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

[DisneyKidsDad]

DKD, that is brilliant news, well done Sutter (and you guys for puppy walking him and showing him the way).

Nothing is for sure yet. It's just me maybe reading too much into the reports and hoping too much. We will know next week.

[Caribbean Chris]

Well, I'm feeling perky because we booked a new cruise today for our anniversary next April. Almost a year ago we booked an 11-day Caribbean sailing which Holland America recently cancelled when they announced the start of Cuba cruises on our ship.

 

What we decided to do today is take a very easy 10-day cruise, dog-wise. No paperwork hassles, just the form 7001. It will sail out of Florida up the Atlantic Coast and into the Canadian Maritime ports, ending up in Montreal. We've been to all the places previously which makes it even more relaxing. No need for sightseeing tours, but if we want to book one or just walk around in port, it will be simple. I'm relaxing just contemplating it and feeling very lucky.

[wizard-of-roz]

Well, I'm feeling perky because we booked a new cruise today for our anniversary next April. Almost a year ago we booked an 11-day Caribbean sailing which Holland America recently cancelled when they announced the start of Cuba cruises on our ship.

 

What we decided to do today is take a very easy 10-day cruise, dog-wise. No paperwork hassles, just the form 7001. It will sail out of Florida up the Atlantic Coast and into the Canadian Maritime ports, ending up in Montreal. We've been to all the places previously which makes it even more relaxing. No need for sightseeing tours, but if we want to book one or just walk around in port, it will be simple. I'm relaxing just contemplating it and feeling very lucky.

 

Chris, I totally get it! My family and friends NEVER understand when I tell them that I'm taking another Mexican Riviera, Pacific Northwest or California Coastal cruise. I've been to these places both by land and sea at least 2 dozen times and have seen everything there is to see.

Only a true "Sea Hag or Hagster" [whatever the male equivalent of a Sea Hag is], would completely understand. I just want the cruising/sea/sky/relaxing experience....nothing more and nothing less! I may never get off the ship....I may sleep until noon [if Horton will let me, and surprisingly, sometimes he does!] I may choose to sit on my veranda or by the pool for an entire day and [although this would be rare], eat nothing but room service!

Cruising has many choices and for me it can be all about the ship and the glorious sea!

[wizard-of-roz]

Well, it seems the games are beginning! Carnival is giving me a heads-up that the port authorities in Honolulu may request that Horton be re-vaccinated for Rabies because by the time we take this cruise it will be over one year since he received his last vaccine. I know that the Rabies vaccine is accumulative and normally good for 3 years. Since Horton is 8 years old and his last shot was less than a year ago, I don't want him to have anymore injections. Horton was vaccinated for everything before we took our Panama Canal cruise in October of 2016. There is such a thing as over vaccinating, and, although I do believe that these precautionary vaccines are important, I also believe that giving them too often can be dangerous, especially in a senior dog. I will speak to his Vet and see what their feelings are. There is some very serious literature coming out about the hazards of over vaccination and some very serious reactions.

I have a call into the Dept. of Agriculture in Honolulu and I'm waiting to hear from them. I, of course, will have ALL the necessary paperwork and documentation for Horton when we enter every port [where I'm sure I will be called to go to a lounge, very early in the morning, so that Horton and his paperwork can be examined.] Have they not heard of communicating with each other via cell phone, along with taking a picture of his paperwork and him, so that each port does not require a separate visit. After all, Hawaii is in the good old USA! Each port is NOT a separate country!

Through the Panama Canal, I got so disgusted with the early morning phone calls that I told the Purser's Desk that they would have to come and get Horton to display him to the Immigration Officers in Honduras. I was tired.......Horton loved the extra walk and attention!

[DUTRAVEL]

What we decided to do today is take a very easy 10-day cruise, dog-wise. No paperwork hassles, just the form 7001. It will sail out of Florida up the Atlantic Coast and into the Canadian Maritime ports, ending up in Montreal. We've been to all the places previously which makes it even more relaxing. No need for sightseeing tours, but if we want to book one or just walk around in port, it will be simple. I'm relaxing just contemplating it and feeling very lucky.

