1. Create an Account on the Steamship Authority Website
Go to Steamshipauthority.com and select “New User” on the top left of the screen. Choose a username and password and click next. Add your contact details and I recommend checking the box for text alerts.
2. Add Your Vehicle to Your Account
Once your account is created, you’ll need to add your vehicle details – make sure you have your plate number, year, make and model to hand. The website will automatically calculate the dimensions based on the make and model you enter.
You can add multiple vehicles to your account. If you’re bringing a rental car, skip this step.
3. Check Availability and Make Your Reservation
Click the “Book Now” tab and choose your desired departure and return dates. Choose the vehicle you’re bringing from the drop down menu or select “Rental car”.
Note here if you’ll have anything on your roof rack or if you’re towing or carrying anything on the back (eg, bikes), as this affects pricing and availability.
Enter your passenger numbers if you want to pay the fare now, or leave blank if you want to buy passenger tickets at a later date.
Click continue and you’ll see all available sailings on the ferry schedule for those dates.
4. Using the Wait-list System
If your preferred sailing is unavailable, don’t despair! The Steamship Authority has an excellent wait-list system. Here’s how it works:
- Select any available sailing (even if it’s not ideal)
- Scroll down to the yellow box that says “Click here to wait-list”
- Select your preferred date and time range for travel. Add yourself to the wait-list.
- Choose how long you want to remain on the wait-list (can stay up to the day of travel)
- If a spot opens up, you’ll be automatically moved to your preferred sailing
I’ve had great success with the wait-list when travelling on midweek days, even in the summer months. Weekend days are definitely more difficult. Watch the video for a more detailed look at using the wait-list feature.
According to the Steamship Authority, they get around 90 same-day cancellations so there’s always the chance you’ll be lucky and get your preferred time slot!
