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Northumberland Ferries Ltd.
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Northumberland Ferries Ltd.

See all things to do
See all things to do
Northumberland Ferries Ltd.
4
About
Discover a regional tradition on a voyage across the beautiful Northumberland Strait with Northumberland Ferries. This 75-minute ferry trip between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia offers a variety of onboard amenities and services tailored to the Maritime experience. From aboard the MV Confederation, spend less time behind the wheel and more time taking in the beauty of the Atlantic coast, listening to live music, savoring local flavors, and catching up over a cup of hot coffee.
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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
4.0
277 reviews
Excellent
118
Very good
115
Average
27
Poor
8
Terrible
9
AMsays
Thornhill, Canada4,014 contributions
Enjoyable tranquil crossing...
Aug 2021
Arrived very early for the 4 pm car ferry from Woods Island to Pictou. Attendant graciously offered to put into the earlier 2:30 ferry. Wow, we made it - well directed, quick boarding, no problems. Due to Covid-19 not all services were available including concierge and a limited menu at the cafe. You cannot access your car once the ferry leaves - so make sure you take what you need. A few decks, the top being the most windy. (I saw a hat flying off a gentlemen...!) Not so busy. Spent 75 minutes in an enjoyable, tranquil crossing...
Written September 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Monica M
Thank you for taking the time to post a review. We are glad you enjoyed sailing with us, we love sailing the Northumberland Strait too. We look forward to welcoming you back onboard again soon.
Written September 21, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
W J K
Halifax, Canada97 contributions
Not a Cruise but Worth a Trip
Sep 2021
The ferry service between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island is worthy. Our trip across occurred on time, both departing and arriving, preceded by efficient on- and off-loading of vehicles and passengers. Food service was available. Crew was friendly and welcoming.
Written September 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Monica M
Thank you for taking the time to post a review. We are very proud of our crews, both on land and at sea. We love sailing across the Northumberland Strait! We hope to welcome you back onboard again soon.
Written October 12, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
nowgivemeyourreviews
Halifax, Canada350 contributions
Go at least once
Aug 2021 • Family
This is one of those things that you have to do at least once. We used to take the ferry when I was a kid (no confer bridge) and it was nostalgic for me. The ferry was pretty clean and it had some food offerings. The staff was friendly and I would say it’s worth the $82 round trip ticket
Written August 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Monica M
Thank you for taking the time to post a response. We love having friends and family come back and travel with us. We hope to welcome you back again soon.
Written August 20, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Steve1
Toronto, Canada1,127 contributions
Miserable employees mar arrival in PEI
Aug 2021
We took the ferry recently on a return to PEI for the first time in many years. I used to live on the island as a kid in the 70s, and in those days there was no bridge, only the ferries. I wanted to do the ferry as a nostalgic way of arriving and I like being on the deck and watching the island approaching, which you can't do on the bridge. I was looking forward to sharing it with friends who were with me and had never been to PEI. The experience was marred, however, by some of the most unfriendly and sour cafeteria employees I have ever seen. When we ordered seafood chowder, from the menu where it was clearly printed in large letters over the counter with other selections, the surly woman behind the counter looked at us as if we were insane. "We don't have chowder. Only chicken fingers and fries," she barked, with a look that made us think we had somehow offended her by even daring to ask for chowder. Her mask was pulled down under her nose, which kind of defeats the purpose of wearing a mask in the first place. Um, folks, if you don't have something on the menu, you might want to take it off the menu to save time. Afraid of offending her again, and not enjoying the greasy fried-food smell hovering over the counter, we moved down to some of the healathier options, which included sandwiches and salads, at least. The woman behind the cash register, wearing no mask at all, didn't even bother to look up or smile or say hello as she looked at our tray and totaled up our purchases, as if we were invisible. When I tried a "hello, how are you?" with her, she looked at me as if I had just insulted her. Perhaps she's related to the food counter lady, and they are competing to see who can be the most miserable with customers. This company needs to do some serious staff training. For starters, ladies, try at least smiling. It might make people think you enjoy your jobs. Next time, we will skip the "human contact" we were looking for on the ferry and head straight to the deck to at least enjoy the view. Unfriendly employees can't spoil that!. My friend who made the mistake of ordering chowder is still telling people how rude the ferry woman was with him. What a complete turnoff.
