USVI-On-Line

Maybe some one who is more adept than I am can post the Daily News article detailing the new schedules and dates? Thanks!!

PSC cuts back ferry runs between Cruz Bay and Charlotte Amalie

By ALDETH LEWIN
Tuesday, November 24th 2009

ST. THOMAS -Â The V.I. Public Services Commission voted Monday to reduce the number of ferry runs between downtown Charlotte Amalie and Cruz Bay through the tourist season to give more financial stability to the struggling ferry companies.

The commission also voted to extend the current reduced Red Hook to Cruz Bay schedule until Dec. 13, after which the boats will return to their normal hourly schedule.

The two franchised ferry companies - Transportation Service of St. John and Varlack Ventures - came to the PSC in October with a petition to extend the abbreviated schedules approved for the summer months through mid-December.

Delrese Varlack, general manager of Varlack Ventures, said the downtown run costs the companies money because the ridership is so low. According to data produced by the ferry operators' consultant in August, it costs about $197 just for fuel and crew for each leg of the downtown route.

Under the existing franchise agreement, the ferries are required to run six round trips a day from Cruz Bay to downtown Charlotte Amalie. Looking over the course of the 2008 calendar year plus the first five months of 2009, the ferry boats' data found that the most full trip is the mid-day route, which has an average of 31 people on it. The least traveled run is the first run of the day, leaving Cruz Bay at 7:15 a.m. That run averages nine passengers, according to the data.

If the ridership is broken down by month, September and October have the lowest ridership, averaging only two passengers per run. March has the highest average at 39 passengers per run.

Varlack said Monday that the revenues from the Red Hook to Cruz Bay route subsidize the downtown route's operation costs.

In August, the PSC approved a reduced schedule for the summer months from six round trips a day to three for the downtown route and cut two evening trips from each side on the Red Hook to Cruz Bay route. That order expired Nov. 1.

The petition filed in October asked the PSC to maintain the reduced schedule through Dec. 15, when ridership should begin to pick up again. The petition indicated that the downtown run would resume its six round trips a day after Dec. 15.

PSC member Verne David questioned why, if the route loses so much money and is not fully used by passengers, the ferry companies would want to resume the full schedule.

Claudette Ferron, the attorney representing the two ferry franchisees, said the reason is simply that six round-trip runs are what is included in the franchise agreement. She said the companies would willingly accept a continuation of the reduced schedule.

PSC member Donald Cole made a motion to extend the current abbreviated schedule until Dec. 13, after which the ferry will still run three round trips a day but at different times. The downtown route will remain at three round trips a day until July 15.

The current reduced schedule from Red Hook to Cruz Bay, which will now be in place until Dec. 13, eliminates two round-trip runs between Red Hook and Cruz Bay.

The normal schedules will be in place, running from both Red Hook and Cruz Bay on the hour, with the following exceptions: There will not be a 10 p.m. or midnight boat leaving Red Hook and there will not be a 9 p.m. or 11 p.m. boat leaving Cruz Bay. Those trips will now resume on Dec. 13.

- Contact reporter Aldeth Lewin at 774-8772 ext. 311 or e-mail alewin@dailynews.vi.

Cruz Bay-Charlotte Amalie ferry schedule

Extended through Dec. 12

7:15 a.m. Depart from Cruz Bay

9 a.m. Depart from Charlotte Amalie

- - -

11:15 a.m. Depart from Cruz Bay

1 p.m. Depart from Charlotte Amalie

- - -

2:15 p.m. Depart from Cruz Bay

4 p.m. Depart from Charlotte Amalie

Effective Dec. 13

8:45 a.m. Depart from Cruz Bay

10 a.m. Depart from Charlotte Amalie

- - -

11:15 a.m. Depart from Cruz Bay

1 p.m. Depart from Charlotte Amalie

- - -

3:45 p.m. Depart from Cruz Bay

5:30 p.m. Depart from Charlotte Amalie


Copied from:

http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/i ... d=17641610

for us soon to be newbies like me. I am guessing it would be "prudent" if I am staying on STT to grab a taxi over to Red Hook and catch an early (before 9am) ferry over to STJohn? Will the majority of the cruise passengers be taking that 9amish ferry from CAmalie over? I would like to beat the rush if at all possible.

Thanks

Thank you!! Iprof!! - I will learn this skill.

Red Hook to Cruz Bay ferry schedule:

VI Daily News
Setting the record straight:

Because of incorrect information provided to The Daily News, the reduced ferry schedule between Red Hook and Cruz Bay was incorrect in a story Tuesday.

The schedule - which will be in effect until Dec. 13 - eliminates two trips from each side in the evening.

The evening schedule

Departing from Red Hook: 8 p.m., 10 p.m., midnight

Departing from Cruz Bay: 7 p.m., 9 p.m., 11 p.m.

On Dec. 13, the regular schedule will resume with trips on the hour from both sides in the evening. The last boat will leave Cruz Bay at 11 p.m. and Red Hook at 12 p.m.

zrock wrote:Will the majority of the cruise passengers be taking that 9amish ferry from CAmalie over? I would like to beat the rush if at all possible.

ZRock:

The cruise ships charter boats to ferry their passengers directly between Havensight & STJ. So once the morning commuters have ferried over to STJ, you shouldn't have any problem getting over there.