April 2026 CASH ONLY! Or Online Reservation pre-purchase. This review is purely for the actual dock, not the ferry providers. No one here is helpful. No one. Not one person. Front gate: $5/vehicle for port entry. Lady working the booth extremely rude and dismissive. Dock: Security guard lady was beyond rude and obnoxious. Obvious many of the people taking the ferry to St. John were 1st timers. I've read all the reviews on the ferry dock and the common theme from ST to ST J is that the security guards are the worse. Well...I lived it and it's true. The security guards are the worse employees ever. Did I mention rude and obnoxious? There's no signs or directions on where to park and where to wait....so you're at the whim of the security guard telling you where to go. Hint: do not purchase an online reservation. Bring cash to the ferry and pay round trip for the first boat that arrives. This way, you can hop on the earliest ferry. Just make sure you get back on the same ferry provider on the way back to ST T. Otherwise, you will have to pay full price for the return trip. When you get on the ferry, I person will come by and collect payment or check your car reservation. They will give you either a yellow or pink copy of the receipt. Do not lose this. Leave it in the glove box for the return home. You just show this or you will pay again. There are 2 providers. 1. Red Barge 2. Love City (black and white with VIC as part of the boat name). Make sure you return on the same company. Cruz Bay Ferry workers were awesome. It's the Red Hook crew that sucked. read more

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The Quickest and Most Cost Effective Route from St. Thomas to St. John's - - - - - - - - June, 2025 Visit Short Summary: This is the least expensive way to St. John's; we paid $12 apiece in June (possibly a little more at other time of the year); the ferry ride is the same duration as the Westin's Ferry, but you will need another 15-30 minutes from debarking to checking in, depending on the taxi... 3.5 miles, 20-minute ride. The ferry team gets your bags on and off the ferry (recommendation to be ready with tip money). Great views from the open-air top-deck and from the air conditioned indoor lower level. Great ride from STT to STJ. - - - Additional information My wonderful wife planned a relaxing trip for us to St. John's, US Virgin Islands (just east of Puerto Rico), in June, 2025; we had a great time... such a beautiful island! Our flights routed through Atlanta to St. Thomas; there are no flights to St. John, only the ferry from St. John (or St. Croix). Two Ferries from Red Hook... We stayed at the Westin St. John, and they do have a dedicated ferry; for part of the year it departs from Charlotte-Amalie and goes to the on-site dock at the Westin. For the other parts of the year, it departs Red Hook, immediately next door to this ferry. This ferry is from Red Hook on St. Thomas to Cruz Bay (Westin is on Grand Cruz Bay, on peninsula to the south), arriving right in "downtown" St. John / aka Love City. When you arrive there should be multiple taxis to get you to your final destination. The St. John taxis, at least the ones we saw, are all trucks, with the driver in the front, in the cab, and passengers sitting, open air, in the back... the trucks have extended-size truck beds, with benches and a roof over our heads. We visited in June; our tickets were $12 apiece; less than $25 round trip apiece. You need to get your bags to the dock; there is a ramp from the waiting area to the ferry; the team will get your bags on board - do be ready to tip them for their thankful services. The islands are about 3.5 miles apart... the ferry takes 20 minutes or so from dock-to-dock. You can ride on the top, open-air, and inside, with A/C. Thanks you, St. John Ferry! ----- ----- ----- read more

The ferry is easy to use and a convenient way to get where you're going. My biggest recommendation is to arrive early, especially during busy times, and be sure to bring cash if that's required. Overall, a simple and reliable experience. read more

Took the car ferry from St. Thomas to St. John. The ride over was ROUGH! Very choppy water but we made it. The ride back was fine, much smoother. It was neat to see all the cars backing in and the island lights as we sailed away. If you'd like to have your car to explore, this is a great way to island hop. read more

