First-hand ferry reviews
June 9, 2026
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First-hand ferry reviews
Real crossings, honest notes
Boarding, cabins, food, kids’ corners, car decks, port moments and the small things you only notice once you are actually on board.
Real ferry crossings, not brochure fluff
A ferry crossing is never just the bit between two ports. It starts with the drive to the terminal, the check-in lane, the waiting, the slow shuffle onto the car deck and that moment when you finally walk upstairs and think: right, this is the trip now.
In our first-hand ferry reviews, we write about crossings we have actually taken ourselves. Not polished brochure text, but real route notes from the traveller’s side of the ramp: the ports, the ships, the cabins, the food, the kids’ areas, the dog set-up, the car decks and the bits you would never pick up from a timetable alone.
What we look for on board
- Boarding and port flow: how easy the terminal, check-in and car deck feel in real life.
- Cabins and comfort: whether a cabin, lounge or seat is actually worth booking.
- Food, decks and atmosphere: the small things that make the crossing feel relaxed, functional or a bit flat.
- Families, dogs and vehicles: how the route works with kids, pets, roof boxes, campervans or a packed car.
- Would we choose it again? the simple question at the end of every crossing.
Start with the crossing you are considering
UK to France
Dover-Calais, Saint-Malo-Portsmouth, Portsmouth-Cherbourg and the routes where the ferry can feel like the start of the holiday.
Dover-Calais experience →
Saint-Malo-Portsmouth →
Portsmouth-Cherbourg →
UK to the Netherlands
Harwich, Hull and Newcastle all work very differently. We look at cabins, night crossings, rail links and whether the route fits your starting point.
Harwich-Hook Rail & Sail →
Hull-Rotterdam →
Newcastle-Amsterdam →
Ireland and other routes
Fast ferries, regular ferries, cabins, club lounges and the practical details that make one route easier than another.
Holyhead-Dublin experience →
Cabins and upgrades →
Travelling with dogs →
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Why these reviews are useful
Most ferry pages tell you the crossing time, the operator and the port pair. That is useful, but it does not answer the questions you often have before booking: is the cabin worth it, is the food decent, can children move around, does boarding feel smooth, and does the route still make sense once you include the drive before and after the ferry?
We are not trying to make every ferry sound amazing. Some crossings are brilliant because they are fast. Some are better because they save a long drive. Some are worth it for the cabin, the slower rhythm or the feeling that the holiday has already started on board. Others are fine, but only if the route really fits your trip.
Still choosing between crossings?
First-hand reviews help you understand what a ferry feels like. For the bigger route choice, start with our UK route chooser.
