Ferry From St Thomas to St John: The Practical Guide

Red Hook to Cruz Bay is the useful default because it has the broadest daily passenger service. Varlack Ventures, one of the two named operators, puts the crossing at about 15 minutes. The St Thomas terminal is officially the Urman Victor Fredericks Marine Terminal in Red Hook. On St John, passenger ferries use the Loredon Lorence Boynes Sr. Dock in Cruz Bay, the island's main passenger port.

Downtown Charlotte Amalie has a second, much smaller passenger service to Cruz Bay, covered in its own section below. Carry one point into planning: “St Thomas ferry terminal” is not one place. The two terminals sit at opposite ends of a long drive.

The operators named by the Port Authority for the inter-island passenger route are Transportation Services and Varlack Ventures. Their schedules can change, and the official Port Authority page currently carries a temporary off-season notice. Check again shortly before departure even if you saved the schedule earlier.

Downtown Charlotte Amalie has its own sailing to Cruz Bay. It suits two kinds of traveler: people staying in town, and anyone facing a long taxi ride east to Red Hook. The Port Authority marks the service as subject to seasonal change.

The trade-off is frequency and time on the water. Red Hook has departures through the day; the downtown route has only a handful. Varlack Ventures puts that crossing at about 30 minutes, against roughly 15 from Red Hook. A missed sailing downtown is a long wait. Check the current departures on the official schedule before you plan around it, in both directions.

If you are arriving by cruise ship, note that this is the downtown ferry terminal, not your cruise pier. The St Thomas cruise port guide explains the transfer from Havensight or Crown Bay.

The Port Authority schedule checked on September 16, 2026 lists a nonresident adult fare of $8.15 one way. It also lists a child fare of $1 for ages 2 through 11. It lists $4 for each piece of luggage or each box. Resident fares require valid USVI identification. These amounts belong to the inter-island passenger service and should not be applied to the car ferry or private water taxis.

Buy through the operator or at the terminal using the current process shown there. If you use a digital ticket, the Port Authority asks passengers to have the QR code visible on the phone before reaching the scanner. Keep enough battery to display the ticket on the return trip as well.

Fares are date-sensitive. Treat the numbers here as a checked snapshot, then verify them on the linked official schedule before budgeting. If a ticket seller or terminal notice conflicts with this guide, follow the current operator and Port Authority information.

The Red Hook terminal has ticket counters, open-air waiting areas, restrooms, small restaurants, shops, and paid parking. The Port Authority advises passenger-ferry travelers to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure. That is a minimum arrival recommendation, not a promise that every transfer, parking search, or ticket issue will fit inside 15 minutes.

The Boynes passenger dock in Cruz Bay has a ticket booth, restroom, dock master's office, and open-air waiting area. It places you in Cruz Bay, where taxis meet ferries and the Virgin Islands National Park visitor center is nearby. If you are continuing to a beach, agree on a return pickup with the taxi driver. The National Park Service warns that cell service at beaches can be limited.

Groups should assemble before joining the boarding line. During busy periods, the Port Authority uses continuous boarding in Cruz Bay and tells passengers not to hold places at the scanners. Keep the group together, have tickets ready, and follow staff instructions.

The return is the same route read backward, and it is where plans break. Cruz Bay departures for Red Hook run through the day, and the National Park Service describes hourly service from early morning until late evening. The last sailings matter more than the first ones.

For a St John day trip from St Thomas, check the outbound and return schedule at the same time. Pick more than one acceptable return sailing and build the St John plan around the earlier option. Weather, operational changes, road delays, and demand can disrupt a neat itinerary even when service is frequent.

Passengers heading downtown rather than to Red Hook need more care: confirm that a Charlotte Amalie sailing still runs at the hour they need. Travelers continuing to St Croix have a harder deadline again, because the ferry to St Croix leaves St Thomas only once a day.

Cruise visitors have an extra constraint: the ferry only returns you to St Thomas, not to the ship. Add ground transport from Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie to the correct cruise terminal, then honor the cruise line's all-aboard time. Travelers going to the airport should similarly include the road transfer and airline check-in requirements.