The US Virgin Islands is a wonderful place to visit. As a Territory of the United States, American travelers can enjoy the no hassle, no passport necessary, ease of traveling. They can use their favorite airlines such as Delta, American, even Jet Blue and many others. Upon arrival, they don't have to worry about currency exchanges because the US Dollar is used. There are so many conveniences associated with traveling to the US Virgin Islands.

St. John, as one of the smaller US Virgin Islands, is even more secluded than the larger islands because it has no major airport. Thus, the only access to St. John is by sea. Here are some tips for traveling to St. John. If you have already experienced the uniqueness of this hidden gem, then feel free to share some tips of your own. 

1. Visit the online USVI Travel Portal to stay up to date with requirements for entering the Territory. 
2. Since St. John can only be accessed by sea, book your ferry ride more than 3 days in advance.
3. Remember to drive on the left. This is a remnant of our Danish colonial times. But it is all we have ever known. So be careful and stay left. Also while driving, slow down. We have winding roads, steep hills, and wild donkeys. 
4. Say good morning, good afternoon, and in general be respectful, it will go a long way with the locals and you will truly experience the love in Love City.
5. Wear sunscreen, be safe and have fun! 

We at Love City Car Ferries, Inc would like to take the time to wish everyone a wonderful Labor Day weekend. You work hard and you deserve a day of rest. If you decide to head to St. John to the beach or head to St. Thomas for the sales, you can join us on the M/V Grand Vic. All cars and small trucks will be discounted to $40 round trip on Labor Day 2021. God bless!

In order to accommodate the changing times, our schedule has been abbreviated. Thus, we thought it prudent to send a schedule reminder. Both vessels operate weekdays but on the weekends only one vessel runs. This can change at any time so follow us on social media for  day to day changes. Thanks for your patronage. 

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!

Given the conditions of the current economy in light of the global pandemic of COVID-19, Love City Car Ferries, Inc will be adhering to the above schedule effective Monday, March 23, 2020. M/V Grand Vic's schedule remains the same but the M/V Capt Vic's last departure will be at 3:30 pm from Red Hook. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give us a call during normal business hours at 340-779-4000 or email us at info@lovecitycarferries.com. Stay safe and thank you for your attention.

#lovecitycarferries #ferryschedule #grandvic #captvic #virginislands #covid19

Update on our fleet: Love City Car Ferries, Inc. operates 3 car ferries in the Virgin Islands, M/V Capt Vic, M/V Island Vic and M/V Grand Vic. As many of you may already know, the M/V Island Vic was destroyed in the storms. She is not fixed yet because we used her insurance money as seed money for the building of the Grand Vic. Island Vic will be refurbished as soon as we can fully recoup financially.

You may be wondering, however, what's up with the Capt Vic. That vessel worked tirelessly after the storm and is still a viable vessel for operation. However, we've paid Subbase Dry-dock our deposit since November of 2018 for her bi-annual dry-docking and we are still waiting our turn. Apparently they have a big project going on and we are next in line. Until then, we prefer not to harass Capt Vic too much. We believe she needs some tender loving care, which leaves the M/V Grand Vic.

Grand Vic is available for your transportation needs between St. Thomas and St. John. Please keep in mind that we only operate the Vic branded ferries, which are black and white vessels . If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact us at 340-779-4000 during our office hours of Mondays to Fridays between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. We look forward to seeing you on board the M/V Grand Vic.

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.
.
.
.
#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.

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.

​Employees of Love City Car Ferries, Inc are, for the most part, on board the vessel. Our employees wear blue shirts. Individuals on the dock are agents of Virgin Islands Port Authority. They are the ones who line you up as you wait for the vessels; they are also the ones in the toll booth. We can not control their process nor their procedures. Please keep this in mind as you consider whether or not we have provided good service; as we are noticing negative feedback based on their actions that has nothing to do with us.

Just a friendly reminder that Love City Car Ferries, Inc via the M/V Capt Vic's is operating its full Virgin Islands Port Authority approved schedule. We use our social media platforms to post any changes due to mechanical issues etc. and to keep you informed about what is going on with us. Unless changes are posted one can assume we are operating this schedule. To stay up to date about what we are doing, follow us on FaceBook, Twitter (@VICarFerry) and Instagram (VICarFerry. Or you may stay up to date with us via our blog and or website at http://www.lovecitycarferries.com
#LoveCityCarFerries #LoveCity #FerrySchedule #VICarFerry #Schedule#VirginIslands #USVI

Wishing you and your loved ones all the blessings of Christmas and the holiday season and peace and prosperity for the New Year.

Love City Car Ferries, Inc.