Cruising With A Service Dog....everything You Ever Wanted To Know!

[thephantomsgirl]

Henri and I are headed on our first road trip tomorrow (with Hubby) - not a cruise yet. This will be our first long trip in the car and stay at a hotel. I am sure that she will do fine. We are headed to Southern California to our daughter's graduation from nursing school and I figured that as long as we were down there we might as well work in a couple of days at Disneyland.

 

Dianne

 

Have a great time with Henri.

[fairbourne]

Henri and I are headed on our first road trip tomorrow (with Hubby) - not a cruise yet. This will be our first long trip in the car and stay at a hotel. I am sure that she will do fine. We are headed to Southern California to our daughter's graduation from nursing school and I figured that as long as we were down there we might as well work in a couple of days at Disneyland.

 

Dianne

 

Have fun - our dogs all love staying in hotels. It may be that all the staff thoroughly spoil them of course! ;):D.

 

I'm getting quite jealous, everyone seems to be heading off somewhere - ok I know we've just come back, but you know what it's like the first couple of weeks back home, it's like the holiday never happened!

[fairbourne]

We leave on Sunday for our cruise...and out of Miami as well. I hope we don't have any problems. It's been a few decades since I've sailed out of the port of Miami, so it will be a different experience for us. We usually sail out of Ft. Lauderdale or New York. I'm still wondering why this Princess ship isn't leaving from Port Everglades, but I won't lose sleep over it.

 

I have to make a list of all of the last minute things I have to do before we leave home on Friday. Ugh!

 

We've disembarked in Miami and I hate to tell you it was a zoo! Hopefully embarkation will be easier - I've read that they (ie the port authorities) are very strict about boarding times, so don't arrive too early, but I'm sure you know this already! ;):)

 

I hate that last minute list, or in my case I usually have lots of lists!

I'll wish you, hubby and Pedro a fabulous cruise now - but I'm sure we'll "speak" again before the end of the week! :D. I'm looking forward to the photos of the fabulous Pedro wearing his outfits!

[Caribbean Chris]

Raylene sends good wishes from Celebrity Reflection docked in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands to Henri and Pedro for very fun trips coming up!

 

We're having a great time on our seven day cruise, despite the bomb scare and tail incident, and I'll do a full report after we're home.

[tvaud]

All documents for Pedro faxed to Princess. Check!

 

Stopped at PetSmart for a hands free leash. Sometimes, you just need three hands, so I hope this new leash helps. Do any of you use them?

[tvaud]

Raylene sends good wishes from Celebrity Reflection docked in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands to Henri and Pedro for very fun trips coming up!

 

 

 

We're having a great time on our seven day cruise, despite the bomb scare and tail incident, and I'll do a full report after we're home.

 

 

Pedro says, "Thanks Raylene! Enjoy the rest of your cruise!"

[rangeley]

Everyone have great trips/cruises!!!!! Ours is next month. We are also leaving out of Miami which we have never been to before. Alittle nervous about it as my son will not be going on this cruise with us. Maybe not a good time to try something different. :confused: I haven't done it all myself for many years.

 

Cindy

[wizard-of-roz]

Hi Honey's we're home,

Chris & Raylene have a wonderful cruise, welcome home Fairbourne. Henri & Pedro are leaving soon, have fun. To our new cruisers going to Alaska is easy, you will need the Intl. Health Cert. and, the only problems you may encounter may be access in Vancouver or stores & restaurants in Canada .

 

Please, NEVER LEAVE YOUR SERVICE DOG ALONE IN THE CABIN. EVER! If the ship caught fire you would never forgive yourself!

 

The Pacific Princess is a wonderful ship. It was like being on our very own personal yacht, with 700 of our closest friends and relatives. There were NEVER long lines or crowds to wait for. Horton was treated very well by everyone.

 

Locating the potty box upon arrival was the worst of it. They placed it on deck 5, outside. Our cabin was on Deck 7 and I had a veranda. I made an appointment to speak with the Hotel Manager about moving it. After meeting with her and the environmental specialist the box was moved to my patio. Perfect! At first they kept saying it couldn't be done and I kept on insisting, why not? They really could NOT give me a good reason.

 

Tell them to provide you with a waste receptacle and tell them you will pick up the solids with the bags you've brought with you.

 

They provided a type of mulch that was more like tree bark. It was very hard for Horton to step on it without it poking him. So I stepped into the box and started crushing the stuff. I looked like Lucy and Ethel in the grape stomping skit!

