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Cruising With A Service Dog....everything You Ever Wanted To Know!

wizard-of-roz
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tvaud

tvaud

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You take such good care of Pedro, you forgot to take care of you.

 

 

 

Why didn't they place the potty box on your deck?

 

 

 

It was very nice of them to try and accommodate you by finding turf for him.

 

 

 

I'm thinking of bringing artificial turf with me on Horton's next cruise in April. I'll tightly roll it up and since I travel with a "granny cart" it will just be sitting in the corner of the cart and will be placed on the conveyor when going through immigration. It's pretty self explanatory! And, is easy to bring along when driving to the port. I wouldn't do this if I were flying.

 

 

 

Thanks for keeping us in the loop. Don't you feel like Pedro has "papparzzi following him with all the questions, etc. by other passengers?"

 

 

They told me that this spot was the only place they could put his potty box. It's not that inconvenient. It's right by the secret doors.

 

Pedro loved the canal today. He is currently sleeping next to me. Today after trivia, which we won, his leash got tangled as I was grabbing my cane, and a drink fell over and spilled on him. Then the glass fell on him and he let out a little yelp. He got skittish, so I quickly got him out of there. There was also a man who approached him from behind me and he let out a bark, which is totally out of character for him. Then the man kept egging him on, which annoyed me... So, I tried to keep Pedro away from him as best as I could. This was the first person on board that he did not like. I kept Pedro on my lap for the rest of trivia. Waiting for Bill to get back from his tour.

 

Tomorrow is our private tour in Limon, Costa Rica. Will report back then.

 

Cindra

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wizard-of-roz

wizard-of-roz

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Nope, can't be confusing anyone, even Roz! I mean, especially Roz ... yeah, that's what I meant! ;) :p

 

I am glad my pup is a cuddler, too!!

 

I hear Florida is not too warm right now, either....

 

TIME ZONES.......not my favorite thing to deal with. And, when we have to change the clocks......DON'T ASK!!!

 

Amazing, how you all know me so well!!!! :rolleyes::mad:

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wizard-of-roz

wizard-of-roz

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I love that little dog animation at the end of Roz' posts!

 

I love him too.......but he seemed to have gone away. If anyone can tell me how to bring him back I'd be ever so grateful!!!!!!!

 

Please help me bring back my doggie!!!!

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wizard-of-roz

wizard-of-roz

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Here's a recent picture of NCL Getaway relief area deck 12. The box was placed in a crew hallway. The provided bags and sanitizer spray although I can equipped with my own. The access coordinator on-board was excellent!

 

NCL, although it's not my favorite cruise line, certainly knew how to treat Brenda. The box and filler were the best ever!

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wizard-of-roz

wizard-of-roz

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RCCL is not my favorite when it comes to my hearing dog. No one escorted me to the box like NCL and Carnival. RCCL had me searching on my own. It was placed in some weird place on a high deck around a corner. I only bumped into it after backtracking.

 

I've had all sorts of treatment from excellent to bad to worse on all different lines. I no longer will hunt and search for the potty box. I KINDLY ask that someone direct me to it or I wait in my Stateroom for them to do so. If I'm unhappy with its placement, I KINDLY ASK that it be moved closer to my cabin.

 

My health issues do not allow me to travel hither and nigh for the potty box, not anymore!

 

When I first started cruising with Brenda I would go searching for it after being misdirected.......NO MORE! They will locate it and they will direct me to it.

 

With the right attitude the ships officers are more than happy to make you happy! If you give them a difficult time, they will take their time in responding to you.

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Caribbean Chris

Caribbean Chris

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RCCL is not my favorite when it comes to my hearing dog. No one escorted me to the box like NCL and Carnival. RCCL had me searching on my own. It was placed in some weird place on a high deck around a corner. I only bumped into it after backtracking.

 

Escorted? - bags & sanitizer spray provided? Tee, I'm seriously impressed with that level of customer service!

 

Celebrity (part of the RCCL family) left it as my complete responsibility in December to ask three different people on board on embarkation day to finally get an answer from Housekeeping about where I could go to find the relief box (on my own.) Fair enough - I'm the one with the dog, so it's up to me to make it work. We had booked a small suite to have more space for the dog, and the butler just giggled and shrugged her shoulders - saying she was learning something new as she was unfamiliar with service dogs on board.

 

Moving the relief box to a better location was not an option, as I was advised in no uncertain terms by a senior officer after my polite written request following verbal requests (it was outside in a deck area marked as unsafe and taped off for all other passengers' use due to high wind and rain for three days.) Which made me wonder - if that was the sole acceptable location on the Constellation - why did no one seem to know where it was?

