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

[wizard-of-roz]

Darcie: What a positive person you are. You looked at this confrontation as a "positive" because you had actually walked further than usual.......How wonderful for you!

 

Yes! We do have our cruises to look forward to! I love the way Brenda and I are treated onboard and I can't wait to be on the open seas on that beautiful floating hotel!

 

Stay well and keep walking,

Roz

[wizard-of-roz]

Also, for anyone who is interested in speaking with the Department of Justice (1-800-514-0301)....I called, they will be sending me documentation on filing a complaint and then I will return it to them.

I'm actually "over it" and, I'm moving on....but, it does not negate that day! And, if I don't make sure that others, who will be coming into this restaurant or any other restaurant are not treated this way, then I'm not helping.

We need to be "there" for each other and protect the rights that were fought for by others, before us.

[denversees4me]

hi eoz i got your lawyers name !!!!!!!! i just got home and evening is a better time for me to call you can you call me back and leave me an evening number?????? just reading all the acess storys fires me up !!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO man

 

anyways one thing i would like to do is post about what you can do in certian situations ,,,, i will have to see what i have for time later tonight and see if i can get it on here but when we get a new recipent and cert them as a team we hand this paper out explaning what to do in situations one good one is if someone threatens to call the poliece LET THEM ENCOURAGE IT do everything you can to make it happen.... remember YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to be there and when they call the poliece and they are wrong ... what better way to press charges !

 

ok enough for now im all fired up again wooo hoooo!!!!!!!!!!!

cari and denver

[rangeley]

Roz, We are so sorry what has happened to you. But we are not surprised. We too have been in that situation a few times. Sometimes we just leave and sometimes we fight. I'm not sure if we have encountered someone that rude before. Good for you if you fight this, that company should fire that guy and educate their employees on the law. If your dog had his jacket on and you had documentation, that manager should have called someone before being so rude!! People are not just rude about the dog, they are just plain rude to handicapped people. As for able bodied people parking in handicapped spots, don't even get me started!!!!!!!! But I'm sure you have been through that too. Please let us know what happens with this situation. Cindy & John

[denversees4me]

oh cindy

speaking of d parking spots !!! there was a thing on the news the other day about how people are buying placcards just like fake IDs crazy huh ? the people that make me the maddest are the ones at the bank they pull up to the ATM and park in the only 2 spots there are GRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrr i have seen young healthy marines in fancy cars get out and park in a hc spot then put up a placcard..... DONT tell me if they are disabled bec the military will not allow them in !!!! also when i take the train thats always good !! the stop i get on at is by a base and ALL the marines sit in handicapped spots or people let their small kids sit there they are single seats ,,,, one time ( of the many times ) i was sitting on the FLOOR of the train with my dog bec the seat was occupied by a marine when he left to get off the train the conductor pulled ANOTHER marine off the floor and said sir this seat is open for you if you would like to sit there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UGHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh i am the first to say i appreciate the military but some of these young guys if their oms knew what they did !!! they would get slapped LOL

cari and denver

[Quampapetet]

I took her jacket off and let her run out to the end of the flexi lead. She was having a great time just running and sniffing. (It goes without saying that She only left footprints). Then a state truck comes around the cornier. I call her, she comes to my side. The jerk comes flying out of the truck. He told me I could not walk her on the beach. I started to show ID, he interrupted me and got literally 3 inches from my face. He asked if I was staying there, yes, in the hanidcapped cabin. I then said she was a SD again tried to show her ID. He said "Well, you just lost your rights, go back to your cabin":eek: (supposedly because she didn't have jacket and end of flexi lead - not actively working).

 

Actually, the guy was correct that your dog did not belong playing on the beach any more than a pet belongs there. SD access is because you need the dog in order to go to/use the public place you're at/going to, not just because you can bring your dog with you anywhere you please. If the dog is playing, he's not working for you and, therefore, has no reason or right to be in a place that doesn't allow pets.

 

However, you don't lose your right to an SD just by him saying you do. What he should have done is explain to you that pets are not allowed on the beach, therefore only working SDs are allowed. Since your SD wasn't working, it wasn't allowed. It would be allowed if it was working (which running on a Flexi and sniffing is not).

[wizard-of-roz]

GOOD NEWS!!!!!!! :) The person at Souplantation has been FIRED!!!! After working for the company for 14 years and, the fact that he gambled with his job so heavily has come back to bite him very hard!

