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

[Caribbean Chris]

4 hours ago, muffyn said:

ok question, how do you see a vet within 48 hours of being in the bahamas if you dont go there till end of cruise?

 

As previously posted, several people here have advised that it was impossible because of their pre-cruise travel logistics to meet that 48 hour requirement, but they saw their vet as close as they could before leaving home without having any problems on arrival in The Bahamas.

 

If you can, see the vet within 48 hours before your ship sails.

[Caribbean Chris]

9 hours ago, Mavis and Me said:

Can SD handlers NOT get paperwork for certain ports if they don’t plan to get off the ship? Is that even an option? Thanks!

 

Get it if you can because if you had to leave the ship in an emergency, it might create extra problems.

 

Some ports like St. Kitts & Nevis have very stringent paperwork (TWO $$$$ blood titer tests) that make it very difficult or costly to get a permit. Barbados, Jamaica, and several others are problematic. In those cases, I have advised the ship in writing with my paperwork when I boarded that I did not plan to take the dog off the ship.

 

They enter it into the documentation. If you decide to get off there, your key card will make a noise and you will be stopped to talk to the nearest ship’s officer who makes sure there’s not a dog at your side.

[Miki_moto]

8 hours ago, Wendsong said:

When you say "they", to whom are you referring? I will be leaving from Ft. Lauderdale, end of March 2020, Island Princess.

 

Crew Mail Services - https://www.crewmailservices.com

 

They are in both Ft. Lauderdale and Southampton.  I’m sure there are other businesses that offer similar services.  FedEx and UPS might be worth looking into.  

[Miki_moto]

3 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

 

Get it if you can because if you had to leave the ship in an emergency, it might create extra problems.

 

Some ports like St. Kitts & Nevis have very stringent paperwork (TWO $$$$ blood titer tests) that make it very difficult or costly to get a permit. Barbados, Jamaica, and several others are problematic. In those cases, I have advised the ship in writing with my paperwork when I boarded that I did not plan to take the dog off the ship.

 

They enter it into the documentation. If you decide to get off there, your key card will make a noise and you will be stopped to talk to the nearest ship’s officer who makes sure there’s not a dog at your side.

 

Watching this with interest.  Our Panama Canal Cruise stops in many places but Jamaica seems to require the most prep.  

 

Question - should I do all the required testing if I’m not getting off the ship?

 

[rangeley]

I have never done paperwork if we do not plan on getting off the ship. I have heard that Carnival, I believe, is the cruise line that insists you do paperwork for all islands no matter what. 

[rangeley]

I think I asked but has anyone been to Amber cove, Dominican with their dogs? 

[Caribbean Chris]

26 minutes ago, rangeley said:

I think I asked but has anyone been to Amber cove, Dominican with their dogs? 

 

Not me. 

 

[Caribbean Chris]

Some islands like Jamaica make it almost impossible to get a permit. I don’t believe it is true now but last time my itinerary stopped there, they had some requirement  that your dog had to have been born in England or Ireland to be eligible for a permit. They have tests now I’ve never heard of anywhere else. 

Edited November 22, 2019 by Caribbean Chris

[Miki_moto]

Jamaica seems especially difficult:

 

https://www.micaf.gov.jm/content/guidelines-importation-dogs-and-cats-jamaica-animals-diseases-importation-control-amendment

 

They seem to have check lists for their checklists.  I will be arriving from England (we hold a valid EU/UK Pet Passport) but that doesn't appear to help.  

[rangeley]

Is this the correct Bahamas form! I noticed no fax number on it. 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by rangeley

[Mavis and Me]

2 hours ago, rangeley said:

Is this the correct Bahamas form! I noticed no fax number on it. 

 

 

This is similar to the one that I just sent. I chose the other one because it seemed more current and required a little more information. I will see if I can attach a copy of mine.  Hopefully you will be able to see and read it!

[rangeley]

6 minutes ago, Mavis and Me said:

This is similar to the one that I just sent. I chose the other one because it seemed more current and required a little more information. I will see if I can attach a copy of mine.  Hopefully you will be able to see and read it!

