Island Queen Ferry
Island Queen Ferry
4.5
About
The Fun Way to Martha's Vineyard! BOOK ONLINE and sail away on the Island Queen from Falmouth, Cape Cod and you will experience Martha's Vineyard within just 35-minutes. Convenient parking just 200 yards from the dock. Enjoy our enclosed lounge, outside decks, full-service snack bar and our friendly crew! Daily sailings beginning at 9:00am from late May to mid October. Children ages 4 & under travel free! BOOK ONLINE in advance, to ensure availability of your desired sailing times!
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
930 reviews
Excellent
602
Very good
269
Average
39
Poor
10
Terrible
10

newengland50
Franklin, MA462 contributions
Aug 2021
If you are traveling to Martha's Vineyard without a car, this is the best way to go. There is parking reserved for Island Queen customers within a short walking distance (a distance equal to just over a city block). It's $20 per calendar day (if you arrive one day and depart the next, it is not 24 hours but two days). The Steamship Authority has parking, but it is a long distance in a shuttle bus from the ferry dock.

The Island Queen can be busy on early sailings and on weekend days. There is a bar with beverages and some snacks onboard. The ship offers indoor and outdoor seating.

The trip is about 35 minutes. You should make reservations online prior to the trip.

The ship is kept clean
Written August 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review and for choosing the Island Queen. We hope to see you again in the near future!
Written December 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Gene R J
Silver Spring, MD8,929 contributions
May 2021
My wife and I took this ferry for a day trip to Martha’s Vineyard. We bought our tickets online($46 for 2), stayed 2 nights at the Innseason Resorts Harborwalk, then walked just 200 yards south to board at 8:30 AM. Our 1 hour journey was misty, foggy and cold both ways but the sea was calm. On arrival, we bought a senior bus day pass($10 for 2) for the circuit to Edgartown, Vineyard Haven, then back to Oak Bluffs to return on the 2:15 PM ferry. Wonderful day using this clean, well run ferry with pleasant crew and port members. Highly recommended.
Written May 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Gene for choosing the Island Queen ferry and we hope to welcome you again in the near future!
Written December 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Beth C
Middletown, NJ186 contributions
Jun 2021
I think the staff did a great job getting a large amount of people on and off the boat. The boat was clean and had ample sitting room. It was also super close to our hotel so we could walk there, but they do have parking for $20/day. I’m happy we took this over the Woods Hole ferry.
Written June 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your compliments of our crowd control, which is something we work very hard to improve upon each season. We hope to welcome you aboard once again!
Written December 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rene S
Oak Island, NC32 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
The ferry was great even though the weather was overcast and the water was choppy. The 3 rating is because I bought a tshirt as we were leaving, really running because of the rain. Told the little girl large or X-Large, I held up the large and thought if it shrunk we couldn’t wear it so paid for the X-Large. I guess I dhould have double checked as no one can get good help these days and it was a YOUTH X-Large, well needless to say from SC I wont be able to pop back by plus they have no online ordering ability
Ruined my trip as we are also from an island and was so looking forward to my “Island Queen” tshirt
Written July 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kevin I
4 contributions
Jun 2022
We took the island queen from Falmouth to Martha's Vineyard for a day trip. The trip was smooth, the staff was friendly, and the boat was on time. Parking was down the street and a bit pricey at $20 cash only for the day. You also cannot leave your vehicle parked and explore Falmouth after your trip because they close down the parking lot soon after the ferry returns.
Written July 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks Kevin for your review. I am sorry that we cannot keep our parking lots open, once we close for the evening. There is public parking available adjacent to our downtown Main Street for evening hours. Thank you again.
Written July 10, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

TexasMomTW
Hot Springs, AR374 contributions
Sep 2021
Reservations were easy on the website, and we booked the 9 AM Oak Bluff ferry, with the 2:15 PM return. We arrived at the Island Queen parking lot at 8 AM for the 9 AM ferry, and there were plenty of parking spots available, even though electronic signage on our way and radio updates said that parking had limited availability. We paid $20 in cash to park, and then walked half a block to the Island Queen boarding location. There were clean rest rooms and a covered seating area where we waited until we were able to board the ferry. The ride was comfortable, the workers were efficient, professional and nice, and the restrooms on board were fine.
The schedule worked out well for our excellent 10:30 am to 1 pm History (bus) Tour with Oak Bluffs Land and Wharf Tours, giving us enough time to walk around the port and visit the Camp Meeting Association gingerbread houses and tabernacle before we walked back to the Island Ferry seating area to board our return ferry.
Written November 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for choosing the Island Queen ferry in Falmouth. We are very happy to hear that you enjoyed your experience, including the ease of booking your reservation online. We hope to welcome you aboard once again in the near future.
Written December 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

