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

[GUT2407]

On 10/9/2019 at 9:58 PM, Caribbean Chris said:

Here’s my question for everybody. Does your dog still have his/her dew claws? 

 

The vet for a pet dog we had years ago recommended removing them when the dog was anesthetize anyway for spaying, and it seemed to be a good decision. Raylene arrived with both dew claws on front legs intact. I ALWAYS remind the groomer to trim them, but they end up growing long and sometimes curved. Once on a vacation, she snagged one while running in a field, but not much pain and it fell off the next day. She was fine.

 

This week she jumped up and ran suddenly to go out, and somehow snagged both dew claws painfully Monday night. I didn’t see it happen (Bob did) and we thought it was a mild “ankle” sprain of one paw yesterday morning, but soon realized she was in pain. The vet found that both claws were cracked (one of them was the worst crack he’d seen) so he removed both (the black part of the “toe”) and bandaged her up. 

 

Just curious what your experiences are.

Our breeder left the Dewies on Max, she has now changed her mind. She used to have them done when Schnauzers had their tail docked, stopped for a while, but after a few incidents has returned to getting them done.

[Caribbean Chris]

6 hours ago, notentirelynormal said:

I'm really new to this.  Really new.  I am trying to get my dog registered as a Service Dog but for the life of me can't figure out how to do it.  All I can find are third party websites that tell me to fill in the blanks on a generic form, pay my money, buy a vest and viola!  She's a service dog.  Am I missing something?  Even my doctors don't seem to know the procedure.

 

Pain is a serious issue, and I’m sure people here are more sympathetic than most to suffering and the toll an illness or disability takes on people and their loved ones. I am so sorry you are struggling with this, and I know that a dog can be of great comfort.

 

The attached by the Dept. of Justice is designed to clarify the legal and practical definition of a service dog qualified to go to all public places (such as restaurants, cruise ships or hotels that do not permit pets): https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

As it spells out, the key is that service dogs do work or perform tasks (such as guide blind people, alert deaf people to sounds, etc.) It also states that dogs whose function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify for public access.  

 

You may conclude after reading this that your current dog’s primary function is to provide comfort and help with depression, and therefore does not meet the definition of a service dog. Cruise lines specifically state that they will not permit emotional support dogs.

 

The procedure if you believe a service dog could perform tasks to help you live with your disability is research organizations that might train and provide dogs to help with the specific disability you have, perhaps with chronic pain. You might want to read the information on the Assistance Dogs International website to see if such an organization exists.

https://assistancedogsinternational.org/#glossary

 

I know that nonprofit organizations are often asked by people to train their personal dog to be “registered as a service dog,” but I don’t know of any that will do so. 

 

Edited November 6, 2019 by Caribbean Chris

[Caribbean Chris]

7 hours ago, kymmyk13 said:

My daughter will be getting her service dog in the spring of 2020 and we cruise June 2020. We leave from Alaska and return to Canada, where we will travel to Seattle. I have been researching and I can not find any form that the vet will need to do for Canada.   Any help would be appreciated.

 

You are in luck because cruises that go to US and Canadian ports are the simplest, paperwork-wise. There is no country-specific form for Canada. Just have the vet inspect the dog a week or two before you leave and issue a USDA APHIS Form 7001 health certificate to take with you -  along with, of course, the most recent rabies certificate. The airlines and cruise lines expect to see some kind of health documentation, and those will do the job.

[Caribbean Chris]

On 11/4/2019 at 12:09 PM, rangeley said:

Back from the vet. What a cluster you know what that was. They are usually very efficient but not today. They did the 7001 form but didn't do the Mexico form. Luckily I remembered it. Then the receptionist argued that the 7001 form was what we wanted. Finally she gave in and did the other. Ugh. 

 

I’ve been there, Cindy, too often. Once they handed me the Mexico option B form on blank paper, not printed on their letterhead, so it had to be re-done. When I returned, the printer wasn’t working in between the phones ringing, and the vet who needed to sign it had gone for the day when they finally got it right. So I had to return a third time to pick it up the next morning. Grrrr.