We went into the restaurant, two days ago....I must tell you, I was a bit apprehensive about doing it....but, I knew I had the right and I'm going to go forward in teaching the public about those rights!

Karen, the manager who had always been so welcoming to us for years, walked over to me and said that "Renzo" (the General Manager, who confronted me) had been given a chance to redeem himself, by attending a workshop on dealing with the public on a myriad of issues and did not attend! The following day he was told not to return to work! WOW! Talk about "swift action!" I asked if he was given another restaurant to work at? She said that he was "fired" from the organization. I'm thrilled (I'm not glad to see anyone lose their job, in these times, but he did nothing to make it easier on me or himself!)

Again, THANK YOU to all of you for your wonderful support! We DO have each other's backs!!!!!

Quam, your incorrect! If I am walking with Brenda and she is working the entire time and I decide to take off her vest, (which is not needed, in the first place), during this time and I, then, extend her lead to allow her to "release" for a bit.....she and I are still within our rights to be anywhere!!!!! And, can not be asked to leave the area just because an official happened to come upon us for that time! Had the dog been disruptive/injured someone, etc., that would have been different.

Service dogs definitely walk a very fine line in the public's "eye." My friend's SD must literally be ON HER to detect her blood issues that he alerts her to and, while in some public areas, where he is desparately needed and where the venue may cause her blood to change, her dog may be asked to actully sit ON a bench or IN a seat "right next to her!" This may be viewed as "rude" or "invasive" by the public....but, is extremely necessary by my friends SD!

She gets lots and lots of questions about it and she simply tells them the truth! Her SD has saved her life on many, occasions by being right next to her, with his head on her lap! It looks "questionable" but is appropriate for both of them!

Again, thank you!

 

[rangeley]

Roz, I'm so glad your issue was resolved. I'm sorry the guy was fired but it seems to me it was his own fault. Someone like that shouldn't be working with the public anyway. It just goes to show what kind of person he was, having a chance to go to a workshop to save his job and doesn't

show up! UGH!

 

Cari, My cousins father died and she took his placard and used it! She even told me about it knowing John is a quad. Talk about nerve. Of course she is also the cousin who had an affair with my ex and broke up our marriage, then married him. So I just consider what kind of person she is. Anyway, we are moving forward with Joe and working on taking him on this cruise. We are going to meet him in the 22nd and hope to see if they can make a litter box and make it part of his formal training. That way he will be already trained and we won't have to worry about it. I have written to all the islands we are going to and only heard back from only one of them so far. We also found out that he has a microchip, so if we go to the Bahamas we should be all set. Talk soon, Cindy

[Andar]

Actually, the guy was correct that your dog did not belong playing on the beach any more than a pet belongs there. SD access is because you need the dog in order to go to/use the public place you're at/going to, not just because you can bring your dog with you anywhere you please. If the dog is playing, he's not working for you and, therefore, has no reason or right to be in a place that doesn't allow pets.

 

However, you don't lose your right to an SD just by him saying you do. What he should have done is explain to you that pets are not allowed on the beach, therefore only working SDs are allowed. Since your SD wasn't working, it wasn't allowed. It would be allowed if it was working (which running on a Flexi and sniffing is not).

 

Quam, Thank you for the opportunity to clarify the circumstances at the beach.

 

We were not visiting the beach for a day.

We were staying in the cabin (reserved for handicapped) on the beach for an entire week.

 

Bailey normally has exercise / playtime twice a day.

During the week we were there, we would get up very early before people were there and take her for her walk. We would wait until people left to take her in the evening. The only place I could walk her was the beach as the area behind the cabin was a very steep hill.

 

It is "reasonable accommodations" that the SD be be allowed some "down time" during the week. I know you were not suggesting she "hold it" for the entire week.

 

I understand that even our Nov. 10th cruise has reserved an area for playtime for the SDs!:) I can't wait.

 

 

Again, thanks for the opportunity to explain so someone else doesn't get the wrong impression.

[wizard-of-roz]

Darcie: Thank you for your explanation.

Princess provided a lounge for Brenda to have some "down time" in! It was wonderful because some of the other passengers would come in and play with her. She needed the break and they fulfilled their "need" (as they were missing their furbabies!)

Have a wonderful cruise!