Red hook port is the main outlet for cars and passengers from St. Thomas to St. john. There are some other ferry ports on St. Thomas too but the prices are different and the distance/length of the ride is obviously different too. With regards to red hook, there are several companies that ferry cars to and from St. John (like 5-6 I read about?) and the price is the same for all of them - it's $50 on way or $65 round trip plus tax (comes out to a little over $70). I went with the company "Love City car ferries" but there's also "big red barge" company, etc. The only main negative is that there aren't a lot of signs to get to the ferry/gate so it was a little confusing. We ended up asking a taxi driver where to go and he told us, but once we got past the gate, it's pretty clear. They have several parking lot lanes (like 5 or 6) that run perpendicular to the edge of the lot which is right against the water. The security guard there explained that the cars line up backwards (you back into the lane, with the trunk of the car facing the water) so when the ferries come and dock, the cars get backed onto the ship tarmac one at a time. There are workers for the ferries there that direct each car, and when you get on the boat will direct you into whichever lane and help you back up as far as possible to fill the ship. Once the ship is filled and leaves, they want you to stay in your car until the worker comes around to either collect payment or give you a receipt if you paid online already (which I did, you just show them the payment confirmation and they write you a receipt). After you pay, you can either stay in your car and just enjoy the ride, or you can get out and walk up the stairs to the observation deck. Pretty nice views of the ocean and islands from up there :) the whole ride takes about 30ish mins, they say 35 on the site. When the ferry docks at St. john, you just hop in your car and follow the flow of traffic off the ship - it's pretty easy. There's an exit gate with signs so everyone funnels out the same way to the main road, which is literally minutes from the main "downtown" of St. John. Super easy :) now that I know how close everything truly is, the next time I go to St. John I'm not going to even bother getting a rental car and will just take the passenger only ferry which I read is $13 per person. Those ferries actually dock in a slightly different area which is immediately adjacent to the downtown St. John area; if you're staying around that area, you can absolutely just come to the island and walk where you need to go. Nevertheless, I had a good experience with love city car ferries, nothing too confusing. If I went with a rental car again, I would use them again. read more

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Easy. Peasy. Shady. Breezy. Arrived at ferry station via shuttle van from airport. Heading to St John. Employees are pleasant, open-air station is clean with a lovely breeze coming through, and the view can't be beat. Next stop: St John. read more

Red Hook - Cruz Bay Ferry - Interior - Ferries Near Me - East End, Virgin Islands

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Excellent Very nice workers Great to see the islands between St John and St Thomas everyone should go read more

Ticket attendant young lady is too young to be so Miz and rude. I don't understand why some people think being rude in customer service is ok. read more

The ferry itself runs fairly efficiently, and the ride over to St. John is quick and scenic -- hard to beat those turquoise views. That said, the overall experience leaves something to be desired, especially considering you're on a resort-style beach island where relaxation and leisure should be front and center. What really surprised (and frankly disappointed) me was the fact that you're not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages onboard. For a ferry operating between tropical destinations where resort guests are sipping cocktails beachside, it felt unnecessarily restrictive. You'd think enjoying a drink on a short open-air ride would be part of the whole island charm -- instead, the vibe was more commuter shuttle than leisure ferry. The seating is basic, the boarding process is a bit chaotic at times, and there's not much in the way of customer service or amenities. It gets the job done, but don't expect much beyond transportation. read more

The boat ride was fun! I didn't experience any issues with employees. Please experience this ferry to St. John Trunk Bay beach read more

Red Hook - Cruz Bay Ferry - Ferry prices - Ferries Near Me - East End, Virgin Islands

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September 9-12 we used ferry several times. Posted signs with hours/times and prices. So much cheaper than the ferry from the Westin, especially when we had a rental vehicle to turn in at Sunshine's Jeep Rental on St. John Island. Great views from the covered ferry, but we really enjoyed the AC on the enclosed ferry! read more

We waited over an hour and a half for the ferry to return to St. Thomas and the staff were incredibly rude would not answer questions and we're not helpful at all. We thought perhaps the ferry wasn't even coming back. Luckily it did and we got back to St. Thomas, but if we had a flight to catch, we would've had a major problem. I would not rely on this service if you have a flight to catch. read more