Written August 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Monica M
Thank you for taking the time to post a review. And, thank you for bringing your friends on a memorable and nostalgic trip onboard our ferries, we love to welcome family and friends onboard. We are sorry to hear that our food services did not live up to your expectations. We pride ourselves on offering great customer experience and we are disappointed to hear that it was not a great experience for you. Your comments will be shared with the appropriate supervisors. Our Director of Hospitality would be happy to hear from you at gleclair@nfl-bay.com or by phone at 902-394-0006. Thank you for your feedback and we hope to welcome you back onboard in the future.
Written August 24, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Scott W
1 contribution
Frustrating experience, check-in was a joke
Aug 2022 • Family
Frustrating experience!
Before we arrived we knew there was a chance the ferry would be full, but we took a chance and got there early at 10:15am for the noon ferry. There was maybe 5 vehicles waiting so we thought awesome, we're in. Bought a ticket at the gate and got in line, right at the front of the line. Wait until noon, ferry loads and we don't get on. Ask the staff loading why as we were here before most everyone else. She tells us we are on standby and others had reservations. Ok, that's news to us because they never told is that at the gate when we checked in!
We call the number to complain because we were told on the phone were couldn't make reservation with a trailer but other trailers that arrived later got on. They tell us the rules changed that day. So we move our standby over to a reservation for the 1:30pm ferry.
At this point we are in the 'standby' lane so we go back up to the gate to ask if we need to switch lanes. Girl at the gate gives us attitude and says they should not have given us a reservation because we have a trailer. Then she proceeds to hand us a pamplet starting trailers are not a priority. So she never gave us the pamplet when we checked in, AND never told us we were on standby. Kind of important information, don't you think? Fyi, you could be here all day and not get on any ferry as you are on standby.
Brutal. And it wasn't just us. The people in a car (no trailer) beside us were furious as they were not told either.
And to top it off, attitude from the gate girl, and not a single sorry for the miscommunication.
She blamed it on the fire in July. The fire is why you are not telling people they are on standby when they buy a ticket??

The ferry itself was great, rest of the staff was good too.
But gate staff was brutal.
Why would they not give everyone on standby a printout clearly starting that, and verbally tell them to save themselves all the upset customers.
Written August 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Monica M
Thank you for taking the time to post a review. We are sorry that you were misinformed about the details of travelling with us. We do not sell tickets directly from the Caribou Terminal, but happily accept reservations from our toll -free number 1-877-762-7245, this team will also help you to make a reservation for your trailers. We do recommend reservations to secure space and we do allow trailers to be booked on the MV Confederation. The MV Holiday Island has been replaced by MV Saaremaa 1 and because of the configuration of this ship we cannot accept trailers or campers of certain dimensions because of the loading requirements, it becomes a case-by-case basis. We are sorry about your wait and the misunderstanding, if you are willing to connect with us directly, we would like to offer our apologies. 1-902-870-9796.
Written August 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bryon P
Toronto, Canada146 contributions
First Time Ferry Crossing
Sep 2021
Booked on the 11:15 am Ferry from Wood Islands to Pictou. Can hold many different types of Vehicles. Fortunately a very Smooth day of Sailing. Has a Cafeteria on board as well as information Kiosks. Lots of different look outs on various decks. Easy on and easy off. Bottom Deck usually empties first. You should book reservations instead of taking a chance just showing up.