 

Thank you. I finally found the correct one. Done and sent on the first try. 

[DUTRAVEL]

The one Mavis and Me posted is also the one I used.

 

Dianne

[allies_daphne]

11 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

 

Get it if you can because if you had to leave the ship in an emergency, it might create extra problems.

 

Some ports like St. Kitts & Nevis have very stringent paperwork (TWO $$$$ blood titer tests) that make it very difficult or costly to get a permit. Barbados, Jamaica, and several others are problematic. In those cases, I have advised the ship in writing with my paperwork when I boarded that I did not plan to take the dog off the ship.

 

They enter it into the documentation. If you decide to get off there, your key card will make a noise and you will be stopped to talk to the nearest ship’s officer who makes sure there’s not a dog at your side.

I literally just got off a repositioning Cruise through the Panama Canal today (San Diego to Galveston).  Our stops were Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cartagena, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.  We did one template for all the Mexico ports, an electronic endorsement for Colombia and an IHC for Grand Cayman, stating we would not be disembarking in that port.  We were not asked for any paperwork in Cabo or Puerto Vallarta, and no inspection.  2 days prior to arriving in Colombia, despite having the appropriate IHC and proof of rabies etc....  we were notified Colombian officials wanted to do their own inspection prior to debarkation.  We had to pay a $75 inspection fee and a $35 port fee, all in cash, just to get off.  They walked up to us in the lounge where we were waiting and basically told us we were good to go - no actual inspection, just pay their fee to get off.  We won’t do that again.  
 

We were also required to have an inspection in Cozumel, even through our earlier Mexico ports asked for no paperwork and no inspection.  
 

The best advice I can give, is to be over prepared.  Also know that special services and guest services for your cruise line probably isn’t well versed in matters of paperwork or port procedures.  This was definitely a learning experience for us. 
 

Denise

[DUTRAVEL]

36 minutes ago, allies_daphne said:

2 days prior to arriving in Colombia, despite having the appropriate IHC and proof of rabies etc....  we were notified Colombian officials wanted to do their own inspection prior to debarkation.  We had to pay a $75 inspection fee and a $35 port fee, all in cash, just to get off.  They walked up to us in the lounge where we were waiting and basically told us we were good to go - no actual inspection, just pay their fee to get off.  We won’t do that again.  
 

 

 

The same thing happened to us in Cartgena - prior to arriving in port we were told they wanted an inspection fee. Since it was 90 degrees and 90% humidity and we thought that the fee was ridiculous, we told them forget it and didn't get off in that port. 

 

Dianne

[Miki_moto]

Our  Panama Canal itinerary:

Any advice will be appreciated!

 

I’m not too concerned about staying onboard; Cunard’s excursions don’t seem to extend to wheelchair accessible transport.

 

I’m already worried about getting my power chair over to England.  I’ve had too much experience with airlines damaging my chairs.  😞

Southampton 

Hamilton Bermuda 

Port Canaveral

 

Fort Lauderdale 

 

Montego Bay - 

 

Limon

 

Panama Canal 

 

Puerto Quetzal

 

Cabo San Lucas - tendered - stay on ship!

 

San Francisco
 

[rangeley]

So I noticed Amber cove, Dominican wants a USDA endorsement which we have never done with any  of our cruises. They accept a digital one. How does this work? I don't even know where to start. Does my vet send this or do I? Email? I'm clueless. 

[Wendsong]

19 hours ago, Miki_moto said:

Crew Mail Services - https://www.crewmailservices.com

 

They are in both Ft. Lauderdale and Southampton.  I’m sure there are other businesses that offer similar services.  FedEx and UPS might be worth looking into.  

I looked into this and the actual delivery to the ship for passengers is somewhat complicated. Here is the email I received:

 

"Our delivery service is primarily for crew but we can certainly accommodate a delivery for you as we have done multiple times in the past for other guests. However, we do not have access to the ship and would normally deliver at the terminal by crew shuttles.

"Having worked on cruise ships before, I am familiar with on-board processes. If you are travelling with a service dog, you might have already been in touch with the special needs department. Through them, you could potentially request the help of an on-board team to collect the items on your behalf. You may also inform them of our special delivery and we could possibly leave your packages with the Guest Port Services who has a team taking care of your luggage upon arrival.

