Washington State Ferries
Advanced reservations are required for all memorials and must be made a minimum of five (5) business days in advance by utilizing our online form. Only one memorial per day/per route will be scheduled, so scheduling up to a month in advance is suggested during spring and summer seasons. Memorials will only be permitted during non-peak travel times (Monday - Friday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday prior to 10 a.m.) and only on the routes listed below: -Seattle/Bremerton
-Seattle/Bainbridge
-Edmonds/Kingston
-Mukilteo/Clinton
-Anacortes/Friday Harbor/Orcas
-Port Townsend/Coupeville. Ashes must be contained in a certified biodegradable container that can be dropped intact from a ferry. Such containers are sometimes referred to as “journey urns” and are designed to dissolve quickly after contact with water. A floral tribute may also be released but must contain only biodegradable material (no plastic or wire attachments or ribbons, etc.) Memorials occur at the sole discretion of the vessels’ Captain and a scheduled memorial may not occur if a Captain determines it is not safe due to weather or other unforeseen operational issues. A memorial may be moved to another operating vessel or rescheduled. Process once on board: Once the group is aboard, a member of the memorial group shall contact a vessel crew member and present a printed copy of their memorial confirmation email. The crew member will confirm with the Captain that the activity is operationally permissible (no training drills,Coast Guard quarterly inspections, etc.) and weather is conducive. If the Captain approves the memorial to go ahead, the group is led to the vehicle deck on the stern (back) of the vessel. A crew member will accompany one memorial group member beyond the restricted area while the biodegradable container/floral tribute is dropped into the water. Memorials must take no longer than 5 minutes to minimize disruption to regular service and vessel operations. Sounding of the vessel's whistle is at the sole discretion of the Captain.