Ended due to high wind and surf at Oak Bluffs. Nice, albeit non-talkative people. Got us on and off without any further trouble, and everything seemed to go OK. PA could be louder, to better here the announcements, but otherwise it's not a bad experience. read more

The Ferries were diverted from OB to VH today due to high surf. I am waiting to get off the island on an earlier ferry than what I have booked. I received both a text and a phone call this morning from Amy at the Steamship Authority to let me know about the change in plans for my afternoon ferry. I call that great customer service. Amy even called me back to let me know that the blue line was operating. Not sure if I will get a spot on the next ferry off but I am hoping. read more

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Very courteous and professional staff who have a very tough job. They honestly do the best they can, and try to make things run smoothly. As far a passenger travel it's easy. Vehicle travel is another story. There are space limitations and things happen. Add to that the construction going on in Woods Hole. Be patient, plan ahead, and keep a happy smiling face. Not having one won't change a thing. read more

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They had an incident with a boat and canceled our boat! They let all the other boats run! They side they would try to fit us on but that was 4hours ago! They didn't notify the later passengers to arrive 45 minutes later and get the first passengers out! No one is in charge, the parking lot attendants are rude and know nothing about what's going on! read more

It was a good experience getting to the ferry dock and onto the ship. It was smooth sailing even though it was windy out. This was my first time on this vessel. read more

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It's not cheap but it gets you there. Quick ride to MV from Woods Hole. Restrooms are clean and there's a snack counter. read more

Steamship Authority - Vineyard Haven - Transportation Near Me - Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

Bringing a car means you need to book well in advance. We arrived at Woods Hole at 1:30 for the 2:30 ferry, however, they had a few car spots left so they boarded us right away on the earlier ferry. By 1:37 we were on our way, docked at Oak Bluffs by 2:15, and driving off the ferry by 2:19. Very efficient, plenty of inside and outside seating, restrooms and cafe and small bar also available. After you park the car, lock it, you then need to leave it in the car area and wait in the upper deck until they announce it is time to get back to your car. The restrooms at the Oak Bluffs ticket area are nasty. Two of the stalls had no way to lock from the inside so women were busted in on while they were doing their business. Water pooled by the base of the toilet and overall smell was really gross. We picked up friends whose ferry was diverted from Oak Bluffs to Vineyard Haven (which is a typical occurrence and the website is not usually updated realtime to reflect new port). There is little signage and was challenging to find a legal spot to wait while they disembarked. Getting out is challenging as there is an intersection where no one knows who has the right of way, not all roads have a stop sign, and those that did seemed more of a guideline. That, plus people wandering in the crosswalk with no sense of urgency or even paying attention make this a stressful place to try and get out of. Dropping passengers off at Oak Bluffs was easy. Lanes are well marked. Traveling from Vineyard Haven to Woods Hole, we arrived at 1:30 for the 2:30 ferry. We parked in lane 8, and every few minutes, cars in front would just leave, so we moved up a couple of times. Having some time before the 2:30 ferry arrived, I got an ice cream at Mad Marthas. There are a few small shops and a souvenir store for any last minute items needed. The restrooms at the ticket office are clean. They began loading cars on to the ferry around 2:15, it was a slow process, and any passengers have to get out and head to the upper deck while the driver parks the car. We were a few minutes late leaving. Around 3:05 the announcement told us to make our way to our car. The PA system on the very top deck is challenging to hear. The parking is VERY tight. We had to pull in the side mirrors. It was about 15 minutes before we drove off the ferry. read more

Steamship Authority - Ferry from Vineyard Haven to Woods Hole VERY tight car parking! - Transportation Near Me - Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

Very friendly and patient staff. Clean ferry plus all restrooms are clean . Staff seems happy to help

Basically the same info & experience as our departure from Woods Hole Wharf to Martha's Vineyard yet in reverse mode. Purchasing the round trip tickets from Woods Hole was a smart idea as we walked up, got scanned & boarded the ferry. Vineyard Haven is the main port of entry to Martha's Vineyard & one of the three main population centers - Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. VH's ferries arrive & depart year round with a second & seasonal wharf located in neighboring Oak Bluffs. The friendly ferry crew & local authorities thanked us for visiting Martha's Vineyard & extended us an invite to come back. read more

Comfortable boats. Decent snack bar. Painless on boarding process. Ticket prices reasonable.

