Sunflower & The Scientist

Thanks for all your good information!

Fruitmachine, thanks....you are a great resource for Edinburgh! We have to book our excursions on Saturday, and Edinburgh has been one we aren't quite sure what to do. We really wanted to see the Stone of Destiny (Stone of Scone), but that excursion is 7 hours long. We don't want to invest that much time in doing just one thing. We plan on taking the walking tour as it evidently walks around the Castle, but we are wondering if we can pay admittance and go in for a quick tour. Any thoughts you have on this?

We are doing Amsterdam to Basel as well and I have the feeling we will have to work at keeping a good attitude at meal times. We enjoy having conversations with people over dinner, but we don't enjoy eating in a zoo as we've had to do on other cruise lines we no longer cruise on. Since my husband can't have wheat, so basically eats eggs for breakfast, so the earlier morning foods offered wouldn't work for him. I'm thinking we may be grabbing eggs and putting them in our fridge for the next morning so he can eat as early as he would like. But cold eggs may prove to be a bad decision.....

You are spot on with our exact concerns and why it's taken us this long to book a river cruise. We love having our own schedule and quiet places. We enjoy socializing as well, but after a while, especially if there are a few loud talkers in the crowd, we are ready for a reprieve. We are going on the Amsterdam-Basel cruise also. Since room size is important to us because we actually enjoy spending down time in our room, and because my husband is really tall and small rooms feel really cramped for him, we booked a suite in hopes that would help. I think eating at a specific time will be a little frustrating. My husband likes to eat breakfast very early in the morning, so we will have to make an adjustment with that. All in all we decided it's worth a try because it's exactly where we want to go.

We are opposite of this OP. We cruise Viking Oceans, and are now going to do our first river on the Rhine. We've resisted rivers because we have been concerned that we would not like the differences. I'd love to hear them compared in reverse, why people like rivers more than oceans.

Explorers Lounge had a duo, keyboard and guitar as I recall. Living Room had classical music, which is where we typically hung out in the evening eating nuts and wasabi peas. They had things in the Aula in the evenings, the entertainment director sang one night in there. We did not go to anything there but the daily port reviews., which were good. Outside in front of the Aula is a nice terrace. We sat out there one evening, I would suggesting doing that. We thought the best place to eat was the WC. The beef was amazing...do not miss. Seafood was in abundance and very good. Having a sushi bar was fun. The gelato bar was a hang out for a lot of us. Having a bakery popping out an array of fresh breads....so good. Octantis was our favorite Viking ship. We loved the size. If you are used to going to the Living Room in the morning for a latte, don't plan on it until at least 10 AM. We wish they would open that earlier. You will love it!

Got it thanks....

Hilton is in a prime location. I would not stay near the airport, the wharf location is really nice. It is pretty and you will have everything you need in one easy location. We did not stay at the Hilton, and I cannot remember the name of the hotel (they called it an apartment) we stayed in. It was really nice and had a kitchenette, and washer/dryer. From anywhere in the wharf area it is an easy walk to the port. With that said, we decided to take a taxi and were very happy we did. It was a quick trip and he took us to the exact door we needed to enter at the port. They were doing construction nearby and it was a mess to get through pulling luggage.

Men's flip-flops with socks only if worn with a garters, (AKA suspenders). If topped with a fedora this would be suitable for the dinning room.

CurlerRob, yes I have noted that on My Viking Journey. The thing is to book excursions it's nice to have port times, but you can't get port times until you book excursions. Go figure.... loriva, thanks, I have done that before and had fairly good success for most of the ports.

Yes thanks, they have 7-11 for every port. Great...that worked. I think I got a good enough idea to go forward with plans. I really wanted to see if there were ports where we would be having short days. Thanks

I understand that exact port hours are a last minute thing, but I wish that Viking could give us some idea before 14 days before. It is hard to schedule things in port when you don't know. I know we can estimate by looking at times on excursions, but at least a tentative timeline would be helpful. Any suggestions....

I don't disagree!

Thank you Vineyard View for sharing the information you received. It is good to hear Viking is responding, I am waiting to see if I will hear from them. I would have liked to hear that they are working on a solution rather than blaming inaccurate reporting on CC. I feel bad for those who have done a great service to all of us by bringing their dog experiences onboard, to our attention. Clearly we do not think you are lying and spending your time onboard photoshopping dogs into your photos. KBs mum, you are exactly right. It would be very easy to dedicate one room for service dog owners. Easy solution. I am very interested to see what happens on future cruises.....

