Do you allow assistance dogs on board?
Cunard accepts registered assistance dogs on board that have been specifically trained to assist a person with a disability and has been 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.
Cunard also accept Service Animals as defined under the American Disability Act on Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic crossings. These bookings are managed by the US office.
Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability so the guest will be asked Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability. And what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. We will not accept emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals as Service Animals unless they are occupying a kennel.
- To ensure that we have an accurate and up-to-date record of guests’ requirements, a new "Your on board needs" questionnaire must be submitted via My Cunard for each voyage as soon as possible after booking and no later than two weeks before they sail. If the guest would like to travel with their assistance dog or service animal, they must complete the relevant section of the "Your on board needs" questionnaire.
- Assistance dogs are allowed on all Cunard ships on Southampton to Southampton voyages and in addition are allowed on Queen Mary 2 transatlantic voyages. Please see our assistance dog fact sheet.
- If a guest books via North America, their booking will be subject to US terms and conditions, and their assistance dog request will be managed by the Cunard Access Office, whose email address is accessoffice@cunard.com
- Emotional support dogs are not recognised as an assistance dog by the above organisations and are not permitted on board. Assistance dogs may not be permitted ashore in certain ports of call, in line with current DEFRA regulations which apply in the UK.
- There are some changes to Pet Travel following Brexit, pets will need an Animal Health Certificate to travel. Your pet will need a new animal health certificate for each trip to an EU country or Northern Ireland from Great Britain. Pet Passports issued in EU Countries and Northern Ireland are still valid.
Important notice
Not all ports are authorised points of entry (PEV) or have "official veterinarian" (OV) services near the port. E.g. the PEV for La Coruna is at the airport 66 km/41 miles from La Coruna port. We strongly remind owners of their responsibility to carefully research, plan and meet all requirements required by every country visited during their intended voyage itinerary.
Additional Information
- You must ensure to ask every guest “In the unlikely event of an emergency, would anyone on the booking need assistance?”. If they would require assistance, please add the relevant level of support to Polar Online using the "package list" option. If a guest is bringing a mobility scooter or wheelchair on board, you must add evacuation chair assistance for them. However, it’s not possible to add this resource to existing bookings. If this step is missed or needs to be added post-booking, please complete the Partnership Helpdesk Webform and we'll come back to you as soon as possible. For bookings sailing within the next six months, you should call the Partnership Helpdesk for urgent support.
- If the guest has mobility or accessibility requirements, they must complete their "Your on-board needs" questionnaire via My Cruise as soon as possible after booking and no later than two weeks before they sail. You can send them a reminder to do this by following this process guide.
- We have a range of how-to-guides on Shine Rewards Club. Please click here for Cunard and here for P&O Cruises.