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

[rpclmc]

We also had a small thanksgiving, just three of us, my husband, my daughter and myself with the 2 doggies.

 

My daughter got a new job.  She was getting burned out in home health and not making much money.  A Fed Ex job, twice the pay, just dropped in her lap.  One of my best friend's son is a manager and is looking for 20 drivers.  She called his manager, the hiring boss and was offered the job before she filled out paperwork.  With the holidays it is crazy and she had a 12 hour day yesterday.  It was not organized and had 45 packages in addition to yesterdays that weren't delivered the day before.  The other drivers were done in 4 hours or less.  She said if that is the worst she really likes it.  

 

S.S., Travis should do fine.  This year is so weird and who knows how it affected the kids.  Riki, my daughter, has very few expenses while living with us; car insurance and gas, but she keeps her eyes open for better advancements.  Fed Ex should give her that.  Since she has a college degree she will be able to move up the corporate ladder.  She won't even need to save money or have good credit for a house loan.  We are putting in a small mother in law home on the property that she will rent and then when she has kids we will switch houses.  When we pass she will inherit our paid off houses and property.  She still saves all her money and keeps her credit excellent.  

 

During my rehabilitation with walking, my knee (the one I broke) is having severe instability it had 10 years ago.  Back then they put me in a knee brace.  It is really causing me problems with walking and in way worse than it was.  Not surprising, very disappointing.  I  have an appointment with a neurologist on Thursday (for my nuero muscular disease) and with the orthopedic on Friday.  I kind of think, I will not get back to my walking like before the accident, but I am going to keep trying.  I was prescribed hand controls for my car about a year ago.  I think I might have to have them put in the car.

 

Linda and Halo 

[S.S. Cruisers]

Linda, 

I know will do fine. I just worry, as we are the grandparents.  We won't be around as long as a parent would be to help guide him when he makes a left turn instead of a right turn.  As in financial decisions.  He has a pretty good head on his shoulder, he is capable it is the ability to discipline yourself to do the right thing at the right time.  I am glad you have the ability to help your daughter it.  It sounds like the perfect set up.  It's great she got a job with UPS.  They make good money and a good plus for her degree.  They are advertising for drivers and dock workers in our are too.  Travis can't go to work there because husband is high risk.  Travis actually already has a job, but with spike in Covid cases he had to take a leave of abscense. If he plays his cards right, he can make a career out of it.  Fortunately that is what he plans to do. Goals are a good thing.  We are just waiting to get him set and then we can move on with our lives once Covid is under control and we can safely cruise again.  I still research all the cruises we would so!  It soothes the soul!  🌊⚓🚤🚣

[rpclmc]

4 hours ago, S.S. Cruisers said:

Linda, 

I know will do fine. I just worry, as we are the grandparents.  We won't be around as long as a parent would be to help guide him when he makes a left turn instead of a right turn.  As in financial decisions.  He has a pretty good head on his shoulder, he is capable it is the ability to discipline yourself to do the right thing at the right time.  I am glad you have the ability to help your daughter it.  It sounds like the perfect set up.  It's great she got a job with UPS.  They make good money and a good plus for her degree.  They are advertising for drivers and dock workers in our are too.  Travis can't go to work there because husband is high risk.  Travis actually already has a job, but with spike in Covid cases he had to take a leave of abscense. If he plays his cards right, he can make a career out of it.  Fortunately that is what he plans to do. Goals are a good thing.  We are just waiting to get him set and then we can move on with our lives once Covid is under control and we can safely cruise again.  I still research all the cruises we would so!  It soothes the soul!  🌊⚓🚤🚣

Riki is with Fed Ex, not UPS; although both are very similar.  We told her she needs to carry dog treats with her.  Halo gets a dog treat from UPS and Fed Ex drivers in Florida.  But not in Idaho.  He looks at us like he is being punished when he doesn't get one from the Idaho drivers.

