Taking your dog on the Steam Packet — kennels, pet lounges and the car

Plenty of people bring the dog. Once you’re here, the island has beaches, glens and pubs that welcome dogs. This page covers the crossing itself: your options on board, what they cost, which ship offers what, and the paperwork. For where to go once you’ve arrived, see our dog-friendly Isle of Man guide. For routes and ships in general, see the ferry guide.

Your options, and what they cost

All of this is from the Steam Packet’s pet policy (opens in a new tab) and travelling with pets page (opens in a new tab) (September 2026). “Pets” means domestic cats and dogs. Anything that would normally travel in a livestock trailer has to be booked through reservations.

Option	Cost	Where
Stay in your car	Free	Every ship
Kennel on the car deck	£10 per kennel	Manxman, Manannan, Ben-my-Chree
Pet lounge (sit with your dog)	£15 per pet on Manxman	Manxman (two lounges); Ben-my-Chree has one while covering
Pet-friendly cabin	Price of the cabin	Manxman only

In the car is what most owners do, and it costs nothing. Leave water and some ventilation, and remember you normally can’t go back down to the car deck once the ship has sailed. On a four-hour crossing that’s a long time for a nervous dog.

Kennels are on the car deck. On Manannan they measure 600 by 800mm and about 1.9 metres high, which the Steam Packet reckons will “fit two labs comfortably”. Bring bedding. On Manxman you can visit the kennels at any time during the crossing and check on your dog through the onboard camera system over wi-fi.

The pet lounge is the one to book if your dog would rather be with you. Manxman has two, and you reserve a place for £15 per pet. Space for people is limited, so a large group with one dog may be asked to split up and sit elsewhere.

Pet cabins are on Manxman only: four pet-friendly sea-view cabins, plus two that are both accessible and pet-friendly (Steam Packet (opens in a new tab)). They take a maximum of two pets and have to be booked before you travel. Take a pet into an ordinary cabin and there’s a non-negotiable £100-per-pet cleaning charge.

Which ship has what (autumn 2026)

The ship makes more difference for dog owners than for anyone else.

• Manxman is the dog-friendly one: two pet lounges, pet cabins, kennels you can visit, and an outdoor pet toilet area. She’s been out of service since the summer. The Steam Packet’s update of 22 September 2026 (opens in a new tab) says she’s due back in November.
• Ben-my-Chree is covering Manxman’s sailings until then. She has no cabins at the moment, because they’ve been turned into crew accommodation. If you booked a pet cabin on Manxman, the Steam Packet is offering a space in Ben-my-Chree’s pet lounge and refunding the difference. Kennels and the car are also options.
• Manannan, the Liverpool fast craft, has no pet lounge or pet seating at all. Your dog stays in the car or goes in a kennel on the car deck, and it’s a bumpier ride in a swell. In autumn 2026 she has also been running some Larne sailings, so check which ship your Irish booking is on.

Booking

• Tell the Steam Packet. Unless your dog is staying in the car, you have to declare it. Each crossing takes only a limited number of pets. Add the kennel, lounge space or cabin as an extra when you book online.
• Foot passengers can bring a dog, but without a car it needs a kennel, lounge space or cabin. Book it at the same time as your ticket.
• Assistance dogs travel free and can go on the passenger decks in a harness or jacket, with the right paperwork (ADI or IGDF accreditation). Emotional support animals don’t count as assistance dogs and have to use the pet areas.

Paperwork

• England to the Isle of Man and back: no pet passport needed. Your dog just needs to be fit to travel.
• Larne or Dublin: your pet needs an Animal Health Certificate from a vet every time you travel, plus a microchip, a rabies vaccination and, for dogs, tapeworm treatment. The Steam Packet notes that Great Britain lifelong pet travel certificates aren’t valid for arrivals in Northern Ireland from the Isle of Man. Check the rules on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab) well before you go.

On board: the rules

• Collar on at all times, and a lead whenever you’re moving between the car deck, kennels, lounge or cabin.
• Straight to the kennel, lounge or cabin. Dogs aren’t allowed anywhere else on board.
• Dogs that are aggressive or don’t get on with other animals should wear a muzzle. The Steam Packet suggests keeping them in the car or a cabin.
• Clean up after them. If you don’t, there’s a £100-per-pet specialist cleaning fee.
• Bring absorbent bedding, cleaning things, poo bags, water and a favourite toy. Most dogs won’t need feeding on a crossing this short.

Arriving with a dog

You land at the Sea Terminal at the south end of Douglas promenade. Keep the lead on: it sits on a busy road, and your dog will have been cooped up for hours. According to Visit Isle of Man (opens in a new tab), well-behaved dogs can travel on buses, trains and trams for 30p a journey, and a dog’s season pass for the railways costs £5 from the Sea Terminal. Assistance dogs travel free.

Some of the island’s beaches restrict dogs in summer. Before you let yours off the lead, read the dog-friendly Isle of Man guide and the beaches guide.

The honest bit