The civilised way to cross the Irish Sea

Norfolk Line ferry

I’m sailing off to the UK tonight to head down to Kent for my special Ramsgate book-reading on Saturday.

I’ve crossed the Irish sea so many times over the past 40 years, often via Irish Ferries or my old employer Stena Line to Holyhead, but I like the Liverpool route much better. It used to be the province of the old B&I Line, then Merchant Ferries in the early noughties, and is now run by Norfolk Line (and goes to Birkenhead rather than Liverpool – cutting off an hour of harbour lock delays).

It’s so much nicer to take the longer crossing, have a cabin all the way, and arrive refreshed, and about 100 miles closer to London.

And I still miss the sea, so a few extra hours afloat doesn’t do me any harm.

Steve