On the one hand, it's a complete shitshow. Utter chaos coming and going. I'm amazed this place gets anything accomplished. On the other hand, it's the only game in town. It's not like you can drive your car across the ocean so what are you gonna do? Hey, at least they stick to the schedules. $50 one way, or $65 round-trip. There are two competing companies running ferries, and they brontosaurus honor one another's tickets, so make sure you know whose.lkne you are waiting in. read more

Every employee here is unpleasant. It appears to be the Virgin Islands' local culture. You may expect a tourist-dependent island to treat visitors with more courtesy, although that is not the case. Employees all have a negative attitudes, never smile, and only respond with one phrase's. To go to St. Johns, we boarded a ferry for about $8 one way. Every hour, the ferry departs. You can purchase round-trip tickets and board the ship whenever you want to return. Simply be sure you arrive on the hour. read more

Red Hook - Cruz Bay Ferry - Ferries Near Me - East End, Virgin Islands

We had a reservation to board at 9 and it said to be 30 early which we were and honestly I would recommend 45 min early. It gets packed fast and don't forget $3 for the port fee. It's a ferry to get from point a to b. We didn't expect some luxury cruise and staff were as friendly as port people normally are, they deal with tons of idiots a day, we witnessed many not going in the right way, unable to follow directions and making it difficult for port staff. You do back onto the ferry FYI. Some people didn't understand that and the port staff are not here holding your hand to do so. I do have to agree that some staff were incredibly rude, just realize they probably dislike their job and have a hard time putting on a nice face and attitude. It is what it is. There was a guy on board helping us back on which was helpful. You are boarding the ferry with cars, trucks and huge cement trucks too. We just stayed in our vehicle for the duration of the ride and they are not rude to you if you just do what your supposed to and follow directions. I'm giving it 5 stars because there is no other ferry to get you to St John and it got the job done! On the way to St John we just stayed in our jeep. We saw some get out. And FYI if you are first there in line your first on and last off. But If you don't get there in time then your left behind. We got there at 830 for a 900 depart time and we're right in the middle so perfect to me. The ferry back was much easier to get on, maybe that's because people had got on before and understood what to do and the people working were totally more friendly and nice. They also came up to our jeep on the way back and offered us something from the bar! That was nice. They did not do hat on the way and FYI it's legal to drive with an open container. read more

Red Hook - Cruz Bay Ferry - Waiting in line to board - Ferries Near Me - East End, Virgin Islands

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Short ferry ride to get from st Thomas to St. John. Was about 15 minutes. Pretty organized and leaves on time. read more

Red Hook - Cruz Bay Ferry - Ferries Near Me - East End, Virgin Islands

Came to take the ferry to St. John. $8.50 one way, no hassle. I got a an over expensive drink at the bar here while waiting. Be forewarned that you can't bring drinks on the ferry. read more

The staff - 2 We showed up at the Red Hook terminal and I got in line behind everyone else. I was prepared to pay in cash or card and was fully expecting to pay in cash. Then, one of the workers starts telling people to get out of line and scan a QR code to buy the ticket online with a credit card. I followed his instruction and the link says that there are no more tickets available for the day. So I hop back in line and was about 5 parties behind where I was. Yup, you guessed it...The boat left without me and the person in front of me in line. I would have made it had I stayed in line. The ride over - 5 The boat was pretty decent and in good condition. They load your bags that you paid for for you. We sat in the open air upstairs, even though there was no shade. Masks are strictly enforced and the ride was only about 20 minutes. Our bags were waiting on the dock when we got off. I would recommend this service, just pay in cash at the counter, don't bother with their QR code. read more

Easy efficient terminal. Can buy tickets online, services usually run till 11 pm or so. Make sure you check online website. Easy cab services outside! read more

Worst experience I've had in a long time. One would think if they do this multiple times a day every single day they would be decent at this. But no. Rude and incompetent people. No signage indicating any information. AFTER we boarded they came around and told everyone the price and that it was cash only. Needless to say many didn't have cash. So a whole bunch of people had to go to the atm. Which of course delayed it even more. Honestly terrible experience. Makes me question whether to even return to st Thomas let alone St. John. read more