Quick and easy way to get back to Woods Hole from MV. Ferry comes from either Oaks Bluff or Vineyard Haven. If you're walking on you can buy the ticket right before the ferry takes off at the station. If you're driving on, be sure to reserve in advance as it fills up quickly read more

Steamship Authority - Transportation Near Me - Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

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I took the ferry to Martha's Vineyard (off season) it's $17 round trip. There was a wide array of seating available; spaced airplane like seats with individual arm rests, plush booths with tables, 2-top round stools and tables near windows. The snack bar sold different hot soups, pre-packed sandwiches, wraps and salads, bagels, cookies ect. Staff was friendly and helpful. The ferry pushed off on time and the ride seemed very short! read more

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The ferry from Wood's Hole to Martha's Vineyard was seamless. Booking online is super easy and self-explanatory. One you arrive at the dock, you wait in line in your car and once you board your car onto the ship, it is safe to get out and walk along the boat. They have an inside area with booths to sit at or they have chairs near, what I'd like to call a snack bar. For a small charge, they offer snacks, coffee, soda, etc. BUT the best part, in my opinion, is being able to stand on top the boat (Titanic style...okay okay, I didn't get THAT wild). It's great, especially on a clear day to be able to not only look out toward your destination but all around you as well. The day we went was a bit cloudy (coming back from MV was clear), but it was still enjoyable. Then, when the boat is nearing the dock, passengers get in their cars and drive out in a coordinated and orderly fashion. The employees on the boat were very willing to answer any and all questions as it was our first time on the boat. It sure won't be our last either! We enjoyed Martha's Vineyard so much and can't wait to go back. read more

Steamship Authority - Line to get onto ferry! - Transportation Near Me - Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

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They are so rude and just aweful to their costumers . First of all fix your system if something is wrong with the e tickets. Not my fault it tells you how many rides you have remaining so I went to use it cause I have one ride left and the thing beeped red I told them it said one remaining and got yelled at for telling the guy I still had one remaining . Its not my fault your system is fucked up . read more

Are you looking to have a bad day/multiple bad days? Deal with people who are barely capable of bagging groceries, but have a power trip sense of "I decide who goes to the island"... steamship authority is where it's at. I literally wouldn't even recommend taking a crap at this place. All around, every person you're dealing with is useless and doesn't care or want to help. When you go to ask questions, bc again, ZERO help offered anywhere, all the worker dudes want to do is pile into a small room on top of each other to watch football and completely ignore customers-- they are extremely rude and dumb. They proceed to tell you that yes, the ticket THEY put in your window the night before due to cancelled ferries is incorrect - moved my truck 3-4 times and now are in the last lane, surrounded by cars with later reservation times than mine due to the wrong ticket - they tell me that my car is where it's supposed to be. I ask why I was moved to the end and for a new ticket, and how to get in the line with the other 5:30 reservations, where I'm supposed to be the rope holder "manager" literally rips the ticket out of my hand and throws it away and says that doesn't matter. Needless to say, got a refund and will never return to this dumpster fire. Would suggest you do the same. read more

We took the ferry in the off-season from Wood's Hole to Martha's Vineyard. We plugged in the address on the page for the terminal and drove over, only to find out that parking is four miles away. Why it's not highlighted/bolded/screaming in all caps on the website, I'm not sure. The employees there were pretty rude and not helpful and just handed us some piece of paper with instructions for the parking lot and said we'd definitely miss this ferry. Fortunately we just parked at metered parking in Wood's Hole, literally ran back to the ship area, bought tickets, and were probably the last people to get on the boat before it left. We got really lucky, and it all could've been avoided if we had any information on the parking/shuttles etc. beforehand. **Big warning about parking in Wood's Hole - the maximum time is 3 hours almost everywhere (besides where it's literally 15 minutes). We were taking the 3:45 ferry and the meters turn off at 6 pm, so we paid for 2.5 hours and were fine. If we had been taking an earlier shuttle, we wouldn't have had this option because of the meter maximum. Not sure how strict they are about parking tickets for the meters in Wood's Hole, I'd just highly advise (unless you're taking an evening trip) not doing what we had to do. Overall, leave yourself quite a bit of time beforehand if you are parking in the lots. There isn't really a guarantee of what time the shuttle will be coming ("around every 10 or so minutes" or something) or what time you will arrive at the terminal at. read more

I've taken the ferry several times. I don't really enjoy it very much with them I'm not really a ferry boat person so I do love the beach. But when the water is choppy seasickness is indeed a possibility. That did happen to me. There's nothing wrong with the ferry ride itself although it was a little longer than I would've thought. But Having done it a few times I don't have any desire to do it again. Seeing Martha's Vineyard is absolutely beautiful and everyone should do it once but the ferry ride itself for me anyway, was never a pleasant time. read more

