Never tried SailRail - a question about availability

Never done SailRail but am thinking of going next week or the week after.

I am keen to go to Belfast (never been to Northern Ireland) and was pleased that I can find a couple of places online to book.

However, the route via Glasgow (where I am meeting someone en route) has virtually no availability (one train from London available to book on perhaps 1 or 2 days a week)
I imagined this was down to capacity on the Stena. But on https://www.stenaline.co.uk/book#booking/SailingsFaresByTripType there are foot passenger places on days the SailRail is unavailable.

By contrast SailRail via Holyhead (which is ok but will mean we both travel separately) has availability everyday.

is this by design?

bakerstreet said:

Never done SailRail but am thinking of going next week or the week after.

I am keen to go to Belfast (never been to Northern Ireland) and was pleased that I can find a couple of places online to book.

However, the route via Glasgow (where I am meeting someone en route) has virtually no availability (one train from London available to book on perhaps 1 or 2 days a week)
I imagined this was down to capacity on the Stena. But on https://www.stenaline.co.uk/book#booking/SailingsFaresByTripType there are foot passenger places on days the SailRail is unavailable.

By contrast SailRail via Holyhead (which is ok but will mean we both travel separately) has availability everyday.

is this by design?

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Stena recently cut the coach connecting the station to the port to daily in each direction, still conveniently timed from Belfast to England but it does mean there is only one connecting train from London via Cairnryan, it's available everyday except Sundays not just once or twice a week though. If that train isn't convenient you may be able to purchase an anytime return from your local station at a ticket office (http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=EUS&dest=M190&grpo=1072&rte=989&ldn=1&tkt=SOR) and arrange your own transport from Ayr to Cairnryan assuming that doesn't fall foul of Break of Journey restrictions, but it's only £10 more to travel via Holyhead and you could still return via Glasgow with two singles instead of a return.

Realise that its not everybody's cup of tea but National Express do an overnight coach from London to Cairnryan for usually £24-27 including the ferry to Belfast. If moneys not the issue Id go on the overnight ferry from Birkenhead and get a cabin.

Mainline421 said:

If that train isn't convenient you may be able to purchase an anytime return from your local station at a ticket office

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Thanks for this - yes I might try from the ticket office.

Mainline421 said:

it does mean there is only one connecting train from London via Cairnryan, it's available everyday except Sundays not just once or twice a week though.

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the reason I am confused about availability is because when I try to book via Glasgow - for example- this Monday, the earliest it gives me is Wednesday and you can see from the attached screenshots the sparse offerings of the anytime tickets which look to be very restricted in number, as opposed to via Holyhead which are available everyday with no obvious signs of limitation.

(To help those using a screenreader, the images below show screenshots of the booking engine options via Glasgow and via Holyhead to demonstrate the above points. Please ask if you require more information)

Via Glasgow searching for Monday. First screen and later trains:





Versus Via Holyhead for Monday. Options available on Monday and every day of the week. with no warning of only x tickets left at this price. Screenshots show first screen and later trains.

By coincidence, Stena has a new ship on the Holyhead-Dublin run from Monday, Stena Estrid.
http://news.stenaline.co.uk/pressreleases/all-aboard-stena-estrid-to-set-sail-on-monday-2959529

A crossing time of three hours and 15 minutes will pass very quickly with a range of facilities on board for passengers to enjoy, including the ship’s spectacular Sky Bar, two Happy World children’s play areas, a relaxing Hygge reclining lounge, Stena Plus lounge, two movie lounges, bigger Truckers lounge, Taste restaurant, and a bigger better shopping experience.Described as one of the most modern ferries in the world, Stena Estridis the first of three new next generation ferries that will operate on the Irish Sea as part of a multi-million-pound investment in the region. Sister ship Stena Edda is expected to commence operations from Liverpool to Belfast this spring, with a third vessel Stena Embla to be introduced on the same route in early 2021.

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The route has had to put up with older ships since Stena took the HSS out of service, so this feels like the first major upgrade for a long time.

I'll be using the route later in the year, but I've booked EasyJet from Belfast back to Liverpool at £26 rather than fight with the long-winded ferry/bus/trains via Glasgow.

