Date:
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Contact:
Susan Harris-Huether, Customer Information Manager, 206.515.3460
(SEATTLE) Washington State Ferries will add extra service on several popular routes this Thanksgiving so that families can celebrate the holiday together. Also this month, there will be a one day closure of the popular International route from Anacortes to Sidney, B.C.
"While Thanksgiving is not typically one of our heaviest traffic holidays, we do find that many people travel to the Islands, San Juans or Vashon, as well as to the Peninsula for the holiday. We have planned our service carefully," says Steve Rodgers, Director of Marine Operations. "We want to amend our service schedule and help our customers for the holidays. We will sail a regular Monday schedule on November 12, the day we observe for Veteran's Day as many businesses will remain open on this day."
San Juan Islands
On Monday, November 19, there will be no International service from Anacortes to Sidney, B.C.
"We need to perform a required underwater hull inspection of the M.V. Elwha, our International vessel," explains Rodgers. "We knew about this in advance and so have taken no reservations for that day but we do want to alert other customers who thought they might travel with us that day."
On Wednesday, November 21, Washington State Ferries will provide an extra sailing to Lopez Island at 3 p.m. and an extra sailing to Lopez and to Orcas Island at 9:30 p.m.
The ferry system will sail on a regular Thursday fall schedule on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22.
WSF will also continue with the popular daily mid-day pilot program to help travelers to get to Friday Harbor. The Anacortes Terminal staff will continue to load up to 20 regular length (under 20 feet) vehicles bound for Friday Harbor on the 12:05 p.m. sailing to Lopez. Arriving at Lopez, cars continue up the road to Odlin Park, turn around in the park and head back to the terminal to board the 1:10 p.m. inter-island sailing to Friday Harbor.
Whidbey Island
On Wednesday, November 21, the Mukilteo/Clinton route will have an extra sailing at 8:55 p.m. from Clinton and 9:25 p.m. from Mukilteo to help alleviate expected holiday back-ups. On Thursday, November 22, the vessels will operate on a Saturday schedule. The Port Townsend/Keystone route will observe their regular sailing schedule.
Central Sound
On Thursday, November 22, vessels will operate on a Saturday sailing schedule on the Edmonds/Kingston route. The Seattle/Bainbridge route will operate on a holiday schedule and the Seattle/Bremerton route will operate on regular weekday schedule. Passenger-only service from Seattle to Vashon Island will not operate on Thanksgiving Day.
Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, November 21-23, the 124-car M/V Issaquah (the largest vessel on this route) will operate as the late vessel to assist evening travelers. This route will operate on a regular weekday schedule on Thanksgiving Day, although extra service will be offered in the mid-day when one vessel normally ties-up. On Friday, November 23, extra service will be provided during the mid-day for holiday shoppers.
Point Defiance/Tahlequah
This route will be on a holiday sailing schedule on Thanksgiving Day.
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