This is a very long day trip , pick up was a little late 14 passengers on a good size mini bus ) apparently there should have been more but driver couldn’t wait any longer so the 12-14 passengers descriptions wouldn’t have been accurate ) bus was freezing with air con at full blast it was 13 degrees outside , felt like -5 inside. Driver not keen on turning it down as he said he wanted to ventilate. There was no masks required or hand sanitizer available. No water or snacks was given during the trip but was offered as we were literally stepping off the bus. Travel to ferry point i was around 90 mins . Waited 46 mins until the ferry departs. Very small waiting area that has hardly any shelter. Ferry was really busy, and trip was very cold. We had booked the guided tour which we naively expected to also be in a small
group . It was on a large school type bus and was jam packed . No covid mitigation or sanitizer , very few wore masks. Edgar town was gorgeous, very quaint and a nice place to spend an hour. Most of the island is protected green areas so not a lot to see, driver was
obsessed with telling his story of being an extra in the jaws repeatedly non stop for 3 hours he was boring and tedious.
Oak Bluff was ok, an hour would have been enough time to explore
Raining when waiting for the ferry, absolutely no shelter so prepare to get wet !
Bus trip back was horrible , the bus was so cold , shivering even with shirt, hoodie and coat Driver was asked to turn off but very very reluctant to do so He turned off briefly then back on at -10 .
Return trip coincides with rush hour , journey was horrible. took 2.5 hours making a 12 and 1/4 hour day. Followed by a 20 min walk back to our hotel ( hotel pickup at ours was not available)
Was disappointed at the lack of covid sanitising .Did not feel safe being crammed on a bus with many people
I appreciate that by law masks are no longer required but space was so crammed felt very uncomfortable.
Відповідь від хоста
Jun 2022
I apologize if you did not enjoy your day. First and fore most it was not 13 degrees outside. Even if it was, we can't control the weather. I can appreciate anyone's opinion, both positive and negative but let's be fair and factual. We follow all State and Federal guidelines when it comes to Covid. Masks are not required though you are certainly welcome to wear one if you choose. As you are welcome to wear one, those that choose not too are welcome not too as well. We do offer snacks and bottled water each way on every trip. Perhaps you didn't see the snack basket or cooler on your way in. We do always allow plenty of time to get down to the ferry as the last thing that we want to do is disappoint our guests by missing a ferry. We have proudly not missed a ferry in 12 years of operation and do not want our drivers rushing to get anywhere. Safety first! Traffic can be bad on the return trip as Boston is a major city with major city traffic. Traffic is obviously out of our control. All we can do is give our best effort and return you safely to your pickup spot. Again, safety is our top priority and we have an amazing track record of not one accident since we began operating in 2011. You did state that there were 14 passengers on a good size mini-bus. That is a 24 passenger bus to be exact and it certainly is not crammed with 14 passengers. Not everyone is going to feel the same about our trip. What we do is make it convenient for guests in Boston and surrounding area hotels to take a day trip to Martha's Vineyard. We try our best to make it enjoyable for everyone. Once in a great while we come across a guest that wants to point out what they perceive as negatives and even embellish to make their story sound more interesting. Again, I am sorry if our trip did not live up to your expectations.
Sincerely,
Stephen M. Belcastro
President
New England Trips Inc.