 

Sounds very relaxing. I would like to do this itinerary in a couple of years.

 

Dianne

[DUTRAVEL]

Well, it seems the games are beginning! Carnival is giving me a heads-up that the port authorities in Honolulu may request that Horton be re-vaccinated for Rabies because by the time we take this cruise it will be over one year since he received his last vaccine. I know that the Rabies vaccine is accumulative and normally good for 3 years. Since Horton is 8 years old and his last shot was less than a year ago, I don't want him to have anymore injections. Horton was vaccinated for everything before we took our Panama Canal cruise in October of 2016. There is such a thing as over vaccinating, and, although I do believe that these precautionary vaccines are important, I also believe that giving them too often can be dangerous, especially in a senior dog. I will speak to his Vet and see what their feelings are. There is some very serious literature coming out about the hazards of over vaccination and some very serious reactions.

 

This does not sound right to me since non-service dogs are allowed in with the 3-year rabies vaccination (as long as they meet all of the other requirements) under the 5-day or less program. Let us know what you hear back.

 

Dianne

[rangeley]

Well, I'm feeling perky because we booked a new cruise today for our anniversary next April. Almost a year ago we booked an 11-day Caribbean sailing which Holland America recently cancelled when they announced the start of Cuba cruises on our ship.

 

What we decided to do today is take a very easy 10-day cruise, dog-wise. No paperwork hassles, just the form 7001. It will sail out of Florida up the Atlantic Coast and into the Canadian Maritime ports, ending up in Montreal. We've been to all the places previously which makes it even more relaxing. No need for sightseeing tours, but if we want to book one or just walk around in port, it will be simple. I'm relaxing just contemplating it and feeling very lucky.

There's one that goes out of Boston. We've always wanted to do that one.

 

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[sabrinaswack]

Quick question for those who have sailed on carnival, will the potty box fit on your balcony? If so, does it take up the whole space? What filling do they use? Can you request sod or mulch? Thanks in advance.

 

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[rangeley]

Chris, I totally get it! My family and friends NEVER understand when I tell them that I'm taking another Mexican Riviera, Pacific Northwest or California Coastal cruise. I've been to these places both by land and sea at least 2 dozen times and have seen everything there is to see.

Only a true "Sea Hag or Hagster" [whatever the male equivalent of a Sea Hag is], would completely understand. I just want the cruising/sea/sky/relaxing experience....nothing more and nothing less! I may never get off the ship....I may sleep until noon [if Horton will let me, and surprisingly, sometimes he does!] I may choose to sit on my veranda or by the pool for an entire day and [although this would be rare], eat nothing but room service!

Cruising has many choices and for me it can be all about the ship and the glorious sea!

We are going on our 3rd cruise on the same ship to the same places. Everybody always asks where we are going and I just say "Caribbean". We don't really care where we go. We just want to have a relaxing week. Been to alot of islands. For us it's the ease of the cruise for John and the dog.

 

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[rangeley]

Well, it seems the games are beginning! Carnival is giving me a heads-up that the port authorities in Honolulu may request that Horton be re-vaccinated for Rabies because by the time we take this cruise it will be over one year since he received his last vaccine. I know that the Rabies vaccine is accumulative and normally good for 3 years. Since Horton is 8 years old and his last shot was less than a year ago, I don't want him to have anymore injections. Horton was vaccinated for everything before we took our Panama Canal cruise in October of 2016. There is such a thing as over vaccinating, and, although I do believe that these precautionary vaccines are important, I also believe that giving them too often can be dangerous, especially in a senior dog. I will speak to his Vet and see what their feelings are. There is some very serious literature coming out about the hazards of over vaccination and some very serious reactions.

I have a call into the Dept. of Agriculture in Honolulu and I'm waiting to hear from them. I, of course, will have ALL the necessary paperwork and documentation for Horton when we enter every port [where I'm sure I will be called to go to a lounge, very early in the morning, so that Horton and his paperwork can be examined.] Have they not heard of communicating with each other via cell phone, along with taking a picture of his paperwork and him, so that each port does not require a separate visit. After all, Hawaii is in the good old USA! Each port is NOT a separate country!

