First Time Taking the Bahamas Ferry?

Documents, deadlines and the details that catch people out — checked against the operator's own rules.

Last updated: August 19, 2026
Balearia HSC Jaume II high-speed ferry docked at Fort Lauderdale, ready for the crossing to the Bahamas © Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0

TL;DR — Bahamas Ferry First-Timer Cheat Sheet

  • Operator: Baleària Caribbean is the only US–Bahamas passenger ferry — it sails from Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale (Terminal 21), not PortMiami.
  • Routes: Fort Lauderdale → Bimini (~2 h, Wed/Fri/Sun) and Fort Lauderdale → Freeport / Grand Bahama (~3 h, twice weekly — Tue and Sat this autumn, but the days move between seasons).
  • Passport only. Baleària accepts a US passport book or passport card and nothing else — no birth certificates, no enhanced driver's licenses, no Global Entry cards. This applies to children too.
  • Doors close at 8:00 AM for the 9:00 AM sailing. Check-in opens at 6:00 AM and the operator asks you to arrive between 6:15 and 6:45 AM.
  • Fares: Bimini from about $93 one-way before taxes (round-trips from roughly $199 all-in); Freeport lead-in around $235 per person. Get a real quote for your date — the published "from" prices are indicative.
Fact Bimini Freeport (Grand Bahama)
Crossing time~2 hours~3 hours
Sailing days (autumn 2026)Wed, Fri, SunTue, Sat
Departure9:00 AM9:00 AM
Return departure6:00 PM6:00 PM
Terminal doors close8:00 AM — one hour before departure
Indicative fare from~$93 one-way + taxes
~$199 round-trip all-in		~$235 per person
VesselHSC Jaume IIHSC Jaume II
Day-trip viable?Yes — return same eveningTight — overnight recommended

How this guide is put together

Written and maintained by the BahamasHopping editorial team. The times, documents and fare figures below were checked in August 2026 against Baleària Caribbean's own help centre and route pages, against Port Everglades' published parking rates, and against live sailing data for September and October 2026. Where a figure is indicative rather than fixed, we say so instead of inventing a number. Found something out of date? Tell us and we'll correct it.

Booking Your Ferry Trip

There are only two commercial passenger ferry routes from the US to the Bahamas, and Baleària Caribbean runs both of them out of Port Everglades. They suit very different trips:

Fort Lauderdale to Bimini

  • Time: ~2 hours — the easier crossing, and the only one that works as a day trip
  • Sailing days: Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, confirmed for autumn 2026; extra sailings appear in summer and around holidays
  • Departure: 9:00 AM from Port Everglades Terminal 21; return sails at 6:00 PM
  • Fare: from around $93 one-way before taxes, or roughly $199 round-trip including taxes
  • The island: small, walkable, built around beaches and big-game fishing

Fort Lauderdale to Freeport (Grand Bahama)

  • Time: ~3 hours on the same catamaran
  • Sailing days: twice weekly. For September and October 2026 that is Tuesday and Saturday — but see the warning below before you plan around it
  • Departure: 9:00 AM from Port Everglades; return sails at 6:00 PM
  • Fare: lead-in around $235 per person
  • The island: much bigger, full resorts, Lucayan National Park — worth at least one overnight

Don't plan the Freeport trip around a weekday rule

The Grand Bahama route sails twice a week, but which two days changes between seasons. You'll find confident claims online that it's "Wednesday and Sunday" — including on older versions of this page. When we checked live availability for September and October 2026, the sailings fell on Tuesday and Saturday instead. Baleària publishes the real dates only in its booking calendar, so open the calendar, pick your date there, and build the trip around what it actually offers. Booking a hotel or rental car around a guessed sailing day is an expensive mistake.

On fares

Book early — availability on a two-or-three-sailings-a-week route disappears well before the date, and the cheapest fare buckets go first. Children and seniors pay reduced fares, and Baleària runs its own rewards discounts and ferry-plus-hotel packages that are sometimes cheaper than booking the two separately. One caution on prices: Baleària's website shows different "from" figures on different pages — $180 on the routes overview, $235 on the Bimini route page, $279 for a round trip on the homepage. Treat every published lead-in fare, ours included, as a rough anchor and get a real quote for your date.

Where to Book

You've got three real options:

  • Direct with Balearia Caribbean — best for date changes and refunds. baleariacaribbean.com
  • Direct Ferries (price comparison): shows live availability across all departures — handy for finding the cheapest date. directferries.com
  • Ferry + hotel packages: sometimes 10–20% cheaper than buying separately, especially mid-week.

Ready to Book?

