The first-ever fully dog-friendly cruise is coming soon, with great interest from doting dog owners eager to set sail with their pets.
While it sounds like an amazing opportunity, there is no way this dog owner would ever walk my dog up a pet-friendly gangway. But why not?
Why I Would Never Take a Dog-Friendly Cruise
While travel agencies, cruise lines, and travel insurance companies will take all possible precautions for smooth sailing on any dog-friendly cruise, there are just too many things that could be very unpredictable onboard.
1. Seasickness
Just like humans, dogs can suffer from motion sickness. While my dog has never had issues even on longer car rides, setting sail for a multi-night cruise is a unique situation.
Having been on dozens of cruises myself, I am very familiar with how each voyage is different and how weather patterns can change quickly, causing pitching and rolling that might upset even the strongest stomachs.
I love roller coasters, have no trouble on car rides or in elevators, and enjoy most ship motion, but more than once I’ve had a bit of a queasy stomach on rough waters.
Once the cruise is underway, there would be no realistic option to debark early if one’s dog reacts badly to the ship’s motion. Instead, it will just be necessary to continue with the voyage, subjecting the dog to miserable conditions for several days. This is not something I’m comfortable risking, as there’s really no way to tell beforehand if a pet will get seasick.
2. Pests and Diseases
While all dogs boarding a cruise ship would undoubtedly be required to be up-to-date on required vaccinations, there is always a risk that diseases such as kennel cough could be passed from pooch to pooch, even if vaccinated. This highly communicable disease is a respiratory infection frequently found in boarding facilities, doggy day cares, grooming salons, and other group venues.
Like our own flu vaccine, the canine bordetella vaccine is not 100% effective against all kennel cough occurrences, and even a vaccinated dog can become infected. While not usually too severe and very treatable, it’s yet another risk I’m just not comfortable taking.
Furthermore, what about fleas and ticks that might be brought onboard? Different dog owners use different types of pest preventatives, and each one has different levels of effectiveness. Even a dog on flea and tick meds might occasionally have a pest, which can easily jump from one pet to another.
3. Stress and Anxiety
I take cruises to relax, as a fantastic way to unplug and escape the worries of the world while enjoying an amazing getaway. But taking my dog along would amp up my stress level onboard as I worry about his well-being and care in a very unique and unusual situation.
Furthermore, dogs thrive on routine, and I’ve seen firsthand how our dog might get uneasy and unpredictable in new and potentially frightening situations. No matter how well-trained, well-socialized, or well-adjusted any dog may be, a cruise would certainly be stressful.
This can lead to unpredictable behavior and even physical illness (the type of tummy troubles we don’t necessarily enjoy cleaning up). Even if my own dog adapts fine to life on the high seas, there’s no telling how other dogs onboard may react in adjacent staterooms or elsewhere on the ship.
4. Behavior and Training
All responsible dog owners will take steps to ensure their furry family member can confidently obey basic commands such as sit, down, or stay. Our dog follows these commands and knows a variety of tricks and other more advanced commands as well.
Onboard a dog-friendly cruise, however, there is no guarantee that all the pets are thoroughly trained. Furthermore, even the most well-trained dog may get distracted by unusual situations and may not obey as expected.
This could be even more of a problem on a dog-friendly sailing, as restrictions may require that only smaller dogs be welcomed aboard. Unfortunately, many small dog owners may be lax about thorough training because it can be just too easy to pick up one’s small dog when they disobey, laughing off potentially problematic behavior as cute instead.
I’m guilty of this myself, as there are times when our 18-pound dog believes he weighs 180 pounds and wants to defend his territory with that attitude. Rather than intensive training to correct that behavior, we may just deflect him instead (not great training practice, and certainly not useful on a cruise).
5. Size and Breed Restrictions
For safety and insurance purposes, any dog-friendly sailing is likely to restrict canine cruisers to certain body weights or overall sizes. Larger dogs or breeds perceived to have more aggressive behaviors are not likely to be as welcome.
While this may put some dog owners at ease, even small dogs can be aggressive in the right (or wrong) situation. I still have scars from a mean-tempered and poorly trained Chihuahua from when I was a kid – scars that are also my fault, to be fair, but that do prove that even a 10-pound dog can be potentially dangerous.
Every dog owner believes their dog is friendly, welcoming, and well-mannered, but each of those traits can have different definitions for different owners and different animals. I don’t want to risk my own dog’s safety based on another owner’s assumptions in a very unknown and first-of-its-kind situation.
