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

[rangeley]

The bus company is probably going to call the police if you take their bus. :eek:

Haha. 😃

 

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[rangeley]

 

My daughter lives in Eugene, Oregon, my best friend lives in Seattle; there are graduations, weddings and a promised trip back to Switzerland. I can't imagine what Horton will be like on the flight to Zurich.......I'm dreading the thought of trying to keep him comfortable on a Flight to DC and then on to Paris and then to Zurich. He's so much bigger than Brenda and she had a hard time with staying down. I'll have to walk him a lot and holding back water from Horton is very difficult......he a huge water drinker!

 

And, every time Horton pees, he has to poop [sorry about the TMI.] So, I always have to be prepared to pick up after him!

Wow! Awesome trip. Wexler would never last that long without peeing. It's always been every couple hours for him.

 

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[rangeley]

Another vote for JetBlue. Their bulkhead seating is very roomy. The "even more space seats" have as much room as a lot of first class domestic flights at a fraction of the cost. They were very nice to Henri. I suspect that Southwest bulkhead would be good too - as long as the plane is not completed full you could get an empty middle seat. When we were on JetBlue, we asked (very nicely) if it was possible to leave the seat next to us empty if the plane was not full. I am keeping my fingers crossed that out flight from Ft. Lauderdale to San Francisco next month will have an empty seat next to us.

 

Dianne

Our flights to Ft lauderdale are always full!

 

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[Caribbean Chris]

HELP! I want to travel with my service dog but don't know where to start. I tried to contact the cruise line but they are telling me I need to contact Department of Agriculture. Everything that I have been reading is to import dogs/animals. I don't see anything about visiting. I am travelling to St.Marteen, St.Thomas, Tortola and Puerto Rico

 

Others may add more information, but to get you started, Visiting = Importing.

 

When you visit with a service dog, you must follow the same rules as for importing a pet (even though it's not a pet, and even though you'll leave with the dog in a few hours).

 

The first thing to do is to locate a USDA-certified Vet in your area to call and discuss your needs. (Contact the USDA APHIS service center for your area to get certified vet names.) The paperwork can change from one month to the next, so use the vet as your best source of up-to-date accurate information. You'll need to have your dog examined by that vet and obtain a Form 7001 health certificate signed by him or her close to your departure date. Bring that vet a complete set of your health records for your dog.

 

Meanwhile, you can look on the Dept. of Agriculture web site for the drop-down menu showing specific country requirements and forms. St. Thomas and Puerto Rico are U.S. Territory, so your main concerns are St. Maarten and Tortola. Tortola is complicated since an expensive blood titer test is needed, so you may decide it is simpler to keep the dog on board ship when it arrives at that port.

 

You'll need to bring copies of the health certificate and other country forms, plus your dog's rabies certificate, microchip number, and other health information with you to the ship. Some cruise lines have specific forms they want submitted to them well in advance, while others will send you a form to sign and simply bring to the pier. Just make sure you have notified them more than a month ahead that your service dog is traveling.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Edited September 16, 2016 by Caribbean Chris

[Caribbean Chris]

I called Celebrity's access department to discuss placing the relief box for Henri on our balcony (we have a very large aft balcony). I was told "no" due to US public health and safety laws. I asked the representative to provide me with the actual citation to the laws that she was referring to. She was not able to give me the information, but has promised to e-mail me. Has anyone else been cited an actual law that prohibits the placement of the relief box on the balcony?

 

Dianne

 

Did she ever email you anything?

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Others may add more information, but to get you started, Visiting = Importing.

 

When you visit with a service dog, you must follow the same rules as for importing a pet (even though it's not a pet, and even though you'll leave with the dog in a few hours).

 

The first thing to do is to locate a USDA-certified Vet in your area to call and discuss your needs. (Contact the USDA APHIS service center for your area to get certified vet names.) The paperwork can change from one month to the next, so use the vet as your best source of up-to-date accurate information. You'll need to have your dog examined by that vet and obtain a Form 7001 health certificate signed by him or her close to your departure date. Bring that vet a complete set of your health records for your dog.