Steamship Authority - Transportation Near Me - Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

Everytime, and I mean every time my wife and I take the ferry to Martha's Vineyard we have a bad experience with a Steamship Authority employee. Whether it's an employee behind the snack bar, at the coffee station, boarding or disembarking we are treated with disrespect. We might as well be in the New York subway system the way these people treat their customers. And if you dare to complain you're not going to be treated any better. We have been faithful customers for decades but we are so fed up with the disrespect that we're looking for other ways to get over to Martha's Vineyard. read more

Horrible. Two ships canceled and had to wait over 6 hours to take the ferry. Worst service ever

The Steamship Authority is the biggest presence in your life if you live on the island. Forget your spouse, your kids, your kids' teachers, your best friends. The SSA will monopolize your life, dictate your schedule, take over your free time, tie you up on the phone, torment you, take all of your money, and feed you very poor food at ridiculous prices. You will wake up at bizarre hours in the morning in order to buy very scarce tickets. If you do not get one, that is just too bad. You will get up even earlier to get in a standby line which you may sit in all day. In the hot sun. With your pets, the kids and their pesky friends and no alcohol, ice,martini glasses or reading material. When it is too windy, you will not be going anywhere, even if you absolutely have to. You'll be stranded and then you will have to go into that standby line the next day with everyone else who was stranded. Heated arguments will break out and you will question your judgment. Why exactly are you doing this again? When you get on the boat you can get out of your car but only for about half an hour. You will be avoiding certain crazy neighbors and co-workers and dodging wild groups of enthusiastic, unsupervised kids who run all over the boat despite stern warnings. You will be tripping over massive suitcases, dogs and sports equipment. You will give in and buy a beer or a glass of wine at great expense. If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you will not be able to eat anything, but if you like hot dogs and pre-made ham and cheese sandwiches, you are all set. All of the visitors will be very excited to be on a boat. They will be making opinionated statements about "Oaks Bluff" and The Black Dog and Jaws. They will feed the seagulls, say that the SSA's clam chowder is the very best chowdah on earth and leave their car alarms on. These car alarms will go off all throughout the trip as this is a boat and the boat is on the water and the water has waves. You may remember the early days when you were also a naive visitor, and smile, thinking how much you have changed. You no longer feed the sea gulls, find The Black Dog a culinary destination or leave your car alarm on. But the island is more magical than ever and you love it. So you put up with the SSA. Then you will round up your own totally perfect, well-behaved kids, throw out your trash, recycle your recyclables, pat a nice black lab and head back to your mellow, alarmless car, released from the SSA until the next trip. read more

Steamship Authority - ferry - Transportation Near Me - Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

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Rude people. Unreliable service. Never has a monopoly needed competition more than the SSA. Every employee should be retrained in how to treat customers. The only good thing I have to say is that they have really good clam chowder. UPDATE: Just rode again. If anything it's gotten even worse. It must be taught behavior. Every one I came into contact with over the last two days should be fired. read more

Best value for your money. We paid $8 for each one-way adult ticket for the 45 minute, smooth and beautiful ride. Children are $4.50 and it's $4 per bicycle. We parked in their lot which ended up being another amazing bargain. No one should pay so much more for a ferry from Hyannis, don't do it! Upon return to Woods Hole, buses are lined up to take you back to the lot. However, be prepared to wait about 10 minutes for a bus, due to long lines, if you take one back during rush hours. Because of the price, we took the beautiful drive from Hyannis Port to Woods Hole and saved about $120. So worth the drive! Plus, Woods Hole is the shortest distance/quickest ferry to Martha's Vineyard. We chose to go to Vineyard Haven to shop and dine on Water Street. The ferry was on-time and provided a smooth ride. We noticed that many people took cars on the ferry. Which would be great if we were going to spend more time on the Island. read more

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My sister and I got to the Martha Ferry's ferry early to see 9:30 am to see if we could get on the ferry before our 12 Pm time. Even though we made this reservation way more than a month (maybe 2) in advance, we could not get an earlier reservation time. It was our first trip to Caps Cod and the island and we didn't know. It was suggested by the ferry port authority that we get there early and try to go standby. There were no cars other cars waiting when we got there. Despite telling the gentleman who gave us our ticket and the person inside we wanted to be in the standby line, who also called and told the gentleman, they apparently still put our car in the 12:00 PM line. When the port authority woman started putting extra cars on the ferry, they did not put us on despite being there before the other cars in what apparently was really the standby line. When my sister polity asked to go next, we were told we were not in the standby line. My sister then asked the gentleman in charge, and he said we were in the standby line, and the woman was mistaken. The woman still did not put us on and said the other gentleman was mistaken. Clearly, there is confusion when it comes to the standby lane and what really happens is the priority is for locals, as the teenagers in the car that got on clearly knew the port authority agent who was directing the lanes. They have terrible customer service as well as no one cares. So ultimately don't bother going to the ferry early. Getting on standby is not an option. Make your reservations at least 6 months in advance! read more

