Perhaps it will make the OP feel better to know that P&O Ferries have picked up the Britsh Travel Awards award for best Ferry Operator for the 11th consecutive year. They also picked up the award for best booking website somehow! Having tried to make a booking through this website in the past I'm astounded to be quite frank. Irish Ferries and Stena don't have perfect sites, but at least you can usually book what you want first time and don't have to ring up to use a special offer code because the website can't deal with such complexity!
Although it's a public vote, I note one of the 'partners' is P&O Ferries
https://www.britishtravelawards.com/partnersandsponsorsmessages.php#26 
. I'm not saying that rigs a public vote, but I don't think anyone else actively promotes their participation in these particular awards as much as P&O who even had a dedicated page on their website here
www.poferries.com/en/vote-for-us-again which seems to have been taken down in the past few hours . Perhaps Irish Ferries win the aforementioned award for the same reason - it's almost a one horse race as nobody else puts effort behind winning this particular 'accolade'?
I'm reminded of one of those Gordon Ramsay programs where he goes to an Indian restaurant which has won the British Curry Award x amount of times and proudly displays it in their window. After some investigation he discovers that there is only ever one entrant in this particular British Curry Award as its something the owner made up! Obviously I'm not saying this is the case with Irish Ferries, P&O, or anyone else for that matter but it does make you think about how easily we take claims and accolades at face value!
