Requirements for cruising with a service dog?

[pmfan]

I have been reading these boards and so far have not read anything about taking your service dog on a cruise. I know there must be all kinds of regulations, just haven't came across them. Can anyone help me out with this? Would love to hear about any first hand experiences. Thanks in advance.

[gammasip]

Several years back we sailed on the Paradise and in the next cabin was a seeing-eye dog. That beautiful dog went everywhere on the ship and always layed next to the feet of her "master". There were certain times each day where the dog was allowed on the uppermost deck to run and play and get exercise.

I asked the question that everyone asks....where does the dog "go"? :eek: The answer....the "poop" deck. :D Apparently the dog was "pad" trained.

[DEL67]

It may vary by cruise line so I would speak to the Special Needs desk of whatever line you are thinking of sailing on.

 

There was a service dog on our Zuiderdam cruise in April. Like the one gammasip mentioned, she sat by her owner's feet everywhere including the dining room. I am not sure where went, but I did notice a small sandbox looking box on the promenade deck and wondered if that was it.

[Queenie2]

Relief areas for service animals vary by cruise ship, so you need to inquire with special needs. Some are just in a small closet while others are a box located on an open deck. Surfaces vary too.

 

Another concern would be port access -- some Caribbean ports have quarantines or embargoes on animals and there are no exceptions for service animals. Either work with a very knowledgeable travel agent on this (by that I mean one who has dealt with service animals before) or contact the consulate of all countries on your itin for entry requirements. In come cases micro chips, rabies titers and vet certificates are required.

 

Hawaii has partially lifted its quarantine restrictions -- but there are strict requirements you need to follow. Also, as I recall, only "Guide Dog Users of America" trained animals were eligible to bypass the quarantine period. Anyway, you really need to check out the updated requirements.

 

Candy

[M&M CRUZERS]

I would contact Princess. On our Diamond Princess Mexican Riviera cruise last New Years there was a blind couple onboard. Both of them had seeing eye dogs. It was wonderful watching how the cruiseline helped them by providing guides for them on all of the tours; they blocked off seats for them in the theatre and had waiters guide them to the seats. The cruiseline also provides an area onboard for the dogs to do their thing and a crewmember takes care of that, too. I was very impressed listening to them tell how Princess helps them and they cruise as often as possible. Of course, it was also a very humbling experience being with them - getting to see the world through their "eyes". Even though I have limited mobility due to MS I marveled at them.

[montgomeryfamily]

You would need to check with the specific cruise line to determine their policies.

 

I am a group leader for a CC cruise and recently checked with Princess on their service dog policy/procedures on behalf of a passenger who was interested. I obtained answers to their questions and also obtained some additional information I thought would be helpful (Although I'm not a TA, I had a good friend in college who was blind and had a service dog, so I asked about some other issues I thought would be of interest.) This is the information I obtained:

 

Princess does accommodate service dogs. The service dogs are allowed everywhere on the ship where passengers are allowed.

 

When you make the booking for the particular Princess cruise, you have to fax the Fleet Medical Services and inform them of the dog so that Princess will give you the authorization for the dog. They will send you information regarding the requirements for bringing the dog, including a medical certificate from a vet showing that the dog is healthy. You also have to bring the dog's food with you on the ship. You can also ask these official Princess folks any particular questions that you have so that you get the official response in writing back and can take that with you on the ship in case there are any questions/problems. (This is what I would do, especially if you make any special arrangements).

 

On each Princess ship, there is a location set aside for the dog to be able to "use the bathroom". In the dining room, if you want traditional seating, you can be booked for a particular table size and have the booking coded for a larger table size so that one of the chairs is taken away and the dog has a nice comfortable place to lay down. If you have the personal choice seating, then you would need to explain to the maitre'd each evening about the table size so that there is room for the dog, but they will accommodate you.

 

Princess was able to tell me whether the dog would be allowed off the ship at the particular ports for the itinerary we will be sailing (Princess Cay, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten). On this itinerary, all of the ports will allow the service dog to disembark. So there would be no restrictions on port access. On Princess Cay, the dog can run and play on the beach too, if you want to let the dog have some play time.

 

You would have to check for the port requirements for the particular itinerary you are interested in and probably be well-advised to double check any information you receive about the ports make sure the dog can get off.

