Take a Look at the New Queen Mary 2 Kennels
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Every dog has its day. And onboard Queen Mary 2, there are a lot of lucky dogs. Twenty-two to be exact. That’s the new number of dogs (or cats) that can book passage for a transatlantic cruise aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2.
Watch as Kennel Master Oliver leads the dog parade on deck:
When Queen Mary 2 was sent for refurbishment last summer, increasing the size of the entire kennel facility was a top priority. Cunard has a long history of dogs and their owners crossing the unpredictable North Atlantic aboard their ships. Thus, adding 10 more kennels, from the original 12 to now 22 spaces, seemed a natural progression.
It’s not inexpensive, either. With a new facility comes new rates. According to an email I received from Cunard in July 2022, kennels range from $800 (upper level) to $1,000 (bottom level) per crossing.
But it’s more than just dropping your dog (or cat) off on Day One and returning to claim your pet at the end of the cruise.
Months before your voyage, there is an official stack of paperwork that needs to be completed and documented. Since there is no longer a quarantine period for a pet to enter England (there’s no rabies in England and they want it to stay that way) the hoops to jump through are quite tedious.
Once onboard, you and your dog become instant celebrities for a week. It begins with a short procession as dog owners and their dogs get priority boarding and quickly walk past all the other passengers waiting to board.
As soon as word gets out that you’ve a dog onboard, you become a target for questions. Dinner table-mates want to know. Then finally, on debarkation day (no pun intended), you again parade off the ship at your destination.
Take a peek at the kennels and the facility in the photos below. No one except owners are allowed inside. Though there’s usually a dozen or more curious passengers crowding around the gate to marvel at the dogs and take their photos.
RELATED: What to Expect on a Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossing
If you are thinking about traveling to or from England and America with your dog or cat, it’s imperative that you contact the proper department at Cunard. You’ll work with the person in charge of this process who will walk you through the necessary steps so as to avoid any problems at both ends of the voyage.
Read More: How to Bring Your Dog on a Transatlantic Cruise
Check and double-check your paperwork. Then be prepared for an adventure at sea like no other. Not only is Queen Mary 2 the best way ever to travel between Southampton and New York, traveling with your dog will make both of you instant celebrities for a week.
Hi Ian,
Glad you and your dog are well underway by now. The visitation times aren’t much different from pre-pandemic. They’ve combined the afternoon visits and tweaked the evening visitation for longer hours. I’ve updated it in the article. Thanks! Hi to Oliver…if he remembers me from the interviews and photos. Enjoy the rest of your cruise.
We boarded this evening, the formalities easier now they take the pet documentation from you and check it on board. Quite what happens if it isn’t up to scratch is an interesting question!
The kennels has some new furniture and a small patch of artificial grass by the lamppost, but is otherwise the same. Oliver is still there and has a new keen assistant, John.
The kennel hours are the same as I remember from 2019 – 0800 to noon, 1500 to 1800 and 1930 to 2030. So the times in this article are well overdue an update!
The ship is still running at a post-covid 75% capacity with plenty of unfilled dinner seats, but the kennels are nearly full with six dogs from Hamburg joining fourteen from Southampton plus one elderly cat, not fazed at all by the dogs which has been out on deck – not seen that before, and only one dog so far needing to be kept away from it.
OK. Those have been the kennel prices for at least four years, so they haven’t doubled recently at all! Let’s not give them ideas…
Hi Ian,
Thanks again. Like I mentioned, I’ve emailed the kennel for updates and didn’t get very far except for a list of available kennel dates of which there were only westbounds.
The email I received from Cunard last month listed the rates as $800 for the upper and $1,000 for the lower. That’s what I have listed in the article.
Also in the July email:
Visiting Hours
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
8:00 PM to 8:30 PM
*Guests should check onboard for specific hours
Have a good crossing (two of them!) and enjoy your time over here.
We’re coming back Eastbound in October; I won’t fly with the dog (although by half way through a transatlantic, the idea of getting it over with in a day tends not to seem so bad!).
I think your article here needs some updating – the kennel times had changed from the above even by 2019, and obviously you need the new prices.
Also, Cunard no longer offers advice and help with the paperwork formalities – I guess the risk of being blamed when it goes wrong is too high – so pet owners are responsible for sorting out their own documentation.
The food situation on board has changed back to the original one, where the owner sends a list of possible foods the dog likes, and Cunard does its best to order them in. The system they switched to in autumn 2019 of sourcing a range of twelve from which you were forced to pick seems to have gone – I guess it was too unpopular with owners.
Hi Ian,
Lucky for you and your grown-up dog! And that you have the older rates locked in. It also seems like there’s better kennel availability on the westbound than eastbound transatlantics. Are you doing both or flying back to the UK? I’m going to get on a wait-list for 2023 asap, both directions.
Thanks again for all your input on the kennel situation. There’s a new sheriff in town at the kennel info department, as I’m sure you know…and getting information isn’t easy.
Have a terrific cruise!
Hi Sherry – yes; in just a few days we are back on the QM2 for another trip to the States – luckily my dog booked in at the old prices, the trip postponed twice due to the pandemic.
When we went before, my dog was just year and nine months – now he’s nearly five! It will be interesting see how the experience compares. I’m looking forward to it, the dog, not so much. But then I’ve not been brave enough to tell him, yet.
