This service is seasonal and only operates between the months of May and December on account of heavy sea ice and the lack of icebreaking ferries.

[1] The MV Saaremaa 1 was loaned by the Société des traversiers du Québec as a temporary replacement, and began operations on August 20, 2022.

The other major crossing of the Northumberland Strait, the Confederation Bridge from Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick, does likewise.

Therefore, travellers entering the island on the ferry and exiting on the bridge or vice versa only need pay for one of the links.

The route has long been subsidized by Transport Canada;[6] under the Ferry Services Contribution Program, the subsidy was most recently extended to 2027.