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

[cjborne2]

We didn't do much travelling this summer but the Disney cruise and WDW was a great treat! I can't complain much after that. However, we recently returned from a week in Alaska! We didn't cruise, though. My husband went for a conference in Anchorage. So, while he was at his meetings, I had a wonderful vacation! We did rent a car one day and took a beautiful ride through the mountains. Ollie met the statue of Balto at the start of the Idatirod (sp?) race and took a special interest in a stuffed sea otter at the Anchorage museum. We agree that the next time we get to Alaska will be on a cruise. It'll be a long time before we get back there though.

 

I'm attaching a picture. Hope that's OK.

[cjborne2]

I should also mention that we were very pleased to find that the Anchorage airport has a designated dog potty area complete with clean up bags and a fire hydrant decorated like a dalmation.

[wizard-of-roz]

CJ: Thank you for sharing the great picture of Ollie and his new found friend....it's the one thing that is the hardest for Brenda to pass-up in toy stores....the dreaded "stuffed animals!" Ollie's in love!!!!!

It sounds like you had a wonderful time in Alaska....next, to enjoy it from a cruise ship!

It's good to know about the Anchorage Airport.

Thanks so much for sharing! :)

[wizard-of-roz]

Quam: Thanks for the information about the chip. I hope all is well with you. Have you traveled much, this summer?

[denversees4me]

hi guys !!! WOW what a great spot ! ok first off to answer the cat litter quiestion we sailed star princess i DID specify very clearly in my ppwk that i wanted the shavings or cypress mulch thaqt was WRITTEN in their policy why i got cat litter is BEYOND ME but i do know 25 guide dogs will be sailing that ship in a short while from now in nov and they better get it straight or they will have some mad people !!! I am pretty easy but that was a JOKE !!! im only sad it was my first cruise and first relief box experience for Denver... he went but twqards the end was reluctant stepping all in his pee and dragging it all out everywhere down the halls etc. The crew never kept the pee clean they just tried to throw new bags over top making it even worse!!!! i cleaned up the poop but the pee was IMPOSSIBLE to clean . The scoop was rounded and the lining of the box tore every time i tried to scoop. I spoke with the CARE dept for princess the lady is going to get back to me... i know she will shes really good ,. '

OK NEXT i am going on a disney cruise and it seems some here have disney cruised with their Sds so i have a quiestion or two ! i have my import permit and a health cert ( according to DCL policy the onle i got for alaska is valid for their ship for 90 days wierd huh ) anyways i have herd yes and no DO I NEED TO TAKE DENVER TO THE VET IN THE BAHAMAS??? im so confused? also DO I NEED TO SEND PROOF OF SHOTS VET CERT ETC TO BAHAMAS or just disney? wasnt this complictaed getting to canada on my alaska cruise i realize Bahamas is different though

HELP

thanks cari and Denver:cool:

[cjborne2]

Regarding the Disney cruise ~ We did not have to take the dog to the vet in the Bahamas. We were told we wouldn't be there long enough. We had the import permit from the Bahamas, rabies certificate, copies of all his other shots, and the certificaton from the vet. The certification, that came from the Bahamas for the vet to fill out, had a space for microchip information. We dropped the papers off at guest services after we boarded. Disney handled everything from that point. We received the originals for the shots and vet certification back, and a copy of the import permit. The Bahamian officials kept the rabies certificate.

 

We did get off the ship with the dog to walk around Nassau a bit and also did the glass bottom boat tour.

 

The lady I spoke to from DCL wanted copies of the papers mailed to her ahead of time so they had them. Additionally, we were told to bring the originals onboard.

 

There is a trip report written from Ollie's perspective about the cruise and our Disney trip posted somewhere on this website.

 

We cruised this past June. Hope our experience helps.

