We look closely at the W. B. Yeats sailing to France, from cabins and Club Class to dining, family spaces and the practical limits to know before booking.
Choosing an Ireland-France ferry is not only a question of departure time. The ship becomes part of the travel day, especially when the crossing is long enough for a cabin, a meal, a quiet lounge or a child-friendly break to affect how the trip feels.
For this review, we have focused on one specific service: the W. B. Yeats. The Irish Ferries page presents it as a broad onboard experience, with several cabin categories, named lounges, dining choices, cinema facilities, family space and sea-view areas. The question is whether that range is useful for your journey, rather than simply impressive on paper.
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What you need to know
- W. B. Yeats is the strongest Irish Ferries option in this review for a fuller Ireland-France onboard experience.
- Cabin choice runs from four-bed and accessible cabins to Deluxe and Premium suites, including a balcony suite.
- The Innisfree Club Class Lounge adds sea views, refreshments, snacks, newspapers and priority Wi-Fi, with availability and booking conditions to check.
- Boylan’s Brasserie, Café Lafayette and the Lady Gregory waiter service restaurant give the crossing more than one dining format, although the brand notes seasonal availability.
- Isle of Innisfree and Isle of Inisheer make better supporting choices when pet arrangements or a simpler cabin brief lead the decision.
W. B. Yeats makes the crossing feel like part of the trip
The main strength of the W. B. Yeats is choice. The ship page lists the Maud Gonne Bar and Lounge, the Hazel Wood Quiet Lounge, the Innisfree Club Class Lounge, the Drumcliff Promenade Deck and the Abbey and Peacock Cinema and Lounge. That gives different travellers somewhere specific to go, rather than asking everyone to make the same seat work for the whole crossing.
The brand also lists free Wi-Fi subject to terms, panoramic sea views and a cinema option. We would describe these as useful journey features, not guarantees of a silent or luxurious crossing. Availability can vary by sailing, and the site directs readers to the live booking flow and ship information for current details.
- Quiet time: the Hazel Wood Quiet Lounge and promenade deck support a slower part of the day.
- Family time: the Salley Gardens Kids Room and cinema give younger travellers separate activities.
- Personal space: a cabin or reserved seat can be more valuable than another general lounge.
That flexibility is the reason we think this is the most compelling specific service on the regional France store. It is not a promise that every passenger will use every facility. It is a booking that lets you build the day around your own priorities.
Cabin choice gives overnight travellers room to decide
The cabin menu is unusually important to this review because it changes who the service suits. The W. B. Yeats cabin range includes inside and window formats, Club cabins, family options, a wheelchair accessible cabin, a Deluxe Suite, a Deluxe Family Suite, a Premium Suite and a Premium Suite with private balcony.
The standard four-bed cabin description includes air conditioning, an ensuite shower, lower beds and pull-down bunks, with one lower bed convertible to a day sofa. The accessible cabin is described as a window cabin close to lifts, with lower-level beds and specially adapted ensuite shower facilities. Those details matter more than a generic “comfortable cabin” label when planning for family members or reduced mobility.
At the higher end, the Premium Suite pages describe a king-size bed, an adjoining lounge and a convertible sofa bed. The balcony version adds private outdoor space. The limitation is straightforward: the cost changes with cabin type, occupancy and extras, and the Lady Gregory restaurant is subject to availability. Check the live booking screen before treating any upgrade as guaranteed.
- Choose whether you need sleep, privacy, accessibility or simply a place to rest.
- Compare inside, window, Club and suite formats on the live sailing.
- Confirm occupancy, bedding and any cot conditions before paying.
Club Class and dining add comfort with conditions
The Innisfree Club Class Lounge is the clearest paid comfort decision on the ship page. Irish Ferries says it offers magnificent sea views, complimentary soft drinks, tea and coffee, snacks, newspapers and priority Wi-Fi. The page also states that it is included with Club, Deluxe and Premium cabins on the Dublin to Cherbourg route, or bookable as an upgrade with standard cabins, subject to availability.
That is a useful distinction. Club Class is not a reason to book every passenger into a premium cabin. It is better suited to readers who value a quieter base, expect to spend meaningful time onboard or want refreshments and a sea view gathered in one place. The brand’s wording around availability means the live booking flow remains the authority.
Food is similarly well spread across the ship. Boylan’s Brasserie and Café Lafayette cover casual meals, snacks and coffee, while Lady Gregory brings waiter service when open. The site also lists meal deals and notes that selected bars and restaurants can close at certain times of year. That honesty is helpful: plan around the crossing, but do not assume every venue is operating on every departure.
- Best fit for Club Class: travellers who want a dedicated lounge and onboard refreshments.
- Best fit for a cabin: families, overnight travellers and readers who need privacy or lower-level sleeping arrangements.
- Best fit for casual dining: passengers who prefer flexibility across brasserie, café and bar formats.
Family and pet details make the alternatives useful
The W. B. Yeats is the broadest choice here, but the supporting fleet pages show why a named ship can matter. Isle of Innisfree lists a dedicated Pet Den with access to an outside area, alongside standard and accessible cabins. That makes it worth checking for a reader whose first question is where a pet can settle during the crossing.
Isle of Inisheer offers two-bed and four-bed cabin formats, including a four-bed pet cabin. The page says pet cabins have air conditioning, ensuite shower facilities, bedding, television and EU sockets, with a maximum of two pets per cabin. Pet travel requirements and rules still apply, so this is a prompt to check the route conditions, not a substitute for them.
For families, the W. B. Yeats remains more persuasive because the Salley Gardens Kids Room, cinema and promenade deck give the day more texture. The limitation is that more choice can also mean more planning. Before booking, keep the decision practical:
- Match the ship and cabin to the people travelling, not just the lowest displayed fare.
- Check accessibility, pet and cabin conditions on the exact route.
- Review current sailing times, facilities and availability before payment.
Is the W. B. Yeats right for a France sailing?
For readers who want the crossing to carry some of the holiday experience, we recommend the W. B. Yeats. Its cabin range, lounge, dining, cinema and family facilities make it the most complete specific Irish Ferries service we found on the France route. It is especially well suited to families, overnight travellers and anyone who values a choice of spaces during the journey.
The honest limitation is that the choice needs checking. Cabin availability, restaurant operation, Club Class access, pet rules and the current fare all depend on the exact sailing and booking details. If you mainly need the simplest possible crossing, Isle of Innisfree or Isle of Inisheer may fit a narrower brief. For the fuller onboard day, though, the W. B. Yeats earns the closer look.
