The ferry, 20.06.05

If you're taking the ferry (Irish Ferries) like we did, you should bring as much food as possible, as even for two people, food of any kind will effectively double the cost of the crossing (and if you're thinking that food on the ferry isn't exactly cheap, you'd be right). Drinks, however, are reasonably priced for Ireland.

These trips can be booked directly with Irish Ferries. Present the printed booking details at check-in at the port, and you will receive your boarding pass and be directed to the appropriate lane. Be careful to return the printed booking details; otherwise, you will likely lose your prepaid return ticket. Next, proceed through customs (it's on the way), go to the lane you were previously directed to, and wait for boarding.

When loading, make sure the moped is in the correct position (the hooks are anchored in the floor) and very close to the wall. Secure it yourself (who else is going to do it?) and then off you go on the fun search for your cabin. With nearly 2,200 cabins on board, it's quite an adventure ("No, not this staircase, the next one please").

On the way there, we were lucky; cabin 452 was en suite and located on deck 6 in the midship section. There was no engine noise, no waves crashing against the ship, and only two flights of stairs to the shop or the bar. Entertainment is provided in the bar from around 6:00 or 7:00 PM, first for the children, who are allowed to participate, and later on, there is live music.

There's always time for a stroll on deck to enjoy the view, or perhaps even to smoke a cigarette? As in Irish Ferry routepubs, smoking is obviously not permitted in the ferry's bar or restaurants.

With an 18-hour crossing, it's definitely time to get some sleep and make use of the spacious cabin. Ah yes, spacious… if we were both in the cabin and one of us needed to use the bathroom (thankfully, this cabin had one), the other couldn't stand in front of the toilet door, otherwise we had to go back out into the corridor and into the cabin in reverse order. Also, depending on the cabin layout, climbing into the upper bunk can be quite an acrobatic feat.

On the return journey, things really went wrong for us: we ended up on the lowest deck. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to get the same cabin, as the return trip was fully booked, and we were just happy to have gotten a cabin at all.

And this cabin (2250) was on deck 2 (you can't go any lower). Unfortunately, this cabin didn't have a private bathroom (a shame), but it did offer a bit more space. The upper bunk was mounted so high that it would have made a great slide in the morning. The headroom was probably barely 50 cm, if that. So, you can't always just pick the person who gets the top bunk. *lol*

Had there been a hatch, we could have "harvested" seaweed without fully extending our arms. Being so deep in the water, we could easily hear the waves at night. Kudos to cabins located higher up! But at least we could still hear the return journey.

However, we saw that there are other, more affordable "sleeping options." There's a room with fixed chairs, similar to an airplane. You can book seats there that apparently recline slightly to find a somewhat comfortable sleeping position. We don't know if it works, though. We don't know anyone who's tried it, and we'll probably pass on it.