 

My morning paperwork visit went a lot better than yours today, and i sent it all off by overnight letter to be endorsed. The newest vet tech is highly organized at preparing the forms. It all went so smoothly that I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[wizard-of-roz]

20 minutes ago, Caribbean Chris said:

 

Pain is a serious issue, and I’m sure people here are more sympathetic than most to suffering and the toll an illness or disability takes on people and their loved ones. I am so sorry you are struggling with this, and I know that a dog can be of great comfort.

 

The attached by the Dept. of Justice is designed to clarify the legal and practical definition of a service dog qualified to go to all public places (such as restaurants, cruise ships or hotels that do not permit pets): https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

As it spells out, the key is that service dogs do work or perform tasks (such as guide blind people, alert deaf people to sounds, etc.) It also states that dogs whose function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify for public access.  

 

You may conclude after reading this that your current dog’s primary function is to provide comfort and help with depression, and therefore does not meet the definition of a service dog. Cruise lines specifically state that they will not permit emotional support dogs.

 

The procedure if you believe a service dog could perform tasks to help you live with your disability is research organizations that might train and provide dogs to help with the specific disability you have, perhaps with chronic pain. You might want to read the information on the Assistance Dogs International website to see if such an organization exists.

https://assistancedogsinternational.org/#glossary

 

I know that nonprofit organizations are often asked by people to train their personal dog to be “registered as a service dog,” but I don’t know of any that will do so. 

 

A disease that causes difficulty in bending to pick up objects, reaching for objects from a cupboard or refrigerator, turning door knobs, opening doors or pushing elevator buttons, etc., etc., may be enough for someone to qualify for a Service Dog from Canine Companions.  It's certainly worth a phone call to them to ask the question, "would I qualify for one of your amazing dogs?"  1-800-572-2275.

 

Having a pet dog at home does not disqualify you from receiving a Service Dog.  As long as the pet does not interfere with the working dog.

[notentirelynormal]

Honestly I'm sorry I asked on these boards.  After I responded I thought - who the hell are you to ask me all these questions and why am I answering them.  It is none of your business what my disability is and what a dog would do for me.  All I wanted to know was how I got the dog registered and the rules to follow.  My mistake.  Thank you Roz - you have always been a class act.

 

HenryKisor - you need to check yourself.  You are not that special.  It is not your job to make me feel like a piece of crap.  Thank you for doing that.  I don't have to report to  you.  I will no longer ask for assistance.  The questions you asked me were NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.  Shame on you for asking the way you did.  I will just pay the $149 and get certified.

 

Roz: I won't really but that is what I feel like doing.  I'm sorry I'm not blind or deaf.  My mistake for my disability not fitting the mold. I planned on using my current dog - if I can.  I just can't find an organization that will help me with that.  I think I will just give up.  The nastiness of people is just too much for me.

 

[GUT2407]

There is no registering authority for service dogs in the USA as I understand it.

[wizard-of-roz]

1 hour ago, notentirelynormal said:

Honestly I'm sorry I asked on these boards.  After I responded I thought - who the hell are you to ask me all these questions and why am I answering them.  It is none of your business what my disability is and what a dog would do for me.  All I wanted to know was how I got the dog registered and the rules to follow.  My mistake.  Thank you Roz - you have always been a class act.

 

HenryKisor - you need to check yourself.  You are not that special.  It is not your job to make me feel like a piece of crap.  Thank you for doing that.  I don't have to report to  you.  I will no longer ask for assistance.  The questions you asked me were NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.  Shame on you for asking the way you did.  I will just pay the $149 and get certified.

 

Roz: I won't really but that is what I feel like doing.  I'm sorry I'm not blind or deaf.  My mistake for my disability not fitting the mold. I planned on using my current dog - if I can.  I just can't find an organization that will help me with that.  I think I will just give up.  The nastiness of people is just too much for me.

