When walk-on passengers purchase their
tickets, they receive a discount card
honored by merchants on both sides
of the bay and a good bit of friendly
guidance about how to spend their day.

Vehicles are loaded aboard. Once
they are placed, passengers are
free to go to the boat's upper decks
for the journey. In keeping with the
times, security checks are part of the
boarding process, but are conducted
in a professional but not heavy-handed
manner.

Departures -- which are still called sailings -- and the number of trips varies by season and days of the week. Basically, the service operates from 7:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.