Now with so many "service animals" do they have a Vet onboard ?

[El Crucero]

I know that an airline requires a current letter from a psychologist or psychiatrist stating the person needs an emotional support animal.

 

That is against the law. An owner may supply a letter if they wish, but it cannot be required. There is a BIG fine for requiring a letter.

 

The animal must remain in their crate during the flight.

 

Generally speaking, that is true, but not always. They also fly for free.

 

Yes, you can buy the certificates and vests online but they are bogus.

 

True, unfortunately.

 

However, if that dog does relieve itself on the deck or lawn area, I am going to get very upset and will speak to the owner and to the appropriate official on board.

 

Yes, you have every right to do that. However, I do not recommend that you approach the owner. Go to Guest Services and report the incident. A legitimate support animal is trained to relieve themselves on a "piddle pad" in the owner's bathroom (tile floor).

[El Crucero]

Sandtrap328, the standard poodle in his little vest that said support animal was not in a crate. I know this as he kept trying to climb into my lap & barking incessantly. The flight crew ended up removing the woman & her dog before we departed the gate as they were too disruptive. My cousin has had 11 guide dogs (she's been blind since birth). A true service animal doesn't act in a disruptive manner, they wouldn't get through the extensive training.

 

Amen, exactly true!

 

The Poodle in question was not properly trained and therefore was not a legitimate support animal and should be removed from the flight as allowed by law.

[RMMariner]

There were two dogs on our last cruise.

 

One was obviously a service dog for a man with vision disabilities. The dog was amazingly well behaved. Anyone complaining about that dog would have been in the wrong.

 

The second was a large german shepherd. The dog was relatively well behaved. Its owners both seemed to be in good health, but who knows. They often had it off leash, and one day it was chasing the dot from a laser pointer up and down the deck. It did not bother me, but a dog that size can be intimidating for many people. I cannot say whether this dog was legitimately allowed on board, but watching the owners flaunt the rules once it was aboard, made me think that they may well have falsified its role as a helper dog.

 

I think you will see and more dogs on cruises. The cruise lines are going to have to figure a way to deal them. I like dogs, but honestly, unless it is a verifiable service dog they really do not belong on board.

[El Crucero]

The second was a large german shepherd. The dog was relatively well behaved. Its owners both seemed to be in good health, but who knows. They often had it off leash, and one day it was chasing the dot from a laser pointer up and down the deck.

 

Off leash would be grounds for a complaint to guest services. A support animal must be on leash or a restraint of some type while in public places. You would be justified in complaining, I would have done it too. Being off leash on a cruise ship would be grounds, by law, for removing the dog and its owners at the next port stop.

 

but honestly, unless it is a verifiable service dog they really do not belong on board.

 

Generally I agree with you. There could be exceptions, but generally you are correct and I am the world's biggest dog lover.

[dkjretired]

Off leash would be grounds for a complaint to guest services. A support animal must be on leash or a restraint of some type while in public places. You would be justified in complaining, I would have done it too. Being off leash on a cruise ship would be grounds, by law, for removing the dog and its owners at the next port stop..

 

Actually, its one of those things where you really don't know what's going on because although the dog should have a leash, there are exceptions and are you in a position to judge it or not. From the US Justice Dept.

 

A service animal must have a harness, leash or other tether, unless the handler is unable to use a tether because of a disability or the use of a tether would interfere with the service animal's ability to safely perform its work or tasks.

 

You can just about bet that these people with the poodles and in strollers have owners who are frequent cruisers, may even be heavily invested in Royal.

[Fish Lover]

I work with and train service dogs. Per the ADA there are three types of support animals - Service animals, Emotional Support animals, and Therapy animals.

 

Service animals (usually dogs) require the most training, maybe a couple of hundred hours or more, and meet the highest standards but also have the most privileges. The most obvious service animals are those for the visually impaired. But there are many justifications for a service animal - hearing impaired, neurological conditions, medication reminder, and about 10 other less obvious categories.

 

Therapy animals are the next level. These are animals that usually work in hospitals, convalescent homes, and long term nursing facilities to give emotional support to other people usually not the owner. These require extensive training but not as much as a service dog. They have fewer privileges than a service animal, for example they are NOT supposed to be permitted in a restaurant or grocery store.

 

Emotional support animals require virtually no training other than some basic obedience commands. These animals are mostly justified by people who experience air flight anxiety, but there could be other reasons. They have the fewest privileges. This is the class most subject to abuse by their owners.

