Big news for anyone who’s ever crossed Bass Strait with a guilty conscience and a dog staring up at them from a kennel on the vehicle deck: Spirit of Tasmania has confirmed that pets will finally be allowed in cabins.
The catch (there’s always a small one) is that it’s not the ships currently running the Geelong–Devonport route. It’s the brand-new Spirit of Tasmania IV and V, due to start passenger sailings on 31 October 2026. But if you’re already planning a Tassie trip with your dog or cat, this changes the whole calculation.
What’s actually changing
Right now, if you sail with a pet, they travel in a kennel on the vehicle deck — or, if you’re not keen on that, locked in your own car or caravan (which Spirit itself doesn’t recommend). Either way, you and your pet spend the crossing apart.
On the new ships, that changes. Each vessel will have:
- 18 pet-friendly cabins, where dogs or cats stay in the room with their owner (up to two pets per cabin)
- 45 climate-controlled kennels in a dedicated pet area, separate from the vehicle decks, with CCTV and only-you access to your pet’s kennel during boarding and disembarkation
- An outdoor pet deck and toilet area, so cabin pets aren’t stuck inside for the whole crossing
Basically: your dog goes from “cargo” to “cabin mate.” Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s line on it was that pets are part of the family these days, and plenty of us want them along on holidays — which, if you’re reading a pet travel blog, we’re guessing you already knew.
Who gets to book a pet cabin
The pet-friendly cabins are set up for dogs and cats only, so no guinea pigs sneaking into the good room — small pets like rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and some birds are still catered for, but in the kennel area. Bedding isn’t supplied for either option, so pack their favourite blanket.
Bookings for the pet cabins are opening in stages. General cabins and recliners on the new ships are already bookable for sailings after 31 October 2026 — pet cabins are the next release, expected very soon, so if you’ve got a Tassie trip in mind for next year, it’s worth keeping an eye on the Spirit of Tasmania booking page.
Before you sail: the biosecurity bit
This part isn’t new, but it trips people up every time: if you’re bringing a dog into Tasmania, it needs to be treated for hydatid tapeworm and checked for ticks within 14 days of travel, and you’ll need to carry proof (a vet certificate, a statutory declaration, or even the packaging from the treatment) plus a signed declaration form at check-in. Sort this out before you leave, not in the terminal car park.
Our take
This is the kind of upgrade that makes the ferry crossing feel less like a logistical hurdle and more like part of the holiday. Spirit of Tasmania has safely carried more than 32,000 pets since 2018 in the current kennel-only setup — so the welfare side has always been taken seriously. Cabins just mean nobody has to spend the crossing worrying about who’s on the other side of a locked door.
If a pet-friendly Tassie trip is on the cards, now’s a good time to start planning the rest of it — accommodation, cafés and beaches included. Browse genuinely pet-friendly stays and spots around Tasmania on the Take Your Pet directory, and drop a comment below: are you booking a pet cabin the second they open?