If you know me, I don't fare well with being on open water that I have no idea how deep it is…read more Guess you can say that I have a fear of water. But I try to push myself to experience things, even it is through white knuckles and a tapping foot. I booked my trip on the Cape May Lewes Ferry about two weeks out. That way I knew what time I should show up and to secure myself a spot on the boat. Having never taken this ferry before I did my due diligence and educated myself on everything I needed to know. The best way to secure you spot is to go their website ahead of time. Select whether you are a one-way journeyman or if you will be returning. They will need to know how my passengers, whether you will be towing anything, motorcycle, walk on, etc. Have your pass ready upon driving up to the gate, they will scan it and tell you which lane to go to. Once there, all you have to do is wait. No need to worry about getting out of your vehicle and walking over to the visitor center, most people will be doing that. I got out and ventured over to take some pictures and explore. During your wait, there are multiple things that you can do for entertainment. There is a playground if you have children. There is a store inside for souvenirs. There is a place to grab some food. There are trails to walk, benches to sit, and one more very interesting thing. There is a mini miniature golf course outside. Want to use it, go inside to the information desk and ask for some putters and balls, once you hand over your ID to ensure you return with items. When it nears time to start boarding the boat you will hear an announcement to return to your vehicle so that they can do a quick inspection of your vehicle. The staff will then start directing which vehicles will enter the boat first. Motorcycles first and then they go down a lane. I was lucky to be in a lane that was basically first and made my way onto the boat. I was instructed and guided to a spot on the boat. Take note that once you are on the boat to pay attention to instructions. Do not let your alarm system on. As the motion of the boat can set it off. One passenger did not pay attention and their system was going off for a good few minutes. I grabbed a few things from my vehicle and headed up to the decks and took a look around. Snapping some pictures and went to the stern to see the remainder of vehicles load onto the boat. I also stayed back here as we launched. Cover your ears if the horn is going to bother you. After we launched I made my way indoors to find a table and chair to sit at and eat my snack. The seats are comfortable, and when sitting in them you don't feel the motion too much. I was able to enjoy my food and drink before I got up to wander about. Other things to do while on here. Visit the gift shop. Grab a bite to eat or drink in the cafe area. There are also adult beverages available. Take a seat on deck to watch the waves crash and the land in the distance get nearer. Try not to stumble too much with the rocking of the boat. There were several times I almost went down because of this. The day I took the ferry the weather wasn't the best, spitting rain and windy, so that made for choppy waters. Once on the other side, with all of us back to our vehicles, we started to venture into Delaware. Of course, waiting our turn and being guided off the boat. Definitely a unique way to get around and one that cuts miles and minutes off your travel time.

Date of Excursion: August 3rd, 2025 7:30am…read more After spending a few days in Cape May on my road trip it was time to make my way home. I decided on taking the ferry for this part of the journey and I could not have had a better time. I did take the advice of the web site and made a reservation and paid on line in advance. The drive from my motel in Cape May was a pleasant one, very little traffic at 6:30 in the morning (Sunday). Made it to the entrance and received my ticket for boarding and continued to the line-up. Not sure what to expect but it was different than getting on a plane I guess. Security walk the line and everyone open their trunks for inspection and a little later a security dog walked the line. I do feel safe. After a about a thirty minute wait we started to head to the terminal and board the ferry. I got there early so had a spot up front so I was one of the firsts to drive aboard. I think motorcycles are the first to get on so they could part in the areas other vehicles couldn't. Once you park you stay in your vehicle till the horn blows then the boat is all yours to explore. I was really impressed with the upper deck where the food and beverage station is, nice selection. And the inside seating is first class all the way, though I preferred the outside with views of the bay. It was an 80/90 minute trip that went by before you knew it. The last time I was on this ferry it was with my parents in the 70's on one of our summer road trips, I think we were heading to Florida. I'll will make this a fixture on my next road trip. Well worth it. Peace.

