BVI/USVI Ferry Schedule & FAQs

I've been informed Smith's has changed their schedule slightly so I've updated the ferry schedule on bestofbvi.com .

Hello:
Do you know if the Native Sun ferries are running again?

Thanks
Thorsten

Thorsten - I saw them running regularly along the Channel on my recent visit last month and I've been told they're up and running to full schedule but can't verify that personally.

New Road Town Fast Ferry service between West End, Tortola and Red Hook, St Thomas:

Daily service departing West End at 06:15, 08:00, 12:15, 15:30
Clears C&I at Cruz Bay, St John before continuing to Red Hook

Daily service departing Red Hook at 07:15, 11:15, 14:30, 17:45
Travels direct to West End
17:45 ferry continues to Road Town

Round Trip: $50/adult, $40/senior, $30/child (2-11), $10/child under 2
One way: $30/adult, $25/senior, $20/child (2-11), $5/child under 2

I've added the schedules to the website:
http://www.bestofbvi.com/info/info_bviferry.htm

Thanks very much for the updated ferry schedule!
TonyBalonee

I have been a loyal Smiths customer mostly because of Marjorie but I think in the future I will cab to Redhook and take this Ferry to Westend. My experiences the last few times have not been great.

George

Have to agree George, not worth the hassle of going downtown to find out nothing is running. Was talking to the owners of the Pump Room and they have been feeling the effects of the inconsistent ferries in their business.

Hope things improve before the Flotilla this summer - might be more practical to organize a group for a water taxi!

We are coming into STT at 12:45pm on February the 9th and need to get to Road Town. Is a cab to Red Hook – Ferry to West end – cab to Road Town a good option?

Redsky
First question is where is your final destination? Seems like a bit of a hassle and expensive especially if you have a large group. Why not take the 4:15 from CA directly to Roadtown. You might have a bit of a wait at CA terminal but not a big issue. If you catch the 2:30 out of Redhook what time will you get to Roadtown?

There are four of us. I was just looking to get to RT as early as possible to enjoy some time at the hotel. The RT fast ferry looks like the least hassle- just looking for a sooner option. We are bareboating with TMM the next day.

I thought there was a 330 out of Stt that stopped at West End and then on to Road Town. Took about a hour. I thought we took that 2 years ago.
Ellen

I need to take a ferry on Saturday and have a 16:00 flight, so the ferries leaving at or after 14:00 are too late, but the websites for the ferry companies don't have schedules. Is the URL in the first link to Best of BVI accurate? I'd miss my flight if the 12:00 ferry from the West End weren't running but don't want to spend all day at airport if I took an earlier ferry... The schedule seems to show that if I took an 11:30 from Road Town and that weren't running I could get a backup 12:00 from there - unless the schedules aren't correct.

This is the best ferry schedule:
http://www.bestofbvi.com/info/info_bviferry.htm

That's the one listed at the top of this sticky thread and the one I used. I just hate to have to cab into Road Town just to check the schedule and then not be certain that they will stick to it.

if our flight arrive in St Thomas at 3:30pm on a Thursday, do we have enough time to catch the last ferry to Virgin Gorda?

You should have no problems making the 5pm ferry if your flight arrives on time.

Sitting in Red Hook! The NEW Road Town Fast Ferry to West End is shut down indefinitely!!!!!!
Cab from airport for just the two of us to Red Hook $90...........
Now hoping Native Sun really will leave at 3:15.......

Just another ferry story.................
Mike

Many thanks for the information. I heard they were a vessel down and some runs were cancelled. I'll add a note to the ferry schedules.

Anything new on this one? If not, is the Native Son 5:00 the last from St Thomas to Tortola on a tuesday?

I haven't heard anything recently. I'll check with RTFF and let you know.

Native Son's last ferry is scheduled to run at 5pm out of Red Hook but I would recommend calling them beforehand.

RTFF are not running the Red Hook to West End route at the moment.

Thanks for the up-to-date info.

