Ep. 636 - DCL Fan Takes Cunard's Queen Mary 2 — With Her Dog — Across the Atlantic

DCL Duo Podcast: A Disney Cruise Line Fan Podcast

Brian Flock

Hobbies, Places & Travel, Society & Culture, Leisure

4.9 • 575 Ratings

🗓️ 11 March 2026

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When Laura Beck booked a transatlantic crossing on Cunard's Queen Mary 2, she wasn't chasing luxury — she was solving a very specific problem: how do you move an Old English Bulldog from the UK to the United States when cargo flights won't take her breed? The answer: the Queen Mary 2's on-board kennel facility, 20 kennels on Deck 12, and eight days at sea. In this episode: How Laura navigated the surprisingly simple (but nerve-wracking) process of getting Ruby cleared for US entry — CDC forms, vet checks, and the rabies vaccination that's technically optional but really isn't What daily life in the kennels actually looks like — visiting hours, outdoor deck time, doggy seasickness, and the kennel masters who made it work The Queen Mary 2 vs. Disney Cruise Line: a frank comparison covering ship size, dining, dress codes, service levels, and the auto-gratuity Laura removed for the first time in her cruising life The $125 behind-the-scenes ship tour — bridge, engine room, 700-portion Beef Wellington kitchen prep, and a fascinating conversation with the ship's doctor about transatlantic medical emergencies What it's like to be in your early 30s on a ship where the average passenger age is 65–70 (bridge lessons help) Laura's honest bottom line: she'd choose Cunard again for Ruby — but for a vacation sailing? Disney wins, and she now knows exactly why. "I have underestimated that... that friendliness and that personability makes such a difference." — Laura Beck Support the Show: Book your next Disney Cruise vacation with My Path Unwinding Travel Subscribe to DCL Magazineand use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off! Stay Connected with the DCL Duo: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot: Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12) The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Would I necessarily choose Kuhnaud over Disney personally?
0:03.7	No.
0:04.2	Yeah, for like a pleasure sailing without Ruby, right?
0:07.0	For a sailing of pure enjoyment, I just think that I am not the right demographic that they are aiming at.
0:13.6	And I did feel out of place.
0:16.9	Let me kind of put it that way.
0:30.1	Yeah. let me kind of put it that way. Welcome back, everybody, to this week's episode of the DCL duo podcast brought to you by my
0:35.0	Path Unwinding Travel.
0:36.8	And Sam, it's, Sam, do your jingle time.
0:38.8	Do your jingle.
0:39.8	Simply the best.
0:41.6	Better than all the rest.
0:44.1	Gosh, it's been a while since I've sang that.
0:46.3	Yeah, you can tell you're out of tune.
0:48.3	I'm a little rusty.
0:49.8	Yeah, a little rusty.
0:50.6	I need to do my, I need to do my vocal exercises.
0:54.1	Yeah. With that, jingle, it is need to do my vocal exercises. Yeah.
0:55.1	With that,
0:56.0	jingle,
0:56.5	it is time to read a listener review.
0:58.6	And since our guest today is from the UK,
	...

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