Lulu on the Quest!

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, bizinsider said:

I wonder if this is the same white fluffy dog that was on our Norway cruise on the Ovation last June. (What say you, @SLSD?) I don't remember what the owner looked like, but her traveling companion was an older guy - well, maybe my age 🤷‍♂️🤣 - who was always dressed in a coat and maybe tie, even on the excursions. The dog even went up one to the top of one the lighthouses with us! Hey, @whystayhome, imagine the dog on Magdalena Island with those penguins. (Hint: We did part of the walk with you!) Cheers, Herb and Mary

The owner of last year's dog was from Mexico if I remember correctly and was not a jewelry designer--so this is mostly likely not the same dog.  The owner was not well liked onboard and I witnessed her being quite rude to one particular excursion guide  and quite pushy with the gatekeeper at the TK Grill.    We'll be on Sojourn going to Iceland and Norway (again) this summer Herb and will miss you and Mary!

[tv24]

Lulu is a cute white fluffy dog, very well behaved.  Her owner is indeed the woman who works in the jewelry store, and she is quite a bit younger than most passengers and seems to be quite fit with no obvious disabilities.  One fellow passenger who has had long conversations with Lulu's owner told me that Lulu is a comfort dog. And Lulu has been spotted in the Colonnade.  I am not a big fan of dogs on ships, but this one has not bit me (yet!) and is indeed well behaved.

[Mahogany]

55 minutes ago, tv24 said:

Lulu is a cute white fluffy dog, very well behaved.  Her owner is indeed the woman who works in the jewelry store, and she is quite a bit younger than most passengers and seems to be quite fit with no obvious disabilities.  One fellow passenger who has had long conversations with Lulu's owner told me that Lulu is a comfort dog. And Lulu has been spotted in the Colonnade.  I am not a big fan of dogs on ships, but this one has not bit me (yet!) and is indeed well behaved.

Maybe a bite of a human will decide the fate of dogs on ships! (Only half-kidding)! I still think a cruise ship is no place for pets. I hate to leave my cat while traveling but arrange an in-home sitter. Why can't she?

[Vineyard View]

Well behaved or not, allowing a ‘comfort dog’ on the ship is breaking the posted regulations that animals need to be ‘service’ animals. Seabourn must clearly know this if she is a jewelry designer of theirs. That sets precedent for anyone to bring their pets on board. 
Our dog brings us comfort and pleasure, but we pay pretty dearly for someone to stay in our home when we travel. 
Only my opinion, but  truly not okay to allow that = preferential treatment. 

[highplanesdrifters]

What is a comfort dog?

 

A comfort dog is a type of therapy dog, but they are not trained to complete specific tasks to counteract a disability as a psychiatric service dog would be. Instead, they provide comfort and support to individuals that have suffered an unfortunate occurrence or traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, sudden medical issues, or an unexpected loss.

 

Perhaps the traumatic event is low jewelry sales. 😅

[labonnevie]

6 hours ago, tv24 said:

Lulu is a cute white fluffy dog, very well behaved.  Her owner is indeed the woman who works in the jewelry store, and she is quite a bit younger than most passengers and seems to be quite fit with no obvious disabilities.  One fellow passenger who has had long conversations with Lulu's owner told me that Lulu is a comfort dog. And Lulu has been spotted in the Colonnade.  I am not a big fan of dogs on ships, but this one has not bit me (yet!) and is indeed well behaved.

This IMO is 100% unacceptable.
There should never be any dog on board that is not a certified service dog. 
We have only been on five Seabourn cruises, but if we continue to hear of situations like this, there will never be a sixth. 

[Capri73]

Do know that you can buy papers on line that state you have a service animal.I learned this from a man on a flight some time ago.He had a beautiful German Shepard who was very well behaved .He said he could not bear to leave her home so he bought fake papers.The dog also took over the floor of the plane.

 

[Vineyard View]

You can buy a service dog vest with a click on Amazon that is actually embroidered on the vest. 
There are regulations around this that can clearly identify a fully credentialed service dog. The problem is that employees of cruise lines are not police….nor should they be. The problem is the owners. How that gets resolved is beyond me, but in this case it’s apparently clear that fluffy is not one, and it might take a village of voices/complaints to get the attention that it truly deserves. 

[Latkebabka]

The ADA does not recognize “comfort” dogs, or even “emotional support” dogs - or other pets - for that matter,  Seems that the owner of Lulu and owners of other dogs on SB are flouting the ADA rules. That is a disservice and disrespectful for those individuals with disabilities for whom the law is intended, and the fact that SB allows such behavior is, in turn, disrespectful. Whether the pet owner is a cruise passenger or an employee is of no consequence; the fact that SB allows this behavior is disgraceful to the Act AND to all other SB guests.  

