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

[Caribbean Chris]

I am currently in e-mail "discussions" with Celebrity concerning the location of the relief box on our Alaska cruise next month....

...I wonder if the resistance to moving the box and other relief box issues has anything to do with people bringing pets on board masquerading as service dogs (I have seen this on a couple of occasions).

Dianne

 

I wondered the same thing on my first dog-accompanied Celebrity cruise, where we had the chilliest reception EVER to my dog by all the officers and management people, and an absolute refusal to move the box anywhere.

 

On our most recent cruise on Eclipse, the officers from the Captain on down were warm and gracious toward us. It was night and day. So I hope you'll have that response.

 

Keep in mind that there is a safety officer on board you can ask to meet with if the box location is hazardous, as it sometimes can be. I spoke with him last cruise and he was amazed to learn where the box had been placed - he had it moved within an hour.

[S.S. Cruisers]

Today is Sutter's birthday and his trainer at CCI sent us a birthday picture. I miss my boy!

Such a handsome boy! Happy Birthday, Sutter. Hugs and kisses!

[wizard-of-roz]

Today is Sutter's birthday and his trainer at CCI sent us a birthday picture. I miss my boy!

 

Happy Birthday, handsome!!!!

Soon you'll be so darn busy.......And, so full of love and hope for brand new beginnings!!!

[wizard-of-roz]

Happy, healthy weekend everyone ♥ Happy Passover and Easter ♥

[wizard-of-roz]

I wondered the same thing on my first dog-accompanied Celebrity cruise, where we had the chilliest reception EVER to my dog by all the officers and management people, and an absolute refusal to move the box anywhere.

 

On our most recent cruise on Eclipse, the officers from the Captain on down were warm and gracious toward us. It was night and day. So I hope you'll have that response.

 

Keep in mind that there is a safety officer on board you can ask to meet with if the box location is hazardous, as it sometimes can be. I spoke with him last cruise and he was amazed to learn where the box had been placed - he had it moved within an hour.

 

Every cruise, even on the same ship, holds a whole different experience.

Stay calm, cool and assertive! ;)

[DUTRAVEL]

Keep in mind that there is a safety officer on board you can ask to meet with if the box location is hazardous, as it sometimes can be. I spoke with him last cruise and he was amazed to learn where the box had been placed - he had it moved within an hour.

 

Henri was very well received on our last cruise - everyone loved her. I hope its the same this time. Good to know about the safety officer.

 

Dianne

[DUTRAVEL]

Today is Sutter's birthday and his trainer at CCI sent us a birthday picture. I miss my boy!

 

Happy Birthday to Sutter! So cute!

 

Dianne

[Algebralovr]

Sutter looks adorable!

 

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[Algebralovr]

We are off to a weekend of training with Scooter! I have a few issues to work through with him. Wish us luck!

 

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[thephantomsgirl]

I am thinking of changing my cruise to an Eastern Caribbean. Most of the ports look very easy. The only questionable one is Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic. Anyone here know anything about that one?

[thephantomsgirl]

I am thinking of changing my cruise to an Eastern Caribbean. Most of the ports look very easy. The only questionable one is Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic. Anyone here know anything about that one?

 

Decided not to change my cruise as I'd have lost money. But still a good question for the future if anyone knows.

[MDTrip]

Princess Cruise Line - Dog Relief Box Question

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

For those who have cruised Princess with your dog, have you ever asked for a larger box, or for two boxes?

 

We have only been on Celebrity and they have accommodated our 80 pound seeing-eye dog with two 6 x 6 boxes, side by side. He is a male, and his aim is not very good, so the larger boxes are needed. Also, he does not like to pee and poop in the same box.

 

Will Princess put the box outside on a deck or on your balcony? He does not like to use a box that is indoors.

 

Also, doesn't the cardboard box wet through by the end of a seven day cruise?

 

We tried to call the Princess accessibility department, but apparently they do not take phone calls and will only communicate via email (which is not very accommodating for someone who is blind.) Does anyone have a phone number for them?

 

Thanks so much and happy cruising to all!

 

Lynn

[Caribbean Chris]

Sorry I can't be of help for your friend's questions, Lynn, as we have never sailed Princess.

 

I do think two 6x6 boxes (even one that size) would be too big to fit on most ship balconies I've seen (with the possible exception of aft/corner staterooms), even for many suites. Maybe if the furniture was removed...but it still could be a tight fit.

[DUTRAVEL]

I haven't sailed Princess either.

 

I would think that you would have a hard time fitting two 6x6 boxes on a balcony unless Princess has the large aft balconies like Celebrity has on the M Class ships.

 

Dianne

[wizard-of-roz]

Henri was very well received on our last cruise - everyone loved her. I hope its the same this time. Good to know about the safety officer.

 

Dianne

 

I had forgotten about the "Safety Officer".......Got to get to know him/her while onboard!

