Irish Ferries Check In Procedure (on foot)?

Fedule

I'm gonna be sailing from Dublin Port to Holyhead on Friday and I'd like to know in advance what I'm in for at the port.

0) Presumably I can tell any taxi driver in the city centre to go to Dublin Port, Irish Ferries terminal and they'll know where to go? Seems like a no-brainer but I'm just making sure.

1) Do Irish Ferries do that thing that Stena do where they put all the foot passengers on a bus and have the bus send everyone on to the ferry?

2) If there is a bus, presumably baggage is left on the bus for the crossing? If not, then what? I have some large bags that I'm OK with (say,) leaving on a bus but not OK with putting on a conveyor belt or some such

3) When's a good time to turn up if I'm getting the 0805 sailing?

4) Anything else I should know?

Thanks in advance.

BenShermin

Fedule wrote: »

0) Presumably I can tell any taxi driver in the city centre to go to Dublin Port, Irish Ferries terminal and they'll know where to go? Seems like a no-brainer but I'm just making sure.

If they don't know where The Irish Ferries Terminal is they shouldn't be a taxi driver;). If they're unfamilure with the port itself they should follow the Terminal One signs.

Fedule wrote: »

1) Do Irish Ferries do that thing that Stena do where they put all the foot passengers on a bus and have the bus send everyone on to the ferry?

For the 0805, 1430 and 2055 sailing you walk straight onto the boat from the terminal via an airbridge style gangway. Like Stena a bus is used for the 0845 sailing.

Over in Holyhead you walk through a gangway into a sub terminal where you get transfered by bus to the main terminal

Fedule wrote: »

2) If there is a bus, presumably baggage is left on the bus for the crossing? If not, then what? I have some large bags that I'm OK with (say,) leaving on a bus but not OK with putting on a conveyor belt or some such

All checked-in luggage is transfered via converor belts and a van I'm afraid, but I've had fragile items in bags before and Irish Ferries have always agreed to treating the bag in such a way that it won't get damaged. Always ask the staff, don't assume a fragile sticker will do the job.

Fedule wrote: »

3) When's a good time to turn up if I'm getting the 0805 sailing?

Around 0715 should do the job, the last time I got the 0805 they let me board at 0730, and I had a pint in my hand by 0740;).

Fedule wrote: »

4) Anything else I should know?

Enjoy the trip!

Fedule

Thanks for the answers so far! Bags might be a problem for me...

I'll be bringing three things: a very, very large suitcase, a PC in a LAN bag, and a laptop bag. The suitcase I can probably bear to part with, and if I can ask them to be careful with it and have this request actually mean something then that's awesome. The PC is more of a problem: it's not a bag that can be locked (it's not even really a bag, more of a harness), and besides, I'm REALLY not comfortable with letting it out of my sight. Laptop bag is just a laptop bag, the least of anyone's problems.

Do you think, if I ask them nicely, that they would let me bring the LAN bag and the laptop bag aboard with me?

Fedule

Apologies for the thinly-veiled bump, but I need an answer rather soon!

undo

Fedule wrote: »

Apologies for the thinly-veiled bump, but I need an answer rather soon!

Why not ring Irish Ferries and find out then?

scudzilla

Fedule wrote: »

I'm gonna be sailing from Dublin Port to Holyhead on Friday and I'd like to know in advance what I'm in for at the port.

0) Presumably I can tell any taxi driver in the city centre to go to Dublin Port, Irish Ferries terminal and they'll know where to go? Seems like a no-brainer but I'm just making sure.

1) Do Irish Ferries do that thing that Stena do where they put all the foot passengers on a bus and have the bus send everyone on to the ferry?

2) If there is a bus, presumably baggage is left on the bus for the crossing? If not, then what? I have some large bags that I'm OK with (say,) leaving on a bus but not OK with putting on a conveyor belt or some such

3) When's a good time to turn up if I'm getting the 0805 sailing?

4) Anything else I should know?

Thanks in advance.

I do this trip a lot as am from Wales and regularly pop over to see family.

0. Any decent taxi driver should know the Irish ferries terminal

1. If you're on the 08.05 ferry then you will not get a bus, the ferry is attached to the terminal building by gangplank, the 08>45 and ya get a port bus to the boat (maybe a 1 min drive)

2. Baggage will be taken from you as soon as ya check in, put a tag on it that they will give you, next time you see it will be on the carousel in Holyhead Terminal


3. Turn up at least 30 mins before you're crossing.

4. Yeah, there's 1 big thing i'd advise on. If you haven't already booked yet and are getting your ticket at the port DO NOT get the 08:05 ferry, get the 08:45 Swift sailing, it leaves 40 mins after the earlier one but will get into Holyhead 45 minutes earlier, and ya can get the earlier train ;)

As for your bags, the big suitcase will have to be checked in, the laptop bag will be fine to carry, as for the desktop, i'd say just mention it to the security guy and ya should be grand

Fedule

Well, I got my answers:

1) God bless the check in guys: I knew my bag was massively overweight (it's 33kg, stated Irish Ferries limit is 22kg), I said "this bag is almost definitely overweight", he said "ah, sure it's fine, there's no limit." I chose not to dispute this. They were understanding of the desktop too; that was all fine.

(yes, I am dragging a 33kg bag, a desktop PC and a laptop from Dublin to London)

2) The Swift wasn't much of an option for me; I'll be damned if I'm getting anything other than a direct train from Holyhead to Euston, and there doesn't seem to be one that can only be gotten when travelling on the Swift. Besides, this way I get to lounge for longer

Thanks for all the help!