Washington State Ferries is sailing into summer with the first release of seasonal vehicle reservations for the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route on Tuesday, April 14 at 7 a.m. The 2015 summer sailing schedule runs from June 14 until Sept. 19.
With Washington State Ferries’ new Save A Spot vehicle-reservation program, customers may now reserve a spot for their vehicles on a ferry as early as two months before the summer schedule takes effect. In order to provide access to reservation space both for customers who plan in advance and those who make travel plans closer to the sailing date, San Juan Islands reservations are released in three staggered tiers.
Additional reservations for summer travel will be released two weeks in advance, and again two days ahead of each departure date.
For summer, reservations will be available:
- April 14 at 7 a.m., two months before the start of the summer sailing season (30 percent of spots released).
- At 7 a.m. two weeks prior to the specific sailing date (another 30 percent of spots released).
- At 7 a.m. two days before the specific sailing date (the final 30 percent of spots are released).
The remaining spaces on each sailing are set aside for emergency vehicles, customers with medical preference and standby customers.
Like making a dinner reservation, the Save A Spot reservation program allows customers to reserve their preferred sailing date in advance, guaranteeing them a spot on the ferry. It also helps Washington State Ferries manage demand while reducing long lines at the terminal.
“The reservation program gives Anacortes/San Juan Islands customers the certainty that they will make a specific sailing,” said Dwight Hutchinson, WSF reservations manager. “We’re planning ahead for summer and this will help customers avoid long waits at the terminal during our busiest season.”
Summer reservations for the Port Townsend/Coupeville and Anacortes/Sidney B.C. route will also be released on April 14 at 7 a.m.
Online reservations are available, or call 1-888-808-7977. More information on how Save A Spot works is also available online.