The Red Hook Cruz Bay Ferry is a shuttle for the guests and employees of the Westin. It specifically takes passengers back and forth from St Thomas to St John. They also offer a couple of daily shopping excursions for guests that decide not to rent a car or who do not want to pay for a taxi. The arrival and departure times are posted and the ferry strictly follows the schedule. Inside and outside seating is very clean. The inside cabin is air conditioned and has a t.v. advertising activities provided by the resort. The staff is very friendly. read more

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It's only $16 round trip for non-residents and they take credit cards. They get you where you are going safely, and pretty much leave on time. I don't believe there are restrooms on board, but they need to you stay put in your seat anyway. The terminal is conveniently located by shops and restaurants, and it's easy to get a cab. There are restrooms, an ATM and snacks within the terminal. All good. read more

Alright. I'm giving this a two star instead of a one because the ride over was great. Inside air conditioning and row to ourselves. That's where the positive ends though. To start off just know that the $6 fare that is listed on the website or google or wherever you see it is for locals only. For everyone else it is $8.15 per person both ways and you should definitely buy round trip from St. Thomas. I don't think the ticket booth I. St. John was even open. My wife and I decided to go over around 1 which was great as we were able to get a light snack before and the hop on with plenty of time to spare. For reference on trip over to St John read above. No issues. We decided to return at 4 after spending the afternoon at Trunk Bay. Outstanding beach. Now on to the good stuff. We arrived around 3:45 back to the ferry dock and the line stretched far beyond even seeing the ferry to which on our way to the back of the line a local worker waiting in line to go home said "it's not looking good to get on this boat" keeping in mind that we were still walking to the back behind him. So we decided to ask. He said next ferry or the one after wouldn't be as busy(wrong) as this was time to get off of work and everyone was headed home. And on that advice we decided to roam a bit instead and wait out the next one. We took a little stroll along the beach and headed back 30 minutes early this time. Granted the line was much shorter but still extremely long. We did make it on this one but it was cramped to say the least. Upper deck or lower deck wouldn't have mattered. No A/C and blazing sun. About 3-5 minutes into the ride the ferry changed course and began to return to St John dock. Everyone including the workers were unaware of why. No announcements no communication whatsoever just a 180 and back to the docks. Once we arrived back to St John the captain came to the upper steering and began to dock the boat but not before accosting me for having my mask below my nose and stating he's already told me before and he was going to send me off to the dock. Before he finished the word "pull" I had already put it up over my nose but apparently with people sardined on top of each other having your mask below your nose is the last straw. Once he finally climbed off of his high horse and got the boat docked, two young ladies casually strolled off of the boat and made their way back to St. John. The mystery remains unsolved as to why. Last chapter. Captain Ron finally gets us back to St. Thomas and begins to dock but just as we get to the dock he literally gasses the boat away from the dock to which again everyone including the dock crew is wondering what in the absolute hell is going on. The officer on the ground and crew are who had already taken the ropes were throwing their hands up in the air like seriously "what the hell?" Then one of the shipmates comes out of the captains cabin and tells everybody they need to sit down, captain isn't going to dock with everyone standing up. He drove us back out into the bay and held us captive like a freakin pirate because people were standing on a nearly stopped boat. While on the way over people were standing the entire time. I actually hope this post is read by some captains authority and this guy is at least reprimanded for holding people hostage on a boat. There were actual authorities on the ground he could have enlisted help from instead of taking matters into his own hands. He is a disgrace and diminishes the draw to both islands. If ever I do decide to return to St John I will find other means. If you see this guy is the captain don't get on. It isn't worth the risk! read more

Red Hook - Cruz Bay Ferry - If you see this guy is the captain. Wait for another ferry. - Ferries Near Me - East End, Virgin Islands

Great Deal, Easy To Utilize, Good Service. I'm not sure how much one can say about a ferry but this one is great in comparison to the Culebra ferry from Puerto Rico! This ferry runs in time, is clean, a fair price and a nice easy ride across the sea from St. Thomas to St. John! $50 round trip for the Jeep and passengers.... Nice boat too, well maintained! read more

