] I bring my own plastic bags, I pick up the solid waste, knot the bag and drop it into the recepticle that they provide. The mulch absorbs the urine and there's no smell. I lay a layer of new mulch daily to help with the absorbtion [I use my hands and wash-up back at my cabin.] I like the box in the stairwell near our cabin. You can put it on your veranda or have it placed on a deck, away from the public. When you call make sure you mention to use mulch.

If the Bahama's is difficult to bring your Service Dog to, stay onboard the ship. It's not worth the hassles to bring our dogs into some countries. If they don't want my money, I'm happy to spend it elsewhere!

Allow fellow passengers to ask you questions and be ready to answer them, here's a sample of some:

• What kind of dog is that
• What does the dog do
• How old is the dog
• Why do you have a dog
• Who trained your dog
• Can I pat your dog
• Where does the dog go potty
• How did you get your dog onboard
• Is that a puppy in training

And on and on and on!!!!!!

People are missing their pets, they just want a "furry-fix" and I recommend you allow them to touch the genious that walks beside you and makes your life so much better [your dog not you're significant other!]

Remember, you represent ALL of us when you bring your Service Dog onboard and can make a huge difference in how we're each treated in the future!

I had a foo-foo drink EVERY SINGLE DAY! And, I absolutely thought about all of you.

I bought the Ultimate Drink Package and if you're not an alcohol person, like me, I highly recommend it! It really saves you a lot of money when you like smoothies, hot chocolate, sodas and mocktails.

[trudle]

Hi Roz,Welcome Home !

So glad you had a nice trip. Not too long now and I will see Wex and his family.

There always has to be ONE person that gives you trouble Glad that you had back up, just in case you needed it. But glad that you had a fun trip and when do you cruise again?

Have a great weekend---we are headed over to Hard Rock in Tampa for a couple of days.

[Rolls Royce Lover]

Originally Posted by trudle

Hi Roz,Welcome Home !

So glad you had a nice trip. Not too long now and I will see Wex and his family.

There always has to be ONE person that gives you trouble Glad that you had back up, just in case you needed it. But glad that you had a fun trip and when do you cruise again?

Have a great weekend---we are headed over to Hard Rock in Tampa for a couple of days.

Our next cruise is March 30th. Hey! Where's my room steward?

[dobiemom]

Originally Posted by trudle

Thanks for sharing those pictures with us. My niece lives out there and she also posted some pictures, you had a few different then she had. I hope to get out there some day to see it. Did you have a camper or stay at a hotel? Looks like a lot of fun----I think it goes on all week.

We stayed in their RV park. There is a shuttle that goes from the RV park to the balloon field morning and evening sessions. Everyone else is in a looonnnggg line to get into parking and then again to leave. The cops even let the shuttles go through first AND there's a different lane so we weren't in that long line. There was a shuttle stop for hotels but I don't know which ones or how often they ran. (PS: I have almost 1300 pictures! )

[dobiemom]

Roz, glad you had a great cruise except for that jerk. You handled it well, I would have come unglued! Some people!

[S.S. Cruisers]

Mornin' all:
Roz: Welcome back! Glad you had a good time. As for the jerk that kicked Horty, I don't know what I would have done. I would have loved to kick him back. What if is had been poor Ms. Brenny? I just can't even believe there are people that are so miserable that they would behave like that. He obviously needs help.

As for us being celebrities on here! I hope they have read enough of the thread to understand some of our conversations! LOL. That is exciting that people actually recognize us, well you and Horty. I would have been so happy to see you guys on a cruise. And you know they recognized the "distinguished" couple. The tall, handsome, beautiful black boy and the tall, striking blonde lady! You make us proud.

[rangeley]

Originally Posted by bamagal08

Hi, Wizard of Oz,
So glad I found your post.. We just recently booked a cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy , and we are going to take my service dog. This will be our first cruise. I have to say we are both a little nervous about this.. We are just going to the Bahamas, so
we probably will stay on the boat. I understand it is a real hassle to get all the paper work and permits to go on shore.
We have been there many times but it would be nice. My question is can you please give me advice on the do,s and don,ts and HELP!!