[denversees4me]

reguarding the ppwk for the microchip and what you got from the bahamas for the vet to sign .... where did u obtain that??? i only have the import permit....

cari and denver

[denversees4me]

hi again lottle ol us !!! was wondering after reading ollies report of the parks and cruise.... what catagory or stateroom were you upgraded from to get the balcony room ?did you get assigned a number or were you a grnty ? did you ask to be upgraded? HOW COOL disney ROCKS! i have not yet been assigned a room i am a cat 12 gurentee but no room yet . i have spoken to carol at special services i guess i will call tomorrow and ask about the ppwrk for the microchip ( denver is chipped with 2 diff chips ) every time i call they always suggest a balcony room ... if i could afford i would but cat 12 is all i can do on Social security . pray they upgrade us LOL !!!! that would be cool not to have to walk down the hall at 7 am to relieve my dog. O had a balcony in our alaska cruise i didnt use the box on it and am glad i didnt bec it was cat litter filled BUT if disney upgraded me i would do it !!! it seems their boxes or pools LOL are the BOMB!!!! it wouldnt be a big mess and it would be sooooo convienent

cari and Denver :cool:

[Andar]

hi guys !!! WOW what a great spot ! ok first off to answer the cat litter quiestion we sailed star princess i DID specify very clearly in my ppwk that i wanted the shavings or cypress mulch thaqt was WRITTEN in their policy why i got cat litter is BEYOND ME but i do know 25 guide dogs will be sailing that ship in a short while from now in nov and they better get it straight or they will have some mad people !!! I am pretty easy but that was a JOKE !!! im only sad it was my first cruise and first relief box experience for Denver... he went but twqards the end was reluctant stepping all in his pee and dragging it all out everywhere down the halls etc. The crew never kept the pee clean they just tried to throw new bags over top making it even worse!!!! i cleaned up the poop but the pee was IMPOSSIBLE to clean . The scoop was rounded and the lining of the box tore every time i tried to scoop. ...

thanks cari and Denver:cool:

 

Thanks for the information, I am one of those cruising on the Star in Nov. I will make sure we request NO cat litter.

[cjborne2]

I believe that Carol sent me the paperwork that was the vet certification with the microchip fill in the blank spot.

 

I think we were a category 11 originally. It was an inside state room on level 6. Once I found some at DCL that was knowledgable (Carol) she got the ball rolling. We were in room 7638 (I believe). Within half an hour of my finding her, she contacted the travel agent who made the reservations who called my in-laws, who booked the trip, to make sure it was ok to move us since the 3 familes/rooms were pretty close to each other. To make a long story short, we didn't ask for the upgrade, they did it for us. It was definately a handicapped accessible room and maybe because all this happened 3 months before we left they didn't think they'd need it for another passenger?

 

We thought the turf filled litter pool made a lot of sense.

 

Where did your dog come from? Ollie is from the Seeing Eye.

 

Holler if you have any other questions.

[sunshine426]

Thanks for the information, I am one of those cruising on the Star in Nov. I will make sure we request NO cat litter.

 

Darcie, I popped over to the roll call for your sailing. It doesn't look like any of the other SD teams are on the roll call. That would have been fun reading. I hope you right a review after your cruise. It sounds like it will be a great experience for everyone.

[S.S. Cruisers]

Roz:

I am so excited. I started my new job on Monday, last week. I work for a Justice Court. One of the ladies that works there has a search and rescue dog. They came back awhile ago from "cadaver" training. Not a very appealing job, but as we know someone has to do it. Her furbaby is a yellow lab! Her name is Sunny Breeze Beaches. Her nickname is Bree. I cannot wait to meet her!

 

CJ:

I just got the chance to read Ollie's review. What a great report and what a HANDSOME guy Ollie is. I don't have a SD, just hang out with this great group of folks. We have a yellow lab and we call our grandson, who we are raising his brother. I thought we were the only strange ones. One of us is always saying, "Let your brother in or let your brother out." He also has a "sister" cat.

 

Keep in touch with us. We talk about everything that is helpful in one way or another. Try to throw something in there about cruising, but doesn't always happen.

 

We got to cruise with a lady that had a SD on our 14 night Hawaii cruise. He was a handsome black lab. What a treat for us, just to watch him. He got to get in the ocean also and cool off. Got to ride in the back of an open air taxi and he was stylin' with his ears blowing in the breeze.