 

I can remember in the year 2000 when my health issues reared their ugly head and I didn't think I would be able to keep my truly loved job, my free spirit and love of life.   I feared going out in public without my dear husband or others.  Life looked really bleak and I felt helpless and hopeless until I found CCI.  The world opened up for me and I felt, not to sound silly......reborn!  A Service Dog gave me hope, help and an unconditional partnership that supersedes anything I could ever describe.  I can travel, work, play, go shopping and enjoy my life to it's fullest because of my Service Dog.  I have a sense of independence and sureness of self.

 

Please, don't give up.  Call CCI, ask them your good questions about certifying your dog, applying for one and know that there is a future for you in travel and the enjoyment of it.  No matter what your limitations are, you can get back your freedom.   1-800-572-2275.  Tell them Roz & Horton sent you!!!!! 

[Mavis and Me]

18 hours ago, rangeley said:

Welcome! Cruising with your service dog is awesome. After the first cruise you will be much more relaxed. You do not need a special permit for St Thomas. Just for the Bahamas permit. If you have a fax available, thats the way to go, especially since you only have a month to go. Snail mail will never make it. It's usually required to get the aphis 7001 form within 10 days of sailing. We leave Saturday and we got our 7001 form yesterday. Good luck! 

 

Cindy

Hi Cindy!

Thanks for the warm welcome!  I feel like I'm chasing my tail.  I filled out the application for the import permit for the Bahamas today, but I don't exactly know what to do with it.  Am I supposed to send a copy of my dog's rabies certificate along with the application and the international money order?  One form says the dog's rabies vaccine status "must be within no less than 1 month and no more than 34 months prior to importation" but then it also says "rabies antibody titer test results issued within the 6 months immediately prior to arrival in the Bahamas".  Which is it?  I haven't had a rabies titer test run on my girl, but she's within the range for her rabies vaccine to be adequate.  And since I give my own vaccines for the other diseases (Distemper, Lepto, etc.) what kind of proof do they want for that?  A copy of my calendar where I stuck down the label from the vial?  Or, is that not necessary?  Do I need to take her to the vet for all of this, and then return to the vet closer to departure for the health certificate?  And, does the APHIS 7001 HAVE to be done by an accredited vet for the Bahamas, or will my regular vet be adequate?  This whole thing is clouded by so much uncertainty, that for someone who struggles just to get normal things done on a daily basis it's really overwhelming!

[rangeley]

3 hours ago, Mavis and Me said:

Hi Cindy!

Thanks for the warm welcome!  I feel like I'm chasing my tail.  I filled out the application for the import permit for the Bahamas today, but I don't exactly know what to do with it.  Am I supposed to send a copy of my dog's rabies certificate along with the application and the international money order?  One form says the dog's rabies vaccine status "must be within no less than 1 month and no more than 34 months prior to importation" but then it also says "rabies antibody titer test results issued within the 6 months immediately prior to arrival in the Bahamas".  Which is it?  I haven't had a rabies titer test run on my girl, but she's within the range for her rabies vaccine to be adequate.  And since I give my own vaccines for the other diseases (Distemper, Lepto, etc.) what kind of proof do they want for that?  A copy of my calendar where I stuck down the label from the vial?  Or, is that not necessary?  Do I need to take her to the vet for all of this, and then return to the vet closer to departure for the health certificate?  And, does the APHIS 7001 HAVE to be done by an accredited vet for the Bahamas, or will my regular vet be adequate?  This whole thing is clouded by so much uncertainty, that for someone who struggles just to get normal things done on a daily basis it's really overwhelming!

Ok now I'm confused. I have never done a titer test for the bahamas. I will have to look up the regulations. We have just filled out the form and faxed it in. I do know there is no charge and you write service dog on the top of the form. I also haven't been to the Bahamas in a few years. 

 

Chris!!!! Need some help!! 

