Buster and Cunard – A match made in Heaven

Buster, my 5 year old Shichon ( his mum was a Bichon Frise and his dad was a Shitzu) was treated to a Cunard makeover this week with lots of luxurious doggy treats that you would expect to receive on Queen Mary 2. I have to say that he loves his treats and is a very spoilt little boy.

Buster loving his Cunard Fleece and a great little doggy bag to carry his ball and snacks in when we go for a walk 🙂

Queen Mary last year had a multi million pound makeover. she re launched with 15 new single cabins, an additional 30 Britannia Club cabins , glamourous new designs featuring new colour schemes, new carpets and more decorative fixtures but apart from all this there is only one thing that everyone seems to be talking about, the addition of more kennels to take your dog on board.

Queen Mary 2’s ever popular kennels on board have been expanded to cater for the high demand.

Do you think dogs should be permitted? Well many of you think yes and here is what you had to say!

“Many people using the ship as a means of transport between their homes in Europe and the USA take their dogs with them. The dogs have their own deck and, when I was a Cunard officer, not allowed in the passenger accommodation.”

“Providing you have well behaved dogs, and that applies to the owners also, I can see no problems in having dogs on board. I presume they are only allowed in specific areas on board,”

“If you don’t go up to the top deck you would not know dogs are on board. Dogs are only allowed in their excercise and kennel area. We love to go up and see them at the gates when the owners come up to see them. It’s not like being with our dog but it feels good to share the love.”

I love the last comment, you may not travel with your dog and have had to leave him/her behind but great to go up to the kennel area and see the other dogs too. This would be me as I am very much a dog lover and as I have said before it isn’t always easy finding someone to look after your dog whilst on holiday so why not take him/her with you.

The demand is huge and you will find the dog kennels are booked up years in advance so obviously there is a market there to accommodate our pets hence the extra kennels now on board.

So hear are your doggy facts when on board………

Kennels are only open on Queen Mary 2 during Transatlantic voyages between the following ports of embarkation/disembarkation for Dogs and Cats only – no birds. Southampton, Hamburg and New York

So how much does it cost?

Upper kennel $800*
Lower kennel $1000*
Cats require two upper kennel $1600* (This is two upper kennels, one kennel is for the litter box)
2nd pet in same kennel $800*

Do you need vaccinations and certificates?

If travelling from New York to Southampton all pets must be:-

Fitted with a microchip, vaccinated against rabies and tapeworm and issued with an official pets certificate and official pet passport

If travelling from Southampton to New York all pets must be:-

Issued with a current Health certificate to show the dog or cat was examined within 30 days of entry into the state of New york and had a rabies vaccination within 6 months to 14 days prior to entry into the state of New York

So if this is something you are thinking about what are the sizes of the kennels on board

Small upper kennels are (L x W x H) – 30″ x 35.5″ x 27″. A weight restriction of 25lbs or less applies.

Large lower kennels are (L x W x H) – 30″ x 35.5″ x 36″. A weight restriction of 26lbs or more applies.

Two kennels can be opened up to form a larger kennel though guests will be charged for the two kennels.

So what do the dogs/cats receive whilst on board, no on board credit in this instance 😉 but they do get Fleece Blankets, dog bowl, premium dog food as you would only expect on Cunard of course plus they also get freshly baked dog biscuits each day and why not it is their holiday too 🙂

Buster having his lunch out of his lovely Cunard dish 🙂

So I guess my question is would you take your dog/cat with you?

I would take my dog Buster if I had to have a long stay in New York

My first visit on Queen Mary was back in December 2014 which was also my first experience on Cunard.  In all honesty I loved every minute of my time on the Queen Mary and the new designs and features look a very welcome addition.

If you are looking for a trip on Queen MAry then why not give me a call on 08004086114 or you can email me at [email protected]

Until next time ………….

Holly