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

Quam: Brenda and Horton's doctor is a USDA Accredited and Certified Vet; he's "hands on"; he examines my dogs, he fills out the paperwork, along with a letter stipulating my dogs are chipped [he did the chipping], skin/coat and general health. He writes about their useage of Heartguard & Advantix. CCI gives me the paperwork with all my dogs medical history [if it's within the first three years of my having the dog, otherwise my Vet supplies this], including spay & neutering, cert. of all vaccines and and Heartworm antigen. He has an assistant who walks with him and writes down what he stipulates.

Of course he writes about my dogs because he's the Vet who sees them.

That is your dog's veterinarian who is USDA-approved, NOT the USDA vet who is the one qualified to endorse health certificates. The USDA vet does not see any animals, they just approve that all the paperwork is correct (and that a USDA-approved vet signed it) and endorse it with their raised seal and such. That is the office that is two hours away from the OP. It is a two-hour drive for a ten-minute appointment where you just sit in a tiny waiting room the whole time - not exactly fun! :p

I can't recall if you are the one who went to Grand Turk before that I gave the info. on who to write to to. Ask them any questions you have and ask for exemptions from the fees, rabies titer, etc. Note that you will need to print out the reply of any exemptions they give you and bring it with you to the USDA office so you have the proof for them, otherwise they may not endorse the certificate because it won't fit the normal requirements for Grand Turk.

 

 

 

You do realize "less" means you can't give it the three months prior to the trip, NOT that it has to be done during the three months prior to the trip, right? If they wanted it done within the three months, it would say "more than". So, his current vaccine should still be valid unless it is going to expire the three months before your trip or any of the countries refuse to accept the three-year vaccine and it will be more than one year when your trip happens. No country accepts it done within the month before the trip.

 

If you do need to do a rabies titer, be aware that you can't do it until at least 30 days have passed after the vaccine was given and it may take up to a month for the results to arrive, depending how busy they are. If you're an IAADP member, I believe they still have a discount for KSU rabies titers as well as give you priority in order of the test being done. Bring the IAADP info. to the vet with you, as they likely will have no clue how to do the discount and give you priority status.

Quam, I am the person you gave info to for Grand Turk. Their requirements have changed drastically since last time we went. Last time we only needed health certificate and 50 bucks. This time they want rabies vac, the rabies titer, deworming the dog, lyme disease vaccination or negative test for it. We are not doing or paying for all that unnecessary testing just to sit at the pool for a couple hours.

Quam, I am the person you gave info to for Grand Turk. Their requirements have changed drastically since last time we went. Last time we only needed health certificate and 50 bucks. This time they want rabies vac, the rabies titer, deworming the dog, lyme disease vaccination or negative test for it. We are not doing or paying for all that unnecessary testing just to sit at the pool for a couple hours.

That's just insane, I don't blame you. I know you'll have a wonderful cruise, anyway!

That's just insane, I don't blame you. I know you'll have a wonderful cruise, anyway!

Love you Roz! :D

Cindy, sometimes the Ship all to yourselves is more of a bonus than all the hoops they want you to jump through. I am also sure you will have a lovely cruise in spite of them! :D

Love you Roz! :D

Right back at you!

Cindy, sometimes the Ship all to yourselves is more of a bonus than all the hoops they want you to jump through. I am also sure you will have a lovely cruise in spite of them! :D

Love having the ship all to myself.......This is the time to really go "ship exploring!"

Cindy, sometimes the Ship all to yourselves is more of a bonus than all the hoops they want you to jump through. I am also sure you will have a lovely cruise in spite of them! :D

Nancy, I love staying on the boat. So I'm not that bummed out about it.

TRUDY??????? Where are you???? Before I book this tour, I wanted to make sure you did not want to go. I have found out some info about it. It goes to both sides of the island. Makes stops for photo ops and potty breaks. It was suppose to be 3 hours with 1 1/2 hours of sitting at some beach but I talked to the guy and we can customize the tour and we are not going to do the beach part. So that will shorten the tour. They have no problem with us bringing Wex. And if you and your hubby go, we will have the bus to ourselves. If 7 of us go, it would be around 50.00 a piece. Absolutely no pressure for you to go, just wanted to update you before I booked.

Cindy

I hope everyone's enjoying their summer weather. We, here in L.A. are about "done" with our heat wave. Today it's only 96 but the humidity is hanging around and it's the one weather related thing that makes me ill.