Wouldn't allow me on the port of the M/V Martha's Vineyard despite wearing appropriate gear. Conditions were snow, and they had salted it anyway, so I wasn't slipping due to any ice. I simply wanted to take a photo given the rare conditions and how I rarely come down here, which is incredibly unfortunate. read more

This is a review of the snack bar on the Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven ferry (or the other direction). In the summer months, there's also a ferry between Woods Hole & Oak Bluffs and ferries to Nantucket and back. Typical ferry fare. Right, but the great discovery is the draft beer. Makes the 45 minute ride seem much shorter. Often Sam Adams, Coors Light, and a local beer. read more

Talk about being organized - these guys have it DOWN. I can't imagine how with all of the traffic, chaos, screaming and squeezing, these people manage to be as friendly, charming and helpful as they are. The ticketing machines hardly ever work, so mosey on up to the counter and embrace the character behind the plexiglass. Any question you can think of, they have an accurate answer for. If you're polite (and I encourage politeness always) they may even give you a handy tip or two. The boat crews are my favorite. These guys stand out there rain or shine, sun or snow and move like clockwork. Trust them, kids, trust them. Yes, it's a pain to have to take a boat over the the Vineyard, but the crew at the Steamship Authority make is as pleasant as they can - and it does not go unnoticed! My only complaint - the food on the boats stinks :( BUT - they serve Sam Adams, so that always makes thing more tolerable! read more

The cheapest option from Point A to Point B, and it's likely the only gigantor that'll run when the whether puts a little chop in the break. But don't ask them when, or from where, those steamships are a-departin'. After a particularly rough night (on the water, yo), most smaller boats shut down travel from the Vineyard. A call to the operators at SSA confirmed that boats are running, on schedule from Oak Bluffs. Awesome, we're on! Only to arrive at Oak Bluffs and be told the boats might be leaving from Vineyard Haven, because the port is protected and "that's where they'd have the best chance." "But the operator told us they were leaving from OB." "Yeah, well they don't usually know when things change." "But they answer your phones and your website is basically useless." "Yeah, well Vineyard Haven is your best bet." "Then why..." *shruggy shrug* A shared cab with another disgruntled commuter and twenty minutes later, we're running to the Haven port to buy two adult tix ($17) and wait in an uncovered line, in the rain to board a ship primarily equipped to transport cars. Luckily, I found a rather comfortable porthole sill to perch upon for a rather swift 35 minute ride to Falmouth. The whole experience can be ugly, but you know what they say about fast, cheap and pretty? I'll take the other two any day. read more

Smooth ride going to and from Martha's Vineyard. If your schedule says 2:30, it leaves at 2:30. Not 2:40 or 2:35. 2:30. If you're on a tight schedule, the Steamship is something you can rely on to be on time for you. $8 one way for passengers and $137 round trip for a four door sedan. Make reservations ahead of time if you're planning to take your car to the Island. read more

Steamship Authority - Transportation Near Me - Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

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I love that as you come off the boat they say, "thank you for choosing the steamship authority" Oh, hey, wait a minute, I had a choice? Well dang! read more

It's a ferry. Not a cruise ship. Very reliable. If the boat isn't on time, it's not running due to something unavoidable. Pay no mind to the reviews that tell you that everything will be ok if you get to the boat right before your reservation. That's for walk on passengers, not cars. Be there a MINIMUM of 45 minutes in advance. Especially in the summer. Especially if you don't see space available on the website. There's a lot of discretion at the terminal and the folks at the booth and at the ticket counter inside can make it easy or make it hard so don't be a jerk. But what they can't do is make space become magically available when the boat is full. There are a lot of comments about how rude the employees are but I've seen compassion both for honest mistakes and for family emergencies. Also seen rude passengers. If you missed your car reservation, or reversed the departure city, that's your fault. Be nice and maybe someone will go the extra mile to help you. Be a jerk and maybe you'll be on standby until Thursday. Steamship Authority personnel are human. read more

