If you're going from ireland/north Ireland to Scotland highly recommend going by ferry. It is the most comfortable way to travel you don't have to go through scanners or deal with weighing your luggage plus you can take your car with you. I guess we bought a package that allowed the lounge pass which is the most comfortable area plus all the snacks and wine lol I gather we even pay the extra to get on and off the ferry early we were the third car on and the third car off loved it. As soon as you get on head for the lounge and let the party start such a smooth stress-free way to travel. The front part has the best View and most comfortable seating options. But all the seats are comfortable it's a great way to travel. Highly recommend bringing your car because where the ferry let you off there's not a whole lot going on so it would be expensive to try to get a car from there. We made these decisions kind of late in the game so we had to turn our car back in and get a different car from a different company to take over to Scotland. So it would have been better if we'd had it more planned out but this whole trip was very thrown together had to figure it out as we went. Some of which we didn't know how long we'd want to spend in each area so the last part in Ireland was kind of up in the air needed to be flexible. I think we spent seven or eight days in Ireland / north Ireland. Pretty much went around the coast read more

See all

Our journey from Dublin to Scotland began before sunrise, we took the first departure at 9:30 am. The terminal was surprisingly large. The ship is so much fun, we had bottles of champagne, explored different levels and dared to go outside in the cold. The ride is a little over 2 hours, smooth going to Scotland and then a little choppy going back to Ireland, but it flew by so fast. My drinking buddy and I met some amazing senior citizens, danced with them and had a GREAT time, it's unforgettable. The ship is very nice, clean, comfortable and not crowded. The restaurant has pretty good Swedish meatballs, coleslaw and fish and chips. They even sell bottles of wine! The ship is well laid out and very spacious, and the WiFi was reasonable. Major plus, super friendly staff. Efficient in all aspect of the booking, check-in, boarding, sailing and departure. read more

See all

There's very little pleasure to be had on the Belfast crossing to Birkenhead. We always book a cabin, including day time, and try to sleep to be as unconscious as possible for as long as possible. Cabins are cosy, clean and the free WiFi works ok. Bloody good food would make a difference but it's not to be had and for the life of me I can't figure it out. I can only put it down to couldn't be arsed. If a French, Spanish or Italian ferry company served coffee like this and it is horrible there'd likely be justifiable civil strife. On our out and in journey it was much the same with folks who dine leaving a lot of food on the plates, so maybe they aren't hungry, if so there's a lot of not hungry people ordering food. I see it as evidence that they've just been given overpriced poor quality mostly factory prepared stuff and it's chips with everything. The tea and coffees aboard are seriously overpriced and to add insult to injury they are bloody total rubbish. I'm sure if I'd tasted worse I'd remember. It's not like me to leave a coffee or tea unfinished and it's depressing. Eight bloody hours without a decent cup of tea or coffee and nothing worth eating. The catering staff sure won't break into a sweat. I mean even a fresh, two egg, mushroom omelette is out of the question but takes minutes to make. Maybe it's another minimum wage zero hour contract situation while the shareholders holiday in Monaco and maybe the staff can rightly say I'm lucky not to spend my working day every day in these surroundings that make even Subway and Mc Donald's appealing. I do think I'd need a consultant forensic psychiatrist to help me if I had to put in a week aboard. The £380 an hour would be worth it. This shipping line across serves it purpose as a carrier from A to B. If you want good food take it aboard with you. Take tinned costa coffee even It's better than the muck aboard. I'm just annoyed I couldn't sleep for eight hours. read more

Departure was 1.5 hrs late. Restaurant not open long enough, slooooow service. Can't rate the food because the potential hour wait was not my cup o tea. Really, just a floating bus, no more. I think my expectations were a bit high. On the plus side, she didn't sink! I'd recommend the ferry for its convenience. Just don't expect much. read more

If you are in a car in Scotland and want to go to Northern Ireland or are in Northern Ireland and want to go to Scotland (my case), you have few options. The option we took was to take us and our car on the Stena Line ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan, Scotland. The port is about a 10 minute drive from downtown Belfast to the ferry terminal. From there you check in and drive your car on the boat. One point to note is that Stena wants passengers with cars to be there 1 hour prior to departure, so make sure to budget that time in. Once inside the ship, there are plenty of open spaces to sit, there is free wifi, a few massive TV's to watch, a café, as well well as a small movie theater showing kids stuff. There was also some kind of premier cabin in the front that you had to pay extra for. You can also go outside and get fresh air if you get bored. The ship is very clean throughout and the staff was friendly, too. We left on time and arrived on time, all good in my book. read more

