Seastreak's fast ferry from Providence to Newport had so many people buzzing last year, wherever I went, it seemed as though everyone (especially anyone who hates traffic & I mean, it's that's just about everyone, right?) was gushing about it and urging me to try it out. The really great news? In case you missed out last summer, it's back again, and the ticket prices are the same ($10 for adults and $5 for kids), but before you go, check out these tips for having the most enjoyable and relaxing trip ever:

1. Attenion All Procrastinators - Get your tix in advance! No, really...buy them early and online (the day before if possible) because when we motored over to the ticket office, and dock, at 25 India St., for the first time, about 10-15 minutes beforehand, our boat was sold out. Sad faces. Luckily, there was another one at 12:30pm, and we eventually decided to walk over to Wickenden for a leisurely breakfast. All the same, it was quite popular after kicking off in July of 2016, which means no leaving anything to chance circa now. 

2. There's plenty of signage on 95, I-95, and leading to the dock on India St., so you shouldn't have a problem finding the dock or ticket office. There's also a good size parking lot, but as one of our wise seat mates from ly suggested, you may want to find street parking nearby to avoid any potential for grid lock getting out of the lot once you're back in PVD later that day/night. Now, we've never had any issues exiting, but I can see how that might happen. 

3. Want first dibs on seating? Know that people start lining up to board at least 15-20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure times, so plan accordingly. Also, if you've made plans with that person who's a fantastic friend, but is perpetually late for practically everything, fib to him or her about the departure time, saying it's earlier than it actually is. Technically, a lie, but also the only way to guarantee you'll arrive early enough to get spots at the front of the line and first pick of seats, including most importantly, 2 seats together. 

4. If you're someone who prefers A/C and outlets for charging your phone (as I do), you may want the lower deck. There's ample seating, an outlet or two to save your phone from power failure, and a snack bar serving small bites and beverages. Pretty sure you can order beer or a cocktail, but this is far from a booze cruise mentality. Think family fun and mellow vibes. PS - If you are in fact outdoorsy (I am def not!), there is an upper deck where you can soak up the sun, or the sunset, and the breeze, and maybe even veg out a bit. (Btw, nobody says chillax anymore or so I've been told.)

*The trip from PVD to Newport took around one hour and twenty minutes. The return was slightly shorter.

**Dress Code - Nautical striped tops, and Sperry boat shoes, are optional, but for the record, I always spy a ton of Saint James in the shops on and around Bellevue Ave. #WillBlog4SaintJames 

Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of PattyJ.com