We took the 1 hour tour for $24 a person. It was a nice beautiful day and the boat was not packed…read more They play music and serve alcohol. It does have a little private bathroom on board. The ride goes down the canal where the Delaware river and Chesapeake meet. You can see the sites, eagles, ospreys, tug boats and houses. It's a nice little ride. It doesn't go too fast. Once the boat gets out into the channel, it turns around to go back. It is a nice little experience if you have never done something like that before. Not too expensive and nice for families.

We had a great time on a 90 minute sunset cruise. It was a fun atmosphere with music, drinks and…read morelights. Absolutely recommend!

We sailed up the Severin River in Annapolis on the Cabernet II. Beautiful clean very well…read moremaintained ship. Highly recommend. 1st class experience.

Took the cruise around the Naval Academy. Decent price $25 and not overcrowded. Had a beer onboard…read more Enjoyed the experience and would recommend it.

We opted for the Summer Breeze boat ride on a Sunday afternoon 4pm option. Right next to…read moreSchaefer's. It's a 2 hour boat ride. The cost was $19 per adult and $10 per kid. You can bring food and drinks on the boat though they do have a bar full of options to choose from if you want a beer or cocktails. No food options to purchase on the boat. Everyone was nice and my son even was able to take the wheel for a while. A positive was that we were able to jump on the boat with no reservation. There are 4 large booth tables and plenty of other folding chairs and tables to relax by. They have a bathroom on board the ship with its very own window. I'm not sure if it's normal but there was no music playing which I liked since I was able to have conversations with my family. Tom & Steve are the owners and very nice and welcoming.

Diana was awesome. The owners daughter / bartender / host…read more The captain was Great experience all in all it was awesome I had a party of nine and three kids it was a great experience recommend it for everyone and anyone

Some of the best travel memories aren't planned. They're the ones you stumble into completely by…read moreaccident. While spending Fourth of July weekend on a solo adventure in St. Michaels, I decided to drive over to Oxford after hearing it was worth exploring. I found a parking spot, got out of my car and started taking in the waterfront. That's when I realized I had parked directly beside the Oxford terminal of the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry. I hadn't researched the ferry. Honestly...I didn't even know it existed. As I stood there trying to figure out what exactly I was looking at, I noticed a sign advertising a special fireworks cruise that very evening. The ferry would head out onto the water so passengers could watch Oxford's Fourth of July fireworks from the river. The price? Twelve whole dollars. I just stood there staring at the sign thinking..."Wait...THIS is a thing?!" There was only one problem. The ferry was leaving in about two hours. And I didn't have a ticket. And there was no one around. I immediately pulled out my phone to buy a ticket, but online sales had already closed, which made complete sense. I figured I'd missed my chance. While I was standing there wondering what to do next, a gentleman happened to walk by. I asked if he knew anything about the ferry and whether there was any chance I could still get a ticket. As it turns out...he was the captain. Because apparently that's just how my adventures go! He smiled, told me there would probably still be room for walk-on passengers and suggested I come back closer to departure time. Challenge accepted! I set an alarm, spent the next couple of hours wandering around Oxford and made absolutely sure I was back at the terminal when he told me to return. Sure enough...they welcomed me aboard! I happily paid for my ticket and climbed onto the ferry with one thought running through my head. "I cannot believe this is actually happening." What followed was one of the coolest travel experiences I've ever had! Watching fireworks explode over the water from the deck of a ferry was something I didn't even know belonged on my bucket list until I experienced it. The reflections dancing across the river...The darkness surrounding the boat... The fireworks exploding so close that you could actually feel the booms in your chest...It was absolutely magical! I honestly don't know if I spent more time watching the fireworks or grinning from ear to ear. What made the experience even more memorable, though, wasn't just the fireworks. It was the people. The crew didn't have to find room for one random traveler who showed up without a reservation two hours before departure. But they did. Every person I interacted with was welcoming, kind and genuinely happy to help make my evening happen. I don't know if they realized it at the time, but they created one of my favorite memories from my entire Fourth of July weekend. PRO TIP: If you're visiting Oxford, look at the ferry schedule before you arrive. Whether you're taking your vehicle across to Bellevue, walking on as a passenger or getting lucky enough to catch one of their special event cruises, don't make the same mistake I did and discover it by accident. Although...maybe a little bit of serendipity is part of the magic. The next time I'm back in Oxford, riding the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry will already be on my itinerary. Next time, though...I'll actually know it's there!

