Travellers on the Irish Sea are facing schedule turbulence today after Irish Ferries posted multiple ‘operational delay’ alerts covering its Rosslare–Pembroke and Dublin–Holyhead services. The 14:45 sailing from Pembroke is running up to 2½ hours late, while the 20:45 Rosslare departure is expected to slip by as much as three hours; check-in cut-offs have been extended accordingly. On the Dublin corridor, two departures on the fast-ferry Inisheer and the flagship Ulysses have been moved forward, leaving 45–70 minutes earlier than timetabled.
The operator has not given a technical reason but industry sources point to a short-notice crew-rostering issue linked to sickness absences. Freight hauliers warn that even marginal delays can cascade at UK ports already adjusting to the latest phase-in of post-Brexit import checks (BTOM), potentially pushing just-in-time deliveries into overtime windows.
For mobility planners the immediate impact is on corporate relocations and contractors moving household goods via accompanied van. Removals providers advise building a six-hour buffer into delivery schedules this week and confirming pet-travel pre-bookings, which are tied to specific sailings.
![Irish Ferries issues same-day delay notices on Pembroke–Rosslare and Dublin–Holyhead crossings]()
While logistics are being reshuffled, it’s also worth double-checking that everyone on the move has the correct travel documents. VisaHQ’s Ireland platform (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can fast-track visa and transit-permit applications for staff, drivers and accompanying family members crossing between Ireland and the UK, helping companies keep deployments on schedule even when ferry timetables change at short notice.
The episode underlines the need for real-time monitoring of ferry punctuality given the surge in Irish Sea traffic—up 12 % year-on-year—as businesses diversify routes away from the UK ‘land-bridge’. Companies with group moves scheduled around the 1 February rental start date should alert assignees to keep boarding passes and delay notices, which can be used to claim reimbursement under EU Passenger Rights Regulation 1177/2010.
Irish Ferries says customers booked on today’s affected sailings can transfer free of charge to alternative departures within 48 hours, subject to space. Travel managers should re-issue amended Journey Management Plans to meet corporate duty-of-care obligations.
The operator has not given a technical reason but industry sources point to a short-notice crew-rostering issue linked to sickness absences. Freight hauliers warn that even marginal delays can cascade at UK ports already adjusting to the latest phase-in of post-Brexit import checks (BTOM), potentially pushing just-in-time deliveries into overtime windows.
For mobility planners the immediate impact is on corporate relocations and contractors moving household goods via accompanied van. Removals providers advise building a six-hour buffer into delivery schedules this week and confirming pet-travel pre-bookings, which are tied to specific sailings.
While logistics are being reshuffled, it’s also worth double-checking that everyone on the move has the correct travel documents. VisaHQ’s Ireland platform (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can fast-track visa and transit-permit applications for staff, drivers and accompanying family members crossing between Ireland and the UK, helping companies keep deployments on schedule even when ferry timetables change at short notice.
The episode underlines the need for real-time monitoring of ferry punctuality given the surge in Irish Sea traffic—up 12 % year-on-year—as businesses diversify routes away from the UK ‘land-bridge’. Companies with group moves scheduled around the 1 February rental start date should alert assignees to keep boarding passes and delay notices, which can be used to claim reimbursement under EU Passenger Rights Regulation 1177/2010.
Irish Ferries says customers booked on today’s affected sailings can transfer free of charge to alternative departures within 48 hours, subject to space. Travel managers should re-issue amended Journey Management Plans to meet corporate duty-of-care obligations.