Hi Bamagal, Welcome to our little service dog world. The Bahamas is one of the easiest places for paperwork for your dog. We cruise on Holland America and they have a prvate island there so we always get a permit. We have also gone on Nassau and taken our dog to Atlantis. But we travelled by an HP van so we didn't wonder around the town at all. All you need is the international health certificate and the Bahamas permit. I actually have the form to get the permit, so if you would like it, let me know. I am actually waiting for our permit to come in the mail.

Cindy

[rangeley]

Originally Posted by Rolls Royce Lover

Hi Honey's, I'm home!!!!!!!! What a fabulous cruise! Princess is truly a "rock-star" when it comes to taking care of the passengers and the pooch's!

There were two other dogs onboard a "Chiauhua(sp), who did absolutely nothing and got "dragged" around by it's collar by her owner, I hated to see it. Her name was "Sophie." I never asked what she did as a Service Dog but it was obvious that she wasn't very well trained. Then there was a "Jack Russel/wire-haired Terrier" named "Topper" who was a seizure alert dog. He was very well behaved, except when he saw Horton then he'd give out a quick, low bark to remind Horton not to eat him!

I love the Sapphire Princess and the crew was outstanding! There was an air show and the America's Cup boat race in San Francisco so two/full days in SF turned to 1 1/2 days, with huge crowds on the wharf. It rained in San Diego and the seas were a bit rough but who cares, I was on a cruise and that made everything okay.

The folks onboard were wonderful and fun. I only had ONE person who actually "kicked" Horton to try and get him to move from a "down/stay" so that he could sit in the seat that Horton was sitting in front of! We were sitting in the Piazza to watch a show. Another passenger saw it and asked if she should call "Security" I said "no" and then confronted the "jerk!" He was so mean. He said, "I won't bother your dog, if he doesn't bother me!" I just couldn't believe how rude he was. He also treated his wife in a mean way.......I stayed right where I was and watched to make sure he didn't touch my boy again. I NEVER ran into him again. But had a lot of supporters who were willing to beat the guy up! It always amazes me how you may never see some folks again while onboard a cruise and for some, that's just fine with me.

I can't begin to tell you how many folks came over and asked, "are you Roz from Cruise Critic, I read the blog every day!" I told them to join in our conversation, they said they enjoy reading what we say to each other. We have friends from all over the world, you guys....they mentioned Cindy, Karen, DVD, Quam, Nancy, Barbara, Marcia, Jocko, Trudy and even asked me questions about some folks who don't write-in so much. Amazing, we better be careful what we say....we're going to get paparazzi before we know it.

Marcia, I love those balloons. Such a good idea to keep hubby happy, every now and then!!!!

Cindy, I'm glad that Wexy's ear is getting better....I hope it stays away! Are you getting excited, you're cruise is coming up soon.

scubagirrl: Thanks for the info. on the Bahama's. I was just in Mexico and had no problems with strays......Of course, there were police everywhere and one guard seemed to walk right behind me wherever we went. I didn't mind the "private, security guard feeling" at all!

bamagal: I can't stress enough; have your paperwork all in order and make copies for the registration people, at the pier. It makes everything go faster. They ask for the dogs paperwork and then they'll ask you to wait while they make a copy......you just need to hand the copies to them and tell them to keep it and move right along. Call the "Access Dept" a few days before you cruise so they can "alert" the ship, via email or fax to get the potty-box in place.

We had a 5x4 box, lined in heavy plastic, with cyprus mulch as the filler. I asked our room steward to leave the bag of mulch so that I could fill it to keep it more clean. [They NEVER put in enough.] I bring my own plastic bags, I pick up the solid waste, knot the bag and drop it into the recepticle that they provide. The mulch absorbs the urine and there's no smell. I lay a layer of new mulch daily to help with the absorbtion [I use my hands and wash-up back at my cabin.] I like the box in the stairwell near our cabin. You can put it on your veranda or have it placed on a deck, away from the public. When you call make sure you mention to use mulch.

If the Bahama's is difficult to bring your Service Dog to, stay onboard the ship. It's not worth the hassles to bring our dogs into some countries. If they don't want my money, I'm happy to spend it elsewhere!