 

I am not looking at cruises right now.  I am looking at a few land vacations, but I don't know when those can even happen.  Due to my recovery, COVID and our jobs (we do commercial construction and are thankful we can say we have jobs) are having material problems, so there is a lot of hands on putting out fires.  Makes it hard to schedule anything.

 

Linda and Halo

[S.S. Cruisers]

Morning All, 

I hope all have recovered from Thanksgiving and moved on to Christmas.  I remember many moons ago going on a cruise during Thanksgiving week.  It was barely a full ship.  It was so nice to have a nice big ship basically to our selves.  The dinner was so beautiful.  It seems the word got out that it wasn't crowded and prices went up and more people booked that week.  We traditionally cruised in October, November and December.  Hurricanes were in the back of our minds, but we always cruise from the West coast so not a big risk. Sorry just went back in time.  

 

Hope everyone is doing well yourself, family and furkids. 💕🐾

[S.S. Cruisers]

I heard the other day that a Royal Caribbean ship, sailing from Singapore came back early because a man tested positive for Covid.  He was re-tested when they got back to port and tested negative!  The cruises are only 3 and 4 day cruises to Nowhere.  What a hemorrhaging to come right back 😥.  Glad he texted negative the second time, though. 

 

Well is everyone ready for Christmas?  I got our little Old Faithful Christmas tree up last weekend.  It has 2 sets of lights already on it.  One of the regular little lights and then LED lights.  It's only about 3' tall.  Works for us.  

 

Everyone have a safe week.  Dream of cruises dancing through your head instead of sugar plums      🌊. 🚤🎅🌲

[fairbourne]

Nancy, we have just put our Christmas tree up this past weekend and this year we had new mains powered lights instead of the battery ones.  Well, I truly wish we had had these lights years ago!  I saw online somewhere that it is so much easier to put the lights on up and down (vertically) than round and round and guess what - that very clever lady (of course! haha!) was so right.  Literally done in 10 minutes and with only one set, none of that faffing around with different strings and looking for where I had tucked the small battery power packs in when it was time to switch them all off at bedtime!  Just one switch and off to bed we go!  

 

Our small village is well lit up with lots of Christmas trees and this year lights decorating the outside of most of the houses.  I think there are a lot of bored pensioners here and they've been spending too much time (and money!) on Amazon! Haha! Us included! 

 

We have just been put into a higher tier of lockdown where we live and tonight the UK P.M. and devolved countries First Ministers are having a meeting to discuss whether they should make any changes to the relaxing of the rules over Christmas.  So who knows what will happen.  I think most folk we know are not planning on a big get together, it is just not worth.  

 

Anyway, today we were at the supermarket and when we came out a lady was walking by with 2 greyhounds wearing their lovely warm Christmas coats - of course I just had to say hello, socially distanced of course, and it turns out one of the dogs was a therapet.  However, since March she (the dog) has not been into "work" at all visiting folk in care homes and she (the dog) also participates in the wonderful "reading with dogs" programme in the local schools.  This is when children who for whatever reason don't or can't read out loud in class in front of their school mates. The child will have one to one reading sessions,  usually with the child and the dog on a big floor cushion cuddled up, and the child will happily read to the dog.  Supervised of course by their teacher and the dog handler.  Of course I can only imagine the dog will enjoy the cuddles and snore happily through the reading session!  We had one of ours initially assessed to be a therapy dog but with the lockdown etc., that has gone by the by for now anyway.  Made our afternoon meeting this happy little group. I wish I had taken a photo of them.  

 

I read about that cruise Nancy - what a shame that they headed straight back to port when the cruiser had the false positive.  I think this may happen a lot.  Like your idea of cruises dancing through our heads rather than sugar plums!  

 

Still missing Her Majesty ..... Debbie if you happen to read this am wondering how Horton is doing?  I bet he's being spoilt rotten - nothing changed there! 

 

Take care everyone, stay safe and sending you all our best wishes for Christmas and hopes for a safer and healthier New Year.