[kymmyk13]

11 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

 

You are in luck because cruises that go to US and Canadian ports are the simplest, paperwork-wise. There is no country-specific form for Canada. Just have the vet inspect the dog a week or two before you leave and issue a USDA APHIS Form 7001 health certificate to take with you -  along with, of course, the most recent rabies certificate. The airlines and cruise lines expect to see some kind of health documentation, and those will do the job.

Thank you so much for your help!!!!!

[lindaler]

10 hours ago, notentirelynormal said:

Honestly I'm sorry I asked on these boards.  After I responded I thought - who the hell are you to ask me all these questions and why am I answering them.  It is none of your business what my disability is and what a dog would do for me.  All I wanted to know was how I got the dog registered and the rules to follow.  My mistake.  Thank you Roz - you have always been a class act.

 

HenryKisor - you need to check yourself.  You are not that special.  It is not your job to make me feel like a piece of crap.  Thank you for doing that.  I don't have to report to  you.  I will no longer ask for assistance.  The questions you asked me were NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.  Shame on you for asking the way you did.  I will just pay the $149 and get certified.

 

Roz: I won't really but that is what I feel like doing.  I'm sorry I'm not blind or deaf.  My mistake for my disability not fitting the mold. I planned on using my current dog - if I can.  I just can't find an organization that will help me with that.  I think I will just give up.  The nastiness of people is just too much for me.

 

I don’t think anyone was being rude. Asking “what tasks does the dog do for you?” is what the ada allows any business including the cruise ships to ask. Like you, my disability is not visible but is known as soon as they get the answer about her tasks. If you have a service dog you learn to develop a thicker skin.  My dog has developed other skills as to what she alerts to but of the noted tasks, when she senses that I am close to a panic attack she will circle, nudge and put her paws on my lap. This gives me an excuse to “take her potty” but is really removing me from a situation that is bringing on a panic attack. While I am embarrassed to let others know what is wrong with me, I would rather say it then have a full blown attack in public. I carry her list of tasks and have five copies because I could be asked for that list along with her other papers when boarding, at the guest relations desk and at each port. 
 

One thing about service dogs is their public behavior. The rules are very strict. They must’ve on perfect  behavior to the point they don’t respond to Other people or animals. They must be able to sit quietly under a table in the dinning room, and not approach other people. This is hard when a well meaning restaurant owner brings pieces of bacon to the table for “such a good dog”. But they are watched very hard by everyone out there for any cracks in their behavior. 
 

Ive rambled on long enough. Read this thread and all the thread about fake service dogs on board and you will see how much we go through to be able to take our service dogs with us. Just teaching my sd to use the kitty litter box took me 30 days. It’s a long process but I couldn’t have done it with out my dog. 

[lindaler]

Sorry for the poor typing and spelling. I’m traveling but wanted to respond and I have fat figure problems on my phone. 

[Caribbean Chris]

3 hours ago, rangeley said:

Ok now I'm confused. I have never done a titer test for the bahamas. I will have to look up the regulations. We have just filled out the form and faxed it in. I do know there is no charge and you write service dog on the top of the form. I also haven't been to the Bahamas in a few years. 

 

Chris!!!! Need some help!! 

 

I agree with Cindy - I have not seen any official Bahamas requirement for any sort of blood titer test. It definitely was not required for our April cruise that stopped at Half Moon Cay, or the previous time we applied.

 

It appears that in the case of the Bahamas, your regular vet is sufficient. On the permit, it says that in a couple of places that the dog should be presented to a (underlined) LICENSED Veterinarian 48 hours before arrival.  The vet has to put their license number on the 48-hour examination form.

 

Regular vets can also issue the form 7001 (unless a country states that it must be a USDA accredited vet, or if it has to be endorsed by APHIS.) So if you are going to other places for this trip, check their requirements, too.

