Irish Ferries Club Class Review

A somewhat different mode of transport to normal, but I thought it would be worth taking a look at The Irish Ferries Club Class cabin on the ‘Ulysses’ ship. My itinerary was as follows:

Departing: Holyhead, Wales, UK
Arriving: Dublin North Port, Ireland
Sailing duration: 3h30m approx.

Club Class can be selected when booking, at check-in, or onboard. I opted for the latter, which set me back €18/£16, a perfectly reasonable price, and no more than an airport lounge. The lounge itself is lovely: spacious and well-lit. It is the only cabin on the top deck, and is situated at the front of the ship. As a result, it boasts a beautiful panoramic view of the sea in front, which I found very relaxing.

The bar offers a variety of complimentary drinks and snacks. You can choose from a wide range of teas, coffees and soft drinks.

Actually, the apple juice/orange juice (I couldn’t tell which it was) was repulsive.

The food, on the other hand, leaved a lot to be desired. There were packets of biscuits, cheese and crackers, muffins, scones with ‘squirty cream’, and bruschetta with ‘squirty cheese’ and a raw tomato on top, alongside some other unidentifiable canapés. Also on offer was loose fruit and pots of jelly. A weird combination to say the least. I went for the equally weird choice of crackers, muffin, cream, olives, biscuits and Diet Coke.

Also on offer was a paid menu of meals, drinks and snacks which looked quite nice. I only grabbed a photo of the drinks/snacks side:

Also included in the complimentary offerings is free WiFi and reading material:

Though there’s free WiFi throughout the vessel, the signal and speed was far superior in the Club Class cabin, probably due to the reduced number of people trying to access it. As you can see, the reading section was pretty scarce. Unless you like heat magazine that is…

Final thoughts

To a certain extent, you get what you pay for. The drinks were for the most part fine, but the food offerings were suspect. That said, the ambiance and views make it worth the £16 in my opinion, especially given the duration of the crossing. I would not hesitate to visit again in a crowded crossing as this one was. On the other hand, on my return journey, the ship was far less crowded and I found the main cabins of the ship perfectly pleasant.

Have you traveled Irish Ferries Club Class? Would you now?

Let us know down below!