[lincslady]

Unless these passengers are smuggling their dogs aboard in a suitcase they should be denied boarding on arrival at the ship.  Perhaps nowadays all bookings should have right from the start a strongly worded message on all booking information  saying that pets will not be allowed.  I had cynically assumed of course that there is  connivance with the line's authorities beforehand, and that these pooches belonged to 'special' passengers or, as now seems the case, employees on board.

[caviarforme]

It is clear this is not a necessary service dog. What is Seabourn up to in agreeing to an employee or contractors' employee aboard with a pet? I agree with most, a ship is not an environment for a pet of any kind, and again will repeat - what about those who have allergies and may suffer from being in close proximity with animals? Does Seabourn consider them? Are they in fact discriminated?

 

A pet in the Colonnade! - if I was dining there I would complain and walk out if the animal is not removed - and not quietly.

We depart in less than 2 weeks  and then 5 weeks later and pray for a pet free cruise, otherwise we will be dropping SB from our preferred list.

[Vineyard View]

Maybe it is time to send Natalya a message. I sincerely think it is a-protocol do so. 

‘several years back similar situation with Viking. People from CC and on board started writing. That initiated calls/emails were back and further clarification in writing on corporate policy. I don’t follow as closely as we don’t have an itinerary in mind, but I have not seen more complaints since. 

[marazul]

13 hours ago, Latkebabka said:

Seems that the owner of Lulu and owners of other dogs on SB are flouting the ADA rules. 

The ADA, a US law, does not apply and cannot be enforced on a non-US flag ship operating on non-US waters.  SB is choosing not to enforce its own guidelines.  Passenger complaints may be the only way of getting rid of Lulu and other pooches.

Edited Sunday at 05:22 PM by marazul

[Latkebabka]

3 hours ago, marazul said:

The ADA, a US law, does not apply and cannot be enforced on a non-US flag ship operating on non-US waters.  SB is choosing not to enforce its own guidelines.  Passenger complaints may be the only way of getting rid of Lulu and other pooches.

Good point.  So I did a bit of research.  The Bahamas, which is Seabourn’s flag-state, has a similar law (an anti-discrimination law).  It is the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities) Act of 2014 in the Bahamas and it include provisions regarding service animals. It grants persons with disabilities the right to be accompanied by their service animals in public places and on public transportation. The Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities using service animals, ensuring they have the same access to facilities and services as others.  So, as with the ADA, if the dogs are not service animals, the SB is not required to allow them on board. I do not know if the Bahamas law also prevents entities from asking what the disability is for for proof that pet is a service animal. There are other questions that could asked, however, such as service the dog provides. Apparently Seabourn is not doing that and is instead allowing dogs to certain passengers and apparently employees, and that should not be tolerated by Seabourn or by any cruise line.  I think a simple email to Natalya asking for assurance than non-service animals will be on board one’s next cruise might go a long way. 

[marazul]

46 minutes ago, Latkebabka said:

Good point.  So I did a bit of research.  The Bahamas, which is Seabourn’s flag-state, has a similar law (an anti-discrimination law).  It is the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities) Act of 2014 in the Bahamas and it include provisions regarding service animals. It grants persons with disabilities the right to be accompanied by their service animals in public places and on public transportation. The Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities using service animals, ensuring they have the same access to facilities and services as others.  So, as with the ADA, if the dogs are not service animals, the SB is not required to allow them on board. I do not know if the Bahamas law also prevents entities from asking what the disability is for for proof that pet is a service animal. There are other questions that could asked, however, such as service the dog provides. Apparently Seabourn is not doing that and is instead allowing dogs to certain passengers and apparently employees, and that should not be tolerated by Seabourn or by any cruise line.  I think a simple email to Natalya asking for assurance than non-service animals will be on board one’s next cruise might go a long way. 

I think we'd  better ask her for assurance that the animals will not be on board. 😉😂

 

But before we get into convoluted jurisdictions and maritime law, we should ask her to enforce Seabourn's own rules.  Or find a new jeweler. This is certainly showing undue preference for some people to the inconvenience of others. 

 

Thanks for the research. It will be good to bring that up.

 

[highplanesdrifters]

16 hours ago, marazul said:

Or find a new jeweler

 

They should do this anyway.  The jewelry is boring, low quality, and crazy overpriced. Very Macy's.

[Latkebabka]

On 6/30/2024 at 2:41 PM, marazul said:

I think we'd  better ask her for assurance that the animals will not be on board. 😉😂

Mea culpa. 
On another note, what exactly does she design?  The lapel pins??  Then she contributes as much to Seabourn as does her canine. I dare not articulate here why I suspect she is receiving preferential treatment. 

[marazul]

37 minutes ago, Latkebabka said:

Mea culpa. 
On another note, what exactly does she design?  The lapel pins??  Then she contributes as much to Seabourn as does her canine. I dare not articulate here why I suspect she is receiving preferential treatment. 

Beats me. I have never had the pleasure to meet her or Lulu. And I have never been interested in any of the jewelry offerings on board.