service dogs

[ducky2u]

Do they allow service dogs on ships?

[Favorite Auntie]

Yes, I have seen them. I believe by law they have to.

[kcashner]

Yes...real ones and questionable ones. However, there has been at least one instance of a supposed service dog biting another guest; that dog has been permanently banned from the cruise line.

[n8tivecaligirl]

My sister went on a Hawaii cruise (not dcl) last fall and couldn't bring her dog, remember the ships don't have to follow Ada because they are international based ships. I would call dcl to clarify.

[dfriia]

There was a large yellow service dog on Wonder's 14-night cruise to Hawaii this past May.

[LWQuestie]

DCL not only allows service dogs but is incredibly helpful in advising guests traveling with service animals about the required documentation to travel to the ports on the particular itinerary.

I don't have direct experience with other cruise lines, but I've heard that other lines are much more hands off and expect the cruiser to figure out that part on their own.

[bahacca]

Originally Posted by n8tivecaligirl

My sister went on a Hawaii cruise (not dcl) last fall and couldn't bring her dog, remember the ships don't have to follow Ada because they are international based ships. I would call dcl to clarify.

Hawaii has VERY strict laws regarding bringing dogs onto the island. They have to be quarantined before they are allowed on the islands, so this is probably why. Service dogs have to have antibodies tests, proof of rabies vaccine, be microchipped and a bunch of other stuff before they are allowed on the island.

[EeyoreIsMyName]

DCL does allow service dogs on the ship. On our most recent cruise, we saw two with handicapped individuals who needed them. The PP is correct about the stricter rules when entering the islands of Hawaii with animals. They do have to be quarantined and their owners have to jump through a bunch of hoops (pun intended!)!

[tmclanton]

This from the Civil Rights website, regarding ADA rules on cruises:
QUESTION: HOW IS A SERVICE ANIMAL CARED FOR WHILE ON BOARD A VESSEL?
ANSWER:
* The care of the service animal is the responsibility of its user. The PVO is not responsible for the care or supervision of a service animal.
* The PVO must permit the user to bring a reasonable quantity of food on board for the animal and, in the case of a vessel with overnight accommodations, provide reasonable refrigerator space for the animal’s food that requires refrigeration.
* Where a service animal is not permitted to disembark with its user (e.g., because of quarantine restrictions at a foreign port), the regulation provides that the PVO must work with the animal’s user to ensure that the animal is properly cared for during the user’s absence.
* While the PVO is not responsible for the care or supervision of the animal, the PVO should communicate with the passenger so that the passenger understands his/her responsibility to meet the essential needs of the animal (e.g., food, water, elimination) during the passenger’s absence. The PVO should also take additional steps to facilitate the accommodation of the service animal in the user’s absence (e.g., placing a sign on a cabin door to tell cleaning personnel not to enter).

[tvguy]

Originally Posted by tmclanton

This from the Civil Rights website, regarding ADA rules on cruises:
QUESTION: HOW IS A SERVICE ANIMAL CARED FOR WHILE ON BOARD A VESSEL?
ANSWER:
* The care of the service animal is the responsibility of its user. The PVO is not responsible for the care or supervision of a service animal.
* The PVO must permit the user to bring a reasonable quantity of food on board for the animal and, in the case of a vessel with overnight accommodations, provide reasonable refrigerator space for the animal’s food that requires refrigeration.
* Where a service animal is not permitted to disembark with its user (e.g., because of quarantine restrictions at a foreign port), the regulation provides that the PVO must work with the animal’s user to ensure that the animal is properly cared for during the user’s absence.
* While the PVO is not responsible for the care or supervision of the animal, the PVO should communicate with the passenger so that the passenger understands his/her responsibility to meet the essential needs of the animal (e.g., food, water, elimination) during the passenger’s absence. The PVO should also take additional steps to facilitate the accommodation of the service animal in the user’s absence (e.g., placing a sign on a cabin door to tell cleaning personnel not to enter).

This would only apply to cruises on NCL's Pride of America, the only U.S. Flagged cruise ship and to river boats and the like plying American waters. ADA does not apply to ships not flagged in the U.S. Now, most cruise lines policies do follow ADA, just because it is good business.

[tmclanton]

This is from the ruling of Spector v. Norwegian. The Supreme court clearly states that all ships that operate out of US ports must comply with ADA law. There is some dispute on the cruise lines obligation to retrofit the older ships to make them ada compliant. However, the use of service dogs on cruise ships operating out of US ports, regardless if they are US flagged or foreign flagged vessels is not in debate. There is nothing that would have to be fit onto a room to make it available to a person with a service dog.

Are all cruise ships that dock at U.S. ports subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? Technically, yes. In a landmark civil rights decision in Spector v. Norwegian Cruise Line, the Supreme Court ruled that the ADA applies to foreign-flagged cruise ships that call on U.S. ports.

[SoCaOC-Mom]

Originally Posted by kcashner

Yes...real ones and questionable ones. However, there has been at least one instance of a supposed service dog biting another guest; that dog has been permanently banned from the cruise line.

Was it an "assistance dog" ( guild, service or signal dog) or a 'therapy dog'? The differences are huge. Use of a therapy dog is not protected under the ADA.

[MickeyEarrings]

I remember seeing photos someone posted of himself on his verandah with his service dog. They were provided with a plastic kiddie pool lined with sod for the dog to go potty!

[MickeyEarrings]

I found the TR with that photo: here's a link-

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2052361

[luv2sleep]

I wonder how what they do to glean the cabin afterwards for future guests with dog allergies? I hope they do something different to help that. Interesting about the kiddie pool! Guess you'd need a verandah can for all that.