|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
NEW BEDFORD — Seastreak customers will need to find a new way to travel between New Bedford and the islands this holiday week, after the company canceled services out of the city due to its failure to renew its license with the Steamship Authority.
On Tuesday, at least two emails went out to customers with reservations for the ferry service.
The first said that all service between New Bedford, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket had been canceled for Nov. 27 through Dec. 1: “Unfortunately, our operating license with The Steamship Authority has not been renewed, or extended for this weekend, and we are unable to run the service until this is done by [Steamship Authority].”
The second email was more detailed, stating that the issue was caused by Seastreak, not the Steamship Authority.
“Our license expired at the end of October and because of a Seastreak mistake with regard to timing of our application submission, we did not get our application in on time for it to be placed on the meeting agenda far enough in advance for our license to be renewed in time to operate for Thanksgiving,” the email read.
“Again – this was a SeaStreak mistake, and not something that the SSA is causing,” it continued.
Seastreak did not respond to questions before publication, including how many customers have been affected by the canceled service.
Seastreak requires a license from the authority, which must be renewed every few years, to use its facilities and operate ferries and between the New Bedford State Pier and islands.
“We are hopeful that our License will be in place in time for the scheduled December service. We apologize for the impact that this will have on our customers, which we do not take lightly. We will work hard to be better,” the email ended.
In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the Steamship Authority directed The Light to Seastreak’s notice to customers.
Seastreak will refund customers for tickets and ferry parking passes.
Those traveling to Nantucket will have the option to take the Hy-Line ferry from Hyannis (Hy-Line’s service with Martha’s Vineyard has ended for the season).
For Martha’s Vineyard, the Steamship Authority offers ferry service out of Woods Hole (about an hour drive from New Bedford).
Customer Barbara Sullivan had purchased ferry tickets for someone else through Seastreak for the holiday, but was able to purchase a ticket through Hy-Line today to get them to Nantucket.
“I was surprised because just the day before I got another confirmation about the reservation. When I opened this email today it was like whoa,” Sullivan said. “I was totally taken aback. Your license expired and just before a holiday.”
Seastreak recently canceled its winter commuter service between New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard, citing insufficient business to cover the operation costs, after launching the initiative only about a year ago.
Seastreak’s website shows tickets are available for the New Bedford-Nantucket route for early December.
Email Anastasia E. Lennon at alennon@newbedfordlight.org.
The SSA has made asses of themselves.
What is harm of letting Sea Streak run another week while the paperwork is is being executed.
They are the most hated organization on the Vineyard.
This one tips it for me.
Unfortunately the steamship is the mafia of the waters. They don’t allow any companies to provide reliable service without permits and fees for every customer they carry. There could be a year round service to the vineyard if you pay and follow there schedule.
Sea Streak is clearly a sloppy operation.
The SSA must shut them down before they kill someone.