 

To apply for the permit, send the application form you have by fax to the Bahamas. The fax  number on my form from February was 1-242-325-3960. The best way people often advise is to ask your vet's office to prepare a cover letter and fax it (you can even write it for them to print on their letterhead) to go with these forms: 1. application, 2. rabies certificate, and 3. Copy of your service dog papers or ID card from your training organization. In the cover letter, you can state that it is a service dog and you are requesting that they kindly waive the application fee. 

 

If your vet won't send it, just write a letter from yourself and send your application by fax. The vet does not really need to be involved in the application, just in the final examination at 48 hours before arrival.

 

They will fax a permit back to the fax number provided in the cover letter. Note the fax machine you choose must have legal length (8.5 X 14") paper in the fax machine so the full permit will print. My vet's machine cut it off, and I finally had to have the Bahamas people fax it to a friend's law office.

 

With the signed, stamped permit, the Bahamas will fax you a blank IMP1(B) form for your vet to fill out and sign two days before arrival into the Bahamas. If that is impossible, just get it done as close to departure as you can. It shows the dog's microchip number and the vet says he/she has examined the dog and it is free of diseases. You will take that to the ship when you check in. Be sure to keep the original and give the ship a copy. If they need the original, they can get it from you.

 

On the same day you get that final form issued, have your vet issue the USDA's Form 7001 Health Certificate. It has a box (8) where you can have the vet the list the rabies plus each other vaccination the dog has had, with date it was done. You can also have the vet list the dates the dog was given heartguard, Advantix, or other brand  heartworm and flea & tick treatments.

 

This woman is very helpful if you run into problems: 

DEANDRA DELANCEY

email: DEANDRADELANCEY@BAHAMAS.GOV.BS

 

Dr. Deandra S. Delancey-Milfort BSc. DVM
Veterinary Officer
Veterinary Services Unit
Department of Agriculture

Phone: 1-242-397-7450/1

Edited November 6, 2019 by Caribbean Chris

[rangeley]

Chris 2nd paragraph talks about the titer. 

[Caribbean Chris]

37 minutes ago, rangeley said:

Chris 2nd paragraph talks about the titer. 

 

Yeah, I saw that in reference to live animals and animal products. Might apply to commercial import, etc. 

 

But down below it talks about main requirements on import permit as it applies to dogs & cats. The Pet Travel.com website that sells pet passports etc. states there is no titer requirement from any country for Bahamas. 

Edited November 6, 2019 by Caribbean Chris

[notentirelynormal]

My last post here - ever.  To those that wanted to help and explain I thank you.  Answering questions on an individual basis in a private environment is a whole lot different then answering those same questions (and more) on a public chat board.  Follow that up with the "we don't help fakes" comment and that sets a whole new flavor to the request. 

 

I have done research and gotten no where so you were my last resort.  My doctors don't seem to know.  My vet didn't seem to know.  I thought asking here with so many people that had service dogs would help me find the answers or at least point me in the direction where I could get help.  I did not expect to be accused.  Again, if I were faking it I wouldn't be asking for help. I would just fake it.

 

I get it.  If you are deaf or blind it is easy to believe.  I look normal.  No one would ever know the pain I am in 24/7.  On my last cruise the photographer was always laughing at me (in good spirit) for not wearing shoes.  She was shocked when we got off the ship and she saw that I was using a scooter.  I am as disabled as the guy in the wheelchair.  My pain is just as real. My ability to walk is just as difficult.  I have to take a big breath and suck it up just to walk from one end of the ship to the other.  Standing while someone chats with the checkout girl is extremely painful but my disability is invisible and uncommon so it doesn't count.  My depression and my fatigue are all just as real.  If someone that has fibromyalgia qualifies for a dog then I was researching if I would be entitled to have the same help and trying to figure out how to find out and how to get that help.

 

No one will ever know my limitations.  I get dirty looks for parking in the handicap spot because I can jump out of the car.  But I came here for help and the first comment I got was not to help me but to challenge my right to even ask for that help.  Sometimes people need to sit back and think about what they type behind their secret computer screen.  It is easy to say things in anonymity.  For me though, all it accomplished was to really upset me and make we want to give up.  So, that's it.  I will quit asking, I will quit researching. 

