The thought has certainly crossed your mind – taking the family pet along with you on a luxury cruise would be so much better than leaving her at home. You’re packing for a cruise and wish you could be packing up your dog or cat as well, particularly when flying is so traumatic for animals.
“This is a dream of a lot of regular cruisers,” says Cheri Port, Travel Designer at Tully Luxury Travel. “It’s hard for some people to be without their pets during a long voyage such as a world cruise, and passengers with pets would love it.”
But the reality is that there’s only one pet-friendly cruise ship on the waters today: Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2, which sails between New York City and Southhampton, England .
Contrary to what you might think, this is not a new thing for Cunard. Service dogs aside, having a kennel on board has been a long-standing tradition on the cruise line’s flagship vessel during trans-Atlantic voyages and there has always been more demand than spaces available.
Entertaining a rich, pet pedigree
Looking back, Cunard actually has a 180-year history of animals on board, not all of them pets, and a few of them stowaways. Originally, there were cats for mousing and even a cow to provide passengers with fresh milk. By far the most famous animal in the ship timeline was Teeny the French poodle of actress Elizabeth Taylor, a Cunard regular.
Fast-forward to today, Cunard actually doubled the capacity of the kennels in a recent $130 million remastering of QM2. The first dog passengers on the newest relaunch and crossing were famous Instagram influencers – Chloe the Mini Frenchie and Wally the Welsh Corgi. The ship now has 24 kennels, twice as many as before, a pet owner’s lounge, and more space for the dogs to walk and play, in an area that is deep cleaned between sailings. It still comes complete with some comfort familiarity – in the form of a New York City fire hydrant and a British lamppost – a suggestion of the Duke of Windsor, who travelled with his pet in the 1950s on the original Queen Mary.
Animals have their own private cruise
Throughout the cruise, a skilled kennel master looks after all of the animals – mostly dogs, but a few cats and other smaller animals – which spend the time in their kennels and a special open-deck pet area only. Owners just visit their pets during certain hours of the day. Your dog or cat is not sleeping with you, as they are not allowed in the cabins or in any of the ship’s public areas.
Rules aside, as this is a luxury cruise, pets can expect a few perks. This can include comfy beds and blankets, fresh-baked treats at turn-down and a gift pack that includes a frisbee, name tag, food dish and scoop, even a crossing certificate. A commemorative photo session can also be arranged, with a bellhop hat and jacket augmenting this hallmark travel commemoration.
Always read the fine print
For a one-week trans-Atlantic crossing, Cunard charges up to $1,000 to take the dog along. Cats require two kennel cages, as they need one specifically for the litter box, with the fare reaching $1,600.
Every country has strict animal quarantine and entry requirements for animals, so all the necessary paperwork must be provided prior to sailing. This can include an Annex IV form, proof of microchip and rabies vaccination, a Declaration of Non-Commercial Transport and a Tapeworm Certificate.
Breeds that are not allowed on board due to their size include: Afghan, Curly Coated Retriever, Bloodhound, Gordon Setter, Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound), Great Dane, Briard, Greyhound, Irish Wolfhound, Irish Setter, Mastiff, Deerhound, Newfoundland, Doberman, Pyrenees, St. Bernard, Saluki, Weimaraner, Bull Mastiff and Malamute. The United Kingdom also has a list of banned breeds: Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero.
Though most cruise ships accommodate trained and certified service dogs to assist those sailing with disabilities, “comfort” or emotional support animals are not allowed.
Get ready for the gangway
Your Tully Travel Designer can help you arrange to book passage on the QE2 with your furry friend. Plans for things like vaccinations and clearance require ample time to process, so it’s best to start making plans about one year in advance. Cunard opens booking for kennel spaces each April, and the spaces tend to fill up quickly.
In all, the effort will be well worth it, and can take the dog on a cruise and have a pleasant journey together, just like you’ve always wanted.