Pets travelling on the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries will be allowed to bunk with their owners in designated cabins or stay in climate-controlled kennels when the new ships begin sailing from next year.

Ferry operator TT-Line chief executive Bernard Dwyer said the ships' pet-friendly facilities come after listening to passenger feedback.

"We have listened to the feedback from pet owners who want to travel with us and their pets to make sure our new ships cater for all types of pets and provide more options for owners."

Each of the two new ships will have 18 designated cabins, allowing cats and dogs to remain with their owners on the Bass Strait crossing.

There will be a designated outdoor area onboard where pets can be taken on a leash for toileting needs.

Passengers can also choose from a range of climate-controlled pet kennels.

The kennels will be located in a restricted area separate from the vehicle decks and use new technology to prevent passengers from accessing pets that do not belong to them. The area will also have CCTV video surveillance and only be accessible by crew and pet owners.

Importantly, passengers will be able to visit their pets during the journey.

But there are some constraints to the new ships' pet-friendly features.

Pets staying in cabins will not be permitted in general passenger areas, while pets travelling in kennels will be required to stay there throughout the 12-hour journey.

Owners will also need to bring their pet's own bedding.

A spokesperson for TT-Line said pricing for the pet-friendly cabins "has not ben finalised" but added "no change is expected to pricing strategy".

Current kennels off-limits to pet owners

On the existing ships, pet owners are not permitted to visit the kennels during the voyage for safety reasons.

Mr Dwyer said the new ships have been designed to "provide more options for owners".

Mr Dwyer said the company was "particularly proud of the new kennels" and "confident that passengers will be able to relax and enjoy the sailing knowing that their pet is well taken care of".

Sailing in the right direction

The safety and wellbeing of animals travelling on the existing Spirit of Tasmania vessels has been previously raised as a concern.

In 2021, a dog went missing on a sailing between Devonport and Melbourne after escaping from its kennel, sparking a petition that attracted more than 10,000 signatures calling for TT-Line to improve onboard conditions.

In 2019, a South African mastiff died onboard overnight, with the dog's owner claiming he was not advised of the death until the ferry docked the following morning.

RSPCA Tasmania has welcomed the changes to pet travel, with chief executive Andrea Dawkins applauding the new facilities as "fantastic" for not only improving animal wellbeing, but human wellbeing as well.

Ms Dawkins said she had heard from pet owners who were "very concerned about leaving their animals in the kennels previously" due to safety concerns and would often turn to the unsafe practice of leaving animals in cars.

She said the new kennels were a "much, much better way to transport animals" safely, and would benefit a lot of people and their pets.

The new replacement ferries have had a rocky start, mired by construction delays, cost blow outs, and problems with new port infrastructure.

The Spirit of Tasmania IV and V are expected to commence sailing between Geelong and Devonport in 2025.