[dlbutler5]

My wife travels with her dog on every cruise. You have to check with the Special Needs Department of each line. You didn't say what line you were looking at, but we have found RCCL the easiest to deal with. Here are some of the general info that I can think of.

 

Get a health certificate shortly before departure (1-2 weeks)

 

Check with the country of each port you are to visit. The regulations vary greatly, from just the health certificate to microchipping to staying onboard in port.

 

Be prepared for many and varied reactions from passengers. We have had some very rude comments from some.

 

Buy a life jacket for the dog, the line doesn't provide them.

 

You provide you own food.

 

Get motion sickness medicine. (Just in case)

 

Our dog is small and litter trained so taking her makes very little problems for the cruise line. Bigger dogs get a relief area usually of grass.

 

If you have any other questions contact my wife at:

BRBUTLER@DAVE-AND-BARB.COM

[sologrip]

I have been reading these boards and so far have not read anything about taking your service dog on a cruise. I know there must be all kinds of regulations, just haven't came across them. Can anyone help me out with this? Would love to hear about any first hand experiences. Thanks in advance.

 

 

Cash and I travel a lot and have completed four cruises in the past year. If you are a qualified person with a disability per the ADA you can be accompanied by a service dog in places open to the public where dogs would ordinarily not be allowed if the function of your dog is to mitigate your disabling condition.. Hawaii has taken the position that it does not have to comply with the ADA, although things have loosened up there in the past couple of years ( The American Heart Association leaned on them a couple of years ago on my behalf and a new set of regulations was put in place shortly thereafter, although not in time for my visit there.) As far as Hawaii not recognizing any but guide dogs for the blind, or trained by guide dogs for the blind, that is in direct conflict with the ADA.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has just lost a disability-related court case and must now perlmit Service dogs, although even this week they were still saying that only guide dogs would be permitted. This will soon be corrected. DCL has an official Service dog policy that includes some elements that are contrary to the ADA and unless you know your rights under the ADA traveling DCL with a service dog could be a trying ordeal.

 

The notion that one who is qualified to use a service dog per the ADA must get permission from a cruise line to be accompanied by one on a cruise is as silly as the thought that you need to get permission to take a wheelchair. You must make arrangements for a relief area, comply with the laws of foreign nations you visit, and be prepared to become the focus of attention from passengers and crew whether you like it or not. In fact, from my experience, if you do not start out with a firm policy concerning whether or not you want your dog to be petted, poked, fondled, whistled at or otherwise interfered with you will find yourself spending a lot of time in your stateroom. Last November we took a Service Dog training cruise aboard the HAL Oosterdam. There were ten Service dog teams, trainers, walkers, and a vet or two aboard. These cruises are organized by Daun Flynn of Traveldepotinc.com and are a great introduction to cruising with your Service dog. Hope this helps answer some of your questions.

[Queenie2]

As far as Hawaii not recognizing any but guide dogs for the blind, or trained by guide dogs for the blind, that is in direct conflict with the ADA.

 

I didn't mean to imply that Hawaii didn't recognize any assistance animals except those trained by Guide Dogs for the Blind.

 

Yes, certainly all service animals have the same rights in Hawaii as those on the mainland as far as access to public accommodations. It's just getting *in to Hawaii* that has to do with GDU for the Blind. They were the org that brought that original action in regards to the unreasonable quarantine (for entrance) so the original settlement agreement reads that "GDU for the Blind trained animals" may forego the quarantine if they meet a myriad of other requirements (vet cert, microchiping, titers, parasite exams, etc).

 

The law now reads that a "qualified" guide dog or service can bypass the quarantine. There are two different categories - guide dogs and service animals. A qualified guide dog (for blind people) is defined as one that has " a certificate of training as a service dog by a training program accredited by Assistance Dogs International, Inc., or a service dog training program with equally rigorous administrative, operational and training standards." This is probably the easiest category as far as documentation is concerned.

 

A qualified service animal (hearing dogs or those for people with mobility disabilities) must have " a physician's statement which certifies as to the disability (of the person), and that the service dog provides assistance having to do with that disability."

 

As I understand it, "comfort animals" and those for people with psychiatric disabilities" are still not eligible to forego the quarantine. Self trained animals may be eligible, but again a physicians statement is required. (they fall under the service animal category whihc requires more documentation)

 

Here is a link to a pretty good fact sheet about the requirements for Hawaii

http://www.guidedogs.com/res-Hawaii%20facts.html

 

So again, I was not talking about access to public accommodations in Hawaii, but just getting off the ship (or airplane).

