Cruising is one of the most popular vacation options. Cruise ships travel every corner of the globe, from the well-known Caribbean cruises to the more adventurous cruises like cruises to Antarctica, the Galapagos, or the Southern Pacific.

If you are a dog lover, cat lover, or someone who loves to travel with your family pet, you may have questioned whether pets are permitted on cruise ships. The answer, in most cases, is “no.” Pets who are not supporting a person with a disability are not allowed on any mainstream cruise line, EXCEPT Cunard Cruises’ Queen Mary 2. All other mainstream cruise lines comply with applicable laws governing service animals providing services to persons with disabilities.

Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossings

For nearly two centuries, Cunard (and its predecessor names) have been traveling the world’s oceans. Today, even those who are unfamiliar with cruises probably know of the Queen Elizabeth II, a classic Cunard ocean liner that traveled the world for nearly 40 years. As Cunard modernized their fleet of ships, the Queen Mary 2 now serves as the flagship for Cunard, a true ocean liner designed for the nature of crossing the northern Atlantic ocean.

Included in the long history of Cunard is the inclusion of dogs onboard. As such, the Queen Mary 2 has a kennel onboard, allowing dogs and cats to travel aboard with their owners. While the kennel is capacity-controlled, guests sailing on a transatlantic cruise aboard the Queen Mary can indeed bring their beloved dog or cat.

If you plan to bring your dog or cat, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Your dog or cat will not be staying with you in your stateroom; pets are prohibited from being in staterooms and public spaces
• The Queen Mary 2 has 24 kennels to house your beloved pet during the sailing
• Book as far in advance as possible, as space is limited.
• Owners may visit their pets during designated times, making use of either the outdoor or indoor space specifically set aside for pets sailing on board.
• There is a fee for kennels, starting at $800 per sailing. Keep in mind, cats and larger dogs may require 2 kennel spaces.
• Cunard and the onboard Kennel Master will ensure your pet is well cared for; there is no veterinarian onboard.
• There are a number of criteria for sailing including health certifications, vaccinations, heartworm treatments, and microchipping. As such, be prepared to complete a volume of paperwork before sailing.

Service Dogs on Cruises

Service dogs are not considered by cruise lines to be “pets.” Instead, service dogs are specifically trained to provide critical work or services to people with disabilities. Service dogs are not emotional support animals. Each cruise line maintains a policy regarding service dogs.

As of publication in December 2022, the following summarizes the service dog policy of mainstream cruise lines:

• Carnival Cruise Lines:
  • Permits “working” service dogs that, by definition, are trained to meet “disability-related needs by performing tasks.” Service dogs in training and service dogs serving as “emotional support” animals are not permitted unless recognized by the United States Department of Justice.
  • Owners must ensure service dogs meet all of the requirements of the country of departure and ports of call, obtaining and producing the required documentation; documents must be hand carried through the embarkation process.
  • Guests who will be sailing with a service dog must coordinate with Carnival’s Guest Access Department to coordinate the requirements of the sailing.
• Disney Cruise Line:
  • Permits “trained service animals”
  • Service animals must remain leashed and under control at all times. Service animals are not permitted in pools or wet areas.
  • Service animals cannot remain unattended in a stateroom.
  • Guests are responsible for fulfilling all requirements for their service animal to travel including, permits, vaccinations, and certifications required by all countries and ports of call on the cruise itinerary.
• Holland America Line:
  • Permits service dogs specifically trained to provide a service to persons with disabilities; therapy and companion animals are not permitted
  • Vaccination, health certifications, and any specific requirements of the ports of call must be satisfied.
  • Service dogs may not be unattended unless denied entry by a port of call and arrangements have been made with the cruise’s staff and crew.
• MSC Cruises
  • Permits “suitably trained and certified” service dogs.
  • Service dogs must be in good health and possess all health services and documentation required by the countries being visited during the cruise.
  • Guests must inform MSC Cruises in advance about the service dog to ensure embarkation, debarkation and facilities are appropriate.
  • Guests are responsible for the “custody, feeding, and general care” of their service dog.
• Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL):
  • Permits service dogs that are “trained to perform a specific task.” Emotional support animals are not permitted.
  • Guests are responsible for providing food, medications, and a life jacket for their service dog.
  • NCL will provide a sandbox relief area.
  • Guests are responsible for obtaining and carrying the dog’s all required vaccination and health certificates, as dictated by the laws of the ports of call. To ensure compliance with documentation requirements, Norwegian Cruise Lines requires guests traveling with a service dog to book their cruise at least 2 weeks in advance.
  • NCL’s access desk provides support to guests traveling with service dogs and guests with disabilities.
• Princess Cruise Lines:
  • Permits service animals in support of a guest with a disability.
  • Guest must notify Princess Cruise Lines at the time of booking and receive approval from Princess Cruise Lines.
  • The guest is responsible for all losses, damages, and expenditures caused by the service animal.
  • The guest is responsible for identifying and satisfying all documentation required for the service animal to travel, including the documentation required by the ports of call.
• Royal Caribbean & Celebrity Cruises
  • Permits service dogs that are “trained to do work or perform tasks” for a person with a disability; emotional support animals are not permitted.
  • Arrangments with Royal Caribbean’s Access Department should be made in advance of sailing.
  • A small 4×4 relief area will be provided.
  • While in public areas, service dogs must be leashed or harnessed; dogs are not permitted in pools or whirlpools
  • Owners are responsible for: food, medicine, care, arranging care for the dog while in port (if a port of call does not permit the service dog to disembark), obtaining all required documentation for the country of departure and the countries being visited, the behavior of the dog, and damage done by the dog.
• Virgin Voyages
  • Permits service dogs that are specifically trained to work or perform a task directly related to the guest’s disability. Emotional support animals are not permitted.
  • Those sailing with service dogs should contact Sailor Services at least 14 days in advance.
  • Vaccination and health certificates will be required along with any other requirements of the ports of call.
  • Owners are responsible for hand-carrying all required health records through the embarkation process; owners are also responsible for providing food, medication, and care for the service dog.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

Aside from the considerations of your chosen cruise line, persons traveling with a service animal should consider the following:

• Air travel – knowing and understanding the requirements of the airline that is transporting you to or from your cruise
• Ground transportation – if you require transportation to/from the airport, plan ahead and choose the option most suitable for the number of people in your party and your service dog.
• Hotel accommodations – if you are flying to your port of embarkation, it is a good idea to arrive at least one day in advance. Unexpected weather or mechanical flight delays could cause you to miss the ship if you fly on the day of your cruise departure. As such, weigh your hotel choices, selecting a hotel that meets all of your needs and the needs of your service dog.
• Shore Excursions – while the cruise line allows service animals, not every shore excursion will be appropriate or even allow for service animals.
• Relief areas – while relief areas are provided, they may not be in areas convenient to your stateroom, depending on the type of stateroom booked.
• Staterooms – speaking of staterooms, if you never cruised or have never cruised on the cruise line you are considering, consider your stateroom location and size when booking.
• Fellow guests – While service dogs are fairly commonplace in our society, the appropriateness of touching or petting service dogs without permission remains a challenge. Keep in mind, this concern can be magnified on a cruise ship where there are often 2,000 to 7,000 guests within a fairly confined space.