I’ve traveled by ferry on four continents but didn’t know about something almost in my backyard.
Balèaria Bahamas Express
A high-speed boat from Florida to the Bahamas. A chance to pop over to that island nation with British roots to see what I could for the day.
The route is run by a Spanish company that’s been doing this kind of thing in the Mediterranean for years.
The boat goes from Fort Lauderdale to the city of Freeport on Grand Bahama, one of many Bahamian islands. It’s roughly the distance from Philadelphia to New York. The trip takes 2 1/2 hours, weather permitting.
There’s the catch. I’d read where bad weather could delay things even more — or scrap the journey altogether. And there’s that little matter of the Gulf Stream passing between Florida and the Bahamas — the current that can make the crossing a real gutwrencher.
I forgot to pack Dramamine and expected to be pasted to the bathroom floor per usual, but was thankfully spared. Though it was raining slightly, it was smooth sailing, as they say.
But because of immigration rules, we had to be there two hours early. I was nervous about getting lost in the massive maze of the Fort Lauderdale cruise ship terminal.
The place was packed with tourists going over to Freeport for the day or several, and well-heeled Americans and Bahamians commuting back and forth for things like shopping and doctor visits.
And an Australian couple who’d come to Fort Lauderdale to buy a boat, and planned to sail home. I asked if they could use another hand. Oh, well.
The boat looked like a mini cruise ship. Spacious, but not as fancy.
First-class sported airline seats that looked a little strange on a boat. And a safety presentation followed by a movie. Impossible Mission with Tom Cruise, one of the friendly bilingual staff informed me.
The only other entertainment on board was a snack bar with Cuban coffee and Dr. Brown’s soda, Bob Evans sandwiches …
… and a duty free shop that sold M&Ms. No Wi-Fi at the moment, or phone service. I’m told slot machines may be in the works.
Somewhere in the middle of the trip, my iPhone switched to international coverage. Oops. Disabled the phone part but quick. And though I brought my charger for the camera part of the phone, I didn’t have a European plug. The concession folks were nice enough to charge it up for me.
Over in Freeport, we day-trippers were spared waiting in the immigration line, leaving the afternoon to explore.
If I were staying for a few days, there are any number of beaches to explore on Grand Bahama Island. But because my time was limited to the Freeport area, I took a $5 van (U.S. currency is widely accepted) packed with other sightseers from the ferry terminal to Lucaya Beach (named for the original inhabitants), in the suburbs.
My plan was to check out the beach and then wend my way to downtown Freeport on the way back to the terminal. I was eager to try a local eatery recommended by a Bahamian ferry passenger.
But when I told the van driver I wanted to head to downtown Freeport after the beach, she asked why. (I’d find out soon enough.)
Lucaya Beach — more like Florida during Spring Break than another country — was pretty, though packed.
My little taste of the Bahamas beach was delicious.
When in the Bahamas …
… make like a Bahama Mama and braid your hair. Yeah, not exactly Bo Derek.
There were the obligatory tourist shops.
Including a jewelry store that reeled me in with a divine ring. When I found out it was around the price of a MINI Cooper, I bolted. At least the MINI is a tad more practical.
I settled for a conch burger — that’s it buried under all the cheese — to tide me over until I got to Freeport. Pretty good. But couldn’t stomach the breaking news on CNN about the John Edwards trial. No getting away …
Took public transit to Freeport. Though it was knee-to-knee, everyone was cordial, wishing each other a good afternoon. The females were called Mum by the males and sister by the women.
When I finally arrived in downtown Freeport, I understood why it wasn’t a hot destination. Unlike Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, there really was no there there. Save for a lovely bunch of coconuts.
Lunch at Western Bakery, the local eatery I’d been so curious to try, was over. With that, I hopped on another bus to the harbor for the return trip back to the U.S.
On the ride back, treated myself to a Dr. Brown’s. And had the pleasure of shooting the breeze with a very gracious couple.
We discussed life, travel, and the sublime taste of Cadbury Crunchie candy bars. They offered me some of their supper — turkey sandwiches that they’d packed, and half a Crunchie. I declined; didn’t want to come off as a complete glutton.
They were so understated, I was floored to find out this was them.
After a long day …
Back in Fort Lauderdale with two gigundo mosquito bites as souvenirs. And the glow of an intriguing time.
Key points: If you want to stay over in the Bahamas, the ferry may be cheaper than flying. But keep in mind that you can’t board unless you have a passport.
For more info, click here.
planetlippstone.com 
Hi,
My friends and I are planning on doing a fishing trip in Nassau in May. We were originally going to fly but this looks like a nice cost saving option. Just wondering, what is the cost for the ferry and how do you book a place on the ferry?
Hi Spencer,
It looks like Freeport is quite a distance away from Nassau. Once you take the ferry from Florida to Freeport, it looks like flying might be the quickest (though possibly very expensive) option. Ferries do link some of the Bahamas, but I’m not sure if you can take a ferry direct from Freeport to Nassau.
