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

[rangeley]

1 hour ago, S.S. Cruisers said:

Oh Ms. Tish you're hanging off your bed!  Silly girl.  I'm glad you are there to help mom get thru the ugly times.

 

Roz, don't feel bad, I'm on the brink ready to dive in and circle the bowl!  

 

Cindy, doing the same thing here.  I have a bottle with bleach and water.  Don't get in my way or you will get wiped down too!I

 

When I brought groceries home from store pick up the other day I sprayed the outside of the bags.  Not thinking the print on the bag was going to run.  Then I sat in the garage, took each item out and wiped them down.  Spray inside of bag then everything back in it to come upstairs.  Keith just cannot get this virus.  Every couple of days we go for a ride, don't get out of the car, just ride.  

 

There is a family down the road that has a huge metal (art) dinosaur in their side yard.  They decorate him for each holiday.  Very cute idea.  Right now he has a giant mask on so he doesn't t get or pass the virus on.  I will have to take a picture and post it f o r you guys.  I did laugh out loud.  Was nice to laugh for a change.

 

I've been doing the same thing with the groceries. Wiping them down before I put them away. 

[wizard-of-roz]

5 hours ago, rangeley said:

 

Aww Roz, no meltdowns allowed. We haven't been out at all until Saturday when we went to start our cars and they were both dead. Had to call AAA to have them jumped and decided to go get our favorite roast beef sandwich and a dunkin iced coffee. It's nice but then I get home and I go around and wipe everything down like a crazy woman before we eat. We get a package and I open it outside the apt. I know I'm probably over doing it, but with our health issues we can't be to careful. It's wierd to see everyone with masks on. Alot of CCI people are making masks and sent us some. Still alot of stupid people out there gathering and not wearing masks. 😩

So cute!!!!!

[wizard-of-roz]

7 hours ago, kmg365suzyq said:

I started to have my meltdown yesterday.  Thank you Miss Tish for doing what you are trained to do and keep me from completely going to pieces.  Of course, our April 28 cruise has been cancelled, but we do have 1 scheduled for the beginning of November of this year.  Also, I had scheduled a big celebration for next November for my 65th birthday.  I am bring 11 friends and family with me on that one.  I need to look to the future and hope things go back to my semblance of normal

Boy!  Talk about "melt-down"!  This picture should read......"I'm not moving til this whole thing is over!"

[wizard-of-roz]

2 hours ago, rangeley said:

 

I've been doing the same thing with the groceries. Wiping them down before I put them away. 

My hands are raw from cleaning.......

[rangeley]

47 minutes ago, wizard-of-roz said:

My hands are raw from cleaning.......

Mine too. Been loading the cream on before I go to bed. 

[maddz8039]

Hi everyone I'm going to be going on my first cruise with my service dog do any of you have tips or tricks?

 

what do you usually bring on your cruise service dog related?

 

has anyone ever been to St.Kitts , St. Marrten, San Juan/Puerto Rico, Grand Turks?

 

we will be going on carnival breeze if that helps.

 

i get really bad sensory over load is there anywhere quiet except for our room you recommend.

 

anything helps thank you!!!

 

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by maddz8039
had another question

[Caribbean Chris]

4 hours ago, maddz8039 said:

Hi everyone I'm going to be going on my first cruise with my service dog do any of you have tips or tricks?

 

what do you usually bring on your cruise service dog related?

 

has anyone ever been to St.Kitts , St. Marrten, San Juan/Puerto Rico, Grand Turks?

 

we will be going on carnival breeze if that helps.

 

i get really bad sensory over load is there anywhere quiet except for our room you recommend.

 

anything helps thank you!!!

 

 

Others will chime in but the primary things you’ll always need are a current rabies vaccine and a health certificate. (The vet should use USDA Form 7001, and it is only valid for 30 days.) The best thing to do is find a USDA APHIS accredited vet. If the dog doesn’t have one, get him microchipped.
 