6. Relief Areas
Whenever a service dog is onboard a cruise a special relief area is set up, usually on a lower deck in a quiet corner where the dog can more comfortably “do its business.” Depending on what stateroom the owner books, a similar relief area may be set up on their private verandah or balcony.
True service dogs are specially trained to “go” on command as needed and are accustomed to a wide range of surfaces and circumstances that can meet their bathroom needs. Few pets, however, have the same control and versatility for bathroom breaks as a fully trained service dog.
My dog is thoroughly house trained and has not had an accident in longer than I can recall. He takes his bathroom breaks in the yard or on walks, even in completely new areas.
He has never, however, used a litter box, artificial turf, or other similar surface that might be used in an onboard relief area, and I’m not sure he’d know what to do with it.
If other dogs onboard aren’t used to relief area arrangements, it could mean a very messy situation indeed, not to mention that illnesses and parasites such as worms are passed through feces – another risk I’d rather not take.
7. Onboard Restrictions
While a dog-friendly cruise will naturally permit pets to enjoy many areas of the ship, there are sure to be select venues where dogs aren’t allowed. For health and safety reasons, this is likely to include all restaurants and pool areas, two areas my family really enjoys on every cruise.
This means that if our dog were to accompany us on a sailing, there would be lengthy times when he would need to be left alone in our stateroom, crated in a kennel, or under other doggy daycare supervision – not actually enjoying the cruise with us as advertised.
While our dog is crate trained and comfortable in his accommodations, that may not be true for every dog owner. An upset dog can become a loud or destructive one, which can then cause reactions from other dogs, perhaps in nearby staterooms or common areas.
8. Paperwork
The paperwork necessary to bring a domestic animal to a foreign country can be convoluted and confusing. While travel agencies arranging dog-friendly sailings will likely take steps to help streamline the process for their booked travelers, it is still up to owners to be sure their dog is properly documented for a successful visit.
Without the proper paperwork, guests and their canine travel companions may be denied boarding at the last minute, or else may not be permitted to debark in ports of call.
For dog owners whose pets have challenging histories – an adopted older dog from a shelter, for example, that may be lacking a puppy vaccination history – the necessary paperwork can be an extra difficulty for setting sail.
I do have my dog’s paperwork, but over the years, it is possible that changing veterinarians, a more detailed health history with medical problems, changes in medication, or other challenges could make the paperwork even worse than trying to renew a human passport at short notice.
9. Emergencies
No pet owner wants to face the possibility of an emergency with their dog, particularly when far from home. While a dog-friendly cruise will undoubtedly have a vet onboard in case of emergencies, how well-equipped will any cruise ship really be for animal care? What meds may be stocked onboard, and what emergency equipment?
When a human has an emergency during a cruise they may be disembarked early to seek further care at land-based facilities, but will that be possible for a dog?
What standard of veterinary care may be available in different ports of call, just in case? These are questions that may be nearly impossible to answer but could be critical for the health and well-being of a beloved pet onboard a cruise.
10. Cost
Cruises can be very affordable vacations, but it is always more expensive to travel with a pet. Even when traveling on land, there are pet fees over and above the standard booking costs for hotels, and extra services for a pet – doggy day care, grooming, etc. – also have extra fees.
It stands to reason that a cruise line would also charge an extra fee for a pet-friendly sailing. This cost could help cover any extra staff that might be needed onboard to help with dog care, sanitation, supervision, and other duties, as well as to cover any potential damage or other expensive outcomes from dogs onboard.
Just as some hotels have a per-night pet fee while others charge a flat rate regardless of stay length, cruise lines might also vary in how they charge for any pets onboard. The dog’s size could also factor in to a fee’s overall total.
This also doesn’t count extra travel charges for cruise passengers to reach their cruise homeport with their pet. These could include airline pet fees, pet fees for hotel stays before and after sailing, or extra fees for other transportation such as surcharges with rideshare services when a pet is also part of the group.
Choose Wisely for Your Dog
Ultimately, every dog owner has to choose the experiences they want to have with their pet and decide for themselves whether certain experiences may be worth the inherent risks.
There will surely be plenty of demand for dog-friendly sailings if the difficulties are worked out, and different cruise lines may offer a wide range of possibilities for oceangoing canines.
For me and my dog, we’ll happily enjoy a stroll on the beach, a visit to a local park, and an extra play session at home. When I do set sail on my next cruise, I’ll be sure to bring dog toys back for us to enjoy together on dry land.