The link for the Fort Lauderdale-Freeport ferry is here: http://www.ferryexpress.com/wps/portal/comercial/home_us_en?estrecho=3&resetPortlet=true
Ferries linking some of the Bahamas can be found here: http://www.bahamasferries.com/index.html
Link for Bahamasair is here: http://bahamasair.com/. If you’re only concentrating on Nassau, taking the ferry to Freeport first may not be the most cost-effective option.
Hope that helps.
I can’t believe there is a Ferry that goes back and fourth! I’ve been to the Bahamas twice, only on a cruise, and have been looking into all-inclusive resorts and such in that area, and came across an eBay auction that included a Ferry from FLL. I was like, what the heck, and then found your website. Love the detail and info. Thanks.
Thanks for reading. Appreciate it.
Can anyone suggest a reliable operator that’s still running a Freeport Bahamas ferry service from Ft Lauderdale using largish ships (around 8-10000 tons or more) on Saturdays in May 2013? Discovery and Cloud X have gone, Bahamas Express is too risky (weather sensitive) and that’s the problem!
Many thanks!
Some of what I’ve seen on the Internet looks repetitive. It’s all variations of this page. Looks like it’s the Bahamas Express again, with some other companies thrown in. I can’t vouch for the other companies. But maybe it’s a starting point.
http://www.2daycruise.com/
Is there a ferry / or water transportation between Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, to Nassau where West Bay street is located? If yes, who should I contact? I am not looking for a 1 or 2 day cruise. Thank you. Marie
Do you need a Passport to travel on the ferry from Ft Lauderdale to the Bahamas?
Yes.
How abt just a birth certificate if don’t have a passport can you still go
It looks like a birth certificate may do. This is on the website of the ferry company I went with:
U.S. Citizens
For round-trip sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you may sail with either a valid passport, proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver’s license with a photo), or any other WHTI compliant document.
Proof of Citizenship examples include:
State certified U.S. birth certificate
For more info, contact them at (866) 699 6988.
If I take a fishing trip at Freeport, will I be permitted to take my catch of fish back on the ferry? If not, how can I get my catch back to Florida?
Thanks for your question. Hoping this Florida state government link will be of some help.
I live in jacksonville, florida and I want to caught a ferry to nassau. I know I would haveto drive to fort Lauderdale to caught ferry. Can you tell me what is best for me.
The ferry that I took goes from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport.
Is there a ferry that goes from freeport to nassau
I apologize if this sounds like a repetitive question but are there any cruises/ferries etc. that go from Florida to Nassau or vice versa?
Thanks for your interest. The trip I took was a daily ferry from Ft. Lauderdale to Freeport. I did find this link, for starters.
http://www.porteverglades.org/seaescape.htm
My question is a repeat to what Jim asked above, and can’t find any definitive answer. Is there any ferry or boat service from Fort Lauderdale/Miami to Nassau only? Or vice versa? Specially one way. I would like to fly back from Nassau.
Last I checked, there was no ferry service from Florida to Nassau, just Freeport. That may have changed, due to what seems like a definite demand.
We would like to use the ferry from Ft Lauderdale to freeport Bahama for week. would it be cheaper to just buy 1 way to and then when we were ready to come back to Ft Lauderdale buy a 1waybach?just not sure what island we want to stay at.
If you’re not sure of your travel plans, it might be better to buy one-way tickets. I would check the Balearia Bahamas Express ferry website for the latest prices and schedules.
are pets allowed on the boat
Yes, with reservations. Here’s more info: http://www.ferryexpress.com/wps/portal/corporativo/web?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/corporativo/en/SeccionesBimini/Guiadelpasajero/Guiadelpasajero/Pets+on+board/Pets-on-board
Does someone need a visa from Bahamas to Florida.thanks
There’s useful information here about what you need going to and from the Bahamas:
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/travel-documents-needed-bahamas-61841.html
is it possible for me to renew my visa in Bahamas.
If you live in the Bahamas and want to visit the U.S. and need to renew a visa for the U.S., here is some information:
http://nassau.usembassy.gov/visas.html
You might also be able to get more information from this site. It has live chat capabilities, so you can ask any questions you have yourself.
http://www.bahamas.com/entry-requirements
You us/Bahamian ‘s, no one mentioned the fact you can also travel by our mail boats when in the islands, it is the common means for many of us to travel between the different islands. It isn’t the Love Boat by any means but it will get you there and between Abaco, Cooperstown end there is a ferry there to the main land – but yes we have had ferry’s going back and from US/Bahamas. Alot of the older Bahamian’s won’t or don’t care to fly so they take the ferry.
Enjoy your trip mind your surroundings when shopping in Nassau, on the main street it is no uncommon to notice someone following you. It’s the only island I myself have ever had any difficulty with.
Enjoy-
Would an American citizen’s drivers license and birth certificate suffice. as well ,instead of a passport? Great article!
Thanks! I believe a passport is definitely needed because you’re traveling to another country.
Hello, upon arrival at Freeport Bahamas, you said there’s an immigration line. Does the officer manually/hand check passport document or they have computer to check?
Hi, when I did this a while back, passports were hand-checked. Don’t know if the process has been computerized.