 

Jack Jones sang the Love Boat Song, Isaac, the Captain, Doc, Gopher, the Captains daughter [she's grown into a lovely woman] and the cruise director entertained us, signed autographs, answered questions and enjoyed the week with us. Entertainment was top notch, food was good and Norman Love chocolate creations were served.

 

It was two weeks of a lot of fun. Cruising on a small ship is really different than the behemaths that I'm used to.

 

There were stray dogs at practically every port we went to in Mexico. Everyone onboard adopted Horty and were so nice to him.

 

It's good to be home and in my own bed!

 

To anyone leaving soon.......Have a wonderful cruise. The security is a bit tighter than usual. Be ready to answer a lot of questions.

Edited December 18, 2015 by wizard-of-roz

[S.S. Cruisers]

Welcome home Roz and Mr. Horty pants!

[fairbourne]

Welcome home Aunty Roz and Horty - we are all so happy you had a wonderful Love In on the Love Boat! We missed you! I've decided red is the colour - it's festive! LOL!!!

[tvaud]

Welcome home Roz and Horty! Sounds like you had a fabulous time. I'm looking forward to our small ship too. We are now on the road, headed to Miami to board the Ocean Princess on Sunday. Pedro is sitting in his car seat...not sure if he is awake yet.

 

Looking forward to hearing all about your cruise!

[alexspepa]

yay!!! The Queen and her Prince have returned!

[wizard-of-roz]

The Ocean Princess is the sister ship to the Pacific Princess, you're going to love her, have a wonderful time!!!!

 

To our new cruisers who want to know about taking two dogs in your cabin. Yes, you may have two dogs in your cabin. The ADA now recognizes two dogs for one person as legitimate.

 

Each dog can perform a different task for the handler. I can hardly keep up with one.....I don't know what I'd do with two.

 

Horton got so much attention on this cruise that he actually hid behind my legs at one point so the people would stop trying to touch him. It was so sweet and a little sad, all at the same time!

 

I would take him back to our cabin or to a quiet lounge area where he could recoup from all the attention!

 

Poor Pedro will be overwhelmed. The fewer the people onboard the more the dog is noticed!!!!

 

I only had to show Horton's paperwork one time and was not bothered again at any port in the 14 days. This was definitely a FIRST for us!

 

The thrill of the whole trip was hearing and seeing Jack Jones singing the "Love Boat" theme as we took off! He sounded exactly the same! 50 years have been very good to him!!!! ;)

 

The decorations on the ship were over the top beautiful and the passengers who decorated their doors were so lovely. It's so much fun to be onboard a cruise ship during the holidays.

[wizard-of-roz]

I forgot to mention. Cruise Critic was given a HUGE SHOUT-OUT. The ship held a special lunch for all Cruise Critic members [we had over 100 people attend.] The chef made a special pasta and baked 3 cakes for us.

 

I think they thought we were real "Cruising Critic's" and were going to write a review about them.

 

We were a Cruise Critic Meet & Greet of over 100......I guess that does hold some power of sorts.

[Caribbean Chris]

Welcome back, Mama Roz and Mr. Horty! Using up my final nano-seconds of paid internet time and will give you lots of details when we're home.

 

No worries, Miami will be fine for all - it's a huge cruise port on Dodge Island just off shore from downtown Miami, and they now have a tunnel as well as a bridge to the island. That was new to me...but they are really the pros at handling masses of people and multiple ships at once. Their port ground staff at check-in are super experienced. We'll get off tomorrow, get the car at the garage across the street from the pier, and drive home 3+ hours.

 

Today is Miss Raylene's fourth birthday, so we are dining at the Murano restaurant tonight to celebrate!

 

We've had an incredibly luxurious time, details to follow. Almost time to say goodbye to Raylene's 3,000 new best friends. :(

[tvaud]

I can't wait to get on a small ship again. We were wondering if Pedro will be the only SD on board. Roz, was Horty the only dog on your cruise?

[tvaud]

Well, we made it to Florida in one piece. Pedro found a spot on top of the luggage in the back seat to lounge on. He was enjoying the view out of the back window. I wonder what the cars behind us were thinking. At the hotel, he got barked at several times by more agates dive dogs. It seemed like everyone was traveling with their dogs this weekend. Pedro didn't flinch, but did walk behind my legs when a German shepherd lunged at him. There must have been over a dozen dogs staying there. Pedro was the only service dog.

 

When we walked out of the hotel in South Carolina this morning, it was 29 degrees outside. Pedro felt that cold air and didn't want to budge. I'm glad I put a sweater on him, but we still had to coax him. Once we got in the car, he snuggled into his car seat and fell asleep. He really travels well, thankfully.