[Valentine's Mom]

Roz, I was going to post the other day when I heard about your plight but then "of course" computer glitches kept keeping me off the sight. David, Valentine, and I have lived all over and she has been everywhere and going to Europe in just a few days. Valentine is 7 years old and has been in service for at least 6, It's hard to think of my life without her. As most of you know Valentine is a very small Japanese Chin about 10 lbs. The City of Virginia Beach has to be one of the worst cities to get SD rights. As David and I were moving from DC to VA Beach so as were looking for an appartment to rent we wanted to stay at a hotel by the beach. They kept saying no to bringing the

dog in,I tried to be nice and explain, show her card and she was wearing her vest.They fought us for a long time so we gave up and went next door and stayed there.to ther area we found that it was late

I would thing that being a tourest city they would know better. Everywhere we go with her we are questioned. I have had to b ring it to the manager's attention more that once. Valentine is also a special dog who must stay close to do her job. Of course the airline wants us to crate her all the way to Rome, I don't thing so!

After reading all you your stories I feel that I can stand up to them and she will be riding where she can do her work.:mad:

[allpawsondeck]

Hi Everyone,

 

Although not new to travelling domesticly with my guide dog, I'm certainly new to travelling Internationally with her.

 

My "other half" and I have just returned from our first RCL cruise. We went on the Legend around the Med and it was great, but I really missed not having Vicki with me. So from now on, she comes too!

 

So any tips, hints etc you can all give me will be gratefully accepted. We're booked on RCL Serenade to cruise the Panama Canal on 17/10/09 and I'd like to make sure that it's as hassle-free and fun as possible for all three of us!

[Tinwoman]

After reading all this, I'm happier with my decision to leave my service dog at home when I cruise for the first time this fall. The potential problems on the ship are one thing (and I've already trained my SD to relieve herself on command,) but the hassles when going ashore are a greater unknown. Each country must have its own regulations about bringing animals ashore. And then there are the stray dogs, particularly in the Caribbean. Although I'll miss my SD for many reasons, at least I was able to find a safe and comfortable place for her to stay while I'm away on the cruise.

 

Finally a voice of sanity. I think our dogs need a nice little break too.

[Andar]

I think this board is so good for all of us that use SD's.

 

Some are able function in public or are able to take a cruise without their SD. For those people, they have to make the decision of if they and their SD will have a better time going or staying home.

 

But please remember, for others, they may not get to go on a cruise or a vacation (or maybe even out of the house) without their SD. ;)

 

There is no universal right or wrong decision, only what is best for you and your SD. Whiche.ver way is best for you Enjoy your cruise!

[Andar]

sorry, duplicate post

[dvdfreakmc]

I think this board is so good for all of us that use SD's.

 

Some are able function in public or are able to take a cruise without their SD. For those people, they have to make the decision of if they and their SD will have a better time going or staying home.

 

But please remember, for others, they may not get to go on a cruise or a vacation (or maybe even out of the house) without their SD. ;)

 

There is no universal right or wrong decision, only what is best for you and your SD. Whiche.ver way is best for you Enjoy your cruise!

 

Great comment. I totally agree. Several years ago, we took Cameron on a trip to visit friends in Belgium which included London, Paris and Brussels. While we researched the possibility of taking Werin with us on that trip, it just didn't seem to work out, so she stayed home with some dear friends. However, Cameron did miss having Werin with him in many ways, and while it was a good trip, we haven't done that since, instead choosing to go on cruises and other more local trips where we can all be together.

 

BTW, on the weekend we went to the Whitpain Community Harvest Festival (our local town) and the Cat rescue folks were there with lots of cute cats and kittens. Well the short story is we now have two new members to our family. Pumpkin is a 7 week old tabby and Max is his black and grey brother. Very cute and Werin is getting along famously. Pumpkin acts like she was born with Werin, but Max is taking a little while to warm up. It is great for Cameron (after a short freak out at the festival worried that his chore chart would be expanded significantly. Once his pacing stopped, we knew it would be fine! :-)), and he spends almost all his time with the kittens and Werin helping them to get along as a happy family.

[dvdfreakmc]

Darcie: Thank you for your explanation.

 

Princess provided a lounge for Brenda to have some "down time" in! It was wonderful because some of the other passengers would come in and play with her. She needed the break and they fulfilled their "need" (as they were missing their furbabies!)

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

 

I completely agree. Last HAL cruise, Werin had a crew area at the back of the ship, and she did much better having that free time to bounce around chasing balls and the like, before going "back on stage".