Compare live 2026 schedules and prices for both routes

Check Ferry Schedules

Documents You'll Need

This is the single most important section on the page, because getting it wrong means being turned away at the counter — and Baleària states plainly that it takes no responsibility for denied boarding caused by missing documents.

For US citizens: a passport, and nothing else

Baleària Caribbean's own documentation rules are stricter than the general US sea-travel regulations. The operator requires that all US citizens — adults and minors alike — hold a current, valid US passport book or US passport card. In its own words, birth certificates, photo ID and naturalization certificates "will no longer be accepted", and only passports are accepted for international travel on both its day trips and its overnight packages.

  • Passport book: the safest choice for everyone. It's also the only document that works if you end up flying home instead of sailing back.
  • Passport card: accepted by Baleària for this crossing, but useless for a return flight.
  • Children: no exception. Infants and minors need their own passport.
  • Not accepted: birth certificates, driver's licenses and enhanced driver's licenses, naturalization certificates, and the trusted-traveler cards — NEXUS, SENTRI and Global Entry.
  • Validity: Baleària asks that your passport be valid for more than six months beyond your travel date.
  • Source: Baleària Caribbean help centre, "USA Citizens: Overnight & Daytrip" (checked August 2026).

Why other guides tell you something different

Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a birth certificate plus photo ID is technically enough for a US citizen under 16 travelling by sea, and plenty of Bahamas guides — this one included, until we checked — repeat that as if it settles the question. It doesn't. A carrier is free to impose stricter conditions than the law's minimum, and Baleària has. The rule that gets applied is the one at the check-in counter.

Practical document tips

  • Photograph every document and email the images to yourself
  • Keep the originals in a waterproof pouch — you're on a boat
  • Check the expiry dates now, against the six-month rule, not the night before
  • Print your ferry tickets rather than relying on terminal WiFi
  • If you're travelling with a child whose surname differs from yours, or without the other parent, carry documentation of the relationship and a consent letter. The Bahamas does not always ask — but border officers on either side may.

What to Pack

Nothing exotic — but a few of these save real hassle on a 2–3 hour crossing:

The Essentials

  • Cash: Many places don't take cards (especially taxis)
  • Dramamine: Take it 30 minutes BEFORE boarding
  • Snacks: Ferry food is pricey and limited
  • Empty water bottle: Fill it after security
  • Phone charger: Outlets are limited on the ferry
  • Towel & swimsuit: You might hit the beach right away!

The Smart Extras

  • Ziploc bags: For wet swimsuits, protecting phones
  • Small cooler: Allowed on board! Pack drinks and snacks
  • Entertainment: Download movies - ferry WiFi is terrible
  • Layers: AC inside is FREEZING, outside deck is hot
  • Hand sanitizer: Bathrooms run out of soap
1

Pack Light!

You'll be hauling bags through terminals. One backpack per person is perfect.

2

Bring Small Bills

Useful for tips, taxis and the odd card reader that isn't cooperating. Bahamian taxis are cash-first.

3

Waterproof Everything

The open upper deck catches spray in any kind of swell. Phones and documents belong in a dry bag.

Your Ferry Day Timeline

Here's exactly how your morning should go (using the standard 9:00 AM departure as an example):

Aerial view of Port Everglades cruise terminals in Fort Lauderdale, where the Balearia ferry to the Bahamas departs
Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale — Balearia uses Terminal 21. Photo: Yanjipy / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Night Before

  • 8 PM: Pack everything, check documents AGAIN
  • 9 PM: Charge all devices
  • 10 PM: Early to bed - tomorrow's an early one!

Ferry Day Morning

Baleària's guidance is specific: check-in opens at 6:00 AM, three hours before departure, and the operator asks passengers to arrive between 6:15 and 6:45 AM. The terminal doors close at 8:00 AM — a full hour before the ship sails. Build your morning backwards from that.

  • 5:00 AM: Up, breakfast, motion-sickness tablet if you're taking one
  • 5:45 AM: Load the car, final bathroom stop
  • 6:00 AM: Leave for Port Everglades
  • 6:15–6:45 AM: Arrive at the port and park — the window Baleària recommends
  • 7:00 AM: Check in at Terminal 21, clear the security scan
  • 8:00 AM: Terminal doors close. Anyone still outside is not sailing.
  • 8:30 AM: Boarding
  • 9:00 AM: Departure

The 8:00 AM door is the real deadline

Not 8:50, not "a few minutes before nine". Baleària states that beyond the deadline it cannot guarantee you'll be taken on board. It also warns that port security screening at the entrance backs up, and advises being at the port itself at least an hour before departure — which is why the recommended arrival window is so much earlier than the door time. If you've seen "arrive 90 minutes early" advice for this ferry, it is too relaxed.

