With a budget of £100, we went wild in the aisles on board the Stena Line Dublin to Holyhead service to see what bargains we could find
James is Belfast Live’s dedicated Political Reporter covering news and politics across Northern Ireland.
There’s a particular kind of excitement that comes with boarding a ferry. It isn’t quite the dash through an airport, nor as routine as a train ride. A ferry crossing slows you down as you step onto a floating world that carries you across the sea with time to breathe. There’s also something a little bit glamorous about stepping aboard a ferry with the promise of duty-free shopping.
Stena Line’s service between Dublin and Holyhead has been leaning into that nostalgia with special shopping trips, and I was invited along to put their prices to the test. Armed with a £100 budget, the ferry operator set me a challenge to see what I could buy and how it would stack up against the high street.
Right now, Stena Line is offering Duty-Free day trips from only £10 on the Dublin to Holyhead and Rosslare to Fishguard routes, with children over the age of three travelling for half price. This is a landing day trip where you will disembark the ferry upon arrival in Holyhead, where you can then enjoy free time there or just wait in the terminal and return on the same ship. If you’re travelling to Fishguard, you will disembark the ferry upon arrival and spend a short time in the terminal lounge before returning on the same ferry.
The first thing that struck me on board was the sheer choice. Spirits, fragrances, skincare, and even big-brand chocolate lined the shelves. Naturally, I headed straight for the alcohol section where the offers were too good to ignore.
Four one-litre bottles of spirits set me back just £40 with two Absolut Vodkas, a Bacardi and a Baileys. To put that in context, a single litre of Absolut at the supermarket can easily cost north of £20. It felt like winning straight out of the gate. In total, had we bought these items in Tesco, it would have cost £105.25, so that is a saving of £65.25 on the alcohol alone.
Next, I turned my attention to fragrances. I’ve always had a soft spot for expensive aftershaves and couldn’t resist a 100ml bottle of Bleu de Chanel aftershave lotion for £46. Again, that’s comfortably under the high street price, with it currently on offer at The Perfume Shop for £63.
When it comes to bodycare, I love Rituals and Molton Brown products and while most of their products on board were similarly prices to the high street, I picked up a Molton Brown Discovery Body Care Collection Gift Set which contained 10 mini shower gels for £13, which are perfect for travel or just to add a splash of indulgence to the bathroom. This gift set has an RRP of £21.
With a carrier bag thrown in, my total came to £99.60, compared to £189.85 on the high street. Challenge completed, with change to spare.
Of course, my basket was just a snapshot of what was available. Tobacco was a big draw for many passengers, with 250g pouches of Amber Leaf and Golden Virginia rolling tobacco priced at £70 each, while Drum came in cheaper at £50. A carton of 200 Sterling Dual cigarettes was £65. Perfume lovers had plenty to choose from too, with Gucci Bamboo at £35 and Hugo for Women at a bargain-basement £20.
It wasn’t all wins for the ferry shoppers, though. Duty-free has long been associated with giant Toblerones, but the 360g bars were £9.50 on board. At the time of sailing, Tesco had them for £6, or just £4.50 with a Clubcard. It was a reminder that while duty-free can offer excellent savings, it always pays to know your prices.
It’s also worth remembering that there are strict limits on what you can bring back. Travellers going from Ireland to the UK are allowed 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 100 cigarillos, or 250g of tobacco.
On top of that, the alcohol allowance includes 4 litres of spirits over 22% or 9 litres under 22%, plus 18 litres of wine and 42 litres of beer. Meanwhile, those making the reverse trip from the UK to Ireland face tighter rules with just 1 litre of spirits over 22% or 2 litres under 22%, plus 4 litres of wine and 16 litres of beer.
If you want to make your trip all the more luxurious, you also have the option of booking into the Stena Plus Lounge, which is a private lounge available to passengers for a small extra charge. Entry to the lounge includes complimentary snacks and refreshments, newspapers and magazines and a dedicated waiter service, or if you are searching for extra comfort, you can also book into The Hygge Lounge, which offers comfortable reclining seats, soft lighting and refreshments.
Overall, my £100 went further than I expected. The spirits alone felt like a steal, and the fragrance and Molton Brown were icing on the cake. While not every item beats the high street, the experience of shopping at sea added its own value. For anyone heading across the Irish Sea, it’s worth carving out time to browse the shelves as you might just come ashore with a bag full of bargains.
To find out more about the Stena Line Duty Free shopping trips or to book, visit the Stena Line website here.
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