Updates to ferry schedules:

Speedy's have added the following ferries:
Daily at 7:45am from Road Town, Tortola to Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda
Daily at 7:00am from Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda to Road Town, Tortola
Sundays at 6:00pm from Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda to Road Town, Tortola
http://www.bestofbvi.com/info/bviferry_tortola_vg.htm

Change to schedule:
Speedy's from St Thomas to Virgin Gorda now departs at 4:00pm on Sats instead of 3:30pm
http://www.bestofbvi.com/info/bviferry_stt_vg_speedys.htm

And, as some have already mentioned, there is a new daily service with Speedy's starting on Dec 1 between Beef Island and Virgin Gorda:
Departs Trellis Bay, Beef Island: 6:30am, 12:00 noon, 10:30pm
Departs Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda: 5:00am, 10:30am, 10:00pm
http://www.bestofbvi.com/info/bviferry_tortola_vg_nsx.htm

I've updated the schedules on Best of BVI

Thanks for keeping this current, Trudi. Excellent work. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Thanks Bill. Hope it helps.

Just as an FYI, I've been trying to find ferries between USVI and BVI, and many, many of the times posted online are not running. Please make sure you call first to make sure the ferry is running. We based our flight to STT on the ferry schedules and are now having to get a private water taxi to Tortola to be to our charter company on time. Call first!

Yep, that's pretty much SOP for most ferries in the Caribbean. Always should call the week of travel.

New ferry service between Tortola/Virgin Gorda - Anegada

Tortola to Anegada
Virgin Gorda to Anegada

Anegada to Tortola
Anegada to Virgin Gorda

Trudi:
Put in a time for a departure from Virgin Gorda. Also does it go back to Virgin Gorda, if there are passengers?

Hi Thorsten
Departure times from Virgin Gorda are found on the Virgin Gorda to Anegada schedule. The ferry only returns to Virgin Gorda if there are passengers on the afternoon run, see Anegada to Virgin Gorda schedule.

On the native son ferry leaving CA on Saturdays at 14:30, the asterik indicates it "travels via red hook"....assume this means it stops at red hook before going on to West End? If that's the case, is it better to just wait for the 15:30 ferry that goes direct to WE?

Ohhhhhhh yesss. How astute of you to notice. Most especially the Friday 14:30 stopping at Red Hook. It will stop there and about 30 people will board.. along with 500 cubic yards of toilet paper, Wheaties, tires, cases of drinks, massive bundles of styrofoam plates... and all that will be unloaded at West End Customs.. on top of all the bags of the other passengers.
You haven't a prayer of finding your bags under that pile if you are able to blaze a path through it. It was a tedious and very long process after a very cramped ferry ride.

There's not a lot in it, assuming the 3:30pm runs. Sometimes it's cancelled or "delayed" and can be merged with the 4:30/5:00pm ferry. Suggest making your way to the ferry dock and taking the ferry which is leaving next.

thanks for the replies. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that doesn't happen. We're landing in STT just before 1 pm and will already be hanging around for the 3:30. Moglet, even with BillH's post, we should still take whatever ferry is leaving next?

IMHO, yes. I always think it's better to be on your way than to sit at the ferry dock (albeit at The Petite Pump Room) and wonder when the next ferry will leave. Ferries can be delayed at short notice so if there's one leaving that's going your way, then I would take it.

many thanks....14 days to go!

Yay, now I'm going to add Anegada to my itinerary! About how long is the ferry ride from VG to Anegada?

Approx 45 mins
http://www.bestofbvi.com/info/info_bviferry.htm#ferryride

Sorry if this has already been asked. I looked and did not see that it has been recently.
AA changed our flights...for the better! But now I am a bit confused on the ferry situation. We arrive on Thurs into STT
@ 12:50. We need to get to Leverick for the first leg of our trip. Originally we were to get in later and had planned on the 5pm ferry to VG. Arriving earlier has me a bit confused. Should we wait it out in STT at the Pump room / shopping or would you suggest taking a ferry to Tortola and than to VG?
Would love to hear what some of the veterans here would do <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />
Not sure that I see any real advantages (like getting to VG earlier) by going thru Tortola.