 

Meanwhile, you can look on the Dept. of Agriculture web site for the drop-down menu showing specific country requirements and forms. St. Thomas and Puerto Rico are U.S. Territory, so your main concerns are St. Maarten and Tortola. Tortola is complicated since an expensive blood titer test is needed, so you may decide it is simpler to keep the dog on board ship when it arrives at that port.

 

You'll need to bring copies of the health certificate and other country forms, plus your dog's rabies certificate, microchip number, and other health information with you to the ship. Some cruise lines have specific forms they want submitted to them well in advance, while others will send you a form to sign and simply bring to the pier. Just make sure you have notified them more than a month ahead that your service dog is traveling.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

First let me say I'm happy to see many are able to travel with their service animal and enjoy cruising.....including flying to a foreign or local destination. I have learned so much from following this thread and have a great appreciation of what you go through to do it.

 

We recently sailed on a TA from Florida to Civitavecchia followed by a Med cruise. On the TA there were 5 dogs and on the TA there were 3. What I observed piqued my curiosity. I'd like to know more about what the cruise line requires and what, if anything, you have to show to take your dog off in a European port. I would also like to know what the expectations are when you have a dog onboard.

[Algebralovr]

Happy reunion with Scooter!

 

Dianne

Thanks, Dianne!

 

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[S.S. Cruisers]

How does she get back to Long Beach? :confused:

 

Why of course she flys the plane back again! :p Sometimes veering from that course....

[wizard-of-roz]

You can be the guinea pig for us Roz. I hope to fly to Paris with Henri in 2018. Henri does not like to poop anyway from home - she will hold it (even over night) until she figures out we are not going home anytime soon. Never poops on a walk or when I take her out for the day.

 

Dianne

 

When Brenda first came to us she was like this, until I took her to work with me and she realized I wasn't going home until the end of the day and she could no longer hold it!!! So Funny!

 

She was the most amazing traveler once she got her bearings and felt at ease in her environment and realized that I wasn't going to give her to anybody else, she was staying with me forever.

 

Brenda had been matched with a woman in a wheel chair who consistently ran into her back legs [leaving her with scars on both legs and a shyness of wheel chairs when they would come near her, after I got her.] She would also put herself into the car leaving Brenda standing in the parking lot. Brenda lived with her for 3 months before she was taken back to CCI, Santa Rosa for re-training and then matched with me. She had a rough start to her life but turned into the most perfect, wonderful partner for me! I couldn't have loved a dog [big tears coming] more than I loved her!!!!!

 

She went to Paris, Germany, Italy and Switzerland with Morey and I. She layed on the floor, in front of an empty seat on every plane we flew on. We got lucky with that. We flew Air France and American Airlines. We had no problems anywhere in Europe. There were water bowls on the street for dogs and in every restaurant we entered she was greeted before we were!

Edited September 16, 2016 by wizard-of-roz

[wizard-of-roz]

Roz, some of the things you share just make others of us feel better. Scooter seems to be just like Horton.

 

Speaking of Scooter, I'm off to the trainer tomorrow to get him, finally, after 3.5 weeks l. Much longer than expected! He was being a little stinker. 8 hours behind the wheel tomorrow.

 

Wish me luck and let's hope that there are no crazy people on the roads! There have been far too many accidents lately. Many of them with fatalities.

 

Barb, you will have a happy ending with Scooter, let that stay in your mind and don't let all the traveling get to you.

 

I was never afraid of long road trips until there were so many eighteen wheeler accidents with passenger cars. But, if I let the fear take over, I'll never have the freedom to go where I want to go. So, like you, I buckle-up and face my fears. In the long run it's so worth it!

 

I wish you lots of luck.......

Edited September 16, 2016 by wizard-of-roz

[wizard-of-roz]

Maybe your Vet can give you a mild sedative for Horton.

