DUTRAVEL

29 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

The ships doc confirmed and told me to stop my BP med for a couple days.  By sweating I had lost Sodium and Potassium so and had dropped my BP too low.  Orders  -  Drink Electrolyte enhanced drinks - eg Vitamin Water, eat lots of fruit with high water content for slow absorption  and don't do any exercise or long walking for a couple days.  He also gave me some magnesium / potassium vitamin tablets.  

 

I should have known better.   When I was working in Singapore I got really dehydrated and needed IV Fluids and then had to take salt tablets.

 

 

Hope you feel better soon Jim! No Vitamin water or Gatorade on the Apex TA and they ran out of several of the premium wines so this seems to be a shipwide problem.

Sending birthday hugs and kisses from your girl Henrietta.

Dianne

On 11/23/2023 at 8:31 AM, Demikmj said:

Since our next cruise is not until 2025, I started looking at 2024 cruises and found a deal out of LA on Carnival. Before booking I called disability services and asked about potty spot locations. The agent was only able to say it could not be placed on a cabin balcony, and it would be placed in an out of the way location. I asked what deck, and was it an open air location or an inside location (SD hasn’t ever used an inside potty location like crew passage) and she said it is up to someone on the ship.  

Having said all that, Without those specifics I feel nervous booking a carnival cruise with the SD. Can anyone share how their experience with their service dog has gone on Carnival? Particularly what the potty spot accommodations were?

 

Also, is this the best place to just ask for this info, or is there any reviews/summaries of people’s experiences with how different cruise lines accommodate service dogs?

I have not sailed on Carnival with my Service Dog. I sailed on Carnival's sister line Princess in January and Princess was very welcoming (I feel as though Celebrity basically tolerates my Service Dog's presence). Princess places the relief box in a crew stairwell near your cabin. That may be what Carnival means by "an out of the way location." My Service Dog doesn't have any issue with the indoor area - she recognizes that the box is where she is supposed to go. If your Service Dog won't use an indoor relief box, I would think they would be able to accommodate you by moving it outside somewhere. I have found that it is basically useless to talk to the Access Department ahead of time as issues with the relief box have been decided on a case-by-case basis by ship management (and policies vary even on ships within the same cruise line).

This is definitely the best place to get information on cruising with a service dog.

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Thanks much.    It is hard to believe so my years have gone by.    We are like the Odd have say that he is first my Best Friend in the world.   Of course I am Oscar  (Jack Klugman).  

 

I never really came out .    I had fraught my inner self because I didn't want to be Gay.  Of course everything including ---- Oh NO Conversion Therapy.   Trust me it is the worst quack "medical/physocologic torture that could ever be done to and Individual.  

 

I finally figured out at 32 that with  3 kids I love dearly that I had to finally let my Wive of 12 years that I couldn't live a lie for the rest of my life.    The response was almost a mirror of the 1982 Movie "Making Love" with Michael Ontkean and Kate Jackson.

 

My wife was so angry she outed me to the world including my boss, parent and friends.   It was tough because  because I didn't yet know what it meant to be a Gay Man and also got fired from my job.  

 

I probably shouldn't be sharing all of this.   I met a wonderful hulk of a Guy that was 6'9"  he was my everything -  He Died of Aids 37 years ago today.   In those day there were no drugs or treatment and when diagnosed was a death sentence.   My next try at a relationship was also a failure -  He committed Suicide. 

 

I swore off relationships.    Eventually I met Iain after deciding to get my head back together and saw a Counselor for just 4 visits.   He was a very results only counselor and describing all my terrible relationships he gave me my assignment -  

 

Make a list of everything  of importance of Values, Character, Qualities and Things I enjoy   in your perfect mate.  Took me a full week to compile and I came back with the list.   He took the list and sealed it.    Now let's talk where you will meet that perfect person.  

 

I met Iain on what they called a Bulletin Chat Board.    I'm was not looking for one night stands nor was Iain.   We chatted and chatted for over 6 months and then finally met for a cup of coffee.   What can I say -   I already knew him and he was exactly as I dreamed and had everything on that list.   

OK i'm stubborn - I said I really like him and love our dating but for me I need to live alone for 6 months before committing to a relationship.    He was certain of what he wanted so he hopped in his car (and he can barely drive) and rented an apartment 3 blocks from my home.   

 

We almost made the 6 months but the Big Loma Prierta Earthquake hit the day his Concert Grand Piano was delivered to my house.    October 17, 1989 5:04PM. 

 

I spent 12 hours of terror -  He works in the city and was walking from the Federal Reserve to the Train Station at that exact time.    I started hearing of buildings collapsing on his route then on the highway collapses.     This was before cellphones and the few payphones had lines miles long to make a call .    I sat at the trains stations with no news and no trains until I saw a single engin coming down the tracks at 15 miles an hours checking the tracks and bridges.

It wasn't until early morning that the first train arrived.   We were in tears by the time we finally knew each other were ok.    

That became the day we moved in together.  