Give me 100 degrees of dry heat, I love it but throw in some humidity and my brain stops working, my bones start hurting and I'm generally feeling sick.

Even the dogs look like they're through! I can't wait for the fall to come.

Okay, okay enough about what we can't change.

I'm cruising in 25 days [is that right?] Now, we're getting into some serious count-down time.

Anybody else cruising in less than a month? I'm so lucky. It'll be Horton's second cruise.......Yippeeee!!!! :)

I hope everyone's enjoying their summer weather. We, here in L.A. are about "done" with our heat wave. Today it's only 96 but the humidity is hanging around and it's the one weather related thing that makes me ill.

 

Give me 100 degrees of dry heat, I love it but throw in some humidity and my brain stops working, my bones start hurting and I'm generally feeling sick.

 

Even the dogs look like they're through! I can't wait for the fall to come.

 

Okay, okay enough about what we can't change.

 

I'm cruising in 25 days [is that right?] Now, we're getting into some serious count-down time.

 

Anybody else cruising in less than a month? I'm so lucky. It'll be Horton's second cruise.......Yippeeee!!!! :)

Geeshhhhh I thought everyone left me :(

I am sick of the heat too Roz. But today the weather changed and its like 70 here. Niceeeeeee :D I didn't realize you guys were getting such hot weather.

I saw that your cruise is coming up fast! WoooooHoooooo Lucky you!!!!! I am just starting to do things for our cruise. Like crappy dog stuff. Actually since we are not getting off in Grand Turk it's alot easlier. Only the Bahamas form to do, thats an easy one and I already have the form in my file. :eek: Just made Wexlers vet appointment so he will be all set. Made dinner reservations and booked my son a fishing trip. Now I'm trying to get a certain table at dinner so that the dog is out of the way and won't be trampled on.

Who are you going with on this cruise? Me? Oh nice of you to ask! ;)

You are so organized, I love it. Since all the docks on my cruise are "Made in America" this trip will be so easy for my Horty. The only one that has some paperwork is Mexico. And, once again the Immigration Officers will come onboard [wake me up at 6:00am] and make a huge deal out of checking his fur, paws and teeth......ridiculous. You know me......I'm paperwork embellished!

I have his birth records, every Vet visit from the time he was a puppy, all the information that CCI supplies us with, etc., etc. I love watching them go through it......it gives me pleasure to make them work!!!!!!

I'm not trying to be difficult but the process should be simpler. It probably will be for the folks who travel after us, 10 years from now.......we're kind of the pioneers in this field of traveling with a Service Dog....we're laying the ground work for the rest.

I'm going to be doing this cruise a-la-carte.....just Horty and me and guess what? I'm looking forward to it. I was raised in a family of 6 siblings, I've worked most of my life, I've been married for eons and I've raised 3 kids and helped with a few Grands along the way.......I'm ready for some alone time! I've NEVER done it...it's going to be interesting....let's just see how long I'm really alone! With Handsome Horton chances are it won't be long before he's gathered a crowd. We may have to hide-out in our cabin to really be alone.

Now, that doesn't mean that you're not invited to join me.....do you think you could? I'd be willing to give-up my alone time to spend the week with you. Let me know.....there's still time to add you on.

Hi Cindy-------have had an overnight stay in the hospital and busy since I am feeling better. I will tell you more later, have to go out and get some groceries.

Refresh me on the tour please, if you haven't booked it already.

Will write more later.

Quam, I am the person you gave info to for Grand Turk. Their requirements have changed drastically since last time we went. Last time we only needed health certificate and 50 bucks. This time they want rabies vac, the rabies titer, deworming the dog, lyme disease vaccination or negative test for it. We are not doing or paying for all that unnecessary testing just to sit at the pool for a couple hours.

Those were the same requirements s before, we just had exemptions to most of them then. I don't know if the same guy still works with the gov't there or not, but he exempted us via e-mail, so I would try writing to the gov't vet address to ask for exemptions since you will only be on the island for a few hours and you plan to only go to a certain pool, so will not be around other animals.

You are so organized, I love it. Since all the docks on my cruise are "Made in America" this trip will be so easy for my Horty. The only one that has some paperwork is Mexico. And, once again the Immigration Officers will come onboard [wake me up at 6:00am] and make a huge deal out of checking his fur, paws and teeth......ridiculous. You know me......I'm paperwork embellished!

