[nagdu] questions about guide dogs and cruises

Sun May 30 02:16:00 UTC 2010

Hey Cheryl,

Thanks for the info. However, one question I still have is whether or not I 
can bring my dog into restaurants and other public facilities once in 
Cozumel.

Also, one of the pieces of paper work you mentioned was needed was > An 
official health certificate that must be issued by a veterinarian no more
> than 72 hours before entering Mexico. What if I plan on leaving the St. 
> Louis area a couple days early? Say, for instance, I plan on leaving on 
> April 5, and we will not get to Mexico until April 8 or 9. How can I pull 
> this off?

You asked what ports the ship stops at, and as I mentioned in my previous 
email, Cozumel is the only port at which the ship stops. I already did call 
the cruise line and they already said that they would have a place either in 
my room, on my balcony or somewhere on the ship where the dog can relieve 
herself.

I do have another question. In the unlikely event that the destination 
changes, what should be done? I know that this seems rare, but this very 
thing happened just this year in fact. When people took the first Kid Rock 
cruise from April 29 to May 3, it was supposed to go from Tampa to the Grand 
Cayman. However, the storms were so bad, that once cruisers were on board, 
it was announced they were going to the Bahamas. What if this were to happen 
again and the destination changed? How would I handle this situation?

I am just now wondering about once I get her off the ship in Cozumel, if she 
can go into restaurants and other public places and tourist attractions with 
me.

Thanks,
Chasity
----Original Message ----- 
From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2010 8:04 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] questions about guide dogs and cruises

> hello Chasity:
>
> Being a guide dog user, a travel agent, and been on 1 cruise so far, and 
> going on another in July that is why I am not going to NFB Convention one 
> in November for the NAGDU Cruise and another in April 30, 2011 for another 
> fundraiser that I will be posting by the end of June.
>
> first it is spelled Cozumel spelled, C o z u m e l.   Anyway, first make 
> sure you have a passport, must have on cruises out of the country, second 
> let the cruise line know you are brining a dog speak to them directly and 
> not to the travel agent if you would like I can call them and let them 
> know you are bringing a guide dog, they should be offering you either to 
> have a box in your room which with the sizes of the staterooms to small to 
> put in there, ask them if there is an area of the cruise you can take the 
> dog to go busy, that is the word used at GDF, or go potty or whatever word 
> you want to use.
>
> Make sure you see the vet at least six months prior to your  visit and 
> have all updated shots, etc.  Ask your vet for a passport vaccination 
> letter for your dog.
>
> Here is what is listed on the Mexico tourism board:
>
> All one needs to do in order to bring their pet into Mexico is a bit of 
> paperwork. Two bits of paperwork to be exact:
>
> A vaccination certificate stating that your pet has been vaccinated 
> against rabies, hepatitis, pip and leptospirosis.
>
> An official health certificate that must be issued by a veterinarian no 
> more than 72 hours before entering Mexico
>
> Also how many days of your cruise and what other stops are there besides 
> Cozumel, Mexico.  Each country is different.  The cruise lines will be 
> great with you and your dog.  Please make sure you have bags with you at 
> all times in case dog has accidents.  One a cruise the dogs are sometimes 
> off schedule and in a new place they may hold it in, if they do that do 
> not be to concerned because Maxx went as soon as we hit land.  All depends 
> on your dog.  Should you need any other advice you may right me off list 
> or just respond here and I will respond with answers.  Do not be afraid if 
> the staff is not being kind to you. Go straight to management and let them 
> know and that doesn't work call travel agent or call me and I will call 
> the cruise lines myself and set them straight once they hear that a 
> passenger is not happy and complaining believe me the management will do 
> everything to fix it.
>
> Been there done that.  But you should be just fine, and say hi to Kidd 
> Rock for me love him also.
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> Independent Travel Consultant
> C10-10646
>
> http://Echevarriatravel.com
> 1-866-580-5574
>
> http://blog.echevarriatravel.com
> Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel 
> CST-1018299-10
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Chasity Jackson" <chasityvanda at charter.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2010 8:39 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] questions about guide dogs and cruises
>
>
>> Hello everyone,
>>
>> On April 7, 2011, I will be taking a four day cruise with Kid Rock, a 
>> singer
>> who I have followed from state to state for the past 9 years. It leaves 
>> from
>> New Orleans and goes to Cazumel. I have never taken a cruise at all 
>> before,
>> much less with a guide dog. I would like to hear people's experiences on
>> cruises with their dogs. Tell me what to anticipate, what to watch out 
>> for
>> as well as other ideas and suggestions you think would be helpful for me 
>> to
>> know in advance. Also, my main question is this. The only port the ship 
>> will
>> stop at is Cazumel. How do I go about finding out whether or not I can 
>> take
>> my dog off the ship with me in Cazumel, and how do I find out if they are
>> allowed in public buildings and other places in Cazumel? I already called
>> the cruise line and spoke to the people I need to speak with, and they 
>> said
>> it's up to me to research that. They said that once I book my cabin on 
>> the
>> cruise, to call them so we can get the paper work started that is 
>> necessary
>> to complete in  order for me to bring my dog on the cruise. I almost 
>> thought
>> about leaving my dog with my parents while I go, but there are four or 
>> five
>> hundred Kid Rock fans on my facebook who I network with on a regular 
>> basis,
>> who are looking forward to meeting her on board, and this cruise really
>> appeals to me because Kid Rock is on board the entire time and interacts
>> with people while on the ship. I was told by one other person I spoke 
>> with
>> that they had a much easier time navigating the ship on a cruise they 
>> went
>> on, with their guide dog.
>>
>> So I am just writing to get your overall experiences taking your dogs on
>> cruises, as well as how to go about finding out whether or not she can go
>> off the ship in Cazumel and into public places. Thanks.
>> Chasity
>>
>>
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>
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