 

Additionally this exemption only applies to US citizens.

 

Candy

[sologrip]

I didn't mean to imply that Hawaii didn't recognize any assistance animals except those trained by Guide Dogs for the Blind.

 

Yes, certainly all service animals have the same rights in Hawaii as those on the mainland as far as access to public accommodations. It's just getting *in to Hawaii* that has to do with GDU for the Blind. They were the org that brought that original action in regards to the unreasonable quarantine (for entrance) so the original settlement agreement reads that "GDU for the Blind trained animals" may forego the quarantine if they meet a myriad of other requirements (vet cert, microchiping, titers, parasite exams, etc).

 

The law now reads that a "qualified" guide dog or service can bypass the quarantine. There are two different categories - guide dogs and service animals. A qualified guide dog (for blind people) is defined as one that has " a certificate of training as a service dog by a training program accredited by Assistance Dogs International, Inc., or a service dog training program with equally rigorous administrative, operational and training standards." This is probably the easiest category as far as documentation is concerned.

 

A qualified service animal (hearing dogs or those for people with mobility disabilities) must have " a physician's statement which certifies as to the disability (of the person), and that the service dog provides assistance having to do with that disability."

 

So again, I was not talking about access to public accommodations in Hawaii, but just getting off the ship (or airplane).

 

Additionally this exemption only applies to US citizens.

 

Candy

 

Candy...

I am not convinced that you really GET it.

 

The OP wanted information about service dogs and cruise travel. There are many foreign destinations that one may visit by taking a cruise but NONE of the lands I have visited with Cash have been as obtuse and obnoxious as the state of Hawaii when it comes to service dog access whether you are getting off a plane or a ship. Last I heard, Hawaii was still part of the U.S., too.

Interestingly enough, as you reported, the state of Hawaii, seems to think that requiring a separate, and illegal, by the way, standard for those handlers of mobility and other service animals is just fine. Well, it is not. There is no legal separation of service dogs into two groups: Guide dogs, and Other. There are only Service dogs, divided into types of disabilities mitigated by those Service dogs. As for whether or not you were referring to access public accommodations in Hawaii, I would hardly know. I cannot take Cash, my legally (per ADA) home-trained Service dog...and 4-year veteran of public accommodation access world-wide... into Hawaii because of its illegal definition of Service dog, which not only excludes home-trained Service dogs (illegal) but also requires me, according to you, to tote around a Dr. prescription to have him at my side, another illegal requirement, per the ADA.

The ADA allows only those people whose impairments significantly limit one or more major life activities (such as walking, hearing, seeing, etc.) to use a Service dog. I cannot believe that anyone in the state of Hawaii would have such difficulty determining when a person is truthfully claiming a mobility disability, and its mitigation by the use of a Service dog, that they would need a note telling them so. But evidently they do.

 

Massaging the definition of and training standards of Service dogs is illegal and unproductive. If the state of Hawaii is afraid of being over-run by fakes and frauds bringing rabies-infested pet canines dressed as Service dogs they would be on more solid legal ground by determining if the people accompanied by Service dogs are, in actuality, permitted to have them. At least the ADA spells out the standards for that... A significant limitation to one or more major life activities is pretty hard to miss, especially when the Service dog has to have been TRAINED to do SOMETHING to mitigate the disabling effects of that condition. I'm not going to get into a discussion of mental or psychological impairments as those are still under review by the courts and I have no practical experience there. It is likely, though, as a recent court case has, from my understanding, eliminated anxiety attacks as a legal impairment that would permit having a Service dog, mental and psychological impairments that would be disabling but still allow the person to travel would be quickly deemed not a significant limitation at the level required to qualify under the ADA.

 

So far, the most complicated destination for us has been Tortola, which reqired an expensive international health certificate and a crack-of-dawn on-board inspection by the local Tortola Ag. official and vet. personnel, some of whom, strangely enough, appeared visibly shaken upon entering a room of ten 60# to 125# Service dogs...mostly Golden Retrievers.... The inspector in Aruba was reluctant to get too close to carry out his inspection of Cash, as well. " Nice Doggy...." "Does he bite?"