Hi Ian,
Thanks for chiming in to the conversation. Yes, two dogs require two separate though adjoining kennels. I’ve been in touch with the kennel department lately because I’m now the proud owner of little Poppy…just a few pounds heavier than beloved Ella Bean. Except for a few upper kennels, so far there’s nothing else available this year or next. I need to just pick a date, book a stateroom and get on a waitlist. And the cost for the kennels has nearly doubled in the last few years. Thanks for circling back for your comment. Hope all is going well.
Belatedly, the answer to Michael’s question is yes, if you have two dogs that would be happier together, two adjacent kennel cages can be opened up to make one larger space. One owner was doing this with her two dogs on one of my 2019 crossings. I am pretty certain however that, even for very small dogs, they won’t let two dogs share one kennel space – so for two dogs you would need to book and pay for two kennel spaces!
Hi Michael,
Thank you for your wonderfully kind words! Much appreciated. I am sorry but I can’t give you a definitive answer to your question. In the past, it was possible. I know for large dogs, two kennels are required. Please contact Cunard at 1-800-7-CUNARD and ask the reservations person to connect you to the proper department for kennel reservations. I’ve reached out to them today for any updates that may have been put into place during this down-time and waiting for a reply. Logically, I would think that they’d be happy to let you reserve two kennels. Keep in mind that the kennels sell out far in advance and you may be able to be placed on a waiting list.
Thank you again! And welcome to the USA eventually.
I love this blog! We have 2 Yorkies. We are moving to the USA in the next 18-24 months. Would our dogs be allowed to stay in 2/ double kennels with the middle partition down. Sleeping and being able to comfort each other would take not only their stress levels down but mine too.
Hi Wendy,
Your dogs seem fabulous! I would definitely reach out to Cunard directly and get the correct information. I’m assuming that you are going from the US to the UK? The kennels could be booked already so you might want to find out about making reservations and then find out about any cancellation penalties and the time that penalties would begin. Maybe they would let you get the large kennel? I have no idea. Their consumer phone number is 1-800-7-CUNARD. Thank you for taking the time to read my articles and send your note. Much appreciated!
Sherry
Thinking seriously for next year. Three wee Chihuahuas named Hewey, Lewey and Dewey. Dewey is the only girl and shy. Lewey is quiet and protective of her and Hewey nervous of everything! I’ll look forward to more information and stories. Can they be in one kennel? They sleep in their own bed here (cage) so I wondered?
Hi Alexander,
Thank you for sharing your opinion.
Sherry
Why are Doberman ,s not allowed on board ? Seems very discriminatory , mines is a ?Canadian , American champion , perfectly behaved and under control at all times , she is also my service dog , seems like a wrong decision by ?Cunard , just my opinion ?
Im looking to travel next year with 2 dogs and 3 cats…a lot of baggage i know !!
My dogs are basically my babies, how often are the visiting hours and how often are they allowed out to play/walk etc…
Hi Crisie, Yes, you will be able to walk your dog on your own. Be sure to let the Kennel Master know your concerns as soon as you arrive at the pier to embark. Also, it’s crucial to have the rabies conversation with the shoreside canine information person to be sure you have absolutely understood and exactly comply with instructions.
Have a wonderful cruise and a great time over here!
Sherry
My dog is a Lara’s apso an has been attacked 9times, is there any chance, he can be walked on his own. ..?? I coming to USA for 6 months an has to have the rabies injection 30 days before
Hi Rachael,
Dogs of all sizes seem to do well and don’t get seasick. Cats, however, are susceptible to mal de mer. There is a lot of paperwork to complete by you and your veterinarian, but there is no vet onboard if a dog becomes ill. Aggressive breeds are not allowed. If a dog does become aggressive around the others, then the dog will not be allowed out of its kennel for playtime. The owner will then have to walk and potty the dog when the others are not loose in the playroom.
Also, kennels sell out quickly so if that is still an option for you, don’t wait too long to reserve the kennel and your accommodation.
Sherry
How do dogs (especially larger dogs) seem to deal with this long of a journey? What if a dog becomes ill or aggressive?
Hi Elizabeth,
Good question but I’m not sure if there is a “walking” area away from the dogs. I’d suggest that you follow up with Cunard with any questions that you may have. Sorry I can’t be of more help with this question. I’ve seen the outdoor spaces where owners walk their dogs and you’d probably have to just walk to a far corner of the walking area. But Cunard can give you a better idea of what you’d experience. Thank you for your comment and I hope this all works out for you and your cat.
Sherry
I’m interested in taking my cat from New York to Southampton. I’m wondering if there are areas we can visit and walk him (on a leash) away from the dogs.
Thank you, Elizabeth
Hi Genevieve, Thank you for your kind comment. Your story is very cute. One of these days I need to get a mascot, too. Happy Travels!
Sherry
I love your story and it is wonderful to see the photos of the kennels as we have travelled aboard QM2 4 times and always wondered what they looked like. On our most recent voyage, March this year, my husband met Oliver and heard terrific stories about the dogs, etc.
I previously wrote a little story about a different pet dog that we have taken on many cruises with us, and it was posted on Cunard’s blog at the time:
https://lifeincamelot.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/34/