 

I own a Therapy dog and we work in the local health facilities. I am somewhat allergic to dogs. I needed a breed that was non-shedding and hypoallergenic to live in my home and work in hospitals. I selected the Havanese breed. Although a long haired dog in their natural coat, they are non-shedding and hypo-allergenic. They are smallish (under 15 pounds), intelligent, highly social, not shy, sturdy, and adaptable. My dog gives comfort and support to those, both adults and children, who are confined in a licensed health care facility.

 

Back to Mr. Click's comments, I agree with him. Support animal privileges are abused. Often you can get a bogus certification from an online site that is just looking for easy money. It is like the abuse of handicap parking placards. I support stronger enforcement of support animal and handicap parking requirements and standards. Although support animals may be justified on aircraft, support animals on cruise ships should be very limited. Cunard allows dogs of any type, including pets, on the Queen Mary. However they need to be in a kennel while on board and they have limited hours outside in a fenced area each day with a kennel master. I would never allow my dog to be confined in that type of environment. So I will not be taking my dog on a cruise ship. Although he would not cause any problems, he would not be as happy as staying home with proper supervision.

 

Dogs in strollers and feeding dogs from the table on a cruise ship are a red flag. A trained support dog does not require that type of accommodation. They may be a legitimate service dog, but there is a larger possibility that they are not. Trained support dogs do not require a stroller or feeding from a table.

 

Unfortunately, current law does not allow any challenges to "support animals" on board or any environment. So the whole discussion on CC is mute. I have seen one service dog on board in my travels, for the visually impaired, a German Shepherd. The dog was properly trained and well behaved. DO NOT APPROACH A SERVICE ANIMAL UNLESS YOU ASK PERMISSION FIRST FROM THE OWNER!

 

I hope that "support animals" on cruise ships in the future will be minimal and well supervised. This is a privilege that I fear will be more abused in the future. I will be monitoring the developments carefully. If you are allergic to a particular animal while on board, do not hesitate to contact guest services and medical staff. They are required to accommodate you as much as the support animal. Thank you for reading.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write. I feel better informed.

[dkjretired]

I hope they clean the rooms the dogs are in?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I had a allergy test and YES my biggest allergy was to DOGS.

I have no problem TRUE service dogs, but the so called emotional support dogs, I have an issue with.

We were in the D+ lounge, and I guess, the husband, brought his wife's service dog in, and it was a true service dog, at least I think, the dog was allowed on the furniture and chairs, again I guess while his wife was getting ready, for formal night. He left, the concierge said nothing, I said something to the concierge and he replied "SO".

Anyway later a lovely lady came in wearing a EXPENSIVE designer gown, sets down where the dog had been setting and eating, enough said.

 

Just as an FYI, according to the law if you have an allergy and confront a Service Dog, dog wins.

[El Crucero]

A service animal must have a harness, leash or other tether, unless the handler is unable to use a tether because of a disability or the use of a tether would interfere with the service animal's ability to safely perform its work or tasks.

 

Yes, that is correct. That is why I said a leash or restraint. For example a service dog for the visually impaired will sometimes not be on a leash but will have a handle for the owner to follow the dog's lead.

 

A dog that is off leash and chasing around on deck in play, clearly does not meet the requirements of the law.

[Sandtrap328]

That is against the law. An owner may supply a letter if they wish, but it cannot be required. There is a BIG fine for requiring a letter.

 

 

------------

 

Friend,

You are incorrect about this. Please go to the American Airlines website regarding travelling with emotional support animals and you will see I am accurate. You will see that a current letter from a licensed mental health professional is required.

 

Other airlines are similar.

 

I have no idea about cruise ship policies regarding emotional support animals. I was only discussing the policy I know about planes.

[willcruiseanythyme]

That is against the law. An owner may supply a letter if they wish, but it cannot be required. There is a BIG fine for requiring a letter.

 

 

------------

 

Friend,

You are incorrect about this. Please go to the American Airlines website regarding travelling with emotional support animals and you will see I am accurate. You will see that a current letter from a licensed mental health professional is required.

 

Other airlines are similar.

 

I have no idea about cruise ship policies regarding emotional support animals. I was only discussing the policy I know about planes.

I know the University my daughter attends will allow any student to have an "emotional support" animal in their dorms as long as they have their doctor sign off on it. Pretty easy to get apparently!

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Forums mobile app

[chengkp75]

El Crucero has posted some of the most cogent facts regarding service animals I've seen here on CC for a long time.

 

For the poster who mentioned a pug as a seizure alert animal, per the ADA, a service animal is only allowed to be in two locations when in public: on the floor, or in the owner's arms. So, if the animal is not capable of walking on its own for the distances required, either on ship or on shore, the owner must either carry it, or have a chest carrier for the dog.