 

Again, to those that actually offered suggestions and help I thank you.  To the other - well....  Remember, $249 and I can get the whole package.  The vest, the ID, the registration, the airline letter, the whole shebang.  Easy to fake it, hard to get information if it is an uncommon disability.

 

Roz, I know you live in the fire area.  Last year we were dead center in the Oak Park fire.  We have several houses that were completely destroyed and several more that were severely damaged.  You just had to turn on the news to see our street.  One of those that lost their house was on the Ellen show when Kim K donated $100,000 to them to help them rebuild.  Now this one that is coming our way again was not fun, especially with the strong winds.  I'll keep an eye out for you LOL.  That day for us:  the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, just 8 miles from our house.  The fire in Camarillo.  Our fire.  My daughter has two kids.  Kid one: Robo call about the school in lock down.  Found out later they were serving a warrant on a guy nearby.  Kid two: Robo call about school lock down.  Found out later that someone had called in a bomb threat at another nearby school.  That's a day she hopes never gets repeated.

 

 

[DUTRAVEL]

3 minutes ago, Caribbean Chris said:

 

Yeah, I saw that in reference to live animals and animal products. Might apply to commercial import, etc. 

 

But down below it talks about main requirements on import permit as it applies to dogs & cats. The Pet Travel.com website that sells pet passports etc. states there is no titer requirement from any country for Bahamas. 

We are traveling now so I don’t have my documents in front of me, but we did not need a titer last year (although I do have her titer test). The wording uses “or” - I interrupted that to mean that you could use a titer test in lieu of a rabies certificate, not that you had to have a titer done. 

[Caribbean Chris]

2 minutes ago, DUTRAVEL said:

We are traveling now so I don’t have my documents in front of me, but we did not need a titer last year (although I do have her titer test). The wording uses “or” - I interrupted that to mean that you could use a titer test in lieu of a rabies certificate, not that you had to have a titer done. 

 

You’re right! That’s a logical interpretation. 

 

How’s life on the Edge?

[Mavis and Me]

2 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

 

I agree with Cindy - I have not seen any official Bahamas requirement for any sort of blood titer test. It definitely was not required for our April cruise that stopped at Half Moon Cay, or the previous time we applied.

 

It appears that in the case of the Bahamas, your regular vet is sufficient. On the permit, it says that in a couple of places that the dog should be presented to a (underlined) LICENSED Veterinarian 48 hours before arrival.  The vet has to put their license number on the 48-hour examination form.

 

Regular vets can also issue the form 7001 (unless a country states that it must be a USDA accredited vet, or if it has to be endorsed by APHIS.) So if you are going to other places for this trip, check their requirements, too.

 

To apply for the permit, send the application form you have by fax to the Bahamas. The fax  number on my form from February was 1-242-325-3960. The best way people often advise is to ask your vet's office to prepare a cover letter and fax it (you can even write it for them to print on their letterhead) to go with these forms: 1. application, 2. rabies certificate, and 3. Copy of your service dog papers or ID card from your training organization. In the cover letter, you can state that it is a service dog and you are requesting that they kindly waive the application fee. 

 

If your vet won't send it, just write a letter from yourself and send your application by fax. The vet does not really need to be involved in the application, just in the final examination at 48 hours before arrival.

 

They will fax a permit back to the fax number provided in the cover letter. Note the fax machine you choose must have legal length (8.5 X 14") paper in the fax machine so the full permit will print. My vet's machine cut it off, and I finally had to have the Bahamas people fax it to a friend's law office.

 

With the signed, stamped permit, the Bahamas will fax you a blank IMP1(B) form for your vet to fill out and sign two days before arrival into the Bahamas. If that is impossible, just get it done as close to departure as you can. It shows the dog's microchip number and the vet says he/she has examined the dog and it is free of diseases. You will take that to the ship when you check in. Be sure to keep the original and give the ship a copy. If they need the original, they can get it from you.