PS. A bit of searching shows that the new Stena ships are part of an order of 9 vessels being built in China, termed E-flexer ferries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Flexer-class_ferry

The E-Flexer is a class of Chinese-built Ro-Pax ferries ordered by Stena RoRo for European line service. Nine vessels of the class are on order, and upon delivery will be operated by Stena Line, Brittany Ferries, and DFDS Seaways. Stena Line are to take five vessels of the class, Brittany Ferries three (two of which will be powered by LNG), and a single vessel will go to DFDS.

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Cairnryan: If your ferry time is ok & bus connection is ok (this is the restricted part of the journey) book it at your local ticket office. The return ticket is an anytime return so you can travel on any reasonable train via Glasgow. If the ferry does not suit you can pay the extra Ayr to Stranraer & book a taxi for the short journey to Cainryan about 3 miles. (Need to check connection times) you might need to pay for another foot passenger ticket although they didn't use to be fussy about which ferry you caught)

19.30 ferry arr Belfast 21.45 poor connection: 15.25 ex Ayr arr Stranraer 16.50. £18.80 for off peak return.
Agree via Holyhead is now best journey from London.

bakerstreet said:

Thanks for this - yes I might try from the ticket office. the reason I am confused about availability is because when I try to book via Glasgow - for example- this Monday, the earliest it gives me is Wednesday and you can see from the attached screenshots the sparse offerings of the anytime tickets which look to be very restricted in number, as opposed to via Holyhead which are available everyday with no obvious signs of limitation.

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Interesting I've never heard of an anytime ticket being restricted in number, didn't even know that was possible! But yeah try a ticket office if you don't ask for reservations they may be able to sell it without generating an itinerary (probably best to avoid Avanti ran stations like Euston with their new tablet system, that probably can't).

It's the reservations for the ferry that are restricted in number. You cannot purchase the ticket (even though it's Anytime) without a reservation for the ferry.

LNW-GW Joint said:

By coincidence, Stena has a new ship on the Holyhead-Dublin run from Monday, Stena Estrid.
http://news.stenaline.co.uk/pressreleases/all-aboard-stena-estrid-to-set-sail-on-monday-2959529


The route has had to put up with older ships since Stena took the HSS out of service, so this feels like the first major upgrade for a long time.

I'll be using the route later in the year, but I've booked EasyJet from Belfast back to Liverpool at £26 rather than fight with the long-winded ferry/bus/trains via Glasgow.

PS. A bit of searching shows that the new Stena ships are part of an order of 9 vessels being built in China, termed E-flexer ferries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Flexer-class_ferry

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I wouldn't say the Stena Adventurer or Superfast X are that old anyway, I think they're newer than the HSS

cactustwirly said:

I wouldn't say the Stena Adventurer or Superfast X are that old anyway, I think they're newer than the HSS

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Yes, you're right. I haven't used the route since the HSS left and Superfast X arrived.

LNW-GW Joint said:

By coincidence, Stena has a new ship on the Holyhead-Dublin run from Monday, Stena Estrid.
http://news.stenaline.co.uk/pressreleases/all-aboard-stena-estrid-to-set-sail-on-monday-2959529


The route has had to put up with older ships since Stena took the HSS out of service, so this feels like the first major upgrade for a long time.

Click to expand...

HSS Stena explorer was 19 years old when retired, Adventurer and Superfast X are 10 years younger. Besides, the age of a ship has very little to do with the passenger experience, proper maintenance, periodic refurbishment and on-board service is far more important.

Irish Ferries Ulysees is the oldest ship on the route but many prefer her to the competition and by far the oldest ferry on the Irish Sea, Stena Europe on the Rosslare - Fishguard route at 38 years of age has a very good passenger layout and facilities.

How much of an improvement Stena Estrid will be remains to be seen and of course will be down to personal preferences as well. One improvement is it has a premium recliner lounge that Superfast X doesn't (£8 extra per trip) which is good for those who want peace and quiet, no young kids are allowed and the charge should keep most of the idiots out.

Where the new Stena ships will be a big improvement is on Belfast - Liverpool where the ships they will replace have less capacity and facilities.

Hadders said:

It's the reservations for the ferry that are restricted in number. You cannot purchase the ticket (even though it's Anytime) without a reservation for the ferry.

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I wonder how many reservations are made for the ferry and never used?
I know that you can't break your journey on these tickets but that must be almost as impossible to enforce as the Peterboro advances that commuters from the south coast use. An anytime to Glasgow from my local station is £220, off peak single is £178