In our last blog post, we spoke about the fact that Love City Car Ferries, Inc cares for its community: read more here. But today, we would like to specifically highlight our loyalty program, Vic Sea Miles Club. If you ride with us, you get perks. More importantly, if prices change, our loyal customers may not be affected at the same rate. In simple terms, when others pay more, you pay less. 

To become a Vic Sea Miles Club Member, simply complete the online form. We will send your loyalty card number via email and your physical card by mail. Once you have the number, reference it to the cashier every time you ride. If you complete 6 rides in one quarter, you will automatically receive a free ride or bonus money. At the end of the year, you may also receive gift certificates. Finally, you will be entered into our customer of the year contest, with perks such as free rides for an entire month. Don't miss out on these opportunities. Join the Vic Sea Miles Club Loyalty Program today!

September 22, 2021 is the 1st day of fall. As the seasons change, we think of holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, times to slow down and focus on our loved ones. In the Caribbean, while we may not have intense changes in the seasons, we do experience cooler days and decrease day light, as we welcome the holidays.

Love City Car Ferries, Inc works tirelessly to offer service with a smile to our community. But besides that, for this upcoming season of caring, we would like to share with you 5 ways that we care for our community:

1. We honor our seniors by providing discounted rides.
2. We provide free rides to individuals who need health related treatments on St. Thomas, for which the service is not available on St. John, such as dialysis and cancer treatments.
3. We provide discounted rides to members of the clergy who reside on St. John.
4. We offer a loyalty program and give free rides and or loyalty perks.
5. We donate to  nonprofit organizations and philanthropic events.

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We believe that a community is stronger based on the health of individual families, the camaraderie of citizens, the accountability of government and the generosity of businesses. Thus, we will continue to do what we can in the business arena. It doesn't mean our answer will always be yes, but it does mean that community first is one of our guiding principles, as we continue to operate with "a heart for the people."

Despite the challenges of 2020, we are thankful for the opportunity to serve you each and every day! May you enjoy the holidays and embrace the spirit of gratitude. 

Sea turtles are majestic creatures that sometimes live for centuries. Despite their longevity, the Caribbean sea turtle population has suffered greatly. Their size has decreased 99% and are in danger of being completely eradicated from the area.

The next generation should not have to learn what these  creatures  looked like just from pictures. We all want to leave a world for them where they may be able to  experience going to the beach at night during nesting season, and observing the baby turtles scramble to the sea after being hatched.
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Here is how you can help according to nps.gov:

• Become a Sea Turtle Beach Patrol Volunteer.
• Never touch or chase them! By touching, chasing or riding them, visitors disturb their eating, resting and even nesting habits.
• Don't litter. Remember some turtles mistake balloons, and plastic for food.
• Don't leave deep ruts, holes or tracks in the beach. The baby sea turtles get stuck in them when they hatch attempt to reach the sea.
• Prevent light from shinning on beaches.
• Do not drive on beaches. You risk crushing eggs.
• Never disturb feeding or nesting turtles.
• Never buy or sell sea turtle products.

Did You Know?... 

1. Trunk Bay, in St. John, VI, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, got it's name from the Leatherback turtle because according to local lore, "the backs of the leatherbacks  look like  a steamer trunk floating";
2. Our most common turtles are the green, the hawksbill, and the leatherback;
3. An adult hawksbill can weigh up to 1,200 pounds;
4. Males never leave the ocean; only the females come ashore for nesting;
5. They travel long distances for foraging and nesting; some have been known to travel more than 1,200 miles.

Read more here:
www.nps.gov/viis/learn/nature/turtles-of-the-virgin-islands.htm
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/june15/sea-turtles.html
https://news.mongabay.com/2006/08/historic-caribbean-sea-turtle-population-falls-99/
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The storm has passed without any major impact on the Virgin Islands. After their assessments, the United States Coast Guard opened the USVI ports on Sunday, August 23, 2020 at 9 AM. Subsequently, we resumed our service the same day with a limited schedule. However, as of Monday, August 24, 2020, we are back to business as usual and we are operating our regular post pandemic schedule. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email us or give us a call at 340-779-4000. Thank you for your patronage and we look forward to seeing you on board!

