From Washington State Ferries Vehicle reservations for travel between late September and New Year’s Day on the Anacortes and San Juan Islands and Port Townsend and Coupeville routes will be released next week. Starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday, July 27, customers can secure their spot on sailings between Sept. 26 and Jan. 1, 2022. Customers  Continue Reading

By Nicole McIntosh, Chief of Staff, WSDOT Ferries Division The state’s reopening and the start of summer are bringing us a surge in ridership. We carried almost 86,000 riders on Saturday, July 3. That beats our old pandemic high of nearly 80,000 on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend on May 29. July 3 was  Continue Reading

From the Washington State Department of Transportation With the state lifting most pandemic-related restrictions on June 30, our ferry system has changed the following:  No longer enforcing COVID-19 capacity limits No longer advising people coming aboard in a personal vehicle to remain in their vehicles. No longer requiring tollbooth employees to use selfie sticks with self-swipe  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries Customers should be prepared if their travels this holiday weekend include riding aboard a ferry. Some routes will be sailing on their holiday sailing schedules. Customers can note specific holiday sailings as they are marked on the timetables for each route. However, all customers should be prepared for longer waits at the  Continue Reading

By Hayley Day, San Juan Update Sailing cancelations aboard Washington State Ferries vessels in the San Juan Islands reached a boiling point over the weekend. The interisland ferry was canceled Sunday until 11:35 a.m. due to a lack of staffing. Originally the route was canceled until 2:25 p.m. but was later updated. The No. 1  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries Face masks are now required only in indoor areas of our terminals and vessels for all riders and employees in compliance with the latest CDC guidelines. All customers inside terminals or vessels should continue to wear face coverings. However, passengers can remove their masks while outdoors on the sun deck, car  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries The 6:45 p.m. sailing from Anacortes to Lopez and the 7:35 p.m. sailing from Lopez to Anacortes Saturday have been canceled due to a crewing shortage. Passengers with reservations for those trips will be loaded onto one of the subsequent sailings to their destination and can check the Anacortes / San  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries is currently upgrading our phone systems and some callers may experience connection issues attempting to reach an agent. The upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of the week. If you’re unable to reach an agent, please hang up and try again. Customers can also ask questions  Continue Reading

By Patty Rubstello, Assistant Secretary, Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division The 144-vehicle capacity Yakima replaced the 124-vehicle capacity Cathlamet on the Anacortes and San Juan Islands route Friday, June 11. Systemwide, we’re working to build back service to pre-pandemic levels. However, this will continue to be a gradual process as we deal with  Continue Reading

WSF Evergreen State enters Friday Harbor – SJ Update photo From the Washington State Transportation Commission The Washington State Transportation Commission is required to adjust ferry fares every two years and is seeking input from the public on fare increase alternatives. Visit wstc.wa.gov for more information about the alternatives being proposed and to leave your  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries Customers taking a ferry as part of their Memorial Day travel plans should be prepared for a busy holiday weekend. Along with the increased traffic, most routes will be operating on different schedules than years past due to service reductions related to the pandemic and crewing and vessel shortages. Passengers are  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries The next Washington State Ferries spring 2021 online community webinars will be held Tuesday and Wednesday.  Join members of the ferries executive team for an opportunity to ask questions and submit comments at one of next week’s virtual public meetings. To participate, register online in advance for either 11 a.m. Tuesday,  Continue Reading

By Patty Rubstello, assistant secretary, Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division When we unexpectedly lose one of our largest ferries (Puyallup, Tacoma and Wenatchee), there are cascading effects across our system. With Wenatchee out of service for several months due to a recent fire and continuing pandemic-related vessel crewing challenges for quarantines and vaccinations,  Continue Reading

  From Washington State Ferries The summer surcharge fares are effective as of the start of business Saturday, May 1. A standard vehicle pass from Anacortes to Friday Harbor costs $70.90 and $14.50 for each adult passenger. Minor and senior passengers cost $7.25 for each. View the fare chart here.  The safety of our customers  Continue Reading

Port Townsend, Coupeville Route won’t Receive Second Boat Until June 6   By Patty Rubstello, Assistant Secretary, Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division Because of crewing challenges, we made the difficult decision to delay the addition of a second boat on our Port Townsend and Coupeville route until no sooner than Sunday, June 6.  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries The Samish, Cathlamet and Kaleetan vessels have been reassigned to full service on the Anacortes and San Juan Islands routes for Thursday, April 15.  The Chelan has been out of service since April 14 due to steering issues and needed repairs. This will restore full service, following earlier cancellations. Now,  M/V Samish  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries If you ride our ferries, consider participating in the current Washington State Ferry Riders Opinion Group survey to share your thoughts on our service. The survey is hosted by the Washington State Transportation Commission and helps us hear feedback and suggestions directly from you. Sign up to join the survey panel  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries Please continue to limit ferry travel to essential trips. Despite increasing COVID-19 vaccinations and lower case numbers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends we delay travel if possible. That’s why we continue to ask the public to limit rides on our ferries to essential purposes only. If you  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries All routes, including the Anacortes/San Juan Island route, will remain on their severe weather schedules through the end of the sailing day on Monday, Feb. 15. The Anacortes/San Juan Islands route will be running on its weekday severe weather schedule Monday. Travelers should continue to plan ahead and check the adjusted  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries will host a series of upcoming virtual public meetings. On Feb. 9 and 10, staff will be available to answer questions and give an update on Washington State Ferries. For more information about how to participate, go to http://bit.ly/WSFCommunityParticipation. The safety of our customers and crew is WSF’s  Continue Reading

  From Washington State Ferries As COVID-19 began to impact our region, we took steps to ensure the safety of our passengers and employees. Many of these actions happened swiftly, and, like everyone, we had to adapt to changing information and guidance. March Closed the galleys to limit passenger contact. Started offering ticket refunds and  Continue Reading

Annual Riders Down 10 million From 2019  From Washington State Ferries Annual ridership aboard Washington State Ferries plunged by nearly 10 million customers in 2020 – a drop of 41% from the previous year – to roughly 14 million. Stay-at-home orders, remote work and decreased tourism because of COVID-19 are the main reasons for the  Continue Reading