Well put....this is exactly what they should do. It will only work if they follow through and remove the offenders at the next port. Empty threats are worthless.

Jim, I wish you'd be more direct and say what you mean🤣🤣🤣! I have to say I agree with you. To be honest, there is no way I would have considered taking our service dog on a cruise. There are too many risk involved. If someone makes themselves a victim of their disability, it's a sad existence. There are things we all can and can't do.

Yes....the purpose for a vest is to alert others to the fact that this is a working dog. I understand that some people want privacy, not wanting to disclose that they have a medical issue or a disability, but I lean towards wishing that they would require service dogs to have some sort of visual identification as it alerts people that it is a working animal and not a pet. Also....many or most service dogs are trained with the vest. If the vest is on, they are working. If the vest is off, they are off duty. You remove the vest when they need to "break", eat, or have a fun play time. I am assuming dogs trained for diabetes are not trained this way...I do not have any experience with that.

" The dog was trained to be up on the bed while he slept. He was trained to sit on the coach, (thinking they meant couch) " DD57 stated. I haven't mentioned that in my post because I didn't want to add more issues to this already complex subject, but I will make a clarification on this issue. Our service dog as part of her task was to sleep at the foot of my bed to waken me if my daughters ventilator alarm went off. (My daughter depended on a ventilator to breath and our service dog was trained to distinguish alarm sounds and alert me. Yes....it was amazing!) When a 60 pound lab jumps on you, it is effective. BUT....as I have said before, part of owning a service dog is the training the handler receives. We carried a thick blanket with us when we stayed in hotels. The blanket was spread over the bed so our service dog did not have direct contact with bedding. We were instructed in our training that it was our responsibility as handlers to insure we held to the highest standards of cleanliness and and consideration for others. My hope would be that individuals using service dogs that were trained to alert and needed to be in direct physical contact, would be trained in the proper way of doing that, whether it be a bed, chair or couch. That would include the responsibility of providing a proper barrier between the service dog and furniture or bedding. I believe if people were seeing a high standard of cleanliness and consideration of others, they would not be questioning whether these dogs were legitimate service dogs.

Exactly.....true service dogs no matter their breed, size or duty, behave like service dogs. A working dog is a real thing of beauty. The dogs pictured appear to be nothing but pets. I feel this whole issue is making a mockery of service dogs.

