GF and I went to Nantucket to photograph a wedding, and this was our mode of transportation. We took a high speed (I guess the regular speed could make you die of boredom). On the way out we sat on the outside deck for as long as we could take it. I think it's fun, but the water sprays all over and it's really windy-- so GF requested that we seek shelter. On the way back we boarded early and got a table (I didn't feel bad about using the whole table for two people-- the ferry was almost empty) and we played cribbage for a while. The only other ferry I've ever been on was the Staten Island Ferry-- and this is way better than that. Oh, also-- there's a (wicked overpriced, cash only) snack bar onboard. So if you do get hungry, there's something to nosh on. read more

Took the slow ferry for 2 hours for $35 round-trip. It's not a horrible ride, just grab a seat and take a nap. Some areas of the ferry kind of smelly, but nothing disgusting. It works if you're looking for a cheap way to get to Nantucket. read more

Great way to get to Nantucket. They have parking, and if they try to get you to go another lot with a shuttle back look around and see if there are spots in the lot next to the boat, there usually are. They sell food and drinks on the boat, but you can bring whatever you want on as well. read more

just left . took 60 mins to arrive from nantucket . took 35 minutes to get out of parking lot when we were #12 in line, because outdated inefficient technology AND because the man CHRIS K was beyond incredibly rude and unprofessional . read more

I've been traveling on the Steamship Authority since the days of the Nobska. Gritty and diesel driven; wouldn't change a thing about it!

Be careful parking. My rental car got side-swiped at the Palmer Avenue Lot. Steamship has cameras everywhere - they have a video of the person who hit my car - hit the car, get out and look at it, get back in and drive away. Steamship refuses to help me by providing a copy of the video to me. Now I'm out $925 in damages to my rental car. Extremely Disappointing read more

Have to give a shout out to the people at the Hyannis port yesterday. My fiancé and I were frazzled getting back to ACK--I had to work and was under a time crunch--and bc it was midweek, could find 0 places to park. Not only did the man at the gate allow him to park in a place he probably wasn't allowed to (an employee lot) but they held the ferry 6 minutes for us! I kid you not. read more

Fine ferry. We took the high speed over to Nantucket and it was fine. The guy at the ticket counter was LESS than friendly. Like, we felt like we were in the worst DMV office on the planet. We were overly friendly and he didn't even crack a smile or say anything pleasant. We boarded the ferry and took a seat at a table. Everything looked clean and taken care of. The announcements were clear to hear, the TV was a bit loud. Major cons are the costs. The ferry is super expensive and over $400 to bring your car. I understand they don't want a lot of people driving around on the small island, but seriously, $400+?? Even bringing a bike is expensive. That was a bummer. But a rental on the island is only $60-70/day which is fine. The other terrible thing that happened was when we got back to Hyannis after the vacation and the gate was not working to leave the parking lot!! There's no phone number to call to get to the office so someone has to physically walk into the building and tell them the gate and ticket box was not working. We sat for almost 15 minutes with a line of cars behind us. Now, with this confusion, most places would credit us something for the inconvenience. If your machine isn't working...it's not our fault. Finally, someone came out and basically blamed us (the people in line) that they weren't using the machine properly. We were the second car, and had the first guy not been in a huge truck, we would have peaced out without paying. It was ridiculous. He had to manually open the box and work the gate and payment machine for each car. After he sat there and told us it's working....only for it not to work. That gets some points off. We were not happy for this to happen after such a pleasant vacation. Get your stuff together, do better on cost and maybe we'll be back. read more

They do not provide good customer service. I find the workers rude for the most part and will do nothing to help you, even if you are dragging 10 bags and in obvious need of a helping hand. Also, they never notified me of canceled boats, even if i had a reservation, until i was physically at the dock.... I wish they were better in this department since they are a lifeline to the islands. I hope my future travels with them provide a more positive experience!!! read more

The ship is very clean and the seats are comfortable as well as the cleanliness of the bathrooms,however the coffee tastes absolutely terrible,and the donuts are so dry I wouldn't be surprised if they were more than two weeks old,besides that everything is quite nice and I really enjoyed my trip both to and from Nantucket. read more

