stena superfast viii

My wife and I and 18 others traveled from Belfast to Scotland on this large ferry. We went as part of a tour and were foot passengers on the boat and were meeting a bus on the Scotland side. The day we travelled the boat was only partially filled so there was all kinds of places to sit and relax. The boat has a bar, a restaurant, shopping and a spa with steam bath and jacuzzis. It even has a mini-movie theater. My wife was able to get her nails done in the spa area and was very pleased with the quality. I was able to sit in a lounging area and catch-up on some of my emails through the ship board WIFI. Beware though the WIFI only has limited strength with no "Streaming" capabilities. The boat was clean and well maintained. The staff and crew were very helpful and pleasant. A very nice experience overall.

Well organised. Very clean. Bright modern great facilities. The extra lounge was very nice and well worth the extra £. On time and stable even in the stormy crossing we had.

fantastic service from checking in to checking out ..the staff were first class going to belfast and coming back ... lovely and clean and we had a very pleasant crossing ...we had the full breakfast and you can fill your cup as many times as you like ..wlll definately be back

We travelled to and from Belfast over the weekend using this ferry service. It was really excellent: efficient, comfortable, excellent staff throughout the vessel and whatever their role. We will certainly use this and other Stena Line ferries in the future.

We took the crossing from Scotland to Belfast by coach as a large group, the loading / unloading was very simple and little waiting time, the port / boat was easy to find both ends, what was most impressive was the boat and it's decor, facilities, food etc, it was brilliant, the layout was great, loads if really nice places to sit and relax, we eat both ways and was really impressed with the food, we had fish and chip, gourmet burger and jacket potatoes, the quality was amazing and well priced, they even had loose leaf tea, ice creams, cinema, a spa and even rooms with beds you could hire, all in all far from what I expected, extremely impressed and will be doing again.

I'm sitting in one of the deck eight public areas on Stena Superfast VIII wondering what I can say, that's positive. Given its February and there are only about thirty cars, of a potential six hundred, loaded it's comparatively quiet on board. The port staff in Cairnryan were very friendly and helpful and those on-board, seem to be similar.What strikes me though, is the fact that although this ship is called 'Superfast' from memory, the sailing time from Loch Ryan to Belfast is largely unchanged since I first started using ferries between N.I. and G.B., almost forty odd years ago.The 'Vomit Comet' was a lot faster, but that's long gone. For sure, the current ships on the route are bigger. But, this route still only gets cast off ships from other routes. I believe Superfast VII and VIII are Ex-Baltic sea ferries, leased by Stena.Everything's adequate. But, it doesn't feel like there's been much qualitative progress since I first started using Stena. This morning I had a cooked breakfast in the Taste restaurant on board. Frankly, I'm left wondering if the name of the restaurant is an 'in' joke, amongst the crew, as the one thing lacking from both the food and especially from the self service coffee machines, was taste. The coffee especially was pretty insipid. There's no value in as many free refills as you like, if the coffee is undrinkable.Last time I travelled Belfast - Cairnryan, it was on the Superfast vii and I paid a bit extra for the StenaPlus Lounge. There were so few passengers on-board this trip, that I thought paying extra was unnecessary. From memory though, the coffee in StenaPlus is a bit better, but I can't comment on the food. Is it worth paying more than £10 extra for drinkable coffee? Hardly. One minor niggle, was the fact that two out of the three faucets in the gents on deck seven wouldn't work. Not a massive issue, given a quiet crossing. But, it makes me wonder what else is faulty, behind the scenes, if something as basic as this is left undone. To sum up. Travelling Stena is just okay. It appears safe. The staff are pleasant. But, I'm left with the impression that the passengers are an inconvenience, more than being the focus of the operation. Does Stena strive for excellence? It doesn't feel like it. They'd not have to fix too many things, to really 'wow' their passengers. Sadly, I've never been 'wowed' by Stena and I doubt I ever will be. Not a lots changed in my almost forty years of travelling by ferry and I'm guessing that not a lot more will change during the next forty years.

Smooth check inPunctual departure and arrivalVery helpful staff throughout Great variety of spaces and amenities Food a bit average but better than most We will definitely take the ferry option againPlus well worth reading the history on LochRyan

We took a trip from Belfast to Glasgow for 34 pounds pp. We upgraded to Stena Plus for an additional 15 pounds each way. It was very comfortable, and enjoyable. We booked through Ulsterbus Tours, as for some reason the Stena Line kept saying the trips was sold out. I would do it again in a heart beat.

I have travelled on ferries all around the UK.The Superfast 7 and 8 are great ships. Very comfortable, well maintained, not run down. Lots of places to sit and lots of outside deck space too. I paid the supplement for the Stena Lounge - quiet, plenty of plugs, great views, free tea/coffee, snacks, fruit, wine - different food menu to rest of ship - go for the cheeseboard - huge/filling/well presented/good value. Crew could not do enough for you.Boarding was easy (foot passenger) - ship sailed and arrived on time in both directions. Although on this weekend trip the ship was quiet, I have been on when its busier too - the Stena Lounge is worth the extra few pounds.Nice cafeteria area, good shop for bits and pieces, drinks machines, coffee and tv area, ideal for a 2h15 min crossing.

The best way to travel to Scotland. Short journey, that goes in quickly with great amenities on-board.

My wife and I use this service most years when we travel to Belfast during September for dog shows. The whole experience is just fine with speedy loading and a very fast crossing which to date has always been smooth. The food on board is of a very good standard if not a bit pricey. Will always use.

We went over to Belfast from Cairnryan with our car. Great experience. Comfortable in stena plus lounge. Great food and great service. Very Friendly and Professional crew!Would highly recommend!

Travelled on a return journey on the Superfast for a long weekend in Scotland. Sailings were punctual and very comfortable - there's a great selection of seating available with no mad stampedes to find a seat - lots to occupy you for the short crossing and a good selection of food and refreshments.

We booked Stena's Rail and Sail which left by coach from Ayr Railway Station to meet the 11.30am ferry from Cairnryan - so far so good. Our printed ticket showed an onward transfer to Belfast City as I had chosen this option rather than just the option to travel to Belfast Port only. There was a local bus (no. 96) and a coach waiting when we left the terminus so we naturally headed for the coach to be told that our tickets were not valid for this particular coach. We ended up paying on the local bus as there was no "transfer". I spoke to Stena's Information desk on the return ferry as we incurred further expense on our Sunday return by having to take a taxi as there was no number 96 bus available to meet the ferry on Sunday morning. I was promised a call from Stena the following day regarding the misleading information provided. I am still waiting for them to contact me.........

I love getting the boat, and with the new one there is always seats and noone charging to get seating. It is smooth sailing, has everything you need for a crossing, staff very helpful