Transatlantic cruises from US to a port in the British Isles...(with pets)?

Question

I'm relocating to Ireland (Cork). I have 2 cats to take with me. At first was going to fly...but very nervous about checking my little one into cargo. I started looking for info on transatlantic cruise options from the US east coast to a port in the British Isles (prefer Dublin or Cork but will settle for anywhere in the British Isles). Problem is timing - the timeframe is October to do this trip...

Cunards is one liner I've found that allows cats. They are pricy but I'd be willing to pay the extra for the kennel service and the peace of mind to have my felines in one peace and least stressed as possible...any suggestions for other potential liners? Carnival and such don't seem to allow pets so I'd probably be looking at high end luxury liners (which I'd be willing to pay, if needed)...but really my preference is to go with the most economical route with that meets my cruising objectives (i.e. it doesn't have to be a luxury liner but if others are not pet friendly cruises, I'll go lux

Answer 1

Cunard is the only passenger line that I know of that allows pets.  However, you might look into booking passage on a freighter.  Some freighters take passengers.  A freighter will not have all the amenities that a cruise ship will have, but it might be less expensive than Cunard.

The following websites have more information about booking a cruise on a freighter ...

http://www.freighterworld.com/why.html

http://www.juddspittler.com/freighterbum...

http://www.travltips.com/

http://www.travltips.com/freighterdirect...

http://www.freightercruises.com/

http://www.geocities.com/freighterman.ge...

http://www.moaa.org/todaysofficer/travel...

http://www.navi-gator.com/cruise/cruise_...

Answer 2

The other answers are right-on, so just one other suggestion:

Maybe you could persuade a friend to fly with you and each of you bring a cat in a pet carrier as carry-on.

Even paying for a second r/t ticket may be cheaper than to take a trans-Atlantic cruise. (Potentially even in business class....)

I guess it depends whether your feline friends would prefer 6 hours in a pet-carrier under your seats or five days in a ship kennel.

Also, while UK pet import rules have gotten a lot more palatable in the past few years, don't forget to get your cats vaccinated against rabies:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quaranti...

Answer 3

You are correct that Cunard is the only line that has a Kennel, so that is your only choice. If you had just one cat, then it could be your carry-on for a plane ride. I would go ahead and take my chances on a plane. After all, Breeders of dogs and cats ship there puppies all the time as well as people who do the dog or cat show circuit.