All Aboard: 5 Things To Know Before Hopping The PVD To Newport Ferry
I Love Providence For Having This Ferry!
I co-opted that quote from the gentleman sitting in our row on the way back from Newport last night and gotta say that his sentiment was spot on...Yesterday, we finally tried and tested out the new Seastreak ferry service from Providence to Newport that people have been buzzing about and it did not disappoint. Of course, we couldn't have had a more perfect day weather wise - sunny and warm but not the sweltering, oppressive heat and humidity that July in the OS is notorious for. Yeah, you should G-O, but beforehand, check out these tips for getting the absolute most out of your trip:
- Attn All Procrastinators & Impulsive Peeps - Get your tix in advance! No, really - buy them early, online the day before if possible, because we motored over to the ticket office, and dock, at 25 India St., about 10-15 minutes before the 10am boat and it was sold out. Womp, womp. Luckily, there was a later one at 12:30, and we decided to walk over to Wickenden for breakfast, so we didn't spaz out, but it's been quite popular since kicking off July 4th weekend which means no leaving anything to chance. (PS - Tix are only $10 per person each way, which can best be described as pretty flipping reasonable.)
- There's plenty of signage on 95, I-95, and leading to the dock on India St., so you shouldn't have a problem getting there. There's also a good size parking lot, but as our seat mate suggested, you may want to find street parking nearby to avoid any potential grid lock getting out of the lot once you're back in PVD later that day/night. Now, we didn't have any issues exiting, but I can see how that could happen.
- Want first dibs on seating? Know that people start lining up to board at least 15-20 minutes prior to scheduled departure times, so plan accordingly. Also, if you've made plans with that person who's a fantastic friend, but is perpetually late for practically everything, fib to him or her about the departure time, saying it's earlier than it actually is. Technically, this is a lie, but it's also the only way to guarantee you'll arrive early enough to get spots at the front of the line and first pick of seats, including (most importantly) two seats together.
- If you're someone who prefers A/C and outlets for charging your phone, you may want the lower deck. There's ample seating (Photo above.), an outlet or two to save your phone from konking out, and a snack bar serving small bites and beverages. Pretty sure you can order beer or a cocktail, but this is far from a booze cruise mentality. Think family fun and mellow vibes. If you're outdoorsy (I am sooo not.), then there is an upper deck where you can soak up the sun, or the sunset, the breeze, and maybe even veg out a bit. (Btw, nobody says chillax anymore or so I've been told.)
- Speaking of which, I took a nap on the way back to PVD. And I wasn't the only one! (Full Disclosure: We did walk about 12 miles yesterday afternoon, so that may have been part of the reason why I desperately needed a few Zzz's.) Later, our seat mate confided that he'd be back on the ferry this coming weekend because he hates, loathes, and detests traffic that much. All outstanding reasons for sailing away with Seastreak, right?
*The trip from PVD to Newport took around one hour and twenty minutes. The return was slightly shorter.
**Dress Code - Nautical striped tops, and Sperry boat shoes, are optional, but for the record, I did see a ton of Saint James in the shops on and around Bellevue yesterday afternoon. #WillBlog4SaintJames **
Ciao For Now,
Patty J
Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of me