Service animal - relief area

My husband and I will be cruising on Holland America in July with my husband's guide dog for the blind, Hero. We have previously cruised with him on Princess and Celebrity. On both of those cruiselines, we were provided a large plywood box, once filled with dog litter and once with sand. As my husband says, Hero is "an organic kind of guy." In other words, he does not like doing his business on a plain concrete or metal surface. That is why we have requested a box. On both Princess and Celebrity, the box was provided to us at no charge. HAL says they will provide a box, but they will bill it to our shipboard account. Has any one else with a service animal been charged for accommodation?

This board is still messed up, with several of the more recent posts like this one stuck at the bottom of the page instead of near the top where it should have been based on the date of posting. Hopefully by bringing this to the top, passengers with personal experience in this area will provide some advice/insight.

In the meantime, Clopaw, you might want to check some of the other posts in this section which discuss this issue. There is a post on page two entitled Service Animal-Help please which has some information which may be helpful. I know it is difficult to find relevant posts when the search function is not working. Hopefully that will be corrected soon.

Best wishes on your cruise.

Kathy

I'm not sure I'm reading your question correctly. Did they offer you any type of a relief area (metal or cement)? Or none at all and you requested the box? Where do they say is there standard relief area for service animals?

Although the Acess Board has not yet released ADAAG standards for ships, cruise ships that dock at US ports are technically covered under the ADA. In other words, in regards to issues of discrimination. In this case, the cruise line can't charge a disabled person "extra" for a relief area for their service animal; however if their standard relief area (metal, cement) is not acceptable then most likely they can charge for a passengers' perferred type of relief area.

Solutions? Off hand I have none, but it's been my experience that the best solutions come from folks who have been-there-done-that, so I'd suggest connecting with the agency/org that trained your service animal. Some of these orgs even have newsletters with helpful tips and resources on their website.

I've been having problems reading and posting too

Candy

Candy Harrington

Editor, Emerging Horizons

www.EmergingHorizons.com

The only accessible travel magazine

HAL does offer a standard relief area which is simply cement. I believe what they are charging for are special materials for a special relief area. I always suggest calling them and asking them in person. Sometimes you get a better feel for their policies if you hear it from someone rather than from a letter.

Hi Clopaw,

I just wanted to say "hi". We were going to go on HAL last November but switched it at the last moment to the Golden. I am definitely interested in what you find out and how they treat you. We got sod/grass on our last Princess cruise which really worked out.

Has Hero ever been to Tortola? We are looking at Star Princess which stops there. Tell everyone hi for me and give Hero a kiss

-theresa

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Carnival Fascination S. Carib 03/98 • Sea Princess W. Carib 11/99 • Grand Princess E. Carib 12/00 • Celebrity Millennium W. Carib 2/01 • Explorer of the Seas E. Carib 12/01 • Grand Princess W. Carib 04/02 • Radiance of the Seas Alaska 06/02 • Sun Princess Mexico 12/02 • Grand Princess W. Carib 04/03 • Coral Princess Alaska 05/03 • Golden Princess E. Carib 11/03 • Dawn Princess Alaska 05/04 • Dawn Princess Alaska 06/04

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My husband and I will be cruising on Holland America in July with my husband's guide dog for the blind, Hero. We have previously cruised with him on Princess and Celebrity. On both of those cruiselines, we were provided a large plywood box, once filled with dog litter and once with sand. As my husband says, Hero is "an organic kind of guy." In other words, he does not like doing his business on a plain concrete or metal surface. That is why we have requested a box. On both Princess and Celebrity, the box was provided to us at no charge. HAL says they will provide a box, but they will bill it to our shipboard account. Has any one else with a service animal been charged for accommodation?

Cash and I will be joining a Service Dog Training program aboard the Oosterdam on Nov. 6. According to Daun at The Travel Depot, who is organizing the sessions, the group will be supplied with two 4 x 7 or 4 x 8 boxes with sod (that will be located on the Promenade Deck Forward, Port and Starboard and under cover) that is changed out daily. The agency (The Travel Depot) is picking up the cost. Traveldepotinc.com for further info... ;)