Check the schedule and see what you can make work. There will be a 130+/- listed, doesn't always run. If you can get to VG sooner, great, if not, check you bags in at the ferry dock and take a little stroll downtown.

I originally posted this question in the Main Forum, but maybe it belongs here....

We arrive in STT from ATL at 1:50 on Saturday, May 5th
(Any chance the 2:00 JVD direct runs late enough to catch it?).

On arrival, should we taxi to CA or Red Hook? Since it's a Saturday afternoon, I'm guessing traffic shouldn't be too much of an issue. We're hoping to get to West End in time for the 4:00 ferry to JVD vs the last one at 6:00.

Native Son shows a 2:30 out of CA, but doesn't that one stop at Red Hook before going over to West End? If so, wouldn't we be better off to board in Red Hook so we have some of the first bags off on arrival in West End?

Would the 3:15 from Red Hook allow us enough time to clear customs and still make the 4:00 to JVD?

Thanks for the help! Less than 3 weeks to a week on the most perfect beach I've ever seen!!

I would suggest getting a taxi to CA and take the first ferry to West End and then take a ferry from there to Jost van Dyke.

You won't be able to make the 2pm ferry from Red Hook to Jost van Dyke.

You are correct, the 2:30pm from CA stops at Red Hook. In my opinion, it's not worth the time/cost getting on the ferry at Red Hook.

If the ferry runs to schedule, you may be able to make the 4pm from West End. If not, enjoy a drink and take the 6pm ferry.

Thanks, Trudi! Worst case it sounds like we'll have time to grab a drink and begin our vacation while we wait. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

We are staying at Leverick and planning a trip on a Sunday to Anegada. I could have sworn that one of the ferries would stop and pick people up at Leverick if notified in advance. I cannot locate this info anymore <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
Did I dream this or am I just missing seeing it?
Thanks!

The ferries to Anegada pick up from Spanish Town not Leverick Bay. Perhaps you're getting confused with the day trip Bitter End offers?

thank you...any idea on how much a cab is to spanish town from Leverick? We would have 4 people....

I think it was $30 for two a couple of months ago..

Do the ferries that run from Tortola to Anegada pick up on their way there (at Spanish Town, VG) in the morning as well as afternoons? And are they still only running Monday, Wednesday and Friday? I know there's a link to the ferry websites but I think the information I get here is probably more up to date and accurate. We'll be traveling mid-June by-the-way. Thanks <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Both Smiths and Road Town Fast Ferry definitely pick up at Spanish Town in the mornings (reservations are required) but I believe only Smiths pick up on the afternoon run.

RTFF run on Mon/Wed/Fri and Smiths run on Tue/Thu/Sun.
http://www.bestofbvi.com/info/bviferry_vg_anegada.htm

As with all ferries, I suggest calling them beforehand to verify they will be running to schedule.

Update on ferry schedules to/from Anegada… Smiths will run on Sundays only until November, RTFF continue to run Mon, Wed and Fri.
http://www.bestofbvi.com/info/bviferry_tortola_anegada.htm

This past Tuesday, Smiths was running a 1:30 pm ferry from RT to CA with a stop in WE. We left a little after 2 pm, but fortunately before my backup RTFF at 2:30 and we got to CA about 5 minutes ahead of them. I don't know if this is a "permanent" schedule change for Smiths but I would call all 3 companies the day before I wanted to leave and ask about departures.
Fred

Post deleted by amurphy08

Amy, I could not imagine the trip to be more then 2 hours. If it's stopping in VG it's a long stop, probably less then an hour from VG.

I see the .last post here was from nearly a year ago, has anything changed? I've found schedules on numerous sites and they're all the same(good thing) however, where do they stand on dependability?

which day?

Arriving Sat to STT at 7:30a

Saturdays are busy ferry days. Get on the first one leaving. We have stopped checking schedules in advance.

Some changes in Native Sons schedule. Current here: http://www.nativesonferry.com/schedule/

Thank you! I've updated the Native Son schedules on Best of BVI.