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WA ferry reservations for summer open Tuesday
While we're two months away from summer, Washington State Ferries is getting ready for it. Summer ferry reservations open up Tuesday.
EDMONDS, Wash. - Washington State ferry summer reservations open Tuesday morning and could go quickly, based on demand in previous years.
Summer ferry reservations are highly sought after, almost like concert tickets. If Taylor Swift and Washington State Ferries have one thing in common, it's their ability to overwhelm a ticketing waiting room, which is exactly what happened last year.
The backstory:
In 2025, heavy demand overwhelmed the virtual waiting room as travelers logged on to book trips. The crashes prompted the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to announce plans for a new ticketing and reservation system, though it is not expected until 2027.
Timeline:
Reservations cover sailing on the Anacortes-San Juan Islands and Port Townsend-Coupeville routes from June 14 through Sept. 19, with bookings opening at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 14. These sailings have limited standby space, so reservations are strongly encouraged.
As with other high-demand ticket releases, customers will be placed in a virtual waiting room. The system shows a user's place in line, provides an estimated wait time and can send a notification when it's their turn to book.
Washington State Ferries reservation site running slowly
At 10:30 a.m., just a half hour after the virtual waiting room opened, Washington State Ferries (WSF) sent out an alert saying, "If you experienced issues previously, please try again." A number of people also reported the site crashing closer to 10 a.m.
Several minutes later, they sent out an alert saying the reservation system was running slow due to the number of people on the site.
Vehicle reservations do not include the cost of a ferry ticket. Travelers must still purchase tickets online or in person at the terminal.
Reservations are free, but no-shows will be charged a $10 fee, according to WSDOT.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the Washington State Department of Transportation and original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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