You may be aware that 2005 is a very special year for The Steam Packet Company as they celebrate their 175th anniversary as the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world!

On June 30th 1830, The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company was born when the brand new vessel ‘Mona’s Isle’ built at a cost of £7,250 sailed from Douglas to Liverpool on its very first sailing - 175 years ago. Since that time, the Company has adhered to its founding principles of providing a dedicated and reliable sea service for the Isle of Man and its people.

The Isle of Man has always been a fashionable and most popular resort for tourists from the adjacent isles. The Steam Packet introduced car ferries beginning with the Manx Maid in 1962 and now operates the very latest fast craft on its routes dramatically reducing travel time to and from the Island.



A year round, twice daily service to and from Heysham is operated by the Ben-my-Chree ropax vessel built for the Company in 1998 at a cost of £24 million and has recently benefited from a £1.5 million passenger accommodation extension.

Today Steam Packet Company operate services that connect the Isle of Man with their neighbours in Northern Ireland and Eire in addition to Liverpool and Heysham. They now have more passenger sailings than at any time in the previous 50 years and almost twice as many services than were offered 5 years ago.

They offer the latest in high speed sea travel by fast craft services or a more leisurely cruise across the Irish Sea in the conventional vessels, Ben-my-Chree and Lady of Mann. In addition to their passenger services they maintain a year round freight service to and from the Island, transporting everything from supermarket deliveries to hospital supplies. This regular and reliable transfer of essential supplies acts as a lifeline to the people and businesses on the Island.

GROSVENOR TRAVEL are delighted to have been tour operators to The Isle of Man and worked closely in conjunction with The Steam Packet Company for nearly 12 years . We are pleased to provide an additional facility for visitors to and from the Island, the UK, and Ireland allowing our customers to book the complete package holiday into or out from the Island. Additionally, we can arrange and operate special excursions to events, shows, shopping, sport on a regular basis to and from the Island.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO BOOKING YOU ON ANY OF THE SAILINGS FROM LIVERPOOL OR HEYSHAM AT VERY COMPETITIVE PRICES WITH OR WITHOUT A CAR. WE WILL NOT BE BEATEN ON INCLUSIVE PACKAGE PRICES. SEE OUR "SPECIAL OFFER" PAGE.

The routes which the Steam Packet Company operates are:

Isle of Man to Heysham (year-round service)

Isle of Man to Liverpool (year-round service)

Isle of Man to Belfast(seasonal service only)

Isle of Man to Dublin (seasonal service only)

A year-round service for passengers, vehicles (including coaches) and freight operates between Heysham and the Isle of Man. Twice daily services are operated by the Ben-my-Chree with a crossing time of 3 hours 30 minutes.

A year round service for passengers and vehicles operates between Liverpool and the Isle of Man. Fast craft vessels provide twice daily sailings from April to the end of October with a crossing time of 2 hours 30 minutes. In Winter a service is operated at weekends with conventional vessels replacing the fast craft (crossing time 4 hours).

Services for passengers and vehicles to Dublin and Belfast are operated by fast craft up to four times weekly between Easter and the end of September, with a crossing time to Belfast of 2 hours 45 minutes and of 2 hours 50 minutes to Dublin.

Call us today on 01704 548989 to make your telephone booking. Fax us on 01704 500789 or e-mail us here.