Irish Ferries Reviews 

I have very good experience with this company. More like 5 years I use only Irish Ferries.

Very friendly staff and a great overall experience
Club class was excellent
Definitely use again

We travelled in two cars. It was efficient and well managed. We won’t be using Le shuttle again that’s for sure

This was a very clean ship staff very helpful will use again

We travel regularly on the Rosslare - south Wales ferries to visit family in the west of England. Irish Ferries to Pembroke is a better option than other providers. Their Club Class is excellent and the ship is as comfortable as it can be on the Irish Sea. They normally inform us of disruptions to services.
On the down side, they don’t have a rail and sail option on the route (which would be perfectly possible), their new loyalty programme is less generous than their previous one, and their priority boarding is sometimes ignored at disembarkation of driving and if travelling as a foot passenger disembarkation is very slow.

A lesson in how to lose custom and make a poor lasting impression.

Currently waiting for a non-existent ferry, that they were happy to check us in for (we arrived the 1 hour required time before departure) but which we were then told would be an hour and a half delayed. Others here have had messages to say it is cancelled. No reason. Staff have moved us into an isolated parking zone - I guess their equivalent of a holding pen. No idea how long they will keep us in this concrete desert before allowing us to board something, perhaps today? Now the cost of Eurotunnel suddenly looks cheap. Next time.
On the plus side, once on board, breakfast was great and the staff were very friendly.

Very poor customer care service and incompetence staff, had 2 bookings Dover to Calais and Calais to Dover with the correct email confirmation and when I got to the port some staff member had changed my booking for the same day, 1 hour difference and both sales going from Dover to Calais with same car and same person, how is this even possible? Trying to contact customer care with 0 help and instead of fixing the issue I’ve only been quoted with another price. Paid for 2 crossing and only used 1, absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable.

After driving for what felt like 5 hours to the port, i was so tired. Luckily irish ferries were so kind to delay our ferry for 5 hours so i managed to get 4.5 hours worth of sleep! Would reccomend if you want to fit a quick nap in before you board!

Foot passengers are definitely second-class citizens for this company.
Got to terminal (Dublin) an hour before checkin close.
I got the distinct feeling that staff do not know what they are doing.
A 15 min wait to get through checkin (although only 6 people in front of me!), a lot of the wait was because a member of staff could not process one passenger - after 10 minutes she finally asked him to wait at one side and processed other passengers......
Then sat on transfer bus 50 yards from boat for 50 minutes...... when it finally left it was overloaded with passengers standing with their luggage. Even though there was another empty bus next to ours....!! I gathered from another delayed passenger that there were problems processing a passenger with a large instrument, who understandably did not want it being put in with "hold luggage".

Why the heck did they make many of us wait for so long when there are two buses?

Come to that why could we not walk on to the ferry, as with other companies...?

Ridiculous. Shambolic.....

Definitely will not use this company again.

With some trepidation I booked Pembroke-Rosslare return with Irish Ferries after Stena cancelled. The IF experience started badly with a two hour delay at Pembroke, allegedly due to bad weather, but our crossing was very smooth.
The club lounge is good - maybe not as comfortable as the equivalent on Stena - but overall good quality and service delivery. Return journey was good.

Dublin - Cherbourg route was on time with no hassle and ease of boarding.
Food on board in the Boylan's Brasserie was fine for evening meal (Steak and Guinness Pie) on this route although disappointed in soup selection and staff would not allow us to take desert option instead of soup (even though this was cheaper) maybe Irish Ferries should make this option. Irish Fry in the morning was cold and inedible.
Return Journey Cherbourg to Dublin was chaotic at the port leaving late then arriving into Dublin late. Disembarking the ship and getting through customs took well over an hour.
Meal deal again was bad with cold food. Definitely either bring your own food but do not take the meal deals.

Unbelievably poor service . We were stuck in the queue for 4 hrs and no one at the counter to check the tickets . The cars were stuck for hours together. Lack of staff combined with inefficiency . Do not ever try this ferry company . We will never make this mistake again.

23rd May sailing from Pembroke to Rosslare, scheduled to depart at 02:45, it’s now 06:05 and still not on board, likely to be at least a 4hr delay but no information or staff available to ask. Shocking facilities, no customer care whatsoever. Why do I have to give 1 star?