 

My DH has always wanted a white german shepherd. They are beautiful animals.

 

Nancy

[denversees4me]

andar.... are you sailing with the guide dog group???? i would contact your agent it is demensions right ? i will also call them if you would like? i spoke to irene there once before i will tell her what happened to me with the cat litter... bottom line is i didnt even THINK of cat litter and i was ADAMIT they give me the litter provided by their line per the policy ( shavings ) i was told i was going to have to bring pee pads and if i didnt they would give me them NO NO NO NO NO way would i EVER use a pee pad... i train dogs as well as have my own guide and i know what a disaster that can be , so when i called acess care they assured me it was going to be shavings .... WEL IT WASNT !!!! it was cat litter and a mess and ohhh the headache! anyways im sure the travel agent can get it straight bec all of you guys are going as a group and they have been booking with princess for years !!! but i will call demensions to make sure and if i was you i would ask for allison muff in acess care tell her you know me and how many dogs you guys have goingin nov and tell her you want to make POSITIVE SURE you get no cat litter LOL shes really nice but i think in her defense some things are just out of her control... if i knew of a higher up to write for future SD cruisers i would ... let me know what allison says and keep me posted

cari and Denver :cool:

[denversees4me]

CJ: Denver is frmo Guide Dogs of America in sylmar Ca. when we get the pics back from the trp we just took i will post .... LOL and for all you cat litter fans LOL i will post that pic too !!! whew what a mess

cari and Denver :cool:

[Quampapetet]

I should also mention that we were very pleased to find that the Anchorage airport has a designated dog potty area complete with clean up bags and a fire hydrant decorated like a dalmation.

 

Starting in May all US airports are required to have a relief area for service animals. :D

[Quampapetet]

Quam: Thanks for the information about the chip. I hope all is well with you. Have you traveled much, this summer?

 

Just our normal summer travelling. No plans for any more cruises right now, just land trips, either. I like land trips much better.

[Quampapetet]

i have my import permit and a health cert ( according to DCL policy the onle i got for alaska is valid for their ship for 90 days wierd huh ) anyways i have herd yes and no DO I NEED TO TAKE DENVER TO THE VET IN THE BAHAMAS??? im so confused? also DO I NEED TO SEND PROOF OF SHOTS VET CERT ETC TO BAHAMAS or just disney? wasnt this complictaed getting to canada on my alaska cruise i realize Bahamas is different though

 

DCL policy is not the same as foreign country requirements; you best be certain your old health certificate not only will be accepted by the Bahamas but still has enough copies in it for them to take one or two if they want to.

 

For a land trip you do need to take your dog to a vet in the Bahamas within 48 hours of arrival, but it may be different for a short cruise trip (as somebody here wrote they didn't have to do it).

 

You don't send your health certificate and such beforehand to the Bahamas; they check it when you get there (the ship will handle that for you).

 

Yup, each country has their own animal import regulations. Bahamas has a few extra steps that Canada doesn't have - and the US is easy.

[Quampapetet]

reguarding the ppwk for the microchip and what you got from the bahamas for the vet to sign .... where did u obtain that??? i only have the import permit....

cari and denver

 

The Bahamas sends it with the import permit. If you didn't get it, you should call them and check if you need it (or maybe it is a regulation new for 2009 and it sounds like you're going in 2008). The mention on the import permit of the microchip page is in section "e" and the microchip page is stapled to the import permit.

[cjborne2]

Starting in May all US airports are required to have a relief area for service animals. :D

 

That is great news! Now we can all only hope that it is in a convenient place!

 

We have scouted a grassy spot at BWI that we currently use when we arrive home that is directly across from baggage claim. We found a mulchy spot at the Lindberg terminal in Minneapolis/St. Paul airport too but we needed to go out and then back through security to get there. We had a huge wait between flights so going back through didn't matter to us. The TSA people in M/St.P basically asked us how the dog should be screened. They were the most cooperative bunch of TSA agents we have found yet! The Anchorage agents were surprisingly tough, but we were flying on September 11 so everything was a little tighter that day.

