Irish Ferries Reviews 

Check in no problem ship left on time and arrived on time. Crew very helpful and the food and drink is of a good quality.

As many other people have said I would give 0 stars if it was an option!
Possibly the worst company I have ever come across
4 crossings booked to Ireland, all cancelled and changed and delayed , customer announcements completely useless and I cannot think of a single positive
Avoid like the plague!!!

A filthy and horrible place to be for 1.5 hours. No excuse for so much dirt in one place. Do not go there hungry, as you will be disappointed by the wait to get a bite to eat. You probably will be in the queue the whole trip. Absolutely disgusting!

How can it take 80 minutes to check in at Calais? Irish Ferries blamed it on high traffic and busy passport control, which, frankly, was a blatant lie since we'd had ample opportunity to watch P&O and DFDS customers gliding through without issue. All further passport/custom checks took 40 minutes, which seemed efficient on a bank holiday Monday at the end of the school holidays. No apology, no explanation for the incredible delay. We were kindly booked onto the next ferry, 2 hours 20 minutes after the one we wanted to be on. Also, the loading personnel on board really ought to understand that driver doors open OUTWARDS - aggressively insisting I ram the car up against the railings is insane. It's lucky I am fit and mobile enough to pull the shapes I did while exiting the vehicle, I could barely open the door. Doubly frustrating because half the deck was empty, presumably because so many people missed the boat, waiting at check in. We booked with Irish Ferries because sailing times were convenient - but I would not travel with this company again.
EDIT: We accepted an apologetic email and 50% rebate on the ticket following a complaint to customer services, which was dealt with well. Irish Ferries says it will be raising the issue with the team at the port so hopefully this will improve things for other travellers.

I recently purchased club house tickets for my family (4 adults and 1 child) to access the lounge and priority car loading/unloading services on Irish Ferries. Unfortunately, our experience was marred by significant service failures.

At check-in, the clerk "Oscar Wilde" incorrectly processed our boarding pass (32953636), showing only 1 adult and 1 child instead of the 4 adults and 1 child that we had paid for. When we arrived at the club lounge, the reception staff was extremely rude and unprofessional. They shouted at my family, insisting that only 2 people were allowed entry, despite us having valid tickets for all family members.

This was deeply embarrassing, as we were made to feel like we were attempting to fraudulently access services we hadn't paid for, when in fact the error was entirely due to Irish Ferries' own check-in process. The staff's hostile attitude and public confrontation was particularly distressing with children present.

I hope Irish Ferries administration will take serious action regarding this incident. Staff training on both accurate ticket processing and professional customer service is clearly needed to prevent other families from experiencing similar treatment.

While I understand mistakes can happen, the way this situation was handled was unacceptable. I expect better service standards from Irish Ferries, especially when paying premium prices for club house services.

Avoid this company they are useless
Bought a flexi ticket paid 190 to ravel from Calais to Dover I have the booking for 15:55 got there around 15:35 they person that I dealt with sent me back and ask me to come back for 18:20 I went outside to wait got back to the same windows for 18:20 ferry with an hour in advance to find out that I can not get on that ferry and had to wait another 2 hours with an autistic child in the car , when I asked to speak to a manager and that I want my money back to buy a ticket with a different company so I can pass early the kept asking me stupid question like are you sure that you first time came to the same window and pretended that they trying to lye and trick a five years boy …today was the worse day of my life 23.08.2025 I have been traveling from Romania so I had a long journey.
Avoid this company , never had a problem with DFDS or p&o
Thank you again to the gentlemen that I have been dealt with to ruin my day.

72% one star reviews says it all. And no one accountable? Delayed 40 mins in and 50 mins out. No communication. I’d say they are the Ryanair of the sea but that’s an insult to Ryanair

If I could give this company zero stars I would.
Traveled from Dover to Calais return yesterday. My first time using Irish ferries with my family.
They have no idea how many people and vehicles are on their boats. I've never seen vehicles having to reverse out of the boat down a 400 metre ramp before.
6 hour delays, and absolutely no communication.
This will definitely be the last time I ever use Irish ferries again
Take my advice and use any other ferry operator.

This ferry rubbish all people ho working there crazy no more

Stopped us as they do not know customs regulations. 4 hour delay while we got hold of their manager. The Dover people did not know how a UK registered could go to Europe without a GMR for commercial shipping. Avoid one star is way too much.