Port Everglades Parking

  • Palm Garage — this is the one you want. It serves Terminals 19, 21, 25, 26 and 29, and the Baleària ferry uses Terminal 21. Around 1,966 spaces, 7-foot clearance.
  • Not the Heron Garage. Heron serves Terminals 2 and 4 — the wrong end of the port. Plenty of guides list both interchangeably; they aren't.
  • Rates: $20/day maximum for standard vehicles, $25/day for oversized. Short stays run $4 for the first hour and $8 up to five hours.
  • No reservations: the port accepts neither bookings nor pre-payment — pull a ticket at the gate.
  • Overflow: Lots A and B sit near Terminals 18, 19 and 26 if the garage is full.
  • Uber/Lyft: drop-off is quick; pickup on the return can be slow because of port security flow.
  • Source: Port Everglades published parking rates and garage assignments (checked August 2026).

Customs Made Easy

Good news - ferry customs is WAY easier than airport customs! Here's the deal:

Leaving USA (Fort Lauderdale)

  • Show passport at check-in
  • Quick security scan (like TSA lite)
  • That's it! No forms or interviews

Arriving in Bahamas

  1. Stay seated when ferry docks
  2. Immigration officers board the ferry
  3. They'll call rows to exit
  4. Quick passport stamp at terminal
  5. 20-30 minutes total (way faster than airports!)

Returning to USA

  1. Fill out customs form on ferry (crew provides)
  2. Have passports ready
  3. Quick declaration at Fort Lauderdale
  4. Usually through in 20 minutes

What NOT to Bring Back

  • Conch shells & queen conch products: Restricted under CITES — confiscation and civil fines on entry; just leave them on the beach.
  • Alcohol over 1 liter / person: Above the duty-free allowance you'll owe federal duty plus state tax, not a ban — but a hassle.
  • Fresh fruit, plants, raw meat: USDA agricultural restrictions — confiscated at customs.
  • Cuban cigars: Personal-use travel allowance was rescinded in 2020; importation from a third country still restricted as of 2026.

Small Things That Make the Crossing Better

None of this is essential, but it's the sort of thing nobody tells first-timers:

1

Best Seats

Upstairs, middle section, right side. Less motion, great views, quick exit in Bahamas.

2

Seasickness Secret

Green apple and ginger ale work wonders. Also, look at the horizon, not your phone!

3

Bring Your Own Food

There's a bar-café on board with snacks, soft drinks and cocktails, but it's captive-audience pricing. Small coolers are allowed.

4

Morning = Calmer

9 AM ferry hits smooth water. Afternoon returns can be choppy.

5

Bathroom Strategy

Go before boarding and right after departure. Avoid during docking - long lines!

6

Download Everything

Movies, maps, tickets. Ferry WiFi is basically decorative.

Common First-Timer Mistakes

  • Travelling on a birth certificate: the mistake most likely to end your trip at the counter. Baleària takes passports only.
  • Arriving "on time": the doors shut at 8:00 AM, an hour before the ship leaves
  • Wrong port: it's Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, not PortMiami
  • Assuming a weekday pattern for Freeport: check the booking calendar for your dates
  • Parking at the Heron Garage: Terminal 21 is served by the Palm Garage
  • No cash: Bahamian taxis are cash-first
  • Forgetting sunscreen: the open upper deck gets a lot of sun

Stay Near Port Everglades the Night Before

Flying in the same morning doesn't work. The terminal doors close at 8:00 AM and Baleària wants you at the port between 6:15 and 6:45 AM — no realistic flight gets you there. A night within about 10 minutes of Port Everglades turns a frantic morning into an easy one, and most of these hotels run Park-and-Cruise rates that bundle parking with a port shuttle.

Four options near the port

Lead-in rates below were checked on Booking.com in August 2026 for a midweek October 2026 night, two adults. They move a lot with season and demand — use them to compare tiers, not as quotes.

Pier Sixty-Six

From about $510/night

The landmark tower on 17th Street, reopened in January 2025 after a long redevelopment — 325 rooms, a large spa and multilevel pools, minutes from the port. A genuine splurge, and priced like one.

Check Availability

Embassy Suites by Hilton Fort Lauderdale 17th Street

From about $190/night

All-suite layout with breakfast included, on the same 17th Street corridor as the port. The easiest pick for families who want space the night before an early start.

Check Availability

Hampton Inn Ft Lauderdale Airport North Cruise Port

From about $110/night

Dependable mid-range chain hotel with shuttle service and free breakfast. Sits between the airport and the port, which is the right place to be if you're flying in the night before.

