Seas The Day With A Relaxing Ferry Ride From Providence To Newport
Seastreak's FAST FERRY from Providence to Newport had so many people buzzing back in 2016 when it first launched.
Wherever I went, it seemed as though everyone was gushing about it and urging me to go.
In case you’ve never been, it is back again this Summer, and the ticket prices are pretty reasonable, $12 each way for adults ($24 roundtrip) and $6 for kids ($12 roundtrip).
Before you go, check out these tips for having the most enjoyable and relaxing voyage.
Get your tix in advance! No, really. Buy them early and online (the day before if possible) because when we motored over to the ticket office and dock at 25 India Street for the first time, about 10-15 minutes before the ferry was supposed to leave, it was sold out. Sad faces. Luckily, there was another one at 12:30pm, and we eventually decided to just walk over to Wickenden for a leisurely breakfast.
2. There's plenty of signage on 95, I-95, and leading to the dock on India Street, so you shouldn't have a problem finding the dock or ticket office. There's also a good size parking lot, but as one of the wise people we met on the boat suggested, you may want to find street parking nearby to avoid any potential gridlock getting out of the lot once you're back in PVD later that day or night. Now, we've never had any issues exiting, but I can see how that MIGHT happen.
3. Want first dibs on seating? Know that people start lining up to board at least 15-20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure times, so plan accordingly. 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. This is a good way to guarantee they’ll arrive early enough to get spots at the front of the line and first pick of seats, including (most importantly) 2 seats together.
4. If you're someone who prefers air conditioning and outlets for charging your phone (as I do), you may want the lower deck. There's ample seating, an outlet or two to save your phone from power failure, 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. PS - If you are in fact outdoorsy (I am not), there is an upper deck where you can soak up the sun, or the sunset, and the breeze, and maybe even veg out a bit.
The trip from PVD to Newport took around one hour and twenty minutes, and the return was slightly shorter.
Dress Code? Nautical striped tops and boat shoes, are optional but for the record, I always spy a ton of Saint James clothing in the shops there.
Photo Credits: All photos above are courtesy of PattyJ.com.