On a bit of a whim we booked a day trip to Glasgow with Stena Line - we paid the grand total of £10 per person and this included the boat journey to Cairnryan at 6:30am, a bus to Glasgow City Centre, a bus back to Cairnryan and then the return boat at 7:30pm - pretty good value if you ask me! The whole day trip is a great idea, you get around 4 and a half hours to enjoy the sights and sounds of sunny (it was today) Glasgow. The whole process couldn't have been smoother - boarding the boat is simple - all you need is a reference number and you're good to go. Once on the boat you can either sit comfortably and look out at the Irish Sea or have some breakfast at one of the two cafes. We decided not to eat but the food looked reasonable. The bus journey was grand - it's air conditioned and comfortable. Although it was busy so make sure if you are with a large group you are prompt getting to and from it. Really can't complain at all about the whole process - it was simple and cost effective and it also proved to be a lovely change of scenery! read more

See all

A great way to get from Belfast to Scotland. I live in Seattle, and we have plenty of ferries here. This ferry is in a league of its own though. Restaurants, lounges, kids' sections, games, hotel rooms... It's like a small cruise ship. Plenty of room to spread out, doesn't feel crowded. I'd do it again in a heartbeat! read more

I was so impressed with the Stena Line - it's definitely improved since I was last on one which was about 12 years ago! The first floor is just a standard bar/restaurant area with a gift shop and a children's play area. The upstairs has a real luxurious seat area, a cinema, Xbox connect, and a living area with tv's and magazines. The Stena Line do great deals on same day return trips which includes your bus to the city centre. The two hours on the boat flew in - you'll be on and off in no time. read more

Stena Line Uk - Water Taxis Near Me - Belfast, BFS

My husband surprised me booking a cabin to sleep for a few hours while we were shipped from Belfast to Scotland it was a beautiful ride out on the ocean. The ship was like a little Vegas on water with a few shops and things to do. My cabin was older but clean, my bedroom included a private toilet with shower and TV setup. I rested! O the ship is massive to see! I will attach more pix. So so memorable. read more

Stena Line Uk - Good morning! very early super happy clean travels by ship to Scotland from Dublin. sleeping cabin was awesome! - Water Taxis Near Me - Belfast, BFS

Stena Ferry is a delightful way to travel. It's the poor man's cruise ship. Lots of space to stretch out and walk around. Enjoy the sights and sea breezes. A few different cafés to choose from. Comfortable seating. I'm writing this review as I cross the sea from Belfast in Northern Ireland to Cairnryan in Scotland. Don't plan on the WiFi connection working. (I wrote this review on the ferry. But had to post it when I was back on land and had a connection.) And inclement weather messed up their schedule. So double check that. But even so, I'm lovin' Stena ferry. A comfortable, relaxing peaceful way to travel. read more

Gorgeous Ship. The crossing from Belfast to Scotland was smooth and fast. The ship had loads of places to spread out and relax. The furniture was new and sparkling clean. Great ferry ride! read more

Travelled with Stena line on the Belfast to Cairnryan route as a foot passenger. There is a local bus which travels from Belfast city centre to the port for £2 one way.... The other alternative is taxi, I was in a bit of a rush on my return journey so I decided to get a taxi back into the city, there was a line of taxis waiting at the terminal when we disembarked at Belfast, it was only £10 for the fare. The belfast ferry terminal was comfortable, there is a small cafe offering coffee / light refreshments and plenty of seating. The boat offered a much wider range of services on board including free wifi, a bar, shops, restaurant and onboard entertainment. I only availed of the restaurant, it was a bit expensive for what you got and the choice was limited, but serves its purpose if you have been travelling all day (i had travelled up from Dublin). The journey was quite pleasant, it took just over 2 hours and we were lucky the weather was nice and the water was calm. All in all, good experience, prompt check in, very convenient for foot passengers commuting to the port and both the outward and return journey were on time read more

We traveled with a rental car between Cairnryan to Belfast and back. Prices are a bit steep taking a rental car, but we wanted to make sure we had a car while we were in Northern Ireland. Everything was pretty straightforward with traveling on the ship as long as you knew what was going on. We made sure we got to the docks with plenty of time to get on and checked in and all that jazz, but once we were on the ship we didn't do too much other than sit around and/or sleep. They have lots of different levels (like a cruise ship) where different things are happening. If you paid for extra amenities then those would be available to you or if you're a trucker then you had access to a lounge. We had basic tickets and still got to enjoy a movie in the cinema. We traveled at pretty late/early hours so we didn't have the energy to do much. Also, the ride from Cairnryan to Belfast (and vice versa) is only a bit more than a few hours. read more

Excellent service, beautiful ferries and inexpensive a rates. Food on the boat is not anything to write home about- it's sustenance only. But the lounges are well decorated and for an up charge you can get a private room, spa services, and more upscale meals. Definitely recommend as a way to cross from Belfast to Scotland. Would've given it a five star except that one steward at guest services was sort of brash and abrasive. Otherwise, staff was very nice. read more