April 30, 2008 — Folks who were taking the 5:30 a.m. ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay and the 5 a.m. ferry from Cruz Bay to Red Hook will have to wait until the regular ferry schedule begins at 6 a.m. from Cruz Bay and 6:30 a.m. from Red Hook.
Effective Monday, Transportation Services and Varlack Ventures plan to eliminate those trips, as well as additional ferries added at peak times of the day between Cruz Bay and Red Hook and Cruz Bay and Charlotte Amalie.
"The demand dropped, but it's also fuel costs," said attorney Claudette Ferron.
Fuel costs rose 234 percent since the ferry companies last had a fare increase in 2005, she said. Over the last six months, fuel prices went up 28 percent, and over the last three months, the increase stood at 14 percent, she said.
Ferron represents both Transportation Services and Varlack Ventures, the two companies that operate the St. Thomas-to-St. John trips under a franchise from the Public Services Commission.
The ferries will not carry any more passengers than their capacity, she said. Therefore people may have to wait for the next ferry.
"It's going to behoove everybody to get there early," she said.
According to the agreement with the PSC, the ferry companies must only run on the approved schedule, not extra trips or runs at additional hours, Ferron said.
PSC Director Keithley Joseph agreed. The PSC is only concerned with the scheduled runs, not earlier or extra trips, he said.
However, he said he didn't get a copy of Ferron's news release announcing the change, and complained about ongoing communication issues.
"That's my pet peeve," Joseph said.
Ferries will continue to run from Cruz Bay to Red Hook at 6 a.m., then every hour on the hour until 11 p.m.
Ferries will run from Red Hook to Cruz Bay at 6:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., then every hour on the hour until midnight.
Ferries will run from Cruz Bay to Charlotte Amalie at 7:15 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.
Ferries will run from Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
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