Travel to/from Freeport/Nassau

[Jamie Shields]

Hey Folks, booked a Blackbeard livaboard in sept, now looking at cheapest travel. Planning to drive to Fort Lauderdale and take Ferry to Freeport, and have been searching in vain for ferry's that run from Freeport to Nassau, which is where the Blackbeard boat leaves from. I appreciate the help.

 

[diversteve]

While it seems like a good plan on paper it's actually not really. Besides maybe currently not possible, I didn't find a NAS-Freeport ferry either when I looked once last year.

The Balearic ferry is $138/rt. FLL- Freeport. It's 96 nautical miles from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport. It's 130 nm from Freeport to Nassau so probably about the same price if you find one.

Bahamas Ferries - We Make the Connection - the Bahamas Ferries aren't making the run at all this summer thru the end of August but if they possibly start up again in Sept. - It's $130r/t.

So you'd be looking at $238ish. And a lot of extra grief/travel time. Even if they do start running again and it's possible, probably have to factor in a hotel room since I don't see how you could get from FLL to Freeport to NAS by 1PM - the time BB wants you there for the 3PM sailing.

Flights on JetBlue or Bahamasair run on the hour from 6AM till past the time your ship sails and are $224-244 r/t total every Saturday in Sept. And you're there in an hour. Some may be out of MIA since I specified both locations in my search.

 

[KathyV]

I second the suggestion of looking for reasonable airfares between Fort Lauderdale and Nassau. You should also look for airfares from Miami because it isn't that much further of a drive and you may have more carriers and options available.

And a really nice thing about flying back to the US from Nassau is that they have a US immigration and customs facility right inside the NAS airport. So you can exit Bahamas and enter the US by an easy process and won't have to put up with that mess when you arrive at the first port of call in the US.

Where are you located in Florida? By the time you pay for gas and tolls and parking for a week at the airport, it might work out same/better to fly directly from your nearest airport, and it will save a lot of vacation time.

 

[Jamie Shields]

Thank you guys for the quick replies...still looking at 2 day cruises from a Florida port to Nassau over and back as an option...but might end up flying for the $$$

 

[KathyV]

I did a 1 day cruise from Florida to Freeport one time to take a liveaboard and it was just okay, but I believe that Nassau is quite a bit further away. I wouldn't do it again, rather boring IMO.

Sometimes American Air has good flight options from Miami to popular destinations in the Caribbean.