First dog-friendly cruise to set sail from Tampa in 2025

Four-legged friends are finally being welcomed at sea on a new dog-friendly cruise that sets sail next year.

Pet parents can em-bark on a canine cruise sailing aboard Florida-based Margaritaville at Sea’s Islander ship in Tampa.

The sailing is being organised by Cruise Tails and Orlando travel agent Expedia Cruises.

Itinerary dates, details and prices haven’t yet been released, but the cruises are expected to take place in late 2025.

The ship has capacity for 2,650 passengers, although it is unclear how many rooms will be available.

Guests will need to apply and be approved by the Cruise Tails team and there is space for 250 dogs, who will need to be up-to-date with vaccinations and will have to be signed off as healthy by a vet.

If approved, each family will get their own pet butler.

Your dog can enjoy grooming and massage areas as well as a private relief station on each room balcony. There will also be dog shows and training sessions, human guest speakers, costume contests and parades.

Dogs will need to follow rules such as being kept on a lead in public areas and staying out of the dining venues. There will also be dog-free zones such as the casino, pool decks, entertainment area and spa.

Even if you don’t have a dog, there are opportunities to apply for jobs as dog walkers or groomers onboard.

Sailors can sign up for more information on the Cruise Tails website.

The only other ship that lets pets – dogs and cats - onboard is Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 on transatlantic sailings.

It has 24 kennels and a dedicated owners lounge. Pets are banned from public spaces though and must remain in their kennel and exercise areas. The crew will look after and walk your dog but you can visit throughout the cruise and take them off during port stops.

Alternatively, Guests can meet Royal Caribbean’s resident chief dog officer Rover who lives on Icon of the Seas.

Many major cruise lines such as Disney, MSC Cruises, Norwegian, P&O Cruises and Princess allow service or assistance dogs to support deaf or blind passengers.

Cruise blogger and dog owner Jenni Fielding, known as Cruise Mummy, said she is excited about the launch but warned there will be hurdles to overcome.

She told The Independent: “ Having one or two actively working on a cruise ship will be completely different than having hundreds of pet dogs doing everything that pet dogs do.

“While I love the idea of a dog-friendly cruise and would love to take one, I can see that there are some practicalities to consider.

“The main one I think is hygiene. While service dogs have a certain area to go to the bathroom, it will be harder to enforce for pet dogs. After all, the pool deck is technically outdoors and dogs may not know if this is a suitable place to do their business – I expect it’s not.”

Phil Evans, managing director at Cruise Nation, said: “A dog-friendly cruise is an ideal alternative for those who don’t like flying or don’t like the idea of their dogs being in a plane’s hold for long periods. Introducing more dog-friendly cruises will allow families and their much-loved dogs to enjoy the magic of a cruise holiday together, a truly memorable experience.

“As well as this, a cruise offers the opportunity for someone to relocate while they enjoy a holiday, take their pet with them and avoid long flights.”

If you are more of a cat person, there is an annual Meow Meow Cruise for feline fans. You can’t bring your pet but there are plenty of opportunities to wear cat ears, and you can take part in a kitty-themed scavenger hunt.

The 2025 seven-night sailing takes place aboard Discovery Princess on 31 August. It departs from Seattle and will tour Alaska.