Alaskan cruise excursions with a service dog

[HappyontheLake]

we are going on the 9 day Alaskan cruise next summer and my 18yo daughter will have her service dog with her. She has no mobility limitations so we only need to worry about access/safety for her SD.

I will be talking with special services to verify access, but what excursions do y’all recommend (from experience) would be good? She can’t do any of the ones involving food because she is deathly allergic to shellfish so all of those are ruled out automatically

Thank you!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Carnival's policy, with some helpful general information https://www.carnival.com/about-carnival/special-needs/service-dogs.aspx
Alaska cruise with SD trip report http://servicedogcentral.org/content/node/453
RCCL's policy https://www.royalcaribbean.com/experience/accessible-cruising/service-animals (note: DIS sponsor Dreams Unlimited has a relationship with Royal Caribbean; one of their TAs might be a good source.)

 

[lanejudy]

I haven't taken an Alaska cruise. Someday. But I do know there is a LOT of documentation necessary to take a service dog on a cruise ship. Hopefully this one won't be too challenging to gather all of that since you only need to deal with Canada and US. DCL's special services department can help you. I would think they may be able to help with excursion information as well, assuming you plan to take DCL-sponsored excursions. You may need to contact the vendor directly with any questions about the dog.

We don't get a lot of posts on the disABILITIES Forum about cruises, so you may also want to check the Disney Cruise Line Forum for info about excursions.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Mrsjvb]

there is a giant thread on cruise critic in the Special Interest Board; disabled cruising, that is extremely useful WRT bring a SA on cruises.

as stated, it is a LOT of paperwork and pre boarding work on your end.

 

[HappyontheLake]

I have already been in contact with special services. For Canada it is quite easy, just proof of rabies vaccine. I am going to play it safe and also get the APHIS paperwork filled out and have multiple original copies of each with original signatures (not just the signature stamp)

Since it is just Canada and Alaska that is all we have to do

We do have to have food in original packaging, also treats.

We are getting two relief spots. One on our veranda and another in the covered part of the jogging track on deck 4

 

[Starwind]

I have already been in contact with special services. For Canada it is quite easy, just proof of rabies vaccine. I am going to play it safe and also get the APHIS paperwork filled out and have multiple original copies of each with original signatures (not just the signature stamp)

Since it is just Canada and Alaska that is all we have to do

We do have to have food in original packaging, also treats.

We are getting two relief spots. One on our veranda and another in the covered part of the jogging track on deck 4

Have you also let special services know about her seafood allergy ?

I am anaphylactic to milk, tree nuts, peanuts, and seafood (fish, shellfish, crustaceans, molluscs, etc). My sister is allergic to seafood and peanuts. We have cruised with DCL 5 times. I *highly* recommend *not* eating from the buffet -- especially not for lunch and dinner. It is possible to eat AT the buffet, but not from it.

Why ? One lunch on an early cruise, my sister went to eat off the buffet. She very carefully chose her food to NOT include anything with or that was near anything seafood (at the time she was not peanut allergic). She ended up having a reaction that landed her in the medical centre. Now, we have eaten AT Cabanas many times since -- but our meals are pre-ordered the night before via our serving team and the food is prepared in the kitchen with full knowledge of our allergies and brought out to us, not taken from the buffet itself. The exception I make is for sealed commercial containers of things (like the cereal little sealed "bowls"/"boxes"; single serve things like yogurt containers and milk bottles). Our preference is to eat in the MDRs for all meals.

SW

 

[HappyontheLake]

Have you also let special services know about her seafood allergy ?

I am anaphylactic to milk, tree nuts, peanuts, and seafood (fish, shellfish, crustaceans, molluscs, etc). My sister is allergic to seafood and peanuts. We have cruised with DCL 5 times. I *highly* recommend *not* eating from the buffet -- especially not for lunch and dinner. It is possible to eat AT the buffet, but not from it.

Why ? One lunch on an early cruise, my sister went to eat off the buffet. She very carefully chose her food to NOT include anything with or that was near anything seafood (at the time she was not peanut allergic). She ended up having a reaction that landed her in the medical centre. Now, we have eaten AT Cabanas many times since -- but our meals are pre-ordered the night before via our serving team and the food is prepared in the kitchen with full knowledge of our allergies and brought out to us, not taken from the buffet itself. The exception I make is for sealed commercial containers of things (like the cereal little sealed "bowls"/"boxes"; single serve things like yogurt containers and milk bottles). Our preference is to eat in the MDRs for all meals.

SW

Trust me, we have let them know about allergies. Three of my four girls (only the two youngest are coming on this cruise) have life threatening allergies. We don't eat at the buffet, because of the allergies. My youngest only has to smell peanuts to start feeling sick, and both girls on this cruise have shellfish allergies. Disney is the one place we feel safe vacationing because of being able to preorder the night before with the head server.

 

[bumbershoot]

Disney is the one place we feel safe vacationing because of being able to preorder the night before with the head server.

Royal does that. too. We watched a whole family preordering each night (for the next) from allergy menus in the dining room on a Royal cruise.