[denversees4me]

However, you don't lose your right to an SD just by him saying you do. What he should have done is explain to you that pets are not allowed on the beach, therefore only working SDs are allowed. Since your SD wasn't working, it wasn't allowed. It would be allowed if it was working (which running on a Flexi and sniffing is not).

our service dogs are allowed anywhere at any time !!!! working or not they are service dogs and they are technically always working !!!! my dog and i go to the beach too and as long as i have him on leash ( which is a law ) he is allowed to be out of his harness and walk through the water with me or just a ways out from me ... it dosent mean he isnt my service dog because he has not go his harness on ..... yes he may technically not be on duty but if i needed him he would be there at a moments notice making him on duty ... service dogs are ALWAYS working even when they are not that is why so many dogs are dropped from programs when being evaluated for service work it is a stressful job . ...... this saddens me that someone on here would think a service dog isnt allowed on the beach because they are not working !!!!! and it sounds like what your saying is they are not working when they are out of harness or a cape and they are not allowed acess to something for lesiure .What happens if i am on the beach with my dog sitting there just doing nothing ... he isnt working technically... but does it mean he needs to leave NO !!! IT IS A LAW black and white service dogs do not need to wear a vest or harness to clarify their status. It would be like saying you cant bring your wheelchair on the beach just because your going to get out of it to swim ...... it is something that is needed even if your not in it ! when service dogs are not working it does not mean they are pets !!!!! AGAIN read the law a service dog is not a pet he/she is a working dog .

[denversees4me]

But please remember, for others, they may not get to go on a cruise or a vacation (or maybe even out of the house) without their SD. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

AMEN TO THAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Andar]

Hi Everyone,

 

Although not new to travelling domesticly with my guide dog, I'm certainly new to travelling Internationally with her.

 

My "other half" and I have just returned from our first RCL cruise. We went on the Legend around the Med and it was great, but I really missed not having Vicki with me. So from now on, she comes too!

 

So any tips, hints etc you can all give me will be gratefully accepted. We're booked on RCL Serenade to cruise the Panama Canal on 17/10/09 and I'd like to make sure that it's as hassle-free and fun as possible for all three of us!

 

I know there are people on this thread better able to answer your question. But since you haven't heard yet from them, here is my suggestions

1) contact RCL access coordinator and get their document requirements.

2) If you are going ashore, find out the requirements of each area

Did you book directly with the cruise line or use a TA?

I copied my TA everything but I made sure I faxed paperwork directly to cruise line as well. I also asked for sod for potty area.

If you start with the cruise line you will be okay.

[denversees4me]

So any tips, hints etc you can all give me will be gratefully accepted. We're booked on RCL Serenade to cruise the Panama Canal on 17/10/09 and I'd like to make sure that it's as hassle-free and fun as possible for all three of us!

 

 

i would just say to make sure you get all YOUR ducks in order and not rely on them ..... i know youll probb have to have a health cert SIGNED BY THE USDA so check into that ... also i would ask them if they have phone numbers or e mails instead of addresses to write to the ports i find a call or e mail is much more efficent .....Cindy you should also ask about that bec i know you said you wrote right ????

 

when i went to alaska ( even though it is not international ) i got the names and numbers from the acess dept.

 

also you might check with IAADP ..... they may have more useful info

if your going to travel to the UK i know you need titer tests which can take a while to come back...where r you going to travel to ????

cari and Denver

 

ps where did you get you guide dog from ????? Denver is from guide dogs of america in sylmar ca

[rangeley]

I emailed 6 islands last weekend. We only heard back from 1 of them. Now thats over a week ago and still haven't heard anything. We tried to email some official dept, you would think they would have responded by now. I guess I'll wait another week and email them again.

[wizard-of-roz]

Roz, I'm so glad your issue was resolved. I'm sorry the guy was fired but it seems to me it was his own fault. Someone like that shouldn't be working with the public anyway. It just goes to show what kind of person he was, having a chance to go to a workshop to save his job and doesn't

show up! UGH!

 

Cari, My cousins father died and she took his placard and used it! She even told me about it knowing John is a quad. Talk about nerve. Of course she is also the cousin who had an affair with my ex and broke up our marriage, then married him. So I just consider what kind of person she is. Anyway, we are moving forward with Joe and working on taking him on this cruise. We are going to meet him in the 22nd and hope to see if they can make a litter box and make it part of his formal training. That way he will be already trained and we won't have to worry about it. I have written to all the islands we are going to and only heard back from only one of them so far. We also found out that he has a microchip, so if we go to the Bahamas we should be all set. Talk soon, Cindy

 

Cindy: I'm glad it's over and we've been back to the restaurant a few more times and, as usual, we were greeted very nicely and even treated to a dinner by the new manager! All's well! (The story of your cousin is awful....another moron in this world!) Sorry!

