Ship ahoy and cruiseheads don’t need me to tell them about naming conventions – but this is a new one on me as I float from Celebrity Malala to Stena’s Fairy Pawmother.
Every ship has her very own fairy godmother.
And contemporary godmums have moved on and got younger.
With crew on Celebrity Edge requesting the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner to launch their pioneering ship on its maiden voyage to the Bahamas.
With a cast of VIPs, Alesha Dixon, Kelly Hoppen, myself et al.
Pet project
Fast forward to today and we’re celebrating a very different VIP… a very important pawson if you will.
The pick of Stena’s 87,500 pets crossing the Irish Sea.
Four-year-old Kea donates both her blood to help critically ill canines and her time to help train a generation of aspiring vets.
Kea saw off competition from 4,000 pets.
The competition marks Stena’s enhanced experience which includes 70 animal-friendly cabins across its Irish Sea routes.
And pet lounges on its Stena Superfast vessels operating between Belfast and Cairnryan, my old stomping ground.
Kea royal
At just eight-weeks-old, Kea found her forever home as part of Belfast belle Serena Maini and her family.
Over the years, Kea has been helping Serena at the Royal Veterinary College in London, both as a teaching dog and a blood donor.
Serena says: ‘Kea loves taking the trip from Cairnryan to see my family in Belfast.
‘It is incredibly pet friendly and super convenient. She has made the trip four times now.’
Pets win prizes
As well as the aforementioned those pet friendly facilities include kennels or dog lodges during the journey.
Guests can prebook the Pet Lounge from only £20 per pet.
Or where applicable, a pet-friendly cabin from only £55 per cabin (maximum two pets per booking).
All passengers who wish to travel with their pet in the pet lounge or cabin must pre-book in advance of travel.
And ensure all necessary vaccinations and documentation is up to date.
