Newly introduced luggage charge on ferries to STT ‘unfair’
According to a notice to customers of Native Son Ferry, “Effective April 15, 2015 each piece of luggage will cost $3.00. All luggage must be checked in. Only one (1) small carry on will be allowed per passenger.”
Virgin Islands News Online was informed that the concern for residents was that the luggage fee should not be charged for empty luggage.
It is a fact that many persons, especially Virgin Islanders, travel to St Thomas on a regular basis to shop and this new charge for luggage, allegedly even empty ones, is seen as a strain on their pockets.
Calls to the other ferry services that ply the Virgin Islands to St Thomas, USVI route confirmed that the new charge was introduced by all of the ferries.
Although the Native Son Ferry office in the VI confirmed the charges were introduced by its ferry service, it could not say if the charges were to be applied for empty luggage as well. “That I cannot answer, I was going to ask that question too, so I will have to find out as I am not sure…,” said the person on the other line who also told us we could call the office in Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas for such details.
A check at the Native Son Ferry Service office at West End revealed that the charges were for each piece of luggage "empty, halfway or full".
The office of Smith's Ferry Services in the VI was also contacted and it confirmed that the new charge has been implemented by its service also but could not say immediately if it should be applied for empty luggage.
The Road Town Fast Ferry office in the VI confirmed the new charges also and that it applied even for empty luggage.
44 Responses to “Newly introduced luggage charge on ferries to STT ‘unfair’”
How the f*** is a company's choice to raise their rates a tax by NDP??? You all really being silly now and half the asinine crap you all posting is what going result in those buggers getting back in.
They are ferries not cargo boats. We pay AA $25.00 per bag and can't pay $3.00 per bag to the ferries? More weight = more fuel burned = more money spent, while the ticket price remains the same. WE are a set of idiots around here when it comes to business, I'm sorry. Either pay the d@mn money or stay your @$$ home. $3.00 is what people really balling about? The taxi man charges more than that per bag for the 3 minute ride from downtown to STT Airport.
We have NHI to pay for, higher ferry rates and now bag costs to consider. Our disposable income is diminishing daily, making every dollar count. When will the stores here start to understand that even with renting a car, paying higher ferry rates and now adding bag costs; it is STILL cheaper to shop in St. Thomas than it is here! More than ever before, shopping in St. Thomas is becoming more and more important to those of us with limited financial resources.
Since fuel rates have gone down, we've been taking our own small boat over on a weekly basis and all the family members chip in for the fuel, making our trips quite reasonable. This new cost for the bags will likely mean that we will use the ferry less often but when we do use the ferry (if there are too many of us for our little boat) then we will just have to do without a few small luxury items to make up the difference.