02.17.2023 We did not make a reservation's and lucked out getting on the 1000 ferry in Red Hook to St. John with our rental Jeep. If you are thinking you want a specific time then make reservations, but you could still get bumped if they are really busy...we did not have this issue. The fare for a round trip with our Jeep was $65 for the Jeep and $2/per person. CASH ONLY on the ferry, so be sure you have it or they will make you get out and go hit the ATM in the little market in the parking lot. There are also bathrooms in this building if you need them before boarding. Depending on which ferry you get boarded onto you can get out and go up on one of the upper decks for better views. Your round trip ticket is good on any of the car ferry's that go between the islands...they are work together which is great and make everything so much easier to deal with! read more

The only reason this place doesn't get 5 stars is because parking at red hook is almost non existent at this time. However, they are building a parking deck!! So that will be great for future users. This ferry leaves every hour on the hour, they have great reliability! I feel as though the round trip price is fair. They run about 2-3 ferry boats. Some are newer/nicer than the others. If you can, get there about 20-30 minutes before the time you are trying to leave, so you can get a seat on the top deck. The views are beautiful and breeze is nice. read more

Red Hook - Cruz Bay Ferry - Sunset from the top deck - Ferries Near Me - East End, Virgin Islands

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Fastest, easiest way to get to another island for cheap. $7 each way to St Johns. And best thing is it's about the only thing on the island that you don't tip! read more

Red Hook - Cruz Bay Ferry - Stowaways - Ferries Near Me - East End, Virgin Islands

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Reserved and prepaid. Pulled up to ferry dock. Nobody asked which company I had the reservation with. They just directed me to park and then load. Once I was on ferry and we were on the water they informed me I was on the wrong company barge. Apparently there are two. Big Red Barge (the one they directed me to) and Love City Ferries, the one I paid for. This is a scam and they are doing it intentionally. All they have to do is ask when you enter. Or ask when they direct you to park. They did neither. So I had to pay twice. And how do we know it's a scam, the guy who took my money on the boat said, "do you know how many complaints I get about this every day." Total BS. read more

Just awful...these people can't wait to be dismissive and rude. Not only a lack of smiles, but just straight out indifference slowly eroding to rudeness. They know they have a pretty captive audience with a single-source service, so they just don't care. If you decide to take the ferry, just tough it out and don't let these awful people ruin your day. read more

Bald guy with nose ring worker 0 help. Blew me off when I asked about tickets the first time, sold me 4 child tickets the second time and over charged me, which almost resulted in me being stranded in St John. Then simply said "that sucks" when I brought it to his attention. Should be fired. read more

** CA$H only or traveler's checks ** An economical way of trading one island for another. The great condition of the boat surprised me - you would think that major US cities (Catalina Island in LA and Staten Island in NY) would have better boats. Nope! A nice triumph for the VI! There's an ample sized parking lot for day trips. Crucial if the rental car cannot be ferried across. It's about $2 / hour to park, with a $10 flat rate for 4 hour+. Be sure to start your day trip earlier, since it can fill up quickly. You can choose to sit up top - but protect yourself against wind and sun. And check those late night operating hours, you can really spend the whole day on the other island. read more

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Definitely take airport transportation to Red Hook instead of Charlotte Amalie if you're headed to St John. It's a 15 minute ferry to St John, and a smooth ride, whereas the ferry from Charlotte Amalie is about 40 minutes, and hits deeper water, and is not so smooth. If you find that you've missed the ferry, there is a little bar inside the port building (no such thing at Charlotte Amalie). We've watched this port grow from a little ticket window with a cooler of Caribe and Red Stripe to this nice building with a bar, restrooms, tables and chairs and a ticket counter. So, why only three stars? Because the last time we were there, we were running just a tad late (we arrived and purchased tickets a few minutes before the ferry left), unloaded our bags, ran to the loading bridge and they pulled the rope across and told us that they were leaving and we needed to wait for the next ferry. This was AFTER we confirmed at the ticket counter - literally 10 steps away - that we could make the 4:00. The next ferry wouldn't leave for another thirty minutes. Ahhhh ... "Relax, mon" you might say, right? We're in the islands ... sit down, have a drink and relax. We COULD have but ... then a man came running in from the parking lot and the purser pulled the rope back and let him on the boat. Sorry - gotta zing ya Red Hook / Varlock Ventures! Locals shouldn't be treated better than the tourists. :-( All this said - Definitely go to Red Hook for the ferry instead of CA. While a bit longer taxi ride over to Red Hook (than to CA), it's a fast, smooth ride, there's a covered area to sit, a bar, restrooms, and it's less congested. read more