Every year in the month of February, America, United Kingdom, and Canada, celebrate the contributions of Blacks to their respective histories. For America, we’ve been celebrating Black History Month since 1976, as a result of the activism of Carter G. Woodson, Jesse Moreland and others. February was chosen as an acknowledgment of the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas. Throughout the remainder of the month we will share some little known facts about black history. Today, we decided to share a list of inventions by black inventors:

• Air Conditioner Unit, Frederick M. Jones, 1949
• Almanac, Benjamin Banneker, 1791
• Blood Plasma Bag, Charles Drew, 1945
• Clothes Dryer, George T. Sampson, 1971
• Baby Buggy, William H. Richardson, 1889
• Elevator, Alexander Miles, 1867
• Fire Extinguisher, Thomas Marshall, 1872
• Gas Mask, Garret Morgan, 1914
• Golf Tee, George T. Grant, 1899
• Auto Cut-Off Switch, Granville T. Woods, 1839

Above are just a few black inventors. Keep in mind that many of the things you use today that make your life considerably more enjoyable was invented by a black person. What is especially telling is that many of these individuals did not benefit financially from their inventions due to the twin blade of slavery and discrimination. In fact, some did not even receive credit for their inventions. Despite this, their contributions are still with us today.

Reminder: Love City Car Ferries, Inc operates the Vic branded black and white car ferries. If the vessel does not have Vic in its name, you have boarded another company’s vessel. We do not operate all the car ferries in the Virgin Islands. Keep our brand in mind if you desire to do business with us. Thanks for your time and have a wonderful day.
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#LoveCityCarFerries #lovecity #VirginIslands #USVirginIslands #USVI#ferry #rockcity #stjohn #stthomas #travel #captvic #islandvic#grandvic

On February 2, 2019, the Virgin Islands Daily News ran the article "Should Car Ferries Be Regulated?". We were curious as to what our customers thought. So, we conducted an unofficial FaceBook poll asking, "Should there be additional regulations by the VI Government for the car ferry industry?". This question gave us the opportunity to see what our most engaged customers thought about this issue. 74% said no additional regulation while only 24% said yes. 

Car ferries in the Virgin Islands have a responsibility to answer to various local and federal government agencies, such as: The United States Coast Guard, Army Corp of Engineers, Virgin Islands Port Authority, Department of Transportation, NOAA, United States Department of Commerce, OSHA, etc. Responding to and complying with the requirements of these various agencies takes time, attention, and dedication. Each of them do what is necessary to ensure that we are safe and compliant with the law. Adding another agency would not improve our efficiency, effectiveness or responsiveness to customer issues. It would in fact have an adverse effect. We are hoping we can continue our service with no additional regulations.

We get a lot of questions about the checking in process and what you need to do once you make a reservation. Just like you need to check in when you are catching a flight, it is also necessary to check in once you reach the vessel. If you don't, then there is no way of us knowing that you are there.

​ Follow these five simple steps:

1. Arrive to the dock before your reserved departure time;
2. If you are on St. Thomas, pay the government’s toll at the booth to the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA;)
3. Follow the directives of the VIPA agents on the dock who will show you where to park your vehicle and/or they may also direct you to wait in a particular line;
4. If you had to park and it doesn’t look like you will get on, let someone on the vessel know that you have a reservation; this may require you exiting your vehicle; the Captain is usually by the gate of the vessel;
5. Keep in mind that even if you have informed the toll clerk and the other VIPA agents helping you to park, the ferry company still does not know you have arrived until you specifically speak to us.

Just like the airport has TSA and other non airline employees, so too does the dock have government agents who assist with your traveling. However, it is imperative that you let us know directly that you have arrived. In so doing, your reserved spot will not be given away.

     Even if you are not an avid news watcher, I am sure most of us are aware that the Federal government is shut down. What we may not have known is that furloughed federal workers missed their first pay check on January 11, 2019. Who knows how many more paychecks they are going to miss before the government re-opens.
     For those federal employees who are residents of St. John, we feel compelled to lend a helping hand. St. Johnians know that Pillsbury Sound is our literal umbilical chord, bringing sustenance, nourishment and even medical attention via those precious seas. As a result, we are offering furloughed federal employees who live on St John, one free car ferry ride per month until the government re-opens.
     Come to our offices for your free ticket. Be sure to present your IDs evidencing that you are a federal worker and a resident of St. John. We look forward to seeing you and we are happy that we can be of service. More importantly, let us all pray that Congress and the President will soon come to an understanding that will allow our government to be re-opened.
​#nationalnews

The winners of the 2018 Back to School Essay Contest have been selected for some time now. Unfortunately, we have been unable to publicly announce them because we are still awaiting parental consent releases. This request has been emailed several times. If the winners do not submit their forms by the final deadline of Friday, December 21, 2018 then they will forfeit their prize to a winner in another category.