22 May 2045 sailing Ferry delay stated 3 hours Rosslare to Pembroke- no updates no information no customer service still waiting in the queue at 0030 no staff on hand to advise- surrounded by people smoking in their cars pervading smell of cigarette smoke - 0 stars would be too many

Irish Ferries cancelled 3 of our 4 sailings over a 2 month period. We booked a pet cabin as our 18 year old dog is unable to travel in kennels due to the stress and Irish Ferries provided no alternative sailings. They left us stranded in France with no way to get home with our dog. We were over £1,000 out of pocket and they refused to provide any compensation. Customer service is extremely poor. It's a disgrace that they are allowed to promote themselves as dog friendly when they can't offer the product they are promoting. I will be avoiding at all costs.

There was a one hour delay in disembarking from ferry on 08/05/26. No acknowledgement of the delay, no apology or communication of any kind from the captain or any member of staff. A total disgrace and so inconsiderate of passengers ongoing travel plans. They are becoming as bad as Ryanair - management should be ashamed of themselves!

Just came back from Ireland Ist May no problem with the ferry but there was about 500 children going to Blackpool for the football tournament it was awful running around un supervised on the deck(how dangerous) knocking into elderly people where the hell is your security there was autistic children just sat rocking with the mayhem was absolutely disgraceful everyone was complaining you should have rules if your going to have these children aboard I don't blame the children it's the parents/coaches that should of been supervising them so dam dangerous

Serious Decline in Quality – Expecting an Explanation and Compensation
I have been travelling with Irish Ferries for over 15 years, and until recently, I considered them a benchmark for quality in ferry travel. Unfortunately, my most recent journey was so disappointing that, for the first time, I am seriously questioning my loyalty.
The overall standard of service has clearly declined. Staff interactions often feel unprofessional, communication can be difficult, and the level of attentiveness and customer care is far below what this company used to represent. The sense of organisation, confidence, and genuine hospitality that once defined Irish Ferries is no longer consistently present.
A major disappointment was also our experience at Boylan’s Brasserie, where we traditionally dine and have breakfast on every trip. We usually order the onion soup and fish and chips. While the soup was acceptable, the fish was extremely disappointing. The portion size was shockingly small – to the point where even a child would struggle to be satisfied. I clearly remember the portions from previous years, and the difference is significant. If this were a complimentary meal, it might be understandable, but when paying extra, this is simply unacceptable and does not reflect fair value.
Another issue that must be highlighted is the experience when visiting my dog during the journey. Each time I went down to check on my pet, I felt constantly monitored by staff, who remained standing over me throughout the visit. The experience felt unnecessarily restrictive and uncomfortable, as if I was being supervised rather than simply allowed a few minutes of normal interaction with my own animal. It is unreasonable that a passenger cannot spend even a short, calm period with their pet without feeling pressured.
In addition, the condition of the cabin was below acceptable standards. Basic essentials such as liquid soap and shampoo were missing from the bathroom. These are not luxury items but fundamental necessities that should always be provided, especially in paid cabin accommodation.
Taken together, these issues create a very concerning picture of declining standards — in service, quality control, and overall customer experience. This is not what one expects from a company with the reputation of Irish Ferries.
As a long-standing and loyal customer, I do not simply expect an explanation — I expect a meaningful response and appropriate compensation for this experience.
If this represents the new standard, it is likely that customers like myself will begin to look elsewhere in the future.

Our crossing from Dublin to France was changed 3 times. We booked a pet friendly cabin because our dog refuses to travel in a kennel, and Irish Ferry changed us into a kennel, and changed the date of our crossing 3 times. I was offered no monetary compensation or assistance and was essentially told it is tough luck. We had to try change the the dates of our accomdoation, change annual leave dates from work, and crate train our dog in 10 days. As a veterinary surgeon myself, I would recommend any animal lover to steer clear from Irish ferries! Their kennels are dismal to say the least. Small, noisy, smelly and cold and makes me wonder if animal welfare is a thing on the ocean at all.

Trip for two. We wanted to get away for Easter so got a price from my home by train. £1060 for two on Eurostar. £660 on le shuttle or £126 with Irish ferries. Then I added club class for £50. What a coup. 1 1/2hr drive. Priority boarding meal drinks other snacks lovely lounge personal veranda. The two hours on board went so quick. Then refreshed for a 3hr drive to Paris. Total cost for trip including fuel. £326 and our own transport. I'm writing this because I feel Irish ferries deserve the respect. Well done to you. I feel that I've been given value for money and not robbed blind. Club class is a hidden gem.