 

I had to ask more than once for a trash can. Did they really not care about disposal of animal waste? A bucket was eventually placed next to the box for me to deposit waste bags that I provided, and I requested housekeeping to empty the "fragrant" trash after the 5th day. Mulch was never refreshed with a new layer on a nine-day cruise.

 

But at least the mulch-filled box thankfully WAS provided (we asked for the sod option) even though it was never given another thought by anyone on board.

 

I came away with the impression that my service dog was grudgingly tolerated but truly not welcome. After initial hassles, and a sleepless night, I had to sternly remind myself not to let Celebrity's poor onboard response to a deaf passenger spoil my cruise. The dog adapted to her onboard situation beautifully and we had an enjoyable vacation.

 

Sounds like Celebrity could learn a lot from NCL and Carnival.

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wizard-of-roz

wizard-of-roz

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Escorted? - bags & sanitizer spray provided? Tee, I'm seriously impressed with that level of customer service!

 

Celebrity (part of the RCCL family) left it as my complete responsibility in December to ask three different people on board on embarkation day to finally get an answer from Housekeeping about where I could go to find the relief box (on my own.) Fair enough - I'm the one with the dog, so it's up to me to make it work. We had booked a small suite to have more space for the dog, and the butler just giggled and shrugged her shoulders - saying she was learning something new as she was unfamiliar with service dogs on board.

 

Moving the relief box to a better location was not an option, as I was advised in no uncertain terms by a senior officer after my polite written request following verbal requests (it was outside in a deck area marked as unsafe and taped off for all other passengers' use due to high wind and rain for three days.) Which made me wonder - if that was the sole acceptable location on the Constellation - why did no one seem to know where it was?

 

I had to ask more than once for a trash can. Did they really not care about disposal of animal waste? A bucket was eventually placed next to the box for me to deposit waste bags that I provided, and I requested housekeeping to empty the "fragrant" trash after the 5th day. Mulch was never refreshed with a new layer on a nine-day cruise.

 

But at least the mulch-filled box thankfully WAS provided (we asked for the sod option) even though it was never given another thought by anyone on board.

 

I came away with the impression that my service dog was grudgingly tolerated but truly not welcome. After initial hassles, and a sleepless night, I had to sternly remind myself not to let Celebrity's poor onboard response to a deaf passenger spoil my cruise. The dog adapted to her onboard situation beautifully and we had an enjoyable vacation.

 

Sounds like Celebrity could learn a lot from NCL and Carnival.

 

I hear that you're feeling grateful that they even supplied a box, that said, they're very lucky it wasn't ME onboard with you!

 

I would have kindly requested that the Hotel Manager speak to me about the area where they placed the box and their apparent lack of concern for my desires to keep the area free of animal waste!

 

I'm grateful as heck towards the cruise lines for providing the potty box [they have to dismantle and dispose of it when I leave] but they still should supply me with all that the box requires to make my cruise as enjoyable as the next persons [the person who doesn't require the assistance of a Service Dog.]

 

I ALWAYS give my Steward a good tip for helping me with the box maintenance so that their memory of folks with Service Dogs is a positive one and that the next person who boards with a dog will be taken care of as well as I was.

 

If Princess Cruise Lines can put the box in an interior space, near my cabin, then so can everyone else. Cruise lines may look different on the outside but the shell of the ship is all "basically" the same in crew areas, stairwells, etc., etc.

 

They will try and tell you that it's a "health safety issue".......LIE! There is no issue written in stone about a dogs potty box. It is no where in their instruction manual. I was told this by a ships engineer and manager. It's up to each individual ship and crew supervisor as to how and where the box is placed. I simply help them to make the decision!!!!!! ;)

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Caribbean Chris

Caribbean Chris

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I hear you Roz, and the Hotel Manager would not consider any other location. (On THAT ship. As you say, each ship makes its own decisions.) I am well aware of the hierarchy and of ships' spaces since I worked for three different cruiselines in the 1970s and 1980s.

 

I actually got tired of wasting my vacation time trying to communicate, both in person and in writing, to politely effect an improvement. (Communication is difficult and exhausting for hearing-impaired people.)

 

Since I am fully mobile, I adapted to the long trips through the ship's corridors to the exterior deck at 6 am, at bedtime, and in between. It would have been considerably more difficult for a person to cope with in a wheelchair or scooter.

 

In my first year (which ended today! Congratulations to us!) as a partner of a service dog, I've encountered the full range of accommodation - friendly welcomes, hostility and indifference - on the part of businesses. Cruise lines are no different. Some ships seem to make things less stressful for passengers with special needs.