BLUF: Expensive but a historical gem that makes for a fun adventure…read more Despite the increasing prices ($24 for two of us in a car to go one way), I love the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry! I appreciate the history and culture of the Chesapeake Bay region and the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry is one of its treasures. The ferry only holds about 9 cars and the scenic trip across the Tred Avon River takes about 10 minutes. The views are always fabulous and the people working the ferry are always friendly. The ferry recently changed owners and on my most recent crossing my husband and I were warmly welcomed and ferried to Bellevue by an all women crew. The ferry only runs from spring to late fall. My husband and I typically take the ferry one of the last weekends its open in the year. We enjoy touring around St. Michael's and then taking the ferry over to Oxford where we load up our cooler with ice cream from Scottish Highland Creamery. This year we took the ferry from Oxford to Bellevue and we enjoyed making the crossing in reverse. In addition to cars, the ferry is very popular with cyclists. There may just be a few on the ferry or a whole Peloton. For those wanting to further support this historic gem, there is merch sold onboard. Admittedly, I find the ferry to be expensive but I look at it like doing my part to keep this part of Chesapeake Bay history alive. There is a discounted bulk rate for those who routinely make the crossing for practical reasons.

This is a nice relaxing way to experience Philly. The ferry was a fun way to cross to NJ instead of…read moredriving. The weather was nice. The ride is 15 mins. I wish the ferry would take you to the both bridges. Over a really great experience

I am relatively certain that the staff on the RiverLink Ferry had no idea what was going to happen…read morewhen Phish decided to play the BB&T arena in Camden for three nights. Thousands of Phish fans trying to get across the river on the ferry could have been a disaster but I do want to applaud the staff for trying their best to keep up with our crazy crowd. I think in general, they did a pretty decent job. This boat must fit at least 500 people and it simply trucks back and forth between the Philly and Camden sides of the river. It's located very close to the Penns Landing Hilton and is a quick uber from Center City. For events like concerts, you buy an $11 round trip wristband that entitles you to passage to and from. They say the round trip takes about 15-20 minutes, but it was stretching more like 25 minutes just I think because of the extra time to load and unload an extremely full boat. But our passage was smooth, the staff moved people pretty efficiently and weren't overbearing or mean to people. The vending machines were sold out, which sucked. I only wish that they'd give people a little more leniency on the return side. They basically say the last ferry is 30 minutes after the show ends. That turns out not to be true because of the fact that it takes almost 30 minutes to do a round trip with the boat and there is way more than one boat load of fans to port back across the river. If they had a second boat, that would help a lot, though I get that maybe they don't because they don't have that kind of capacity crunch most of the time. Anyway, totally fun and fine way to get across the bridge to Camden if you're going to a show at BB&T or something else! Way better than sitting in traffic. :-)

Very nice experience! We cruised on the miles River. The cruise is a total of 70 mins. Everyone was…read moreso nice. We also received good background history of St.Michael's. This cruise line has two levels. The lower deck which is closed in. It also has a small bar area for drinks as well as non- alcoholic beverages. They sell light snacks such as chips, hotdogs, etc. I tried the Miles River drink. It was delicious. She made it perfectly. We decided to let the wind blow in our hair. So we remained on the top level which was open windows. The views were amazing. Just bring a light jacket because it gets a little windy on the water. I would like to do this again. Maybe during warmer weather though. Even though I still enjoyed everything about it. If you're interested in learning St. Michael's history while enjoying the calming waters. This would be perfect.

If you enjoy a relaxing boat ride, Patriot Cruises is for you! One a two-level boat that looks like…read morea historic ferry, the cruise is 70 minutes and includes a tour pointing out historic sites and beautiful waterfront mansions. The final 20 minutes includes music and relaxation. There's a bar and snack area in the lower level and enclosed seating with tables. Upstairs is open air seating. To see most of the properties noted, sit on the right side of the boat. Bring cash so you can tip at the end.