🛳️ Tips for Navigating Martha's Vineyard's Steamship Authority Ferry System
Islander Inside Knowledge about the Waitlist, Standby, Cancellations + More
There is a lot to learn when first navigating the Steamship Authority (especially with a car reservation), but with a few insider tips, you can make the process smoother. The suggestions below can get a bit technical at times, but hopefully you’ll learn a new strategy regardless of your experience level!
Remember: things are different for islanders versus non-islanders. If you're traveling from off-island, not all islander tips may apply.
📅 Booking and Reservation Tips
Car reservations can be difficult to get, especially if you’re booking for Summer.
Book Early: Secure your reservations as soon as they open in January, even if you don't have a specific trip planned. It gives you flexibility for changes later.
Booking Windows: In 2024, Booking windows were mid-January for Islanders, and mid-February for General Openings. Keep an eye for these dates next year.
Pick the Right Boat: If you’re looking forward to stretching out and enjoying while on the ferry be sure you pick a passenger boat if possible. Freight Boats do not have large tables or safe spaces for children to run around.
Freight Boats: M/V Gay Head, M/V Governor, M/V Katama, M/V Sankaty
Car AND Passenger Boats: M/V Island Home, M/V Martha's Vineyard, M/V Nantucket, M/V Woods Hole
Use the Waitlist: If you aren’t able to secure the reservation you want, you can join the waitlist for a different day or time. Here’s some pointers:
To use the waitlist you need to create a Steamship Authority profile
You first need to make a car reservation on a day and time you may not prefer, then add yourself to the waitlist from there.
Use Standby to Get Your Car Over: Non-residents can occasionally get their cars over using Standby, but it’s limited depending on the time of year.
For the current status of standby availability, you can check the SSA''s website. As of now, standby is sometimes unavailable depending on the day, so it's best to confirm the latest information before planning your travel
Call to Move Your Reservation Day Of: The day-of sailing Mashpee number (508- 477-7447) can help you move up in the sailing schedule on the day of travel.
Stay Persistent: Don't give up even if things seem booked! Having any reservation gives you leverage.
🚗 Navigating Arrival and Check-In
For Cars:
Arrive Early: Aim to be at the terminal at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure, if you are not on time your spot may be given to someone waiting in standby. Another perk of arriving early is that if your boat is cancelled, they reassign you to a new boat in the order that you lined up.
On non-standby days, showing up for the boat before yours can sometimes get you on earlier if space allows.
Islander Options
Preferred Reservations: Options available to islanders:
7-Day Preferred Space Reservations: These spaces go on sale 7 days before your travel date and remain on sale until the day prior to sailing. However, after three days, these spaces are also made available to wait list customers and the general public. Utilize this to avoid the stress of day-ahead bookings.
1-Day Preferred Space Reservations: These spaces go on sale the day prior to travel. At noon, any remaining spaces also become available to the general public.
Blue Line Option: As a last resort for year-rounders, the Blue Line is available in Vineyard Haven (VH) and Woods Hole. It is a resident-only standby line for 15 cars, depending on time of year.
Walk-on Travelers:
Shuttles from Parking Lot to Ferry: As you are driving to the terminal, be sure to route to the correct lot (Palmer Ave or Thomas Landers). You can find out day-of via a sign on the highway, or by checking the SSA Mobile Website for which lot is being used. It would usually be Landers in the Summer and Palmer in the Winter, but there are often exceptions and it will save you time.
Luggage: Utilize the Luggage Racks so you don’t have to bring your suitcase with you up onto the ferry. You can drop your bag on the rack, and then pick it up on the other side without having to bring your suitcases up the ramps.
Mobile Tickets: Buying a mobile roundtrip ticket will save you time waiting in terminal lines.
Bikes: You can’t bring Electric Bikes on the Parking Lot Shuttle so be sure to budget extra time to drop the bike off in Woods Hole and take the shuttle without your bike. If you’re bringing a regular bike, that can easily go on the Parking Lot Shuttle above.
🚢 Dealing with a Cancellation
A small percent of travelers will experience a cancelled boat. In that situation, you’ll need to either get your car re-booked or get a reimbursement.
Different Types of Cancellations:
Weather-Related Cancellations: During storms, trips may be halted for safety reasons. The Steamship Authority manages this by rebooking reservations in the order they were initially booked (where early booking gives you an advantage)
If you can’t get your car over, consider going as a passenger for now. Steamship will occasionally allow you to park for free for a day after your cancelled boat, and you can go as a passenger and rent a car on island or take public transportation. You can go back to retrieve your car the following day once your reservation has been rebooked.
Crew Shortages and Mechanical Issues: Occasionally, ferries may be canceled due to crew shortages or mechanical issues, requiring passengers to rebook on the next available sailing.
Missed Reservations: If you miss a reservation because a waitlist went through, and you were notified, contact SSA and own it.
Steps for Rebooking: Call the reservation line frequently and refresh the website to check for availability. Persistence is key.
Change and Cancellation Fees: Sometimes you'll need to pay a $10 change fee. It's a small price for flexibility.
How to Get a Reimbursement:
Standard Cancellations: If you need to cancel, ensure you do so at least 14 days in advance to get a full refund, minus a $10 processing fee.
Open-Ended Cancellations: In the case of cancellations after 14 day window you can call and they will leave your reservation open-ended to rebook within a year.
Storm or Operational Cancellations: If the Steamship Authority cancels due to weather or other operational issues, they typically offer refunds or the option to rebook (see above, but you may need to reach out to them if the automated rebooking time doesn’t work for you)
🏝️ Local Insider Tips
Book Passenger Tickets with Car Reservations: Makes day-of travel much easier.
Don't Lock and Leave Your Car: Car alarms on the vehicle deck can go off—best to leave it unlocked if you're not around. If you don’t know how to disengage your car alarm when you lock your car while on the ferry - leave it unlocked or stay with your vehicle.
Saturday Scramble: Try to avoid travel on Saturdays if possible.
Medical Emergencies: Paperwork may be needed, but the ferry tries its best to accommodate for off-island medical needs.
Navigating the Website: A new website and Mobile App will be coming for Steamship Authority either late 2024 or early 2025 - look out for improvements! Many options for booking are easier to work with on desktop view over mobile view, so switch accordingly. My preferences are:
Desktop View: use for booking a car reservation or any rescheduling
Mobile View: use for mobile ticket purchasing and to see parking lot info
😊 Etiquette and Attitude
Be Nice to Ticket Sellers: Don't go in stressed, angry, or entitled. A positive attitude can lead to better outcomes. Ticket sellers will go the extra mile for someone who is polite and honest.
Gratitude Matters: If they help you out of a jam (especially one you caused), show real appreciation.
Be Honest About Mistakes: If you missed your reservation or screwed up, own up to it. Don’t try to blame the staff—they can often see your reservation history and whether you were notified.
The process can be stressful, but with patience, flexibility, and a good attitude, you can navigate it successfully.
Do you have a tip that would make traveling easier? Share it in the comments!