Programs for veterans from the Steamship Authority

Honoring all veterans and active-duty military

In honor of all United States military personnel – including active duty military personnel, veterans who have been honorably discharged, and retired military veterans can travel as a passenger for free on all Steamship Authority ferries on Veterans Day, November 11, 2026. 

All veterans, including active duty, military veterans, and retired military veterans, who have a valid military ID showing their active duty, honorable discharge or retired status can travel as a passenger for free on all Steamship Authority ferries, including both traditional ferries and the Nantucket high-speed ferry, on Veterans Day. Veterans with a Real ID indicating their veteran status may also use this as a method of identification. 

This free travel offer is valid only for the active duty military person, veteran or retired military veteran and does not include the passage of a vehicle or any additional passengers.

If you are in active duty or are a veteran traveling on November 11, 2026, you can pick up your complimentary passenger ticket at any Steamship Authority ticket office.

From all of us at the Steamship Authority, we thank all military personnel for their service.

Veterans discount program

The Steamship Authority now offers a year-round discounted passenger travel program for qualified veterans living in its port communities.

The program  offers qualified veterans a reduced fare for passenger tickets, which is the same discount currently offered to senior citizens. To be eligible, veterans must live in one of the Authority’s five port communities — Barnstable, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Falmouth, or New Bedford — and be able to prove an honorable discharge from a branch of the U.S. military.

The discount is approximately half off the cost of a passenger ticket on one of the SSA’s conventional ferries serving Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, or approximately 25% off the cost of a ticket on the high-speed, passenger-only ferry that serves the Hyannis-Nantucket route.

Click here for the application, which must be submitted to the Authority's Group Sales Office and reviewed prior to the discount card being issued.