Washington State Ferries’ anticipated spring vehicle reservations available Wednesday

Washington State Ferries riders should keep an eye out as reservations for the upcoming season are set to go live this week.

The new spring vehicle reservations for the Washington State Ferries will be available Wednesday at 10 a.m. for the Port Townsend/Coupeville and Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes. The agency stated all other routes do not have reservations.

The reservation guarantees a spot for vehicles on the ferry, however, it does not include the fare for the driver, which is a separate ticket purchase. Passengers can buy those tickets at the terminal or on the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) website.

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Washington State Ferries route open for reservations over 3 periods

WSDOT stated, via its website, that because so many people want to make reservations on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes the agency will open up vehicle reservations in three phases.

The first period is two months before the season starts at 10 a.m. During this time, 30% of standard vehicle spaces will be released and 90% of tall, non-standard vehicle spaces (RVs, delivery trucks, etc.) will be released.

WSDOT added a virtual waiting room will be in place to “ensure a smooth and equitable experience during this high-demand time.”

The second period will be two weeks before each sailing date at 7 a.m. when another 30% of standard vehicle spaces will be released. Finally, the third period will be two days before each sailing date at 7 a.m. when the last 30% of standard vehicle spaces will be released.

“The last 10% of standard vehicle space is kept open for emergency and stand-by vehicles,” WSDTO stated. “More stand-by space may open up if there are no-shows or cancellations.”

Washington State Ferries highly recommends purchasing vehicle reservations as space is very limited on the routes during the spring and summer.

According to WSDOT, reservations are for vehicles only and travelers do not need reservations for walk-on passengers or bicycles. Reservations are also for one-way trips, therefore the agency reminded passengers to book both their departure and return trips.

“If you don’t make a reservation or can’t get your preferred time, there’s very limited stand-by space available on all sailings,” WSDOT stated via its website. “You may have to wait for later sailings.”

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What if someone misses their Washington State Ferries reservation?

Reservations are also free. However, WSDOT noted if someone does not show up for their reservation, they will be charged a no-show fee.

“Vehicle reservations open up over time, typically four times a year,” the agency added. “Availability varies by the route and the seasonal sailing schedule, which we update quarterly — in the fall, winter, spring and summer.”

WSDOT also noted that starting with the winter 2024 schedule on December 29, Washington State Ferries returned to opening 90% of vehicle space for reservations and keeping open the remaining 10% for stand-by vehicles. In 2023, the agency restricted reservations to 75% of vessel space “to provide more flexibility for our terminal staff and better predictability for reservation holders during service disruptions.”

“With the new schedules, we expect reliability to improve and disruptions to decrease, so returned reservations to 90% of vessel space,” WSDOT stated on its website.

Contributing: Nate Connors, KIRO Newsradio

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.