Dogs on the ship

[longterm]

Next thing you know they’ll ban my emotional support macaw. 

 

I’m sure there are a few who really do need to travel with an emotional support animal, but I’d guess that 95% of these people could just as easily make do with a stuffed animal—or a nice glass of wine.
 

I’m going to start traveling with my emotional support TV remote. 
 

Just my opinion. 

[CCWineLover]

Perhaps for all of us who are indeed concerned about Viking's apparent lax policy in terms of allowing animals onboard that don't appear to be service dogs ....

 

If we were to all email individually our concerns (and possibly include this cruise post and dog pictures) to tellus@vikingcruises.com   then someone actually might be forced to respond and think about this growing issue.

[Azulann]

ON my previous curies on Celebrity I had seen service dogs. They are indeed vested and sit or lie at the foot of their owners  

And then again I have seen two little puff balls being wheeled around in a stroller by two different  passenger feeding dog,  food from her plate. I immediately left the buffet. 

I too hope Viking enforces it dog policy for service animals only. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Azulann

[CurlerRob]

Killing two birds with one stone ... @Clay Clayton, do I get free popcorn? 🍺🥌

 

[Pushka]

Australia doesn't allow support animals on planes unless a registered guide dog. On broader cruises around the world I'd expect quarantine issues to be problematic. They certainly wouldn't be able to visit Australia and likely New Zealand. Suits us, husband is highly allergic to dogs and will develop asthma if in the same vicinity as a dog, even where a dog has just been. 

[Hobson1754]

I’m contacting both Viking & my travel agent tomorrow to see what our options are re this issue.

[msualum]

We’re also on this cruise.  One dog went on the same excursion we did, in the front seat of the bus with his owner, another was in a woman’s bag in the buffet and she was feeding it under the table.  I’ve seen five different dogs to date, none wearing vests or appearing to be service dogs.  I did write a comment to guest services but haven’t had a response.  
 

I would like to know Viking’s policy on this.  I would rather not see animals on a cruise ship.

[LindaS272]

18 minutes ago, msualum said:

I would like to know Viking’s policy on this.  I would rather not see animals on a cruise ship.

See post #21 in this thread. And send a message to tellus@vikingcruises.com.

[Little Monty]

12 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

 And send a message to tellus@vikingcruises.com.

Done, complaint lodged - I've also asked if any dogs have been given approval to board our cruise in June. I'll come back if / when I get a reply.

[OnTheJourney]

So this thread got me interested. Came across the following:  https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-qualify-for-an-emotional-support-animal/   

 

So it boils down to whether or not these people have the proper documentation that was filed with Viking.

 

 I also found this:  https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-service-animal-policy  It states that RCL will no longer allow emotional support animals, but rather only those associated with a physical disability.

 

And, finally, specific to Viking, this excerpt from the cruise contract. Please note the part I highlighted and underlined. I'd say this pretty much excludes any animal other than truly associated with an owner's disability......

 

Service Animals. If you plan to bring a Service Animal on board, we request that you notify us at the time of booking and complete the Service Animal Request Form at least 60 days prior to the commencement of your cruise. The Form should be completed and submitted to Viking Cruises at vikingaccessibilityservices@vikingcruises.com . Service Animal is defined according to ADA standards: Any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The ADA standard explicitly does not apply to emotional support animals. Service Animals are permitted in all public areas of the ship except for the galley, and other food preparation areas due to health regulations. Service Animals are not permitted to swim in the pools, whirlpools and spas, due to health regulations. Care and supervision are the responsibility of the owner. Service Animals must always be leashed or harnessed in public areas. The passenger must provide food for any Service Animal. If refrigerated space is needed, please advise the Ships Special Request Department. If you decide to disembark in a port, the Service Animal must remain on board in the event the Service Animal does not meet the country’s requirements to go ashore. Viking Cruises does not have any control over ports that may prohibit service animals from going ashore. It is the guest’s responsibility to research the ports on the cruise itinerary and confirm if the service animal meets those countries’ entry requirements. If the Service Animal causes any damage on board, the passenger (owner of the Animal) will be held financially responsible, and a cleaning fee will be assessed and charged to the passenger’s shipboard account. If the Service Animal’s behavior creates a fundamental or direct threat to safety, the Animal and guest may be denied boarding or may be removed from the ship at the passenger’s expense. You are also responsible for ensuring the Service Animal has all necessary vaccinations, as well for providing that documentation to customs or port officials if requested to do so.

