Did you know that there are dogs living on Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas?
Rover is an adorable six-month-old golden retriever who lives full-time on a large cruise ship with his handler, Allison Hubble, who holds the title of “Rover’s Chief of Staff.”
During a recent webinar, Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean International's Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support and Services, had the opportunity to chat with Hubble during her time in the Icon Loft Suite.
But before we began our conversation, Freed provided some insight into how the idea of putting dogs on cruise ships was conceptualized.
Believe it or not, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley thought it would be good for guests and crew to bring dogs onboard.
Behind Rover himself, Freed claimed that Hubble had the second best job on the ship!
Hubble began working with Royal Caribbean six years ago.
When Hubble began working with Royal Caribbean, she was working in the NextCruise division helping customers book their next Royal Caribbean cruise vacation.
Before that, I worked as an overland travel advisor. She has helped people book several cruise lines. But about 80% of the calls were to Royal Caribbean.
When she started applying to cruise ships, which had always been her dream, she only applied to Royal Caribbean.
One day, she received an email from Royal Caribbean saying they were looking for someone to sit for a dog living on their cruise ship.
After filling out the application, Hubble began a rather lengthy interview process in which she spent a lot of time talking about her first dog, an Australian Shepherd.
When she told her mom about the position, her mom passed the information on to her sister, who said Hubble had found her dream job. But her sister responded that she already had one as she worked on a cruise ship.
Her mother explained the position and how she would be responsible for the dogs on board, and her sister quickly changed her mind, saying the new position was actually her dream job.
Hubble has been with the rover for about a month
Icon of the Seas wasn't the first ship the rover had set foot on. They began their journey together on Freedom of the Seas.
Hubble recalled one day when the probe was having a hard time getting sea legs!
If you're wondering, Freed said they do everything possible to adhere to the American Humane Society's guidelines to ensure Rover has an amazing life.
One of the most rewarding parts of her job is seeing how guests and crew react when they spot the rover.
Whenever Hubble and the rover are somewhere, she tries to leave a few minutes earlier than everyone else has to stop to pet and love the rover.
It's not hard to become obsessed with her because she has such a great personality. Hubble loves people and toys, she said. She also likes to chase her own tail, which is something Hubble has never really seen her do before. She says it's fun for her!
Some crew members haven't seen their dogs in months, and most guests have been separated for just a few days. But everyone's reaction is always the same. When everyone sees the rover, it lights up.
While walking through the guest areas is important, Hubble also strives to spend time with the rover in the crew-only areas. She said it was beautiful to see how her crew interacted with her.
The rover doesn't have a tight schedule.
Whenever Hubble is asked about when they might be able to meet and greet the probe (and rub), she cannot give a definitive answer.
why? Rover's schedule depends on her! It's not uncommon for her to nap for anywhere from two to four hours!
Speaking of sleep, the rover sleeps with Hubble in his cabin. She is crate trained and has her second crate at The Bridge, where she gets to hang out with her captain, who happens to like her!
You might even spot the Rover while relaxing on Perfect Day in CocoCay.
Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private resort-like destination in the Bahamas, is quickly becoming one of Rover's favorite destinations.
Here she can dig all the holes she wants and even blow bubbles in the crystal clear Bahamian waters.
Although she's still a little hesitant about actually swimming in the ocean, Hubble said she's getting closer with each visit.
When Icon finally arrived at Port Miami on January 10, the rover was celebrating its six-month birthday.
Have you ever been to a birthday party at 6:45am, let alone a dog?
Rover's 6-month birthday celebration ended with the cutest cake, and although he couldn't eat it himself, he received some delicious pumpkin cupcakes and got a lot of attention!
Freed believes all Royal Caribbean ships should have dogs on board, but for now, the Icon of the Seas is the only ship in the fleet where you can meet your new furry friend.
If you'd like to follow Rover's adventures, follow @chiefdogrover on Instagram. This is the official account of the Chief Inspector operated by Hubble!