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wizard-of-roz

wizard-of-roz

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I hear you Roz, and the Hotel Manager would not consider any other location. (On THAT ship. As you say, each ship makes its own decisions.) I am well aware of the hierarchy and of ships' spaces since I worked for three different cruiselines in the 1970s and 1980s.

 

I actually got tired of wasting my vacation time trying to communicate, both in person and in writing, to politely effect an improvement. (Communication is difficult and exhausting for hearing-impaired people.)

 

Since I am fully mobile, I adapted to the long trips through the ship's corridors to the exterior deck at 6 am, at bedtime, and in between. It would have been considerably more difficult for a person to cope with in a wheelchair or scooter.

 

In my first year (which ended today! Congratulations to us!) as a partner of a service dog, I've encountered the full range of accommodation - friendly welcomes, hostility and indifference - on the part of businesses. Cruise lines are no different. Some ships seem to make things less stressful for passengers with special needs.

 

Very well put Chris. This walking with a Service Dog can be challenging at times but so worth it in the long run!

 

I can't picture my world without an SD in it!!!!

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fairbourne

fairbourne

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Hi everyone.

 

Well talking about challenges! This week was the first time back for puppy workshop for a while, in fact this year, due to Aruba missing January's meeting. Thankfully Missy Aruba is back to "normal" now, well, whatever "normal" means in her head! LOL!

 

Oh but boy did she show me up! BIG time! She was so excited to get there and meet all her doggy pals and of course the two lovely ladies who have had her for sleepovers.

 

At the class, we all do some exercise work with our dogs and usually with some basic commands - sit, stand, down, forward - these are now second nature to Aruba and in fact some of them she works with me on hand signals alone. But not this morning, or I should say not when I was working with her in class! Would, she listen to me, she would not! She gave me "that look", that just said "I can hear you but I'm not listening"! She would sit -eventually - and when asked to go "down", nope, no way. Try as I could, no, no, no, this girl was not lying down for me. However, when we swapped and one of her "aunties" had her, good as gold - sat and then down, no problem - but of course she thought she was getting a belly rub from them so down and over, so still not really what she was supposed to do! Little monkey! Of course, they were all laughing at her "showing me up" as I tried and tried to get her to "down"! But she did work with me when we did some more challenging commands but the basics are so important. I'll give her a break as I think she's still a bit hormonal! And we all know how that feels, don't we girls! LOL! And you have to not labour it too much as they just then get totally fed up.

 

On the way home, we went into a local supermarket and you know she was as good as gold - behaved impeccably, and let's face it this is where it really counts out in the real world, not in a noisy class with lots of other puppies of all ages all being given commands - I find it a bit distracting when other puppy walkers with louder voices dominate the class with their booming commands, so I can't imagine how that must be to the dogs. Confusing I imagine.

 

One of the dogs, a rather handsome black lab/retriever cross called Nelson is off next week for his formal training. I asked his PW if he was going to miss him. "No" he said, "he needs to go, he's bored now!" So, l hope this is how I will feel when our time comes as I do think Aruba's ready now for new challenges and I am accepting of this and what will soon be a new chapter in her life.

 

Oh and there was the sweetest little new kid on the block, all of 12 weeks old, called Olaf, who caused total disruption when he arrived! So, one goes and another one arrives!

 

We've had lovely weather here as you can see from the photo. I just love snowdrops and every year they make me smile - Spring is on its way! :)

image.jpg7_zpsl3aml3lg.jpg

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fairbourne

fairbourne

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And here she is again with her pal Max. I tried to get the three of them lined up, but Poppy wasn't having any of it! I'd run out of treats for bribery purposes and she knew it! LOL! But these two will hang around just in case another doggy biscuit magically appears out of my pocket. Did you know the Scottish word for pocket is "pooch" - so these two pooches are always checking out my pooch! :eek:LOL!!!

 

image.jpg6_zps9wgiganx.jpg

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DisneyKidsDad

DisneyKidsDad

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Hi everyone.

 

Well talking about challenges! This week was the first time back for puppy workshop for a while, in fact this year, due to Aruba missing January's meeting. Thankfully Missy Aruba is back to "normal" now, well, whatever "normal" means in her head! LOL!

 

Oh but boy did she show me up! BIG time! She was so excited to get there and meet all her doggy pals and of course the two lovely ladies who have had her for sleepovers.