I love this story about your life with Iain so much. Thanks for sharing - I’m glad you ended up with your true love 

Dianne

Just returned home from the APEX Transatlantic and have already missed the first five pages! I had several lemon tarts in your honor. Sorry to report that Eden lunch no longer had the brownies and chocolate chip cookies (at least on the APEX).

Henrietta as usual will be reading your adventures on this sailing to me. Say hi to Iain for us.

Dianne

On 11/17/2023 at 6:29 PM, Mrandmrsgjs said:

Thank you!  How is he?

He was fine - I’d say middle of the road. Not super exciting, but not annoying. 

8 hours ago, Mrandmrsgjs said:

Does anybody know who is the current cruise director?  We will be on the Apex in December

Tim Bolton

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Yum.   Iain loves the Mulligatawny Soup also.    I'm salivating.   I also had the Crevice incredible the layers of flavor, texture and temperatures.

It’s all good!!!

2 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Just got off the phone with my TA who has confirmed with Celebrity that our originally assigned stateroom for the second leg, SS1 is in fact, in tact.  There is no accounting for why the app showed a different room assignment but the app is now back to showing our original room as well.  I guess it's just glitchy.

 

For this cruise we are arriving in FLL on Tuesday for our Wednesday embarkation.  We have booked a room at the Hyatt Centric Las Olas in the downtown sector.  Our room was booked using points from one of Dh's travel cards so it's only costing us a whopping $25 bucks!  We have plans to walk around the city for a bit in search of good sea food, especially oysters.  We welcome suggestions!

 

And speaking of food...I was able to make a reservation at Eden for our anniversary dinner.  Our reservation is for 7pm.  Also interested in can't miss suggestions for the Eden menu...  The other three nights we will try out the MDRs.  For the second leg, we are dining in Fine Cut steak house on the first night.  I guess we will stick with Luminae for the remaining two nights...unless we get upgraded, at which point we will try as many of the specialties as our stretchy clothes will allow.

 

Drinks package:  For the first leg we booked with the Classic package but upgraded to Premium when the price dropped in the cruise planner.  Some people got the upgrade for $7 but ours never fell below $13.99...so the little OBC we were gifted from Aurora from the Executive Office covered most of that expense.  One of our favorite things to do is visit every bar on any given ship for a cocktail and to check out the atmosphere.  It seems that E class has a tad more bars than our S class go-to, so we may have our work cut out for us 😎.

We are currently on the Apex TA and have eaten at Eden twice. I thought the Risotto starter was very good and hubby liked the Mulligatawny Soup.  I had the lobster casserole both nights - delicious!

Currently on the Apex. During this sailing they have moved the Classic Entrees to their own box on the side of the menu and have removed the upcharge Filet and Lobster. The appetizers have not changed - only two non Classic appetizers and no salads other than Caesar. 

Apex is docking in the Azores today (although an hour late). 

9 hours ago, schelercamus said:

Chris, That's really helpful. BTW, I also saw that Panama is one of the countries that has additional requirements for coming back into the US... because they're not free of screwworm. This is what the APHIS website says:

 

Dogs traveling from countries or regions where screwworm is known to exist may enter the United States if they are accompanied by a certificate signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official of the region of origin stating:

• The dog has been inspected for screwworm within 5 days prior to shipment to the United States; and
• The dog is either free from screwworm OR
• The dog was infested with screwworm, held in quarantine, and treated until free from screwworm prior to leaving the region.

I was concerned about that too when I took my Service Dog to Panama, but there were no issues disembarking in Ft Lauderdale. 

6 hours ago, schelercamus said:

OK Friends... I'm freaking out here. For example, when I download Panama's health certificate, it says, " Certificate Valid for 30 days after issuance"... if I get it filled out tomorrow, November 4, say, and I leave for Panama on December 6, how is that still valid?

 

Then, how in the world do I get a consulate seal in that amount of time?!

 

Then, for Costa Rica, it says, "Certified that dog is examined within 15 days of departure to be free from disease..."

But I need have these things filled out now, right? More than 15 days ahead.

 

The DR Certificate is valid only 10 days from issuance...so how is that going to work?

 

Thanks for your help! I appreciate the handholding!

 

As I said, Chipotle is my mobility service dog, from an ADI accredited non-profit.

You won’t go to the Vet (USDA certified) to get the paperwork done until the last possible date so that everything is timely. All of the places you mentioned require different paperwork (except the Mexican ports). When I took a Panama Canal cruise I didn’t bother getting the Consulate Seal for Panama - think I would have had to fly to Los Angeles to do that. I can’t remember whether it was for Honduras or Costa Rica that my Service Dog also needed a tapeworm treatment. 
 

Your itinerary is challenging. I am traveling and don’t have my resources with me but I think Grand Cayman requires a rabies titer and permit in addition to the applicable health certificate. Caribbean Chris knows a lot more about the Caribbean islands than I do and will have more information. I don’t know if you can skip the rabies titer if you don’t get off the ship in Grand Cayman. Even though you are visiting a private island, I believe that you will still need a Permit for Belize. 
 