For accredited vets and port information, your starting place is the Dept. of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service:

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel
 

When is your cruise? You can use the drop down menu at that link to see country-by-country requirements. But I am assuming all bets are off at the moment for whether ports of call will even permit cruise ships for a very long time. I hate to sound pessimistic. The international publicity was so terrible.

 

Two of the many ports that are extremely difficult for trying to bring in a dog (service dogs included) are St. Kitts and Turks & Caicos. San Juan is no problem with the above documentation. St. Maarten is in between the two extremes for paperwork. Your USDA accredited vet can advise the process.

 

For tips, I’d say you want to be sure the dog will use a 4-ft. Square box filled with mulch or sod to do his business. Many of us practice at home with a box in the yard. The other tip is to request a dining room table against a wall, ideally in a corner where the dog can be tucked safely away from passing waiters and passengers. And for the obvious: Never leave the dog alone in the cabin, don’t feed him in public, never give him cruise ship food, and keep him On the floor and off the ship’s furniture.

 

Notify the cruise line early on if you are bringing a dog, but no later than a month ahead of sailing. They will provide a form for you to sign with their policies.

 

Hope that helps. Best of luck with your plans, and to all of us with booked future cruises. Fingers crossed that things will get back to normal eventually.

[kmg365suzyq]

I don't like crowds myself.  I have been to San Juan and St. Maarten with my dog and there hasn't been an issue.  My vet is a USDA accredited vet and he took care of everything for me.  I wrote to St. Maarten and they also verified what I needed.  Unlike a lot of people, I rarely get off the ship.  That is when I find the quiet and alone time.  I, personally, have found that the buffets were the worst place for me.  

 

I agree a table against a wall and/or near the front of the dining room is the best so that you are not parading the dog throughout the dining room.  

 

Our last cruise on Royal Caribbean, I was able to book a royal suite class cabin with friends.  With that comes a very small and more intimate dining room and private lounge.  For me, that was great.  I think the library on most ships is a good place also because it is quiet.  Because Miss Tish is a small service dog, waiting in crowds is difficult.  She is okay, but I worry about people not seeing her.

 

We are booked for a Princess cruise this November and another Royal Caribbean one next November to celebrate a big birthday.  I hope and pray things are back to normal by then.  

 

 

[Caribbean Chris]

Kmgsuzyq,  you are so right about those buffets. We are early risers and the breakfast buffets are usually uncrowded when they open, with plenty of good table choices, so that’s not too bad. The dog just holds a down-stay when I go to get food.
 

But all bets are off at lunchtime! I hate threading the dog through the distracted crowds who aren’t noticing other people around them, dropping & spilling. We try to find a table close to where we entered in a corner and then take turns. 
 

Sometimes we skip the buffet seating and try to find a table outside away from the pool to bring a plate or get pizza, burgers, tacos etc from those stations. The issues there, of course, are that you are more exposed - well-meaning people keep coming up to ask about the dog while you are trying to eat. Or the deck is wet so the dog gets wet.

 

The private dining venues are definitely winners as you said. We’ve been in Luminae and Blu on Celebrity, and Club Orange on HAL’s New Statendam, and all of the staffs were great. They received our seating needs in advance and have always had the perfect corner table held for us the whole cruise.

[S.S. Cruisers]

iiI don't have a service dog and I don't do crowds.  I bet we have eaten at the buffet a hand full of times in all the cruises we have taken.  I find the main dining rooms were usually not busy and it was pawfect.  Or we do Calzones on the run.  We love to stay on board and soak up that quiet time.  With hubby''s and now my walking issues if we do get off the ship we hang out at the piers.  We aren't big souvenir people and we do think we need something from where we are, it can be found at one of the pier shops.  People watching is at its best!

 

Cindy, that is a great picture of you and Oakland.  The look of how he loves his momma is priceless.  I can only imagine the look for his dad!

