Do they let (non-service) dogs onboard?

[Cruising Jedi]

A lady I work with told me that she was allowed to bring her dog onboard. This is not a service dog of any type, just a pet dog. She was allowed to bring the dog with a few conditions.

1. Dog was confined to the cabin/balcony.

2. Dog was only allowed out for “walks” on deck between 5:00am-6:00am

3. She had to clean up any dog messes.

4. She had to pay what amounted to a security deposit in case there any damage, which she then got back by the end of the cruise.

5. If the dog was noisy or bothered passengers in any way, pooch walked the plank (well she would have to leave or make arrangements for pooch to leave at the next port.)

She also said her dog was not the only one!

I never thought pet dogs would be allowed on a cruise ship. Am I wrong? Is it a great big doggy park up there at 5:00 am when I’m snoring?

Is she full of…um…”imagination”?

I love dogs myself, but I don’t think they’d let my Newfoundland-Mastiff mix on board! :D (Nor would I want to spend my vacation stooping & scooping)

Hope no one minds I am going to post this on Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian, because she told me it was one of those 4 lines but not which one.

[ssatterly]

As far as I know the only line that allows that is Cunard. Other lines only allow service animals.

[golfadj]

I would really doubt it.

[terigo]

that would be interesting... i have never heard of such a thing.

i have always thought there should be a cruise for dog lovers, that has a special remote area on the ship for dogs to do their business.

i am pretty devoted to my lapdogs (who make "tootsie rolls" and would a lot easier to clean up after than a newfie/mastiff! :D)

if there ever was such a cruise, i would be cruising a LOT more.....

[jessemon]

Yes...She is full of imagination....

Unless the person she talked to was on Cunard....

Even there they have to stay in a kennel....

They are though allowed to go for a walk...

[GottaLuvCruising]

No way! Service dogs only on Carnival. On Cunard guests pay a small fortune to kennel dogs for the cruise ("pets" aren't in the stateroom).

[viaggi_per_mare]

We saw a dog on board a Carnival cruise once, and it was a seeing eye dog. They had a cabin close to ours and when ever they headed back to their cabin, my husband followed them. My husband never did learn to navigate the ship but the dog did, and lead my husband back to our cabin every time;)

[uppitycats]

I'd be really surprised if this were true. One possibility -- she presented her pet as if he were a "service animal", and got away with it. Some folks claim their pet as "needed for my emotional health" and pawn them off as "service dogs".

 

Otherwise, only Cunard allows pets, and only with them confined in a kennel.

[grammax3]

Ask this woman what line she was on......I want to stay away from it. Maybe she was on a private yacht, a speedboat, a motorboat or who knows.

 

We have seen a service dog on NCL, but the woman was in a wheelchair. So, like another poster said, maybe she passed this dog off as a service dog....she does sound like she may have some issues.

[PA Dutchman]

• Live Animals: Only qualified service animals once approved by Guest Access Services at time of booking. Animals are only permitted on the POOP DECK.

[SkyMaster]

We've seen a number of "service animals" aboard. (Yes, they were obviously REALLY service dogs.) On a recent cruise, however, we saw a lady bring a small white dog aboard. It was a Maltese I think. The lady wasn't obviously handicapped in any way. She had the dog with her most of the time, and I even saw the dog with the C.D. (That may be a clue as to how it got aboard.) In any case, the lovely Mrs. Jones (Vita) ask her what the animal "did", and she replied that it "cleaned the cabin, did her laundry, and helped her pack for the trip". In other words, we never got a straight answer. I will say, that the dog was VERY well behaved, and never barked or bothered anyone, as far as I know, but I still can't imagine how she got permission to bring it aboard?

 

"SKY"

[lambs2]

On our 13 day Panama Canal cruise this past December on NCL we were the "lucky" ones to have a small "service" dog in the cabin next door to ours. This was a very small dog but, unfortuneately, it barked all the time. It was supposed to do its "business" in a little saw dust pit placed right smack against the balcony divider next to ours. This was a mother and daughter who had this dog with them and neither had any visible disability, but I have heard of dogs being trained as alert animals for various diseases like diabetes or epilepsy but we never heard or were told why that dog was allowed. I have heard that it is not that difficult to get a doctor to "certify" your animal for just about any problem you may have, so there is one "angle"... We saw this pair with that little dog all over the ship, but luckily, never in any of the restaurants - at least when we were eating! They both spoke with some kind of heavy accent and were VERY nasty if folks made any inquiry about their dog, so DH and I always kept our mouths shut and no comments, etc. as we had heard them snapping at some other folks up on deck, etc... We did get a card from the crusie ship stating that a service animal would be on board when we embarked. Imagine our surprise that it was in the cabin directly next to ours! That pup barked ALL the time, but we didn't feel it could do us any good to complain - so we didn't - except to each other and a couple friends on that cruise and here on CC! Folks in the balcony cabins directly below us also told us they heard the dog barking at all hours!

I kept telling DH to be sure not to get his feet into the run off water that flowed in front of our balcony!! Also, one morning I heard the ladies next door talking about how little "poopsie" kept doing its "business" next to the toilet!! :eek: I felt so sorry for our room stewards!! The only thing I did was to complain a bit about it on the review we got in an email after the cruise, and then write it up a coupletimes here on Cruise Critic!

