Assistance dogs

Cunard accepts registered assistance dogs on board for the benefit of our guests, subject to compliance with international travel regulations.

Cunard welcomes service animals on all voyages, in full accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

A service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to perform specific tasks or work for a person with a disability. These tasks must directly relate to the person’s disability. Under the ADA, service animals do not require formal certification or identification, but must be trained to assist their owner with disability-related needs.

Please note: Voyages from Southampton to Southampton, on the Queen Mary 2 must be certified by an organisation that is a full member of Assistance Dogs International (ADI) or International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), the accrediting bodies for service and assistance dog organisations worldwide or, in the case that the dog is owner-trained, they have received accreditation from the Assistance Dogs Assessment Association (ADAA) and have the necessary documentation to verify this accreditation. This is in line with our license issued by DEFRA.

The dog must be certified by an organisation that is a full member of Assistance Dogs International (ADI) or International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), the accrediting bodies for assistance dog organisations worldwide or, in the case that the dog is owner-trained, they have received accreditation from the Assistance Dogs Assessment Association (ADAA) and have the necessary documentation to verify this accreditation. This is in line with our licence issued by DEFRA.

All assistance dogs are carried free of charge. Please notify Cunard if you will be bringing a service and assistance dog by writing to Accessoffice@cunard.com.

Assistance dogs may not be permitted ashore in certain ports of call, in line with current Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) regulations which apply in the UK. If you indicate within your questionnaire that you will be taking an assistance dog on board, we will forward the relevant paperwork for you to complete and return to us with any supplementary information that is required. Please refer to the DEFRA website for the most up-to-date information.

We would advise all owners to carry their dog's identification card, or similar, with them at all times in case local authorities require proof. Guests with an assistance dog are not required to travel with a companion provided they are able to undertake day-to-day tasks independently.

You have completed and signed Cunard’s terms and conditions, we will send you a confirmation letter. This letter confirms that your assistance dog has been given permission to travel and the letter must be produced at check-in. Failure to produce this letter may result in your assistance dog being denied boarding.

For sailings departing from Southampton, once you have presented your confirmation letter to our check-in staff, a member of the ship's crew will check your assistance dog’s paperwork and scan their microchip.

For embarkation in New York, the ship's crew will also check the documentation to ensure the tapeworm treatment has been administered within the required timescale. Providing these checks are satisfactory, you will then be escorted through security to board the ship.

Tapeworm and other treatments

To return to the UK, your assistance dog is required to undertake tapeworm treatment 24 – 120 hours (1-5 days) prior to arrival in Southampton. This treatment will need to be carried out by an authorized veterinarian in the necessary port of call which meets the above timescales. We ask owners to select their itinerary carefully as on occasion ports of call may be missed and replaced or cancelled for reasons beyond Cunard’s control.

It is the responsibility of the owner to research their itinerary in full and to ensure a local veterinarian can administer the required tapeworm treatment at the appropriate time. We would therefore advise you to check your itinerary carefully to ensure the tapeworm treatment can be offered in more than one port of call and within DEFRA's timing guidelines to re-enter the UK. Please note that it can be difficult to locate vets on weekends and bank holidays, therefore we would suggest that if your last port of call falls on a weekend, arrange treatment to be undertaken at your penultimate port of call (as long as this falls within the DEFRA’s timing guidelines highlighted above).

Owners are responsible for locating a vet and ensuring the correct treatment has been carried out as well as the pet's passport being updated correctly. Please note that Cunard do not offer the service of a vet on board.

Should the tapeworm treatment not be carried out or the documentation is incorrect, your dog may be placed into quarantine on your return to Southampton.

Should your chosen itinerary be of 2, 3 or 4 nights in duration, the tapeworm treatment can be carried out on the morning of embarkation by an authorized veterinarian and your dog is able to disembark at EU ports of call. For Transatlantic Crossings on Queen Mary 2 from New York to Southampton, tapeworm treatment must be administered no more than 5 days prior to embarkation.

Treatment during the voyage is not needed if the ship calls only at ports in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Finland, the Republic of Ireland, Norway, or Malta.

If traveling to Mexico, dogs must have had an ecto-parasite and endo-parasite treatment applied no more than 15 days prior to arrival to port. This information should be included in the dog’s health certificate.

We currently do not offer the service of a vet on board any of our ships, and the ships’ doctors are unable to assist should your dog be taken ill on board. Therefore, it is imperative that you consult your vet for advice prior to your cruise to ensure your dog is fit to travel. It may be a good idea to talk to your vet regarding motion sickness.

Pet passport

It is your responsibility to check your assistance dog's passport, or official veterinary health certificate, following a tapeworm treatment. Should the passport be incorrectly completed or missing information, Animal Health may place your dog into quarantine upon your return to Southampton. Any costs involved in quarantine placement will be the owners' responsibility.

Alternatively, if you are traveling on a Transatlantic Crossing on board Queen Mary 2 from New York to Southampton and your pet's passport, or Official Veterinary Health Certificate, is incorrectly completed or missing information, your dog will be denied embarkation in New York.