 

The interesting part of Horton's personality is that he truly focuses on what I'm saying. If I bring him close to me and talk to him, giving him the commands for what I want him to do, he listens and responds. If I get excited or angry-toned he will act like a goof-ball and will NOT listen to me!

 

So, in the long run.......The meds would work best for me!!!!

[wizard-of-roz]

I was wondering what do you need for each port. I want to travel with my service dog but scared. What paper work do I need?

 

For most ports all you need is the Aphis 7001 form that you get from your Vet. Your Vet will fill it out with your help. If your Vet is USDA Approved you're one step further ahead because they will also give you a letter certifying your dogs good health to travel in all foreign and domestic countries. Your Vet will certify that your dog is recent on all immunizations necessary for travel.

 

Your dog should be micro-chipped and a copy of this paperwork will be attached to the Aphis form.

 

Any paperwork from the training org. is good.

 

Have 3 copies of everything. The original kept with you, one to give to the ships Purser and one to give to Immigration, if necessary.

[wizard-of-roz]

Ladies and gentlemen, you plane is ready for boarding ...

 

 

There's no place for me to lay in the shade!!! They are so smart!

[wizard-of-roz]

First let me say I'm happy to see many are able to travel with their service animal and enjoy cruising.....including flying to a foreign or local destination. I have learned so much from following this thread and have a great appreciation of what you go through to do it.

 

We recently sailed on a TA from Florida to Civitavecchia followed by a Med cruise. On the TA there were 5 dogs and on the TA there were 3. What I observed piqued my curiosity. I'd like to know more about what the cruise line requires and what, if anything, you have to show to take your dog off in a European port. I would also like to know what the expectations are when you have a dog onboard.

 

Sue, traveling with a Service Dog is a big job but such a rewarding one for both me and my dog.

 

First; the dog must be fully trained to go on a cruise. It can't be a "Therapy Dog" and it can't be a "Dog or Puppy in Training!" Unless there have been special arrangements made by the Organization and the Cruiseline to have the "Pups in training" onboard.

 

The dog MUST perform a task for it's handler, whether that be Seeing Eye, Hearing, Autisim, Medical Alert, balance assistance, assisting with wheel chair or PTSD.

 

You tell your TA that you're traveling with a Service/Working Dog they will alert the "Special Access Dept." of the ship, who will send you some paperwork to fill out and fax back to them, prior to entering.

 

You will need an examination of the dog by a USDA Approved Vet who will fill out an Aphis 7001 form certifying your dogs health and up to date immunizations. Some foreign countries require a Titer Blood Draw of your dog to verify that he/she does not have Rabies.

 

Your dog should be microchipped and well maintained. Your dog should NOT bark, bite, nip, growl or sniff. None of the aforementioned serves a purpose for the handler [except for the occasional bark of alert or sniff for medical purposes.]

 

You have to pack for your dog as you would for a child and more. There are grooming supplies, meds, food, vitamins, leashes, collars, etc., etc.

 

The ship will supply a potty box for your dog to relieve himself. It will be a 4x4 or larger box filled with mulch or some sort of filler. You're never sure of what the ship will provide or where they'll place it. You have to deal with this the moment you enter the ship and it may take the better portion of your first day but once the box and it's filler are settled the rest of the cruise is a breeze.

 

Immigration at each port may enter the ship and request that you bring your dog and its paperwork to meet them VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING and before anyone is let off the ship, you MUST be cleared. You always have to be prepared to have your paperwork in order and your dog MUST be on its best behavior.

 

I've seen a passenger and their dog escorted off a ship, with their luggage, and they had to find their own way home. There is NO insurance for this!

 

If you have any further questions, we're happy to help!

[wizard-of-roz]

Happy, funfilled, safe weekend everyone!!!!!

[wizard-of-roz]

First let me say I'm happy to see many are able to travel with their service animal and enjoy cruising.....including flying to a foreign or local destination. I have learned so much from following this thread and have a great appreciation of what you go through to do it.