 

The thing is...in this age of readily crying discrimination for just about any cause, the outcome of specific cases all depends on how Viking might handle complaints from people who can indeed show proper certification as needing an emotional support animal regardless of what is stated in the contract. 'Spirit of the law' and 'letter of the law' sometimes are in conflict with each other. I'd say it appears, from this thread, that Viking is perhaps being quite lax on the subject. 

Edited March 29, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

Service dogs and “emotional support” dogs are radically different. We had a service dog for our daughter who was a quad on a ventilator. The dog was highly trained, tested and retested, and we had to agree to strict guidelines in order to receive the dog. Legally the dog had to provide three services to be a service dog. She was a working dog, she did not socialize with other people, and we had to constantly remind people that she was not a pet and to not disturb her from doing her job. (No worries, she got plenty of love and cuddles from us when she was off duty.) Our dog had a lot of air miles on her, and never once did we receive anything but compliments on how amazing she was. She was bathed and groomed and kept very clean, but she was a dog, she shed. I would never have taken her on a cruise. It in my opinion as a service dog owner,it is a totally inappropriate place for a service dog…with the exception of a person who relies on their service dog for safety reasons such as someone who is visually impaired.

It is totally unacceptable for dogs to be sitting on furniture, being fed from the table, or held in a lap (unless it is doing a task…but that would be a pretty unheard of task). 

The concept of emotional support dogs has been very disturbing to us as we had to put up with them barking at our dog as she worked. We encountered people who told us they were going to buy a vest off amazon and start saying their dog was a service dog. We are very disturbed as we have seen the explosion of “emotional support” animals. They give true service dogs a bad reputation…don’t even get me started.

My husband is currently on a chat with Viking regarding this. If anyone has any ideas of what else we can do, or who to contact, what to say….whatever, please post it here. We all need to become involved in getting this stopped because I believe there will be more and more people seeing this and then doing it.

[OnTheJourney]

8 hours ago, downsmead said:

I think the issue is the cruise lines cannot ask for proof of emotional support

Well, they SHOULD be able to based on what I'm reading and mentioned above, but, yeah, undoubtedly violation of someone's rights to even ask for proper documentation. Crazy world we're in. 

[OnTheJourney]

7 minutes ago, Sunflower & The Scientist said:

We encountered people who told us they were going to buy a vest off amazon and start saying their dog was a service dog. 

Sure, just like handicap parking stickers are undoubtedly abused. There are always ways to game the system. 

Edited March 29, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[Jim Avery]

2 hours ago, Pushka said:

Australia doesn't allow support animals on planes unless a registered guide dog. On broader cruises around the world I'd expect quarantine issues to be problematic. They certainly wouldn't be able to visit Australia and likely New Zealand. Suits us, husband is highly allergic to dogs and will develop asthma if in the same vicinity as a dog, even where a dog has just been. 

I don't think you are there.  They expect to leave the dog in the cabin while they go ashore.

[Pushka]

Just now, Jim Avery said:

I don't think you are there.  They expect to leave the dog in the cabin while they go ashore.

I doubt this would work tbh. Even QM2 that has boarding kennels - and dogs are kept strictly in their own area - doesnt allow dogs to Australia. 

[biggerbearmom]

We were on a Princess Cruise to Mexico in February 2022. There was a young couple that had a dog in a stroller. I first became aware of it as they were two tables away from us in one of the main dining rooms. I was shocked they were allowed to bring it into the dining room. That was a first for me and our last time ever that we will cruise with Princess. I have no problem with true support dogs, but I think we all know that the whole support dog issue has been abused.

[Vineyard View]

2 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

See post #21 in this thread. And send a message to tellus@vikingcruises.com.

