Pets in Dining Room?

[2wareagle2]

We have been on 13 cruises and has never seen someone bring their pet dog to the main dining room to eat till our cruise Oct. 23,10. This was no service dog. This was someones pet. It was drinking out of the glass on the table and eating off a plate. When they left the table they put it in a dog stroller. Where does this dog go to pottie at sea????:eek:

[Equest]

My wife is a vet, we are hoping for pet friendly cruises for the fee vacation opportunity.

[tanner2]

We have been on 13 cruises and has never seen someone bring their pet dog to the main dining room to eat till our cruise Oct. 23,10. This was no service dog. This was someones pet. It was drinking out of the glass on the table and eating off a plate. When they left the table they put it in a dog stroller. Where does this dog go to pottie at sea????:eek:

Wow !!!!!!!! what cruise ship was this? we were told that there is a place up by the funnell for service pets to go to the bathroom!

[seashinesunshine]

We have been on 13 cruises and has never seen someone bring their pet dog to the main dining room to eat till our cruise Oct. 23,10. This was no service dog. This was someones pet. It was drinking out of the glass on the table and eating off a plate. When they left the table they put it in a dog stroller. Where does this dog go to pottie at sea????:eek:

 

Some people have what are called 'companion' pets, they are legally service animals that are doctor prescribed. Some of them are genuine service animals for people who need them for a variety of reasons, some are pets when people have gotten a doctor to sign a letter saying they are 'needed'.

Any genuine service animal, companion or otherwise would sit on the floor, not at the table and would never drink out of a glass on the table. They are trained to use 'potty pads'

As hard as it may be, try not to judge, some people really do need these animals.

[boyma4]

If you were on Destiny, the woman told me it was a service dog. It may be for some kind of anxiety disorder. On the other hand, could be personal pet and got someone to sign off saying it was a service dog.

[2wareagle2]

Im not judging them. We are animal lovers too. As a matter of fact my cat is in my lap now. I just had never seen this in the dining room before.

[seashinesunshine]

Im not judging them. We are animal lovers too. As a matter of fact my cat is in my lap now. I just had never seen this in the dining room before.

 

I didn't mean to imply that you were being judgmental, just that I have seen threads like this on another site get really nasty. I am a big animal lover too! :)

[Equest]

The ADA does not require animal training, a Doc stating the benefit is all it takes. The animal does not even have to be current on vaccines.

[CapeCodCruiser]

Much mis-information here.

 

From CCL website:

 

ervice Animals

 

Carnival Cruise Lines permits service/working animals onboard; a working/service animal is legally defined and is trained to meet the disability related need. We do not allow guests to sail with pets, therapy/companion animals, or service animals in training. Please know that many of our exciting ports of call have established strict entry requirements for animals. Therefore, guest traveling with service animals must contact the Department of Agriculture (http://www.aphis.usda.gov) to determine the policy of each destination regarding admission of service animals to the particular country. Please know that many of the ports you may visit will only accept annual rabies vaccinations. The three-year rabies vaccination is not recognized in these countries. These required documents must be hand carried with you along with your service animal's current vaccination records; you will be asked to submit these records once onboard. Furthermore, you will need to contact our Guest Access Department to make arrangements prior to your voyage for your service animal. We can be reached at specialneeds@carnival.com or 1.800.438.6744, ext. 70344. Pets are not permitted onboard.

 

That being said - it seems the animal you experienced has some pretty bad habits for a service animal.

[scrapmamma]

We have been on 13 cruises and has never seen someone bring their pet dog to the main dining room to eat till our cruise Oct. 23,10. This was no service dog. This was someones pet. It was drinking out of the glass on the table and eating off a plate. When they left the table they put it in a dog stroller. Where does this dog go to pottie at sea????:eek:

 

Yuck! I would definately be asking for another table assignment!!

 

I love dogs and ours will be left with a family member while we vacation but this is not acceptable! I understand that some people need service dogs and I'm fine with that but I don't want to see someones "companion" pet on a cruise.

[Equest]

You are right about misinformation. Rabies is the least of our worries when it comes to zoonotic diseases. Biannual vet exams coupled with proper preventative care are key. Few states have health standards for working animals above those of companion animals. An animal required by law to enter most establishments should have a higher standard of care. I think service animals should be parasite free before they are allowed in dining rooms. Sorry for being confrontational but I believe the standard of care should be higher for animals that we must accept in to our dining rooms.