 

From my Eastern Caribbean and Cabo San Lucas experiences I have observed that there is more danger to Service dogs from the off-leash native dogs than anything else and I would not recommend taking a stroll around the plazas unless you are accompanied by several people willing and able to jump in and save your dog from attack.

[OTRlady]

Sologrip:

 

My DH is totally blind, and while we don't have a service animal ourselves, some of our friends do. When planning a past group cruise, we were advised to remember that when on the cruise ships--unless registered in the USA--the ADA law does not apply. They only have to abide by whatever laws there are in the country of registry. This may explain the variation between different lines as to their specific policies.

 

However, it's also helpful to know that most cruise lines have such a large contingent of US passengers they are usually willing to go beyond the minimum--if you ask.

[OTRlady]

Be prepared for many and varied reactions from passengers. We have had some very rude comments from some.

 

In our experience (DH is totally blind; we travel without a service animal) these comments are not necessarily limited to the dog.

 

There are also some countries where the presence of a blind person outside an institution, doing normal everyday things, is as frightening or more so to the natives than the concept of a service dog.

 

Luckily, these experiences have been the exception for us, not the rule.

 

Our advice is to be persistent in asking for what you need. You can't change everything that's wrong in the world all at once, so don't let the attitudes of a few ruin your vacation.

[Queenie2]

Solo:

 

I'm not here to debate the interpretation of the law as it pertains to the embargo/quarrantine in Hawaii. I was merely pointing out to the original poster that if Hawaii was ther cruise destination, then you need to do some advance research, have documentation and be prepared to jump through some hoops if you want your service animal to get off the ship. My view is that forewarned is forearmed.

 

Candy

[hugosmom]

My husband travels with a dog guide, and we took our first cruise a couple of years ago. His dog was welcome aboard the ship (Carnival Triumph). They fixed up a "relief" area on Deck 4, which consisted of a 3 foot square of indoor/outdoor carpet. Clay decided that wasn't his idea of a grassy area, so we walked him a little further down the deck where the urine would run towards a drain; they kept this area very clean. I always took a large cup of water to help dilute it; of course we pickup up the poop using plastic bags just like we do on land.

 

There was a form to fill out ahead of time - we got it from our travel agent; he had to have up to date vaccinations and a health certificate. We were cruising up to Canada, so there weren't any extra requirements for him to go ashore. If you are planning to visit a port, be sure to have your travel agent or your vet check out the requirements of that particular country.

 

I agree with a poster above who said you need to decide and stick with your decision about whether or not you'll let your dog be petted. When we traveled with Clay, my husband didn't mind and as long as someone asked first, and Clay wasn't actively guiding, he allowed him to be petted. The crew was particularly appreciative - many of them talked about how much they missed their dogs. We're going on Mercury in September, and have a new dog, and I doubt that he'll allow much petting this time.

 

Hope this helps - if you have other questions, I'll be happy to try to answer them.

 

Hugo's mom

[CanSail]

 

From my Eastern Caribbean and Cabo San Lucas experiences I have observed that there is more danger to Service dogs from the off-leash native dogs than anything else and I would not recommend taking a stroll around the plazas unless you are accompanied by several people willing and able to jump in and save your dog from attack.

 

Finally someone making the most valid point IMO about travelling to the Carribean with a Service Dog. Thank you Solo.

From my many years of experience of travelling with my son and his Service Dogs, I have always been more worried about the native dogs on the islands. Many cruisers worry so often about "is the dog able to leave the ship at this port", when the question should be "is it safe for the dog to leave the ship", in some ports it is not.

[Wildflowers]

Hi! first-time poster here. :) I'm looking at cruise options for my best friend and myself for sometime in the future and was curious how limiting bringing a SD on the cruise would be- we both use service dogs (hearing/medical alert and seizure response, respectively) but I am wondering how limiting it will be for me to have my SD with me. My friend is not as active as I am but I love to snorkel and obviously that activity is not compatible with having my SD along. When I've done SD-impossible things (because I'm hearing impaired, not broken, and I'm pretty active) on previous vacations, I've made arrangements to board her at a local kennelfor that time period (or had her groomed- an extra bath never hurt her) and picked her up when finished, but I think that'd be rather difficult internationally. I guess this is something to address with the cruise line? She *always* has a crate when we travel (in case I'm incapacitated or hospitalized or something and she needs to be confined)- or do I just plan to not do anything like snorkeling? My friend really wants to go on a cruise rather than something less structured, but maybe it's just not a good idea? She's not as active as I am and in the past this has worked out fine- the few things I wanted to do that were too much for her, if I didn't board my dog, she watched her.