I don't know even how to begin....oh no, I know! Horrible experience! When I called to make a reservation the lady I talked to was kind, very professional and helpful. I got very embarrassed and disappointed as soon as I was driving on the boat! I asked information and they looked at me in such a way that I felt stupid so I figured things out by myself! Rudely they forced me to park in the worst spot and I was particularly confused since I was first in line since 4 pm to get on the ferry at 5:30. I decided to get there very early to be the first one to get in and the first one to get out...but, surprisingly( or maybe not?!) I was the last one to leave the boat!!!! I asked explanation since I was the first on the boat why they made me park on the side of the boat behind 6 other cars that were there( I don't know even know how?!!!Before me with no drivers) and the guy answered me so rudely and with such an attitude he said: " we do what we want and we know what we are doing!".I seriously don't know why I just answered back:" hope I'll not be the last one to leave.." And he replied with even worse attitude and aggressive look: " no you won't Sir!!"....well, well...Last famous words...thank you i was the last! Now, I wasn't in a competition to get a prize to be the first but I'm writing this just fot the principle and to be coherent with myself: Dear Sir. If you don't like your life and you don't like to deal with costumers like me that spend money to get on the ferry several times during the summer well, you should change job!!!! Definitely I will never use the Ferry anymore!!!Thank to God there are so many flights to enjoy the beautiful island avoiding ( fortunately) impolite!!! read more

Best option for getting to Nantucket, but still so frustrating having to deal with the staff. It's almost as if they found the most inefficient people on the planet and said, "Yes, we want you." read more

Incredibly rude and inappropriate service. Was traveling back from Falmouth to Wood's Hole on 8/30 6:15pm ferry. When I arrived at Oak Bluffs they explained that ferry had been moved to Vineyard Haven because of winds and that I should have received a text or e-mail. I explained that I had not and sped from Oak Bluffs to Vineyard Haven, incredibly stressed and getting there at 6:13pm. When I explain the problem and asked them to get me on the 6:15pm ferry, the employee - I wish I had his name - stated, "That's not my problem." I explained that it was his problem, and he responded that if I were rude tom him, he had it in his power to see that I was the last car to board the ship..... I would love for the CEO of Steamship Authority to respond why their employees believe the this is an acceptable response. Poor customer service. Poor training. Poor operations. read more

The ride was fine, but the passengers don't share the seats. The management gets on the loudspeakers and tells people that can't put luggage on the seat and many rude people ignore it, and you and your family have no seats. The staff should enforce the rule better. read more

Very disorganized. Their website claims that they have service from Hyannis to Martha's Vineyard, so we stood in line for 25 minutes, only to arrive at the counter and be told that they never have service to M.V. They even have signs up in the building claiming that they do have service to M.V., but they then tell you that they do not. read more

NANTUCKET HYANNIS Steamship Authority: It should be no surprise to anyone that because the Steamship is State owned and Union Run that they just don't give a Sh## about the service. Individually there are some shining stars but, the women at the ticket counter in Nantucket couldn't be worse. Never friendly, bordering on RUDE. In contrast the people in Hyannis are much much much more friendly. I know ,... I take the boat almost every day. FOOD: The food on the boats is priced like you were staying at a high end resort. Over $3.50 for a fountain coke. REALLY? Be sure to bring food with you if you go on the slow boat. The selection is the only thing worse that the quality. Apparently someone told them that everyone going to Nantucket is ultra rich, stupid with their money and they like to eat garbage. Price gouging is the name of the game. INTERNET: WIth respect to the internet .... I just don't know where to begin. They advertise free intenet but when the boat is busy it's so slow it is useless and reminiscent of the internet in the late 80's. In addition, so many sites are blocked it is foolish as to how on might have decided to make the decisions. I try to do work on the boat each day but I am CONSTANTLY confronted with clean business sites that have blocked access. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. It's like being in China. I take the slow boat so I can work for two hours in each direction but it is not possible when the boat get a little busy. I used to love this ride ,.... now I HATE IT!!!!! Why not a special discount food beverage card ( that travellers would pay for) that would give discounts to frequent travelers? Stop ripping us off. Be user friendly. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. The guys on the slow boat are generally very nice and accomodating, especially the older black guy. He's a real gentleman and a fine fellow. The guys on the ramp, not so much. TICKET PRICING: It's cheaper to buy RT day tickets on the fast ferry on-line than to buy their commuter books of 10 RT tickets. FU STEAMSHIP!! Just another reason that the STEAMSHIP Sucks. They take advantage of their loyal regular customers. No one ever told me I fould out by accident when on their site. This is why I now take the Hy-Line most of the time. read more