For anyone interested....here is the email I have sent to tellus. To: Viking Cruise Line As a previous owner of a service dog, I would like to express my concerns over the recent problems occurring on Viking cruises with respect to dogs that are not essential service dogs. My daughter who has now passed away relied on a service dog for her safety. I was the dog’s handler, as she was unable to physically care for the dog that served her. I am requesting you consider the following facts regarding service dogs and dogs that are people’s pets that are being brought on board falsely claiming to be assistance-type dogs. Individuals who have service dogs receive extensive training and are required to demonstrate proper care and handling of the service dog. We are responsible for handling the dogs in accordance with protocols given to us by trained professionals. Service dogs are working dogs. There are increasing issues with non-service dogs interfering with service dogs carrying out their duties. I have personally experienced “emotional support” dogs barking and lunging at my service dog. In the US, some states are putting laws in place to protect service dogs. Here are a few facts about service dogs that distinguish them from pets being used as “emotional support” dogs. *Service dogs would never be left unattended in a room. They remain with the person they serve. *Service dogs are not allowed to eat table food, scraps off the floor, or eat under or at the table where humans are eating. *Service dogs are not allowed to approach people. Their attention is given solely to the one they are serving. *Service dogs do not bark or disturb others. *Service dogs are never allowed to sit on furniture. There are a number of concerns for dogs who are on board a cruise ship, who are not legitimate essential service dogs. Although service dogs could encounter some of these same issues, owners of service dogs are far more aware of these issues and have training in what to do in various circumstances. *If the dog was not allowed to leave the ship in the port, they would have to remain alone in their room if their owner left the ship. This could be cause for concern. *Leaving the ship on the gangway or getting on to a tender boat is not something individuals with service dogs should do without special training. There are surfaces and gaps in surfaces intended for humans that could pose a danger to a dog. *What would happen to a dog if its owner was removed from the ship to seek medical treatment? The dog would not be allowed in a medical setting. Does Viking then assume responsibility for the animal? *In the event of evacuation from the ship, what would happen to the animal? Would the owner be willing to leave their dog on board while they were evacuated, or would the animal occupy a space that should be reserved for human life? *Dogs, like humans, suffer from motion sickness. Humans can take medication to help with motion sickness. A dog would not have that option, and if it did, it would be incapacitated and rendered helpless. Animals, unlike humans, vomit where they are rather than using proper means of disposing of vomit. *Service dogs typically carry proof of vaccinations, although not legally necessary in some places. It would be possible for a dog to board a ship and pass illness in the common feces and urine relief area. Dogs, unlike humans, when ill, are not able to make it to a relief area and relieve themselves where they are. There have been issues noted on Viking with dogs stepping in their feces and tracking it across the deck. It is not uncommon for a dog to feel ill and have diarrhea, especially when traveling. How does Viking deal with properly cleaning this in staterooms and common areas when this happens? Gastroenteritis is a common and highly contagious illness that spreads quickly from saliva, vomit, and feces, in dogs. *Viking provides medical care for humans who are ill or injured. What would happen in the event a dog is injured or becomes ill? There is no question that an individual who requires a service dog for safety reasons, such as those with visual impairments, should be allowed to bring their dog on a cruise. That is not the question. As I have stated, service dog owners have specialized training to deal with issues that arise. Viking has created an atmosphere on their ships that is different from other cruise ships. Not having casinos and children onboard provides an atmosphere that is attractive to a large population. Now we are dealing with ill-behaved pets that individuals are allowed to bring onboard. I respectfully ask Viking to reconsider allowing dogs, other than legitimate essential service dogs required for an individual’s safety, to be onboard Viking ships.

This would be a great idea except I know people who have used "dog trainers" to come for a couple visits to their house and call the dog trained. There is an abundance of unscrupulous people who would be happy to "verify" that your pet is a service dog.

Thank you for speaking up.....

Thanks Vineyard View....I'm not really an expert, I just have experience. Let me say that chengkp75 did a great job of giving details on the ADA, which I did not include in my post. I just love that so many on CC are taking this seriously and communicating this to Viking.

REAL service dogs are taught during their training to do what they need to do on command. Unfortunately there are not always places where there is dirt or grass. We had issues in airports. You always carry provisions for those instances.

I can only speak regarding service dogs in the US, and there is no legal status for a service dog, and I wish there was. To be labeled a service dog, a dog must do at least three assigned jobs. But that is fairly meaningless as you can just say your dog is a service dog and they must let you have it with you except if you are a religious organization that does not allow dogs. Real service dogs are VERY expensive because raising and training a service dog is very costly. Some organizations do not charge those in need for the service dogs. But others like me paid for our dogs. There is no way any of us would put our dogs at risk, someone’s life depends on them. KB’s mom, your point is well taken. Every day a dog has time off…just like the rest of us! We exercise them, play with them, cuddle them, and make sure all their needs are met. Someone mentioned their ears…. yes, dogs ears are sensitive. I would think the alarms and horn could bother them. Also, rough seas would be very hard on them. YES dogs are just like humans; they get motion sickness. At times dogs need to stand to feel balanced. On flights our dog stood during take off and landing. I can't imagine what they would do on rough seas. Another issue could be some of the surfaces getting on and off the ship, or on to a tender. If someone really considered leaving their service dog in their room and leaving ship, like has been suggested….that would be a bad decision. I totally understand people wanting to love on service dogs…we never minded people approaching us and asking questions or being interested in our dog. There was one exception we had for our dog in public, as we felt it was an important task for her. Small children do not understand. How do you tell a two-year-old not to touch the dog when it walks by. When a small child would reach out for her, she would bow (front legs out in front of her) and allow the child to touch her head. That really helped with promoting a good reputation for service dogs. Again as everyone is saying….we are NOT talking about REAL service dogs in this discussion. We are talking about people who are lying to say they require the assistance of a dog so they don’t have to leave Fido home with a dog sitter, and as you can see, that makes me angry. If we don’t get this message across to Viking, more and more people will do this.