[GRAMMYTAN]

Some of the service dogs are smaller and in strollers. They do have to get proper documentation to board. Though it may not seem that the master of the dog is disabled, many of those dogs are trained to sense when the master is about to suffer a stroke. We were told that the ship puts a box of litter in the cabin or on the balcony for the animal. One couple had a tine little dog and the box that was first put into their cabin was about 4 or 5 feet square. I guess the ship's personnel associated the term service dog with a german shepard.:)

I too wish I could take my little dog on a cruise. She has a stoller, is completely house broken and all I have to do stop her barking is to hold up my hand and shush her. I try to take her anywhere I can when we travel but always adhere to hotel (cruise) rules about animals. If the policy says "no pets" I will not bring her or I will find a hotel that allows pets with a fee and pay the fee. Even though she is very clean and well trained I would not break those rules because I think she is better than other dogs and the rules should not apply to me. Besides, the next guest may have an allergy to dander left by my dog.

[Equest]

Some of the service dogs are smaller and in strollers. They do have to get proper documentation to board. Though it may not seem that the master of the dog is disabled, many of those dogs are trained to sense when the master is about to suffer a stroke. We were told that the ship puts a box of litter in the cabin or on the balcony for the animal. One couple had a tine little dog and the box that was first put into their cabin was about 4 or 5 feet square. I guess the ship's personnel associated the term service dog with a german shepard.:)

 

I too wish I could take my little dog on a cruise. She has a stoller, is completely house broken and all I have to do stop her barking is to hold up my hand and shush her. I try to take her anywhere I can when we travel but always adhere to hotel (cruise) rules about animals. If the policy says "no pets" I will not bring her or I will find a hotel that allows pets with a fee and pay the fee. Even though she is very clean and well trained I would not break those rules because I think she is better than other dogs and the rules should not apply to me. Besides, the next guest may have an allergy to dander left by my dog.

 

There are some people who consider their pets to be part of the family, I would enjoy cruising with them. People who consider pets to be part of the family would never not provide quality care.

[Wyattcruiser]

There are some people who consider their pets to be part of the family, I would enjoy cruising with them. People who consider pets to be part of the family would never not provide quality care.

 

What do you have against service dogs:confused:

[CanWeGoYet?]

What do you have against service dogs:confused:

 

As I read Equest's post, I didn't take it to be against service animals. I love dogs & understand people who need their service animal with them. But it would bother me to have the dog up on the table eating & drinking out of the dishes.

[Chacooe]

We have been on 13 cruises and has never seen someone bring their pet dog to the main dining room to eat till our cruise Oct. 23,10. This was no service dog. This was someones pet. It was drinking out of the glass on the table and eating off a plate. When they left the table they put it in a dog stroller. Where does this dog go to pottie at sea????:eek:

 

Someone should have notified the Maitre D about this. This dog should have not been allowed to be near the top of the table, let alone drink water from a glass.

 

I have a service animal, she can tell when I am going to have a seizure and I will tell you that little dog has saved my life a few times. I have a 3 1/2 lb. Pomeranian and when I take her into any dining room with me, she is in a little dog carrier that sits on the floor. She knows that that is where she goes when I am traveling and she loves being in her carrier because the lid of it is transparent, so she can see out and people can see her. As for her potty habits, I use bed under-pads that I place on the floor in the bathroom and when she gets done doing her business, I pick them up and take care of them, it is not the responsibility of the room stewards to pick up after my dog, even though they say they don't mind, that is still my responsibility not theirs. They are not being paid to pick up after my dog.

 

When I cruised with my Pom last May, the paperwork behind bringing your dog is very time consuming I had to get papers signed from my physician, I had to have papers signed by her vet and I also had to have the vet sign papers for the Department of Agriculture, but it makes me wonder if this lady did any of this and just smuggled her dog on board. I just do not think that any physician or vet would sign papers saying a dog is a service animal when they are not.

 

When I was on the Carnival Pride in 2008, a lady had brought her dog on board because she just could not leave her at home. She said that they were inseparable, well on the second day of the cruise, she got caught. It seems that she was the only one with an animal and since the ship knew that there would be no dogs on board, they stopped her. She had to get off the ship in Puerto Vallarta and she is never allowed to cruise with Carnival again, so bringing her dog cost her so much more then if she had left her at home.

