virgin islands ferry - red hook

Purchase the ferry ride ticket inside for $14 round trip to Cruz bay and board the boat for a 20 minute ride to Cruz bay at St John Island. I recommend one of the seats on the second floor in the back of the boat to exit quickly.

As you travel from St. Thomas to St. John, slow down and take the scenic route. It is worth taking your time. The water is so blue and the sunsets are breathtaking on the water.

We always take the ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay. The new ferries are nice and comfortable. We typically sit upstairs to enjoy the fresh air. Fares are reasonable.

Convenient bar while waiting. Dont forget to purchase the ARUNDEL locally produced, real cane rum at the gift shop in the corner. DEEElicious! Nice gift idea for Christmas and your guests will love the good enough for a sipping rum.

The Ferry Runs like clockwork! It is the fastest way to get to St. John! My computer wasn't ruined from lack of care of handling. The constant tipping to get on and to get off the ferry is a bit much. Even at a restaurant you don't go around tipping everyone that gets you to the table and gets you away from the table.

Fast (20 minutes), cheap ($7), on-time service to St. John. Parking is even reasonable ($10). Can get a little rough if you are prone to seasickness.

Great service. It only takes about 15 minutes to reach St. John and it's quite comfortable. Not all the ferries have outdoor seating which is much nicer. Also be careful not to cross after school gets out. There's no schools in St. John so all the kids have to use the ferry to get to school and back and if you cross like we did at the wrong time, you're on a school bus basically!!! It was US$24 round trip which I thought was quite high but all the school kids do ride for free!

We took the ferry to St. John during a recent stay on St. Thomas. The ferry is a lovely way to travel, especially if you sit up top where the view is just spectacular. However, the people who work at the ferry terminal are some of the most dour and rude people I have encountered. They provide zero help and are totally uninterested in being of any service. They don't smile. They don't thank you. They do not provide any help. They have good jobs on a poor island but they certainly seem to hate what they do. There was one young man who was most helpful while he loaded luggage but the rest of his co-workers should be replaced with people who understand common courtesy.

We took this ferry twice to St. John during our stay in St. Thomas. Both times the service was fast and efficient in loading and unloading a full ship of passengers. You have the option to ride on top in the open air or below, inside in large, comfortable cushioned seats with air conditioning and a big screen tv. From Red Hook in St. Thomas to Cruz Bay on St. John, it is $14.00/pp round trip; about 20minutes to St. John, 15 minutes or less back to St. Thomas. cheduled hourly, every day for this route. Rides to the farther islands increase greatly in cost and time, and not every day. We did not try those this trip. If you are bringing luggage onto the ferry, there is an additional fee.

You'll need about an hour from the time you pick up your luggage at the airport to get to the ferry in Red Hook. It is always (30+ years of visiting) on time (on the hour). Be sure to pay for your luggage when you buy your tickets.

VI Ferry provides a speedy and reasonably priced transport to St. John. The trip takes about 20 minutes with ferries departing every hour. Get there a bit early to ensure you get a seat on the outdoor top deck. The view of St. Thomas, St. John and Tortola are spectacular.

All the workers seemed to like giving orders to all the customers about the ferry's rules. They could have done this in a much nicer way. Once we got underway it was comfortable and a fairly short ride.

This appears to be a very well run operation. There was a very long line when we arrived to buy our tickets and there was only one lone person selling them. We were worried that we wouldn't get on the ferry because it was time to go and we were still in line. They assured us we would get on and we did. Our only complaint is the lack of sufficient parking on site. There is a lot across the street and down the block but we only stumbled upon that by chance. There apparently is a free shuttle from there but we didn't see one. No problem we found out way.

Staying in St Thomas for a week during the busy Holiday Season with a rental car, we wanted to make a day trip to St John but we had a dilemma; we wanted to spend as much of the day as possible on St John but we did not want to get stranded there for the night if there was not enough room on the last car ferry/barge back to St Thomas. Researching our options, I found that it was possible to make reservations online in advance to guarantee a spot for the sailings of your choice on the Captain Vic car barge (search Love City Car Ferries for the link to online booking). Booking ahead was not an option for any of the other car barge operators. I went ahead and made reservations for the first sailing to Cruz Bay, St John on a Saturday morning and the last return that evening to Red Hook, St Thomas; booking a round trip also resulted in a discounted fare. Arriving at the ferry terminal in the morning, boarding and the whole process was smooth but the reservation was not really needed as there was ample room on the barge. The ferry trip to St John was short and enjoyable. Once on St John we had a wonderful day visiting the Annaberg Sugar Plantation ruins, taking a couple short hikes and visiting, swimming and snorkeling several of the fantastic beaches, including the world famous Trunk Bay, all with the peace of mind that we did not need to rush back to the ferry dock or fret over the possibility of not having a ride back to St Thomas. On our return, having a reservation, we were put in a priority boarding line and we boarded as the sun began to set. By the time they were done loading the barge, the last car on was a subcompact that they actually maneuvered on sideways the fit was so tight. Everyone on the ferry was in a festive mood and it was almost like a party as we sailed west into the sunset to return to St Thomas. While the reservations were not really need for the way out, they provided complete peace of mind in planning our adventure and I cannot say enough good about the Captain Vic and her crew; they were fantastic and a fun part of the adventure. Having a car on St John was also nice in that it gave us the freedom to go where and when we wanted to on an island packed with wonderful things to do. However, while many of the St Thomas car rental agencies allow their cars to go to St John, not all do so ask before you reserve or rent. Finally, for the four of us, taking the car barge, with the car, was lower cost than the four of us going on the people ferry.

We were lucky enough to get on the new ferries the Red Hook 1 and the Cruz Bay 2. Fast, silent, big, comfortable. Took it from Red Hook, so it was only a 15 minute ride. Excellent choice! Only $14 round trip.