Princess Cruises does not allow pets on board, but they do permit trained service dogs that assist guests with disabilities. Emotional support animals are not allowed. Service dogs must be approved in advance, and owners must bring all necessary food, documents, and supplies for the animal.
While most cruise ships accept specifically trained and certified service dogs to assist passengers with disabilities, they ban boarding of any kind of pets, including therapy or “comfort” animals.
q Is my pet allowed inside the ship? With the exception of assistance dogs, such as seeing eye dogs, pets are only permitted in the kennels and their dedicated deck space for the duration of the voyage.
The most well-known cruise line that allows dogs onboard is Cunard, specifically their Queen Mary 2 ocean liner. Cunard has long maintained a tradition of welcoming pets, and their most iconic ship, the Queen Mary 2, is equipped with a dedicated kennel.
Cunard cruise ship Queen Mary 2 offers dog-friendly cruises from the UK – and is the only luxury liner to do so. The famous QM2 will take you and your dog across the ocean between New York and Southampton. Your fur baby will be confined to the onboard kennel, known as the exclusive Deck 12, though.
Cruising with a Canine Companion service dog on the Royal Princess cruise ship
What is the new dog friendly cruise?
Pack your swimsuits, sunglasses and chew toys: a new pet-friendly cruise will welcome dogs next year. The sailing, a partnership between Cruise Tails and Expedia Cruises of West Orlando, will depart from Tampa, Florida in November 2025 aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Islander ship.
The litter boxes are generally filled with mulch, sand or sawdust. Depending on the cruise ship, they will either be placed indoors inside a utility room, or outside on a deck. Ours was outside on a deck under a staircase as you can see.
Cunard is the only cruise line that will allow you to transport your dog or cat on the cruise with you for a fee of around $1,000/$1,500 per pet. Cunard has a kennel area onboard the ship which includes a full-time kennel master.
There are a few airlines based in the United States that allow you to buy a seat for your dog. One of the American airlines that permits this is Alaska Airlines. It's possible to buy an adjacent seat, so that you can transport two pets in the cabin in two pet carriers, one underneath each seat.
The cost for an AHC typically ranges from £150 to £350, depending on the specific requirements. This includes a microchip (£10–£30), a rabies vaccination (£40–£70), and the AHC issuance by a vet (£100–£200) after a 21-day wait following the rabies shot.
Some dogs start off confident and simply need a treat or toy tossed into the boat or back onto the dock to encourage them to move from one place to another. However, it's safest to first show them a few times the correct way on and off so they don't jump awkwardly in their excitement for the treat.
What does a pineapple on the door of a cruise ship mean?
On a cruise, an upside-down pineapple (often as a sticker, magnet, or on clothing) is a discreet symbol used by couples or individuals to signal they are part of the swinging or partner-swapping community and are open to meeting others for "adult fun". While a regular pineapple signifies hospitality, the inverted version transforms it into an insider code for those in the swinging lifestyle, allowing them to identify each other subtly on any ship, though it's more prevalent on adult-themed cruises.
A healthy adult dog can typically go 8 to 10 hours without urinating—but that doesn't mean they should. Holding it in for too long isn't ideal. In fact, consistently waiting that long can lead to discomfort and increase the risk of urinary tract issues.
Cruise ships use secret codes like Code Alpha (medical), Code Bravo (fire), Code Oscar (man overboard), and Code Charlie (security threat) to alert crew to emergencies discreetly, preventing passenger panic while allowing for swift response, with codes like Operation Brightstar (medical), Operation Rising Star (death), PVI (public vomiting), and 3030 (cleanup needed) varying by line but serving similar functions to manage incidents. Passengers should stay calm and out of the way if they hear these, as crew handle the situation.
Getting your dog vaccinated before your trip is crucial. Call your vet as soon as you can to set up a time for your pet's vaccinations. Your pet needs core vaccines like rabies, distemper, parvovirus, and adenovirus, which are vital for their health and often required by law.
Royal Caribbean International welcomes service dogs on all ships. * Please note we do not accept pets. A service dog is defined as "any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability." Service dogs are not considered pets.
The 7-7-7 rule for dogs is a puppy socialization guideline focusing on positive exposure to build confidence, suggesting that by seven weeks old, a puppy should experience 7 different surfaces, meet 7 different people, and be exposed to 7 different objects/sounds/challenges (with variations in lists), helping them become well-adjusted adults by preventing fear and anxiety through early, varied experiences.
The "21-second pee rule" comes from a Georgia Tech study showing most mammals over 3kg (like humans) empty their bladders in about 21 seconds, a consistent duration due to longer urethras in larger animals creating gravitational flow, not size. While not a strict medical guideline for humans (our range is wider, say 10-30 seconds), it serves as a fun health benchmark: significantly shorter times might mean a weak stream, and much longer times could signal holding it too long or potential bladder issues, suggesting a need to see a doctor if consistently off.
The 10-10-10 rule for puppies refers to a schedule to help dogs master toilet training with a set routine. Its structure involves 10 minutes outside for your puppy to run around, whilst staying 10 feet away from their toileting area, and finishing off with 10 minutes of supervision afterwards.
The tradition of rubber duck cruise ships began in March 2018 aboard a Carnival cruise. The cruising ducks story says a young girl named Abby Davis and her father, Ashley Davis, brought along 50 rubber ducks to hide around the ship for other passengers to discover.
Whilst being a popular feature on tropical clothing, pool inflatables and even towel clamps, Flamingos can also sometimes symbolise a desire for casual relationships or flirtatious interactions among passengers.
The "7-second rule" for dogs is a simple test to check if pavement is too hot for their paws: place the back of your hand on the surface, and if you can't comfortably hold it there for a full 7 seconds, it's too hot for your dog, who can suffer severe burns on hot asphalt or concrete. This rule helps prevent paw injuries by encouraging walks in cooler morning or evening hours when the ground temperature is safer for pets.
The 3-3-3 rule for dogs is a guideline for new adopters, especially for rescues, suggesting it takes 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to learn routines, and 3 months to truly feel at home, which helps manage expectations for settling in and building trust, reducing stress and anxiety for both dog and owner by emphasizing patience and understanding during the adjustment period.
