Ferries to Ireland

[saintlyjimjams]

We usually do the Cairnryan - Belfast (Stena) route, but are considering Liverpool overnight this time. Are the Liverpool ferries as hideous as everyone says now they've been upgraded? We love the Cairnryan crossing, but live at the opposite end of the country, so it's a huge drive.

Other alternative is Fishguard, but I'm assuming it's a pretty long drive to Belfast (& on up to the north coast)

I haven't done many ferry journeys but have been on the overnight Liverpool to Dublin ferry a couple of times.

It's certainly not a luxury cruise, but the cabin was clean, spacious and comfortable. The route obviously caters primarily for lorry drivers as they make up 90%+ of travellers but there has always been a few people in cars

You got a free evening meal and breakfast (adequate, nothing special), and alcohol could be purchased reasonably cheaply (I seem to remember that you could get a bottle of wine for a fiver).

Worst thing was that they knock on your cabin door at about 4.15 am as they want everyone in their vehicles, ready to disembark at about 5 or 5.30 am. It is very impressive to sit on the car deck and watch the lorries parking up, inches away from each other and reversing up and down the ramps that are hardly bigger than them.

It doesn't sound as hideous as I thought it might be! Thank you.

What about Holyhead-Dublin? It's max two hours past Liverpool to Holyhead (and all dual carriageway), then the fast ferry crosses in under two hours and you could be in Belfast in another 2. Might work out quicker overall.

DBoyfriend and I get the Liverpool ferry every few months to go see his parents. The cabins are nice enough, they've been tidied up a bit and the beds are comfortable. I'd imagine they'd be a bit of a squeeze for a family but nothing dramatic. Whatever you do, don't try and get away without a cabin, it's just not nice. And it's nice not having to use the main toilets which can sometimes be a bit grim. The staff are also the friendliest people ever, although DBoyfriend says all Liverpudlians are like that!

Holyhead won't work as we can't get a cabin on the sea cat & iirc the timings don't work well on the other bigger ferry (actually will check thinking about it, in case the ships have changed - our last Holyhead trip was one of the worst two hours of my life though & I swore never again!)

Yes we'd definitely get a cabin. We're leaving ds2 & ds3 at home so it shouldn't be too bad. We always get a huge cabin on the Cairnryan trip :)

Thanks btw!

Oh the sea cat has gone & there are superfast ferries with cabins from Holyhead now, hmmmmm

I'm still quite tempted by the Liverpool route, but am worried about it being a vomit bucket!

Is that right? I think you were right the first time. It has "club class" but not individual cabins. The Irish Ferries one anyway.

Oh maybe the sea cat is still there (is it irish ferries? their webpage won't open).

And I see there's an HSS from Holyhead now as well - think we'd prefer the cabin though (used to do the HSS from stranraer)