Welsh and Irish shoppers looking for duty-free bargains on booze, tobacco and more have just gotten a holiday present from Swedish ferry operator Stena, which has re-started its ‘no-landing’ runs between the two countries.
The cruises, which run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through mid-December, actually do land, at Dublin and either Holyhead or Fishguard in Wales, but most passengers are on a special rate that doesn’t require debarking the ferry.
On board, once the ship is away from territorial waters, passengers can hit the duty-free shops at discounts up to 50% off local prices in their own country. The majority are traveling to and from Wales.
The fares are as low as £10 a head or £15 for a family. The cruises previously had their hey-day in the 1990s, but once the UK joined the EU, duty-free shopping became impossible, but Brexit has brought them back.
Travelers from Wales can bring back sixteen litres of beer, four litres of wine, one litre of spirits and 200 cigarettes. Irish traavelers have the same tobacco allowance, but the booze limits are looser: 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of wine and four litres of distilled spirits.