Written November 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Monica M
Thank you for taking the time to post a review. We do carry all kinds of vehicles from Motor coaches to motorcycles. We do recommend making reservations to ensure you travel at the times that suit you best. We hope to welcome you back onboard again soon.
Written November 4, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TiggerPEI_Canada
PEI, Canada60 contributions
Kids first time on boat
Aug 2020
Took the Ferry from Pictou to Wood Island. With Covid we made a reservation to get on the boat, I think this is required now but not sure. The boat was pretty empty. Took 80-90 minutes to get to Wood islands. We were on the old boat, I beleive this boat use to run in Borden prior to the confederation bridge being built. We sat on the top deck with the kids, they enjoyed it as it was there first time on a boat. I had promised the kids we would get an ice cream on the boat but the store was closed, they were disappointed.
Written August 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Monica M
Thank you for taking the time to post a review. Your health and safety and the health and safety of our crew are our first priority. This also means limited food service available onboard. All customers — including walk-on— are encouraged to make a reservation online at ferries.ca or by phone at 1-877-762-7245. We love the views too and we love having families onboard, we are glad you enjoyed sailing with us. We look forward to welcoming you back onboard again soon.
Written September 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Khadija N
London, Canada4 contributions
Excellent
Aug 2021 • Family
We did not buy the ticket for the ferry but got to the docks one hr before departure.
It was a very big clean ferry with a nice cafe.very friendly staff.
The view was spectacular. Even saw some dolphins and seals in the ocean!
Written August 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Monica M
Thank you for taking the time to post a review. We love watching the wildlife as we sail too. We hope to see you back onboard again soon.
Written August 19, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alejandro B
Ottawa, Canada971 contributions
Relaxing way to travel from/to PEI
Aug 2022 • Family
Traveled on this ferry from PEI to Nova Scotia. Beautiful views and plenty of space to walk around, while in the gift shop I discovered the work of a writer from the Island. (Bought the novel)! Note: The ice cream shop was closed when we got on board but opened up once the ferry started moving.
Written August 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Monica M
Thank you for taking the time to post a review. We love to feature local authors on all of our vessels. We also feature local arts, crafts and foods throughout our vessels. We hope to welcome you back onboard again soon.
Written August 25, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
vaughanm1976
Amarillo, TX643 contributions
Ferry from Nova Scotia to Prince Edward Island
Sep 2016 • Couples
We have used ferries at various places around the world. The ferry service between Caribou, NS and Wood Island, PEI is unique in its pricing structure. I went to the Northumberland Ferry web site to pre-purchase a ticket for ourselves and vehicle. I kept looking on the web site for a one way crossing fare because we planned to take the Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick after our visit on PEI. The fare is free to take the Confederation bridge or the ferry to PEI but you have to pay to leave the island. However the hook is there is no such thing as a one way ferry crossing to PEI from Caribou. You have to purchase a round trip. So I booked the crossing time we wanted to PEI and just entered a return passage that I never intended to use. The ticket showed 0 cost for the trip to PEI and $73 Canadian for the return. We then paid $46 Canadian to cross the Confederation bridge to New Brunswick. It was a bit confusing when pre-purchasing the ferry ticket and like a very strange system. After all they generate several return bookings every day which are never used. I would urge you to buy your ferry ticket as far in advance as possible. They can book up but the main reason is they line up vehicles based on when you purchased the ticket. Earlier bookings translate into being among the first on and then among the first off of the ferry saving several minutes when you arrive.
The ferry was very clean. We went to the restaurant and had a nice lunch sitting by the window. Restrooms were very clean too. Staff was courteous and helpful.
Written September 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Monica M
Thank you for taking the time to post a review. We accept reservations for round trip travel. There is no cost to travel to Prince Edward Island, payment is only taken when departing the Island. We are glad you enjoyed travelling with us. We hope to welcome you back onboard again in the future.
Written September 27, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Northumberland Ferries Ltd. (Wood Islands) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Northumberland Ferries Ltd.