[dvdfreakmc]

MSP does see quite a few service dogs. They are one of the only airports we know of that has an official service dog relief area today. We have used it the last couple of years, just outside of the baggage claim area. The area is just beside the police station.

[denversees4me]

hi all

thanks for all the good info ... i think id better call bahamas direct tomorrow and also carol at disney special services . i know health certs are only ususally good for 30 days and are required 10 days or less from traqvel date.....GRRRRrrrrr just when i thought i had it together LOL ... theres nothing on my import papers reguarding a chip BUT theres a spot for it on the health cert which is filled in .

anyone been to the dolphin encounter program in nassau with their SD ? i think im going to leave denver in the crate in the cabin NOT my fave thing to do , but i dont want acess issue or hassle. also i know that ontario california airport also has a designated relief area for SDs . I had to go thru security when i was in san jose ca and the sky cap who walked me out and back said the same thing .... there ought to be a designated area , I guess it never really bothered me bec my dog goes in the street if i need him to , but when in san jose he had to go in the street right in front of where the busses pull in LOL not good for a guide dog to trust their blind handler who puts them in front of a bus LOL LOL LOL i bet he was thinking " mom a bus !!!!! MOVE"

cari and D :cool:

[cjborne2]

The vet certificate with the blank is the one that we used. Not sure if things have changed since June. We had all our papers filled out well before the 10-30 day range and it wasn't a problem.

 

Ollie usually goes on concrete too but sometimes in a new place with a lot of commotion it's easier to find a non-concrete area.

 

My husband told me there was a Denver in his class too. He was wondering if you were the same person.

[DisneyKidsDad]

Well I just called Disney Cruise Line through my Castaway Club number. I was told the only forms I need to fill out are the health cert. and the import permit form from the Bahamas. The woman I spoke to didn't know anything about the microchip. Do you have the number for Carol at Special Services? I seem to be reading that she is the one I need to speak to.

 

hi all

thanks for all the good info ... i think id better call bahamas direct tomorrow and also carol at disney special services . i know health certs are only ususally good for 30 days and are required 10 days or less from traqvel date.....GRRRRrrrrr just when i thought i had it together LOL ... theres nothing on my import papers reguarding a chip BUT theres a spot for it on the health cert which is filled in .

anyone been to the dolphin encounter program in nassau with their SD ? i think im going to leave denver in the crate in the cabin NOT my fave thing to do , but i dont want acess issue or hassle. also i know that ontario california airport also has a designated relief area for SDs . I had to go thru security when i was in san jose ca and the sky cap who walked me out and back said the same thing .... there ought to be a designated area , I guess it never really bothered me bec my dog goes in the street if i need him to , but when in san jose he had to go in the street right in front of where the busses pull in LOL not good for a guide dog to trust their blind handler who puts them in front of a bus LOL LOL LOL i bet he was thinking " mom a bus !!!!! MOVE"

cari and D :cool:

[wizard-of-roz]

Nancy: Good luck on your new job!!!!

I don't know which cruiseline is using "kitty litter", now...but, we have ALWAYS had wood shavings on Princess. A 4 x 5 box filled with wood shavings....the box was placed in either a stairwell near our cabin or in a walkway, near our cabin (used only by the crew!)

I could have gone to the potty box in my pajamas (it was very close and I didn't have to go outside!)

Very convenient!!!!!

If you don't like the placement of the box or the contents ask to speak with the Hotel Manager.....he/she will resolve it and make you happy!!!!

Happy sailing to everyone who leaves before me on November 15th.

[cjborne2]

I copied this directly from the email she sent to me months ago.

 

Carol Carbrey

Disney Cruise Line

Special Services Manager

Phone (407) 566-7735 Tie Line 8-256-7735

Fax (407) 566-7739

E-mail Carol.B.Carbrey@disney.com or DCLSpecialRequestMedical@disney.com