Service Dogs in Barbados

[BruceMuzz]

This past cruise we had a wheelchair bound passenger with a Service Dog. Pre-cruise, we discovered that Bahamas and Barbados would not allow animals of any kind -for any reason - to disembark the ship in their countries. The handicapped passenger was briefed before the cruise and once again when she boarded. She was told that the dog would not be allowed ashore in those 2 countries.

 

Then in Barbados she decided to go ashore with her dog. The Customs authorities caught her and sent her back to the ship. Then they visited the ship and fined the Captain US$5000 for allowing the dog ashore.

 

We spoke with the passenger. She claimed that she "forgot" about the instructions given about her dog.

 

The Customs Officials spoke with her and informed he that if she "forgot" and went ashore again, they would shoot her dog.

 

Who should pay the fine, the Captain or the passenger?

[lvtotrvl1]

How did she get through security to even get off the ship?

[katisdale]

First, I doubt the captain personally paid the fine, I would guess it would be the cruise line that paid it. My question is would they bill the passenger?

[PennyAgain]

This sort of passenger makes it much more difficult for everyone else!

[pmfan]

They should bill the passenger. It is a fine for not following the law. You break the law - you pay the fine.

 

I don't understand why the SD could not go into the Bahamas. My DD always takes her SD into the Bahamas. Did the passenger apply for a permit to take her SD into the Bahamas? You must apply for and receive a permit in order to take your SD into their country.

[Quampapetet]

SDs are allowed in the Bahamas - I go there with my SD every year. Perhaps this dog didn't have the right paperwork (import permit, health requirements) or was coming from a country the Bahamas doesn't accept dogs from? (What was their port just before the Bahamas?)

 

The passenger should pay the fine, whether she forgot or just was stupid. If I can obey Jamaican customs' orders not to even bring my dog outside at all (which means no potty breaks while docked), she can certainly obey orders not to go ashore (which I also did with Grand Cayman, though we were allowed outside on the ship there). [Jamaica doesn't allow dogs; I didn't want to go through the expense of the health requirements for Cayman.] There is no excuse for defying a country's customs regulations/orders. She is lucky that they didn't destroy her dog, which many countries threaten to do should a dog try to enter without the proper clearances.

 

You can't expect the ship's door personnel to know the regulations and orders of every country or if the dog had the right paperwork for entry or not. They do not ask of that when you get off the ship. The ship takes care of the paperwork while clearing customs after first docking in each country.

 

The ship could have (should have?) declared her as an unruly passenger. If she could've gotten off at the next port (if there was one) with her dog, they could've kicked her off the ship.

[Queenie2]

i guess it goes back to the "captain is responsible for everything that happens under his command" and he probably acted as an agent accepting the ticket on behalf of the cruise line. i'm guessing the cruise line paid the fine.

 

But to be honest, I think they (the cruise line) should try to (if they can) recover from the woman, as she showed a flagrant disregard for the law. It's folks like that who give others a bad name.

 

 

Candy

[pmfan]

Quampapetet, I did not know that service dogs can not go outside while the ship is in port at Jamaica. I knew they couldn't get off the ship but not that they couldn't go outside to go potty. Do you know why this is?

 

My DD has had her SD on a cruise ship that ports at Jamaica a few times now and was not aware of this.

[Quampapetet]

Quampapetet, I did not know that service dogs can not go outside while the ship is in port at Jamaica. I knew they couldn't get off the ship but not that they couldn't go outside to go potty. Do you know why this is?

 

My DD has had her SD on a cruise ship that ports at Jamaica a few times now and was not aware of this.

 

I didn't know, either, 'til I got the phone call that morning from the purser telling me the Jamaican officials said my dog cannot go outside. At first I thought he just meant off the ship, so I said, "I know," and he quietly said, "Oh...." Then I woke up (I'd "woken" about a minute before the call came, so was still in sleep mode) and realized he meant outside at all, since he already knew from talking to me last night that we weren't going off the ship, plus his reply to my, "I know," statement.

