Have you ever been on a cruise with a dog?

[tuggers]

No offense meant, none taken, I'm sure. The poster was just trying to educate!

 

Three cheers for the service and therapy dogs! :D :D :D They do such a great job and help so many people!

 

BTW teajak, ever since Regal Empress stopped sailing I don't get to visit those wonderful outlet stores at Ellenton. Bet they've REALLY grown in the last few years! I always enjoyed going there so much. Think there'll ever be another ship out of Port Manatee? Passenger, I mean.

[Dancing Gal]

Flagger mentioned the dog aboard ship with us in Jan. Actually in that case, the dog stayed in the cabin (next to mine) in a crate (according to steward). My understanding is the dog was a "seizure" dog and could sense if the woman was having/about to have a seizure. There were no problems with the dog; my only concern would be that the next people in the cabin may have dog allergies and not be prepared for that (who would anticipate pet dander in a cabin).

[SEPyle]

Last year we met a lady with a service animal on a cruise. With pre-cruise chatting we found out it was a Staffodshire Terrier. It didn't take long to wonder if that was a nice name for a Pit Bull. Of course the wonder was why she had the dog. During the cruise my daughter asked her and found out that she had the service animal because she was Bi-Polar. I then understood why she wasn't open as to the need for the dog.

 

By the way, on another cruise we met a lady who had a service dog because of seizures. Many different reasons for needing a service animal and great that people are able to have independence with these great companions!

[teajak]

No offense meant, none taken, I'm sure. The poster was just trying to educate!

 

Three cheers for the service and therapy dogs! :D :D :D They do such a great job and help so many people!

 

BTW teajak, ever since Regal Empress stopped sailing I don't get to visit those wonderful outlet stores at Ellenton. Bet they've REALLY grown in the last few years! I always enjoyed going there so much. Think there'll ever be another ship out of Port Manatee? Passenger, I mean.

Thats how we tell people where we live,take the exit to the Ellenton mall.Our other claim to fame is the Guide Dog School just a few miles from us. We went to the open house there,such fun to hold the puppies and its safe because you can't buy them.We loved the Regal Beagle,she was such a classy ship and had the best food. It seems like a waste to not use that port, they built the facilities for the Regal so why not use them for a ship like the Zenith? Thanks for the ecouraging words even if I am a double-wider.

[tuggers]

I see her in Nassau when I there. Ever since Ramada bought her they have let her go down, down, down! I guess when people are getting a free two nighter for hearing a time share deal they aren't real picky!

 

She certainly was a great ship. For some months now I have been racking my brain for the last name of the man who owned her. It was Stuart something. Don't suppose you remember?

[clopaw]

I am perhaps a little overly sensitive. In addition to using a guide dog himself, my husband is an investigator for the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, specializing in service animals cases. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who don't understand the many jobs that animals can do for people. He's had cases involving employers, housing, and public accommodations. It's surprising that he even gets cases involving dogs for the blind, when you would think people would understand that easier than the therapy dogs. We have had several occasions ourselves where people told us the dog wasn't allowed, a hotel and a restaurant. A short talk with the manager solved that.

 

Interestingly, there was an article in our newspaper today about therapy dogs. One they mentioned by name is Bear, who works at a hospice. He was working there when my dad passed away at the hospice, and he did a great job just by coming in and spending time with the patients.

 

My husband has becoming something of an activist for disabled rights since he got his dog, and I just want to try to be sure that people understand what wonderful creatures these animals are.

[wieslaw]

What DOES a dog wear on formal night?

 

:D

 

(Sorry, I couldn't resist).

 

 

They 'wear' ........tails.......even on casual nights.

 

Wes

[slotaddict]

We had a service dog on the Zenith on 1/23, it was a large poodle type dog. Almost as big as a great dane Tuggers. We asked ourselves the same question, about where the dog does his business.

[moondoggie]

Clopaw, I believe we cruised with you and your DH and Hero--does your DH wear glasses and enjoy the casino? Did you both take a day sail in St Thomas and Hero had his own life jacket? If so, I took many photos of your family (the three of you!) because you all are so cute together.

 

I remember one of the formal nights, when all of the pax and staff wanted to have their photos taken with you guys and Hero in his bow tie! Hero was such a star. Tell people when you are cruising again so you can have your 'fans' along.

 

moondoggie and dogdad

(Proud parents of a Golden Retriever, a rescued 'kind of a Golden Retriever', and another rescued sweet mutt)

[CruiseQueen13]

Clopaw - there would be some winner in the crowd that would probably say that to someone! Some people just don't think.

 

We cruised with a yellow lab service dog. He was amazing! Not like our lab nut! She loves people and is 3 y/o. She had extreme difficulty staying on the ground. Big jumper. She is well trained, but that isone thing we can't seem get under control!

[madelinerose]

My Standard Poodle's name is Maddie. ;)

 

We haven't cruised with a service dog onboard, but we would love it.

