OPINION: I took the ferry to France for a holiday - there's one reason I wouldn't go again

Travelling with family, especially young children, can be incredibly stressful.

From packing, driving, airports, shuttles, and everything in between, getting away for a relaxing holiday seems out of reach when just leaving the house can result in 10 arguments, tears and constant running back into the house for forgotten belongings.

Last year, myself, my partner and my 18 month old were taking a long awaited trip to France, my partners home country. It was decided that we would take Irish Ferries, the WB Yeats to be exact, to get there. My partner sailed on the ferries numerous times as a child so he was eager to relive this nostalgia and travel with his own child back to France.

I had never sailed on a ferry like this so it was very exciting for me too and the thought of not having to rush through busy airports to find our gate, delayed flights, and the notion of having to walk up and down the aisle on the plane with my crying child, definitely had me sold.

We sailed from Dublin to Cherbourg with our own car and it cost us approximately €1,600 (it would cost considerable less if weren't bringing the car) with a 4 bed cabin with a window. Flights were costing a lot less but factoring in car rental and other travelling fees, the difference wasn't that significant.

The trip took around 20 hours (4pm - 11.30am).

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So was it worth it?

Getting on the ferry was a breeze; we were in the car park waiting to be beckoned to move onto the ship where we were herded into our spaces. We could then, almost immediately, get out with our essential belongings for the night ahead and make our way to the elevators to go to our room.

Staff were very friendly and eager to assist anyone that needed it. We got to our room, which was small but enough space for one night. Our little boy was very excited by this completely new environment so it definitely got us in an even better mood. 

The cabin had one circular window in the middle of four beds that could be pushed back to the wall to create more space. There was a TV on one side of the room that would be partially blocked depending on what bed you were lying in an it didn't work all that well, but it was irrelevant, we didn't board the ship to watch the TV.

We quickly put our things downs and went to explore the ship. On the main floors were a few different restaurants (some fancier than others that cost €€€), cafés, a cinema, a children's soft play area, a "casino" (I use quotes as said casino was three slot machines), a couple of bars and a duty free shop.

There was live music on the top deck welcoming the passengers and free glasses of prosecco were giving on a first come first serve basis, which rapidly disappeared, but we managed to nab one each.

Songs like Danny Boy and Irish Eyes are Smiling were being sang by two talented musicians which almost brought a tear to my eye as we slowly sailed away from Dublin Port, making the moment feel profound and patriotic...or maybe that was just the prosecco.

After about an hour you're pretty much sorted with where everything is and quickly realise, as lovely as the experience is, it's really just an airport on water.

Overpriced food and drinks were expected, but as it was the first day of our holiday and we had been saving all year, we thought "to hell with the prices", we were going to enjoy this and just not look at our bank accounts until we absolutely had to.

The ship is massive and can hold up to 1,800 passengers and over 1,000 cars, and with two floors dedicated to shared spaces with eateries and such it feels like the colossal space is a bit wasted.

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There are lots of lounge and seating areas for passengers, which is great if you're travelling alone and are immersed in a great book or podcast or simply just sitting with your own thoughts as you sail comfortably and silently...for people with kids, not so great.

The soft-play area is the smallest one I have ever seen, and unfortunately, I have been to a lot. What sounded like hundreds of kids (in reality it was probably closer to 20), falling, crying and screaming through this tiny area that was filled with one plastic slide and one, very worn, rubber see-saw, it baffled me as to why this beautiful modern ship didn't cater more for these kids, and their parents, who needed to fill this time before arriving to our destination.

The cafés served the usual staples seen in airports; pre-packaged sandwiches, muffins, purple snacks and bad coffee, all at astronomical prices. Paying for food never bothers me, in fact, it's where most of my income goes, but paying for bad food will always leave a bad taste in your mouth.

The food in the restaurants was surprisingly good, even at its crazy price, but we were delighted to get a lovely meal of fresh calamari and chips and a spicy Thai curry that left us feeling satisfied and full.

We did have a quick look at the menu at the more fancy and extravagant restaurant, The Lady Gregory, but quickly realised paying almost €70 for a steak was definitely not in our budget.

After a quick look in the duty free shop and some impulsive purchases, it was time to head back to our cabin. It was a long day so we are all happy to call it a night and truth be told, had one of the best sleeps. We all woke the next morning refreshed, excited and ready for the day ahead. 

We headed down for breakfast and had another stroll on the deck as we approached the French coastline, and before we knew it, it was time to pack up and go back to our car, ready to begin our holiday.

Coming back, the experience was pretty much the same but we were smart enough to stock up on food and snacks from the supermarket before getting back on the ship. 

The journey back definitely felt a lot longer and our wallets were much lighter. This is when I was wishing we were just hopping on a plane to be home in a matter of hours, rather than another full 20 hours travelling.

Overall the experience was good; we were able to relax a lot and enjoy the scenery as we sailed across the sea, spending time together and making lasting memories.

The one big negative thing that stuck out for us, and I'm sure a lot of other passengers would agree, was the onboard staff.

With the exception of a few, staff were rude, impatient, and it just simply felt that they didn't want to be there and it almost felt like an imposition to ask for anything, whether that was ordering food or simply asking a question.

In one particular instance, I noticed an elderly lady go up to one of the café counters to ask for an Irish coffee and it was if she had asked for something completely out of the realms of something very commonly requested at any Irish establishment.

The staff member rolled her eyes, sighed and said they didn't make them there, that the lady would have to go to the upper deck to get such a drink. The lady obviously couldn't hear what she had said so when she asked for the staff member to repeat themselves, they became visually annoyed and almost shouted her response at the lady, which obviously made her quite embarrassed and she walked away from the counter.

In another instance, it appeared two staff members were arguing over something in front of a lot of passengers who then went on to serve people in complete silence, without as much as a "thank you" or "you're welcome".

Maybe working on a ship is a stressful and an intense work environment, but when people are spending their hard earned money for probably the one trip abroad a year they can afford, they should be able to expect friendly service.

I would think twice before boarding the ship again for such a journey as it truly felt there was no indicative "Irish Welcome" that so many have become accustomed to over the years.

Irish Ferries have been contacted for a statement regarding general standards and practices for onboard staff. They responded by saying, " Irish Ferries is not in a position to provide a comment relating to a trip that was taken last summer and no further comments will be given at this time".