HenryKisor Posted March 15, 2018 #19726 Share Posted March 15, 2018 (edited) I suggest you try a weekend cruise rather than a week or longer. If your dog is comfortable around people on land, he ought to be on a ship as well. You do have to get paperwork for cruises to the Caribbean or foreign countries (except Canada--all you need is a rabies certificate). If you are in the US and want to cruise to Canada or Alaska, paperwork is very minimal. Edited March 15, 2018 by HenryKisor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpclmc Posted March 16, 2018 #19727 Share Posted March 16, 2018 Is it even possible to do the paperwork for a SD for a cruise that leaves on April 9 with port stops in Nassau and Half Moon Cay (Carnival's private island in the Bahamas)? Linda and Halo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HenryKisor Posted March 16, 2018 #19728 Share Posted March 16, 2018 If you very quickly go to your vet (must be APHIS certified) and ask him to FAX the Bahamas import permit (available on USDA APHIS Pet Travel website), you MIGHT be able to get a response in time. Also ask if he can find some coronavirus vaccine. Otherwise you will not be permitted to enter Bahamian waters with your service dog even if you are not getting off the ship in Nassau or Half Moon Cay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rangeley Posted March 16, 2018 #19729 Share Posted March 16, 2018 Is it even possible to do the paperwork for a SD for a cruise that leaves on April 9 with port stops in Nassau and Half Moon Cay (Carnival's private island in the Bahamas)? Linda and Halo Definately. Bahamas permit within a day or 2 if faxed. Sent from my Pixel XL using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard-of-roz Posted March 17, 2018 Author #19730 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Finally got through to American Cruise Lines by way of its Facebook page and a helpful moderator there. As Roz said, no problem with service dogs, but they do officially demand documentation that the dog is a trained service dog, which is against ADA rules but maybe nobody's pointed that out to them, or perhaps it's just a way of keeping the frauds away. Here's ACL's policy: AMERICAN CRUISE LINES: The only animalsAmerican Cruise Lines permits on board our ships are working service dogs,which are legally defined and individually trained to meet disability-relatedneeds by performing tasks like guiding a blind person, alerting a deaf person,pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure,or performing other special tasks. Working service dogs are not pets. Service dogs in training are not allowedaboard. Servicedogs are permitted to accompany the person with a disability in all publicareas, including dining venues. While in public areas, service dogs must be ona leash, harness or other restraining device. Due to health and safetyconcerns, service dogs are not permitted to eat off of the tables in the diningroom or sit on dining room chairs or tables. Careand supervision of the service dog is the sole responsibility of the owner. Theships are not required to provide food or care for the dog. Note that theship's staff is not required to care for the dog, nor can the dog be left inthe stateroom unattended. American Cruise Lines will provide a potty boxif ordered prior to the cruises departure. ACLmust have documents 21 days before the cruise departs. The following documents are required: IDCard; Service Certificate; Rabies Certificate;Vaccination Records. What ACL requires to bring your Service Dog is absolutely fair and reasonable. I hope you take this cruise with your dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard-of-roz Posted March 17, 2018 Author #19731 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Wexler is not happy with the 22" of snow. [ATTACH]416421[/ATTACH][ATTACH]416422[/ATTACH] Sent from my Pixel XL using Forums mobile app Poor Wexy.....Ridiculous!!!!! Where's your ear muffs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard-of-roz Posted March 17, 2018 Author #19732 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Yikes, that’s a lotta snow!!! Stay safe, Cindy. I always like the black Wex against white snowbank pics you post. Me too! I'm not so sure they feel the same way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard-of-roz Posted March 17, 2018 Author #19733 Share Posted March 17, 2018 I think Henri would like to play in the snow, but that is a lot of snow!! Dianne There is no doubt about it, Horton is a sun bather. I don't think he'd do so well in the cold snow! I must admit I like to look at the snow but I don't do well in the cold.....I'm a whiny-baby when my hands or feet get cold!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard-of-roz Posted March 17, 2018 Author #19734 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Trooper and I went to our APHIS-affiliated vet yesterday to do the paperwork for his upcoming Panama Canal cruise. The vet told us two interesting things:1. The Bahamas requires a coronavirus immunization, which is almost never done in the United States. The U.S. vets feel the coronavirus vaccine is old and outmoded and never worked anyway. Parvovirus vaccine, the vet said, protects against coronavirus. But Trooper couldn't enter Bahamian waters without the coronavirus shot, so the vet looked around for it . . . and there was only one vet lab in Northern Illinois that had the vaccine, and they had only one vial left. Vet had to send an aide an hour out to the far northwest burbs to get it. 2. Costa Rica now requires that dogs be treated against ticks and other exoparasites 15 or fewer days before arrival. So our vet put some liquid tick chaser on the scruff of his neck. This evidently is something new . . . a monthly Nexgard or Frontline pill won't do, as it does for other countries. If I have learned anything while cruising with a service dog, it's to