 

On the same day you get that final form issued, have your vet issue the USDA's Form 7001 Health Certificate. It has a box (8) where you can have the vet the list the rabies plus each other vaccination the dog has had, with date it was done. You can also have the vet list the dates the dog was given heartguard, Advantix, or other brand  heartworm and flea & tick treatments.

 

This woman is very helpful if you run into problems: 

DEANDRA DELANCEY

email: DEANDRADELANCEY@BAHAMAS.GOV.BS

 

Dr. Deandra S. Delancey-Milfort BSc. DVM
Veterinary Officer
Veterinary Services Unit
Department of Agriculture

Phone: 1-242-397-7450/1

Oh my goodness - this is EXACTLY what I wanted to hear!  Thank you thank you!!!  My vet only works on Mondays and I'd like to get this faxed from her clinic today.  What should the cover sheet say to be most effective?  

[DUTRAVEL]

17 minutes ago, Caribbean Chris said:

 

You’re right! That’s a logical interpretation. 

 

How’s life on the Edge?

We are enjoying the Edge, it’s a bit quirky and the infinite veranda is okay (Henri and I both prefer a “real” balcony). I’ll do a full report when we return, but the box was in the usual spot on deck five. When we had 85mph winds on night two and part of the ceiling fell down on the outside deck, they moved the smokers indoors but not the relief box! We able to get the box moved the next morning, but it was quite scary going outside in that wind. 

[Caribbean Chris]

Just now, Mavis and Me said:

Oh my goodness - this is EXACTLY what I wanted to hear!  Thank you thank you!!!  My vet only works on Mondays and I'd like to get this faxed from her clinic today.  What should the cover sheet say to be most effective?  

 

I think short and simple is best. Here is my application form, I will arrive in the Bahamas on X date on X cruise ship,  my dog is a service dog so I respectfully request a fee waiver, and please fax my permit to this number: xxx.

[Caribbean Chris]

2 minutes ago, DUTRAVEL said:

We are enjoying the Edge, it’s a bit quirky and the infinite veranda is okay (Henri and I both prefer a “real” balcony). I’ll do a full report when we return, but the box was in the usual spot on deck five. When we had 85mph winds on night two and part of the ceiling fell down on the outside deck, they moved the smokers indoors but not the relief box! We able to get the box moved the next morning, but it was quite scary going outside in that wind. 

 

Yikes! 85 mph!!!

Is the box in that tight closet space just inside the blue louvered doors?

[DUTRAVEL]

3 minutes ago, Caribbean Chris said:

 

Yikes! 85 mph!!!

Is the box in that tight closet space just inside the blue louvered doors?

Yes, that’s where it was. 

[wizard-of-roz]

Well, guess what, I got a phone call from Princess Access Dept.  They claim that they have NOT received any information from me or my TA in reference to Horton boarding on Saturday.  My TA suggested that I FAX all my paperwork directly to them and he will be in contact with them directly.  The agent on the phone told my TA that I may have a problem boarding with Horton.........Really!  I don't have a fax machine and I'm not running around today to go find one.  I will be out and about tomorrow and I will fax all my paperwork to them then.  Seriously, as my TA told the Princess agent, Horton has been on more cruises than 90% of the folks he works with.  We just did a Princess cruise to Hawaii, this past December.

 

I emailed the Access Dept. and told them that nothing had changed since our last cruise and I better not have a problem boarding with Horton or there will be a very angry Roz to deal with!

 

Because of the new Medallion Class that has more glitches than I care to mention, my feeling is that registration to board the ship is going to be a nightmare, anyway!

 

My concern, as usual, is the placement of the pottybox.  I will be bringing all Horton's gear to lay on the veranda to relieve himself until the box is in place.........Oh!  When will this cruising with a Service Dog become simple!