In a recent article, I wrote about the lack of working boats, which leads to a poor ferry service that often causes passengers to miss their connecting flights out of the United States Virgin Islands.
As if that were not enough to drive tourists away, the poorly managed process through USVI customs and immigration may very well add to an already ailing ferry service. My travel to St. Thomas on Aug. 23 has left me with a heavy heart after I experienced the unorganised manner that customs and immigration processed the arrival of three boatloads of passengers. This was the first time in my many travels using the ferry service that I experienced such confusion on arriving in St. Thomas.
Long wait
I left Road Town at 9:45 a.m. on Smith’s Ferry. We arrived on time, only to be left waiting for 40 minutes in the boat until the passengers of the Native Son ferry, which departed Road Town at 9:30 a.m., were cleared. One would think that after a 40-minute delay customs and immigration would clear the passengers of Smith’s Ferry, but to our dismay the boat crew was told not to unload our luggage, and we were not allowed to leave the boat.
Our captain then informed us that the boat that came in behind us, the Road Town Fast Ferry that left Road Town at about 10 a.m. with 107 passengers, had to be cleared before our boat, which had 22 passengers. The reason given for this delay was that the Road Town Fast Ferry had to depart before Smith’s Ferry. Many of the passengers on Smith’s Ferry missed their flights out of St. Thomas. The whole process, including the scheduling of the boats, was full of flaws.
Poor communication
There seems to be a breakdown in communication between the VI and USVI port authorities. More time should be given between the departures and arrivals of boats, giving customs and immigration ample time to clear passengers.
Also, the USVI ferry dock can accommodate disembarked passengers of more than one boat at the same time, so why don’t they utilise this capacity? As I had mentioned in my other article, if I need to catch an afternoon flight out of St. Thomas I have to leave Road Town on the 7 a.m. boat in order to be on time regardless of delays. The ferry service is becoming more unreliable, and personnel of hotels, guest houses and yacht clubs need to warn their guests, advising them to catch early ferries so as not to be left stranded in St. Thomas or Puerto Rico.
I must add that my frequent encounters with the VI and USVI customs and immigration authorities have been pleasant for the most part, but unless there is a major improvement in the ferry service, “Nature’s Little Secrets” will lose its attraction to the many tourists who travel from around the world to experience our rich culture.
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