Irish Ferries has informed customers that the W.B. Yeats sailings scheduled to depart Dublin for Cherbourg at 16:30 on 20 and 21 September have been cancelled for “operational” reasons. The company posted the notice on its Sailing Updates portal on the morning of 19 September and is offering affected passengers re-routing via the earlier 19 September crossing or an over-landbridge option through the UK at no additional cost. The cancellations coincide with high freight demand linked to the autumn export season. Freight forwarders holding time-sensitive pharmaceutical and agri-food loads face potential delivery penalties on the continent. Shippers are scrambling for space on Brittany Ferries’ Cork–Roscoff service or re-booking onto Stena Line’s Rosslare–Cherbourg route, both of which are reporting limited availability. For leisure travellers, alternative sailings mean either departing a day earlier or adding up to six hours of driving if opting for the Dublin–Holyhead ferry and UK landbridge. Irish Ferries says full refunds are available, but consumer groups have reminded passengers to claim meals and hotel costs under EU Regulation 1177/2010 on maritime passenger rights if overnight delays occur. The incident revives industry debate about capacity constraints on direct Ireland–France corridors, which have grown in popularity since Brexit customs checks were re-introduced on UK landbridge routes. The National Transport Authority is expected to raise the issue at next week’s stakeholder forum on post-Brexit connectivity. Corporate mobility planners with assignees or project teams booked on the affected crossings should confirm revised itineraries and ensure Schengen-area car-insurance green cards remain valid for any UK detours. HR teams are also advised to check that non-EU staff hold UK Electronic Travel Authorisations if the landbridge option is chosen.
Source: Irish Ferries Sailing Updates