Check Availability

Rodeway Inn & Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port

From about $100/night

The budget option, with shuttle service to both the airport and the port. Basic, but it puts you close to Terminal 21 without eating into the trip budget.

Check Availability

Disclosure: BahamasHopping earns a small commission when you book through these links — at no extra cost to you. It's how we keep this guide free. Learn more.

Easiest First Trip: Book a Package

For a stress-free first crossing, these day-trip packages bundle the round-trip ferry (one even includes Miami hotel pickup) — free cancellation up to 2 days before:

First-Timer FAQs

Do I really need a passport for the Bahamas ferry?

Yes. Baleària Caribbean accepts only a valid US passport book or passport card from US citizens — adults and minors alike — and states in writing that birth certificates, photo ID and naturalization certificates are no longer accepted. NEXUS, SENTRI and Global Entry cards don't qualify either. General WHTI sea-travel rules are more permissive than this, which is why so many guides say otherwise, but the carrier's rule is the one applied at check-in, and Baleària accepts no responsibility for denied boarding. Bring the passport book if there's any chance you'll fly home instead of sailing back.

How much does the Bahamas ferry actually cost in 2026?

Bimini starts around $93 one-way before taxes, with round-trips from roughly $199 including taxes. Freeport carries a lead-in fare of about $235 per person. Children and seniors pay reduced fares. One honest caveat: Baleària's own site quotes different "from" prices in different places — $180 on the routes overview, $235 on the Bimini route page, $279 for a round trip on the homepage — so treat any published lead-in figure as an anchor and get a real quote for your dates.

How early do I need to arrive at Port Everglades?

Baleària asks passengers to arrive between 6:15 and 6:45 AM for the 9:00 AM sailing. Check-in opens at 6:00 AM, three hours before departure, and the terminal doors close at 8:00 AM — a full hour before the ship leaves. The operator also warns that security screening at the port entrance can back up, and advises being at the port itself at least an hour before departure. Beyond the deadline it cannot guarantee you'll be taken on board.

Where exactly do I park, and how much?

The Palm Garage — it's the garage that serves Terminal 21, where the Baleària ferry docks. Don't follow guides that send you to the Heron Garage: Heron serves Terminals 2 and 4, at the other end of the port. Rates are $20/day maximum for standard vehicles and $25 for oversized, with $4 for the first hour on short stays. No reservations and no pre-payment — pull a ticket at the gate. Lots A and B near Terminals 18, 19 and 26 are the overflow if the garage fills.

Will I get seasick? Is the crossing rough?

The Jaume II is a high-speed catamaran, so it rides much smoother than a single-hull ferry. Morning crossings are usually calm; afternoon returns can get bouncy in summer when the wind picks up. If you're sensitive, take Dramamine 30 minutes before boarding, sit in the middle of the upper deck, and look at the horizon (not your phone).

Can I bring food, drinks or a cooler on board?

Yes — small soft-side coolers with snacks and sealed non-alcoholic drinks are allowed in the cabin. Glass containers and outside alcohol are not. There's a bar-café on board serving snacks, soft drinks and cocktails, plus a duty-free shop, but pricing is what you'd expect from a captive audience.

What if I'm flying into Miami — can I still take the ferry?

Yes — Port Everglades is 30–40 minutes north of Miami via I-95. The Tri-Rail commuter train and rideshare both work. Just don't confuse Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) with PortMiami; the Bahamas ferry leaves only from Port Everglades.

When does the return ferry get back to Fort Lauderdale?

Return sailings from both Bimini and Freeport leave at 6:00 PM, on the same days the ship sails out. From Bimini that puts you back in Fort Lauderdale around 8:00 PM; from Freeport, closer to 9:00 PM. Always confirm your specific date at booking — times shift seasonally.

Where These Facts Come From

Checked in August 2026. If you spot something that has since changed, let us know.

  • Documents, check-in times and terminal deadlines: Baleària Caribbean help centre — "USA Citizens: Overnight & Daytrip" and "What time / Where do I need to arrive?"
  • Routes, vessel and on-board facilities: Baleària Caribbean route pages for Fort Lauderdale–Bimini and Fort Lauderdale–Grand Bahama.
  • Sailing days and return times: live availability checked across September and October 2026 — Bimini on Wed/Fri/Sun, Grand Bahama on Tue/Sat, both departing 9:00 AM with 6:00 PM returns.
  • Parking rates and garage assignments: Port Everglades published cruise parking information.
  • Hotel rates: Booking.com lead-in rates for a midweek October 2026 night, two adults.

Ready for Your Bahamas Adventure?

You've got the playbook — now check live 2026 schedules and lock in your fare.

Book Your Ferry Tickets