Easiest and fastest ferry experience you can imagine (to St. John). These guys also take you to BVI as well. But not St. Croix :( The ferry goes to St. John/back to St, Thomas every hour, on the hour. The last one leaves at 11pm from St. John to St. Thomas. Easily a 12min ferry ride. We sat up top 3 out of 4 times, and the one time we sat inside (in the AC) it was the bumpiest and waviest ride. Thanks be to the Emetrol gods for allowing me to make it through all these trips. I chugged that shit like I was taking shots of it. Amazing views of the other nearby islands/cays and also of the sunset if you're there in time! Our first experience, we learned the hard way on the parking situation. No parking was available in the ferry lot, and we were told there was more parking at the bank. So went over there and rushed over to the ferry to catch it. When we returned, we had to pay $35 to park....when round trip to St, John and back only cost $12 per person. On our second visit we learned to be like true locals and where to park for free, since parking is next to none in Red Hook. Keep driving past the ferry dock til you see a million cars parked 1/4 down the road on the side of the road! And walk it! Definitely take the ferry to St. John, it is amazing! So, take a taxi here or park up the road for free is the way to go. read more

The ferry over to St John is usually an enjoyable, scenic ride, and I do enjoy sitting on top and taking pictures of the views/sunsets/what-have-you. Hence not a one star... The reason for the two star review is that every time I come here, I get charged extra (instead of the locals rate) just because I don't have a VI driver license. Yes I know I need to get one, its just that the prospect of spending a day over at the BMV doesn't sound too appealing...anyway, last time we gave them our PriceSmart membership card, thinking this would be SOME WAY to prove we live on island....NOPE. Ridiculous. I know, I know, its only an extra $2 or something, but we go over to St John frequently and it does add up. Also, they have a pay parking lot as well, which is a pain...my recommendation is park alongside the road to get out of that extra fee. read more

Let your stress go once you get to Red Hook and depending on time, grab a cocktail at the tiny bar there or more time on your hands walk over to Duffy's. This is also where the car ferry's come and go... if that's your mode of transportation there's also a little snack shop and restroom while you wait. read more

Great way to get to St John Cruz Bay from St John south east side of island. Takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Ferry was clean and comfortable. Left on the hour every hour from both locations. $7 per person each way. read more

Red Hook - Cruz Bay Ferry - Cruz bay view from ferry - Ferries Near Me - East End, Virgin Islands

CHEAP. Timely. Easy. It's $7 each way. Leaves every hour on the hour. Parking (if you can find it) in the ferry lot is only $10 for the day. Shaded seats on the bottom, but sunny seats with a great view on top. No fuss, no muss. read more

We were glad we opted to leave our car in St. Thomas and go to St. John on the passenger ferry. It left on time and got everyone on without trouble. We had a smooth and easy crossing. You are asked to remain seated so decide carefully whether you want to be outside in the sun or inside. Check reviews before you take the car ferry, we understand there have been some problems with service recently. read more

Ok so this little gem can take you over to St John to check out all the sights over there. It runs daily, every hour. I think it was $12 round trip. Its a decent sized Ferry. Top and bottom seating. Its a gorgeous boat ride over...about 15-20 mins I think. Short, simple and cheap I have to say, the lady at the customer service desk was the RUDEST person I have ever met. Of course, she wasnt wearing a name tag because I would have taken the time to call in a complaint. Other than that, I loved this Ferry. read more

A big difference with a real terminal with food and drink places.Before they built this it was two shacks.A great ride over and back try to sit on top for the views. read more