Stena Line has announced the opening of new Pet Lounges on their Cairnryan route.
Following feedback from customers for improved pet facilities, Stena has upgraded its offering for those travelling with their furry friends.
The new lounges aboard the Belfast – Cairnryan vessels STENA SUPERFAST VII and STENA SUPERFAST VIII are not Stena’s only enhancement for pet travel. 70 pet cabins have been introduced across the Stena Line Irish Sea network.
The new facilities are in addition to other pet-friendly options such as pet kennels.
With no cabins available on the Superfast vessels due to the shorter crossing time, Stena Line decided to focus on creating a welcoming environment for pets in their new lounges.
Allowing whole family to travel
The new pet-friendly facilities have been introduced to make travelling with the whole family easier. Stena Line Travel Commercial Manager Irish Sea, Orla Noonan said:
“Following expert advice and insightful feedback from our customers, our offering for those travelling with pets was carefully considered, and we are extremely excited to finally open the doors of our two new pet lounges.
“We recognise pets are very important family members to many of our passengers. We are incredibly pleased to be in a position to offer a dedicated and pre-bookable space for them, which is already proving very popular.
“We hope the opening of the pet lounges, alongside existing options of 70 pet-friendly cabins and 98 pet kennels, and the option of pets to travel in vehicles on certain sailings, will result in an enhanced customer experience for those travelling with their pets across all Irish Sea routes.”
Stena Line Press Release 21 June 2023
The lounge has seating for up 30 passengers and with space for 10 pets in carrier cases. The lounge must be prebooked in advance of travel at a cost of £15 per pet. There is a maximum of two pets allowed per booking. The comfortable lounge includes complimentary tea/coffee facilities and water for pets too.
Located on the starboard side of Deck 7, the pet lounge is located in the area that formerly housed a video games area. A deck plan can be found here.
With the Global value of Pet Travel expected to reach $1.85 billion in 2023, Stena Line’s new initiative is sure to be in big demand.
Pet travel across the Irish Sea network
All Stena Line Irish Sea routes have pet-friendly options including:
| Route | Sailings | Pet Facilities |
| Cairnryan – Belfast | Every day, up to 6 sailings per day each way | Dedicated pet lounge. |
| Liverpool/Birkenhead – Belfast | Every day, 2 sailings per day each way, approx. 8 hours | Pet cabins, pet kennels and in-car options. |
| Holyhead – Dublin | Every day, 4 sailings per day each way, approx. 3 hours and 15 minutes | Pet cabins, pet kennels and in-car options |
| Fishguard – Rosslare | Every day, 2 sailings per day each way, approx. 3 hours and 30 minutes | Pet cabins, pet kennels and in-car options |
| Rosslare – Cherbourg | 6 days per week from 30/6 – 18 hours | Pet cabins, kennels and in-car options (in-car not recommended). If travelling on Stena Vision, you must book a pet cabin |
