MillieBear, I did say that I would let you know how we got on. We chickened out in the end I'm afraid! Unfortunately, we had to take other things into consideration, and leaving her in our usual kennels seemed the best option (Even if it was Christmas!). However, we took the opportunity to check out the kennels on board the ferry ( much better than I had been led to believe) and we also managed to chat to a lovely couple who often make the trip with their dogs and they gave us lots of helpful tips. We would feel much more relaxed about doing this in future. Thank you for your advice and interest.