Canines are well-known for his or her loyalty, and one distinctive service canine has been exceptionally loyal – to Holland America Line.
In actual fact, Joska the service canine was awarded the cruise line’s highest loyalty recognition on October 26, 2022, for having spent 700 days aboard Holland America ships.
Service Canine Earns Elite Standing
Crusing on Rotterdam‘s present a hundred and fiftieth Anniversary Transatlantic Crossing from Amsterdam to New York, Joska, a black Labrador retriever and repair canine for Cornelia Marinussen, reached 700 days aboard Holland America Line ships and has been awarded the Platinum Medallion, the cruise line’s highest past-guest award for cruising days.
A particular ceremony was held onboard Holland America Line’s latest vessel to commemorate the 10-year-old service canine’s achievement, full with the medallion presentation by Holland America Line President Gus Antorcha and Rotterdam’s Captain Werner Timmers.
“Joska is the primary service animal to realize this lofty standing and we wished to honor her with an occasion that exhibits her how particular she is to everybody in our firm,” mentioned Antorcha.
“Registered service animals are all the time welcome aboard Holland America Line ships, and Joska has turn out to be a member of our household. She not solely brightens the spirits of everybody on board, however she additionally permits Connie to do what she loves most, which is to cruise and discover the world.”
Joska was additionally given a number of dog-friendly Holland America Line presents and is now acknowledged as 5-Star Mariner standing, the very best degree within the cruise line’s Mariner Society loyalty program.
Joska’s homeowners, Cornelia and Cornelis Marinussen, have beforehand earned their very own Platinum Medallions, have been cruising with Holland America Line since 2013, and have taken practically 60 cruises. Joska joined the Dutch couple to help Cornelia, who’s legally blind, in 2014, and has been on greater than 50 cruises.
Joska’s first cruise was only a week after becoming a member of Cornelia, when the couple – and the service canine – took a 14-night Alaskan cruise roundtrip from Seattle. Joska has additionally been on cruise itineraries across the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Canada and New England, and extra.
This in depth touring places Joska as one of the well-traveled canine on this planet, notably aboard the 25-night historic crossing the ship is crusing. In accordance with TopDogTips.com, Labrador retrievers are one of the travel-friendly canine breeds, being fairly lively, pleasant, and very smart.
Rotterdam will full the voyage on Friday, October 27, 2022, when the ship arrives in New York.
Service Canines on Cruise Ships
Holland America Line welcomes service animals, outlined as these animals particularly skilled to supply help to a person with a incapacity.
Whereas all pet homeowners imagine their animals present service to enhance their private high quality of life and well-being, it should be famous that, in response to Holland America Line’s coverage, “We don’t allow our visitors to carry pets, remedy/companion animals, and different animals that don’t meet the definition of service animals.”
Completely different ports of name in several nations may have particular necessities for service animals to disembark, together with official documentation and applicable immunizations, and visitors are accountable to know and adjust to these necessities.
Service animals on Holland America Line should be present on their vaccinations, and that documentation should be offered to the cruise line prematurely.
Friends with service animals can contact the cruise line for particulars about methods to organize a cruise trip with their service animal, together with what behavioral expectations and care preparations there are on board.
Different cruise strains have related pointers for service animals, and vacationers ought to contact their most popular cruise line for particulars about journey necessities and repair animal lodging.