Gave them 2 stars because of the unorganized parking. I got to the steamship authority in Woodshole Cape Cod port to go over to Martha's Vineyard. We got there and they said you need to park 10 miles away then the shuttle will drop us off at the port to catch the ferry. Of course many people were upset because they missed the ferry and had to catch the next one which came about 45 minutes later. Not sure why they invest in parking so far away. The closer one about 5 miles away was booked. read more

The ticket is so much cheaper than other alternatives. Service is great. It's the locals choice it seems, while Fodors try not to emphasize it to promote Hyline and other commercial lines. You got to choose this but make sure to leave enough time for parking (remote lot and shuttle bus) and ticketing. We missed the boat 2 times when trying to go to Martha's Vineyard. read more

This is probably the sleaziest place I have ever had to interact with. The employee at the entrance booth had is park at a parking lot that towed our vehicle and cost us $148 to get back. They gave us a direction pamphlet that told us to park at this lot and when we needed help getting our vehicle back nobody at the booth seemed to have a clue and couldn't help us with the tow. Unfortunately the C U Next Tuesday employee that helped us initially was not there. After speaking with the tow company it seemed pretty obvious that this is a regular "scheme" that they have going. So please if you use them to get to Nantucket DO NOT take their advice or they will surely get you a ticket or towed... read more

Steamship Authority - Here is the lot we got towed from - Travel Services Near Me - Hyannis, Massachusetts

How do you review a ferry? Oh well, I guess I'll give it a shot. Fast ferry: a little pricey, but considering you are vacationing on Nantucket, this is probably the cheapest thing you are going to do all week (with the exception of the beach, unless you plan on getting the over sand permit...). Flat screen TVs, free WiFi, and BEER to help drown out all of the yelling kids. HINT: If it's a nice day, and you want to sit outside, get there early. There is limited seating on the back deck. Slow Boat: The slow boat is the low cost alternative to getting to the island. Same stuff as the other boat, the trip just takes longer. The bathrooms are pretty clean on both boats, and I agree with most of the other Yelpers. Complaining about the food on the boat is like complaining about the food on the Staten Island Ferry or any other commuter-type-of-boat. HINT: If you want to bring a car, book early, early, early... Negatives: We were on Nantucket in 2009, and the Saturday we were scheduled to leave a tropical storm blew through. ALL of the ferries canceled crossings, and this left those getting off the in a bad spot (us). We had already checked out of our rental, had a car full of kids, etc. After speaking to the overwhelmed people in the Steamship office, when ferry service resumed they would continue with scheduled cars (reservations), and try to work the rest of us in as they could. Luckily, they resumed operations (the storm was lame) and we made it off. I'm not sure what we would have done if we were stuck... read more

it's too bad this is the only way to get your car over to Nantucket. Saw the loading crew yell at a 60 year old man and his family repeatedly to turn off his lights. Owner of vehicle parked and explained to the staff the car has day time running lights so they can't be turned off. As owner walked away staff member mumbles "jackass". Nice staff here. Nothing like being able to admit a mistake and remain professional. read more

My first ferry experience and I loved it! Lots of great seating, fast, inexpensive and even has good food/bev option. Love the wifi and all the outlets. read more

The ferries are clean. I used to work for the Authority, but quit due to college. I am not going to be biased about this review, as I really didn't notice anything different between working there, and being an ordinary citizen. The snackbar on the Eagle is overpriced, but it will do. The terminal in Hyannis used to be a nasty little shack, but it has since been remodeled in the 90's. read more