Allow fellow passengers to ask you questions and be ready to answer them, here's a sample of some:

• What kind of dog is that
• What does the dog do
• How old is the dog
• Why do you have a dog
• Who trained your dog
• Can I pat your dog
• Where does the dog go potty
• How did you get your dog onboard
• Is that a puppy in training

And on and on and on!!!!!!

People are missing their pets, they just want a "furry-fix" and I recommend you allow them to touch the genious that walks beside you and makes your life so much better [your dog not you're significant other!]

Remember, you represent ALL of us when you bring your Service Dog onboard and can make a huge difference in how we're each treated in the future!

I had a foo-foo drink EVERY SINGLE DAY! And, I absolutely thought about all of you.

I bought the Ultimate Drink Package and if you're not an alcohol person, like me, I highly recommend it! It really saves you a lot of money when you like smoothies, hot chocolate, sodas and mocktails.

Roz!!!!! Welcome back my friend. So glad you had a good time, but I knew you would. And only one jerk to deal with, that must be a record.

Sounds like "Sophie" might not have been a service dog? I'm not going to judge but you can usually tell.

I'll be back later, my honey is finally ready to get out of bed.

Cindy

[Rolls Royce Lover]

Originally Posted by S.S. Cruisers

Mornin' all:
Roz: Welcome back! Glad you had a good time. As for the jerk that kicked Horty, I don't know what I would have done. I would have loved to kick him back. What if is had been poor Ms. Brenny? I just can't even believe there are people that are so miserable that they would behave like that. He obviously needs help.

As for us being celebrities on here! I hope they have read enough of the thread to understand some of our conversations! LOL. That is exciting that people actually recognize us, well you and Horty. I would have been so happy to see you guys on a cruise. And you know they recognized the "distinguished" couple. The tall, handsome, beautiful black boy and the tall, striking blonde lady! You make us proud.

Awwwww! You're so sweet! I wasn't kidding about the folks who just like to "lurk" and follow us! I even got asked if I ever met "Travis?" Come on, talk about knowing us!

I hope that more folks join in and add to our conversations.

It's time for you to plan your cruise. Actually, you're overdue!

[bamagal08]

Thanks so much for your advice.. Everybody here seems so nice . I just took Lacey to the vet today to get all the paper work and up date her shots etc..The vet seems to know what paperwork is needed . Is there anything specific other than her paperwork from the vet that I need for her? Sorry to sound so stupid..I am just so afraid I will not have the correct papers and then be booted from the cruise..yikes. I am definetly a nervous Nellie , LOL.

[bamagal08]

Thanks, so much for your response.. I feel better already.. Still nervous though.. But, okay
so to go to the Atlantis, we need the permit from the Bahamas? Is that hard to process or expensive? If you have a copy of the permit and its not difficult to do then , that would be great..my email is bamagal08@yahoo.com..

[bamagal08]

Hi, thanks so much for your advice, again!.. how long does it take to get that permit done?
Our cruise is Nov.24th. and Is it mandatory that Lacey is micro-chipped?

[Rolls Royce Lover]

Originally Posted by bamagal08

Thanks so much for your advice.. Everybody here seems so nice . I just took Lacey to the vet today to get all the paper work and up date her shots etc..The vet seems to know what paperwork is needed . Is there anything specific other than her paperwork from the vet that I need for her? Sorry to sound so stupid..I am just so afraid I will not have the correct papers and then be booted from the cruise..yikes. I am definetly a nervous Nellie , LOL.

The Vets paperwork; listing the most recent rabies; up-to-date on all vaccines; useage of Heartguard and Advantix; skin in good health; city license; any paperwork from training org. and your set. Some ports require blood titres [recent blood draw.] I NEVER go to ports that ask me to overly immunize my dog....NEVER!

Don't be nervous. Enjoy your vacation and cruise. The worst thing that could ever happen is you'll keep Lacey onboard with someone while each of you takes turn visiting the port with a problem.

Once you're onboard that ship, you will love and enjoy your cruise and NO ONE will hassle you.