Just did this. I sincerely hope that everyone on this thread does this, and asks it to be elevated to management. 

[CurlerRob]

2 hours ago, Sunflower & The Scientist said:

 She was a working dog, she did not socialize with other people, and we had to constantly remind people that she was not a pet and to not disturb her from doing her job. (No worries, she got plenty of love and cuddles from us when she was off duty.)

 

Thank you. One of the hardest things I've experienced is wanting to meet and greet a working service dog, but knowing that it was not appropriate - even though they are so spectacular in what they do.

 

I always wished that I could be around when they were "off duty". 🍺🥌

[Frenchberet]

7 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Thank you. One of the hardest things I've experienced is wanting to meet and greet a working service dog, but knowing that it was not appropriate - even though they are so spectacular in what they do.

 

I always wished that I could be around when they were "off duty". 🍺🥌

There’s an excellent (2018) documentary titled “Pick of the Litter” about training service dogs.  I watched it on a plane once but I think it’s available on Netflix and Hulu.

 

I don’t think the dogs in question here are service dogs.  I emailed Tellus this evening.

[KBs mum]

11 hours ago, downsmead said:

Not unheard of on other cruise lines. I think the issue is the cruise lines cannot ask for proof of emotional support and so are almost ‘forced’ into accepting them. 
Unacceptable for them to sit on chairs etc. 

In Europe there is no such thing as an emotional support animal, service dogs (assistance dogs) need to have a level of training to carry out tasks and in some cases be registered and have ID cards/tags. Establishments can ask for proof before admitting them. 

Some do act as emotional support but they are trained to do specific things, and it's usually in addition to their main job. 

In the UK we have PAT animals (pets as therapy) which are very well trained animals, usually dogs that work with schools and hospitals etc to calm or cheer up people. They aren't classed as service animals, but most establishments let them in if they are working. 

 

There are situations where both would go on furniture outside the home, but only if they need to do so to carry out a task, and not for long

[KBs mum]

Can't be fair to the dogs, there's nowhere suitable for daily free play and fun walks.

Seems a bit unfair to take an actual service dog on a cruise for the same reason, they work hard and need time off to play and socialise same as humans do, even though they are trained to be able to go without if necessary

[Twitchly]

20 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

In Europe there is no such thing as an emotional support animal

Just wanted to see this bit of sanity again.  
 

[CurlerRob]

32 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

In Europe there is no such thing as an emotional support animal ...

 

Well, a simple search found at least one EU organization that would disagree with your statement.

 

https://www.esaorgeu.com/

 

I recognize that they are an advocacy organization, not the force of law, but why express your opinion as a fact? (And no, I don't think ESAs belong on ships - I just prefer accuracy in postings). 🍺🥌

[Pushka]

52 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Well, a simple search found at least one EU organization that would disagree with your statement.

 

https://www.esaorgeu.com/

 

I recognize that they are an advocacy organization, not the force of law, but why express your opinion as a fact? (And no, I don't think ESAs belong on ships - I just prefer accuracy in postings). 🍺🥌

I expect that is in reference to legal recognition of support animals. It's similar in Australia. 

[KBs mum]

1 hour ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Well, a simple search found at least one EU organization that would disagree with your statement.

 

https://www.esaorgeu.com/

 

I recognize that they are an advocacy organization, not the force of law, but why express your opinion as a fact? (And no, I don't think ESAs belong on ships - I just prefer accuracy in postings). 🍺🥌

EU documents like that don't necessarily apply in every EU country, and the terminology will be different. A lot never actually make it into legislation. 

Also not all of Europe is EU

 

I didn't bother reading all the document, so I don't know how current it is, or what the details are (frankly, I have EU gibberish to deal with allready) but it didn't apply in the UK

 

If I'm wrong and they are an official thing then fair enough. Being mistaken about a fact is not the same as expressing an opinion, I actually think that lots of pets are emotional support animals in some way, but that doesn't mean they should have official status without at least basic assistance dog type behavioral training and verification matched to medical need