Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is the only cruise line to date that permits dogs and cats (sorry reptile, pot-bellied pig, and hedgehog lovers, your time hasn't quite arrived) to travel on their transatlantic sail between New York and Southampton.
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Pets are accepted on all Transatlantic crossings, except the first and last crossings of the year. Availability is limited, so plan to book your cruise well in advance. The cost of transportation will be given to you at the time you make your own booking but will likely range between $800 and $1,000 USD.
Cunard is the only major cruise line that allows passengers to bring a pet dog or cat on their cruise vacation — and only aboard one ship: Queen Mary 2. But you can't just bring Fluffy onboard QM2 and plunk her down on a travel bed in your cabin.
Cruise ships in general don't allow any kind of pets. That's mainly because there's so much red tape involved that Cunard only offers a kennel on one of its three ships. Even at that, pets are only allowed on QM2's trans-Atlantic crossings, explained Robert Roughton, Cunard's specialist in kennel operations.
For safety reasons, pushchairs cannot be taken into the State Rooms. They must be checked in and collected after your tour. Read more about visiting with children. Animals, other than guide, hearing or assistance animals, will not be admitted to the Palace.
Highclere Castle only allows guide dogs in the main grounds and in the Castle (apart from the golden lab Isis who is in 'Downton' and of course the Carnarvons' dogs), Bauval said.
Cruise lines reassure guests that service dogs have special training when it comes to when and where to relieve themselves, so other passengers don't need to worry about where they step. Passengers with service dogs can request the ship to provide doggy “relief boxes” filled with mulch in a service area.
Queen Mary 2 is a very fast ship with a cruising service speed of 28.5 knots. The ship could complete a 5 day transatlantic crossing, but in reality most crossings are 7 days. A 7 day crossing on QM2 offers you enough time to really enjoy the ship while reducing the impact of timezone changes on your body clock.
The only commercial ship that travels to Europe from the continental United States is the Queen Mary 2. As this type of travel is in much demand, reservations are normally made over a year in advance. Your pet will travel in a kennel supervised by a full time pet attendant.
Cruise lines also have their own security protocols and may use drug detection dogs at their discretion. These dogs are trained to detect various illegal substances, including drugs, and can alert their handlers if they detect any suspicious scents.