start the paperwork WAY ahead of time so your vet has time to check things and get stuff. For those who insist on taking last minute cruises with their dogs. Your dog MUST be current on all immunizations and be completely free of parasites or skin conditions that require medication. Your absolutely must have an Aphis 7001 Form completed and signed by your Vet. Also, what is a "tick chaser"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard-of-roz Posted March 17, 2018 Author #19735 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Happy warm, dry weekend everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HenryKisor Posted March 17, 2018 #19736 Share Posted March 17, 2018 A tick chaser is the same thing as a tick zapper: a veterinary solution put on the scruff of the dog's neck to eliminate ticks and other such creepy-crawlies. It qualifies as a treatment for exoparasites. By the way, the Bahamas now requires dogs to be tested and treated for both endoparasites and exoparasites NO MORE than 48 hours before the time your ship sails. If you're flying to Fort Lauderdale or Miami the day before the ship casts off, you can take a poop sample to your vet and have him check it as well as squirt the tick banisher on the dog at the same time. I.e., the Westerdam departs Fort Lauderdale at 4 p.m. this Saturday. Trooper and I are flying in Friday, after having him checked and squirted at 4 p.m. Thursday. What is ridiculous about all this is that we are going to Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, where nobody's gonna ask for papers. (Except, of course, the ship.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algebralovr Posted March 17, 2018 #19737 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Geez, just when I'm considering taking Scooter with me next February for our cruise, they make it more difficult. I was looking at the requirements for : St Maarten, St Kitts, Grenada, Barbados, St Lucia, there is another one but I cannot recall off the top of my head. I may just board him at the vet again. I wonder which costs more - boarding for 2 weeks or all the vet work for traveling! Issue: it has been 2 weeks at home and I'm still breaking bad habits. Plus, he started pulling again. Sigh. I need to spend about 3 days doing nothing but working and correcting my dog. Except I don' have 3 days to find. I also hate the idea of over medicating . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rangeley Posted March 17, 2018 #19738 Share Posted March 17, 2018 A tick chaser is the same thing as a tick zapper: a veterinary solution put on the scruff of the dog's neck to eliminate ticks and other such creepy-crawlies. It qualifies as a treatment for exoparasites. By the way, the Bahamas now requires dogs to be tested and treated for both endoparasites and exoparasites NO MORE than 48 hours before the time your ship sails. If you're flying to Fort Lauderdale or Miami the day before the ship casts off, you can take a poop sample to your vet and have him check it as well as squirt the tick banisher on the dog at the same time. I.e., the Westerdam departs Fort Lauderdale at 4 p.m. this Saturday. Trooper and I are flying in Friday, after having him checked and squirted at 4 p.m. Thursday. What is ridiculous about all this is that we are going to Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, where nobody's gonna ask for papers. (Except, of course, the ship.) We just went in January and were not asked to do the test for parasites. Did that just change? Sent from my Pixel XL using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HenryKisor Posted March 18, 2018 #19739 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Since I and another member of this forum have been working on a book about traveling with service dogs, we have discovered that determining the health requirements for Caribbean islands is like trying to trap a litter of puppies under a rug. Things change so fast that it's hard to keep up with them. Many vets are unaware of these changes, so having a 7001 rejected by APHIS and sent back to the vet is common. Just the other day we heard an APHIS official tell a client, "Everybody who comes here has a heart attack." When you get down to it, APHIS is not trying to make trouble—it is trying to forestall a crisis when you arrive at a Caribbean island with your service dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUTRAVEL Posted March 19, 2018 #19740 Share Posted March 19, 2018 We just went in January and were not asked to do the test for parasites. Did that just change? Sent from my Pixel XL using Forums mobile app Cindy - did Wex get the coronavirus vaccine? Dianne Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard-of-roz Posted March 19, 2018 Author #19741 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Since I and another member of this forum have been working on a book about traveling with service dogs, we have discovered that determining the health requirements for Caribbean islands is like trying to trap a litter of puppies under a rug. Things change so fast that it's hard to keep up with them. Many vets are unaware of these changes, so having a 7001 rejected by APHIS and sent back to the vet is common. Just the other day we heard an APHIS official tell a client, "Everybody who comes here has a heart attack." When you get down to it, APHIS is not trying to make trouble—it is trying to forestall a crisis when you arrive at a Caribbean island with your service dog. In your investigations of the Aphis form I have found that the only marked changes that could cause problems is if the Vet uses abbreviations and does not spell all treatments out clearly. It is really up to the handler to examine the form when the Vet gives it back to you and make sure that the immunization dates are clearly marked along with the spelling out of the use of HeartGuard and NexGuard, or other similar parasite treatments. Also