Key Aspects:
- An adorable dog named Blondie has been stealing hearts onboard Freedom of the Seas.
- Guests and crew members have loved interacting with the tiny chihuahua.
- Blondie is a service dog and received special permission to be onboard.
Cruise guests can meet all kinds of passengers onboard during their sailings, but one extra special guest was stealing hearts left and right during a recent voyage onboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas.
The cruising journey of a 3-pound teacup chihuahua, named Blondie, is going viral on social media. The little dog and her pet parent are found under the handle @bruiserandellewoods, which is in reference to the famous “Legally Blonde” movie.
It’s not clear which specific sailing (or sailings) the duo was onboard for, but TikTok videos show them arriving at PortMiami on December 4, 2025, when the Freedom-class vessel was embarking on a 4-night Caribbean getaway cruise.
But of all the entertainment onboard and in port, guests couldn’t get enough of the tiny dog. She essentially became an onboard celebrity, where some guests even sought the pup out to demand their own snuggles.
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In one TikTok, which has been viewed more than 300,000 times, Blondie can be seen snuggling up to other passengers, who are very grateful for a cuddle session.
“She’s become the emotional support animal for the entire cruise ship,” the dog mom, whose name has not been publicly released, captioned the clip.
In other clips, crew members are captured stopping to say hello to the loveable pup with big smiles on their faces.
Considering these crew members are away from their families and working long hours for months at a time, the interaction was surely a much needed pick-me-up.
Is Cruising With Dogs Allowed?
Most of the time, dogs cannot simply board a cruise ship. Blondie’s case is unique because she is a trained service dog.
Blondie’s handler had to have her canine companion approved, and had previously left her at home because the approval process wasn’t successfully completed in the past.
“Royal Caribbean International welcomes service dogs on all ships. Please note we do not accept pets,” Royal Caribbean’s policy states.
“A service dog is defined as ‘any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.’ Service dogs are not considered pets,” the policy continues.
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Guests with service dogs are required to submit documentation in advance (at least 60 days prior to sailing) and upon boarding the ship, such as doctors’ notes, pet immunization records, and pet passports.
If the dog exhibits poor behavior at the cruise port, such as barking, growling, or biting, the animal could still be denied boarding even if they were previously approved.
Special Rules Onboard
In addition to always being on her best behavior – as Blondie so clearly is – her owner must make sure they follow specific rules onboard to avoid bothering other guests.
For example, Blondie most likely has a designated bathroom area just inside one of the crew-only areas for sanitary reasons and to avoid offending other guests with bad smells.
Failure to use the appropriate pet relief area could result in removal from the ship.
Another way that Blondie and her dog mom keep things respectful is that Blondie happily rides in her owner’s purse when moving about the cruise ship, so she isn’t on the floor or on tables in areas like dining venues.
She also puts a blanket on the bed in her cruise cabin, presumably for Blondie to sleep on instead of the cruise ship’s pillows and comforter.
In addition, Blondie’s owner is always watching her dog. All interactions with other guests are supervised.
When other guests or crew members cuddle with Blondie, it’s because they want to and not because the dog was forced upon them.