Edited December 15, 2020 by fairbourne
spelling

[rpclmc]

My daughter struggled, a little, with reading.  For her home reading time, she read to her lab; they both looked forward to that time.  

 

We have had our tree up since Thanksgiving.  It is a new one for us.  Since I thought we would be at our house in Florida for Christmases, I sold the other tree.  This one fits the house so much better than the old one; it is not to tall for the room and not as wide.  And we have a couple other decorations that my daughter had kept.

 

Went back to the orthopedic about my knee instability and it holding me back from walking.  He thinks I may have a torn ACL and ordered a brace and MRI.  I most likely will not have surgery for it as I was having mobility issues in my legs before the injuries in August.  Sure hope the brace helps enough that I can walk a little.  I have had this kind of brace before and it worked great.

 

We are just having a small Christmas with myself, daughter daughter's boyfriend and husband.  My daughter has to work that day, hopefully not a long day.  Fed Ex delivers on Christmas, those packages cost the sender more money, so hopefully not many.  Lately she has been working 12 hour days, she just got in for the night and it is 9 pm.  She said one of the delivery guys expect he will be out till midnight.  She already helped him with some of his route.

 

Hope everyone is doing well.

 

Linda and Halo

[S.S. Cruisers]

Fairbourne, 

The school that I worked at had the reading program with dogs.  It was nice to see the kids that were shy or withdrawn  perk up when the dogs got there. And you are  right about the pups cuddled up sleeping through the reading session!  So content.  

 

I miss Roz  and was also wondering how Horton is doing.  😥🐾💕

 

Linda, I hope your knee gets better and that the brace works.  I am so bummed.  Medicare and my Workers Comp are fighting g about who would pay for my back stimulator.  Well actually Workers Com won't pay for it at all because they think it has not been proven to help.  Medicare is saying it's a Workers Comp thing although it is my leg that still hurts from the back surgery and it was not included in the original Workers Comp claim.  Well duh because it didn't hurt until after they did surgery!  Hubby wants to find out how much it would cost if we pay for it! 😮  If it's not one thing it another.

 

[Caribbean Chris]

Hi everyone. We are also planning a quiet Christmas, mostly likely just the two of us plus Raylene, of course. Fairbourne, it was interesting to hear what's going on in your neck of the woods.

 

I am very encouraged about the vaccines now arriving at our hospitals for the medical staff people who have endured so much since March. We are hearing that by springtime, all the over-65 crowd should have had an opportunity to be vaccinated. 

 

If that proves true, perhaps we will make a trip of some sort by car in the summer or fall. Otherwise, we are looking forward to the potential reality of our January 2022 Hawaii cruise, postponed from March of this year. It will be a belated 40th anniversary celebration, and we'll find get to use Raylene's blood titer test before it expires!

 

Happy Christmas to all and a very bright new year!

[denversees4me]

Hi all 

been a very very long time - days like today I wish I could  pick up the phone and call Roz and ask .. miss her 

does anyone know what the deal is with princess and relief boxes ? I remember Roz saying a while ago .... ok let’s face it years ago. That they won’t put the box on the balcony anymore Sony question is where is it generally located ? We sail Disney and haven’t been on princess since 2008 where they put the box in an elevator  space/ hallway. Behind a closed door open to staff only.  Just down the hall from us 

also what materials are they using these days? When we took our cruise we got cat litter 

thanks

sapphire toalaska if that helps

Edited December 17, 2020 by denversees4me

[S.S. Cruisers]

Hi Carrie, 

I don't know the answer to your question, just wanted to say  hi.  Hope you and furbabies are all well and ready for Christmas.  Looking forward to a cruise is very exciting.  Almost like the first time we cruised!  

Take Care, 

Nancy

[Algebralovr]

Greetings all - long time no posting.

