Service dogs on board ship

[victory2020]

6 minutes ago, hannibal54 said:

I understand the need for true service dogs, however on the other side there are people like me who are allergic to dogs. Our needs are over looked.

Absolutely! I am deathly afraid of dogs(have been attacked by one that was on a leash). True service dogs are highly trained, fake ones have no such restraint.

Edited January 28, 2019 by victory2020

[hannibal54]

8 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

Absolutely! I am deathly afraid of dogs(have been attacked by one that was on a leash). True service dogs are highly trained, fake ones have no such restraint.

 

When I was younger I was attacked by a large unleashed dog so I am uncomfortable around larger dogs. This is on top of my allergy.

[makiramarlena]

Service dogs are working dogs. They don’t sit on the furniture or eat from the table. They are trained to perform a task or tasks to assist their owner. If they’re in public with the owner, they are working. The task can be anything. Bringing medication, reminding the owner to take medication, recognizing and reacting when the owner has a panic attack.

 

An emotional support animal is a pet and hasn’t necessarily been trained to do anything. The owner requires only the animal’s presence to provide “companionship” or “comfort.”

 

however, businesses often don’t want to risk a scene by trying to distinguish between the two.

 

[esm54687]

13 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

 

Monkeys, how ever well trained, are not recognized as service animals under the ADA. Only dogs and miniature horses are recognized.

Actually, ADA covers any animal that is trained for service not just dogs or miniature horses...  bullet #2

 

The other challenge to businesses is that it's against the ADA for a business to ask for the animal's documents that certify it as a service do animal.  Not all states require a certification or license to be classified as a service animal. If you notice the NCL requirement is only that proper medical (vaccinations etc) be submitted for the service animal to board.

 

I personally feel service animals should be licensed to protect the integrity of the service animal role. You have to jump through hoops with a medical doctor and then Registry of Motor Vehicles Medical Board review to certify a handicap placard legitimate for parking in designated spaces...... but any "pet" can masquerade as a service animal. 

 

https://www.ada.gov/archive/qasrvc.htm

Edited January 28, 2019 by esm54687

[4774Papa]

I don't mind the dogs, but I don't like to see people feeding their dogs in the MDR.

[GeezerCouple]

2 hours ago, esm54687 said:

Actually, ADA covers any animal that is trained for service not just dogs or miniature horses...  bullet #2

 

The other challenge to businesses is that it's against the ADA for a business to ask for the animal's documents that certify it as a service do animal.  Not all states require a certification or license to be classified as a service animal. If you notice the NCL requirement is only that proper medical (vaccinations etc) be submitted for the service animal to board.

 

I personally feel service animals should be licensed to protect the integrity of the service animal role. You have to jump through hoops with a medical doctor and then Registry of Motor Vehicles Medical Board review to certify a handicap placard legitimate for parking in designated spaces...... but any "pet" can masquerade as a service animal. 

 

https://www.ada.gov/archive/qasrvc.htm

 

Thanks.

 

I've always wondered about service monkeys, and it's interesting that they are indeed included within the ADA.

 

I never would have thought about it (or even known about them, probably) if I hadn't seen that service monkey in the airport, being moved to its new owner.  The handler was very generous with information about the training, etc.  Apparently the new owner had already spend considerable time training *with* the monkey (her/his particular support monkey), after the monkey had already received the general training.  And now, the monkey was going to live with that person and help.

 

(I guess I was wrong in assuming that one could request documentation that the service animal was indeed a *service* animal.  However, I did know that one cannot ask the nature of the disability.  In some cases, it's obvious, but in other cases, it may not be obvious at all.)

 

GC

[newmexicoNita]

On 1/27/2019 at 11:53 AM, NH Cruisers said:

I was perusing the RCCL boards and came across a thread about emotional support dogs on board.

In 18 or so cruises I have yet to see that.  Is that allowed on NCL ships?

 

Evidently it is not so rare on RCCL ships.  I never saw it.  But the folks are pretty irate, they got a photo of a little dog sitting in the buffet area in a seat.  It is alone and obviously doesn't appear to be a support dog.