"We would however have to be expected for them to accept the packages for you.I would suggest you reach out to that department and inform them of our delivery and they will certainly guide you and tell you where the package must be delivered. We'll be happy to follow their instructions. Feel free to copy us in your communication."

 

I am always concerned when one side puts the responsibility on someone else. Many times, neither takes responsibility in case of failure. If anyone has actually used this service to get dog food or other items ordered directly from Amazon, etc., on board, please let me know what the logistics were.  Meanwhile, I will contact Guest Port Services and Princess' access dept. Thanks
 

[Caribbean Chris]

2 hours ago, Wendsong said:

I looked into this and the actual delivery to the ship for passengers is somewhat complicated. Here is the email I received:....

...I am always concerned when one side puts the responsibility on someone else. Many times, neither takes responsibility in case of failure. If anyone has actually used this service to get dog food or other items ordered directly from Amazon, etc., on board, please let me know what the logistics were.  Meanwhile, I will contact Guest Port Services and Princess' access dept. Thanks
 

 

IMHO, It sounds too risky to rely on. If the issue is having enough dog food for a two week cruise, I recall people posting here that some airlines allowed them to check an extra bag with the dog’s necessities at no cost. Then you could use porters. Tipping or even an extra bag fee would probably be cheaper than sending the food.

 

If a dog is already being fed one of the higher quality dog food brands, it’s good news because it is more concentrated protein and less bulky grain filler which equals fewer cups of food per feeding. Pricey, but the dog may have fewer digestive issues which really matters on a trip. 

 

 

 

[Miki_moto]

Our cruise is 27 nights and with adding days at both ends we’re looking at 45/50 days.  That’s an awful lot of canned pumpkin and dog food to be carrying around.

 

Our thought was to pick up the packages ourselves rather than have it delivered to the ship.  Worst case scenario is the packages aren’t there so it would be Uber or a taxi to Petsmart or similar.  Since we’ll be getting off the ship anyway we could make it work...  But at this stage it’s still in the planning.

[DUTRAVEL]

16 hours ago, Miki_moto said:

Our  Panama Canal itinerary:

Any advice will be appreciated!

 

I’m not too concerned about staying onboard; Cunard’s excursions don’t seem to extend to wheelchair accessible transport.

 

I’m already worried about getting my power chair over to England.  I’ve had too much experience with airlines damaging my chairs.  😞

Southampton 

Hamilton Bermuda 

Port Canaveral

 

Fort Lauderdale 

 

Montego Bay - 

 

Limon

 

Panama Canal 

 

Puerto Quetzal

 

Cabo San Lucas - tendered - stay on ship!

 

San Francisco
 

 

I am assuming that you are from Canada and need Canadian forms. Some forms are listed on https://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/exports/live-animals/health-certificates/pets/eng/1321265624789/1321281361100. However, there are a lot less countries listed than on the USDA Aphis site. 

 

There are several offices of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency located in British Columbia, you might try contacting them to get the answers to your questions - https://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/offices/eng/1300462382369/1300462438912. 

 

Dianne

[wizard-of-roz]

Hi Honey's I'm Home,  I'm over the moon exhausted.  The first leg of my 2 week cruise was filled with daily fun with Cindy, John and Oakland.  Horton and Oakland absolutely loved each other.  It was so cute to watch them sniff, play and drool all over each another.  I've been exchanging ideas and fun words with Cindy since 2007 and finally we got to meet, thanks to her and John's hard work.  I loved every minute with Cindy.  She's warm, caring, funny and such a joy to be with.  John is a great guy and Oakland is a beautiful example of a true hero.  We sat in the Allegro Dining Room at a table for four.   The dogs did really well.  I was so proud of both of them, who behaved like true gentlemen in the dining room.