DH, Scooter and I drove over Thanksgiving from mid-Missouri to Savannah to see my son and his wife who are stationed there.  We started in STL on Monday morning for me to see a new Neuro, and finally got on the road at 3pm.  Drive wouldn't have nearly so bad if we could have started earlier.  Ah, well.  It was good to see that Scooter hasn't lost as much ground in public behavior as I was afraid.  We've not been out much.  

Well, I've been teaching a class, so we go to campus a couple of times a week, but just for an hour and he is so used to that, I don't even really consider it PA.  We go at 8am, he lays on the floor for an hour, and head back home by 9am.  So few people on campus this year!

 

Anyway, he did well.  But that was a long drive.  

 

We were supposed to leave for Tampa today, and were to have boarded a ship tomorrow.  Sigh.  It is not helping me.  Then our annual February cruise was also cancelled.  I've booked a little cabin at the beach in the keys for February, but DH doesn't want to take Scooter.  The place is absolutely no pets (I know, a SD isn't a pet, but I'm not sure I want to fight that fight), and honestly, all I plan to do is lay on the beach and soak up the sun.  I'll probably leave Scooter here with a doggy pal for that week.  Easier traveling that way as well.  One less creature to manage. 

 

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays if you celebrate other holidays,  and lets hope that vaccine gets to us soon!

 

 

[rangeley]

On 12/17/2020 at 2:23 PM, denversees4me said:

Hi all 

been a very very long time - days like today I wish I could  pick up the phone and call Roz and ask .. miss her 

does anyone know what the deal is with princess and relief boxes ? I remember Roz saying a while ago .... ok let’s face it years ago. That they won’t put the box on the balcony anymore Sony question is where is it generally located ? We sail Disney and haven’t been on princess since 2008 where they put the box in an elevator  space/ hallway. Behind a closed door open to staff only.  Just down the hall from us 

also what materials are they using these days? When we took our cruise we got cat litter 

thanks

sapphire toalaska if that helps

On our Princess cruise with Roz last year the box was in a crew area and had the biggest bark mulch I've ever seen.

[rangeley]

We stayed home for Thanksgiving and probably will for Xmas. Last weekend we went down to see our granddaughter. It was only the 4 of us and the 2 dogs. 

 

Our cruise for 2022 is all paid for. Hal sent an email saying if we paid in full we would get 10% off the cruise and 250 obc. So we went for it. We also get "free" drinks, prepaid gratuities and a few dinners at the specialty restaurants.  Still get our money back if we need to cancel for some reason. 

 

Been thinking alot about Roz, especially when we wrote out our xmas cards. 😢.   Here's our card and a few other cuties!!

[fairbourne]

Rangeley - cute doesn't even start to describe these adorables!  😄  and they certainly put a smile on my face.

 

Well I hope as we head into another year we will be on here again talking about Cruising with our (well all of your) Service Dogs.  We thought our biggest challenge this year would be Brexit!  

 

Nevermind, we are safe, well and it was snowing today, so maybe a white Christmas for tomorrow!  

 

Sending you all and your wonderful dogs our very best wishes from our home to yours wherever you are in the world for this festive season and may we all have a healthy and peaceful 2021.  We will raise a glass in memory of our much missed dear friend Roz at Hogmanay. She would no doubt ask,  "what, only one?!" 

 

On 12/22/2020 at 2:53 PM, Algebralovr said:

  I'll probably leave Scooter here with a doggy pal for that week.  Easier traveling that way as well.  One less creature to manage.  

 

Algebralovr - I did laugh at this statement as only a wife could! 😂

 

 

Edited December 24, 2020 by fairbourne

[DUTRAVEL]

On 12/23/2020 at 10:42 AM, rangeley said:

We stayed home for Thanksgiving and probably will for Xmas. Last weekend we went down to see our granddaughter. It was only the 4 of us and the 2 dogs. 

 

Our cruise for 2022 is all paid for. Hal sent an email saying if we paid in full we would get 10% off the cruise and 250 obc. So we went for it. We also get "free" drinks, prepaid gratuities and a few dinners at the specialty restaurants.  Still get our money back if we need to cancel for some reason. 