 

It may not be something that happens every time or it could be a new rule or it could be they were having some sort of epidemic or it could be whoever was the agent that day or it could be based on where the ship docks (we were right next to the land - I went out on my balcony [i'm glad I had a balcony cabin so I could go outside for a bit while my dog stayed inside as per their orders!]) or it could be something else - I dunno!

[pmfan]

Quampapetet ...Thanks for your quick reply. One other question. Was this your first/only time you have had your SD with you at the Jamician port?

 

Everyone ... Has anyone else had there SD with them on a cruise that stopped at Jamicia? What was your experiences? The reason I ask is that like I said my DD has had her dog on cruises before that stopped at Jamicia and we were not aware of this. and the dog has been outside. In the future, we want to do the right thing. But do not want to stay inside unless it is a rule then of course we will.

[Quampapetet]

Quampapetet ...Thanks for your quick reply. One other question. Was this your first/only time you have had your SD with you at the Jamician port?

 

Yes, as it was my first cruise. All my other trips are land trips, so I only go where dogs are allowed to enter the country.

 

Everyone ... Has anyone else had there SD with them on a cruise that stopped at Jamicia? What was your experiences? The reason I ask is that like I said my DD has had her dog on cruises before that stopped at Jamicia and we were not aware of this. and the dog has been outside. In the future, we want to do the right thing. But do not want to stay inside unless it is a rule then of course we will.

 

I would keep on going outside on the ship (not onto land, of course!) until you are told otherwise. I would have gone outside on the ship had the purser not called me that morning to tell me the authorities said I couldn't. He hadn't mentioned anything about it the night before when I talked to him then, so it could be a new rule or just something that authority person said or a limited-time thing due to some outbreak on the island or something or could be because of our itinerary. Who knows!

[sunrise0043]

What destinations allow SDs? I just came back from Jamaica and Grand Cayman. I called the Embassy of Jamaica and they told me that I could not bring my SD at all. So unfortunately, I had to leave her at home. It was hard for me and this is something I will never do again. I am new to cruising, as well as new to being a handler.

[Quampapetet]

Jamaica doesn't allow dogs, so you'll never have any luck taking your dog off the ship there. You didn't have to leave it at home, though; you would be allowed to leave the ship without her while she stayed on the ship with somebody else.

 

Cayman Islands requires the rabies titer test and you can't have sailed to Mexico before landing there (even if your dog doesn't get off there - they don't know that).

 

I've been on three cruises and here's the rundown of the itineraries:

 

Key West - Can get off, of course, since it is part of Florida

 

Mexico - Can get off

 

Cayman Islands - Need rabies titer test, can't have ported at Mexico beforehand

 

Jamaica - Cannot get off

 

Bahamas - Can get off, need import permit (free for service dogs); if a land trip, also need to have the import permit checked by a Bahamian vet within 48 hours of arrival

 

U.S. Virgin Islands - Can get off, since they are part of the US; ADA applies here just as it does in the States

 

Puerto Rico - Can get off, since it is part of the US; ADA applies here just as it does in the States

 

Turks & Caicos - Can get off, need to write to gov't vet for exemption from rabies titer and import permit fees, need import permit

 

Barbados - Cannot get off

 

St. Lucia - Can get off, need rabies titer with six-month wait before entering country, gov't vet comes onboard the ship to look over the dog/scan for the microchip/look over the paperwork/collect a fee (this happens right after the ship docks early in the morning)

 

St. Kitts - Can get off, need two rabies titers (no six-month wait required but titers must be a month apart), need to send for import permit with small fee (and explain you need the quarantine requirement waived); postage for the import permit paperwork isn't cheap, but this island is gorgeous so it is worth it to be able to get off here!

 

St. Maarten - Can get off, need to carry "ownership papers" with you while you're off the ship; I didn't know about the ownership papers requirement until on the cruise, so just took my vet paperwork off and nobody asked for paperwork anyway