Next year’s Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Co Limerick has already made headlines for its record-high ticket prices. The €499 price tag for daily admission is the highest ever for a European venue, costing almost twice as much as Rome’s admission in 2023.
Travel and accommodation, naturally, won’t come cheap either. “A milestone of this magnitude calls for an experience equally exceptional,” the golf tournament’s travel service says.
Enter the Oceania Marina: a 66,000-ton, 240m-long and 30m-wide cruise ship that “will grace the mouth of the majestic River Shannon for this unforgettable event”, organisers say.
The offer is more for land-dwelling golfers than seafaring sailors. Departing from Southampton in England on a Sunday, the vessel will spend only one full day at sea before docking at Foynes, Co Limerick, on Tuesday afternoon.
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Shannon Foynes Port is 30km from where the golfing tournament is to be held, so guests will rely on daily coaches to make it to the event. Guests will also have the option to join the cruise at Foynes, skipping the traditional sailing aspect of a cruise.
Organisers certainly know their passenger’s profile, with a putting green, pickleball court and croquet lawn on the top deck. Nine restaurants await, from a steakhouse grill to Parisian-style bistro.
One of the more lavish of the 615 cabins on board will cost two guests €33,900 for a 10-night stay in the Penthouse Suite. Coming in the shape of 40sq m rectangles, these rooms “are a marvel of harmonious decor and lavish finishes”, organisers say.
Comprising one main room complete with a twin bed, dining table, two seating areas, a walk-in closet and a “private teak veranda”, these cabins also offer a “marble-clad bathroom” with “an expanded shower” as well as a “dedicated concierge”.
There are cheaper options.
At €17,600 in total, two guests share one of the ship’s windowless cabins, smartly named an “inside stateroom” and described as “wonderful private sanctuaries”.
The cruise’s brochure says these cabins, which extend to just over 16sq m, “boast elegant designs and handsome furnishings that add to the serenity”, but perhaps cannot make up for the absence of natural light.
Once these guests make it above the hull, their all-inclusive experience truly kicks off: cocktail bars, casino games, observation decks and entertainment stages.
Ryder Cup Travel Services’ director of business strategy, Richard Parker, said “guests can enjoy world-class golf at Adare Manor by day, before returning to the Oceania Marina for first-class dining, all-inclusive hospitality and evening entertainment”.
“This premium experience is designed for visitors from across the island of Ireland and around the world who are seeking a truly memorable way to be part of golf’ greatest team contest,” he said.