[Nebr.cruiser]

There was a very small service dog on our TA last spring--the only one I have actually seen. I believe the lady it belonged to was partially deaf, although it wasn't easily apparent. (I realize this doesn't mean she wasn't deaf; I have a profoundly deaf sister who lost about 80% of her hearing at age 5; with hearing aids, she functions quite normally.)

 

The dog had a large litter box in an out-of-the way corner on the Promenade deck. It was about 5 foot square and filled with mulch-like material. I saw the lady bring her dog out there a couple of times.

 

The dog did wander around freely whenever they were in a lounge or around the pool, inter-acting with people. I did not see it in the dining room. Having a dog on the table is too much! Otherwise, I am fine with legitimate service dogs; it was very cute and well behaved.

[Wyattcruiser]

As I read Equest's post, I didn't take it to be against service animals. I love dogs & understand people who need their service animal with them. But it would bother me to have the dog up on the table eating & drinking out of the dishes.

 

Actually no.....he made it seem like it was ok for people that considered their dogs to be part of their family it was ok.....because they would take them to get checked by their vets on a regular basis.......but service animals he had a problem with...........evidentlly he does not think people treat their service dogs like part of the family.....which seem bizarre to me..........

[mariamherrera]

having your dog at the dining table drinking out of glasses humanea will also be drinking out of is a bit much but if I could bring my dog I would :D hehhe love that little girl! but then again she is SUPER well behaved, very calm, very obediant, and she doesnt shed- if we could bring dogs I'd bring her in a heart beat!

[lillian marie]

Maybe the folks in the op's situation had partied a bit too much and were showing it by letting the dog eat from the table. If the dog was on CCL it was a service dog of some type with registration. On one cruise an elderly lady in a scooter had a tiny dog in a basket on her electric wheelchair and it was a seizure dog. It wore a working dog jacket and she had a sign on the basket but it was a purse size dog and alittle silly looking perched in a basket with a jacket on.

[RWolver672]

Actually no.....he made it seem like it was ok for people that considered their dogs to be part of their family it was ok.....because they would take them to get checked by their vets on a regular basis.......but service animals he had a problem with...........evidentlly he does not think people treat their service dogs like part of the family.....which seem bizarre to me..........

 

He never mentioned service dogs. He just said that people consider their pets as part of their family and take care of them. You are reading something into that that isn't there.

[LHP]

This sounds like someone who had a service dog ( to alerts owners to possible attacks of all kinds) who is irresponsible.

 

There is no excuse for a dog being anywhere near the table top....it should sit in it's buggy or lie on the floor during meal times.

 

I would imagine that ( as is the case in our society)...this was simply someone who is abusing a right that a lot of people need and will eventually make it harder for everyone who needs a service animal like this.

[LHP]

Our 19 year old son has Autism and it is amazing what an 8 pound "peekapoo" can do.

 

He has severe panic attacks. He loses all reason and can harm himself because he loses all reason (run out in front of a car etc).

 

With this dog in his arms (or on a leash that he is holding)....our son suddenly becomes "superman" (afraid of nothing)...or at least not so afraid that he will hurt himself. Our son suddenly puts "protecting this dog" above his panic attacks. He can understand that running out in the street and possibly in front of a car "might" hurt the dog...so he does not do it. But he won't use the same reasoning on himself.....

 

While the panic attacks around some things has gotten better with age as we have tried to desynsitize him .... other things have gotten worse.

 

We debated (and are still debating) the benefits of this animal traveling with him. He does not currently because we have tried to keep our son as independent as possible of any "crutches". As long as we have this option, this animal will not travel with us. But I can tell you that this animal certainly makes a world of difference at home.

 

But there are a lot of kids with Autism who have animals that travel with them that are there to literally save their lives. (especially if the child is what is called "a runner".) We have a friend who child is "leashed" to a retriever and that dog has saved his life on more than one occasion....because this child will run into the streets for no reason....whether traffic is coming or not.

[2Zornot2Z]

as if we dont have enough with just the smokers!!!!

[nothomeonacruise]

I love animals and I have both dogs and cats, . However, I've never had a dog or cat at my table. That is going too far. I understand the need for a service dog, but this one was allowed too much freedom on the cruise ship.