 

We recently sailed on a TA from Florida to Civitavecchia followed by a Med cruise. On the TA there were 5 dogs and on the TA there were 3. What I observed piqued my curiosity. I'd like to know more about what the cruise line requires and what, if anything, you have to show to take your dog off in a European port. I would also like to know what the expectations are when you have a dog onboard.

 

Sue, to answer your question about "expectations" when we have our dog onboard. If you mean what do we expect from our fellow passengers; we expect that they will treat our dog with respect and not act annoyed or angry when we enter the elevator with them; or when we're walking with our dog and they can't resist the urge to touch our dog that they use restraint and ask us first.

 

98% of the time my dog and I are treated very, very well both by the crew and our fellow passengers. There is, on occasion, someone who doesn't like dogs, is afraid of dogs or will proclaim that they will die if they're in close proximity to a dog!

 

I've had someone leave the buffet area because they were not going to eat with a dog in the room!

 

Angry or bad encounters are rare and far between but they do happen!

[suzyluvs2cruise]

 

Sue, traveling with a Service Dog is a big job but such a rewarding one for both me and my dog.

 

First; the dog must be fully trained to go on a cruise. It can't be a "Therapy Dog" and it can't be a "Dog or Puppy in Training!" Unless there have been special arrangements made by the Organization and the Cruiseline to have the "Pups in training" onboard.

 

The dog MUST perform a task for it's handler, whether that be Seeing Eye, Hearing, Autisim, Medical Alert, balance assistance, assisting with wheel chair or PTSD.

 

You tell your TA that you're traveling with a Service/Working Dog they will alert the "Special Access Dept." of the ship, who will send you some paperwork to fill out and fax back to them, prior to entering.

 

You will need an examination of the dog by a USDA Approved Vet who will fill out an Aphis 7001 form certifying your dogs health and up to date immunizations. Some foreign countries require a Titer Blood Draw of your dog to verify that he/she does not have Rabies.

 

Your dog should be microchipped and well maintained. Your dog should NOT bark, bite, nip, growl or sniff. None of the aforementioned serves a purpose for the handler [except for the occasional bark of alert or sniff for medical purposes.]

 

You have to pack for your dog as you would for a child and more. There are grooming supplies, meds, food, vitamins, leashes, collars, etc., etc.

 

The ship will supply a potty box for your dog to relieve himself. It will be a 4x4 or larger box filled with mulch or some sort of filler. You're never sure of what the ship will provide or where they'll place it. You have to deal with this the moment you enter the ship and it may take the better portion of your first day but once the box and it's filler are settled the rest of the cruise is a breeze.

 

Immigration at each port may enter the ship and request that you bring your dog and its paperwork to meet them VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING and before anyone is let off the ship, you MUST be cleared. You always have to be prepared to have your paperwork in order and your dog MUST be on its best behavior.

 

I've seen a passenger and their dog escorted off a ship, with their luggage, and they had to find their own way home. There is NO insurance for this!

 

If you have any further questions, we're happy to help!

 

Thank you for such a detailed explanation of what a person has to do to bring their dog on board. This thread is so educational and I wish more people would read it. I've followed your journey with Brenda and now Horton. What beautiful, wonderful dogs.

 

You mention the dog can not be a Therapy Dog or Dog in Training. Who determines this? I know this can be a hot topic so please understand my interest is to learn more. I'm aware of the ADA requirements and the two questions that can be asked. I would think this would make it difficult for a cruise ship to know if it's a Service Dog, Therapy Dog or Dog in Training.

 

On our recent TA cruise there were 5 dogs. I guess I didn't word my query correctly when I said expectations. What I mean was expectations/guidelines from the ship. For example - leaving a dog alone in the cabin, allowing a dog to sit on furniture in public lounges....like the Schooner Bar......and being able to carry a dog under your arm while getting food in the Windjammer. I saw the owner(s) of these dogs many times without their dog(s) in public places onboard. One dog was running loose in the Centrum and obviously got away from his/her owner.

 

Thanks, again, for being so informative.