[MDTrip]

Thank you to those of you who tried to answer my question re Princess. When we have had 6 x 6 boxes on Celebrity, they were on an outside deck and not on our balcony. I agree, they would not fit there -- unless we had one of those big suites I dream about. : - )

 

If anyone has first hand experience with Princess, or a phone number for their accessibility department, please share. On their website you can only contact Accessibility by email. The main number will not allow you to speak with anyone in Accessibility. Not to helpful, especially for someone who is blind, for whom email may or may not be convenient.

 

Happy Cruising to All!

Lynn

 

 

Princess Cruise Line - Dog Relief Box Question

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

For those who have cruised Princess with your dog, have you ever asked for a larger box, or for two boxes?

 

We have only been on Celebrity and they have accommodated our 80 pound seeing-eye dog with two 6 x 6 boxes, side by side. He is a male, and his aim is not very good, so the larger boxes are needed. Also, he does not like to pee and poop in the same box.

 

Will Princess put the box outside on a deck or on your balcony? He does not like to use a box that is indoors.

 

Also, doesn't the cardboard box wet through by the end of a seven day cruise?

 

We tried to call the Princess accessibility department, but apparently they do not take phone calls and will only communicate via email (which is not very accommodating for someone who is blind.) Does anyone have a phone number for them?

 

Thanks so much and happy cruising to all!

 

Lynn

[DUTRAVEL]

If anyone has first hand experience with Princess, or a phone number for their accessibility department, please share. On their website you can only contact Accessibility by email. The main number will not allow you to speak with anyone in Accessibility. Not to helpful, especially for someone who is blind, for whom email may or may not be convenient.

 

Happy Cruising to All!

Lynn

 

I don't have a telephone number for the Princess Access Department, but you could try e-mailing them and ask them to call you (mentioning that you are blind). If they are not willing to call you, they are required to have a CRO (Complaints Resolution Official) available by telephone.

 

Dianne

[wizard-of-roz]

Thank you to those of you who tried to answer my question re Princess. When we have had 6 x 6 boxes on Celebrity, they were on an outside deck and not on our balcony. I agree, they would not fit there -- unless we had one of those big suites I dream about. : - )

 

If anyone has first hand experience with Princess, or a phone number for their accessibility department, please share. On their website you can only contact Accessibility by email. The main number will not allow you to speak with anyone in Accessibility. Not to helpful, especially for someone who is blind, for whom email may or may not be convenient.

 

Happy Cruising to All!

Lynn

 

Access Compliance Dept. person is; Kelly Peart - accessoffice@prinesscruises.com - The phone number for Princess is 1-800-774-6237. You can tell them your issue and see if they can direct you to right people. They tell you that they will email the ship prior to your boarding; it seems that these emails are either non-existent or are ignored!

I know that I don't get much done prior to boarding the ship. Once onboard, much more gets done and by the folks who can make it really happen!

[wizard-of-roz]

Happy Weekend EVERYONE!!!!

DKD.....are you in Team Training?

Everyone cruising and those who are a few days or weeks away.......You so lucky!!!! ;p

[Quampapetet]

Wow, I haven't been on here since October!!! I didn't think it had been that long!

 

My condolences to those who lost pets and service dogs!

 

 

Sorry that you guys had to deal with an emotional support pet owner believing one of those scam registry sites over the actual laws (which specifically state that emotional support animals are not service animals)! It is sad that those sites steal from people and angering that they tell them they can take their pets into public places. Passing your pet/emotional support pet off as a service dog is illegal in many states, sometimes with jail time as a result, and of course taking a pet/emotional support pet into a restaurant or business that serves/sells food is against the health codes laws (and the business will be fined for that when caught). While there are legit emotional support pets for people who have legit mental disabilities, there are so many fakers that emotional support pets may not be allowed on airplanes anymore soon. For both airplanes and housing, a doctor's letter is needed to verify the disability and the need for the dog for the disability. They're not otherwise allowed elsewhere under the laws.

 

 

As for hotels, service dogs are definitely allowed on the pool deck (not in the pool itself) and the restaurants/breakfast areas. Service dogs are never allowed to be left alone in a hotel room, as per the Department of Justice (the ADA folks). I would assume cruise cabins count as hotel rooms, too. I never tell a hotel I have a service dog when booking, which I normally do online anyway. Sometimes they don't even notice her at check-in, either.

 

 

Roz, so sorry to hear about your car accident! I hope you are healed or almost healed now. I highly recommend to all service dog handlers (and pet owners) to use a crash-tested car safety harness. I have two - one is bigger to fit on top of the mobility harness - that are Sleepypod Utility Sport harnesses. You can see their crash test videos on their Web site. They are coming out with a new, better version soon - and it even has a place to attach "Service Dog" patches and has saddlebags you can use with it. A car harness not only protects your dog, but you and other passengers (flying dogs can have enough force in a high-speed crash to decapitate a person), and it also prevents your dog from running away through a smashed window or when first responders open the doors. Our service dogs are not only extremely important to our lives as our medical equipment and just being dogs, but they are expensive, too, so need to be protected.

 

 

As for pet insurance for veterinary care, it isn't worth it. Instead, take the same amount of money you'd be paying each month for the insurance and put it in a special savings account. If your service dog ever needs expensive medical care, you have all the money in that account to use for it - and it will all be yours until you do.

