Tag Archives: steamship authority

Food, Getting Here, Martha's Vineyard, MV Rentals, News

Fall Checklist for Summer 2010 on Martha’s Vineyard

October 12, 2009 Anne Mayhew Leave a comment

The kids are back in school, the days are getting shorter and cooler…and it’s hard not to start dreaming about next summer on the Vineyard! Don’t worry, I don’t think you’re crazy, I think you’re very, very smart because planning for a fantastic 2010 summer on the Vineyard really does need to start now!

Here’s my checklist to keep you fully on top of things:

1. If you want the house of your rental dreams, book it now! The fall is actually our busiest booking time as folks scramble for primo houses. Our inventory is huge, our site has been updated and is beautiful, and we get new listings every day!

2. Make plans with friends and family as soon as possible. It’s much easier to plan a vacation for two, or even a family of five (who all do exactly what you tell them because three of them are kids!), than it is to plan for your extended family or groups of friends. The sooner you all get your schedules set, the less stress you’ll have. No one should have their summer planned yet – so you’ll be asking them to commit before you have to dance around everyone else’s commitments.

3. Ferry reservations. Yes, I know you can’t actually book your ferry reservations until February, but let me remind you how much less stressful it will be to plan the times you would like to sail (and sync them up with any other travel you need to do to get here) when you aren’t under the gun of opening day on the Steamships Advanced Reservations Line!! I recommend that you plan it out on paper and clip it to your February calendar. On the big day, just go online and book those tickets!

4. Same with the plane. You can book your plane reservations now and they do fill up! Also, unlike the ferry, airline fares are cheaper if purchased in advance.

5. If you’re really eager, create a list of all of the things you love doing on the island – include beaches to visit, restaurants, festivals and stores. This can be especially fun with the whole family as you reflect on the summer of ’09 and get ready for the summer of ’10. Then make a big calendar and start jotting down activities you don’t want to miss. You can even decorate it with pics from summers past. When the snow starts to fall, this beautiful calendar and homage to Martha’s Vineyard will be sure to warm you up…

Any other questions, concerns, delightful memories to share? Don’t hesitate to ask me!

Martha's Vineyard, MV Rentals, News

January brings thoughts of summer on the Vineyard and beyond

January 14, 2009 3 Comments

January, for those of us either on the Vineyard or biding our time until we can get here, means one thing: getting our summer vacation plans in order and booked. Seriously, the excitement of the Steamship Authority opening their summer vehicle reservation lines is enough to blast any post-holiday blues clear away.

There are two things that folks who plan to rent a vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard need to do in January:
1. Book your ferry tickets. The Steamship Authority tickets for vehicle passage go on sale January 20th. And they go fast. In no time at all, you’re looking at long standby lines – especially in July and August. Though, I must admit, for some people this is part of the adventure! Remember there are no longer stand by spots available from Friday to Monday during the summer.
2. Find the house you want. We’re starting to book rather quickly now! I’ll tell you that every year, August is booked solid in no time. You’ll have a little more leeway in July. With the Ag Fair, the Oak Bluffs fireworks and concert and the weather – August goes fast. But July is also divine – and so are June and September! Also, because August is such a popular month for rentals, weekly rates are often lower in July – and absolutely lower in June and September.

For the other essentials, like linen rentals, bike rentals, dinner reservations…you’ve got plenty of time – and I’ll be sure to blog you a reminder this spring when it’s time to take care of more summer prep business!

Families, Getting Here, Martha's Vineyard, MV Rentals

Which Should You Book First? Your Vacation Home or Your Ferry Reservations?

December 24, 2008 Leave a comment

It is a frequently asked question! Most renters that make the Vineyard an annual vacation destination are now in the decision making process of when, where and how. Because The Steamship Authority will be opening up vehicle ferry reservations for the summer months soon, many regulars are now trying to fit together the puzzle pieces.

Historically the primary turnover day for weekly rentals has been Saturday. We now see almost half of our owners use Sunday as the turnover day. This has occurred for a couple of reasons. The steamship authority is no longer able to handle the volume of cars being brought back and forth on Saturdays alone and owners have also been having difficulty finding a cleaning crew that can turn over that number of rental houses in one day.

We also now see a few owners consider mid week turn over days for the same reasons. Many of our tenants tend to like this as it gives them a full weekend on the island instead of having to pack and leave on one of the busy Saturday or Sundays.

When making your Martha’s Vineyard vacation plans you should try to book your rental home in advance of your ferry reservation so you know what days you will need to travel on. If this is done far enough in advance you should not have a problem come travel time! Many of our owners will try to be flexible on the turn over day as it gets closer to season if they can. Many of their weeks will be boxed in with prior bookings.

It always pays to plan ahead for your Vineyard vacation!