Dear Irish Ferries Customer Service,
I am writing to raise awarness regarding an upsetting experience we had today while travelling through the France border at Calais with Irish Ferries.
When asked to provide further information regarding our dog, we were directed to French Customs at your Calais terminal. My husband approached one of the customs officers for guidance. Unfortunately, instead of offering assistance, the officer – who appeared to be of Indian origin – arrogantly laughed in his face and told us that we would not be able to travel with our dog that day.
This behaviour was extremely unprofessional and distressing, particularly as our two young children, who were already upset, were crying in the car during this exchange. We explained that our dog has been with our family for seven years, was born in the UK, is fully vaccinated, had a recent health check, and that we had travelled without issue only three weeks ago.
Thankfully, another customs officer stepped in, treated us with respect, and resolved the matter quickly. However, the unnecessary distress caused by the first officer’s behaviour left us shocked and disappointed.
We strongly feel that Irish Ferries should ensure that all staff and associated officials treat passengers with dignity and empathy, especially when families and animals are involved. The lack of professionalism shown to us on this occasion is unacceptable.

Hot food is absolutely terrible, I don’t expect them to be restaurant level food , but edible at least . Ordered some pasta with pesto but it tasted so acidic , basically overcooked pasta with ketchup. Overall ferry is okay like any other ferry but the food brings the whole experience down.

Our ferry was delayed by an hour and a half and reading these reviews, it seems to be the same with everyone. We had 1 update to say our ferry was delayed, with no reason why. When we finally got on the ferry, it was very outdated could do with modernising. Also, the bar was shut and the cafe was only serving machine coffee, which after a long drive to Dover I would’ve preferred a fresh coffee. Fine as a basic option but probably won’t use them again.

Made two trips this week, they were cheap and I am fed up with the tunnel. I was suprised, they appear to be getting the hang of things Calais-Dover.
Some of the crew could cheer up, all rather dour.
At £50 each way though at pretty short notice I cant say too much. Clean, comfortable and the food almost edible.

Shambolic crossing today . Huge queues at the bar with one person off on her break for half of the crossing , apparently .very rude and unhelpful barman in Lafayette Bar. Dirty overflowing toilets , no toilet paper , terrible food and wine and disabled toilet broken . Never again ! Complete contrast to Brittany Ferries over to the continent a few weeks ago ! 1820 crossing from Calais to Dover.

Disgusting food quality in the restaurant. The ferry was very old and tired. I will not sail with this company again.

Wow what an incompetent bunch. At the port two hours before, but the check in process was so bad we managed to miss the ferry. What a joke! Either get better systems or people. Usually use DFDS, I will be rebooking with them next time

My experience with the night shift manager on August 8-9, 2025, was appalling. Their communication style was unprofessional, aggressive, and utterly condescending, leaving me feeling belittled and disrespected. Rather than addressing the issue at hand, they bullied and coerced me into apologizing for something I didn't even do, threatening to deny me boarding if I didn't comply. This blatant abuse of authority was unacceptable, and the lack of transparency regarding my ticket price was staggering. The whole ordeal left me feeling humiliated, frustrated, and disappointed in the level of service provided.

Travelled from Pembroke to Rosslare in early August ‘25 and have to say the pet den was a welcome upgrade. For years was so stressful leaving our dog in noisy Kennels on board or last year in the car with Scores of alarms going off. Was clean, bright and very relaxing for our cavalier King Charles. Well done Irish ferries for taking care of your four legged passengers and making the experience better for owners.

Booked Irish Ferries’ new 'Pet Den' expecting an stress-free, pet-friendly option where my dog could stay with me on lead and not in a kennel. Instead, I was shouted at, humiliated, and treated with outright hostility by staff at Dublin Port.... all because my small, friendly dog (11kg, on a lead) wasn’t in a carrier.
To be clear: no carrier is required onboard, in Holyhead or on the train... only while sitting or passing through the terminal building at Dublin Port! And no they won’t provide you with one as you walk 100m through to the gangway. The entire situation is an absolute farce.
After being publicly humiliated in front of other passengers, I was eventually allowed to travel but not before being stopped again at boarding and handed a sheet of fine print in what was a final, petty power play.
Avoid Irish Ferries if you're travelling as Sail & Rail passenger with a pet. The service is nothing like what is described in their PR and you will be treated with utter contempt and humiliation