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• Traveling in a cruise is itself a very thrilling experie

In Truth, Provincetown is a place where you can easily enjoy a vacation without a car, so the Boston to Provincetown ferry really is something you should consider.

The Bay State Cruise Company offer a terrific deal for Go Boston Card holders

There are three ways to get to Provincetown by ferry. The Bay State Cruise Company and Boston Harbor Cruises both offer services that depart from Boston, while a third operation, Capt. John Boats runs a limited service out of Plymouth.

All offer seasonal service but it's a lovely trip at that time of year. Passengers can either sit inside with comfortable seating, air-conditioning, free onboard WIFI, satellite TV, full cash bar and food or they can sit outside on the deck and take in the view and the sun.

Do remember, though, that it's a good idea to take a light sweater or jacket, as well as sunscreen and sunglasses. With ocean breeze and bright sunshine you can get quite chilly and sunburned both at the same time.

Bay State Cruise Company

Insider Tip If you're staying in Boston and checking out other attractions there in addition to your trip to P-Town, you should definitely check out a Go Boston Card. The Bay State Cruise Company is the onlt Boston to Provincetown ferry operator that participates in this program and offers free passage on their traditional ferry or an upgrade to the fast ferry. Check out our Boston travel deals page, which explains exactly how the card works and how much you might be able to save.

The Bay State Cruise Company's Boston Provincetown ferry service leaves from Long Wharf in Boston, just a short walk from Faneuil Hall and the Silver Line, and takes you to MacMillan Wharf in Provincetown. The trip lasts about 90 minutes.

The service is seasonal, starting up in mid-May and continuing through the peak season until the middle of October.

The Bay State Cruise Company offers two Boston-Provincetown ferry options. The Provincetown III is their fast ferry catamaran. It has comfortable seating and an enclosed, air-conditioned lower deck, and can get you to P-Town in about 90 minutes. The more traditional style ferry is the Provincetown II. It takes about three hours to make the same journey. However, the traditional ferry only sails on Saturdays between Late June and Labor Day weekend.

All ferries begin the day in Boston so these are not a good option for travelling to Boston from P-Town if you need to be in the city early. If you're already in staying in P-Town and want to get into Boston, the earliest you'll be able to get there is lunchtime (although the return ticket could certainly be used the next day).

Key Information for the BayState Cruise Company

Location: 200 Seaport Blvd (Seaport World Trade Center Marine Terminal), Boston, MA
Schedule: Departs Boston 4 times each day (three fast ferry, 1 traditional) between 8:30am and 5:00pm
High Speed Round Trip Price: $83 ($46 with your Go Boston Card). ($12 extra for a bike).
Traditional Ferry Round Trip Price: $46 (Free with your Go Boston Card). ($12 extra for a bike).
Telephone: (877) PT FERRY
Schedule: Baystate Cruise Company

Boston Harbor Cruises

The service is seasonal starting up in mid-May Thursday-Sunday only, expanding to a full daily schedule around the first week of June, and continuing through the peak season until the middle of October.

The Fast Ferry Salacia is one of the largest and fastest catamarans in the country, and can carry up to 600 passengers, but no cars (though you can take a bike aboard for an additional $6 each way).

The Boston Provincetown Ferry Docks at MacMillan Pier in P-Town

Reservations are not required but we strongly recommend them, particularly during the peak tourist season. You might also want to consider purchasing tickets for both the outward and the return leg of your journey right from the outset. That, of course, is assuming you know exactly when you'll be returning, which isn't always the case.

Tickets that are purchased in advance and then unused will not be refunded, just exchanged for other tickets, subject to availability. And while you can certainly book tickets online or by telephone, you can only exchange those tickets if you show up in person at either the Boston Harbor Cruise ticket office or The Whale Watch Store in Provincetown.

The ferry itself is really quite impressive. The high-speed catamaran is the largest and fastest passenger catamaran of her kind in the country, and can travel at speeds up to 45 miles per hour, which is faster than most speedboats.

Key Information for the Boston Harbor Cruises

Location: One Long Wharf, Boston, MA
Schedule: Departs Boston 1-3 times each day (depending on season) between 9:00am and 6:30pm
High Speed Round Trip Price: $79 ($12 extra for a bike).
Telephone: (617) 227-4321
Schedule: Boston Harbor Cruises

Capt. John Boats

They do offer a nice narrated tour of historic Plymouth Harbor as the trip gets under way, though.

This service runs from mid-June through Labor Day and is a once daily trip, leaving Plymouth at 10:00am and departing P-Town at 4:30. It's a good option if you're only planning a day trip.

Key Information for Capt. John Boats

Location: Mayflower II State Pier • 77 Water Street • Plymouth, Massachusetts
Schedule: Departs Plymouth once a day at 10:00am, departing P-Town at 4:30pm
High Speed Round Trip Price: $42 ($5 extra for a bike).
Telephone: (800) 225-4000
Website: www.provincetownferry.com

The obvious drawback to all of these services is their inability to transport cars. While Provincetown is certainly a place where it's quite possible to enjoy a short vacation without the use of a car (and you can certainly always rent one when you arrive) on-Cape transportation is still something you will have to consider if you're planning to travel on the Boston Provincetown ferry.