Marthas Vineyard Ferry Questions
May 24th, 2015, 09:35 AM
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Marthas Vineyard Ferry Questions
Hello,
My BFF and I are taking our kids to a beach house on Martha's Vineyard for 4 nights this summer. While trying to figure out how to do a day trip to Nantucket, I have come to learn that vehicle ferries at this time of year are very difficult to come by. I am pulling my hair out of my head trying to figure out how to navigate this.
The Steamship Authority vehicle ferry has availability the day we need to check into our house in MV, but no availability at all the day we are to check out. Or the next day for that matter.
None of the other ferry companies appear to offer vehicle rates. Please help me figure this out. At this point, I am not even sure I care where the ferry gets us to. But we are suppose to be in Providence late afternoon.
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Tanya
My BFF and I are taking our kids to a beach house on Martha's Vineyard for 4 nights this summer. While trying to figure out how to do a day trip to Nantucket, I have come to learn that vehicle ferries at this time of year are very difficult to come by. I am pulling my hair out of my head trying to figure out how to navigate this.
The Steamship Authority vehicle ferry has availability the day we need to check into our house in MV, but no availability at all the day we are to check out. Or the next day for that matter.
None of the other ferry companies appear to offer vehicle rates. Please help me figure this out. At this point, I am not even sure I care where the ferry gets us to. But we are suppose to be in Providence late afternoon.
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Tanya
May 24th, 2015, 10:05 AM
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Steamship is the only ferry that carries vehicles to the Vineyard. Any thought on renting a car while on the Island instead? Or taking taxi's/mopeds around the Island? Depending on where you are staying you might not need a vehicle. Bus from TF Green to Falmouth drops you off very close to the Ferry lot, which has a bus to the actual Ferry (note Ferry lot is still a few miles away - this is not a walking proposition!).
May 24th, 2015, 10:39 AM
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Thanks for the reply capecod73.
I guess we will have to rent a vehicle... we are travelling with 4 kids under 5 so renting a car can be tricky, as we will need to travel with or rent 4 car seats as well. It isn't ideal, but I guess it is what we will have to do.
I wish the company we rented our house from mentioned this difficulty in advance to us. UGH.
I guess we will have to rent a vehicle... we are travelling with 4 kids under 5 so renting a car can be tricky, as we will need to travel with or rent 4 car seats as well. It isn't ideal, but I guess it is what we will have to do.
I wish the company we rented our house from mentioned this difficulty in advance to us. UGH.
May 24th, 2015, 11:50 AM
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With that many little people consider a car service from the airport then. You might also want to consider the ferry out of new bedford area instead of driving to Falmouth. Not sure what day you're coming in but if its a friday traffic onto the cape is brutal ( only 2 bridges onto the Cape) so the ferry from new bedford avoids that.
May 24th, 2015, 12:13 PM
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There is a seasonal high speed ferry from Quonset Point, RI to Oak Bluffs (I think). They have van service to the Q P terminal. It would solve a lot of your problems. I haven't taken it, though my cousins did.
There are daily ferries between The Vineyard and Nantucket, or you can fly in about 15 minutes, but it would be a big pain for you and no treat for the little kids.
On rereading, the QP ferry may be no help to you. You need to book a round trip on the Steamship for the day you want to go over and the first day after you need to return. Just get a round trip reservation. Don't wait until tomorrow.
Then book standby for the day you want, all sailings. You don't say when you are traveling, but there will be cancellations, and they go in order of booking. If you are booking way out, you may get one.
There may be other options, but I would need to know exact dates AND the nature of the "have to be in Providence". Airline reservations are very different from hotel or dinner reservations.
The Steamship is IT for cars.
There are daily ferries between The Vineyard and Nantucket, or you can fly in about 15 minutes, but it would be a big pain for you and no treat for the little kids.
On rereading, the QP ferry may be no help to you. You need to book a round trip on the Steamship for the day you want to go over and the first day after you need to return. Just get a round trip reservation. Don't wait until tomorrow.
Then book standby for the day you want, all sailings. You don't say when you are traveling, but there will be cancellations, and they go in order of booking. If you are booking way out, you may get one.
There may be other options, but I would need to know exact dates AND the nature of the "have to be in Providence". Airline reservations are very different from hotel or dinner reservations.
The Steamship is IT for cars.
May 24th, 2015, 12:34 PM
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We were only able to get the house in Vineyard Haven From Tuesday to Saturday...the last week of July.
Thanks for taking the time to explain things. I looked into the QP ferry, but it also doesn't take vehicles.
I have been calling Steamship all day to talk to someone about the 'standby' option, but can't get through. I will continue to try again tomorrow.
Thanks for taking the time to explain things. I looked into the QP ferry, but it also doesn't take vehicles.
I have been calling Steamship all day to talk to someone about the 'standby' option, but can't get through. I will continue to try again tomorrow.
May 24th, 2015, 02:24 PM
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Sorry, I should have told you to put yourself on the wait list for all the boats on your day, not standby.
This is explained on the reservations page of the Steamship website. Standby is where you wait with your car to get on the boat after everyone with a reservation is on. There are lots of boats from the Vineyard so you may have a chance of getting on. Remember, there are boats from both Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs, so you may be able to get one but not the other.
As a last resort, there is a standby that moves cars overnight, but if you HAVE to be in Providence, that means you will have to send the car the previous night, leaving you without a car your last day.
If you haven't talked to a person at the a Steamship by noon tomorrow, you need to go ahead and make a reservation online. You can get a refund or make a free change if things don't work out. You can call back later.
In the future, don't rent unless the owners or their brokers provide car reservations. Most rentals are for a one week minimum, so that may be why you didn't get them as part of the package.
This is explained on the reservations page of the Steamship website. Standby is where you wait with your car to get on the boat after everyone with a reservation is on. There are lots of boats from the Vineyard so you may have a chance of getting on. Remember, there are boats from both Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs, so you may be able to get one but not the other.
As a last resort, there is a standby that moves cars overnight, but if you HAVE to be in Providence, that means you will have to send the car the previous night, leaving you without a car your last day.
If you haven't talked to a person at the a Steamship by noon tomorrow, you need to go ahead and make a reservation online. You can get a refund or make a free change if things don't work out. You can call back later.
In the future, don't rent unless the owners or their brokers provide car reservations. Most rentals are for a one week minimum, so that may be why you didn't get them as part of the package.
