We welcome all recognised assistance dogs on board P&O Ferries ships and our staff will assist you with any extra requirements that you may have when you travel with us.
A recognised assistance dog is one that has been specifically trained to assist a disabled person and has been qualified by one of the charitable organisations registered as members of Assistance Dogs UK. Currently, the following organisations are registered Full Members of Assistance Dogs UK:
Canine Partners, Dog AID, Dogs for the Disabled, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Support Dogs, Guide Dogs, Medical Detection Dogs
Travelling With A Guide Dog
If you or a member of your group are travelling with a registered assistance dog, including guide dogs and emotional support dogs, please ensure you notify us at the time of booking.
You must ensure that your dog complies with the Pet Travel Scheme, in order to travel. Find out more about travelling with a pet, or read the government's advice.
All assistance dogs should be wearing their working jackets or lead slips, so that they are easily identifiable as an assistance dog. The addressee of the document must be present/travelling. The dog/cat must be collared and secured at all times.
All assistance dogs are permitted to travel within the passenger areas on board, including restaurants and bars, so rest assured you can enjoy all our facilities on board.
Emotional Support Dogs or Cats
When travelling with an emotional support dog or cat you must be able to present at all times (port and ship) a formal document from a doctor or recognised body, explaining that the dog/cat is required for emotional support. A recognised body may be (but is not restricted to) a hospital that specialises in mental health, a psychologist, formal body like the National Autistic Society or similar.
How to Book
To enable us to make the necessary arrangements and confirm to our customers that we are able to provide the assistance needed, we request that we are notified 48 hours prior to departure, to ensure we have the right help and equipment ready. If special assistance is not pre booked, we will do our best to accommodate passenger needs however this is not guaranteed. For reservations made through a third party, assistance should be communicated and this will be passed over to us.
Special assistance can be selected when making your booking via our website, by using the drop down menu on the passenger page in our fare finder.
More Information
For more information on accessible travel including guide dogs please visit our Accessible Travel pages here and select the route you are travelling on.
If you need to discuss a booking or have a query regarding travelling with a guide or assistance dog that has not been answered, please contact our friendly customer care team via the buttons below.