Plan each leg for November 23–29
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. For that week, write the local bus and the ferry as separate legs before buying a ticket. A ferry timetable can still show departures on a day when the bus you intended to use has no service. The comparison below uses operator information checked November 13; all departure times are local.
The most consequential distinction is between a holiday shutdown, a shortened holiday timetable and a published daily ferry schedule. Those require different decisions: arrange another ride, choose one of fewer sailings, or check the usual departure against current operating alerts.
The published exceptions
Use the exact service name in the first column when checking a connection. These are selected Cape and island routes, with the holiday rule attached to the relevant mode.
| Service | Published November 26 rule | What to arrange |
|---|---|---|
| CCRTA Sealine and FLEX | No Thanksgiving service | Another ride for Woods Hole or the Outer Cape leg |
| CCRTA DART | No Thanksgiving service | Advance-book another operating date |
| CCRTA SmartDART | No Thanksgiving service | The app is not a holiday substitute |
| SSA Woods Hole–Vineyard Haven | Current October 23–January 5 table marks trips daily | Check sailing status and both terminal transfers |
| SSA Hyannis–Nantucket traditional ferry | Current winter table lists three daily departures each way | Use the winter section, not September’s six-trip table |
| Seastreak New Bedford–Vineyard Haven | One departure each way: 8:45 a.m. from New Bedford; 3:15 p.m. from Vineyard Haven | Check the reduced return before choosing the outward trip |
Sources: Sealine, FLEX, DART, SmartDART, Vineyard timetable, Nantucket timetable, Seastreak schedule
Seastreak changes again around the holiday
For November 25 and November 27–29, Seastreak lists New Bedford departures at 8:45 a.m. and 2 p.m., with Vineyard Haven departures at 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. Thursday’s single return at 3:15 p.m. therefore cannot be replaced by Friday’s later timetable. These are scheduled sailings, not a seat-availability search.
For this holiday period, the operator advertises cashless dockside parking at 49 State Pier, New Bedford, at $20 per calendar day. A stay spanning two dates is a different parking calculation from a same-day trip; check the actual parking purchase before paying.
Sources: Seastreak schedule
Daily departures and a closed reservation office
The Vineyard winter table lists its first departure at 6 a.m. from each shore. Its final departures are 9:45 p.m. from Woods Hole and 9:30 p.m. from Vineyard Haven. The printed schedule has no separate Thanksgiving cancellation note, but says service can change. Do not treat a published departure as a guarantee against weather or operational disruption.
For Nantucket’s traditional ferry, the October 23–January 5 section lists Hyannis departures at 9:15 a.m., 2:45 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Nantucket departures are 6:30 a.m., noon and 5:30 p.m. This is the traditional ferry, with separate arrangements from high-speed services.
SSA’s reservation office is closed on Thanksgiving. Settle vehicle booking questions before the holiday; an office closure is distinct from the ferry timetable. Use the operator’s current travel information for day-of-sailing changes.
Sources: Vineyard timetable, Nantucket timetable, Reservation office
Finish the return plan before leaving
For a Thursday visit, write down: mainland arrival method, outward ferry, island pickup, return ferry and the ride home from the mainland terminal. Put a contact beside each land transfer. A family member collecting you should have the actual terminal and return date, not just “the ferry.”
For Friday DART travel, ask the call center in advance how the Thursday holiday affects the reservation deadline. Its ordinary rules require advance booking and prohibit same-day reservations; do not wait until the holiday to resolve the cutoff.
If the intended land connection is unavailable, compare a different travel day before committing to the water crossing. Keep an alternative pickup agreement specific about delays. A telephone number for a taxi company is useful research, but it is not a confirmed ride.
Sources: DART
