Ferries are the poor man’s cruise ship — the working boats that carry commuters, day‑trippers, football fans and islanders with equal indifference. They don’t pamper, they don’t preen and they don’t pretend. Instead, they deliver something far more valuable: a front‑row seat to the water, the most democratic view in travel. Whether you drive a G-Wagen or a 1988 Volvo, you’re in the same ferry line, and everyone is equal. There’s a magic moment when the engines rumble, the lines are cast off and the vessel eases away from the dock. No matter the destination, that first shudder is what I look forward to every time I board.
MAX HARTSHORNE / For the Recorder
On a ferry, you’re not sealed inside a tube at 33,000 feet. You’re out in the world — feeling the wind, watching the shoreline slide by, watching the men unhook the hawsers, and the captain signals full speed ahead. I love sharing the deck with dogs, bicycles and families hauling coolers. It’s travel stripped to its essentials.
I’ve ridden ferries in dozens of places, and the magic is always the same. You step aboard with a crowd of strangers, and for a brief slice of time, you all share the same horizon. No TSA, no seat assignments, no overhead bins and no reservations. Just the open deck, the wind and the slow reveal of a shoreline coming into focus. For me, it started as an infant with visits to my grandmother’s house on Martha’s Vineyard. Now, on Cape Cod, the Steamship Authority is racing to finish its long‑awaited new terminal building in Woods Hole. The $32 million project has been under construction for eight years. For the first time in 2025, work continued through the busy summer season, forcing travelers into a maze of detours and temporary walkways.
The new one‑level, stone‑and‑glass terminal replaces the old cinder block building demolished in 2018. When it opens, it will reshape the gateway to Martha’s Vineyard, easing congestion and modernizing the island‑bound experience.
The Steamship Authority and locals are most excited about the recent arrival in April of the M/V Monomoy, the third new all-freight ferry boat in service. This will be quieter, bigger and more reliable than the other open-top car/truck ferries of the past.
In Massachusetts this year, other ferries are growing like mad, with more and more lines and expansions of existing routes. Ferry owners are getting creative with new offerings to new places along New England’s shores. In the Boston area, here is what’s new and being planned.
For the first time, the Lynn ferry is offering weekend service directly to Long Wharf in Boston.
Meanwhile, the expanded Winthrop and Quincy ferry operations now feature additional daily trips and direct Quincy–Boston connections, alongside system-wide contactless payment across all regional routes.
The MBTA is also launching a new ferry route this month that’s called the F-10. Leaving from North Station/ Lovejoy Wharf on weekdays, the route will stop at the Aquarium, the Seaport and Logan Airport for a mere $2.46 each way. Now that’s progress! For this new line, the MBTA will carry 149 passengers using Bay State Cruise Company catamaran vessels. Potential future routes serving Gloucester, Salem, Chelsea and Everett remain under active study.
Amesbury is launching a new small‑vessel passenger ferry on the Merrimack River for the summer 2026 season, linking the city’s waterfront to downtown Newburyport in a quick, car‑free hop. The pilot is designed as a warm‑weather service running roughly from late June through early fall, with frequent short crossings aimed at easing Route 110 traffic and giving visitors a scenic alternative to parking downtown. Operated with a low‑wake, shallow‑draft boat carrying a small number of passengers per trip, the service focuses on convenience rather than capacity, offering a simple river shuttle that connects two walkable waterfront districts.
One of the most colorful ferry stories this year comes from New Jersey, where Seastreak ferries are running special trips up the Hudson River to West Point for Army football games this fall. You might recognize these fast, 600-passenger catamarans that also serve Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket with high-speed service. Departing from Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, and Pier 11 in Manhattan, these ferries offer a scenic, traffic‑free, four-hour ride to Michie Stadium at West Point — complete with a full‑service bar, snacks and big‑screen TVs.
It’s a floating tailgate party, a fall foliage cruise and a stress‑free game‑day commute all in one. For fans, it’s the best way to reach one of the most storied stadiums in America.
New York City’s ferry network is also expanding this year. A brand-new Staten Island-to-Brooklyn route has launched, and marks the first time a passenger ferry has made that crossing since 1964. It connects St. George to Bay Ridge, and it has quickly become a favorite for commuters who want to avoid traffic and enjoy the water.
Max Hartshorne is a local blogger and publisher in South Deerfield. You can read and subscribe to his Substack at substack.com/@maxdeerfield. He is also the host of the GoNOMAD Travel Podcast.