SEATTLE — Washington State Ferries (WSF) customers will soon be able to once again grab a bite or drink on some vessels this week.
Starting April 13, food and drink service will return to five ferries on four different routes.
Dining areas on WSF vessels closed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. WSF said resuming onboard galley service for the five vessels is the first step in a “phased reopening.”
Starting Wednesday, the galley will open on two vessels operating on the Anacortes-San Juan Islands route. The Edmonds-Kingston, Seattle-Bainbridge and Seattle-Bremerton routes will each have one vessel operating with an open galley.
WSF said the food vendor on the ferries is currently hiring for several dockside and galley positions, adding that “additional openings are reliant on our food vendor being able to hire more staff and sales allowing for expansion.”
In addition, drinking fountains have also reopened at WSF terminals. WSF said drinking fountains on vessels will reopen throughout 2022 as “potable water aboard each vessel becomes available.”
While the indoor mask mandate has been lifted in Washington state, face masks are still required in all indoor areas on ferries and ferry terminals due to federal guidelines.
Ridership dropped to historic lows in 2020 during the beginning of the pandemic. Annual ridership rebounded in 2021, totaling more than 17 million customers with the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines and an uptick in tourism. It was WSF’s largest year-over-year increase in ridership ever recorded, bringing it to nearly 75% of pre-pandemic levels.