Ferries are one of the only was to travel between the European mainland and the UK with a dog. Unfortunately, most ferry routes require your pet to be kenneled or left in a car. That’s why I was so excited to learn about DFDS dog friendly ferry cabins.
DFDS Ferry Routes
DFDS operates ferries from several ports in the UK. However, dog friendly cabins are only available on the Newcastle to Amsterdam route. The voyage takes approximately 15-hours, but dogs have access to an outdoor potty area at all times. Pets are not allowed in any of the restaurants or common areas.
Dog Friendly Ferry Cabins
The dog friendly cabins on the DFDS ferry between Amsterdam and Newcastle all have two sets of bunk beds. In theory, they can accommodate four adults and two medium-sized dogs, but it would be tight. The cabins also have an en-suite bathroom with a shower and a small window for natural light.
What To Do
There are no TVs in the dog friendly cabins, but DFDS does offer wi-fi service for a fee. If you get bored, you can leave your pup in the cabin and go to the ship’s cinema or casino. I was perfectly content to stay put in the cabin; however, I did take a quick look around while Louie napped.
Eating Onboard
We planned ahead and brought enough snacks for the voyage, but there are several dining options onboard. Our DFDS ferry, “King Seaway,” had an all you can eat buffet, a fine dining restaurant, and a cafe. Meals are not included in the transportation fare, although you can save some money by prepaying for meals when you book your cabin.
Bringing a Vehicle
Along with the 2 and 4 legged passengers, DFDS King Seaways can transport up to 600 vehicles. I was driving a brand new SUV and was a bit nervous that I might have to drive through a narrow entrance. Thankfully, the ramps are wide and well-lit, so I never felt at any risk.
About half an hour before arriving in Newcastle, there was an announcement that auto passengers should return to their cars. Shortly after docking, the ramps lowered, we passed through passport inspection and were off to explore England!
Interested in taking a longer cruise with your dog? Please click here!
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I love that things are changing all over the world when it comes with travelling with a dog, I remember when we did Europe in a mobile home in 1975 we could not and had to send our dog direct to Cape Town where she stayed with friends. I will not travel without Layla.
This sounds a superbly well organised outfit. Well done DFDS on your forward looking attitude and I can tell from your report that you enjoyed the trip a lot. I like that you felt you had enough room. Cramped roll-on roll-offs freak my partner out and he would love your report.
I love your pictures of Louie, he looks relaxed and happy. The boat facilities look just what you need ! 🙂
Aah, ferry. Much better than an airplane. The other day I was actually looking into the possibility to travel to Europe, for example, by boat. I was surprised to learn that it is indeed possible and some of the boats go to quite great lengths to accommodate.
Yes, the Queen Mary has quite a glamorous kennel onboard. I haven’t taken it myself but it’s extremely popular.
I wish more ships had dog friendly cabins. I took the ferry across Lake Michigan, which only takes about 4 hours, but I was told the dog would need to stay in the car. Instead, my husband drove his car (with the dogs) around the lake and met me and my sister after we left the ferry!
I’m glad that there are some dog-friendly options for the ferry! Louie looks very comfortable in all the photos.
That looks so great! I’m not likely to travel in Europe, but if I did I would definitely be making a trip on that ferry. It sounds like fun.
Very interesting, My family never traveled with our dogs when we were young, so I never thought about the need to travel with our furry companions.
Very happy to to found your posts about Lois travels and was looking forward to making a booking Amsterdam to Newcastle but disappointed that not eligible unless a vehicle is also booked whereas i was plnning on trvalling by train for connections.
Hi Mirium, Thanks for your comment. Have you spoken to DFDS directly? I believe that when we traveled, foot passengers were allowed to book dog friendly cabins. I’m not sure if dogs are allowed on the shuttle DFDS run to the port in the Netherlands, but if so, it should be easy to transfer at Amsterdam Centraal Station.
Hello, nice post! Is it really 15 hours? The schedules I looked at made it sound more like 8-9 hours.
I believe it the ferry for the Amsterdam to Newcastle route leaves around 5:30. It arrives about 9:15 the following morning. Definitely not the quickest way to get from Europe to the UK, but in my experience, it’s the most fun.
It’s a shame there arent more dog friendly ferrys! Newcastle isn’t at all close to me and I have a very clingy dog who wont leave my side. Perhaps in the future things will get better in general for travelling dogs, putting my dog in the hold of a plane who scare her so much it’s not an option
It really is a shame there aren’t more options. Are you anywhere near Harwich, UK? Stena Line recently added dog-friendly cabins on some of their ships from Holland too!
Hello there, how did you book the dog friendly cabin, please? I am wondering if it can be done without calling their customer servicey just by booking the right type of cabin online? Thank you in advance.
Unfortunately, they don’t offer a way to book dog friendly cabins through their website. I called to book, but according to the site, you can also do it by emailing: travel.sales@dfds.com
Hope that helps!
Hi Jenna! Did you have to book all 4 places in the dog-friendly cabin with DFDS? Or did you book 1-person plus dog?
Hi Amanda, I was traveling with one other person and booked the entire cabin. I don’t believe they offer shared dog friendly cabins on DFDS. Hope that helps.
That was my question too, looks like I’ll be looking for a roommate or two for my dog and I!