5614 N River Shore Dr.
Tampa, Fl 33603
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a licensed and bonded travel agency established 1997
Scooter's News
Hi! I'm Scooter, the service dog. Let me share a little information about myself.
About 8 years ago Russell rescued me from the Pasco County Humane Society. I was only about 1 year old and my previous owner could no longer take care of me, his wife had past away.
7 years ago Russell Linc Marie. I became very attached to Linc Marie and she noticed I kept waking her up when she had terrible nightmares.
Linc Marie told her doctor of my ability to sense her nightmares, and I got certified as a service dog.
My life is now perfect! It's like being on a cruise all the time! Great food, comfortable beds, and excellent entertainment (lots of squirrels and cats in the neighborhood) and I provide a valuable service for Linc Marie.
When Linc Marie and I are on a cruise, or out in public, we constantly have people come up to us and ask what type of service I provide. Guess most people are just familiar with large service dogs and not little guys like me.
Because of Linc Marie's legal background, we are able to educate others on how small dogs can provide valuable services for their disabled owners.
Check back on my website regularly. Linc Marie and I will be telling about our days at sea and the different type of services small dogs can provide.
One of my duties is I wake up Linc Marie when she is having nightmares. Don't ask me how I know, I just do. I also notify others when she loses her balance.
There is an importance difference between a service dog and a comfort dog. A service dog must be able to physically provide a task for a person with a disability. A comfort dog does not provide necessary physical assistance. Providing an emotional function usually does not qualify to be a service animal.
Small dogs like myself are helping their owners who have Muscular Dystrophy, Diabetes, hearing loss, Post Traumatic Stress, and Epilepsy.
Cruise ships, airlines, trains and buses must allow service dogs to board, but not comfort dogs under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
November, 2011 I did my first transatlantic cruise! We stayed four nights in Rome. The Vatican wouldn't allow me in, only service dogs that help the blind are allowed. After our stay in Rome, we sailed on the Navigator of the Seas for 3 weeks.
First was an E. Mediterranean cruise: Rome, Sicily, Ephesus (Turkey), Athens, and Chania (Greece).
Then we did it's transatlantic sailing. Florence, Italy; Provence, France; Barcelona, and Cartagena Spain. Didn't sail to the Azores due to rough seas...so it was 8 days at sea with no trees in sight!
Linc Marie and I had a great time last year. We enjoyed 5 cruises. I wasn't allowed off the Jewel of the Seas in Mexico because they require my shots to be less than 30 days old, ( U.S. requirements are once a year. ) Alaska,
We were on the Eclipse 3/10/12. The ship as real grass! but Linc Marie knew better than to let me even be on that deck.
May 25th we were lucky enough to be with Capt. Sindre of the Radiance of the Seas for two weeks! The weather was unusually warm and we had little rain!
Our Fall repositioning cruise on the Jewel of the Seas came during Hurricane Sandy. Didn't leave Boston Harbor for 2 days. Wednesday morning we experienced 100 MPH winds while we were at sea. Capt. James did a great job making sure the ship, crew and guests were safe. During the 14 days onboard, Linc and I met several guests that sailed with us before. We also educated many guests that had never seen a service dog on a cruise.
Early December we spent 10 days on the Jewel of the Seas out of Tampa. It's nice to have such a great ship in Tampa since traveling to Pt. Canaveral or Miami is difficult for Ms. Linc. The staff is really friendly and can never
do enough for you. We visited Grand Cayman, Key West and Cozumel.
February 5th we experienced the Freedom of the Seas. What a BIG ship, ots to do. Getting ready to sail on the Jewel of the Seas again. The staff is so friendly and they really know how to provide the
comforts of home (my relief pan has real grass!)
Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society has over 6 million loyal members. Less than 600 are Pinnacle members (those that have over 700 points). I'm a Pinnacle Dog with over 1950 points! Please remember that my points are multiplied by 7 because I'm a dog....
Happy Travels!
Scooter