 

At the class, we all do some exercise work with our dogs and usually with some basic commands - sit, stand, down, forward - these are now second nature to Aruba and in fact some of them she works with me on hand signals alone. But not this morning, or I should say not when I was working with her in class! Would, she listen to me, she would not! She gave me "that look", that just said "I can hear you but I'm not listening"! She would sit -eventually - and when asked to go "down", nope, no way. Try as I could, no, no, no, this girl was not lying down for me. However, when we swapped and one of her "aunties" had her, good as gold - sat and then down, no problem - but of course she thought she was getting a belly rub from them so down and over, so still not really what she was supposed to do! Little monkey! Of course, they were all laughing at her "showing me up" as I tried and tried to get her to "down"! But she did work with me when we did some more challenging commands but the basics are so important. I'll give her a break as I think she's still a bit hormonal! And we all know how that feels, don't we girls! LOL! And you have to not labour it too much as they just then get totally fed up.

 

On the way home, we went into a local supermarket and you know she was as good as gold - behaved impeccably, and let's face it this is where it really counts out in the real world, not in a noisy class with lots of other puppies of all ages all being given commands - I find it a bit distracting when other puppy walkers with louder voices dominate the class with their booming commands, so I can't imagine how that must be to the dogs. Confusing I imagine.

 

One of the dogs, a rather handsome black lab/retriever cross called Nelson is off next week for his formal training. I asked his PW if he was going to miss him. "No" he said, "he needs to go, he's bored now!" So, l hope this is how I will feel when our time comes as I do think Aruba's ready now for new challenges and I am accepting of this and what will soon be a new chapter in her life.

 

Oh and there was the sweetest little new kid on the block, all of 12 weeks old, called Olaf, who caused total disruption when he arrived! So, one goes and another one arrives!

 

We've had lovely weather here as you can see from the photo. I just love snowdrops and every year they make me smile - Spring is on its way! :)

image.jpg7_zpsl3aml3lg.jpg

 

What great pictures!! Sounds like Aruba is a typical "teenager". She has selective hearing. They all seem to go through it. You sound like you are doing a great job with her. We have just under three months left with Davis so now it's time to "sharpen" the skills he already knows. Or should I say, the skills we know he knows. We put our paperwork in for our next challenge. Hopefully mid June.

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fairbourne

fairbourne

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Hi DKD

 

Yes, she is just like my DH - selective hearing!!! ;):D

 

I know she knows just like Davis!

 

Yes I think we will have a new challenge later this year too - but a cruise beckons first! :D But we are taking Aruba to an hotel for a wee break next month - will be interesting but we wanted to have some time with her on her own before she goes. I fear it's all downhill to June .....:o

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wizard-of-roz

wizard-of-roz

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Hi DKD

 

Yes, she is just like my DH - selective hearing!!! ;):D

 

I know she knows just like Davis!

 

Yes I think we will have a new challenge later this year too - but a cruise beckons first! :D But we are taking Aruba to an hotel for a wee break next month - will be interesting but we wanted to have some time with her on her own before she goes. I fear it's all downhill to June .....:o

 

What the heck!!! I'm writing this with tears in my eyes! I love the pictures.....thank you so much for sharing them with us. You and DKD are so wonderful in how you share your little "charges" with us!

 

I guess what keeps you and DKD from completely falling apart is the fact that you have dogs at home and you look forward to "fostering" another little gem in short time.

 

Aruba's your first so it's going to be a bit more emotional than DKD.....he's become an old hand at doing this!

 

So, what's Horton's excuse when he acts like a "big brat?" I really think it's the "boy" thing.....Brenda would NEVER play "keep-away" with my socks or take her toys and tear them to shreds, until the stuffing is laying everywhere!!!! I used to sew them up, now, I just throw them away. He's playing, tearing and shredding Brenny's toys that she had since the day we got her in 2002.

 

Last night he started tearing at Brenda's Teddy that I bought her before she came home with us. At first I thought I'd keep it but why? He loves it and she used to stare at him, from her couch, as he acted like a goof ball throwing everything all about, and now she's watching his antics from heaven!!!

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fairbourne

fairbourne

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Hi Roz - yes I was rather pleased with these photos! ;):D

 

And I will be shedding lots of tears - have done already if the truth be known! I'm just a soppy old doggy Mummy!

 

Yup, Brat was exactly the word I used under my breath at the class! LOL!

 

Anyway my little darling Brat is one year old on Saturday and is having a party - want to come? ;):D

 

I got her a red collar with diamanté (the DH is going to have a fit!) just for the occasion! And a new toy, which no doubt will last about 5 minutes! You will have a photo!

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