Requirements for the United States

From 1st August 2024, the CDC has issued regulations to control the entry of dogs into the United States from other countries. These rules apply to all dogs, including puppies, service animals, and dogs that left the United States and are returning. They also apply whether you are a U.S. citizen, legal U.S. resident, or foreign national.

Please use the link below to determine what rules apply to your dog based on the dates of travel and where your dog is traveling from.

Bringing a Dog into the United States | Bringing an Animal into U.S. | Importation | CDC

Harness/lead

Your dog must wear its harness, or vest, at all times when not in the stateroom. Due to the nature of cruising, we are unable to provide a safe off-lead area for assistance dogs.

We carry small and large canine life jackets on each of our vessels. The relevant life jacket will be placed in your stateroom alongside your own.

Food and bedding

Please ensure that you bring a suitable supply of all dry dog food and water bowls plus any applicable blankets and bedding. Dogs can only be fed in the stateroom and under no circumstance should your dog be fed ‘titbits' in any public areas.

We do allow assistance dogs into our buffet restaurants, however your dog must remain at the table. Should you be traveling alone our crew will be happy to assist you with food selection and carry your tray back to the table.

Dog toileting

The vessel will provide a wooden 4ft x 4ft box that will be filled with mulch. Your stateroom location will determine exactly where the litter box will be placed and we will endeavour to ensure that this is as close to your stateroom as possible without compromising safety.

On your arrival, your stateroom steward will show you to the location of the relief box. Please note litter boxes cannot be placed on stateroom balconies or inside the stateroom itself.

We would ask owners to clean up after their dog and our staff will advise you once you are on board where to dispose of your dog's waste. The box will be emptied and replenished by the staff on board every day.

Assistance dog spending areas:

Queen Elizabeth: Deck 3 forward starboard side (external) / Zone 3 crew, near crew list (internal)
Queen Mary 2: Deck 5 or 6 midship crew stairway (external) / Deck 5 or 6 midship crew stairway (internal)
Queen Victoria: Deck 3 forward starboard side (external) / Deck 1 crew stairway or Deck 5 or 6 aft crew stairway (internal)
Queen Anne: Decks 1 and 2, stairway B, port or starboard side (depending on active gangways)

Accessible areas of the ship

Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas of the ship apart from:

Designated children's areas
Swimming pools or the ‘beach' area surrounding the pool (where water may flow freely in and out of the pool)
Whirlpools
Crew areas (except for spending area locations, and only with assistance)
Galley visits

We do not allow assistance dogs to use the kennel facilities on Queen Mary 2.

Owners are required, when using the buffet area, to leave their dog at the table for health and safety reasons. Our staff will assist you with your food selection and carrying this back to your table.

Your assistance dog must always remain with you.

Vet on board

We currently do not offer the service of a vet on board any of our ships and the ship's doctors are unable to assist should your dog be taken ill on board. Therefore, it is imperative that you consult your vet prior to your voyage for advice to ensure your dog is fit to travel. It may be a good idea to talk to your vet regarding motion sickness.

It is the responsibility of the owner to research each country's individual regulations, including re-entry to the UK, in order to go ashore with their assistance dog.

Cunard cannot be held responsible should your dog be denied entry upon disembarkation in Southampton for not following DEFRA regulations.

Sailings to Mexico

Transatlantic Crossings from Southampton to New York

Select Transatlantic Crossings on Queen Mary 2 also permit assistance dogs on board. Crossings on Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Anne are not included. Assistance dogs are not permitted to use Queen Mary 2's onboard kennel facilities.

It is the responsibility of the owner to research the regulations for entry into the United States of America to disembark the vessel with their assistance dog. Cunard requires copies of the pet's passport, or Official Veterinary Health Certificate, verifying all relevant vaccinations and treatments no later than 30 days before sailing.

Once this paperwork has been received and checked, we will issue you with a letter of confirmation which must be produced at check-in. Failure to produce this letter may result in denied boarding.

In order for your assistance dog to enter the UK you must have completed the following in this order:

Have your assistance dog microchipped
Have your assistance dog vaccinated against rabies after it was microchipped
Obtained an EU PET passport or Official Veterinary Health Certificate
Ensured that 21 days have passed since it was vaccinated
Obtained the tapeworm (Echinococcus Multilocularis) treatment 24 – 120 hours (1-5 days) prior to arrival into Southampton (and no more than 5 days prior to embarkation in New York for Transatlantic Crossings).

You will be required to send in copies of the relevant pages from the PETS Passport or Official Veterinary Health Certificate, once your booking has been made. Cunard will not issue your assistance dog permission to travel until this paperwork has been produced and verified. Confirmation of the tapeworm treatment will be checked by an on-board representative at embarkation in New York. A further check may be conducted by Animal Health on arrival in Southampton.

Once your paperwork has been checked, all DEFRA conditions have been met and you have completed and signed the terms and conditions, we will send you a confirmation letter for sailings from Southampton only. This letter confirms your assistance dog has been given permission to travel and must be produced at check-in. Failure to produce this letter may result in your assistance dog being denied boarding.