 

I had a mini-suite cabin, hoping they'd place the box on my veranda.  The potty box was set-up at the end of a very long hallway, behind a really heavy door.  I met with the housekeeping manager and my cabin steward in an effort to have them move the box closer or on my veranda.  Their solution was to have my cabin steward come to my cabin and walk Horton for me.....he even practiced, while his manager and I watched.  NO WAY!  There was no way that I was going to turn Horton's leash over to a stranger to walk for me.  It was definitely an effort  to toilet Horty and extremely tiring but it has to be done and my 11 year old boy shined through and never made a mistake in spite of Princess.

 

I tried to set-up a meeting with the Hotel Manager but he was NEVER available to me and, quite frankly, it get pretty tiring to have to always fight a battle with Princess Cruise lines when it comes to the potty box.

 

I was on a Back/Back cruise and what Princess put me and about 30 other passengers, including Horton through to start the second leg of our cruise was ridiculous and totally unnecessary, to say the least.  We were asked to debark the ship, walk through the cruise terminal inside, past the luggage area and then outside, past arriving guests, over uneven ground, through TSA and Immigration.  When I was asked to remove all the objects from Horton's Vest and hand him over to a TSA agent, I simply refused and complained that I was going to write about this on Cruise Critic.  What a terrible way to treat repeat customers, let alone someone who is handicapped with a Service Dog.

 

There is a much more efficient and less stressful way to treat Passengers In Transit, without making them march like prisoners for such a long distance.  I will NEVER be led or told to do such an inane thing again.  I'm ashamed of Princess for putting passengers through this disgraceful act.  And angry at myself for letting them do this to me and Horty!!!!!!  Not to mention the other passengers.

 

Cabo San Lucas had to be cancelled because of the rough seas.......Don't mess with Auntie Roz!!!!

 

The Royal Princess is not one of my favorite Princess ships and I doubt I will be on her again!

 

Thank you Cindy, John and Oakland for making the first leg of my two week journey so much fun!!!!!!  I hope that one day we can do it again!

 

Welcome back DKD and congratulations on turning in another wonderful dog to assist someone in becoming a more independent person.

 

 

[rangeley]

21 minutes ago, wizard-of-roz said:

Hi Honey's I'm Home,  I'm over the moon exhausted.  The first leg of my 2 week cruise was filled with daily fun with Cindy, John and Oakland.  Horton and Oakland absolutely loved each other.  It was so cute to watch them sniff, play and drool all over each another.  I've been exchanging ideas and fun words with Cindy since 2007 and finally we got to meet, thanks to her and John's hard work.  I loved every minute with Cindy.  She's warm, caring, funny and such a joy to be with.  John is a great guy and Oakland is a beautiful example of a true hero.  We sat in the Allegro Dining Room at a table for four.   The dogs did really well.  I was so proud of both of them, who behaved like true gentlemen in the dining room.

 

I had a mini-suite cabin, hoping they'd place the box on my veranda.  The potty box was set-up at the end of a very long hallway, behind a really heavy door.  I met with the housekeeping manager and my cabin steward in an effort to have them move the box closer or on my veranda.  Their solution was to have my cabin steward come to my cabin and walk Horton for me.....he even practiced, while his manager and I watched.  NO WAY!  There was no way that I was going to turn Horton's leash over to a stranger to walk for me.  It was definitely an effort  to toilet Horty and extremely tiring but it has to be done and my 11 year old boy shined through and never made a mistake in spite of Princess.

 

I tried to set-up a meeting with the Hotel Manager but he was NEVER available to me and, quite frankly, it get pretty tiring to have to always fight a battle with Princess Cruise lines when it comes to the potty box.

 

I was on a Back/Back cruise and what Princess put me and about 30 other passengers, including Horton through to start the second leg of our cruise was ridiculous and totally unnecessary, to say the least.  We were asked to debark the ship, walk through the cruise terminal inside, past the luggage area and then outside, past arriving guests, over uneven ground, through TSA and Immigration.  When I was asked to remove all the objects from Horton's Vest and hand him over to a TSA agent, I simply refused and complained that I was going to write about this on Cruise Critic.  What a terrible way to treat repeat customers, let alone someone who is handicapped with a Service Dog.