[rangeley]

1 hour ago, S.S. Cruisers said:

Cindy, that is a great picture of you and Oakland.  The look of how he loves his momma is priceless.  I can only imagine the look for his dad!

 

Oh you know he loves me more! 😂

[wizard-of-roz]

21 hours ago, maddz8039 said:

Hi everyone I'm going to be going on my first cruise with my service dog do any of you have tips or tricks?

 

what do you usually bring on your cruise service dog related?

 

has anyone ever been to St.Kitts , St. Marrten, San Juan/Puerto Rico, Grand Turks?

 

we will be going on carnival breeze if that helps.

 

i get really bad sensory over load is there anywhere quiet except for our room you recommend.

 

anything helps thank you!!!

 

 

You can always find a quiet lounge to hang out......the best time is when everyone gets off the ship in port, then you get to have the ship all to yourself.

 

 

[wizard-of-roz]

14 hours ago, kmg365suzyq said:

I don't like crowds myself.  I have been to San Juan and St. Maarten with my dog and there hasn't been an issue.  My vet is a USDA accredited vet and he took care of everything for me.  I wrote to St. Maarten and they also verified what I needed.  Unlike a lot of people, I rarely get off the ship.  That is when I find the quiet and alone time.  I, personally, have found that the buffets were the worst place for me.  

 

I agree a table against a wall and/or near the front of the dining room is the best so that you are not parading the dog throughout the dining room.  

 

Our last cruise on Royal Caribbean, I was able to book a royal suite class cabin with friends.  With that comes a very small and more intimate dining room and private lounge.  For me, that was great.  I think the library on most ships is a good place also because it is quiet.  Because Miss Tish is a small service dog, waiting in crowds is difficult.  She is okay, but I worry about people not seeing her.

 

We are booked for a Princess cruise this November and another Royal Caribbean one next November to celebrate a big birthday.  I hope and pray things are back to normal by then.  

 

 

You sound like you've been cruising with a dog for many, many years.  You have a great plan for Miss Tish.....she's very lucky to have such a smart partner!

 

I, too, hope that cruising is back to normal by November, if not sooner!

[wizard-of-roz]

9 hours ago, rangeley said:

 

Oh you know he loves me more! 😂

Don't tell John, but I do believe that Mr. Oakland is madly in love with his Mommy!!!!!

[wizard-of-roz]

13 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

Kmgsuzyq,  you are so right about those buffets. We are early risers and the breakfast buffets are usually uncrowded when they open, with plenty of good table choices, so that’s not too bad. The dog just holds a down-stay when I go to get food.
 

But all bets are off at lunchtime! I hate threading the dog through the distracted crowds who aren’t noticing other people around them, dropping & spilling. We try to find a table close to where we entered in a corner and then take turns. 
 

Sometimes we skip the buffet seating and try to find a table outside away from the pool to bring a plate or get pizza, burgers, tacos etc from those stations. The issues there, of course, are that you are more exposed - well-meaning people keep coming up to ask about the dog while you are trying to eat. Or the deck is wet so the dog gets wet.

 

The private dining venues are definitely winners as you said. We’ve been in Luminae and Blu on Celebrity, and Club Orange on HAL’s New Statendam, and all of the staffs were great. They received our seating needs in advance and have always had the perfect corner table held for us the whole cruise.

You're such a great planner!

[kmg365suzyq]

My late husband and I cruised about every other year.  He was able to help me with my PTSD.  Once he passed, with the help of others, I knew I had to get a service dog.  It took a few years before I was able to get back on a ship, but I am glad I did.  Many of the things I learned, quiet areas, private dining areas, staying on the ship when others got off, we had been doing for years. I am lucky Tish is such a good sailor.  Planes, not so much.  Living now in southern Florida, I can just drive to a port and not have to worry about flying.