 

I have his birth records, every Vet visit from the time he was a puppy, all the information that CCI supplies us with, etc., etc. I love watching them go through it......it gives me pleasure to make them work!!!!!!

 

I'm not trying to be difficult but the process should be simpler. It probably will be for the folks who travel after us, 10 years from now.......we're kind of the pioneers in this field of traveling with a Service Dog....we're laying the ground work for the rest.

 

I'm going to be doing this cruise a-la-carte.....just Horty and me and guess what? I'm looking forward to it. I was raised in a family of 6 siblings, I've worked most of my life, I've been married for eons and I've raised 3 kids and helped with a few Grands along the way.......I'm ready for some alone time! I've NEVER done it...it's going to be interesting....let's just see how long I'm really alone! With Handsome Horton chances are it won't be long before he's gathered a crowd. We may have to hide-out in our cabin to really be alone.

 

Now, that doesn't mean that you're not invited to join me.....do you think you could? I'd be willing to give-up my alone time to spend the week with you. Let me know.....there's still time to add you on.

Wow you are going alone? I could never do that, I need someone to talk to. I'm sure Horty will be teaching everyone about service dogs. I would drive you nuts talking your ear off, you would be jumping overboard! :eek:

Hi Cindy-------have had an overnight stay in the hospital and busy since I am feeling better. I will tell you more later, have to go out and get some groceries.

Refresh me on the tour please, if you haven't booked it already.

Will write more later.

OMG Trudy!! I hope you are ok. I have not booked the tour yet, I wanted to make sure you didn't change your mind and want to go. The bus hold 2 wheelchairs and 6 people, total of 8 people. We have 5 people (2 in wheelchairs). If you and your hubby decide to go, that would be 7 of us,plus Wexler of course and we will have the van to ourselves, which is kind of nice. The tour is in St. Maarten/St. Martin. It's a sightseeing tour that we can customize to what we want to do. The website says at one point they drop us off at the beach for 1 1/2 hours, but the wheelchair guys certainly don't want to do that, so we are going to skip that. It takes us to both sides of the island makes as many stops as we would like. I guess on the french side there are open air markets to check out. Lots of photo ops along the way. Basically we can walk or ride as much as we want.

I hope you are feeling better.

Those were the same requirements s before, we just had exemptions to most of them then. I don't know if the same guy still works with the gov't there or not, but he exempted us via e-mail, so I would try writing to the gov't vet address to ask for exemptions since you will only be on the island for a few hours and you plan to only go to a certain pool, so will not be around other animals.

I'll check it out.

I hope you are feeling better.

Hi Cindy,

Yes< I am feeling much better. Some how I got Benign Positional Vertigo (spelling). How that happened, I don't know, but it was terrible. The room wouldn't stop spinning along with feeling sick and lots of heaving. But, I am almost back to normal.

I will go with you on the tour, hubby doesn't want to go, but he is glad that I want to go, he doesn't want to hold me back from doing things----he has a hard time walking to far and doesn't want to shop or do the beach either. We will probably do the beach at one of the other Islands.

You do remember that the ship sails at 3pm. :confused:

What time would we start this tour and anything is good for me, anything that you plan is fine. Will it be about 3 hrs? Tell me how much. If you need money now, send me your address and I will get it to you.

Trying to get my son and daughter in law to cruise with us but the prices are too much for them, so we hope it might go down, so maybe they could come.

I hope you are feeling better.

Hi Cindy,

Yes< I am feeling much better. Some how I got Benign Positional Vertigo (spelling). How that happened, I don't know, but it was terrible. The room wouldn't stop spinning along with feeling sick and lots of heaving. But, I am almost back to normal.

I will go with you on the tour, hubby doesn't want to go, but he is glad that I want to go, he doesn't want to hold me back from doing things----he has a hard time walking to far and doesn't want to shop or do the beach either. We will probably do the beach at one of the other Islands.

You do remember that the ship sails at 3pm. :confused:

What time would we start this tour and anything is good for me, anything that you plan is fine. Will it be about 3 hrs? Tell me how much. If you need money now, send me your address and I will get it to you.

Trying to get my son and daughter in law to cruise with us but the prices are too much for them, so we hope it might go down, so maybe they could come.

Oh Trudy how awful. A woman in here has been having a terrible time with vertigo(don't know what kind). She is now using a walker to hold herself up. So glad you are feeling better.