My experiences with the Steamship Authority have been mostly positive. I have taken both the high-speed and slow ferry (when the high-speed is sold out) for the past few years. The boats are clean and the employees in the ticket office as well as on the boats have always been friendly to me. Their prices can't be beat. They are lower than their competitor who I have heard horror stories of not refunding after booking errors and so on. The only downfall is their online reservation system. I'm not sure if anyone else has had problems but I have never been able to successfully make an online reservation. There is always an error that reads something about my information being invalid. Yet, when I look at my credit card transactions from the several cards I've tried using there sure are pending payments yet no reservations. The upside is that when you call they are nice enough to book over the phone and usually the charges are removed from your card before you even call. The down side, not only is it way more inconvenient to have to call during business hours instead of going online, but that I had to take a slow ferry to the Christmas Stroll because by the time the office had opened the next morning the high-speed tickets had sold out. Yes, I know...the problems of a 30-something year old suburban white girl. read more

Clean facility and dependable ferry times. This is the only way to travel to Nantucket with your auto. Bring your own beverages and snacks since the snack bar is VERY expensive. If there is too much fog or bad weather, plan to take a plane from Hyannis- if you are anxious to get there by a certain time. You can leave your auto on standby and they will bring it over for you. read more

I have been on their ships for years and it's always kinda fine but never great. But today they decided to overbook a boat during freezing weather so the only place to sit is the floor or -10000° weather. So that leaves us w a little dilemma. The food is overpriced, the service is bad, it takes forever, and it's way too expensive for what it is. Then they offer you "free wifi" which I think it would be a crime to call it WiFi. Take the Hy-line if u have a chance and save urself from this arctic disaster. that's all. read more

The ferry I was on had ample room on all of the decks, which was great to get some air on. The employees were friendly, especially our shuttle driver. He was very quick to load and unload everyone's luggage and he was very pleasant. The major down side is that there is no parking near by and it was very confusing to find at first. It'll be much easier next time but because if the initial confusion, we ended up missing our ferry and we had to wait for the next one. read more

Your review helps others learn about great local businesses. Have been going to Nantucket for years and always tried to roll with the rudeness at steamship chalking it up to summer stress....but I'm done. When they walked the luggage cart with my backpack back on to the ferry before I retrieved it they treated me like it was my fault. I asked what happened and was told by one of the 4-5 handlers now circled around me "hey what about a thank you" and sarcastic "have a nice day". All of this in front of a group of other passengers. Now I'm done. They (especially the grumpy gang unloading the boat) have the attititude and customer service skills of ditch diggers working for the DPW. Maybe that's what they should be doing. Sad to say that with some real management and effective training they 'a hole' factor could be significantly diminished. When I can I will steer my business and families to the Hyline from now on. And their website is one of the worst!!!`` Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. read more

If it were socially acceptable to curse on Yelp I would tell Steamship Authority to go eff themselves. Not only is the staff completely disorganized and on entirely different pages but they extraordinarily discourteous and incompetent. One previous Yelper described the staff as "salty", which hit the nail on the head and then some. There at no signs anywhere telling patrons to trade in their online barcoded reservations for a paper ticket, they just wait until you reach the top of the line to send you all the way back. One staff member specifically told us we could carry on our duffel bags, another didn't say anything and then when we finally get through the ticket line another staff ever so rudely shouted at is to deposit our bags (that we lugged back to the ticket line) on the luggage cart. When slightly dazed at his request he continued to be ill-mannered and disrespectful. I can only imagine how the rest of this ferry ride will play out bit rest assured I'll be taking Hy-line home and for any future ventures to Nantucket Island. read more

