Ferry from Miami to Bahamas: The Honest Answer

Bimini or Freeport: The Two Routes

The service runs two routes, and both leave Port Everglades Terminal 21 at 9:00 AM on sailing days. Bimini is the closest Bahamian island to the US mainland, so the crossing is the shorter one. Freeport sits on Grand Bahama and the crossing takes about an hour longer. On a Bimini day trip the return sailing gives roughly 7 hours ashore, and staying one night to catch the next sailing day is an option if three sailings a week do not line up with your plans. If you would rather skip the schedule juggling, the bookable Bahamas day trip by ferry runs the same crossing with the logistics handled.

The figures below come from reseller pages that publish the schedule, so confirm them when you book.

The Terminal and Check-In

The terminal is Port Everglades Terminal 21 at 2021 Eller Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. Check-in opens at 6:00 AM for the 9:00 AM departure and the terminal doors close at 8:00 AM. The operator suggests arriving between 6:15 and 6:45 AM.

That is a long morning, and it is the single biggest reason people book a day trip with transfers instead of driving themselves before dawn. The ferry is foot passengers only, with no vehicles carried, and the service can be delayed or cancelled for weather. With sailings on only some days of the week, a sold-out date can push your trip back by days, so booking 2 to 3 weeks ahead is the usual advice.

The Ship: Jaume II

The fast ferry Jaume II is a wave-piercing catamaran built by Incat in Tasmania in 1996. It is 81 metres long, makes 35 knots and carries 655 passengers. The crossing to Bimini covers roughly 50 miles of open Atlantic, so those 35 knots are what keep the ride to about 2 hours.

Onboard there is a snack bar and a duty-free shop. The ship carries foot passengers only on these routes, which is why you cannot take a car on this ferry.

Economy vs Economy Premium

Economy is the standard reserved seat. Economy Premium adds three things: a reclining seat with a USB charger, one free drink and snack, and priority disembarkation so you are off the ship and onto the island first. On a short 2-hour crossing the seat upgrade matters most to travellers who want to maximise their first hour ashore, because priority disembarkation can put you at the front of the queue when the ferry docks.

Reseller pages publish the exact fare differences by sailing day, and they change, so check them when you book. The bookable day trips on this site carry their own fixed prices, shown below.

Baggage Rules

Each adult gets one free carry-on of up to 26.5 lb with maximum dimensions of 22 x 18 x 10 inches. Extra bags must be checked at the counter before boarding. A beach bag, a towel and a change of clothes fit in the carry-on, but a full suitcase will not.

Pack light, because you also carry whatever you bring through Bahamian immigration and back through US customs in Fort Lauderdale the same evening.

Three Ways to Reach the Terminal

The figures below compare the practical options from Miami on the morning of a sailing. The Brightline ride between Miami and Fort Lauderdale takes about 33 minutes, and the Fort Lauderdale station at 101 NW 2nd Avenue is about 4 miles from Port Everglades, a ride of around $25. Driving gives you the most control over the pre-dawn schedule but means parking at the terminal for the day.

The third option removes the 6:00 AM logistics entirely by putting a vehicle and driver in charge of the schedule.

Timing the 6:00 to 8:00 AM Check-In

The arithmetic is tight. Check-in opens at 6:00 AM, the terminal doors close at 8:00 AM and the operator suggests arriving between 6:15 and 6:45 AM. Driving from Miami means setting off before dawn and leaving a buffer for traffic.

If you take Brightline, confirm the schedule the night before: the train takes about 33 minutes between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and you still need a ride of about 4 miles from the station to Terminal 21. Anyone who does not want to solve that puzzle books a transfer instead, and the day trip listings exist for exactly that reason.

A Passport for Every Passenger

Baleària Caribbean requires a valid passport for all ferry passengers to the Bahamas, including children and infants. The Bahamas Immigration Department adds that all persons entering must hold a passport valid for at least six months, and that passport cards are not accepted for entry into the Bahamas. Note the split: a US passport card is acceptable to re-enter the United States by sea under CBP rules, but the Bahamas side of the trip still demands the book, because the card is not accepted for Bahamian entry.

Bahamas entry also requires a return ticket or another means of departing the country, which your round-trip ferry booking satisfies.

US Customs on the Way Back

Returning passengers clear US customs and border protection at Port Everglades, so the day ends with a federal inspection. CBP's free Mobile Passport Control app works at Port Everglades Seaport for US citizens and lets you submit your declaration up to 4 hours before arrival and use a dedicated line. The duty-free exemption for returning travelers from Caribbean Basin countries such as the Bahamas is $800, but it requires the goods to accompany you and a stay abroad of at least 48 hours, which a same-day ferry trip does not meet.

Departure Tax

The Bahamas charges a departure tax of $23 for passengers leaving by sea, or $25 from a private destination, and Bahamian Customs says commercial carriers usually include it in the fare, as ferry operators do. Every traveller entering the Bahamas by sea, children included, must also file a C17 customs declaration, which can be done free through the Exempt app at exempt.gov.bs before arrival. Per adult, the Bahamas allows 1 litre of spirits or wine, 200 cigarettes and gifts up to BSD $100, and cash over BSD $10,000 must be declared.

How Nassau Is Actually Reached

The scheduled Florida to Bahamas ferry serves Bimini and Freeport only, so Nassau is reached by cruise ship or by plane. Nassau is the busiest cruise port in the region: the Prince George Wharf terminal holds six ships at once, and the port recorded a single-day high of over 33,000 cruise passengers across six ships in June. Cruise lines sailing from PortMiami reach Nassau on 3-, 4- and 5-night itineraries, with ships from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC and Virgin Voyages.

The guide to which lines run a cruise from Miami to the Bahamas compares them, and the 3 day Bahamas cruise from Miami page shows what a short Nassau sailing looks like. A search for a 'ferry to Nassau from Miami' usually ends at a cruise booking or a flight plus a hotel, because the ferry route simply does not exist.

What the Day Trips Add

Three bookable listings cover this crossing. The Bahamas day trip by ferry to Bimini or Grand Bahama costs $299, runs 15 hours and covers round-trip ferry transport from Port Everglades with pickup included. The Bimini ferry with Miami Beach hotel transfers, also $299, adds hotel pickup and drop-off in Miami Beach or Downtown Miami, the drive to Port Everglades, landing and facility fees, and about 6 hours of free time on Bimini, though food, drinks and the optional water sports pass are extra.

The Bimini day trip by ferry from Fort Lauderdale costs $270, runs 18 hours, offers Economy or Business Class ferry seats chosen at booking and includes hotel pickup and drop-off, with the resort day pass sold onboard. Each listing's own page carries the full inclusions and exclusions, so read it before booking. None of the three lists lunch.

Comparing Your Ways to Reach the Bahamas in a Day

The table below lines up the day-trip options against the other two realistic ways to reach the Bahamas from Miami for a day. Cruise fares are per person and change daily, so no figure is printed here, and no scheduled flight fare for Bimini is stated in the sources behind this page.

When the Ferry Ticket Alone Suits

Buying only the ferry fare works if you have your own car, are already staying in Fort Lauderdale, or are comfortable with a pre-dawn departure from Miami to make the 6:15 to 6:45 AM arrival window the operator suggests. It also suits an overnight plan: with sailings on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, staying one night on Bimini and returning on the next sailing day is a pattern the schedule supports. Travellers starting from a Miami Beach hotel with no car almost always find the bundled day trip simpler, because the transfer removes the pre-dawn drive and the parking question in one booking.