Through the Panama Canal, I got so disgusted with the early morning phone calls that I told the Purser's Desk that they would have to come and get Horton to display him to the Immigration Officers in Honduras. I was tired.......Horton loved the extra walk and attention!

I think we did the extra vaccination once. After that we stayed on the ship. Western Caribbean is the worst. I had to bring Wex down every port we stopped at. A real pain! I don't enjoy getting up at 7:00 to bring him down. And of course we didn't do the extra rabies they required, but they let us get off the ship anyway.

 

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[wizard-of-roz]

I think we did the extra vaccination once. After that we stayed on the ship. Western Caribbean is the worst. I had to bring Wex down every port we stopped at. A real pain! I don't enjoy getting up at 7:00 to bring him down. And of course we didn't do the extra rabies they required, but they let us get off the ship anyway.

 

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HAH! My point exactly!

If you're a frequent cruiser, if you have all the necessary paperwork [declaring, from a licensed Vet, that your dog is healthy to travel and is current on all vaccinations], I say BACK-OFF!!!!! That's the purpose of the paperwork.

And, again, I will ask that "they" the ships Immigration authorities come and take Horton and his paperwork to meet with the necessary officials at each new port. [Make sure that you have a complete set of paperwork to give to each port to keep, this includes the port of debarkation.]

CCI dogs are so well behaved that they will walk with a trained monkey if asked to!

[Caribbean Chris]

There's one that goes out of Boston. We've always wanted to do that one.

 

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We've seen those Boston cruises - It would be fun for you to sail from your own back yard. I love going out of Tampa, just an hour away.

 

I'm like you - we've been to so many Caribbean ports multiple times that now I don't care - I just want easy itineraries for the dog. The Alaska cruise was great for both paperwork and no hassles ashore. Hoping New England/Canada will be the same.

 

Today we were able to book flights home from Montreal to Florida using frequent flyer miles. No non-stops, but one stop should be Ok. Also a lot shorter than flying to Seattle last year for Alaska. Now we're working on getting the bulkhead seats and AA was great about doing that when we went to the Caribbean in March.

[Caribbean Chris]

I've been meaning to tell you all about my friend Pat who has applied for a CCI hearing dog and was interviewed at the Orlando campus - they now train hearing dogs there and not just in California. Her concerns include being nervous about handling a service dog in public places and not being hassled. We had brunch last Saturday to talk about dogs and deaf-people stuff.

 

 

So right in cue as we are being seated, a man (owner, manager or dishwasher, who knows) hustles over to our table and mutters something at me. I had to get him to repeat it twice so I could read his lips, and he was saying, "The dog has to stay on the floor!" I just looked at him and answered, "Of course!"

 

 

I can't imagine that a lot of 70-lb Labradors settle themselves for brunch on their banquettes, but in Florida the restaurant staffers probably see it all, including people feeding their fake "service dogs" at the table. I've seen it myself.

 

 

So I didn't get offended, but Pat said, "See? That's the kind of people I'd be worried about." But I told her CCI will give her dog (and her) great training and she'll quickly learn how to roll with whatever comes.

[rangeley]

I've been meaning to tell you all about my friend Pat who has applied for a CCI hearing dog and was interviewed at the Orlando campus - they now train hearing dogs there and not just in California. Her concerns include being nervous about handling a service dog in public places and not being hassled. We had brunch last Saturday to talk about dogs and deaf-people stuff.

 

 

So right in cue as we are being seated, a man (owner, manager or dishwasher, who knows) hustles over to our table and mutters something at me. I had to get him to repeat it twice so I could read his lips, and he was saying, "The dog has to stay on the floor!" I just looked at him and answered, "Of course!"

 

 

I can't imagine that a lot of 70-lb Labradors settle themselves for brunch on their banquettes, but in Florida the restaurant staffers probably see it all, including people feeding their fake "service dogs" at the table. I've seen it myself.