. Sure, it is pretty much the only way to get to Martha's Vineyard, but the Steamship Authority does a great job. The ferries are always right on time, and the employees are very helpful if you need them. The price is reasonable, and they have discounts for senior citizens. If I lived on the island, I would probably find the $7.50 fare a little pricey, but as a regular visitor it doesn't bother me. Several, but not all boats have free Wi-Fi, which is pretty neat. There is food on most of the boats, as well, but it is definitely overpriced. That being said, I almost always buy a pretzel on my way over read more

As an islander ( I live on Martha's Vineyard ) we have a love - hate relationship with the SSA. To most of us the Steamships credo is: The Steamship Authority we're not happy until you're unhappy. From; indifferent staff (who often act like you are a problem rather than a customer), shuttle buses with little room for luggage which seem to run just in time to miss the ferry, to lack of luggage carts, to loading on one side of ferry and unloading on the opposite side which requires climbing narrow stairs with luggage to exit. Be sure to understand that once you park your car in their parking lot it is fair game for destruction because the Steamship which is not governed by State Law may jam the cars together so close that damage is not only inevitable but not their responsibility. If you are not disgusted enough with the service or lack of thereof blow your budget on some of the on ferry food and learn what pain is. Have a great trip. read more

It's not THE only way to get to the Vineyard. There's Cape Air and there's the boats from New Bedford and Hyannis. If you want to bring a car on to the island, then you are limited to Steamship Authority. Over the past 20 years, we have had a few snags, but I have to say, SA is fairly consistent, and I love the new ship! It even has misters on the top deck. If you are unlucky and get the freight boat, you choices of snacks is nil, so pack your cooler as you may have to rough it for 45 minutes. My vacation starts when I hit that boat and smell that salty Martha's Vineyard air, like a siren calling to me. AMAZING! read more

Beware the parking area is 5 miles away from the dock have to park and take a shuttle. Fast and convenient once you get on board! Ahoy! read more

Steamship Authority - Transportation Near Me - Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

Recently reserved a car reservation back in April for a July trip. A few days before the trip, I realized I could not go and pulled up my confirmation email. It said you could go online to make changes to your reservation. I went online, cancelled my reservation & refunded the amount back onto my original card...or so I thought. A month later I noticed I had only been refunded $16 dollars (instead of $151) so I called up and was told you cannot cancel a reservation within 2 weeks. When I said "How would I know that?" Steamship Authority claimed this info was in their "terms & conditions" when I made my reservation. Apparently that box of information that I had to read before confirming my purchase 3 months before had this information. I argued that this type of pertinent information should definitely be in the confirmation email- and more importantly, why did their online system lead me to believe the cancellation & refund went through fine? Shouldn't there be some sort of "warning" that says you can't get a refund because you are too close to the date? They were extremely rude and offered no solution. Obviously I am very upset and can barely believe a business can get away with having such a shady and non-customer friendly policy. read more

We took the ferry to Nantucket and had a wonder day in Nantucket bicycling around and exploring. We found out that if you have bicycles you will be first on board coming and going, the line does get long this was a wonderful treat. The other plus with your bicycle instead of eating at the restaurants once you come off the ferry, but we bicycle for 15 minutes and we had a breakfast without the crowds.... the island is not that huge so taking the taxis or tour vans we found bicycling was able to get us to where we wanted to see I found the ferry very clean and clean bathrooms! read more

The Steamship Authority is organized. I've never been disappointed in their departure or arrival schedules. The prices are reasonable and I've never encountered poor customer service. It would take a lot for something to ruin a trip to the Vineyard for me but the Steamship Authority has always been all aces for me! read more

I'm not sure if there is any other option of getting over to Martha's Vineyard, but my journey on the Steamship Authority was smooth sailing. Free shuttle to and from the parking lot. Reasonable fare (7.50) each way and there's a kiosk while you are waiting for the shuttle to the ferry. Easy as pie. It was strange for me to see cars pulling up into the ferry. You don't see that in California. Loved seeing the cute doggies aboard and breathing in that fresh sea air! read more

Efficient but expensive. Not much to write about when it's the ONLY vehicle ferry going to MV. Love it or hate it, you've got to use it. read more

Steamship Authority - Waiting in line for ferry - Transportation Near Me - Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

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I have never had an issue or complaint with SA. The ferries are comfortable and timely. I do wish the Wood's Hole Building had more to offer (newspapers, convenience store etc), However, I'd like to thank the staff who helped me this past week. I couldn't remember if I locked my car so they radioed the staff at my lot and checked my car. It was locked. Had they not been willing or able to do that I wold have backtracked to my car and that would have wasted an hour or so. read more