Opinion---Dogs on Board?

The Brilliance cruise from Tampa to Harwich April 30 had two small dogs in a stroller on board. The passenger said they were service dogs for an emotional condition. Passenger and dogs had a handicap cabin and they all ate in the MDR.

Guide dogs, hearing dogs fine. Pet pooches, no.

I don't really want to stay in a doggy hotel !

I have seen dogs several times at the airport as well. I talked to a guy at a store who had his "support dog" with him and he told me there are online websites where you can buy the required documents. So it is really difficult to know if the dogs you saw were legitimate support animals.

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Qualified service animals, under the ADA, are completely appropriate and necessary for people that rely on them. It is up to Royal Caribbean to determine the validity of the accommodation required by the cruisers. It is not up to fellow cruisers.

Some people will claim that companion animals are service animals, however, the ADA is quite clear. Trained service animals must be accommodated. Companion animals need not be. I would trust the cruise line Special Needs Department to make the correct decision.

Eric

The cruiselines hands are pretty much tied because of ADA laws and some people take advantage of this by taking their pets on board. :mad:

I am clearly NOT saying that is the case that you witnessed but as a paraplegic and service dog owner, it upsets me when people take advantage of the system. There has been more than one debate here about this in the past.

Anyone here remember the long thread about Ralphie?

Service dogs, yes. Pets - absolutely not!

I'd probably be kind of skeptical about dogs in a stroller.

Judy

Love our dogs and miss them on vacation. However they are happy at "their" resort! Legitimate support dogs are amazing and are always welcome. But there have been posts here of people absolutely abusing it on Royal. Those that have them sit on their laps and eat in the MDR, or incessant barking in the cabins. NOPE. A real service dog is NOT a lap dog and they wouldn't be barking. They are trained! It is a shame that Royal cannot distinguish the difference sometimes. An emotional support dog can be "bought" by someone bribing their doctor. A support dog is a trained professional. It doesn't seem to be abused too often though when you consider the sheer numbers of cruisers. But these jerks that bring their yappy lapdogs just because they feel entitled are not being kind to their animals - or their fellow guests.

yes, I'm talking about the crazy stories about Ralphie! Thanks ryano, I couldn't remember the dog's name! ;)

I would certainly have no problem with any dog that provides an actual service. I wish there were some type of national association (or is there one???) that recognizes actual service animals, and supplies the owners with a certification card for the owner, and some type of ID that the service animal wears on his collar.

Seeing Eye/Guide/Trained and Certified helper dog for the disabled - Thumbs up.

Your little rascal pooch because you are self-entitled, uncaring of others, and want to do what you want so you bought paperwork on the internet because your pet provides "emotional support" - Nope. These dogs are usually not trained in how to behave properly or relieve themselves in designated areas. It's becoming more and more prevalent in my area and I find it nauseating.

If they were for emtional condition it's rather interesting that they had a handicapped cabin. Aren't those larger and have some extras that people in wheelchairs, etc. need? How in the world does one need those things emtionally?:rolleyes: :(

The Brilliance cruise from Tampa to Harwich April 30 had two small dogs in a stroller on board. The passenger said they were service dogs for an emotional condition. Passenger and dogs had a handicap cabin and they all ate in the MDR.

Its none of our business:rolleyes:

But, I cannot live without my little Bijoux for a week! He goes everywhere with me, and my doctor is smart enough to see that I would be an emotional wreck without him. I need him on my cruise with me.

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Let's hope that the appropriate RCI department can see though some of the absurd claims some people try to get away with. But, my thinking is that a legit service dog is not carted around in a stroller - and they snuck under the wire somehow.

Its none of our business:rolleyes:

You're partly correct. But, certainly you can see the broad implications this could have - which would affect you and I.

There are many people that have service dogs for conditions that may not be noticeable like epilepsy or diabetes. We've seen service dogs on several cruises, in fact on a T/A cruise a couple of years ago, there were two large service dogs. The handler ended up giving a talk one day to explain the dogs role and answer people's questions. The dogs were perfectly behaved and bothered no one.

On our Last Freedom O.S. cruise there was a companion dog. We met the couple that had the dog. they were very nice people. The dog was friendly. What was great was the dog had its own Sea Pass card hanging around his neck attached to his collar. The Dog was Diamond :eek: But the owners were not. When we asked how this was possible They told us for every one dog day at sea the dog got 7 days. We found that so great. Way to Go Royal Caribbean.