 

Finally, please remember that in the landmark case of Spector v. NCL, where the SCOTUS ruled that the ADA did apply to foreign flag cruise ships, in some facets, it also ruled that the ADA did not apply to the cruise ship's "internal policies and procedures", barring explicit instruction from Congress. In other words, unless Congress went back and modified the ADA to specifically state that all aspects of the act apply specifically to foreign flag ships (which Congress has not done in the intervening 12 years), the act does not apply to policies and procedures. Therefore, the ships and lines are free to interpret how they handle access to service animals, how they treat unruly animals, etc. What this means is that the lines have taken a relaxed attitude towards the animals, hoping to keep the owners of fake animals cruising, while not ticking off the majority of passengers. If enough passengers complain, not only to the ship, but the line's corporate headquarters, and CLIA as well, a unified statement from CLIA of service dog's "rules of conduct", just like there is one for passengers, would be able to eliminate the phony animals brought onboard.

[dkjretired]

That is against the law. An owner may supply a letter if they wish, but it cannot be required. There is a BIG fine for requiring a letter.

 

 

------------

 

Friend,

You are incorrect about this. Please go to the American Airlines website regarding travelling with emotional support animals and you will see I am accurate. You will see that a current letter from a licensed mental health professional is required.

 

Other airlines are similar.

 

 

 

I have no idea about cruise ship policies regarding emotional support animals. I was only discussing the policy I know about planes.

 

Actually, you have to understand there is a difference between Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals. Private entities may require documentation for Emotional Support Dogs because they are allowing the animal in their facilities as a courtesy to the customer. Same with the cruise line, hotels, eating establishments, etc. They do not have to allow Support dogs into their facilities. Service dogs are absolutely a different story and I believe that's what El Crucero was speaking about. If a service dog, they are not allowed to ask for any type of documentation under any circumstance. Below is a link to a simple guidance from the US Justice Department which is very informative.

 

https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

[alexspepa]

Excellent information from El Crucero - if anyone is interested in learning more about actually cruising with a real Service Dog I encourage you to visit this thread on Cruise Critic:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=585728&page=915

 

10 years old, 900+ pages and 18000+ posts - it was started by a wonderful Lady named Roz and a lot of people with Service Dogs as well as Service Puppy trainers contribute on a daily basis - as well as some long-time lurkers like me (they are very nice to us lurkers!)

 

It is entertaining and educational and one of the first places I start my day...please join us.

 

keith

[dkjretired]

Excellent information from El Crucero - if anyone is interested in learning more about actually cruising with a real Service Dog I encourage you to visit this thread on Cruise Critic:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=585728&page=915

 

10 years old, 900+ pages and 18000+ posts - it was started by a wonderful Lady named Roz and a lot of people with Service Dogs as well as Service Puppy trainers contribute on a daily basis - as well as some long-time lurkers like me (they are very nice to us lurkers!)

 

It is entertaining and educational and one of the first places I start my day...please join us.

 

keith

 

Agree, read that thread a few times over the years, very interesting...Whenever one of these threads pops up, someone usually refers back to the thread, its an old classic.

[bEwAbG]

For the poster who mentioned a pug as a seizure alert animal, per the ADA, a service animal is only allowed to be in two locations when in public: on the floor, or in the owner's arms. So, if the animal is not capable of walking on its own for the distances required, either on ship or on shore, the owner must either carry it, or have a chest carrier for the dog.

 

My friend does have a carrier for hers. I'm just suggesting that we don't know why an animal might be in a cart. What if the owner didn't realize the distances involved in traversing the ship all day? Or maybe her carrier broke? The point still stands: everyone judging someone for having an animal with them is not aware of the facts in any particular case.

[Sandtrap328]

 

Actually, you have to understand there is a difference between Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals. Private entities may require documentation for Emotional Support Dogs because they are allowing the animal in their facilities as a courtesy to the customer. Same with the cruise line, hotels, eating establishments, etc. They do not have to allow Support dogs into their facilities. Service dogs are absolutely a different story and I believe that's what El Crucero was speaking about. If a service dog, they are not allowed to ask for any type of documentation under any circumstance. Below is a link to a simple guidance from the US Justice Department which is very informative.

 

https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

 

I fully understand the difference between a service dog and an emotional support animal.

 

I may have misunderstood El Crucero and thought he meant it is against the law to require a letter from a licensed mental health professional for an emotional support animal (which is an airline requirement).

 

The true service dogs are amazing animals and it is remarkable to see them at work with their owners. Last cruise I was on, there was a golden lab seeing eye dog with his blind owner. They seemed to work together as a single unit.

