Luey

My daughter, her Seeing Eye Dog, and I returned a couple of days ago from the Caribbean Princess. Thank you to all who provided information for each of the ports we traveled to. My daughter's dog was able to get off the boat at each of the ports without problems. Without all of your valuable information, we wouldn't have had what was needed.

Since this was the first cruise for my daughter's dog, it went fairly well. Not knowing exactly what to expect, we were a little surprised at a couple of things. Perhaps this is normal, but the mulch box was placed in an emergency stairwell at the end of the hall. The location was convenient because we were fairly close to the back of the boat but it wasn't convenient when we were out and about and needed to travel far for the bathroom. The stairwell was fully enclosed so it was kind of like telling the dog to go to the bathroom inside of a room. :eek: The mulch was only replaced once during our 10 day cruise. That was a little bothersome due to the smell. I had requested it be changed three days in a row before they did anything.

The one thing we didn't like was that the floor supervisor told us when we arrived that THEY take the dog to the bathroom and neither of us could come along. We said absolutely not - no one takes the dog out but my daughter. They compromised and said our room steward would have to accompany my daughter. I said he works long enough days without us having to page him at 1 am when we usually go to bed. The supervisor then gave us a second pager number to use when Nonato, our room steward, was off duty. The first night we paged at 12:15 am and it took 20 minutes for someone to come. Enough of that. The rest of the cruise we just took the dog ourselves. I think they were worried because the emergency exit we needed to use had a very heavy door and they didn't want anyone injured. Maybe this is normal but it really took us by surprise.

All in all the trip went really well. The dog was like a celebrity. My daughter even had tell people a different name for her dog than what it was. Everyone on the boat thought the dog's name was Malibu. The fictituous name came in handy as her name was called everywhere we went. The dog didn't even pay attention.

Thank you again for all the contributors on this message board!

Luanne

We set sail from Brooklyn, New York on the Caribbean Princess. When I last called to ask about the bathroom location, they said there was one on every deck. Our room is near the back of the boat so I hope the bathroom is on that end - yikes if it is not. :rolleyes:

Hello Everyone - Just 6 more days until we set sail. Kind of nervous about the paperwork as this is the first cruise my daughter will be bringing her Seeing Eye Dog Fray. Fray had her visit with the vet yesterday to have the International Health form completed and it was faxed to Grand Turk along with the permit and rabies vaccination certificate. Boy do they have the requirements. Haven't heard anything back yet and crossing my fingers as Fray don't won't meet all the requirements but hoping since we are only there for a day that we'll get the permit. We simply can't afford the tests and additional vaccinations they require.

Hopefully we are good with the International Health form, rabies certificate, city license for St. Maartin, St. Thomas, and San Juan. If anyone is aware of anything else my daughter needs for those three islands, please let me know.

I really can't tell you just how much I appreciate that you all share your travel knowledge and wisdom. Thank you to all who take the time to post on this blog.

Luanne

Thanks for the information for Grand Turk. Fray had her vet appointment yesterday to get the International Health Certificate completed. I e-mailed that form along with the permit, rabies certificate and a letter from The Seeing Eye stating the dog is a service animal. Hopefully everything will go well but I don't know if she will meet all the requirements. Wow - they are strict.

Can you explain what you mean by "cleared the requirements being waived with Grand Turk"? I haven't been able to find any information on Grand Turk's requirements on the web (USDA and elsewhere).

Thanks - Luanne

Ok - so this will be my daughter's Seeing Eye Dog's first cruise and I think I have everything in order yet I have a couple of questions.

We are traveling from New York to San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Martin, and Grand Turks.

• International Health Form will be completed at vet apt on Monday.
  
• Official letter from the The Seeing Eye stating the dog is a service animal (cruise line asked for this)
  
• Copy of vaccinations and health certificate which includes the three year rabies vaccination - but.....we have no rabies tag as The Seeing Eye didn't provide one (though they provided the certificate) - Does anyone think this will be a problem?
  
• Copy of receipt for the city dog license - but....there is no seal and I heard this was recommended. We only received a small receipt that says city dog license paid with our last name on it. Does anyone think this will be a problem?
  

Are we missing anything? Will the lack of a rabies tag and/or more official looking city license be a problem?

Luanne

We are going to be traveling to Grand Turks, St. Marten, San Juan, and St. Thomas. Fray had a 3 year rabies vaccination that isn't due until next May (1 more yr). Do you know of these four islands have problems with the three year vaccination? If so, could you explain the titer test to me as I am not familiar with that? Thank you in advance.

Luanne

Usually you cannot get a rabies vaccine within 30 days before entering another country, so you should not get it at your health certificate app't.

 

March is a long time away - almost a year - and you wouldn't want to over-vaccinate your dog any more than needed (the rabies vaccine lasts longer than three years as it is, but you have to go by the laws, of course ... and the one-year is the same vaccine as the three-year, just with a different label on it).

 

Why don't you call your vet and ask them about Mexico's regulations? But, everything I find doesn't say anything about the vaccine needing to be within one year. Perhaps the person you heard that from was wrong or their health certificate just didn't state that the vaccine was the three-year vaccine so the authorities had to assume it was the one-year for health's sake and deny the entry.

Thank you again for all the information. I am heading out of town tomorrow so I will start mulling through all the paperwork on Sunday when I get home. Glad you say this sounds easy :cool: but sure seems like a lot of work - whew.

We have an appointment set-up 7 days before the cruise to get a check-up and the international health certification form completed. Fray's rabies shot isn't due until next March but I think we will get it taken care of early since her shot is done only once every three years. I have read that a few areas (Mexico in particular) have issues with the two and three year rabies vaccine. Not sure if any of the ports we are going to require just the one-year it but just to be safe I think she will get the booster now.

Luanne

Thank you so much for the information. Since Grand Turks sounds expensive I think my daughter will plan on staying back on the boat that day. In general she is very nervous about getting off with Fray. Do you think we would have any problems getting on the cruise initially if we didn't have permits for Grand Turks even though the dog won't get off at that port? Just not sure how this works with cruises.

Luanne

Hello Everyone,

My daughter and I will be going on a cruise in June with Princess and will be bringing my daughter's Seeing Eye Dog Fray. I am finding that the cruise lines don't seem to have many specifics for documentation and I hope to be fully prepared before we arrive. It took two e-mails and two phone calls before anyone even bothered to responde back to me (7 days). It seems as though I am pulling teeth to get the specifics. All we have been told is that we need to bring some kind of paperwork regarding vaccinations, certification that the dog is a Seeing Eye Dog, and permits for each of the islands we are going to (San Juan, St. Maartin, St. Thomas, Grand Turks). The website Princess directed me to has a fee for each form. Does anyone have a good website you can suggest that offers the forms for no charge.

Also, we aren't even sure if Fray will be leaving the boat due to possible illnesses she could contract. Have any of you had any problems when you have taken your dog to areas outside the USA? Also, have you been approached by unleashed animals at the islands?

Luanne

Thanks for the info Dave.

Hi Jetskier - did you ever use the parking lot at the cruise port? I am debating where to park in April. I had heard if you use that parking lot the driver can drop off the passengers and guests at the cruise line and then park the car. That seems a little less cumbersome than parking 5 miles off-site? My father-in-law will coming with us and he doesn't get around too good (81 years old :eek: ). I am looking for the most convenient option for all 7 of us.

Also, do you know if the shuttle from the nocruiseshipparking.com parking lot runs early in the day. We are hoping to get to the cruise by 10:30 am or so?