Cunard’s doggy guests get their fire hydrant back

Queen Mary 2 is the only ship in the world offering dedicated kennels for dogs and cats

JULY 16, 2015 — Carnival Corporation’s Cunard brand reports that its flag ship cruise liner Queen Mary 2 will undergo an extensive 25 day dry dock refurbishment at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, next summer, 27 May- 21 June 2016.

And with an eye to those traditions that differentiate the line, among the upgrades will be more accommodations for pets. Queen Mary 2 is already the only cruise liner in the world to offer dedicated kennels and currently carries up to 12 dogs and cats on each transatlantic crossing.

To meet strong demand — these kennel places frequently sell out — a further ten kennels will be created for four legged travelers. What’s more, Cunard is restoring two amenities enjoyed by its earlier canine passengers: both a fire hydrant and a lamp post will be installed on the area of deck reserved for dog walking, so that dogs from either side of the pond will feel equally at home. This was previously a feature of the kennels on Cunard’s former flagship, QE2, and was first introduced on board the original Queen Mary at the suggestion of the Duke of Windsor.

Generally, the refurbishment will refine and refresh guest interior spaces and launch what are promised will be “new exciting innovations designed to exceed guest expectations.”

Research shows that increasing numbers of guests are seeking to vacation multi-generational groups – grandparents, parents and children. Often this necessitates one member of the family traveling as an individual. To support this, and for those simply traveling alone, for the first time, 15 single staterooms will be introduced onto Queen Mary 2 during the refit.

For those booking balcony staterooms and those wishing to have more flexibility in their dining arrangements, 30 additional Britannia Club balcony staterooms will be created on board. Guests traveling in these staterooms will be able to dine at a time of their own choosing in the dedicated Britannia Club restaurant, which will be expanded.

“Queen Mary 2 is an icon in the world of luxury ocean travel. A ship that turns heads everywhere she goes, she is the pride of the Cunard fleet and we are committed to ensuring her reputation grows ever stronger,” says Richard Meadows, president, Cunard North America. “These enhancements are just the beginning of an exciting refurbishment for Queen Mary 2, and we look forward to making more announcements about this impressive refit in the coming months.”

The newly announced additional accommodations are already on sale for Queen Mary 2 summer sailings from late June 2016.