 

The little fluffy mops of fur in the baby carriages are just the "babies" of their owners and the owner cannot bear to be away from the MaltiPoo or whatever furball it may be. They should NOT be allowed on ships.

[NLH Arizona]

 

They should NOT be allowed on ships.

I totally agree. The problem is that the folks that can't leave fluffy at home lie and say their dog is a service dog and cruise lines, as well as most other businesses, are afraid of a lawsuit, so they let them in. I've read of unruly dogs on cruises, dogs who poop in public places (owners didn't clean it up), bark at other passengers, snap at staff, sitting on a table in the buffet, etc. and still the cruise lines are afraid to kick these dogs off the ships. It is going to take a non-service dog biting another passenger and a lawsuit for the cruise lines to crack down on "emotional support" dogs.

[bigbeergut]

Someday soon, I hope one of these cruise lines takes a stand to deny boarding to these emotional support animals. The consensus of passengers understand it is a sham that is just a way for inconsiderate passengers to bring Fluffy on vacation. Hopefully if one line steps forward, the others will follow.

[Eisernes]

Leaving our dogs in the kennel is part of the vacation! That's a whole week not having to walk them every few hours and not hearing them bark at the mailman like crazy people. They don't mind. Animals don't know they are on vacation.

[Scotico]

Just curious. I am very allergic to certain dog/cat hair. How can celebrity ensure that if a dog was in my room, it was cleaned properly. I would have a problem sitting in the dining room next to one of those little rat dogs yapping in a purse being fed food from the table.

[El Crucero]

I may have misunderstood El Crucero and thought he meant it is against the law to require a letter from a licensed mental health professional for an emotional support animal (which is an airline requirement).

 

I was hoping to simplify the discussion but I guess not. There are two different governing dpcuments on Assistance Animals in the US, the ADA (American's with Disabilities Act) and the ACAA (Air Carriers Access Act). The two documents have different rules and regulations. Generally peaking the ADA supercedes the ACAA, EXCEPT when traveling on an airplane when the ACAA applies. It is beyond the scope of this thread to discuss all the nuances between the two acts. To further complicate things, several years ago SCOTUS ruled that foreign flagged ships (Celebrity for example) are exempt from the ADA. My impression is that cruse lines like Celebrity try to accommodate guests with Assistance Animals but they are not required to do so.

 

I've read of unruly dogs on cruises, dogs who poop in public places (owners didn't clean it up), bark at other passengers, snap at staff, sitting on a table in the buffet, etc. and still the cruise lines are afraid to kick these dogs off the ships. It is going to take a non-service dog biting another passenger and a lawsuit for the cruise lines to crack down on "emotional support" dogs.

 

I sympathize and agree with you, but if a cruise line can't do anything about chair hogs and enforce required attire in the MDR, I'm not sure how soon they will do anything about those with pets aboard who are not trained Assistance Animals.

[chengkp75]

El Crucero;

 

Foreign flag cruise ships are not exempt from the ADA, as I stated in my post above. They must meet the accessibility standards of "reasonable access" (meaning that if an older ship has a space that would require a major redesign to become accessible, it is not required) (and newer ships must meet all of the accessibility criteria), and non-discrimination, SCOTUS ruled that the "internal policies and procedures" of the ship don't have to comply. A further complication is that SCOTUS ruled that SOLAS trumps ADA when it comes to accessibility.

[jaspersmommy]

The other term for "emotional support animal" is "pet."

 

Not true. I just finished watching a series of pieces on the news about emotional support animals. One guy was a veteran and had severe, disabling PTSD. The "emotional support" dog helped turn his life around. He had become a complete recluse from the PTSD. You would not believe the difference the dog made to his life. There were several similar stories to his.

 

It just proves that you shouldn't judge by appearances.

[El Crucero]

Foreign flag cruise ships are not exempt from the ADA, as I stated in my post above. They must meet the accessibility standards of "reasonable access"

 

The SCOTUS ruling was not 100% clear. Most law experts interpret the ruling as meaning that foreign flagged ships calling on a US port on any itinerary are required to comply with ADA. Foreign flagged ships NOT calling on a US port are not required to comply. I am not an attorney and I am just as confused as the next person.

[NLH Arizona]

Not true. I just finished watching a series of pieces on the news about emotional support animals. One guy was a veteran and had severe, disabling PTSD. The "emotional support" dog helped turn his life around. He had become a complete recluse from the PTSD. You would not believe the difference the dog made to his life. There were several similar stories to his.

 

It just proves that you shouldn't judge by appearances.

A dog trained to support someone with PTSD is not an "emotional support" dog, it is a service dog and fully covered under ADA rules and regulations, something an "emotional support" dog is not.

 

From ADA: Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets.