Take your pet cruising on Carnival with you !!

[JenLOverbey]

A service CAT???? I have never even been able to train a cat to respond to its name... in my experience they seem to think that they are our masters.... :)

[MissDiva1]

a joke here is "Boca Raton/South Florida.....the place where people keep their kids on leashes and their dogs in strollers"

 

That probably is not a bad idea..........

[maldenmusic]

I'm a retired RN and I'm thinking the little guy might have been able to detect and warn his person of impending seizures. Smaller dogs seem to have that ability sometimes.

[Carnivaluver]

Animals are wonderful, and intuitive, and an asset to almost everyone. That said, people have gotten way out of hand pretending that their animals are service animals. Service animals need to be trained to peform a function, not merely helpful. It's a shame that so many people took advantage that the regulations had to be changed and clarified.

 

I'm primarily a Disney traveler and every single day on those boards there's an argument from someone who gets anxious in crowds so they need their pet to calm them down. That is not providing a service and needs to be stopped. I've not seen many service animals on cruises (and none that seemed to be taking advantage) but I think we all see people every day of our lives who won't be parted from their dogs for a minute. That's who we are talking about.

 

I wish people wouldn't be vilified for offering an opinion. If you have a trained, certified service dog take it everywhere with you. If you are exaggerating because you like your pet or lean on it for emotional support, shame on you for taking advantage of the fact that people can't question your "disability."

 

Well stated and it is becoming more apparent in many places that the so called internet certified "service dogs" are becoming the new Beverly Hills Chihuahua trend for cruisers. :)

[MissDiva1]

I have been on over 16 cruises and I have never seen a dog on a cruise.........talk about exaggeration.......

[michelle1836]

I have sleep apnea and my Pit Bull wakes me when I stop breathing. I guess now i know I can bring Killer(thats his name) with me next cruise. Great thanks for the info.Oh and he doesn't need a stroller.

 

but not formally trained to do that I'm sure. Just natural instinct? I wonder how one can officially make his pet a 'service dog'?

 

I have been on over 16 cruises and I have never seen a dog on a cruise.........talk about exaggeration.......

 

I have only been on 4 and never saw a service animal. guess I'll have to keep sailing! :D

[michelle1836]

would it be rude to ask a person (tactfully) with a little service dog why she has one?

[Shewuf]

I am a dog person. I'm just wondering where these dogs, service or otherwise, potty on a ship.:confused:

[halos]

I have been on over 16 cruises and I have never seen a dog on a cruise.........talk about exaggeration.......

seriously.

[pyroguy]

At first, when reading this thread I could understand a seeing-eye dog that we typically see in public places, but had no idea that the smaller dogs could detect seizures, etc.

 

I'll admit, I was ignorant, and this thread made me think twice about the smaller dogs - so although I wouldn't be thrilled to see a bunch of them on the ship (which I doubt would happen), I understand the need and am glad the owner finds the dog useful.

 

With that said, I saw several people arguing that it's the law that the ships follow ADA regulations. Several people asked "is it? the ships are flagged internationally..." but nobody seemed to know. (I thought this was a valid point)

 

I found this interesting article in a case in 2005 ") - Spector V. Norweigian Cruise LIne Ltd

 

It's interesting that the lower court sided with the plainiff, then it was overturned by the Circuit court - then somewhat overturned again by the supreme court - but left to the lower courts to decide the specifics. Interesting read.

 

The bottom line on all of this is that we have to realize we live in a society with people who are different from us. Those people have different needs. As a member of society, people need to be tolerant of other peoples' needs (although not necessarily thier ideas or actions).

 

The bomb throwers out there who like to stir the pot aren't helping anything...quite the opposite. Would you treat someone like that if you were sitting down with them having a cup of coffee? Sure, there are going to be people who abuse the system - we all have seen them and it's maddening - but come on, people...is there really anything that bad to diminish the fact that YOU'RE STILL ON A CRUISE!

 

How about this: The next time you're in a cruise port on your way to an excursion and see the little kid on the street corner selling trinkets for his next meal - tell him all about how much it ruins your vacation to see a little doggie in a stroller on the cruise ship. I'm sure he'll sympathize with your plight.

[trailercruiser]

I have been on over 16 cruises and I have never seen a dog on a cruise.........talk about exaggeration.......

I've been on 12 cruises and have seen 13 service dogs. Their goes your stats. Thats like someone saying" I was on that cruise and my AC worked fine", yet someone on the same cruise AC didn't. You can't walk in someones shoes.;)

[halos]

I've been on 12 cruises and have seen 13 service dogs. .;)

 

hmmmmm

I can't say I've come across 13 service dogs in my lifetime.

[MissDiva1]

I've been on 12 cruises and have seen 13 service dogs. Their goes your stats. Thats like someone saying" I was on that cruise and my AC worked fine", yet someone on the same cruise AC didn't. You can't walk in someones shoes.;)

 

There goes nadda;)

 

hmmmmm

I can't say I've come across 13 service dogs in my lifetime.

 

Me either lol!

[michelle1836]

me neither

but i did see a yorkie in a supermarket once. no 'service dog' vest or anything. I guess it is not a requirement for the animals to wear one of these?

[Mooder]

THAT'S MY VALENTINE!!!!! I assure you that she is a very qualified service dog who is a platinum cruiser and will be on the T/A for the Carnival Magic. I swear people should be trained as well as she is! The reason she is in her travel bag is she is so small and if I tried to walk with her people would step on her possibly breaking her leg. On a cruise especially people are not expecting to see a dog let alone one so small so I have to take precautions to protect her so that she can help me. This little dog has awakened me from a deep sleep alert me to a serious situations on more that one occations. I know that she is a cutie pie type of dog but believe me she is a hard worker!