LalaGal72
Brooklyn, NY7 contributions
Sep 2020
Overpriced compared to the steamship. Parking for the day is $20.00 and make sure you get your car out of their lot by 6pm. Otherwise, it stays until the next day and you're required to pay an additional $20.00 the next day to get it out. Make sure you get there at least an hour early as it's on a first come first serve basis.
Written September 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KCLizard
State College, PA608 contributions
Jul 2021
If you are not taking a car, and you want to be in the Cape area before or after going to the Vineyard, this is a great choice. The parking is nearby (whereas the other nearby ferry service makes you park a long ways from the terminal). Your ticket info is on your phone and quick for check-in, and the waiting area is pleasant as you watch the harbor. The boat also loads quickly, and you can get on and off much quicker than the bigger boats. The prices for snacks on the boat are very reasonable. The boat unloads on the island in an area with several bike rentals, bars, restaurants and shops so it is super convenient.
Written July 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We appreciate that you chose to join us aboard the Island Queen ferry and thank you for your very kind review of your experience!
Written December 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

860Vetman
Bethlehem, PA859 contributions
Jun 2021
Great Transportation, the crew and passengers are still required to wear masks. Our only disappointment was the schedule. We traveled to the vineyard on a Monday and the last ferry back to Falmouth left at 3:45. Taking the first ferry in the morning then booking a 3 hr tour of the vineyard it didn't give us much time to spend in any of the popular locations.
Written June 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review and I'm sorry that our schedule did not meet your needs. At the time of your visit, we were operating on our Spring Schedule, which offers a modified sailing schedule Monday through Thursday. We hope to welcome you back for a weekend visit or during our Summer Schedule, both of which offer more sailing departures each day.
Written December 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

DBH291
3 contributions
Aug 2020
I've been riding the Island Queen for over 40 years and had always been very happy with this ferry service - until now. We took the ferry on 8/26/20. We called in advance to inquire about maximum passenger capacity due to Covid. Three separate employees, one on the phone and two at the gate, told us that maximum capacity was limited to 50 passengers per trip. We were surprised and disappointed to see that on the trip to the Vineyard, there were well more than 150; and the trip home was even more crowded by, we estimate, more than 200. The only thing we can conclude is that we were lied to in order to coerce us to arrive very early. Whatever the reason, we don't appreciate being lied to. Further, finding a seat that was six feet away from others was a serious challenge. And when departing the ferry both in the Vineyard and in Falmouth, there was no attempt by employees to encourage, or require, any social distancing. Rather it was a shoulder to shoulder free for all with hundreds of passengers rushing the exit all at once, as if no one had ever heard of Covid . If you consider taking the ferry, plan to hang back upon exiting and allow the crowds to get off and give yourself a chance to have appropriate distance between you and others.
Written August 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good Morning DBH291, DBH291 you are not correct. You were informed that we are voluntarily operating at 50% capacity, not 50 passengers. Our vessel is licensed to carry 522 persons so we keep our passenger count below 270 passengers per sailing. This is not a Coast Guard requirement, but a decision we made to make more space available on the vessel for passenger comfort. You were NOT lied to, but instead you are mistaken and I would have appreciated you to call us to express your concerns, so that I would have the opportunity to clarify this information to you. Additionally, we play multiple announcements at our dock and onboard the Island Queen requesting that passengers social distance whenever possible, and when not possible, masks must be worn as ordered by our State Governor. We require masks to be worn in our Boarding Area, on our vessel's Main Deck and on the outer decks passengers may drop their mask if they are 6-feet or more away from passengers who are not members of their household. Additionally, we are disinfecting high-touch areas throughout the vessel before passengers board at each sailing. Finally, we doubled the size of our Falmouth Boarding Area to provide more space for passengers while waiting to board. We, like every other business, are always looking at ways to improve our operation during these difficult times and we have received incredibly positive feedback from many passengers who appreciate the efforts we are making to keep our passengers and our employees as safe as possible.
Written August 28, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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