 

Sorry for the lots of dumb questions, but... not sure where else to ask?

 

Thnx!

Wildflowers

[yancycruiser]

We are on the Princess Dawn November 10. It is my understanding that a group of about 20 passengers will have their service dogs with them.

[hugosmom]

Hi, Wildflowers -

 

It depends on the cruise line, but there are steps that have to be taken to get clearance to bring the dog on board. My husband travels with a dog guide (Seeing Eye) and we just returned from a 5-day Pacific Northwest cruise on Mercury. There was a lot of work necessary beforehand to ensure that he was cleared to travel.

 

Since we only were in US and Canada, access in port for the dog wasn't an issue, but if you are traveling to islands, you may have difficulty if you want to bring the dog ashore. You also might have difficulty getting your dog back into the US, depending on where you're traveling.

 

I'd try to find a travel agent who knows a lot about international travel with a service animal and read everything you can find. You'll have to get special health certificates and make sure that shots are up to date and within the proper timeframes. It's a tremendous amount of work to do the research and to make sure all is in order; ADA obviously doesn't apply to ships or to ports outside US. Hawaii has its own set of criteria. I don't know if your dogs are owner trained or from a program, but, contrary to the ADA, certification might be required. Even when you think you've done everything right - check and check again. We checked in at least every 10 days or so between the time we submitted the paperwork and the day we cruised; there was always something else that we needed to do.

 

If the dog is aboard, be prepared to attract a lot of attention and be sure you know ahead of time what you're going to do about allowing folks to talk to or pet your dog. Passengers tended to not try to pet Hugo, but crew members were eager to pet and talk to him. He was greeted by name everywhere we went. My husband was ok with that, as long as they weren't trying to navigate anything at the time, but it can be very distracting.

 

Good luck with the research and with whatever you decide to do.

 

Hi! first-time poster here. :) I'm looking at cruise options for my best friend and myself for sometime in the future and was curious how limiting bringing a SD on the cruise would be- we both use service dogs (hearing/medical alert and seizure response, respectively) but I am wondering how limiting it will be for me to have my SD with me. My friend is not as active as I am but I love to snorkel and obviously that activity is not compatible with having my SD along. When I've done SD-impossible things (because I'm hearing impaired, not broken, and I'm pretty active) on previous vacations, I've made arrangements to board her at a local kennelfor that time period (or had her groomed- an extra bath never hurt her) and picked her up when finished, but I think that'd be rather difficult internationally. I guess this is something to address with the cruise line? She *always* has a crate when we travel (in case I'm incapacitated or hospitalized or something and she needs to be confined)- or do I just plan to not do anything like snorkeling? My friend really wants to go on a cruise rather than something less structured, but maybe it's just not a good idea? She's not as active as I am and in the past this has worked out fine- the few things I wanted to do that were too much for her, if I didn't board my dog, she watched her.

 

Sorry for the lots of dumb questions, but... not sure where else to ask?

 

Thnx!

Wildflowers

[tvaud]

My husband's service dog will be accompanying us for the first time on our next cruise. Princess has just approved him for sailing, but have recommended we follow up with pettravels.com for port requirements. We will be stopping in Aruba, Colombia, Costa Rica and Jamaica. I know that we can't bring him with us to Jamaica, as he was not born in the UK, as is a requirement. As for the other ports, microchipping and health certificates are the requirements. Now, this is my question. Is one certificate good for all of these ports or is there a separate one for each that we have to get? Also, in the letter from Princess, they state that if the dog is not permitted to enter a port, the dog cannot be left alone in the cabin...but we can seek assistance on board. Ok...what does that mean? Can we keep him in a kennel in our cabin or do we have to hire a dog sitter for the time in port? My husband wouldn't have a problem staying on board, if his dog can't accompany him, but I would be disappointed not to have my husband with me...and also would be upset if he missed a port for this reason. Any advice? Thanks.

 

TV

Edited December 6, 2014 by tvaud