have your Vet clearly state that your dogs skin, fur, ears and paws are in good health and your dog is in good health to travel. Also, if your dog has had a rabies titer; remember, it is good for three years and Hawaii and Europe will NOT require it to be done yearly. So, if you're cruising every year to Europe or Hawaii, the test results are good for 3 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Chris Posted March 19, 2018 #19742 Share Posted March 19, 2018 We just went in January and were not asked to do the test for parasites. Did that just change? Sent from my Pixel XL using Forums mobile app I don’t think it’s new. On the Bahamas permit that I got two years ago, the permit language did list the coronavirus requirement as well as the 48 hrs prior fecal flotation test and parasite treatment. I wish APHIS would list these requirements on their website. My vet said she hasn’t stocked coronavirus vaccine in years, so we skipped it. I didn’t get a new flotation test. For that trip, another country also wanted a parasite treatment 48 hrs prior, so we listed that on APHIS 7001. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUTRAVEL Posted March 19, 2018 #19743 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Also, if your dog has had a rabies titer; remember, it is good for three years and Hawaii and Europe will NOT require it to be done yearly. So, if you're cruising every year to Europe or Hawaii, the test results are good for 3 years. You no longer need a rabies titer for the UK and most of Europe if you are coming from the US and meet the timing requirements for microchipping and rabies vaccinations. If you do have a rabies titer, it will continue to be valid as long as your dog’s rabies vaccinations are kept up to date (i.e., he/she is revaccinated against rabies within the period of validity of the previous vaccination). Henri’s rabies titer that I had done for our trip to Hawaii is only valid for three years in Hawaii, but is valid for the UK and Europe for her lifetime as long as she continues to be vaccinated for rabies. Dianne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rangeley Posted March 20, 2018 #19744 Share Posted March 20, 2018 Cindy - did Wex get the coronavirus vaccine? Dianne Sent from my iPhone using Forums Not that i can see on his health records. And we were not asked to get anything. Just filled out the permit and got it. Sent from my Pixel XL using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rangeley Posted March 20, 2018 #19745 Share Posted March 20, 2018 I don’t think it’s new. On the Bahamas permit that I got two years ago, the permit language did list the coronavirus requirement as well as the 48 hrs prior fecal flotation test and parasite treatment. I wish APHIS would list these requirements on their website. My vet said she hasn’t stocked coronavirus vaccine in years, so we skipped it. I didn’t get a new flotation test. For that trip, another country also wanted a parasite treatment 48 hrs prior, so we listed that on APHIS 7001. Never asked for anything like that Sent from my Pixel XL using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUTRAVEL Posted March 20, 2018 #19746 Share Posted March 20, 2018 I don’t think it’s new. On the Bahamas permit that I got two years ago, the permit language did list the coronavirus requirement as well as the 48 hrs prior fecal flotation test and parasite treatment. I wish APHIS would list these requirements on their website. My vet said she hasn’t stocked coronavirus vaccine in years, so we skipped it. I didn’t get a new flotation test. For that trip, another country also wanted a parasite treatment 48 hrs prior, so we listed that on APHIS 7001. I had asked my vet about the coronavirus when we took our Panama Canal trip (I think it was listed on the Colombian Embassy's website as a requirement) and she said the same thing. I think I will just get a letter from my vet stating that the vaccine is not given in the US and not readily available. Dianne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Chris Posted March 20, 2018 #19747 Share Posted March 20, 2018 I had asked my vet about the coronavirus when we took our Panama Canal trip (I think it was listed on the Colombian Embassy's website as a requirement) and she said the same thing. I think I will just get a letter from my vet stating that the vaccine is not given in the US and not readily available. Dianne Good idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Chris Posted March 20, 2018 #19748 Share Posted March 20, 2018 Not that i can see on his health records. And we were not asked to get anything. Just filled out the permit and got it. If you have an old Bahamas permit laying around (the stamped, signed one they send back to you), take a look sometime. It says you are being granted permission to import the dog subject to meeting the following conditions. Then they list the various inoculations, parasite treatment, fecal test, etc.,etc. For Half Moon Cay, it doesn’t seem to be a big deal as long as the ship has your Form 7001, rabies certificate, and Bahamas permit to give them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpclmc Posted March 21, 2018 #19749 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I decided not to do a last minute cruise. Just seemed too rushed, just in general, beyond getting Halo approved. So instead we found a hotel on Virginia Beach with a beach view. We are heading there for a family event on April 15, so we just extended our time there. Linda and Halo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HenryKisor Posted March 22, 2018 #19750 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Have any cruisers on this forum taken the Queen Mary 2 from New York to Southampton? What health documentary hoops did you have to jump through? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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