The St. Thomas to St. John Ferry, Explained by Someone Who Rides It

There is no airport on St. John, and there won't be. Getting to the island means the ferry from St. Thomas, and while the crossing is short — 20 minutes from Red Hook, about 45 from Charlotte Amalie — the choices you make around it can add or subtract two hours from your day. This is the honest, local guide to the St. Thomas to St. John ferry.

Your two ferry options, plainly

Red Hook passenger ferry (recommended for most visitors). Runs hourly on the hour from Red Hook on St. Thomas to Cruz Bay on St. John. Twenty minutes. About $8 per person one-way. Cash preferred. Bags ride in the open at the front — pack a dry bag.

Charlotte Amalie passenger ferry. Runs less often — only a few trips a day — from downtown Charlotte Amalie (near the cruise-ship pier). Forty-five minutes. About $15 per person one-way. Slower but useful if you're already downtown or coming off a cruise ship.

Red Hook car barge. If you rented on St. Thomas, this takes your vehicle across. Slower, more expensive, and honestly — most visitors should rent on St. John instead and skip this entirely.

The last-ferry problem — and how to avoid it

The Red Hook–Cruz Bay ferry runs late — the last boat back to St. Thomas is typically around midnight, but check the current schedule the day of. Charlotte Amalie ferries stop much earlier, sometimes as early as 4:30 p.m.

If you're on St. John for the evening and staying in St. Thomas, pin the last-ferry time to your phone. Locals miss it too, and there's no shuttle-boat plan B.

Once you're in Cruz Bay, we're eight minutes up the ridge — see our directions post for the drive. New to the island entirely? Our first-timer's guide covers what to do once you land. Menu is here.