 

 

V's Mom, I am so glad you posted. I was just about to post the reason my Maltese is sometimes in a stroller or carrier. It is for her safety. She is not being pampered, but protected because she is so small. Not to mention that those who object to animals should be pleased that the dog is contained when possible. Valentine is beautiful!

[Mooder]

I'm surprised that no one has even mentioned those sensitive to cologne and perfume. Certain brands of perfume will instantly trigger a migraine for me. This is such a huge risk on a cruise, at the mall, grocery shopping, at the bank, at work ~ everywhere ~ that I travel everywhere prepared for the situation. I am fortunate that my migraines provide a visual alert (I see spots, and lose peripheral vision) that provides me about 10 minutes to try and get medication on board. If I miss the 10 min. window, I'm done for at least a day. I travel prepared. I don't think it's my right to ask you NOT to wear that cologne, it's my responsibility to expect the unexpected. I guess it really is all about perspective.

Blue skies and smooth seas to all. :)

 

Pearly, you bring up an excellent point that I was going to make once I finished reading this thread. While I have great empathy for those with allergies, I have a couple of my own, there is no guaranty in life that you won't encounter them out the world. Why would a cruise ship be any different? I have no problem with cabins being designated for animals, but it may become impractical when you consider all the possible allergens in the world. Can they guaranty me that there have never been peanuts in this cabin, or perfume, or anything else I might be allergic to. It is unrealistic. That isn't minimizing your suffering, just facing the world as it is.

 

And, as others have pointed out, while I do not condone people abusing the therapy dog rules (they just hurt the people who really need it), if it were really a problem, this would come up much more often. It is still pretty unusual to see a dog on a ship.

[Worm61]

It wouldn't bother me if i saw a dog on board ..but it would make me miss mine & wish she was with me .....:rolleyes:

[bplazo]

It wouldn't bother me if i saw a dog on board ..but it would make me miss mine & wish she was with me .....:rolleyes:

 

As much as I love my dogs, I do enjoy going on my cruises without them. There are well taken care of at home.

[trailercruiser]

hmmmmm

I can't say I've come across 13 service dogs in my lifetime.

Thats because your always on CC. You need to get out , you'll see plenty at Jackson Park.:p

[Mooder]

If it's a service dog being pushed around in a stroller by the supposed recipient of the need, then I have a problem.

 

Can you explain why you have a problem? The stroller doesn't detract from the dog's ability to provide the service. It only protects the dog and might even help some of the people who want to avoid dogs.

[Mooder]

Great post ! Those who post nonsense like "dogs are cleaner than many people" or "I would rather see dogs than drunks" just do NOT get the point here.

 

NO one is saying that legitimate service dogs should be banned....BUT there is a growing group of people who get their "prescription" from their doctor to have their "companion" certified. And this is what we are talking about

 

Many here are so black/white and either / or.....it gets surreal.

 

I posted about the problem here in south florida.....people getting prescriptions for "anxiety, depression, being lonely" in order to avoid no dog laws in condos.

 

It may be a moot point as the "new" laws were shown to limit the types of "service" animals covered by the ADA

 

 

The dog stroller phenom is really popular. If you are in a mall here and see a stroller, stop to look at the baby it often has a furry face.

 

 

a joke here is "Boca Raton/South Florida.....the place where people keep their kids on leashes and their dogs in strollers"

 

It must be regional, which might explain why some people are reacting so differently to this. I could count on one hand the number of times I have seen an animal in the mall. So, I am amazed that anyone thinks this is becoming a problem. It is interesting to hear it is different in other parts of the country. When I had to buy my dog a stroller because she had a spinal injury and couldn't move for 8 weeks, I had to special order it.

 

Bottom line, your regional experience plus mine are not enough to determine whether there is truly a problem. I'm glad the regulations are evolving.

 

What I take issue with in your post is just the very beginning. I do think my dog is cleaner than most people would have no problem with well maintained dogs like her in a restaurant.

[Mooder]

I have been on over 16 cruises and I have never seen a dog on a cruise.........talk about exaggeration.......

 

You can add my 14 cruises. I agree there is a lot of exaggeration, but why should this thread be any different than most of the others? ;)

[halos]

Thats because your always on CC..:p

 

LMAO...yeah, it would seem that way.

[comxkid]

There is was interesting article in the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel two days ago. I have attached a link for those interested in reading.

 

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/may/09/some-try-to-skirt-rules-with-fake-service-dogs/

 

One of the points of the article was that these exaggerated definitions of service animals were adversely affecting the reception that "true" service animals were receiving. It appears that it got bad enough for the U.S. Department of Justice to amend the guidelines last month to narrow the definition of service animals to dogs that are trained to perform specific tasks related to the owner's proven disability.

 

Personally, if I see the dog in the first picture on a ship, I understand. If I see the second dog, I'm asking the question.

[Little Elm]

Really? I don't think I've ever seen a passenger lick their butt and spread fecal matter over their hair and then shed that hair, contaminated with fecal matter, constantly.

 

This is a good one. I would bet the amount of fecal matter a dog spreads (if any) would be a lot less then the people who use the restroom and don't wash their hands. You should look up those stories. You would stop traveling or even going out.