 

 

So I didn't get offended, but Pat said, "See? That's the kind of people I'd be worried about." But I told her CCI will give her dog (and her) great training and she'll quickly learn how to roll with whatever comes.

My friend just got the call for getting her hearing dog in Orlando. She has been a puppy raisers for years and is finally taking the time to get her own dog. She has raised many dogs for CCI.

 

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[rangeley]

Wow that was a terribly written paragraph. But you get the gist of what I was saying. Lol

 

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[wizard-of-roz]

Quick question for those who have sailed on carnival, will the potty box fit on your balcony? If so, does it take up the whole space? What filling do they use? Can you request sod or mulch? Thanks in advance.

 

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The box will fit on your patio. The patio's come in different sizes. If you have a "regular" veranda, cabin, not a suite then the box will take up the space of the corner and one of your chairs. Have your cabin steward remove the chair [he'll store it for you.] There will be a table and two chairs or a table, two chairs and two or more chaise loungers [depending on the size of your suite.] If you need to remove any furniture to fit the box, as I said, let your Steward know.

I prefer the box on my patio because it's so convenient. And, as I've always said, there is absolutely no health reasons why the box can't be placed there.

[wizard-of-roz]

I've been meaning to tell you all about my friend Pat who has applied for a CCI hearing dog and was interviewed at the Orlando campus - they now train hearing dogs there and not just in California. Her concerns include being nervous about handling a service dog in public places and not being hassled. We had brunch last Saturday to talk about dogs and deaf-people stuff.

 

 

So right in cue as we are being seated, a man (owner, manager or dishwasher, who knows) hustles over to our table and mutters something at me. I had to get him to repeat it twice so I could read his lips, and he was saying, "The dog has to stay on the floor!" I just looked at him and answered, "Of course!"

 

 

I can't imagine that a lot of 70-lb Labradors settle themselves for brunch on their banquettes, but in Florida the restaurant staffers probably see it all, including people feeding their fake "service dogs" at the table. I've seen it myself.

 

 

So I didn't get offended, but Pat said, "See? That's the kind of people I'd be worried about." But I told her CCI will give her dog (and her) great training and she'll quickly learn how to roll with whatever comes.

 

Aww! I love these stories. About people applying for Service Dogs. Certainly not about folks who feed their dogs at the table or allow the dogs to sit on the furniture.

We were at a restaurant that had only "bench" type seating and there was absolutely no where for Horton to lay without being stepped on......I wanted to leave but it was a special party for one of my bosses and I was stuck. So, I asked Horton to get up on the bench closest to the wall and I sat next to him. I must say it worked out well for the entire 3 hours that we were there but I wasn't comfortable about putting him up on the bench.

There are times when you have to use your own good judgment and break a rule or two. I made sure that Horton stayed in a "down/stay" position the entire time! He was so glad when we left and so was I! ;)

[sabrinaswack]

The box will fit on your patio. The patio's come in different sizes. If you have a "regular" veranda, cabin, not a suite then the box will take up the space of the corner and one of your chairs. Have your cabin steward remove the chair [he'll store it for you.] There will be a table and two chairs or a table, two chairs and two or more chaise loungers [depending on the size of your suite.] If you need to remove any furniture to fit the box, as I said, let your Steward know.

I prefer the box on my patio because it's so convenient. And, as I've always said, there is absolutely no health reasons why the box can't be placed there.

Thank you so much! We have a regular verandah and my parents have a balcony cabin right next to ours. I'm hoping we will be able to open the partition between cabins and maybe have it sit in between cabins.

 

Can I request for sod or mulch to be put in box?

 

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[wizard-of-roz]

Thank you so much! We have a regular verandah and my parents have a balcony cabin right next to ours. I'm hoping we will be able to open the partition between cabins and maybe have it sit in between cabins.

 

Can I request for sod or mulch to be put in box?

 

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I hope that your veranda's can be expanded, that would make for such a nice viewing and sitting area.

