Carnival Cruise Line Has Revised Its Policies Regarding Service Dogs

A passenger's concerns about Carnival's policy on assistance dogs on board prompted the company to provide further information.

After seeing the owner of a service dog playing casino games, he began to question the need and legitimacy of such a dog. The situation emerged following a recent trip aboard the Carnival Horizon. The questions were answered by John Heald, who is a brand advocate for Carnival Cruise Line.

Working service dogs are legally defined and individually trained to meet the needs of people with disabilities. These dogs can do things like guide a blind person, alert a deaf person, pull wheelchairs, alert and protect someone having a seizure, and other special tasks, according to Heald, who stated that Carnival does not permit any other dogs aboard their ships. Carnival thoroughly reviews all requests for assistance dogs, regardless of breed.

“We are proud to be able to say that along with following ADA requirements that we love having these guests on board, because they deserve to have fun as much as anyone… Even more perhaps. The dogs are allowed in the dining room. They are allowed in the casino”, he stated.

Nevertheless, canines who are still in the process of training to be service dogs are not allowed on board. On top of that, certain nations and ports may have restrictions on where the dogs may disembark.

According to Carnival, assistance dogs are always provided with a designated location on board. The company also advised passengers to communicate any issues to the onboard guest services staff in case of any concerns.

 

Source: travelpulse.com