 

 

I am sad to hear that the cruise lines still have not gotten the dog potty thing down yet! That's just ridiculous. It isn't a complicated thing. It is why I brought my own potty area on my last two cruises. I put artificial grass (made for backyards) in a suitcase and a ton of disposable potty pads in a duffel bag, plus large garbage bags to put under everything to protect the balcony floor. If I ever cruise again, I would see about getting a big silicone tray made in place of the garbage bags, with sides high enough to help keep the wind from blowing the pads and grass up. The silicone can be easily rolled up. They make ones sized for one potty pad, but of course that's not big enough for a medium or large dog.

 

 

Roz, just to clarify, what you described the PTSD dog do (check the rooms and such) are tasks. Psychiatric service dogs are task-trained just like all other types of service dogs. It is emotional support dogs that aren't trained, and of course those are not service dogs. Also, neurological diseases and disorders are physical and dogs for them are service dogs for physical disabilities just like guide and hearing dogs; they are not "neurological support dogs" or psychiatric service dogs for mental disabilities. Seizure alert dogs are one type of service dogs for neurological diseases.

 

 

I am glad those of you who went on cruises had mostly good reports (besides potty box issues and all)!

 

 

Someone mentioned the airport relief areas inside security that too many airports still don't have despite the law - it is aggravating that they haven't been done yet! One good thing I found, though, was the Delta Airlines app has maps of airports and they include the service dog relief areas on the maps! That's better than the airports' own Web sites. So, even if you don't fly Delta, I would recommend getting the app so you can use the maps to see exactly where the relief areas are. The post-security outdoor ones are on the maps, too.

 

 

As for going through TSA, it is best to go through separate from your dog, otherwise if the detector sounds, you have to be patted down (which can be pretty invasive, especially if you have chronic pain issues) even if it was the dog's collar setting it off. If you go through separately, if you don't set it off, you don't need to be searched, even if your dog set it off (your dog will probably enjoy the pat-down). I send my dog through first so I don't have to worry about any idiots behind me trying to distract her, but many others go through first and then call their dog to them. I don't remove her collar, leash, or mobility harness, but do remove her pack and put it through the x-ray. I wrap her leash around the harness handle so it doesn't drag on the floor.

 

 

As for what to bring on a cruise for your dog, that would be stuff like the paperwork, food, travel bowls (I use plastic ones that fold flat - got them on eBay), supplements, measuring cups, spatchula thing I use to mix and serve the dehydrated raw food, a small first aid kit (put a dog first aid app on your phone), dog tag with travel info. like ship and cabin number on it, a toy or two, toothbrush and toothpaste, some treats, dog water bottle (has a top like a hamster bottle that they lick to get the water out) for excursions, paper towels to clean feeding items and such, etc.

 

 

I don't recall what else was talked about, so I will end here. :-)

[S.S. Cruisers]

Good to "see" you Quam. Glad things are moving along for you!

[rpclmc]

That was great Quam. Thank you.

[Algebralovr]

Grrrrr! We've been traveling like crazy lately.

 

Weekend of the 15th-16th, SD training weekend. Went well. Scooter is coming right along where we want him!

 

This past weekend we went to see the ASME Human Powered Vehicle Competition in Cookeville, TN. Lots of rain. Didn't feel like being wet, and having wet dog, so we were there in the break from rain, but otherwise we saw a lot of the hotel room.

 

Then, on the way home, we stopped at a Sam's Club. Scooter is doing just what he is supposed to. This woman sees him and says to her spouse, "See! I want to get a vest made for (name) so that I can just bring him with me"

 

I just about shot off my mouth, but was tired and realized it might start more than I wanted. Both hubby and I talked about it later. He was the same way. What is WRONG with people!

 

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[Caribbean Chris]

Hi Quam! Good to hear from you.

[wizard-of-roz]

Wow, I haven't been on here since October!!! I didn't think it had been that long!

 

My condolences to those who lost pets and service dogs!

 

 

:-)

 

Quam, I hope all is good for you.

I would NEVER recommend tethering my dog into my car. Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING will take the place of "training" your dog to remain laying down, and resting into the back of the back seat or on the floor [in front of the back seat.] There is never a way of knowing what would be the best because each car accident is so different, as is each car.

If the car would catch fire and you couldn't get to your dog, he might have a chance of escaping on his own. If he were tethered into the back seat and your arm is broken and you can only use verbal cues and commands, he has a better chance of surviving. I know this first hand!!!! Would a seat harness save your dog more than good training......would and could your dog become a projectile......Please, teach your dog to lay down and stay down!

Also, I would NEVER let Horton off leash in a public area or in an area where he could get loose onto a public street i.e. airport/train station/cruise terminal. He stays attached to me NO MATTER WHAT! He's that valuable to me! And, he has the worst re-call!

Remember: Not everything works for everyone! Use your good senses and if you go through life with a Service Dog, do it the way that works best for you as a team!!!!