You can request what type of filler you'd prefer for the box but don't hold your breath. It seems they will use whatever is most convenient for them. Sometimes you get lucky with a Cyprus mulch and sometimes you get the shavings from the woodworking department. This is the reason that I purchase a large piece of artificial turf from Kahootz Pet Store and bring it with me. I place the turf right over whatever they use. Horton loves this. Sometimes I leave the turf behind and sometimes I clean it off in the shower and pack it up in the plastic bag I bring it in.

Of course, this works best when driving to the port.

[Algebralovr]

Roz, have you ever just brought mulch along?

 

I am getting ready to build a couple of boxes at home for practice.

 

Planning on mulch in one, gravel in the other and I'll introduce artificial turf shortly.

 

Anything else we should train with? Grass and dirt are no problem. Really, the gravel isn't either, but I figure will make a good transition to the box.

 

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[sabrinaswack]

Thanks Roz! Yes we'll be driving thank goodness. I'll look into the artificial turf.

Have a great rest of the week!

 

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[wizard-of-roz]

Roz, have you ever just brought mulch along?

 

I am getting ready to build a couple of boxes at home for practice.

 

Planning on mulch in one, gravel in the other and I'll introduce artificial turf shortly.

 

Anything else we should train with? Grass and dirt are no problem. Really, the gravel isn't either, but I figure will make a good transition to the box.

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

 

When I first started using a potty box for Brenda, it was a 3x5 oil pan [from the auto shop], filled with kitty litter.......Oh! How much smarter I've gotten since then. That was 2002. Poor little Brenny she was my guinea pig. And, when we brought Horton home, in 2012, she taught him how to use the much improved 4x5 wooden box, filled with grass sod [i used to go to the local nursery and buy new sod every two weeks, what a mess!]

 

Remember with the artificial turf it's best if you have some type of filler under it [even a few puddle pads, doubled up], otherwise it will be a puddle of pee under the grass. The grass has great drainage holes.

 

Princess likes to use wood shavings......Loews carries a compact cube of these shavings and they work great in the box [as long as it's not subjected to too much wind, the shavings like to move around in the breezes! [ Although, it is covered most of the time.]

 

The cube of shavings is really easy to use; I put it under the artificial stuff; I spray the grass and the shavings every day with Clorox bathroom cleaner and expose it to the sun. I don't change the shavings too often. I keep the unused cube in a large plastic bag and take out a few handfuls every now and then to refill the box.

 

I have asked Horton to go on smooth, large rocks, with no problem. I've asked him to jump into flower beds, after I've examined them for sharp thorns, etc. This was at the airport where there was absolutely nothing anywhere, except those cement flower boxes. Horton refuses to go on cement!

[wizard-of-roz]

Roz, have you ever just brought mulch along?

 

I am getting ready to build a couple of boxes at home for practice.

 

Planning on mulch in one, gravel in the other and I'll introduce artificial turf shortly.

 

Anything else we should train with? Grass and dirt are no problem. Really, the gravel isn't either, but I figure will make a good transition to the box.

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

 

Barb, I did bring a bag of mulch and wish I hadn't. Talk about a schlep!

And, the ship will worry about inspecting the mulch for critters that you might be bringing onboard with it. It's not worth the time that it might take for them to find an agricultural inspector.

Don't start your vacation with this kind of nonsense! :rolleyes:

[wizard-of-roz]

Thanks Roz! Yes we'll be driving thank goodness. I'll look into the artificial turf.

Have a great rest of the week!

 

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The artificial stuff can get expensive but it lasts forever. Bring it with you in a large plastic bag and wash it off after your dogs last use, shake it well and dump it into the same bag. You can use this same grass for years.

[rpclmc]

Mine and Halo's trainer is going to have us work on him going on command on a potty pad. Same concept Roz does with the turn with Horton. If successful, the training to the pad, Halo won't care what is underneath, since he will just see the potty pad.

 

The advantage of the potty pads, driving to ports is not reasonable, being in Idaho, they may take up room going. But throwing them away after use, clears up space for souvenirs.

 

Linda and Halo