4
Pretty good access on fast ferry crossing from Dublin to Holyhead
On our return journey from Dublin to Holyhead, we chose a 2 hr 15 mins fast ferry crossing on the Dublin Swift rather than one of the larger vessels that takes 3 hr 15 mins. The ship is a lot smaller and you can't book a cabin, but the crossing was smooth and the access was fine.
In Dublin port, the Irish Ferries terminal was largely still closed due to Covid, but the loos were open and the accessible one wasn't bad. On the ship itself, the crew directed us to park our car near the lift up to the passenger decks, and then one of them came with me to operate the lift (I think this is to stop people who don't need the lift from using it and making wheelchair users and people with babies wait). This arrangement worked fine, and a crew member appeared promptly to operate the lift again when I needed to get back down to the vehicle deck at the end of the crossing.
During the crossing, the cafe and shop were pretty limited in what they had to offer, but getting around on my small scooter was fine, and there was one decent sized accessible loo.
Something to note when you're booking this ferry is that it only has two slots available for wheelchair users, which I believe is due to evacuation requirements, so get in early with your booking at busy times of year. The larger slow ferries have more wheelchair slots as well as cabins available. I believe this information is true of both the main ferry operators on this route: Irish Ferries and Stena Line.
On our return journey from Dublin to Holyhead, we chose a 2 hr 15 mins fast ferry crossing on the Dublin Swift rather than one of the larger vessels that takes 3 hr 15 mins. The ship is a lot smaller and you can't book a cabin, but the crossing was smooth and the access was fine.
In Dublin port, the Irish Ferries terminal was largely still closed due to Covid, but the loos were open and the accessible one wasn't bad. On the ship itself, the crew directed us to park our car near the lift up to the passenger decks, and then one of them came with me to operate the lift (I think this is to stop people who don't need the lift from using it and making wheelchair users and people with babies wait). This arrangement worked fine, and a crew member appeared promptly to operate the lift again when I needed to get back down to the vehicle deck at the end of the crossing.
During the crossing, the cafe and shop were pretty limited in what they had to offer, but getting around on my small scooter was fine, and there was one decent sized accessible loo.
Something to note when you're booking this ferry is that it only has two slots available for wheelchair users, which I believe is due to evacuation requirements, so get in early with your booking at busy times of year. The larger slow ferries have more wheelchair slots as well as cabins available. I believe this information is true of both the main ferry operators on this route: Irish Ferries and Stena Line.
For additional detailed accessibility information, please contact: info@irishferries.com
