NotThePest_Too

Article in the Dallas Morning News about Comfort Animals and proposed Regulation:

 

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2018/04/15/pets-plane-american-southwest-airlines-government-help-emotional-support-animals

https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201710&RIN=2105-AE63

thank you for posting the links; however, the second one is not working or maybe I need to use Chrome and not Microsoft Edge

Ramona

I have PTSD and have an anxiety disorder, my companion animal helps me out a lot. My companion animal is well behaved. Would you rather experience one of my episodes if I didn’t have my dog or not experience an episode because I had my dog? It is your vacation after all, isn’t a cruise about relaxation and being stress free? Shouldn’t we all enjoy that?

As long as your dog is well behaved and listens on command. Usually te allergy issue can be solved by taking a damp cloth or towel and wiping down the dog or cat. What most people are allergic to is not the animals fur it is the saliva.

Ha, ha, ha! I definitely can't do a dress, cocktail, casual or formal a night 'cause I'm going to be gone for 49 nights (S.A.). I'm not into accessorizing. I'm thinking of packing for two weeks (clothes, day and night) and find the laundry.

Ramona

As far as meals, I will eat where I choose on a given night. Sometimes that's the MDR (alone or try to share a table), at the buffet, or at a specialty restaurant. I don't mind eating alone, and frankly, it's one of the benefits of traveling solo--I can eat when I want, where I want, and what I want. :D

 

Regarding other passengers' questions, I just answer honestly. I like to travel, and if my DH can't, then I go alone. He also travels by himself for certain events or itineraries (e.g., fishing trips with the boys). Usually those who are surprised don't intend to be unthinking with their responses; they just haven't met someone (in particular, a woman) who travels solo.

 

I have had people ask me if my DH has given me permission to travel or make other tending-toward-insulting comments, and I disengage from the conversation. Life's too short to explain myself to strangers.

I luv your attitude. I'm single 60 plus, retired and I don't deal with my on "drama" well much less others. So I'm up and about when I want to where I want to. I'm booked on my second cruise ever and it's 49 days. I'm excited and scared. Scared because of the 49 days on sea and not because I'll be alone.

I went to school that had nuns as admins. The President of the school (College) would say from time-to-time; "If you were on a desert island, could you entertain yourself?" That really stuck in my mind and spoke loudly to me. Then a female minister named Wanda Davis-Turner framed it for me, "You don't like to be by yourself because you don't like yourself." Those words yelled at me ...I had to do a lot of introspection.

Ramona

I'm doing a 49 day South American Cruise with Princess in February. So ...I'm taking a big wallet hit. I'm very independent person and when I want to get up and go ...I do. That doesn't sit well with a lot of people. I had two friends in my life that I didn't mind vacationing with ...but illness struck ..then death.

I went on a Holiday with a long time neighbor ...she shattered my let's-go-on-a-trip-and-be-roommates thinking. Yikes. So I'm doing this by myself. No arguments over tipping, no discussions on where to go and what to do. I just do. Selfish ...possibly; but peace of mind is worth it to me.

Next thing I know you guys are going to start complaining about me bringing my therapy elephant........

If it's carved out of Ivory, you bet your sweet "bejebis" I will. It better be carved in mahogany:D.

You might not know about any of that until the ship has sailed.

Maybe this should fall under the, "if you see something say something," rule. Unless the dog is knocked out when the owner is checking in, that behavior can certainly be observed.

Ramona

"Look alike" fake service dogs have no ADA rights. The problem, as I see it, is telling the difference. If the owner of an emotional support animal claims it is a service dog I don't know how it can be disproven. If the person tells you the dog is an ESA I would think that you could then tell them that they are not allowed.

If the animal is roaming all around, if the animal is jumping up on people's lap, if the animal is barking at everyone ...it's not trained. It may be the person's emotional support ...but it needs to be trained.

Example but not using an animal: A person's emotional support may be a convicted killer; however, if I invite that person to my home and they bring along the killer, they will be asked to leave. Even though we pay, they pay for the privilege of being on a cruise, that doesn't mean you can take over. Even though I invite someone to my home, that doesn't mean they can come in and act like there at home unless they ask me and I say it's O.K.

There are people responding who are not getting the real dog issue. It is not trained service dogs that is the problem, it is the untrained, internet "fake" certified untrained service animals that is at issue. I don't if no one here has heard about the emotional support dogs that have attacked paying passengers on airlines, crew members; pooping dogs urinating and barking at everyone. Not only is it emotional support dogs, people have brought on their pigs, birds, snakes, etc.

Delta had an incident where a 50lb lap dog, yes, they man had 50lbs of dog sitting in his lap; attacked the face of sitting paying passenger. The dog and his owner (Lab) had the middle seat, the passenger had the window seat. It wasn't a nip, it was two bits where the man needed 28 stiches and multiple plastic surgeries. Rhetorical Question: Who is going to pay for that, Delta, the passenger, the dog?

WOW...nowadays, I don't even bring ONE....I used to, back in my early days, bring sequined, long gowns, heels, even pantyhose. NOW, I can't wear shoes, nevertheless heels, so I just bring a pair of black dress pants, dressier black rubber soled shoes (I found at Easy Spirit), and a fancy top or two. I sometimes find the ships very cold in the dining rooms, and most dressier tops are sleeveless, so I found a couple of long sleeves which have worked well for me. So I just throw up my hair, nice makeup and it works for me.

I'm so glad I came over on "this" side (My second cruise will be 49 days around S.A. 2019; my first cruise was 10 days Panama Canal Nov 2017). I don't do formal well. Injury to my feet lead to no heels . I'm a Group Fitness Instructor (New Venture after retiring) and my Business Casual is well, Fitness Clothes. I have no sparkly stuff I can wear because I had a 60lb weight loss and didn't replace dressy dresses. I do have some frilly dresses but I'm not bringing dress outfits nor formal items. I'm glad I'm not by myself. I won't do slumming but formal is out of the question.

Ramona

I thought I was the only one.

Formal went out for us after our first cruise. We no longer attend any formal nights if the line ( Cunard) has them. All the other lines we travel on, thankfully, do not even have anything even close to formal.