Cruising with dogs

Jim Curry sighed sadly as he looked up at the grand ship he had called home for the last twenty years. The Queen Mary was the only ocean-going liner on the seas; the rest of the ships, many of them far bigger, were cruise ships. The Queen Mary 2 was built to weather the rough storms of the Atlantic between Southampton and New York, although the weather forecast had put the seas at calm for the next couple of weeks, for his final double crossing.

This was to be his last trip, going to New York as kennel master and then back as a guest in a complimentary Queen’s grill suite, a thank you from the company. He was then taking a well-earned retirement to the little cottage he brought with his substantial savings from his sideline. The cottage had land that went with it, and he had plans to develop it along similar lines to the role he had carried out for the last couple of decades.

The Queen Mary 2 was unique in other ways, one of them being that it was the only ship at sea that boasted having onboard kennels. The rich transatlantic travellers would pay fortunes for their dogs to be looked after while they dined in luxury in the elegant wood-panelled dining rooms.

Jim smoothed his red kennel master uniform that he would only wear on boarding and disembarkation day, and saw another similarly clad steward waving to him. This was his replacement, Mary Jones, and he would spend the next 7 days handing over to her, leaving her in charge for the return trip.

He recalled her shocked face when he interviewed her for the job and explained what happened and how he made money videoing the owners with their pets. When he showed her a few clips with their pixelated faces, she watched open-mouthed, but clearly sexually excited.

There were 24 kennels on Deck 12 with lots of space to play and a dedicated owner’s lounge. Each kennel was large enough to hold an approximately 25-pound dog, and the kennel walls can be opened so a larger dog can fit into two kennels. He knew there were going to be 18 dogs according to the loading configuration, and once he boarded, he would know the configuration for the return journey. Many of the owners would spend hours in the kennels with their pets, as taking them to their cabins was strictly prohibited. They would chat with other owners either in the lounge or, if the weather was nice, in the dedicated outside area that was sealed off from the rest of the ship.

The role of the kennel master was not only to care for the dogs' well-being by feeding and watering them, but to ensure that they were exercised. There were set hours when the owners could visit, displayed on the electronic door that only certain staff could open, but by 8:30 in the evening, the dogs were all in their cages for the night. The kennel master’s cabin was located within the kennel complex, which meant that Mary would be using a cabin elsewhere on the ship. For the return leg, she would inhabit his quarters, well, technically they would become her quarters from there on in.

Jim had developed a good eye for spotting the signs of the likelihood of any after-hours visitors. First, he would scour the manifest of the dogs to see if they were still intact. The sex and sexual condition had to be noted on the check-in form, as any intact male dogs had to be kept away from any female dogs. He would then observe the way the owners greeted their dogs and interacted with them.

Some would gush and fuss over their dogs in a display of affection like they were their natural children. Others would be more respectful around the dog like they were good friends or even lovers, which more often than not they were. Some of them were regulars, and a knowing smile would take place often with a whispered date and time before they left.

Jim had spotted at least one possible as well as one of his regular passengers, and he was about to approach the possible when Lady Aston greeted Jim with a beaming smile.

“Ah, Jim, so good to see you, I heard tell you were leaving us.”

“This is my last working crossing,” Jim said sadly, “And this lovely young lady is my replacement.”

Mary blushed as Jim pushed her forward so she could curtsey and take Lady Aston’s proffered hand.

“Delighted to meet you, your Ladyship.”

“Has Jim fully briefed you on our arrangements for the care of Bruno?” Lady Aston said, referring to her 4-year-old black Labrador who was eagerly sniffing every available nook and cranny.

“Not yet, your ladyship,” Jim interjected, “but I will ensure Mary becomes fully acquainted before the voyages are over.”

“Excellent Jim, I knew I could rely on you.” Then she leant forward and whispered in Mary’s ear, making her blush bright red and her mouth fall open in shock. Laughing lightly, she blew a kiss to Bruno, then, turning to Jim, she said quietly out of earshot, “I will be here at 11…normal arrangements.”

“What did she say to you?” Jim said to a still stunned Mary.

“She said that Bruno has the most wonderful cock,” Mary stammered.

“Well, she is right there,” Jim laughed, “and you will be able to confirm that yourself if you are here at 11 tonight.”

Jim smiled as he remembered the first time, nearly 30 years ago, he had witnessed his first after-hours visitor. His first had been a then much younger Lady Aston, accompanied by her late husband.