Edited September 16, 2016 by suzyluvs2cruise

[wizard-of-roz]

Thank you for such a detailed explanation of what a person has to do to bring their dog on board. This thread is so educational and I wish more people would read it. I've followed your journey with Brenda and now Horton. What beautiful, wonderful dogs.

 

You mention the dog can not be a Therapy Dog or Dog in Training. Who determines this? I know this can be a hot topic so please understand my interest is to learn more. I'm aware of the ADA requirements and the two questions that can be asked. I would think this would make it difficult for a cruise ship to know if it's a Service Dog, Therapy Dog or Dog in Training.

 

On our recent TA cruise there were 5 dogs. I guess I didn't word my query correctly when I said expectations. What I mean was expectations/guidelines from the ship. For example - leaving a dog alone in the cabin, allowing a dog to sit on furniture in public lounges....like the Schooner Bar......and being able to carry a dog under your arm while getting food in the Windjammer. I saw the owner(s) of these dogs many times without their dog(s) in public places onboard. One dog was running loose in the Centrum and obviously got away from his/her owner.

 

Thanks, again, for being so informative.

 

It's the Access Departments job to ask the right questions so that someone who got a letter from a doctor friend doesn't bring their pet "Fido" onboard because they can't be separated from their dog!

 

The dog should act appropriately. It should NOT be sitting on the furniture unless the dogs duties are to be close to the person in a way that the dog can assist with heart beat irregularities/blood pressure drops or insulin variations. The dog should be quiet/well mannered and not running loose [unless the handler has gotten permission from the ship to exercise the dog, as to not disturb the passengers] by using a closed lounge or promenade deck while most passengers are in port and the ship is pretty empty.] It would be obvious if the dog is running amuck as opposed to excersiing.

 

The dog really doesn't have to be carried through a buffet area and should be placed on the floor/tethered to a chair and asked to lay down and stay.

 

The dog may be left in a cabin, in a crate but really should remain with the handler at all times. Some ships will not allow you to leave the dog unattended. I would NEVER do this. Some people do, for short periods, if the ship allows it!

 

I hope some of the above was helpful!

[DUTRAVEL]

Did she ever email you anything?

 

No, I will call again on Monday to follow up. We will see what they have to say.

 

Dianne

[DUTRAVEL]

We went to Paris, Germany, Italy and Switzerland with Morey and I. She layed on the floor, in front of an empty seat on every plane we flew on. We got lucky with that. We flew Air France and American Airlines. We had no problems anywhere in Europe. There were water bowls on the street for dogs and in every restaurant we entered she was greeted before we were!

 

Obviously you and Brenda were meant to be! She sounds like such a sweetheart. She was lucky that she was matched with you after such a rough start. I do have to be careful with Henri she knows to stay out of the way of the wheelchair, but I am always watching because sometimes she gets distracted and I could easily run over her.

 

Dianne

[DUTRAVEL]

On our recent TA cruise there were 5 dogs. I guess I didn't word my query correctly when I said expectations. What I mean was expectations/guidelines from the ship. For example - leaving a dog alone in the cabin, allowing a dog to sit on furniture in public lounges....like the Schooner Bar......and being able to carry a dog under your arm while getting food in the Windjammer. I saw the owner(s) of these dogs many times without their dog(s) in public places onboard. One dog was running loose in the Centrum and obviously got away from his/her owner.

 

Thanks, again, for being so informative.

 

I can be hard to say for sure that a dog is not a "real" service dog, but generally those behaviors are not appropriate for a service dog. My dog would never get on a piece of furniture or bark unless I give her the command to do so. I would never leave my dog alone in the cabin or with someone I didn't know.

 

If I did happen to drop the leash for my dog or it came unhooked she would still be sitting right beside me. She would never be running loose (unless as Roz said we were playing in an enclosed area without other people around). If someone really needed to be holding his or her dog for medical reasons, the appropriate thing to do would be to have a companion or crew member serve your food.