 

There is a much more efficient and less stressful way to treat Passengers In Transit, without making them march like prisoners for such a long distance.  I will NEVER be led or told to do such an inane thing again.  I'm ashamed of Princess for putting passengers through this disgraceful act.  And angry at myself for letting them do this to me and Horty!!!!!!  Not to mention the other passengers.

 

Cabo San Lucas had to be cancelled because of the rough seas.......Don't mess with Auntie Roz!!!!

 

The Royal Princess is not one of my favorite Princess ships and I doubt I will be on her again!

 

Thank you Cindy, John and Oakland for making the first leg of my two week journey so much fun!!!!!!  I hope that one day we can do it again!

 

Welcome back DKD and congratulations on turning in another wonderful dog to assist someone in becoming a more independent person.

 

 

Welcome back Honey! ❤️

I'm sorry they made you go through that ridiculous disembarking. How stupid was that! And I guess the hotel manager still was out and about.  Lol  He's one busy guy. 

 

We are still recovering. Oakland has been asleep for a week. After I unpacked I realized its only 40 something days to our next cruise. I hope I make it. 😕

 

Glad you're back and hope you and your granddaughter had a good time. 

[wizard-of-roz]

1 hour ago, rangeley said:

Welcome back Honey! ❤️

I'm sorry they made you go through that ridiculous disembarking. How stupid was that! And I guess the hotel manager still was out and about.  Lol  He's one busy guy. 

 

We are still recovering. Oakland has been asleep for a week. After I unpacked I realized its only 40 something days to our next cruise. I hope I make it. 😕

 

Glad you're back and hope you and your granddaughter had a good time. 

Thanks Cindy.  My Granddaughter and I, aside from the more than daily jaunt down the long hall to relieve Horton, had a good cruise.  Not one of my best cruises, I must say.  The Royal lacks quiet, intimate spaces to meet with friends.....every lounge is open to walkways and loud music.

 

I must tell everyone about the Immigration inspection in Mexico......The officials NEVER looked at my paperwork.  I met them in a lounge, very early and they inspected Horton.  They picked up his paws, ran their hands over and under his fur on his back and looked in his ears.  It took 5 minutes and we were cleared.  Dumb, dumb, dumb!!!!

 

I would NEVER give an Immigration officer money, NEVER!  I wasn't asked and never have been in Mexico but I did travel to Costa Rica, Quatemala, Colombia and Honduras.  I was asked for money in Colombia and told them that I have no cash and the only credit card I had was on file with Princess.  They simply walked away and I still entered their country.

 

The only time I've paid, and paid plenty was cruising into Hawaii.  Your dog will also need to have a recent Rabies Blood Titer within a few weeks of travel along with a one year Rabies vaccine.  They have complicated paperwork of which you can either go online to get, or look back through our posts for the exact contacts.

 

There were 4 dogs on my cruise with Cindy.  Two small Chihuaua type dogs in baby strollers with fake  Vests on.  I asked one woman what tasks her dog performs and she said he was a seizure alert dog for her husband, mind you she was ALWAYS carrying the dog and the dog was always on HER lap......tell me, how does he alert from such a distance?????  Please!!!!  It's so embarrassing to legitimate dog handlers when people bring their pets onboard and claim that they provide a service for them......I say;  "LIARS!"

[rangeley]

8 hours ago, wizard-of-roz said:

 

There were 4 dogs on my cruise with Cindy.  Two small Chihuaua type dogs in baby strollers with fake  Vests on.  I asked one woman what tasks her dog performs and she said he was a seizure alert dog for her husband, mind you she was ALWAYS carrying the dog and the dog was always on HER lap......tell me, how does he alert from such a distance?????  Please!!!!  It's so embarrassing to legitimate dog handlers when people bring their pets onboard and claim that they provide a service for them......I say;  "LIARS!"

 

Don't forget it only alerted him at night.  Lol   Oh and the dog had been found abandoned in the desert and had bitten a few people and hated men with work boots. Omg   The other dog I never saw. 

 

On the Princess thread, there was another fake dog around the same time as our cruise. The girl posted about it on a different site. I dont know the details but some 90yr old man confronted her about it and she went ballistic. Someone also said she was drunk and giving it champagne. 🥂