You have a lot of paperwork to get together in a short amount of time. I would put a spreadsheet together with the requirements and due dates for each country which you can find on the USDA pet travel website. 

I’m traveling right now so I don’t have my resources in front of me. I’m pretty sure the Air Carrier Access Act doesn’t explicitly say anything about whether or not supplies and equipment for your Service Dog are consider medical equipment (which must be allowed for free). Some carriers do allow it, but that is a voluntary accommodation. Here’s the link to the ACCA:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-II/subchapter-D/part-382

I always get the paperwork for every country we are visiting even if I’m not planning on getting off the ship. I don’t want any hassles in the event we have to leave the ship in an emergency. The paperwork for Mexico is just an International Health Certificate form 7001 (which no longer has to be endorsed by the USDA).
 

I’m sure your son’s service dog will do great! I was very nervous when I took my first cruise with my service dog eight years ago, but I have learned to be polite but firm with what our needs are and things have always worked out. The number one thing I would say is to make sure your dog can use a relief box with mulch. Have a great cruise!

Yes, OBC credited back almost immediately.

Looking forward to following along!

7 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

I believe the Amex Priority Pass doesn't include the Restaurant benefit.  That may be only for Chase cards.

Yes, as I said they have different deals. 

AMEX and Chase have different deals with Priority Pass. It’s is not at all unusual to see a sign that says AMEX Priority Pass cards are not being accepted while you can still get access through the Sapphire Reserve. 

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I hadn't used it at the restaurants either before.     In Denver you show your card at the reception person and she scanned our QR Code and asked what flight number we were on.   She then gave us a little receipt that you present to the waiter when you receive your bill.   He then told us we didn't owe anything since it was under $56.  We gave him a nice tip.

 

In Atlanta there was no reception so I just asked waiter how it worked and said it covers the first $56 dollar (1 member plus 1 guest).    When we got the bill he scanned our QR code and said it was fully covered so I personally handed him a tip and thanked him.

I've just started using it at restaurants also. At SFO you can go to Lark Creek or Yankee Pier and get a good meal. It comes in handy now that most US Carriers aren't offering lounge access for domestic flights even when you are flying in first class.

43 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Thanks Dianne and Henrietta.   I’ve been watching KPIX news and weather using my Firestick and YouTubeTV.    It really cooled off quickly.  
 

I was surprised to hear how bad the smoke is from the fires. 

We have had a some Spare The Air Days, but the smoke is not nearly as bad as it was a couple of years ago. 

Thank you for your great review Jim! Henrietta and I enjoyed following along and seeing new places. You are headed home to lovely fall weather in the Bay Area.

Dianne

6 minutes ago, Caribbean Chris said:

We had Relief Box adventures this month during our 10-day Holland America Line cruise to Atlantic Canada with my Hearing Dog Raylene. The metal box was fine, 4x4 feet with ropes & stanchions surrounding it on the forward port-side promenade deck. We had booked a room fairly nearby on that deck purposely, since we could reach the box area either via the outdoor promenade or via an inner corridor & heavy door.
 

The filler was wood shavings of the lightweight hamster-cage variety, and there was a very thick layer of it. It was funny to see Raylene wading through it up to her knees, and she didn’t like it much. But we were scheduled to have 9 ports in ten days, so I knew she’d get opportunities in real grass (that, however, ended up being 7 ports). By the end, she was willingly using it with no hesitation.

OMG - you are so right, you can't make this stuff up! Why is it so hard to make an accessible relief box with a decent filler?

55 minutes ago, RENEEG said:

I am looking for web sites that provides information about cruise travel with a guide dog.  Especially info about the requirements for each country regarding service animals. Also any other tips to make the trip easier, as this will be our first cruise with my husbands dog Izzy.  The dog came from an organization that belongs to both Assistance Dogs International and The International Guide Dog Federation. 
 

Go to the USDA website for information on specific requirements for each country you want to travel to (there is a drop-down menu for each country).

link: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/take-pet-to-foreign-country

You can also find helpful information on https://www.pettravel.com/passportnew.cfm. If there is a conflict with the USDA website, defer to the USDA website.

My biggest tip would be to make sure that your husband's guide dog is comfortable using a 4 x 4 relief box and can "go" on a variety of surfaces. The relief boxes most commonly contain mulch.

11 minutes ago, Rudi-Cruiser said:

I say the note that they wrote a letter for you.

Yes, because my dog was trained and provided to me by Canine Companions.

9 minutes ago, Rudi-Cruiser said:

I just looked up CANINE COMPANIONS, they have a chapter in Maryland. Would they help me out? I took Lady Bella through 8 wk refresher and prep for her CGCA & CGCU at AmericanK9. They can't be a member of ADI as they are not a nonprofit.  Lady Bella passed the CGCA & CGCU and they did the ADI PAT evaluation also which she passed. Do you know someone? Maybe they can reach out to the chapter in Maryland.

No, sorry they don't do testing or certification for dogs that are not provided through their program.