We look forward to hearing from all of the winners. Below is the parental consent form. If you have received an email declaring you as the winner, please complete this form and return it to info@lovecitycarferries.com.

Special congratulations to Ms. Gomez at All Saints Cathedral School in St. Thomas whose students submitted the most essays. All Saints will also receive a prize for this feat.
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#BacktoSchoolEssay #LoveCityCarFerries 

The Motor Vessel Grand Vic that is owned and operated by Love City Car Ferries, Inc arrived in the Virgin Islands late evening on Monday, November 12, 2018. This vessel was built by Steiner Shipyard in Mobile Alabama. However the process to get it to completion was an up hill battle. Nevertheless, we persevered.
No victory is ever achieved alone and thus we give thanks. We would like to especially thank the attorneys and staff at Dudley Topper & Feuerzeig, LLP without whom we would have failed multiple times over. Special thanks to Attorney Kurt Petri and Attorney Gregory Hodges whom we spoke to and interacted with almost on a daily basis. We are grateful for their service. In addition, we would like to thank the crew who brought the Grand Vic down. The M/V Grand Vic is dedicated to the people of the Virgin Islands and as such, we thank you for your patience and understanding. More importantly, we thank the Love City Car Ferries, Inc staff for working tirelessly. We know that the front lines is a tough place to be, especially when you have to encounter angry customers who are tired of waiting in long lines; we appreciate you; you are family. Above all, we thank God for strengthening our faith and our close friends and family for giving us the moral support we needed.

Love City Car Ferries, Inc Board

The following pictures were taken at different stages of the building process, while the vessel was still at the shipyard and thus they do not necessarily reflect the actual image today. New pictures will be shared once the vessel has made its inaugural voyage.

We apologize for any inconvenience you have/had experienced in your attempt to catch a car ferry between St. Thomas and St. John, Virgin Islands, wherein Love City Car Ferries, Inc via the M/V Capt Vic was your service provider. We are doing our utmost to accommodate everyone. However, currently we are the only car ferry service in operation and at such times the lines are long which results in frustration, especially when someone was allowed to jump the line.
     Before delving into the issue of jumping the line, please keep the following in mind when catching a car ferry during times of high congestion:

1. Arrive at least 20-30 minutes before the departure time for M/V Capt Vic’s scheduled departures;
2. First come first served has its limitations (explanation below;)
3. Vessel stability is the a priori factor that governs loading;
4. The United States Coast Guard certified Captain on duty has the final say regarding the loading of the vessel.

     Generally the vessel is loaded first come, first served.  However this manner of loading has its limitations and at times other factors take precedent. This is not an issue when there are several car ferries in operation.  But when the number of ferries constricts, then customers get frustrated when they see others taking priority in the line. This frustration is understandable. Customers may then think that Love City Car Ferries is being unfair. But things aren’t always as they appear at face value.
     While we are here to accommodate everyone, please keep the following in mind:

1. food via trailers has to come to St. John, 
2. gas has to come to St. John, 
3. the mail has to come to St. John, 
4. the garbage has to leave St. John, 
5. customers on dialysis have to leave St. John to get treatment,
6. cancer patients have to leave St. John for treatment etc.
7. reservations have been prepaid and some are catching flights,
8. another car further back in the line may be a better fit for stability reasons. 

Without food and gas none of us can have a sustainable existence on St. John. Also, health care for critically ill patients is a matter of life and death. Finally, as a tourist destination, it is quite unsightly for the garbage to be piled up on the island. Or, there may be a concrete pour on St. John and the concrete can not sit on the docks. As a result of all of these factors and a myriad of others that may occur, we have to make decisions on a case by case basis, that may result in a particular customer taking priority in the line.
     Hence, if you are in the line and someone jumps the line in front of you, please know that we do not value them more than you. Instead there are other factors that demand us to allow said customer to take priority.
     During this time of increase congestion on the dock, we are continually reminded of our motto “A Heart for the People.” As it guides us, we hope it will guide our customers, as well, in knowing that we appreciate each and every one of you and that we will do our utmost to ensure that we serve everyone to the best of our ability.