My husband and I truly enjoyed the journey on board the Vineyard Fast Ferry from Quonset Point, Rhode Island, to Oak Bluffs at Martha's Vineyard. It promptly left Rhode Island on time and arrived at Martha's Vineyard on time. The ferry was extremely comfortable and clean and looking out to the water was gorgeous! I recommend getting to Martha's Vineyard by way of the Vineyard Fast Ferry for sure.
What a great job the team accomplished in getting everybody on shuttle buses for August 13th 1:00 PM canceled ferry ride. As a first-time customer it appeared to be a seamless and smooth process although I'm sure a lot of coordination ahead of time was necessary to make it look as so. We were all directed to two busses that quickly got us all to Woods Hole and onto a ferry. In sparkling weather on the return trip, The boat was clean, the staff was attentive and professional,updates on the PA system kept folks informed, and the debarking process was organized and courteousThe staff's friendliness, courteousness and professionalism surpassed my expectations and as a first time passenger I will certainly be using the ferry again in the future.
We took the ferry to Martha's Vineyard and back again and had no issues at all. I had read some unflattering reviews here after I had already booked our tickets and was worried about cancellations due to bad weather. We traveled from Atlanta to NYC and then took Amtrak train to Kingston and then had a car service drive us the 20 minutes from the Amtrak station to the ferry dock. Same thing in reverse on the way back. If any piece of that travel had gone wrong, we would really have been in a bind. Happily, it all went off without a hitch... and it was misting and raining on the way over and the sea was a bit choppy they said but we made the trip just fine. No seasickness and no cancellations. The only thing that is good to know is that at both the ferry dock and the Amtrak station, they are both pretty much in the middle of nowhere and there are no food options available if you have any kind of layover. Each had a soda machine but that was about it. Our driver advised us to bring a picnic from NYC upon departure and on the way back he kindly stopped at about the only option... a Subway sandwich shop... so we could have our meal while waiting on the Amtrak train at the station. I don't believe there are cabs readily available at either the Amtrak or the Ferry dock, so once you get there you are kind of stuck. Not a huge deal... but if you are traveling with kids it is definitely good to know ahead of time. Great trip... would do it again!
The convenience of travelling out of Quonset in North Kingstown is wonderful. There is plenty of parking, the ferry is comfortable, and it's great to have this alternative to driving out to the Cape.
Get to the Vineyard in a hurry on a clean, new FAST boat.Great schedule Ride was smooth and comfortable
We did our home work. We called and came to Rhode Island a day early to pick up our tickets. The fate agents were cordial and waited almost an half hour past closing for us to arrive at the station. We could only purchase a one way because they sold out of Sunday morning tickets which mean we were on a waiting list for our return - risky. We chose seats outside to take advantage of the warm summer sun but the seats were wet and it was a windy ride. Beautiful country, the ride on the ferry was better than the bumper to bumper traffic in Massachusetts - well worth the trip.
We lucked out on a perfect day in early September, so the ride was very smooth & you pass some lovely scenery Jamestown, the Beavertail light with views of Newport Bridge, then past the Elizabeth Islands. The boat was comfortable and clean and definitely the quickest way to get to MV from this area & points south, saving the long haul up to Falmouth (from CT). The boat is expensive, but delivers you early enough to have a full day on MV. A delightfu Day
I would suggest just booking another means of transportation. We had a good trip to the Island but returning we got a text the morning of our departure that the Fast Ferry was cancelled and we were put on a boat to Falmouth and bused to our car in RI. They would not offer any kind of credit or refund so we were out of the money we paid for the higher price Fast Ferry. Not to mention they did not communicate well any other options and the weather on July 9th appeared to be fine to me.
As a native Rhode Islander, I'm no stranger to boat rides, ocean-going and otherwise, and I'm not afraid of a little chop. I never get seasick. However, my close calls have all been aboard the Vineyard Fast Ferry from Quonset to MV. No question the ferry is fast, clean and an easy way to get to Martha's Vineyard. But it isn't cheap, so if you are going to spend the money, be sure to check the marine forecast before buying your tickets. Otherwise, you risk 90 minute of your own queasiness or the queasiness of other passengers. To quote my young niece, after we boarded for the return voyage and she heard an announcement that we would be through the chop "shortly," she announced to the whole cabin, "Shortly? On the way over they said 'shortly' and it turned out to be the whole trip!" Out of the mouths of babes...
Very fast and enjoyable trip to Martha's Vineyard. Comfortable, clean, on time, and a lovely trip across the water. Well worth the fare.