 

Been thinking alot about Roz, especially when we wrote out our xmas cards. 😢.   Here's our card and a few other cuties!!

Very cute!

[Caribbean Chris]

Cindy, the photos were wonderful!
 

I took this photo of Raylene on a chilly day (for Florida) recently.  Merry Christmas & happy holidays to all - with wishes for a bright new year in 2021!
Chris, Bob & Hearing Dog Raylene

 

[puppycanducruise]

Merry Christmas Everyone.

Stay safe.

[rangeley]

On 12/25/2020 at 6:48 AM, Caribbean Chris said:

Cindy, the photos were wonderful!
 

I took this photo of Raylene on a chilly day (for Florida) recently.  Merry Christmas & happy holidays to all - with wishes for a bright new year in 2021!
Chris, Bob & Hearing Dog Raylene

 

 

Love this pic! You can see her "sugar face" as Roz would call it. 

[S.S. Cruisers]

Mornin' All,

Another, almost year on the books.  Quite the year on top of that.  All the pictures surely bring smiles to my face.  I miss seeing Mr. Horty pants all decked out for Christmas.  The three

of us had a nice quiet Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

Jezzy Lou is loving the landscaping all being done in the yard.  She runs more than she ever has in her life.  From one end to the other.  It is keeping her nice and trim.  She can become a little sausage easily.  

Cindy, isn't that a nice feeling at least having a cruise booked.  And all the perks? Score.  

Hope everyone has a nice week, coming up. 

Love to all 😻❣️🦮

[denversees4me]

On 12/23/2020 at 10:33 AM, rangeley said:

On our Princess cruise with Roz last year the box was in a crew area and had the biggest bark mulch I've ever seen.

Was it close to your room ?  My first cruise was cat litter I’ll never forget it hahaha

[rangeley]

12 hours ago, denversees4me said:

Was it close to your room ?  My first cruise was cat litter I’ll never forget it hahaha

 

It was not close to our cabin. We complained that it was at the opposite end of the ship but they said they weren't moving it. Same with Roz, she was on a different deck and hers was at the opposite end. With the cleaning carts in the halls 24 hours a day, John couldn't even take his own dog to the box. 

[denversees4me]

12 hours ago, rangeley said:

 

It was not close to our cabin. We complained that it was at the opposite end of the ship but they said they weren't moving it. Same with Roz, she was on a different deck and hers was at the opposite end. With the cleaning carts in the halls 24 hours a day, John couldn't even take his own dog to the box. 

what ship ? And when you say at the other end was it at the other end on your deck or another deck completely? I am a Disney cruiser and they only put theirs on one deck deck 4 -  its forward if you’re on the bigger ships and asked if you’re on the smaller ships and my room is usually on deck seven it’s a big ordeal it sucks 

we’re your rooms fed aft or mid 

Edited December 31, 2020 by denversees4me

[rangeley]

10 hours ago, denversees4me said:

what ship ? And when you say at the other end was it at the other end on your deck or another deck completely? I am a Disney cruiser and they only put theirs on one deck deck 4 -  its forward if you’re on the bigger ships and asked if you’re on the smaller ships and my room is usually on deck seven it’s a big ordeal it sucks 

we’re your rooms fed aft or mid 

 

We were on the Royal Princess. Beautiful ship and one of the bigger ones. Our cabin was forward and the potty box was aft on the same deck. It was in a crew area with a big heavy door I could barely open. 

[denversees4me]

9 hours ago, rangeley said:

 

We were on the Royal Princess. Beautiful ship and one of the bigger ones. Our cabin was forward and the potty box was aft on the same deck. It was in a crew area with a big heavy door I could barely open. 

 

ok perfect good to know at least it’s on the same deck . On Disney it’s on deck 4 and you have to go down the elevator out and to the front or back of the ship sometimes a ten min to 20 min ordeal depending on time of day a real pain ! I will pick your brain more as we get closer thanks