 

Just wondering if any one has seen this in the past 15 or so years on NCL?

emotional support dogs I do no know but we did have a service dog on our last cruise. He was a seeing eye dog and just a delightful guy. We all feel in love with him. 

[NYcruzzer]

7 minutes ago, newmexicoNita said:

 

Here is the doggie in Windjammer Buffet on a Royal Ship

Edited January 28, 2019 by NYcruzzer

[graphicguy]

19 hours ago, NLH Arizona said:

True service dogs are not required to wear a vest, etc.  and I have never seen a true service dog in an outfit, in a stroller, sitting on a chair, being fed from a table, etc..

Yeah...those are the only ones I've seen on my Royal Cruises.  Others on land I've seen all have legitimate service vests or somehow identified as a true service dog.

 

Even the airlines are cracking down on the so called animals owners try to board without proper ADA documentation.

 

I welcome it.

[esm54687]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Yeah...those are the only ones I've seen on my Royal Cruises.  Others on land I've seen all have legitimate service vests or somehow identified as a true service dog.

 

Even the airlines are cracking down on the so called animals owners try to board without proper ADA documentation.

 

I welcome it.

As I mentioned earlier (and the link to the ADA confirms)...... there isn't any "documentation" that certifies a service animal so not sure what airlines, etc are cracking down on.  Unless it is a "Certificate of Training" but anyone can Photoshop them 

 

But I totally agree that service animals deserve to be recognized by having licenses etc to protect the integrity of the amazing work they do. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

3 hours ago, NYcruzzer said:

Here is the doggie in Windjammer Buffet on a Royal Ship

this dog is better trained than mine. Mine wouldn't have patiently waited for me - she would have run after me. Kudos to this dog!

[AKR2011]

There was a chihuahua on The Escape 14 day in November with us. Miss Sunshine or something like that? We never noticed until it was time to get off the ship. The man with the dog was traveling alone, and he had 4 HUGE bags. He said there was lots of alcohol in them, and he didn't want to leave them outside his door the night before. He was struggling to get off the ship so husband and I helped. We learned that the dog detected panic attacks. We helped him carry his bags - THEY WERE SO HEAVY!! - and at one point he asked me to hold the dog instead. I thought that was very odd. You're not supposed to hold a service animal for someone, at least that's what I thought?? He then skipped the line outside to go out the handicapped way, and we followed him since there was no way he could get those bags without us. Once in the terminal, he found a porter to assist so that we could get our own bags. The whole situation was just very odd and didn't feel right. Is detecting a panic attack a service? And what does the dog do when that happens? It seemed like more of emotional support than a job, but I'm not NCL. I guess I can't judge.

Edited January 28, 2019 by AKR2011

[erdoran]

You can buy emotional support animal certification over the internet for around $200, including a letter from a local doctor stating they prescribed this emotional support animal for you. I know someone who did that because he had a pet he wanted to have with him.  I made my opinion known, but of course was ignored - someone who would cheapen service animals with that type of nonsense knows what they are doing, but are too selfish and self-centered to care or to even think they are doing something wrong.

 

There should be consequences for fake service animals but it seems like a legal minefield to call fraud on them.

[BeachChik]

3 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Yeah...those are the only ones I've seen on my Royal Cruises.  Others on land I've seen all have legitimate service vests or somehow identified as a true service dog.

 

Even the airlines are cracking down on the so called animals owners try to board without proper ADA documentation.

 

I welcome it.

No specific certification is required and they aren’t required to do any type of formal training either to be a service animal.

 

Vests or any type of outward identification isn’t required either. 

 

No no one can ask for proof of a disability or proof that it is a legitimate service animal. You may only ask what task the animal does. 

 

Allergies aren’t reason enough to deny someone use of a service animal since they consider the fact that the person with the allergy can remove themselves from the area. 

 

ADA laws strongly favor the person in need of the animal, as they should. Which severely limits what businesses can and cannot do. Most err on the side of caution to not risk being sued. 

[graphicguy]

https://www.ncl.com/about/accessible-cruising

[PTC DAWG]

Fake support dogs are a joke....nip it..