Not only on ships,but I see a lot of this in the stores,inc supermarkets lately.......:rolleyes: Seems people just can not leave their dogs home..

On our Last Freedom O.S. cruise there was a companion dog. We met the couple that had the dog. they were very nice people. The dog was friendly. What was great was the dog had its own Sea Pass card hanging around his neck attached to his collar. The Dog was Diamond :eek: But the owners were not. When we asked how this was possible They told us for every one dog day at sea the dog got 7 days. We found that so great. Way to Go Royal Caribbean.

How cute. Wonder who is cleaning up the dogs "business". Usually not these "type" of people.

There was a very long thread about this same issueon the Celebrity board here. I think the same dog you mentioned was also mentioned there. The gist of that thread is basically what was just posted above. Service dogs are accommodated by the cruise lines who follow ADA laws. Comfort animals are not required to be accommodated but sometimes slip through the cracks because their owners are dishonest.

My husband and I raised 4 puppies for guide dog organizations and I organized cruise fund raisers for the Guide Dogs of Texas. Some of the cruisers who sailed with us were visually impaired and brought their guide dogs on the cruises. They were well behaved (talking about the dogs here :)) because they had been well trained. Even at dinner with two large dogs under the same table there was no problem because the dogs knew they were "on duty."

For a guide dog it is often apparent that the person is being guided because he/she has visual impairment. It may hard to tell what kind of handicap other dogs may be helping the person with, if any. Some issues are not readily apparent, such as PTSD, diabetics alert or seizure alert dogs. I would be careful to rush to judgement. True service animals being handled by responsible owners are well trained and behaved. The problems come when they are not true service animals and/or don't have responsible owners.

I do not believe any true service animals have been trained to be pushed around in strollers or eat at the table with their owners as was seen on one cruise. That was likely an abuse of service dog acceptance, in my opinion. It's hard for the cruise line, or any other business to deal with without inadvertently offending someone with a legitimate need for a service animal. Until the laws have changed to create some negative consequences for passing off a pet as a service animal this will be a problem for businesses.

I love dogs as much as anyone and have occasionally thought it would be fun to have our pet along with us, but dogs do not belong on cruise ships - unless they are working to help their owners with a legitimate disability.

The whole therapy dog/service dog/emotional support dog thing is definitely one of those "a few rotten apples spoiled the whole bushel" situations.

Since there is little to no regulation in the industry anyone can just buy a vest and claim their animal is a service animal without any consequences thus ruining the industry for those who actually need a dog to help detect seizures or ecliptic fits.

I know I am soured by it, anytime I see a service animal my first thought is always "is that really a service animal, or is another person abusing the system"

It is a tough and frustrating situation for all involved thanks to a few bad apples

How cute. Wonder who is cleaning up the dogs "business". Usually not these "type" of people.

Not sure I understand.. what type are you referring to? Don't they clean up after their own service animals? I've seen pics of a small "yard" - basically a box with "grass" on it where the animal can relieve itself.

sorry, if I misunderstood your tone

How cute. Wonder who is cleaning up the dogs "business". Usually not these "type" of people.

I smell Sarcasm :) but Who is cleaning up the dogs "business" is NONE of MY business! :eek:

Not sure I understand.. what type are you referring to? Don't they clean up after their own service animals? I've seen pics of a small "yard" - basically a box with "grass" on it where the animal can relieve itself.

 

sorry, if I misunderstood your tone

Yes, I have seen the yard box of mulch in an out of the way area. True service/guide animals are trained where to go and schedule themselves well. Again, I fully support legitimate service animals.

I am talking about the little yippy lap dogs that mommy and daddy think are so cute; they do their business where ever and leave it for the crew to handle. That's disgusting.

Nothing wrong with service dogs on board.Service dogs come in all types.

Who are we to judge????

:cj

I smell Sarcasm :) but Who is cleaning up the dogs "business" is NONE of MY business! :eek:

No sarcasm at all. If you let your dog make its business in the ships interior and have a crew member clean it up I have no respect for that person. If it is a service animal they know where to go. In the event a true service animal has an accident, that is understandable.

I am talking about the self-entitled do what they want type. The same ones that let the dogs drive the Mercedes and go their business in the produce section of Publix.

We were waiting at a gate at the airport.

There was a young girl with an emotional support dog. Every time we walked pass the area the little dog growled and yipped. Took me out because I thought these service dogs are supposed to be well trained in situations especially with crowds.