 

Only as big as an Akita? What about my Great Dane, Maddie? She would make a great therapy dog. She feels discrimated against.:D

[clopaw]

Clopaw, I believe we cruised with you and your DH and Hero--does your DH wear glasses and enjoy the casino? Did you both take a day sail in St Thomas and Hero had his own life jacket? If so, I took many photos of your family (the three of you!) because you all are so cute together.

 

I remember one of the formal nights, when all of the pax and staff wanted to have their photos taken with you guys and Hero in his bow tie! Hero was such a star. Tell people when you are cruising again so you can have your 'fans' along.

 

moondoggie and dogdad

(Proud parents of a Golden Retriever, a rescued 'kind of a Golden Retriever', and another rescued sweet mutt)

 

 

That sounds like us! That was Summit a couple of years ago. Since then Hero has been to the Panama Canal and Alaska. We'll be back on Summit in March going to Hawaii. Hero backs his own suitcase for cruises, what with the life jacket, formal wear, doggles, chow bowls, bones, etc. Because of weight restrictions we wait until we get to the port city, and buy his chow then. Paul and I laugh because no one ever knows our names, but everyone knows Hero.

[Veryoldsalt]

Sorry. Celebrity only allows Water Spaniels aboard ship.

[dhcoaster]

Yes, my formal son in law!

[charlielinda]

Clopaw: Thanks so much for the information. It is great to learn first hand how folks handle the service dogs. -- Thanks!

[zackiedawg]

One of the Cruise Critic members on board the Zuiderdam this past September had a beautiful golden labrador service dog with them. I met them at the cruise critic gathering on day one - they ended up having the suite next door to mine (which was the handicapped suite).

 

Not only was the dog incredibly well behaved - but quite a hit onboard with all the dog-lovers who wanted to pet him and talk to him.

 

I can say that at absolutely no time during the cruise did the dog make a single noise in the cabin - I could hear people from neighboring cabins, showers and toilets, verandah doors opening...but not one bark, whine, or peep from the dog in 7 days. If I was on my verandah and the dog was out there with its owner, I could only tell because of her communication with him.

 

Being a dog lover, I was quite happy to meet the dog next door...but even if someone was not a 'dog person', they would not have been disrupted by any noise or odor from this service dog...he was great.

[wv4891]

To the best of my knowledge, no.;)

Have you ever been on a cruise with a dog???

[wizard-of-roz]

:p We were on the Summit to Cabo in October, I had my service dog; "Brenda" with me, she's a "hearing dog", I have only 30 percent hearing on my right side.

She's a 6 year old pure black lab, with certification and 2 years of formal training from Canine Companions for Independence in Santa Rosa, CA. X was amazing, they provided a 4x4 wooden box filled with cyprus mulch (they don't have the inclination to raise grass for these boxes.) (The box is placed on deck four/forward) right outside the Celebrity Theatre. Only the crew and Brenda and I had access to this area. They were willing to send a porter to walk her daily and even clean up after her. :rolleyes:

She was treated like royalty, the other passengers couldn't wait to see her everyday! The command for going to the bathroom is "hurry" and she will use the wooden box. After only an hour on the ship and only using the box once, she would go up the forward deck on my command, relieve herself and then return to me at the bottom of the isle.

Her certification for going on and in public places is a vest that she wears (everywhere), a paper license, a tattoo in her ear and the good sense to always make sure that she is not disrupting anyone. Sometimes it's a shock to patrons in a restaurant, when she comes out from under a table. She's supposed to be invisible to everyone else but me! She is trained not to lick, scratch or bark, in public! She lays beside or underneath the table when we are eating and the same goes for all public areas of the ship.

We had to supply Celebrity with all of her vaccinations and current certification and documentation. I took her off the ship to walk on land with me and I was never asked for any further documentation than I first gave them.;)

She exercised on deck, everyday. I threw a tennis ball (very carefully) and she would retrieve it. After a while other PAX would look for her and would want to be part of her exercise routine, by throwing the ball. She has a canine life jacket that we take with us, on cruises and she wears during muster. I am positive that whoever brings a dog onboard a public vessel has the appropriate documentation for the dog. If not they (the public carrier) would be breaking and facing all kinds of public health laws and fines!:eek:

Next time your sailing look for us...we're an amazing team!

Love and Licks,

Roz & Brenda:p

[clopaw]

Roz, I'm not sure whether you and Brenda have been on other cruises together. I want to be sure that you know that Mexico is an easy country to cruise to in terms of Brenda's documentation. Others are more complicated. In the Bahamas for instance, you have to get a permit ahead of time. My husband has a list of just about every country and what is required. If you don't have access to something like that, let me know and I can email it to you.

 

On a lighter note, we agree that it's fun to watch people in a restaurant who come in after we do, and don't know that there is a large dog under the table. I love to watch the smiles on people's faces when they see my husband and his guide dog walking together.

 

Christine

[moondoggie]

...that Christine's husband Paul and his dog Hero are a handsome twosome indeed!

[clopaw]

...that Christine's husband Paul and his dog Hero are a handsome twosome indeed!

 

 

Awwww...especially when they're dressed up for formal night.