 

Tomorrow, we are off to the Ocean Princess and our first Christmas cruise. Can't wait! Will take lots of pics. I will try to check in and let you know how it's going. Still have only received an import permit from BVI. No response from the other islands...and I'm not happy about that. Hopefully, the officer in charge can work his magic. Wish us luck.

 

Cindra

[Quampapetet]

We have one dilemma. Our dogs are so sensitive (wheat, corn, chicken) that we make their food to prevent hot spots and ear infections. We use potatos, sweet potatos, brown rice, carrots, beats and either canned salmon, hamburger meat or pork roasts. Most can be served raw except for the rice prep and meat. Does anyone have any experience with this? We use a microwave to prep the food, and I know the ships will store some food for us.

 

Any thoughts?

 

I would recommend switching to a dehydrated raw diet for the cruise (switch beforehand if your dog is sensitive to switches in food), then all you need to do is measure, add water, stir, and wait. I feed both dehydrated raw ("i and love and you" brand) and kibble (same brand) and I mix the dehydrated raw with the water each night for the next day's meals (you put it in the fridge, of course), but otherwise, you wait around fifteen minutes for the food to rehydrate (it rehydrates better overnight, which is why I do that - well, it is also easier that way!).

 

If you can't/don't want to switch to dehydrated raw, you could ask the cruise line if you'd be allowed to bring some sort of portable device to cook the rice in (small rice cooker or a baby bottle warmer, if that would work, or something - you'd have to research your options on that 'cause I don't know what is out there). Don't be surprised if they say no for safety reasons. Your dog can do without rice for the duration of the cruise - if he needs it for stomach issues, as I would assume would be why you feed it daily, you can substitute pumpkin puree, which Weruva sells in pouches for dogs (I recommend Chewy.com for buying this and dehydrated raw food of various brands). You can raw feed the meat, so no problem there, although you would need to ask the cruise line if you're even allowed to bring raw meat aboard (might be a customs issue, as might the veggies be, and you might not be allowed to take any off the ship after your cruise, in case you are staying at your destination after the cruise). Oh, just saw that you use canned salmon - you could just feed that all week instead of worrying about the slabs of frozen meat. There are lots of options out there.

 

Oh, and you can e-mail (or probably call) "i and love and you" for a few samples of their food, including dehydrated raw, to try it out without the expense of buying a whole bag (dehydrated raw isn't cheap). The company makes good treats, too. You can find their contact info. on their Web site, iandloveandyou.com, and customer service is very helpful. (Chewy's customer service rocks, too - they even send you a handwritten postcard after you make your first order to welcome you to their "family"!)

[Quampapetet]

I would like to sail with her and my wife in about 3 weeks. We are not 100% sure yet, but we were looking at cruises that go Jamaica and/or Bahamas and/or Cayman.

 

Dogs can't get off in Jamaica and I believe Cayman requires a rabies titer with six-month wait. The Bahamas requires an import permit, which you only MIGHT be able to get so quickly if you fax the form in (I would recommend calling to let them know you need it in a hurry, too) - they are on island time and papers sit on desks for months sometimes. Note that you don't need paperwork for a port your dog is not getting off the ship at.

 

Well, we live in Canada and my dog has all her vaccination papers (last time she has a 3-year shot). Thus, I am not sure if I will have to get the USDA health certificate for her, or that would be only in case we would like to disembark with her.

 

You will need to get an international health certificate from your Canadian vet, not from a US vet. You do have to fulfill all the requirements of importing a dog into the US, since you will be getting off the ship in the US, which is basically just a valid rabies vaccination and the health certificate.

 

My biggest concern is how it is going to be at ports of call. The cruise I am interested in goes to Cayman Islands and to Jamaica. How is it to go out with my service dog? And how is it coming back to the ship? What is necessary etc?

 

As stated before, I would much prefer leaving my Service Dog onboard. Can the dog stay in the vessel while I disembark? If I bring a big and comfortable crate, can we leave her locked in the crate? Will the cruise line know and do anything if both me and my wife leave the ship and my dog stays in the cabin?

 

No, you cannot leave your dog in the cabin alone. You or your wife (or someone you bring on the cruise with you to dogsit) will have to stay onboard with your dog. The cruise ship marks your cruise card (used for getting on/off the ship, in your room, for purchases, etc.) as your having a service dog and if you try to exit the ship at a port your dog doesn't have permission to get off the ship at, a very loud alarm will go off when you try to exit the ship.

 

Moreover, how will it be coming back to the USA after the cruise? Any special request? When we come back to Florida, will they need any certification or quarantine for my dog?

