Tours and Tickets by Hy-Line Cruises - High Speed Ferry Service
Overview
If you only have a day to experience Nantucket’s New England charm, maximize your time with this convenient package. Rather than hiring a car and taking the slow ferry, enjoy minibus transfers to Hyannis, cross to Nantucket in just an hour, and spend almost a whole day exploring independently by bus, car, or on foot. Your driver/guide will point out essential sights as you travel to Cape Cod.
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Everything with the ferry was perfect, very organized and on time. Great way to travel. On our trip back home today, a very obnoxious couple was trying to take up all 6 outdoor seats in their row by putting bags on the 4 empty seats. A family with 2 small children tried to sit down and the obnoxious couple basically said no because they have elderly parents home in New Jersey that they were trying to keep safe. The nice family got someone from the ferry involved but they didn’t insist that they move their bags and the family ended up standing. It honestly took all the strength I had to keep my mouth shut during all of this. We offered the family our seats but they declined. I think there should be signs and someone enforcing so that people don’t put their bags on seats so people don’t sit there. Very rude! And for God sakes, couple from NJ, if you want 6 seats, pay for 6 seats!!!!!!…
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Date of experience: September 2020
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Responded 2 weeks ago
Hi Joan, Thank you for taking the time to review. I'm sorry about the lack of consideration from fellow passengers.
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I made a reservation on line for a early afternoon trip to Nantucket to meet up with friends to watch the Capitals (NHL) and bbq. I got an confirmation email and two boarding passes with bar codes (departure and return). I got in line at 2:05. The ticket says at the bottom “Must be boarded or in BOARDING LINE 15 min. prior to maintain reservation” which I was. I got to the Scanning agent and he says I must be “checkin in” I said, I have the boarding pass and I was in line as instructed. He Says Go to the office. Woman there insists with indignity that the ticket says you must be in line or have checked in. I point to the line and say, that is exactly what I did. I was in line. She says you should have checked in at the office. I said the ticket - boarding pass LITERALLY SAYS YOU MUST BE IN BOARDING LINE (or boarded but you could not board, hence the line.) She says they gave my space to someone else. You might say, it is only an hour a twenty minutes difference; but I was only going to be there 4 hours. No sympathy, no let’s work this out. What terrible communications and system. Could not be more misleading so they can sell their tickets.…
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Date of experience: August 2020
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Responded 2 weeks ago
Hi Chris - I'm sorry to hear about your experience. I did find your reservation in our system, but it isn't really helping me to figure out what went wrong. I can see on that day around 12:00pm, two child tickets were added to your reservation and then at 2:16pm those tickets were moved and taken off. You had originally booked the 2:25pm so I'm confused as to why an agent was in the reservation a few minutes prior to departure. Do you have more information on this? What I do know is that once a change is made to a reservation, that the boarding cards emailed to you during your initial transaction need to be replaced. It sounds like you were perhaps not given this information? I'm glad there was availability to move you to the 3:45pm but I am again sorry for your experience as you were trying to get on your scheduled departure.
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My favorite way to travel to Nantucket! Staff is competent; the online ticketing & parking reservation system is FANTASTIC and the amenities are great (wifi in the middle of the ocean is actually pretty reliable and enables me to tie up loose ends at work without cutting into my island time). It's a big ferry - not as big as the car ferries, but you can expect a smooth crossing, even in choppy seas. Timeliness has never been an issue in my experiences with Hy-Line - during off-season or at the height of summer. There is plenty of room to sit / spread out. The seats with tables tend to fill up quickly, so if you need to work or need a surface to eat - plan to get in line to board as soon as they allow folks to start queueing up. If having a restaurant-booth style table is not important to you, no need to stress - there is plenty of seating. The Hyannis & Martha's Vineyard terminals have refreshments and restrooms. Nantucket has no such terminal, but there are some shops nearby (no food in very very close proximity, though - so plan accordingly). There is also food / drink available to purchase on board. If you're arriving by car, the most harrowing part of the whole transit experience will be arriving in time to unload luggage & passengers, to park, and then make it back to the ferry terminal in time for departure. This is unavoidable, though - and not the fault of Hy-Line or anyone / anything other than typical cape traffic congestion - I'm referring to traffic levels pre-COVID-19 times, of course... Definitely recommend the "on site" parking if it is available. Depending on the day of the week / season . length of stay - it may not be available. On site parking is a bit more money but worth it if your travel time is tight. Offsite parking is not difficult to get to - but for those of you who like me, rely on WAZE or navigation systems to find things while driving - you are out of luck! The offsite parking lots are not navigable in this manner from what I have experienced so be sure to listen to the parking attendants / luggage attendants when they tell you how to get to the OFFSITE lots. Either that, or call Hy-Line / take a look at the map or directions before you leave so you can write them down or otherwise familiarize yourself with them in advance of arrival. It's just a short hop away but can take anywhere from 5 - 15 minutes to get up there one way - don't forget, you need to make your way BACK via shuttle... Hyannis traffic is unpredictable AT ALL TIMES OF THE YEAR - even mid week; so save yourself a HUGE helping of stress and allow yourself at least 30 minutes for parking on top of your travel to time to the terminal if you need to park a vehicle OFFSITE before boarding the Ferry. On one of our last trips from the Merimack Valley in the middle of the afternoon on a TUESDAY in August - we were hit with a TON of traffic in Hyannis. We made great time through Boston, and down Rte. 3 but once in Hyannis it was BANANAS. I dropped my passengers off at the terminal and because we planned this trip late, could not park "on site" so had to navigate to the off-site parking lot. It was easy to find, but I was unfamiliar with the location and because on top of that my navigation system couldn't show me the location - I was VERY anxious about getting there, locking up, catching the shuttle to the terminal - and ultimately missing the ferry. Happily, my fears were for naught! While it took almost 15 minutes to travel the couple miles from the terminal to the lot in mid-day Hyannis traffic, there was a shuttle literally WAITING for me when I pulled in. I was the sole passenger left to shuttle down but I made it to the ferry in time to board.…
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Date of experience: August 2019
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4 families booked a cruise for 1 Jun 2020. After CDC warnings, all four families cancelled On 16 Mar 2020at same time which was before our 18 Mar cancellation date With $0 penalties. Two families were given full refunds minus cancellation fees and two families were given credits. I have just been told by the executive for guest relations that this decision is final. Now they have used my money since Jul 2019 as I paid in full at time of booking this cruise. I know these facts to be true as the other three parties involved are my daughters. Not a fair way to treat customers.…
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Date of experience: May 2020
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Responded May 9, 2020
Hello - we are offering full refunds due to COVID-19. I am not sure who you spoke with, as we do not have an executive for guest relations. Do you have a booking number? Or can you give me further information, such as the name under which the booking was made? I'd be happy to get it cancelled and refunded for you.
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We use Hy-Line all the time to get back and forth to Nantucket. Super reliable, easy parking, love our pups, and the snack bar/cocktail bar is always equipped! ;)
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Date of experience: March 2020
2 Helpful votes
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Responded Mar 11, 2020
Thank you so much! We do love doggos :)
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