STAY AWAY FROM THE STEAMSHIP AUTHORITY. The staff are completely rude and have no concept of customer service. My wife and I parked at the Yarmouth Street lot and the bus driver ridiculed us and said "you are going to miss the ferry" and "good luck" without offering to shuttle us to the ferry. It made no sense since the bus was ready and available for passengers. We were forced to walk to the ferry and were shocked when we saw him dropping off another couple when approaching the dock. Needless to say, we missed the ferry while the other folks he took after us were able to make it in time. We took the Hy-Line ferry from Hyannis to Nantucket and were very happy with them. I recommend using the Hy-Line ferry service. STAY AWAY FROM THE STEAMSHIP AUTHORITY. read more

The phone from the Hyannis transportation center for the complimentary pick up shuttle service didn't work. So after walking in the rain to get to the ticket office we explained that it didn't work and they advised it wasn't their responsibility as it is at the transportation center. The least they could do is look into it so that future passengers won't have walk in the rain. The ferry itself is old and dated but fine to get you from a to b. read more

I will NEVER sail steamship again! The employees are extremely rude and less than helpful. My friends and I waited in the parking lot for 35 minutes on the shuttle bus while the driver smoked 2 cigarettes and assured us we would make our ferry in time. We repeatedly told him we needed to make a 2pm ferry and he did not leave until 1:53pm. Sure enough, we missed the boat and were yelled at when we tried to explain that their driver was the reason we missed it. I have had a poor experience every time I have sailed with steamship. Hy-line all the way from now on. read more

They do the best they can with dealing with the weather and arrogant passengers. They have never let me down, the only bummer is the high auto cost to get to nantucket. Other then that they are ok in my book... read more

They have no competition. Therin lies the problem for every potential traveler whodoes not have access to the Nantucket Airport. As stated in previous reviews here, they are overpriced. This is also due to the fact that they are a monopoly. On our recent trip there, we were stuck on the island due to bad weather. That in itself is unavoidable. However, they chose the next day how many ships to run. I have been told my Nantucket Native Islanders that the economy there is bleak. We will not be going back to visit this place. Not because of the people, whom are very nice, partly I'm sure because of touristy being their number one import. Why then, have just one steamship authority? There is nothing to motivate them to perform any better. read more

Most affordable ride out to the vineyard. It does not cost a lot. Just a simple ride out and the boat is pretty clean and service is as expected. The reall highlight is the price cause it is very affordable and reasonable. read more

Horrible service--or should I say lack of service and staff was very unprofessional. They basically wanted us to pay them more money for the inconvenience they caused us! The first scheduled ferry ride of the day was cancelled due to mechanical failure and we were all told to get off the ship and just wait--they might put us on the speedier ferry that was scheduled next. And then, nothing. We were all left to figure things out for ourselves. Not once did a staff member bother to inform any of us affected passengers of how they were going to make things right for us. No announcements, nothing. In fact, they just did nothing at all and let us wait and wasted our time. The clock was ticking so we got in line again to ask what they were going to do and was told we would have to pay more $ to get onto the next scheduled ferry since it was a speedier boat. They would not honor our original tickets even though it was due to their failure. Basically they wanted us to pay them more money for the inconvenience they caused us! And then we were told to go check with a ticket agent to see if our original tickets would be accepted on the next ferry. So back and forth we went. The ticket agent guy was also unhelpful and just told us that the next ferry was full and that we'd have to upgrade our tickets by paying more money because it was a speedier boat. Total complete waste of time dealing with these incompetent fools. read more

We just returned home after taking the 8 a.m. Fast Boat over and I gotta say the SA rocks. We bought tickets at the office near the Mashpee Rotary, just off Route 28/Falmouth Road, Hyannis side, two days ago - no problem the boat over and the boat back were less then half full. Wonderful service, highly organized, no problems. We were surprised the windows did not have optional sun blocker shades on the Fast Boat. The glare of the sun can be quite uncomfortable. On the way over we had to change seats to the center row. And, Yelp rocks, the rec's on what to see and where to eat are right on. We really enjoyed breakfast at Downyflake Restaurant, a yelp rec. The Whaling Museum is a must see, beautifully done, air conditioned, and informative. Best private van tour of the Island, Gail's Tours, Inc.: 508-257-6557, one block from the town information center. Great day. Thanks Steamship Authority, lost a star because you need window shades. read more