 

Dianne

[suzyluvs2cruise]

 

It's the Access Departments job to ask the right questions so that someone who got a letter from a doctor friend doesn't bring their pet "Fido" onboard because they can't be separated from their dog!

 

The dog should act appropriately. It should NOT be sitting on the furniture unless the dogs duties are to be close to the person in a way that the dog can assist with heart beat irregularities/blood pressure drops or insulin variations. The dog should be quiet/well mannered and not running loose [unless the handler has gotten permission from the ship to exercise the dog, as to not disturb the passengers] by using a closed lounge or promenade deck while most passengers are in port and the ship is pretty empty.] It would be obvious if the dog is running amuck as opposed to excersiing.

 

The dog really doesn't have to be carried through a buffet area and should be placed on the floor/tethered to a chair and asked to lay down and stay.

 

The dog may be left in a cabin, in a crate but really should remain with the handler at all times. Some ships will not allow you to leave the dog unattended. I would NEVER do this. Some people do, for short periods, if the ship allows it!

 

I hope some of the above was helpful!

 

I can be hard to say for sure that a dog is not a "real" service dog, but generally those behaviors are not appropriate for a service dog. My dog would never get on a piece of furniture or bark unless I give her the command to do so. I would never leave my dog alone in the cabin or with someone I didn't know.

 

If I did happen to drop the leash for my dog or it came unhooked she would still be sitting right beside me. She would never be running loose (unless as Roz said we were playing in an enclosed area without other people around). If someone really needed to be holding his or her dog for medical reasons, the appropriate thing to do would be to have a companion or crew member serve your food.

 

Dianne

 

Thanks Dianne and Roz for your response and explanations. The dog that was on the furniture was pushed around in a stroller most of the time. And the one that was carried around I never saw on the ground. I'm sure these dogs provided some service to their owner....be it emotional or other. We are seeing more of the small, fluffy type dogs on board which does lead one to wonder. Your animals are beautiful and what most of us are accustomed to seeing. It's great that dogs can now be trained to aid with so many more things people have to deal with. I was so happy to read about the Autism Dog. Had never heard about this.

 

I look forward to following along with your travels and adventures with your dogs. Thanks again. :)

[Caribbean Chris]

In defense of the small, fluffy dogs, there are some longtime, very legitimate nonprofits like Dogs for the Deaf in Oregon that train small dogs as Hearing Dogs. They jump up onto the owner's lap to alert to a sound (smoke detector, door knock, many others). Hearing Loss is an invisible disability, so people sometimes make up their minds that the person is traveling with a pet. I believe there are others with invisible disabilities who don't necessarily need a 70-pounder to get the job done.

 

Are there fake service dogs on ships? Yes, just as there are people who get a doctor friend to vouch for a handicapped parking sticker so they don't have so far to walk, and see nothing wrong with doing it.

 

Many of us are in favor of a national licensing program, but probably people would find ways to abuse that, too.

Edited September 16, 2016 by Caribbean Chris

[suzyluvs2cruise]

In defense of the small, fluffy dogs, there are some longtime, very legitimate nonprofits like Dogs for the Deaf in Oregon that train small dogs as Hearing Dogs. They jump up onto the owner's lap to alert to a sound (smoke detector, door knock, many others). Hearing Loss is an invisible disability, so people sometimes make up their minds that the person is traveling with a pet. I believe there are others with invisible disabilities who don't necessarily need a 70-pounder to get the job done.

 

Are there fake service dogs on ships? Yes, just as there are people who get a doctor friend to vouch for a handicapped parking sticker so they don't have so far to walk, and see nothing wrong with doing it.

 

Many of us are in favor of a national licensing program, but probably people would find ways to abuse that, too.

 

Point well taken Chris. I didn't mean to imply that small, fluffy dogs may not be performing a service for their owner. Unfortunately there are scammers and those the work the system everywhere.

[Cuizer2]

Last Christmas I set up a little surprise for my neighbor's dog ...

 

 

As you can see, he invited a bunch of his friends over.