[Miki_moto]

On 1/28/2019 at 2:40 AM, esm54687 said:

Actually, ADA covers any animal that is trained for service not just dogs or miniature horses...  bullet #2

 

The other challenge to businesses is that it's against the ADA for a business to ask for the animal's documents that certify it as a service do animal.  Not all states require a certification or license to be classified as a service animal. If you notice the NCL requirement is only that proper medical (vaccinations etc) be submitted for the service animal to board.

 

I personally feel service animals should be licensed to protect the integrity of the service animal role. You have to jump through hoops with a medical doctor and then Registry of Motor Vehicles Medical Board review to certify a handicap placard legitimate for parking in designated spaces...... but any "pet" can masquerade as a service animal. 

 

https://www.ada.gov/archive/qasrvc.htm

That was revised in 2011.  Now it’s only dogs.

 

https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html

 

[Visigoth]

Emotional Service Dogs are not covered under the ADA but under their own rules as an ESA.  Restaurants, theaters, airlines, and cruise lines are increasingly less amenable to these animals.  Royal Caribbean has banned them altogether.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8816

 

[Caribbean Chris]

12 hours ago, Miki_moto said:

That was revised in 2011.  Now it’s only dogs.

 

https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html

 

 

Actually, if you scroll down on this link, you will find in the final implementation in 2011 there was a special provision made to include miniature horses that perform tasks. Hard to keep up!

 

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

Edited February 1, 2019 by Caribbean Chris

[makiramarlena]

A service dog should only be sitting on a chair at a table if it needs to do so to perform its task. Sometimes medical alert dogs need to be extremely close to their handler in order to alert. I don't see any handler in the photo, so maybe it's cause to question whether or not this dog is actually working. A service dog handler would likely not leave the dog behind to go to the buffet, and would almost certainly not leave it sitting in a chair at the table.

 

ADA no longer covers any type of service animal except dogs or, in some cases, miniature horses. ADA does not provide for service monkeys, cats, rats, birds, ferrets or any type of animal other than those two.

 

Emotional support animals are not service animals. ADA doesn't cover the use of emotional support animals at all.

Edited February 14, 2019 by makiramarlena

[TiiiSailor]

I have a friend who works in an upscale hotel in the Boston area.  When someone checks in with a service or emotional support animal they are told that the animal must be with them at all times.  If the person doesn't want to adhere to that requirement they will be given a list of nearby hotels that accept animals.  The first time a guest is seen without their required service or support animal, they are given the boot out the door.  Well not physically kicked out, but told to leave.  Doesn't happen frequently, but does happen enough.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 1/28/2019 at 6:40 PM, AKR2011 said:

Is detecting a panic attack a service?

yes, it is.

[DaisyGoldberg]

I have an acquaintance who raised a service monkey -- like service dogs, before they can receive formal training they need to grow up in a human household and become socialized to life with people. They take many more years than puppies to reach maturity however, so it's a big commitment.

 

Because they have hands and fine motor coordination, they're able to do things like operate appliances, aid in tooth brushing, etc, that dogs and ponies could never do, which gives the person a little more personal autonomy than they might otherwise have.   

 

I've only seen one service animal on Norwegian -- a standard poodle.  Not sure what kind of service he provided, but he came into the theatre and curled up tightly at his owner's feet and disregarded the commotion onstage and in the audience, which is what you'd expect of a very well trained service animal.

[tonit964]

58 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

yes, it is.

I'm curious, so the dog detects a panic attack, then what does the dog do?

 

The owner will/can know they are about to have/or are having a panic attack. It's not like low blood sugar for a diabetic where the dog alerts because the person has no idea.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

google "ptsd anxiety service dog video" and a ton of videos will come up showing exactly what a service dog does during the attack.

In the videos I've seen the dog prevents the autistic owner from self harming during an attack. In the other video the woman usually faints during the panic attacks, so the dog is trained to warn her about the attack coming and then to lie down on top of her and not leave her side while she is out.

Edited February 15, 2019 by Itchy&Scratchy