[Rolls Royce Lover]

You guys are gonna love this................I get a phone call today from Allison Muff of the Access Dept. of Princess Cruises. She proceeds to tell me that a passenger onboard my last cruise has filed a complaint against a person with a Service Dog and he was complaining about the behavior of both the dog and the handler. I asked who was the dog......was it a Chihuahua? With great relief she said, "yes!" The man said that the woman was feeding the dog off a plate in the dining room and the dog was allowed to lick a spoon and the plate along with "yipping and yapping" at others. It also had become very bothersome on a tender going into Santa Barbara, by jumping and scratching at people.

Allison asked if I had noticed any bad behavior and I had to be honest. The woman was "tugging" and "dragging" the little thing and didn't seem to be giving her any directives at all. The dog did not display any manners or good behaviors anytime that I saw her.

I asked what happens now and Allison said that the woman will be allowed to board future cruises but NOT with her dog.

It's this kind of trickery, lieing and stupidity that makes it so difficult for the rest of us!

Please, STOP bringing your pets onboard cruise ships.

[Beth C]

Roz I have to say you stressed me out... I read your honeys I'm home last night before going to sleep and in turn I had nightmares of my upcoming cruise... In my dream we got to the port in Honolulu and tried to board the Rhapsody but they said we weren't booked... I dig out my trusty iPhone and check my confirmation emails and find out I booked a PRINCESS ship out of LA for the 8 of us... The rest if the crew weren't too happy with me since we only had about 8 hours to get to the airport, buy tickets and fly back to the mainland, get to the port and on board the Princess ship... the flights were $4000 each LOL. 1/2 the group decided to wait in Honolulu for the ship to sail over - said they'd sleep on the beach (ummm ok, you're all in your 70's but whatever!!) and the other 1/2 decided to fly.... Then I woke up... Thank goodness... They weren't too happy with me to say the least!!!!


Sent from my Speak & Spell using Tapatalk

[S.S. Cruisers]

Roz: You also had me stressed out! I thought you were going to say that the fool that kicked Horty complained about you guys! Whewww. I was kinda hoping you would tell Allison about him, though. Although you don't know his name and I am sure you handled the situation. I was just concerned if he came across another service dog without such a smart and caring mom and he intimidated them. Too bad they can't flag his name and keep an eye out for him! Put him on the bad guy list!

Good night everyone.

[Beth C]

I don't think I could have kept my cool if someone had ever kicked Hershey... I would have probably said something to the effect of "this might be a well trained dog in public who will not react to you.... but me, not so much"


Sent from my Speak & Spell using Tapatalk

[rangeley]

Originally Posted by bamagal08

Thanks, so much for your response.. I feel better already.. Still nervous though.. But, okay
so to go to the Atlantis, we need the permit from the Bahamas? Is that hard to process or expensive? If you have a copy of the permit and its not difficult to do then , that would be great..my email is bamagal08@yahoo.com..

At the top of the form write "service dog" and there is no charge. Here is the form http://www.bahamas.com/sites/default...s_in_TIOTB.pdf

If I was you, I would try to fax it if you can since you don't have much time.

Any other questions, I will try to answer.

Cindy

[rangeley]

Originally Posted by Rolls Royce Lover

You guys are gonna love this................I get a phone call today from Allison Muff of the Access Dept. of Princess Cruises. She proceeds to tell me that a passenger onboard my last cruise has filed a complaint against a person with a Service Dog and he was complaining about the behavior of both the dog and the handler. I asked who was the dog......was it a Chihuahua? With great relief she said, "yes!" The man said that the woman was feeding the dog off a plate in the dining room and the dog was allowed to lick a spoon and the plate along with "yipping and yapping" at others. It also had become very bothersome on a tender going into Santa Barbara, by jumping and scratching at people.

Allison asked if I had noticed any bad behavior and I had to be honest. The woman was "tugging" and "dragging" the little thing and didn't seem to be giving her any directives at all. The dog did not display any manners or good behaviors anytime that I saw her.

I asked what happens now and Allison said that the woman will be allowed to board future cruises but NOT with her dog.

It's this kind of trickery, lieing and stupidity that makes it so difficult for the rest of us!

Please, STOP bringing your pets onboard cruise ships.

Best thing I've heard in a long time Roz! It's about time!