Joe will be ready to go cruising, just like you wanted! Again, don't be afraid of the "potty box", the dogs think nothing of using them and get quite comfortable with them. Brenda is so talented at making her "circles" in that little space!

Princess uses a "cardboard" box, with sawdust. I make sure there's lots of the sawdust in the box otherwise her paws slip on the bottom!

To all of you who are cruising to the Carribean or Mexico....the Agricultural Inspection Form/recent Immunizations signed by your Vet./Chip or Tattoo, along with the Dogs current City License/Tag and a copy of your Passport is really all that you should need for these countries or Islands. It's all we needed. I gave copies to the Purser, they were examined by the authorities and we were done.

 

Make lots of copies for them and you.

Rangeley: Bring all your documentation and your good to go! Carry copies on you, when you're on the Islands and just in case you're asked to show them.

Tinwoman: The reason a person makes the commitment to have a Service Dog in their lives is to enhance that life. Most of us would not be able to travel [well], if it weren't for these amazing dogs. To leave the dog at home would defeat the sole purpose of having one!

To comment that leaving the dog at home is a "final voice of sanity", is really insulting to the rest of us!

[S.S. Cruisers]

Roz: You know that comment struck me as odd also, but I guess I filed it away. Its as if they are saying the SD is for your convenience as long as they don't interfer. Then why would one need a SD? Rethorical question. I know you would never leave Brenny home, she is with you for a reason.

 

When we travel in our motorhome, Reno goes with us. He cannot get down the steps, and probably can't get up them anymore. I have to take his ramp with us and ramp him out of the motorhome everytime he wants out. It would be easier to leave him with the babysitter, but he is part of the family and I will just have to compromise some of my time for him.

 

To the others Reno is not a SD. Just our big ole furbaby. He now has a sister kitty. She hasn't been in the motorhome yet, but can't see any reason why she wouldn't go. She is strictly an indoor kitty anyway. A little inconvenience to us is a life time of furbaby love and kisses.

[Tinwoman]

Cindy: I'm glad it's over and we've been back to the restaurant a few more times and, as usual, we were greeted very nicely and even treated to a dinner by the new manager! All's well! (The story of your cousin is awful....another moron in this world!) Sorry!

 

Joe will be ready to go cruising, just like you wanted! Again, don't be afraid of the "potty box", the dogs think nothing of using them and get quite comfortable with them. Brenda is so talented at making her "circles" in that little space!

 

Princess uses a "cardboard" box, with sawdust. I make sure there's lots of the sawdust in the box otherwise her paws slip on the bottom!

 

To all of you who are cruising to the Carribean or Mexico....the Agricultural Inspection Form/recent Immunizations signed by your Vet./Chip or Tattoo, along with the Dogs current City License/Tag and a copy of your Passport is really all that you should need for these countries or Islands. It's all we needed. I gave copies to the Purser, they were examined by the authorities and we were done.

 

Make lots of copies for them and you.

 

Rangeley: Bring all your documentation and your good to go! Carry copies on you, when you're on the Islands and just in case you're asked to show them.

 

Tinwoman: The reason a person makes the commitment to have a Service Dog in their lives is to enhance that life. Most of us would not be able to travel [well], if it weren't for these amazing dogs. To leave the dog at home would defeat the sole purpose of having one!

 

To comment that leaving the dog at home is a "final voice of sanity", is really insulting to the rest of us!

 

You know I will just say having been around service dogs for years,. I just am not impressed by them, I think it is a very, very hard life for them. They always seem so depressed being drug around everywhere. A girl I knew in a wheel chair had a golden who's toes had been accidentally run over so many times that she just shut down, and had to be retired at 4 years of age it was so sad. JMHO.

It is a noble idea, that just very rarely, is a perfect match. Be aware that you are quoting me quoting another poster with service dog, I just think the animal needs a little time away to refresh, and while on vacation family members are present, that may not be when at home to help out.

 

Also just like unhandicapped people, some handicapped people are not so kind to their dogs.