Dog-friendly Travel on Irish Ferries’ Ulysses (Holyhead to Dublin)

The Emerald Isle has long been a place we wanted to revisit. The last time we were in Ireland was a good 15 years ago, long before the children came along. We never got to Dublin during that trip, so wanted to this time. We also wanted to venture into Northern Ireland, to tick off a Bucket List item (Giants Causeway), and to visit Titanic Belfast. Travelling by ferry meant we could drive, and take our dogs along on the adventure too. When Irish Ferries invited us to travel on their Ulysses ferry between Holyhead and Dublin, we were quick to say yes. The ship crossing times worked well for us, and Ulysses has proper on-board kennel facilities for Jack and Izzy – a ‘must’ for us as we don’t like leaving them in the car.

Loading at Holyhead

We left home shortly after the children finished school, as our drive to Holyhead on the island of Anglesey was a good 5 hours (and that was assuming no traffic). Luckily the journey was straightforward and even with two stops on the way, we reached the small port of Holyhead with 2 hours to spare. This was a great opportunity to get the dogs out the car for a leg stretch.

Our outward journey was upgraded to Club Class, as we were travelling through the night and needed sleep. One of the perks of this is Priority Boarding – very useful when travelling with the dogs. Loading on to Irish Ferries’ Ulysses vessel was effortless, and we were soon parked up in line. Close by we spotted the large ‘kennels’ sign, so we didn’t have far to carry the pet bedding!

The Kennels

The Kennels on Ulysses were located on car deck 7, near the Emerald staircase. They had large kennels that were perfect for both Jack and Izzy to share, and some smaller kennels above.

The kennels on board Ulysses

There’s a door to the kennels, shielding them from any noises from the vehicles (alarms etc). We took the bedding from the travelling crate in the car boot, along with a water bowl, water and a good handful of Winalot Shapes; an attempt to make their kennel a temporary home from home!

Jack and Izzy settling into their cabin for 4 hours

On the outward journey, two other dogs travelled in the kennels – the excited collie in the kennel next to Jack and Izzy looked like he wanted to start a party!

The actual kennel is closed with a sliding bolt. For peace of mind you attach a small padlock (like a suitcase one), so no one else can open the door; these can be borrowed from the Customer Services/Reception desk (there is a €5/£5 deposit for one – so perhaps best to take your own, especially if a frequent traveller).

The kennel door closure

A sign does say that you need to secure the kennel door with a lock.

Sign on kennel door

Having settled the dogs for the 4-hour crossing, we headed upstairs to the Club Class area on Deck 11.

Travelling to Ireland (Europe) from the UK

Both Jack and Izzy have Pet Passports. Under current laws this is all that is required to take them into Europe and back to the UK. As well as having an up-to-date pet passport, when you travel with pets into mainland Europe you also need to arrange a veterinary appointment before you can return back to the UK. Rather than going into details here, last summer we posted an article titled “UK Pet Passport: Everything You Need to Know, From Our Experience” … this will tell you all you need to know.

** THE ABOVE ASSUMES BREXIT DOESN’T HAPPEN – if it does, then the rules will change, and no one knows what will happen.**

Jack and Izzy’s passports

However … Travelling between the UK and Ireland isn’t as strict as travelling between the UK and mainland Europe. At no point were the dogs’ passports requested or checked, nor is it a requirement to see a vet before returning home. We feel safer with them having the passports though, for peace of mind, as we are taking the dogs out of the UK after all.

The Outward Crossing

Travelling in Club Class on the outward journey meant we had use of an exclusive lounge.

Club Class lounge

Here you could get complimentary snacks, biscuits, coffee, drinks and pastries, newspapers/magazines and wifi … and there was space to relax.

Complimentary snacks in the Club Class lounge

Lots of complimentary beverage options

There were bench seats where you could get some sleep if you wished (many did). Club Class also brings a 25% discount in the shop for items such as wine, spirits and beer.

The crossing was smooth and event free. We managed to get some sleep. However, prior to sleeping we did take a walk around Ulysses, and found passengers hunkered down everywhere trying to get some sleep. It is recommended for night crossings to upgrade to a cabin or Club Class if you can!

Facilities on Ulysses

Our outward journey was predominantly focussed on getting some sleep. We took a walk around the ship, but didn’t make use of any facilities other than the Club Lounge. I did take some photos though!

So here’s a pictorial walk-through Ulysses, Irish Ferries’ large luxury ferry …

Gallery seating area, looking down into the Duty Free shop

Shop on board Irish Ferries’ Ulysses

Lots of gift options in the shop

Ulysses has a two-screen cinema on board

Cinema price list

Cafe Lafayette

Lots of seating in Cafe Lafayette

Boylans Brasserie

The main lounge, where we sat on our return crossing

Also – there are children’s play areas. These areas were very popular on both legs of the journey, so unfortunately, I couldn’t take any photos. However, we did spot a Silly Milly amusements area … we call our Millie silly often, but she doesn’t like it!

The Return Crossing

The loading at Dublin was trouble free. We approached Dublin from the north, following signs to the ferry terminal. We definitely recommend using the toll tunnel to get into the port as it’s a lot less trouble (and is quick).

On the return journey we didn’t have Club Class tickets, so travelled in the standard lounge. But we did travel on Ulysses again. A hot breakfast and snacks were available if you wanted them, at a reasonable cost. Having been self-catering all week, we had lots of snack food left, so we took some of these on board. Many people we sat with did the same, especially those with children.

Our seating for the return journey was right at the front of the ship – long padded seating looking out at the sea ahead. For most of the journey we simply stared out the window, admiring the flat calm sea, or we played cards!

Playing with our new ‘Guinness’ cards on the return journey

It was a very relaxing crossing. We even had a little doze!

The Offloading

In what felt like no time at all we were being told to return to our vehicles. We headed to the Emerald staircase to go down to the kennels. Both dogs had clearly just woken up; they had probably heard people on the staircase outside. Both dogs had a stretch and were happy to see us. They seemed content. An attendant was there to retrieve our rented padlock and to return our €5 deposit.

Offloading Ulysses was swift and efficient. Once on dry land there was a little traffic in Holyhead because of the volume of vehicles hitting the small roads all at once. But we were soon back on the main road heading for the bridge and Bangor.

Final Thoughts

We had a fabulous week in Ireland, and were blessed with decent weather. The ferry crossings were totally stressless … they left on time and loading/unloading was done quickly and efficiently. The Ulysses is a lovely ferry – there’s plenty to do for the 4-hour crossing, or you can just relax and admire the view if you are lucky enough to get a flat-calm sea like we were. The kennel facility was a huge plus point for us; they were clean and plentiful. You can book them in advance – so safe in the knowledge there will definitely be space available. The dogs also travel free … (whereas Eurotunnel to France costs £17.50 per dog, each way).

The only thing I would change for our next crossing; I would book a cabin on Ulysses for the outward route, and maybe Club Class for the return. The outward journey was in the middle of the night and all we wanted to do was sleep … being able to lie flat on a cabin bed would have made the task a little easier (especially for the children). But we were still comfortable, and that’s what matters the most. And the dogs were happy!

Disclaimer

Irish Ferries gifted us our crossing on their Ulysses vessel in return for an honest review, which this is. We have not been influenced in any way. For more information on Irish Ferries, please visit their homepage.