The new fast ferry which will run between Rochester, NY and Toronto, Ontario arrived this morning in Rochester and it is AMAZING. It is absolutely gorgeous, and HUGE! It looks like a lot of fun. We'll go on this summer over to Toronto and maybe tour University of Toronto and see a baseball game.

Quick question

Does the ferry take cars or just people??

It takes cars, trucks, bikes, and/or people.

Here are a couple of web sites:

http://www.catsfastferry.com/Index.asp

http://www.portofrochester.com/home.htm

Thanks - we're planning a trip to Toronto and it would be easier to go through Rochester.

Why do I sense Weenie works for the ferry system or Rochester's tourism board. This is the second or third time this poster has plastered both the U.S. and Canada boards with raves (and websites) about this ferry.

Well - EXCUSE ME!!! Mike T. Seems to me a few people might be interested!

As a matter of fact I'm self employed. You may visit my web site at completemembershipservices.com.

I did find it strange that someone who seems to have not yet actually taken a ride on the ferry was singing its praises. I guess by the same standard I could tell you how great the Queen Mary 2 is...

And it is about the third or fourth time she has posted about this same ferry. It's just odd.

Ummm.....not to be naive or anything, but it's not like this is weenie57's first topic. Seems to me that weenie has posted quite a bit on this board.

Just my 2 cents.

Well, how could I have taken a ride on it yet? It hasn't even started service yet! The Queen Mary has also had quite a bit of publicity - Oh why am I even bothering with this? I just thought I was being helpful.

Ya' know, common courtesy would really dictate that somebody like Mike T., if he was interested, would simply ask, "Do you work for the ferry?" Only on the internet would someone feel free to be so rude for no apparent reason.

Also, I was thinking that maybe a few people might be interested in slightly off the beaten track travel ideas. I mean we more than thoroughly cover Las Vegas, Hawaii, and NYC, etc. Do you accuse posters of working for their tourism boards?

OK, I'll just go away and everybody can be happy.

Good heavens, calm down. I am sorry to have questioned your intentions.

This vessel came through Hawai`i on it's way to Canada -- and here on Kaua`i, the public was allowed to board and tour (because this same company plans to operate 2 inter-island ferries here, starting in 2006).

We took the tour, along with a few thousand of our closest friends. 8-) Beautiful, beautiful ship!!

We've been told that fares will be half the cost of inter-island airfares. Wu-huuuu!

And no, I don't work for the cruise line.

Those cat fast ferries are fine but try to take one in a rough weather. Be prepare for everyone around you getting sick. It was awful.

I'm glad the fares will be cheaper in Hawaii (just returned by the way). My husband is jazzed about taking The Breeze (funny no one calls it that and somebody won a lifetime pass for the name) and we probably will for our anniversary this year. I think the fares are high especially if you take your car and it still takes three hours. With one ferry I don't know how easy it will be to get back and forth in one day especially if the ball game goes into extra innings!! I was a bit concerned about sea sickness after I heard that the temp is controlled to be cool to prevent that. I thought big ships were better for that. I know the smaller ferry between San Francisco and Valleo is fine but a small boat on Lake Ontario is murder.

The website says it's a 2.5 hr. trip. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the trip from Rochester to Toronto by car on land a 3 hr. trip?

OK but the ferry is at least 1/2 hour from Rochester,(50 min from me) and at $28 one way for one person w/out a car I don't get the savings. I know when I drive the three hours I'm in Toronto not on an unfinished temporary terminal site.

Wow, that was sort of my point -- that driving doesn't take that much longer than the ferry -- and if it's 1/2 hr. to the ferry slip, then it comes out just about even.

I'm sure it's a fun ferry IF the lake waters are calm. But it's just not that bad of a drive and, if you want, you can stop and take in the Falls along the way (or not).