Port Jefferson – Bridgeport Ferry

Description

The Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Company (Port Jeff Ferry) is located at 102 West Broadway, Port Jefferson. There is some handicapped parking at the dock. There are additional handicapped spaces located throughout the municipal lot across the street.

During this Pandemic, the terminal building is closed. Walk-on tickets can be purchased at a window on the side of the terminal building. There are some benches outside the building.

Walk-on boarding is across the metal gangway. Once inside, there is an elevator that goes to all levels. The top level is completely outside. All seating is on benches. There is ample room to navigate throughout the vessel.

Multi-stall restrooms are located on the lower level. There is a large, handicapped stall, wheelchair accessible sink and baby-changing station.

Checklist

Attraction Type:  popular places
Surface of lot:  paved
Distance to venue:  depends on where you are able to park
Transportation to venue offered:  on
Terrain:  flat
Places to rest:  benches at ferry terminal
Paths and walkways:  paved
Doors:  none to get on board, doors to get to outside,, top deck
Number of floors:  3
Elevators:  yes
Ramps:  ramp (gangplank) to get on board
Steps and staircases:  steps to each deck
Width of aisles:  ample space to navigate
Places to sit:  outside deck - benches, inside areas have a variety of seating
Location of restrooms:  rear of upper indoor deck
Type of restroom:  multi-stall, with large, handicapped stall and wheelchair accessible sink
Ease of entry and exit:  easy, there is no door
Baby changing station:  yes
Available food services:  at this time, food/drink service is very limited
Friendliness of staff:  pleasant
Notes:  At this time, the terminal building is closed. Walk-on tickets can be purchased at a window at the terminal building.

Read More

It’s already August and we haven’t made it back to the Ferry for another wonderful ride on the Ferry. I called to confirm that the senior special, called The Mariner’s Delight, is still in effect. I was happy to hear that it is. As long as you don’t get off the boat, the cost is only $17.00. We think that’s a great price for a three hour ride on the Long Island Sound. Tickets are not available in advance, you must be a “walk-on.” It is available seven days a week. We advised going on a weekday when parking in town is free, but you can go any day you like. Take a look at our “” from last year to get a sense of how it was. Looking forward to doing it again!

Read more from 8 -12 -20

This most unusual summer has caused many of us to rethink what we do for outdoor recreation. My better half and I have enjoyed many of the parks here on Long Island, and have begun to visit dining establishments that have outdoor seating. We have not ventured off our “Island” yet.

One day, we took a ride to Harbor Park in Port Jeff, an easily accessible, usually quiet park with many benches on which to sit and  enjoy views of the harbor and watch the Ferry come and go. As we watched, we reminisced about some of our travels that included lovely one way trips on the Ferry. My better half suggested that perhaps we could take a round-trip and enjoy a pleasant cruise on the waters of Long Island Sound. Seeming like a possibility, we walked over to the dock to get some information. We discovered that we could, indeed, take a round-trip as “walk-ons” without having to disembark in Bridgeport and come back on board.  Armed with a printed schedule, we went home to think it through. We knew we needed a good weather day. We didn’t need to make a reservation – they are not needed for walk-ons. We decided it would be on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, when parking is free in the town lots. We checked our calendars and choose several possible days. We also visited the Ferry’s website to see what information it had on Covid safety measures they are taking. We have learned from past experience that nothing is perfect, but the information given on their site suggested that it was something we were willing to take a chance with. 

Yesterday was the day! The weather was perfect and we had the time.

We had checked the Ferry’s site for sailing information, and we had the paper we had been given at the dock. It turned out that the info on the website was not current – our paper was!

Parking was easy in the lot directly across the street. There is some handicapped-accessible parking at the dock as well as more spaces throughout the town lots. Passengers can always be dropped off near the ferry building. We made our way to the ticket window on the side of the closed terminal building. We had no idea of the bargain we were getting. A senior round trip (when one is not getting off the boat) was the same as a one-way walk-on ticket! 

There are some benches in the waiting area. Mid-day on a Tuesday, there was more than enough room to sit with social-distancing. Boarding required walking the metal gangway to enter. Once inside, if you need/want, there is an elevator to get you to any of the upper levels. We made our way to the top deck, which is completely open. Since we were just about the only ones onboard, we had our pick of seats (actually they are benches.) We were the only ones in the front row seats in the bow. Although there were no chaises on our “cruise” ship, we were happy to enjoy a great view as we made our way across to Connecticut and back. We had brought water and snacks with us, but, if we do it again, we might think about a picnic lunch. There are some drinks/snacks available for purchase  on one of the lower levels. 

The level below us is where we found the multi-stall restrooms. The area is easy to enter (no door). The handicapped stall is large, there is a wheelchair-accessible sink and a baby-changing station. I was somewhat unhappy to see that only one of the soap dispensers had soap in it and hand-sanitizer was no where to be found anywhere on the ship. We also would  have liked it if there was more signage throughout, reminding people about masks and distancing, and perhaps the presence of some staff walking around just to check things out.

The lower, enclosed areas, have some seats and tables blocked. Since we did not want to be inside, we cannot really comment on the social-distancing here. I am sure weekends are much different, due to the number of people they are accommodating.

We had a wonderful time!  It definitely felt like a mini-vacation. We would recommend this as a bargain day of relaxation. Go with your spouse or partner. Go with a friend or friends. Go with your sister, brother, mother and/or father!  But, be sure to double check on the times, and cost. 

As always, we at Destination:Accessible, advise you to check a venue’s website, http://www.88844ferry.com">www.88844ferry.com, when planning a visit, to “know before you go.”  In these unusual times, we suggest you make a phone call to make sure ( 888-44-Ferry.)

Location

Nearby