 

No quarantine or anything, just need the health certificate like I said above, since you are importing the dog from whatever country your last port is - I recommend bringing the rabies certificate, too, even though the health certificate would have that information on it.

 

When I travel abroad with my Service Dog, I was never asked for any documents for her (although I always bring with me her vaccine papers, her United States Service Dog Registry card etc.).

 

I don't know if it is because you're not knowledgeable about US stuff, being from Canada, or if you're trying to fake your pet or emotional support dog as a service dog, but every single one of those ID cards you can buy online is a scam. Fakers use these fake IDs to attempt to bring their pets and emotional support animals in public places. They have the validity of the piece of gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe. The US has no legitimate registry and ID cards, vests, etc. are not required for access here.

 

As long as you fit the US definition of a person with a disability (have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as walking, seeing, hearing, etc.) and your dog fits the definition of a service dog (individually trained to do work or perform tasks that are directly related to your disability, plus is housebroken and trained to behave in public - comfort, emotional support, etc. does not make a dog a service dog), your dog can be brought onto the cruise ship with you. Businesses are allowed to ask if the dog is your service dog and what tasks it has been trained to do that directly relate to your disability. Ships follow the US laws when they depart from the US and in each port you get off at, their laws (most of the Caribbean doesn't have access laws for service dogs) apply.

 

When you board the ship, throw your useless fake ID in the ocean (okay, don't ACTUALLY do this, as throwing things off the ship is not allowed and could get you kicked off!). If you're a legit service dog handler, you would not want to be seen with said card by anyone who knows they are for fakers!

[Quampapetet]

I can't believe it has been about a month since I came on here - I really thought it was a lot more recent than that! Time is just FLYING by! Christmas is this week and soon after, it will be - gulp - 2016!!! I can't believe it.

 

Reading all the messages here, I feel like I am the only one who is NOT going on a cruise/just got off a cruise!! I hope everyone has/had fun!

 

My service dog is doing well and it feels like she's been here forever, not just a few months. I guess that means she is a great successor dog to my late girl! I will tell you something funny: she's really vain. How do I know this? Because if you sing a (made-up) song about her, she's fine, but if I sing a song about anything else, even if it is a Christmas carol, she starts kissing my mouth to shut me up!!! LOL! Sheesh, I didn't think my singing was THAT bad - everyone's a critic!

 

Merry Christmas to all! May Santa Paws bring good stuff to your pups! Toys and treats for mine (and treats for the pet dogs of close family members).

[Caribbean Chris]

Quam, Merry Christmas to you and your girl! So funny that she loves to hear songs but only if they feature her own name.

 

Hope Santa Paws is extra good to her (and you) this year!

[DisneyKidsDad]

Welcome back Roz!! The place wasn't the same without you!! But we

cleaned up as good as we were able to. Can't wait to hear more.

[wizard-of-roz]

Welcome back Roz!! The place wasn't the same without you!! But we

cleaned up as good as we were able to. Can't wait to hear more.

 

Thank you! I missed all of you!

 

I don't know if I told you guys this or not but after much discussion with the Hotel Manager and the Chief Environmentalist onboard, the potty box was moved to our balcony. It was so easy to get up in the morning or the middle of the night, when needed and just open the sliding door.

 

Cindra, there were no other dogs onboard and for the entire two weeks Horton was a "rock-star!" I actually had to take him back to our cabin or to a quiet area so that he could get a break. The photographer had to re-print some of his formal pictures so that other people could spend $24.99 and buy one. Isn't that ridiculous! I always spend a fortune on pictures of him!

[wizard-of-roz]

This is going to be a crazy week.......so, I want to make sure to wish all of you a Healthy, Happy Holiday Season. I hope that the coming New Year will bring you GOOD HEALTH and much HAPPINESS ♥

 

FYI: So many strangers onboard my cruise came over to tell me that they read our thread almost everyday and follow everyone's writings. They knew all about DKD's and Fairbourne's Puppy Raising and knew when Cindy and John got Wex. They asked me how Bonnie was and how old is Orson? They asked if Nancy had a Service Dog and on and on. Isn't it amazing how some folks from Australia asked me questions about you guys. It never ceases to amaze me!!!

 

So, on that note, BEHAVE and don't embarrass me!!!! :rolleyes:

[tvaud]

Need help. We had a very rough night last night, continuing today. We are fine, but Pedro is sea sick. Anyone have advice for remedies? Can dogs take Bonnie or Dramamine or should we give him ginger ale and apple skins?

 

Cindra