[wizard-of-roz]

6 hours ago, kmg365suzyq said:

My late husband and I cruised about every other year.  He was able to help me with my PTSD.  Once he passed, with the help of others, I knew I had to get a service dog.  It took a few years before I was able to get back on a ship, but I am glad I did.  Many of the things I learned, quiet areas, private dining areas, staying on the ship when others got off, we had been doing for years. I am lucky Tish is such a good sailor.  Planes, not so much.  Living now in southern Florida, I can just drive to a port and not have to worry about flying.

I also lost my dear husband who had been the most amazing partner for me, my dogs and my various issues.    

 

I not only had my original senior dog to care for but also my Successor Dog, who I had received shortly before my husband got sick.  Lots and lots of life decisions to make on my own in a very short time. 

 

Good for you for getting back on a ship, on your own.   I'm glad I did too!!!!  Sometimes I go with my dog alone and sometimes I invite different family members to join me.  Just recently, I took a cruise with Cindy & John [Rangeley] and their SD Oakland.  I must say it was one of my most favorite cruises, ever.

 

Driving directly to the port is my very favorite way to cruise too.  Unfortunately, here in L.A. we're pretty limited in the ships and destinations that we can go to, which is why they book up so quickly.  I try to catch as many of the great offers to any destination that I can!

 

 

[rangeley]

21 hours ago, wizard-of-roz said:

Don't tell John, but I do believe that Mr. Oakland is madly in love with his Mommy!!!!!

 

Whats not to love!! 😜

Edited April 23, 2020 by rangeley

[rangeley]

11 hours ago, kmg365suzyq said:

My late husband and I cruised about every other year.  He was able to help me with my PTSD.  Once he passed, with the help of others, I knew I had to get a service dog.  It took a few years before I was able to get back on a ship, but I am glad I did.  Many of the things I learned, quiet areas, private dining areas, staying on the ship when others got off, we had been doing for years. I am lucky Tish is such a good sailor.  Planes, not so much.  Living now in southern Florida, I can just drive to a port and not have to worry about flying.

 

There's just something about cruising that is so relaxing. Like all the tension just leaves your body. Then it ends and I have to get on a plane 😩

[S.S. Cruisers]

Cindy I agree about cruising.  It is so hectic packing and making sure you have everything, including cruise docs.  Get to the terminal, parking, getting suitcases handled, wait, wait and wait to board.  Get on board get to the room, get all unpacked then swoosh, all the negative leaves my body and we are on vacation!  Then the night before we have to leave, wait until the last minute to pack and then the reverse anticipation of getting off the ship. We are usually the last to get called because we drive to port..... ahhhhh. 

[wizard-of-roz]

Happy Weekend [will I ever wear lip gloss again?]

[dlbutler5]

Roz,

I wanted to let you know that Barb passed away of pancreatic cancer March 1st. She is with Valentine once again. I am having a burial at sea for them on the Eurodam August 15 Alaska cruise. 

 

[dlbutler5]

Barb screen name was Valentines Mom. 
 

[wizard-of-roz]

4 hours ago, dlbutler5 said:

Roz,

I wanted to let you know that Barb passed away of pancreatic cancer March 1st. She is with Valentine once again. I am having a burial at sea for them on the Eurodam August 15 Alaska cruise. 

 

Oh!  No!  I'm so sorry to hear this.  We wrote to each other over many, many years and I always enjoyed her writings of Valentine.  I loved reading her stories of Valentine and how she would push her around in her doggie stroller as she would stand and watch the people lurking at her!  Barb loved Valentine so much.  And got so much joy as she cruised with her.

 

May they both rest in peace.  Thank you for letting us know.

[rangeley]

On 4/24/2020 at 9:34 PM, dlbutler5 said:

Roz,

I wanted to let you know that Barb passed away of pancreatic cancer March 1st. She is with Valentine once again. I am having a burial at sea for them on the Eurodam August 15 Alaska cruise. 

 

So sorry to hear. 😢