[GottaLuvCruising]

On our 13 day Panama Canal cruise this past December on NCL we were the "lucky" ones to have a small "service" dog in the cabin next door to ours. This was a very small dog but, unfortuneately, it barked all the time. It was supposed to do its "business" in a little saw dust pit placed right smack against the balcony divider next to ours. This was a mother and daughter who had this dog with them and neither had any visible disability, but I have heard of dogs being trained as alert animals for various diseases like diabetes or epilepsy but we never heard or were told why that dog was allowed. I have heard that it is not that difficult to get a doctor to "certify" your animal for just about any problem you may have, so there is one "angle"... We saw this pair with that little dog all over the ship, but luckily, never in any of the restaurants - at least when we were eating! They both spoke with some kind of heavy accent and were VERY nasty if folks made any inquiry about their dog, so DH and I always kept our mouths shut and no comments, etc. as we had heard them snapping at some other folks up on deck, etc... We did get a card from the crusie ship stating that a service animal would be on board when we embarked. Imagine our surprise that it was in the cabin directly next to ours! That pup barked ALL the time, but we didn't feel it could do us any good to complain - so we didn't - except to each other and a couple friends on that cruise and here on CC! Folks in the balcony cabins directly below us also told us they heard the dog barking at all hours!

I kept telling DH to be sure not to get his feet into the run off water that flowed in front of our balcony!! Also, one morning I heard the ladies next door talking about how little "poopsie" kept doing its "business" next to the toilet!! :eek: I felt so sorry for our room stewards!! The only thing I did was to complain a bit about it on the review we got in an email after the cruise, and then write it up a coupletimes here on Cruise Critic!

 

Wow! You are way more patient in that situation than I would be. I would absolute raise a total stink until I had a quiet cabin. It is outrageous that they were allowed to leave the animal in the stateroom barking and disturbing neighbors. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that I'd put up with that.

[golfadj]

If I was in the cabin next to the dog, would hope it could swim home.

 

No way do I put up with the barking in the middle of the night.

[grgsgrl]

Just so you know I have a wonderful Lab and 2 cats. That said I would be really hard pressed to see any sense beyond a service animal being allowed on a cruise. Way too many folks have pet allergies and this could affect their vacation. Not to mention the folks who will be in the cabin after them.

[LHP]

I'd be really surprised if this were true. One possibility -- she presented her pet as if he were a "service animal", and got away with it. Some folks claim their pet as "needed for my emotional health" and pawn them off as "service dogs".

 

Otherwise, only Cunard allows pets, and only with them confined in a kennel.

 

That's what I am thinking....

[michelle1836]

If I was in the cabin next to the dog, would hope it could swim home.

 

No way do I put up with the barking in the middle of the night.

 

agreed! especially since the owners were so nasty

[LHP]

Wow! You are way more patient in that situation than I would be. I would absolute raise a total stink until I had a quiet cabin. It is outrageous that they were allowed to leave the animal in the stateroom barking and disturbing neighbors. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that I'd put up with that.

 

I am with you. True service animals (for epilepsy ) are trained to only bark when a seizure is about to take place.....otherwise, the owner would not know when it was a bark for a "hit" or not.

 

Sounds like they just abused the system....

[5o'clocksomewhere]

There was member on here that has a service dog.......can't remember her name. But she said it is not easy to bring the dog.....she literally has to jump thru hoops to get him on board.........you don't just get a doctors not.......the dog has to be cleared with all his papers too...

So please don't assume anyone and everyone can just make up a story in order to bring their pets..........

Just because it is a service dog does not mean it will not be uncomfortable in strange place......it will. If someone had problems with the barking they should have reported it........

[nothomeonacruise]

Wow! You are way more patient in that situation than I would be. I would absolute raise a total stink until I had a quiet cabin. It is outrageous that they were allowed to leave the animal in the stateroom barking and disturbing neighbors. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that I'd put up with that.

Me, either!

[golfadj]

There was member on here that has a service dog.......can't remember her name. But she said it is not easy to bring the dog.....she literally has to jump thru hoops to get him on board.........you don't just get a doctors not.......the dog has to be cleared with all his papers too...

So please don't assume anyone and everyone can just make up a story in order to bring their pets..........

Just because it is a service dog does not mean it will not be uncomfortable in strange place......it will. If someone had problems with the barking they should have reported it........

 

If someone needs a service dog it would be well trained and no reason not to bring it on the cruise.

 

When the owner of the dog is so insensitive to others think there is something else going on.

 

What we have here is somebody who thinks they are better than everyone else and thinks everyone should just put up with her dog barking away.

 

Maybe the dog will stop barking if the owner is thrown overboard.

[5o'clocksomewhere]

If someone needs a service dog it would be well trained and no reason not to bring it on the cruise.

 

When the owner of the dog is so insensitive to others think there is something else going on.

 

What we have here is somebody who thinks they are better than everyone else and thinks everyone should just put up with her dog barking away.

 

Maybe the dog will stop barking if the owner is thrown overboard.

 

And you know this how:confused:

Next cruise try to bring your dog......then come back and let us know how it went:rolleyes:

[golfadj]

And you know this how:confused:

Next cruise try to bring your dog......then come back and let us know how it went:rolleyes:

 

Actually I have a pet squirrel. Maybe I can bring it. Do you know if I can make a special request for walnuts?

[5o'clocksomewhere]

Actually I have a pet squirrel. Maybe I can bring it. Do you know if I can make a special request for walnuts?

 

Only if it's on the menu:p

[golfadj]

Only if it's on the menu:p

 

My squirrel?