I'm so glad you will be joining us for the tour.:D I hope your hubby doesn't mind you going. I think the tour starts at 9am. So we will probably be back for lunch on the ship. Don't quote me but I think it will be around 60.00 a piece. I don't need any money now. There is a down payment of 60.00 and the other woman has a check in the mail to me for half. We will worry about money when we get there.

Looks like the "quote" is not working.

Those were the same requirements s before, we just had exemptions to most of them then. I don't know if the same guy still works with the gov't there or not, but he exempted us via e-mail, so I would try writing to the gov't vet address to ask for exemptions since you will only be on the island for a few hours and you plan to only go to a certain pool, so will not be around other animals.

I wrote to them and they said no exemptions.

Wow you are going alone? I could never do that, I need someone to talk to. I'm sure Horty will be teaching everyone about service dogs. I would drive you nuts talking your ear off, you would be jumping overboard! :eek:

I'm home today, had some oral surgery on Tuesday and took today off as well.

Cindy, do you really think I'll have no one to talk to, really! ;)

But, the thought of having the cabin and bathroom all to myself can be very enticing!

Hi Cindy,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh Trudy how awful. A woman in here has been having a terrible time with vertigo(don't know what kind). She is now using a walker to hold herself up. So glad you are feeling better.

 

I'm so glad you will be joining us for the tour.:D I hope your hubby doesn't mind you going. I think the tour starts at 9am. So we will probably be back for lunch on the ship. Don't quote me but I think it will be around 60.00 a piece. I don't need any money now. There is a down payment of 60.00 and the other woman has a check in the mail to me for half. We will worry about money when we get there.

 

 

Looks like the "quote" is not working.

DH doesn't mind me going at all, he is rather glad that I am going. I usually don't go without him but he usually goes to please me. He just has a hard time with the walking and then the breathing thing, so he is happy that I am going with you and he doesn't have to go. What company are we touring with? I am excited about going.

I keep wanting to ask, How old is your son? Glad that he is able to get that fishing in.

Is your husband feeling OK now? My sister came down with the same thing this past week. A first time for her, I have had it for over 10 years.

Well, I better get some things done. Have a good weekend.

Trudy

I'm home today, had some oral surgery on Tuesday and took today off as well.

 

Cindy, do you really think I'll have no one to talk to, really! ;)

 

But, the thought of having the cabin and bathroom all to myself can be very enticing!

 

Hope you are feeling better Roz. I am sure you will have a great cruise and with Horton with you, I am sure you will have lots of people to talk to.

I'm home today, had some oral surgery on Tuesday and took today off as well.

 

Cindy, do you really think I'll have no one to talk to, really! ;)

 

But, the thought of having the cabin and bathroom all to myself can be very enticing!

 

Oh yuck Roz. Hope you are feeling ok.

Well you have Horty to talk to! Will he have his own bed to sleep on? Wexler would love that. You should see him when we go back to the room (for his daily nap) he hops on the bed with my son and naps. Two spoiled brats!!!!

DH doesn't mind me going at all, he is rather glad that I am going. I usually don't go without him but he usually goes to please me. He just has a hard time with the walking and then the breathing thing, so he is happy that I am going with you and he doesn't have to go. What company are we touring with? I am excited about going.

 

I keep wanting to ask, How old is your son? Glad that he is able to get that fishing in.

 

Is your husband feeling OK now? My sister came down with the same thing this past week. A first time for her, I have had it for over 10 years.

 

Well, I better get some things done. Have a good weekend.

 

Trudy

Trudy, Glad your hubby is ok with you going. Tell him we will take good care of you. :D

Here is the website for the tour http://www.shoreadventures.com/excursions.aspx?id=513

My son is 28. We asked him to go on a cruise a few years ago and he has been going with us ever since. He just loves the ship, as long as he has his seasick pills he feels good. He is the best helper. I used to do everything myself, but now that we take the dog theres an extra suitcase to carry, besides all the other luggage and shower wheelchair. Plus I'm older and feeble now. ;) Being divorced when he was 5yrs old, we are very close. Unfortunately he is to busy for a girlfriend so no grandbabies for us. :(

John ate some mexican food on Friday (told him to skip the hot sauce) and he is now having some trouble with his stomach. Then he eats McDonalds 1/4 pounder and fries the other night! :eek: UGH MEN!!